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Chapter 869: Book World Mystery

Yin Zhaoxian's shock far surpassed that of anyone else present. He immediately realized where he was: precisely inside the book he had written. This realization stemmed not only from observing his surroundings but also from a profound, innate sense, which, coupled with the prior volumes, made the situation clear to him.

"Master Yin, it's just as you imagined," Ji Yuan's voice sounded in Yin Zhaoxian's ear.

Meanwhile, the old dragon and the dragon girl slowly made their way through the crowd. Wherever true dragons manifested their power, even without any deliberate action, the surrounding pedestrians instinctively gave them space. At this moment, the old dragon, the dragon girl, the dragon mother, and the dragon son could barely conceal their astonishment. They knew more of the inside story than the guests, but they hadn't expected it to be so astounding.

"I never imagined Mr. Ji possessed such astonishing magical arts. Thinking of it this way, slaying the Nine-Tailed Fox in a drunken dream seems less remarkable now."

"So, Old Master Ying already knew?"

"No, not originally. Zaoniang told Ruoli."

With that, the old dragon transmitted a message to all the Dragon Palace guests, stating the current situation in as calm a tone as possible, at least enough to conceal his own astonishment from them.

"Fellow Dragon Sovereigns, esteemed guests, we have not been instantaneously transported to some human city outside the Dragon Palace. Instead, we are inside a book—one some of you may have read—it is none other than Grand Zheng's Master Yin's *Discourse on Birds*."

Hearing the old dragon's words, all the guests' astonishment intensified, and those close to each other began to whisper.

"Inside a book?" "A grotto-heaven?"

"How is that possible!"

"*Discourse on Birds*? Then why are there people everywhere?"

"Are these people real or fake?"

Some aquatic creatures spoke in alarm, but noticed that some ordinary people passing by looked at them strangely without saying much, continuing to follow the direction of the prisoner carts.

After about half an hour, the long procession of prisoner carts finally passed. Some common folk continued to pursue and curse them, while others dispersed. The Dragon Palace had thousands of guests in total; a small portion were on this main street, while the majority were scattered throughout the city. Most of them were still stunned by the absurd notion of being inside a book. The surrounding scenery and people seemed utterly real; some aquatic creatures even followed the indignant commoners, chasing the prisoner carts, observing everyone's reactions and sensing their vitalities. They were undoubtedly real, living beings, and certainly not illusions.

However, despite their disbelief, the facts were before them, making immediate refutation impossible. Some, however, recalled the main purpose of their visit.

"Is Lady Ying going to battle Mr. Ji here?"

"Yes, this is a city... even if it might be within a book..."

"Exactly. These people are too real. If the battle spreads, this city might not survive."

Ji Yuan smiled and directly transmitted his voice to the Dragon Palace guests scattered throughout the city. "Please, everyone, calm yourselves. In a little over an hour, it will be night here, the time for the 'Night Patrol' chapter. A phoenix will soar above, and evil will be eradicated among men below. At that time, we can all witness the true phoenix's grandeur. Afterwards, we will proceed together to the vast ocean for the battle."

Ji Yuan paused, then continued. "You may all wander around freely now, whether within or outside the city. As long as you don't stray too far, you will certainly not miss the phoenix's night patrol once darkness falls. Please make yourselves at home. Oh, and please do not harm the city's inhabitants. Though they are of the book, they are sentient beings in this moment."

Having said this, Ji Yuan waved to Hu Yun, who was a little further away, looking bewildered. Hu Yun, carrying a wooden basin full of water, approached Ji Yuan along with Bai Qi and the old turtle. Everyone looked into the basin and saw a small green fish in the water. It was clear who it was without needing to be told.

Ji Yuan gestured for them to follow, leading the group forward. There were quite a few of them: the Grand Zheng envoys, a few of the Ying family members, and a small number of guests. Dozens of people in total, they eventually headed towards a tavern that didn't seem to have many customers. The tavern owner, who had been idly leaning on the counter in a daze, suddenly saw so many well-dressed people enter from outside, almost all of them with extraordinary bearing. He instantly perked up, hurrying out himself to greet the guests along with the waiters.

"Welcome, esteemed guests, welcome! We have private tables upstairs by the window, all the best spots are empty. Quickly, usher the guests upstairs, serve them good tea and water!"

"Right, right, please come in, esteemed guests. Just tell me what you'd like..."

The owner and waiters enthusiastically called out, responding diligently to every word and question from this group of guests. Only after serving everyone upstairs, seating them, and taking their orders for food and drink did the waiters finally relax.

As the waiters went downstairs, the owner watched the stairwell. Seeing them descend, he quickly motioned to them.

"How was it?"

"Don't worry, boss, they're all seated! They're truly big spenders, very generous. They've ordered good wine and good food. Here's the deposit!" A waiter opened his palm, revealing a gold ingot with a small impression on it, indicating he had already tested it.

The owner quickly took it, weighed it, and his face broke into a broad, crinkled smile. Seeing the waiters watching him, he immediately composed himself.

"What are you waiting for? Go tell the kitchen!"

"Yes, yes!" "Going now!"

On the second floor, there had only been two tables of people dining, but now it was mostly full. In the eyes of the original six diners at those two tables, the newly arrived eight tables of people all appeared to be high-ranking officials or prominent figures, making them feel exceptionally constrained. Before long, they quickly finished their meals, paid their bills, and left.

Soon, some quickly prepared dishes and drinks were brought up. The guests, however, continued to marvel at their situation. Like other guests scattered throughout the city, they carefully observed their surroundings during this time, even comparing details with those familiar with *Discourse on Birds*—from the kingdom to the background—and all reached the same conclusion.

"I never thought such a marvelous art truly existed in the world. Although Mr. Ji said we aren't truly here in person, I can't detect any difference whatsoever." An old flood dragon looked at his arm, feeling the magical power within, then gazed at the street and pedestrians outside the window. It truly felt like being in an alternate world.

"Brother, you speak truly. Even the taste of this food and drink is indistinguishable."

"Everyone, let's stop talking. The sky is darkening. If it's truly as the book describes, a phoenix will patrol tonight. It should symbolize the cleansing of defilement and restoration of purity in this human realm. Master Yin, is that the correct interpretation?"

Hearing the question, Yin Zhaoxian smiled and nodded to the speaker. "Precisely so."

"Mr. Ji, how can a phoenix be born into this world? Is it all by your magical power?"

Ji Yuan shook his head. "The wonders within are truly something even I cannot fully explain. I only know that I am indeed transcendent within this realm, but this realm's creation is by no means solely due to my own magical power. When you witness the true phoenix Dan Ye, you will know this is no idle claim."

"Dan Ye?" Yin Zhaoxian looked thoughtful upon hearing this. He had never named the phoenix in his book.

Ji Yuan nodded, looking out the window at the sky, and said lightly, "The stars have appeared. Night is falling."

The sky seemed to darken very quickly. Many guests of the Dragon Transformation Feast, whether within the city or already outside it, focused their attention on the sky. About half an hour after nightfall, the distant night sky was suddenly illuminated by five-colored radiant clouds. An exceptionally melodious cry, like the sound of a celestial flute, drifted from afar.

"Wu-yeh-qiang!"

The sound had extreme penetrating power; even though listeners knew the source was still very far away, it sounded incredibly clear and not at all harsh. Soon, the five-colored light became increasingly conspicuous, illuminating a vast expanse of sky. Ordinary people who noticed the light gradually emerged from their homes and looked up at the sky, as did the Dragon Palace guests.

Everyone looked up at the distant sky. Enveloped in five-colored radiance, with flowing tail feathers, spreading five-colored wings, and a divine glow radiating from its head, an exquisitely beautiful divine bird was flying from afar. Before the divine bird even arrived, thousands of auspicious omens had already swept across the heavens.

"A phoenix..." "It really is a phoenix!"

"Mr. Ji truly didn't deceive us..."

The Dragon Palace guests stared blankly at the approaching divine bird in the distant sky. Meanwhile, the surrounding commoners, recovering from their gasps of astonishment, mostly knelt and prostrated towards the heavens. The standing Dragon Palace guests appeared strikingly out of place.

The phoenix in the sky was now closer, having even lowered its altitude slightly, gazing intently at a city below.

"Qiang!"

This time, the sound seemed to pierce metal and stone, sounding particularly jarring to Ji Yuan and the others, causing most guests to frown slightly. However, most also met the phoenix's scrutinizing gaze, which was clearly directed at them. The phoenix, however, did not linger. Instead, trailing its five-colored light, it gradually flew further away.

At this moment, Ji Yuan transmitted a message to all the guests. "Everyone, let us now pursue the phoenix."

With that, Ji Yuan cast a spell, carrying the many envoys of Grand Zheng with him. Those around him also cast their spells simultaneously, flying towards the sky together. Dragon Palace guests scattered throughout the city also unleashed their respective flying arts at this moment. Thousands of magical lights rose like reverse-flowing meteors, astonishing countless commoners who had been prostrating before the phoenix, leaving them frozen in place.

The phoenix's flight speed was astonishingly fast. Ji Yuan and his group had to constantly exert their magical power to finally catch up to the true phoenix after a long while. The phoenix looked back, seeing so many escaping lights pursuing it, but showed little reaction. However, it paid close attention to the presence of several true dragons. It had only ever seen flood dragons in its life, but the surging dragon qi from those few individuals was too remarkable, making the true phoenix wonder if they were the legendary true dragons.

Of course, the true phoenix also cared about Yin Zhaoxian's vast upright aura, but at most, it resembled a true dragon and showed no special signs of being an author. However, upon seeing Ji Yuan, the true phoenix paused slightly, its eyes revealing a hint of confusion and contemplation, and its speed gradually slowed. Originally, Ji Yuan had no other thoughts, but Dan Ye's gaze towards him at this moment clearly indicated recognition. This sparked surprise in Ji Yuan's heart as well. He had assumed that the two *Discourse on Birds* worlds he had conjured were entirely unrelated, but now he had an idea to test and confirm this.

Ji Yuan stepped onto a cloud of magic and approached the phoenix, which trailed five-colored radiant clouds, and first bowed to it. "Friend Dan Ye, we meet again. On this journey, I wish to borrow this auspicious place to battle a true dragon. I hope you will grant us this convenience."

"So there really are true dragons..." The true phoenix murmured, its speech beautiful. Then, looking at Ji Yuan, it spoke again. "You know my name? For some reason, I seem to have met you before, but I cannot recall where, nor can I recall who you are..."

Ji Yuan's heart stirred. Indeed, this phoenix, Dan Ye, had such a sensation. It was important to note that the last time he entered with Hu Yun and the Nine-Tailed Fox's spirit, it was directly over the sea, and even if both instances were within the same book world, the previous one should have been chronologically after the 'Night Patrol' chapter.

"Friend Dan Ye, Ji Yuan has indeed met you before. I have also heard your singing and seen your dancing. However, whether it was in this very world is hard to say. Oh, and after that day, before I left, at Friend Ying's request, I composed a song, but I haven't yet found a suitable inheritor."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan took out a book from his sleeve. The cover read *Phoenix Seeks Phoenix*. At that moment, a tingling sensation, like a pulsating electric current, coursed through the true phoenix. Its mind reeled, as if it could vaguely recall that day: a figure in white, purer than snow, standing on a parasol tree, while it sang and danced...

The true phoenix, Dan Ye, stopped, hovering in the air. Behind it, thousands of escaping lights also stopped a short distance away. In their eyes, the phoenix in the air extended one wing and folded the other in front of its body, performing a beautiful, unknown salute towards Ji Yuan amidst the five-colored light.

"So it was Mr. Ji. To meet again is truly Dan Ye's great fortune. May I borrow this book to read?"

"It was inspired by your song, so why not?"

Ji Yuan tossed the book towards Dan Ye, who carefully caught it with its talons, then spoke in a clear, beautiful voice, addressing those behind it. "Everyone, please follow me to the sea! Wu-yeh-qiang!"

The five-colored radiant clouds continuously spread from the phoenix, quickly enveloping everyone. Then, the phoenix spread its wings, and a patch of radiant clouds moved with the divine bird, instantly vanishing into the horizon.

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