Chapter 1302: Qin Spirit

Considering that the divine Wutong tree had been broken before, and this current one grew back from its roots, Chen Mobai believed his guess was correct.

"This river is called the Chishui River, the largest river in Nanzhou, flowing across the continent. Not only Duguangye, but most other Nanzhou civilizations were established along this river..." True Monarch Dagu continued his diligent explanation.

The group stood on the bank, facing a lush Wutong forest. Trees of all ranks were present; several fifth-rank ones were visible, clustering around the peak sixth-rank divine Wutong tree, arranged from low to high.

This scene was similar to that of Danxia Mountain in the Immortal Sect, and a flicker of nostalgia crossed Chen Mobai's eyes as he saw it.

The Chishui River in Nanzhou did not exist initially. In fact, when the entire Nanzhou continent first emerged from the sea, it was a barren land of volcanoes. However, after the Fire Phoenix of Duguangye attained enlightenment, it used the divine Wutong tree to suppress thousands of fire veins. It also invited a water elemental to create this great river, drawing water from the Heavenly Sea to flow and irrigate, giving this land the possibility of nurturing life.

The civilization of Nanzhou is essentially the history of the Chishui River.

As they spoke, a wooden boat hollowed from Wutong wood arrived from the opposite bank, carrying a man and a woman.

The man, holding an oar, wore coarse linen clothes, his skin bronze and radiating a masculine aura.

The woman wore a red gauze feathered robe, with red hair, golden eyes, and snow-white skin.

"Greetings, Clan Leader."

Both the man and woman were Nascent Soul stage cultivators. Upon reaching the shore, they both bowed respectfully to Feng Qingshu.

"These are our clan's Saint Son, Feng Zhaoming, and Saintess, Feng Lizhu, of this generation."

Feng Qingshu gave a brief introduction, and Chen Mobai and the others politely greeted them before following Feng Qingshu onto the Wutong wooden boat.

This section of the Chishui River was suppressed by the Dao of the sixth-rank divine Wutong tree. Only beings with Phoenix clan bloodline could fly here; even their Incarnation stage cultivators could not resist this restriction.

"What about teleporting using void secret techniques?"

Chen Mobai couldn't help but ask after hearing True Monarch Dagu explain why they needed to take a boat.

"That has not been attempted."

True Monarch Dagu hesitated, glanced at Feng Qingshu, and replied.

However, from his demeanor, Chen Mobai knew he had definitely tried, but it was inconvenient to say so with their host present.

"Void secret techniques are also restricted. Of course, if one possessed the Heaven-Measuring Ruler, it wouldn't be restrained."

Feng Qingshu, however, answered the question directly.

Clearly, a Palace Master from the Grand Void Ethereal Palace must have visited this place with an Enlightenment Treasure and broken the divine Wutong tree's seal.

The Phoenix clan of Duguangye resides within the Wutong forest, in a tribe called Tianfeng Valley. Beyond the forest lies endless spiritual fields, which constitute Duguangye itself. Almost all visible fields were fifth-rank, with a considerable number of sixth-rank ones.

After Chen Mobai and the others disembarked, True Monarch Wuchen's eyes remained fixed on the vast spiritual fields, and his expression grew visibly excited upon spotting some precious medicinal herbs.

"The sixth-rank Fire Cloud Ginseng and other ingredients required for refining the Immortal Elixir have already been prepared by Lizhu. They will be presented to Daoist Chen once the repair is complete."

Seeing True Monarch Wuchen's expression, Feng Qingshu exchanged a glance with Ao Yuxia and spoke.

"Thank you, Clan Leader Feng."

Upon hearing this, True Monarch Wuchen felt a great weight lift from his heart and nodded repeatedly.

They then followed Feng Qingshu to their destination.

At the center of Tianfeng Valley stood the sixth-rank divine Wutong tree. The Phoenix clan lived around the tree, though only those with noble status, such as Feng Qingshu, the Saint Son, and the Saintess, were permitted to reside directly on the divine tree.

However, there was another rule regarding the divine tree: Incarnation stage cultivators were permitted to climb it.

This was because, a long time ago, it served as a passage to the Spirit Void Immortal Realm.

As Chen Mobai and the others were all Incarnation stage cultivators, they followed Feng Qingshu, stepping on the tree trunk, to a hall built among the branches. Three characters, "Phoenix Seeks Phoenix," were inscribed above its entrance.

Inside, the Nine Tribulations Sky Phoenix Guqin was enshrined.

Upon entering, Chen Mobai saw an ancient guqin made entirely of crimson gold. Its body was crafted from Wutong wood, and nine tail feathers adorned its end, though it only had one string, the leftmost one.

"Greetings, Ancestor."

After stepping in, Feng Qingshu formed hand seals, performed an incantation for consecration, and bowed to the ancient guqin.

Soon, a red light glowed at the guqin's tail, rising like flames. A fire phoenix, with a languid expression and graceful posture, flew out and stood upon the string.

The moment it stepped onto the string, a clear note resonated, and the seemingly ordinary guqin emitted a terrifying heat, capable of incinerating mountains and boiling seas, filling the entire hall.

Even the several Incarnation stage cultivators present couldn't help but sweat profusely under such high temperatures.

Only Chen Mobai, due to his Fire Spirit Body and his comprehension of the Dao of Fire, felt as if he were basking in a spring breeze, his expression undisturbed.

This sight piqued the guqin spirit's slight curiosity, and a glimmer of hope rose in Feng Qingshu's heart.

"What awakens me?"

The guqin spirit withdrew its gaze from Chen Mobai, looked at Feng Qingshu, and asked. The latter immediately explained the repair matter.

"Honestly, don't disturb my slumber with such futile endeavors."

To their surprise, after hearing this, the guqin spirit simply yawned, transformed back into a stream of fire that cascaded like a waterfall, and re-integrated into the tail feathers of the guqin.

This scene embarrassed Feng Qingshu somewhat, as the Phoenix clan had previously invited other sixth-rank artifact refiners, but none had succeeded in the repair. Consequently, the guqin spirit had developed a fixed impression that such attempts would surely fail.

However, this was rather impolite towards Chen Mobai, so Feng Qingshu immediately began to explain, deflecting the awkwardness: "The Nine Tribulations Sky Phoenix Guqin, when complete, had seven strings, each representing a Great Dao. Our clan has exhausted all efforts and has only managed to repair this one string, which represents the Dao of Fire..."

As Feng Qingshu spoke, she lightly ran her finger across the transparent, jade-like string. The scorching heat began to dissipate, causing True Monarch Wuchen and the others present to visibly sigh in relief.

"What Great Daos do the other six strings represent?"

Chen Mobai, however, paid no mind to the guqin spirit's attitude. He himself didn't expect success, but that didn't stop him from adopting a professional approach and beginning to study the guqin.

"What we can confirm are the Great Daos of Music and Tribulation Fortune. As for the other four, there are various theories, but to avoid misleading Daoist, I won't elaborate."

The Phoenix clan of Tianfeng Valley are Nanzhou humans who refined the essence blood dripped during the Fire Phoenix's Nirvana. Therefore, their history has gaps and is not recorded from the time of creation.

The spirit of the Nine Tribulations Sky Phoenix Guqin was also reborn over the long ages alongside the divine Wutong tree, so it couldn't fully ascertain the seven Great Daos it commanded during its peak.

But upon hearing this, Chen Mobai thought Feng Qingshu was testing him. He couldn't help but walk closer to the Nine Tribulations Sky Phoenix Guqin, examined it carefully, and then asked about the most crucial element: "May I ask about the materials for the strings?"

"Do you require seventh-rank or sixth-rank, Daoist?" To his surprise, Feng Qingshu counter-questioned him.

There were even seventh-rank materials!

Chen Mobai's heart was filled with shock. Excluding the fragments of the Sky Phoenix Mirror, he had never seen seventh-rank materials in his life.

"Could you bring both so I can see them?" Chen Mobai brazenly requested, wishing to broaden his knowledge.

Feng Qingshu gave him a profound look, then pulled out two drawers from the platform where the Nine Tribulations Sky Phoenix Guqin was enshrined.

As the left drawer was opened, it radiated five-colored spiritual light. In that instant, everyone felt as if they were witnessing the materialization of the Five Element Great Daos.

The right drawer, meanwhile, glowed with abundant firelight, and a scorching heat, just like when Feng Qingshu had caressed the guqin earlier, once again filled the hall.

Chen Mobai gazed over and saw a roll of five-colored silk threads in the left drawer, while the right contained more, seven rolls in total, resembling transparent fire jade.

"The seventh-rank material is silk spun by the Heavenly Spider Ancestor, and the sixth-rank is silk from the Scarlet Fire Silkworm."

Feng Qingshu gave a brief introduction.

Heavenly Spider?

Scarlet Fire Silkworm?

These were all things Chen Mobai had never heard of.

He was not ashamed to ask questions.

Hearing his question, Feng Qingshu's eyes showed even greater disappointment; she no longer held much hope for this string repair.

"The Heavenly Spider Ancestor was the first spider since the creation of the world. It grew by absorbing nourishment from the divine Wutong tree and is considered the second Ancestral True Spirit of Duguangye. However, after the Ancestral Fire Phoenix's Nirvana, it ascended to the Spirit Void Immortal Realm to evade a great calamity. Our clan members who ascended received its protection, allowing them to gain a foothold. This roll of spider silk is what it left behind."

"The Scarlet Fire Silkworm, on the other hand, is a spiritual creature of heaven and earth nurtured within Nanzhou's millions of volcanoes. However, after the divine Wutong tree regulated the fire veins, its power gradually weakened. It currently slumbers in the Li Fire Cavern, the deepest part of the Nanzhou continent, only awakening when ground fire erupts."

"The Scarlet Fire Silkworm attained the Dao because it obtained the Li Fire essence from the Ancestral Fire Phoenix in the past, making it also a True Spirit revered by Duguangye. After each generation's Saintess is chosen, she must undergo a century of secluded cultivation in the Li Fire Cavern. Upon her return, the Scarlet Fire Silkworm will spin a roll of fire silkworm threads for the Saintess to bring back. Some are used to make feathered robes, while others, lacking suitable refiners, have remained here."

After introducing the seven rolls of fire silkworm threads in the right drawer, Feng Qingshu pointed to the hair tie securing her vermilion long hair. This was an artifact refined by the great virtuous master who, along with Sun Lotus Monastery and True Monarch Yiyuan, jointly forged the Primordial Bell. It was a sixth-rank artifact.

After listening, Chen Mobai could only lament the profound heritage of Duguangye as Nanzhou's foremost sacred land.

Leaving aside other matters, a living sixth-rank fire silkworm was equivalent to a Void Refining stage cultivator.

He wondered how it managed to avoid the spiritual light of ascension and remain in Nanzhou.

"I need some time alone with the Nine Tribulations Sky Phoenix Guqin to ponder a repair plan."

Although he knew the probability of a successful repair was low, since Chen Mobai had accepted the task, he intended to do his best and prepare to try with the Can Tong Qi.

"I will have Lizhu wait at the hall entrance. If you need anything, Daoist, simply call her."

Feng Qingshu nodded, unafraid that Chen Mobai might abscond with the Nine Tribulations Sky Phoenix Guqin. She then led True Monarch Wuchen and the other Incarnation stage cultivators out of the hall.

Soon, only Chen Mobai and Feng Lizhu, the Phoenix clan Saintess, remained at the entrance.

After calming himself, Chen Mobai reached out and caressed the Nine Tribulations Sky Phoenix Guqin. Unfortunately, the Can Tong Qi, which had worked flawlessly a hundred times, failed for the first time when faced with this former Enlightenment Treasure.

Although he had mentally prepared for failure, Chen Mobai still felt deeply disappointed when the reality presented itself.

As his true qi flowed into the guqin's body, his consciousness felt as if it had entered a land of ash. The sky was dim, and the earth was scorched black, as if it had been purged by heavenly fire.

He sought traces of the guqin spirit and captured sight of a fiery orb burning and soaring in the dim sky. However, no matter how he tried to approach, the flame always circled higher, remaining out of reach, aloof and distant.

Chen Mobai continued until his spiritual sense was depleted by thirty to forty percent, feeling mental exhaustion, and had to stop using the Can Tong Qi.

If the guqin spirit wouldn't cooperate, there was simply no way to proceed.

Chen Mobai meditated for a moment, silently contemplating as he looked at the Nine Tribulations Sky Phoenix Guqin.

But he had no solution for it.

After his spiritual sense recovered, Chen Mobai reached out and touched the string mounts. There were originally seven strings here, but now only the one representing the Dao of Fire had been repaired. He wanted to discern the Great Daos represented by the remaining six from their lingering essence.

Unfortunately, the Can Tong Qi remained ineffective.

Just as Chen Mobai was reluctantly preparing to give up, he suddenly remembered something and summoned the Danfeng Nascent Soul from his Three Phoenix Dharma Form.

At that moment, the guqin spirit, which had been unresponsive, suddenly shed its indifference. It even transformed into a fiery glow again, flying out from the guqin's tail, seemingly bewildered, and circled above Chen Mobai's head.

"Strange, your true qi makes me feel so comfortable."

The guqin spirit seemed very simple-minded and directly voiced its feelings.

"Perhaps it's because I possess an innate Fire Spirit Body, which aligns with your senior's Dao of Fire," Chen Mobai said with a smile. The Pure Yang Scroll contained the Dao of Fire, and when he activated it with his Danfeng Nascent Soul, the phoenix-origin aura caused the guqin spirit to actively draw closer.

Chen Mobai activated the Can Tong Qi again. This time, the Sky Phoenix Guqin was completely different from before; it seemed to have opened all its defenses, allowing him to participate fully.

Indeed, the guqin spirit had been obstructing him earlier.

Noting this silently, Chen Mobai then began using the Can Tong Qi to observe the origins of this artifact.

However, his cultivation was limited; he could only perceive the process from when the Nine Tribulations Sky Phoenix Guqin's strings broke to the rebirth of its spirit.

But even this was enough for him to learn a great deal.

This Enlightenment Treasure had actually been damaged during the Fire Phoenix's Nirvana, and what now existed was an entirely new artifact spirit. However, just as the Fire Phoenix could undergo Nirvana, this Enlightenment Treasure indeed had the potential for repair.

Because the guqin's main body was intact, if the strings could be restored and all seven Great Daos reunited, there was a high probability that the Dao of Tribulation Fortune would re-evolve, returning it to the seventh-rank.

If Chen Mobai could repair this, it would also accumulate valuable experience for refining the Primordial Golden Dipper in the future.