Chapter 1021: Late reply from Celestial Mountain (2/2)

But this force was wholly unfamiliar to her.

It normally took three days and three nights to regenerate her Nirvana energy, but this time she had spent just six hours. Now, she didn't know just what this Phoenix energy within her really was.

If the Pill Furnace Master had not mentioned it, they would have not known such a power existed.

The Pill Furnace Master eyed Han Yunxi suspiciously. ”You... You didn't know you possessed Phoenix energy?”

”Are you going to tell me what it is or not?” Han Yunxi said, somewhat anxiously.

The Pill Furnace Master crept closer. ”First, let me feel your pulse.”

Han Yunxi held her arm out and the Pill Furnace Master took her pulse. He was now even more sure of what he had thought last night.

He said, ”Phoenix energy is an ancient martial arts force. There's no secret manual for it, no cultivation method. It emerges from within and is passed on from generation to generation. However, not everyone who inherits it is able to call it forth.”

Having said that, Han Yunxi and the others understood.

It seemed the phoenix birthmark of the West Qin imperial clan was the mark of Phoenix energy inheritance. It's just that no one had known.

In that case, it seemed Phoenix energy and Lustbite energy were the same, ancient martial arts forces. The difference was that Phoenix energy was inherited in one's body, and only those who had inherited it had the chance to obtain it. While the Lustbite energy was unequivocally a cultivated art, a skill, one that required consummately refined internal energy and an extremely natural talent for martial arts in order to cultivate it.

”How do you know this?” Long Feiye said icily.

”Of course I know! Phoenix energy belongs to fire, it contends with celestial fire. If both are combined to refine a pill, the process will be accelerated.”

The Pill Furnace Master stroked his beard and said earnestly, ”Yesterday, if your Phoenix energy had not suppressed the celestial fire, the both of you would have died for sure.”

Han Yunxi didn't have time to mess with the Celestial Fire Qian Furnace. She asked seriously, ”Then now I...”

She could feel the Phoenix energy, but she could not control it.

The Pill Furnace Master looked at her and silently gave her a thumbs up. ”Lass! You're alright! You took your life in you hands and wrestled with the heavens and came out unscathed. I bow to you!”

Gu Qishao suddenly raised his head and looked over at him. This was the first time he had head the old kook say that he ”bowed” to someone so sincerely.

He had always thought the old kook was full of himself and would never yield to anyone.

Seeing Gu Qishao looking at him, the Pill Furnace Master looked back at him. Gu Qishao said grumpily, ”What are you hemming and hawing about? Does the Poison lass possess Phoenix energy or not?”

”Phoenix Baptism by Fire to regenerate Nirvana energy, three days and three nights, not only entails enduring the pain of Nirvana, but also controlling the Phoenix energy process. You suffered a lot of torment and pain last night, but lost control of your Phoenix energy. Now that your Phoenix energy has been awakened, I don't quite know how you can control it. You all will have to find someone more qualified.” The Pill Furnace Master was serious.

Long Feiye said nothing. He grabbed Han Yunxi's hand and took her pulse again. He discovered her situation was similar to when he first began incubating his Lustbite energy.

He didn't question the Pill Furnace Master further but left Medicine Requesting Cave and had Xu Donglin dispatch an eagle to deliver a letter to Celestial Mountain inquiring after Master Li Jianxin.

Long Feiye sending an urgent, confidential missive from Medicine City to Celestial Mountain at most would take seven days to get a response. However, it was ten days before Long Feiye received a reply from the sword sect master.

”Why did it take so long?” Long Feiye asked.

”Apparently there's been a huge blizzard on Celestial Mountain and the eagle couldn't get through,” Xu Donglin stated matter-of-factly. ”That's probably the reason for the delay.”

If the eagle encountered a blizzard it really could delay it a day or two, so Long Feiye didn't pursue the matter.

In the letter, the sword sect master expressed astonishment and explained Phoenix energy. It was pretty much as Long Feiye had assumed.

Phoenix energy and Lustbite energy were extremely similar, just one was inherited and the other cultivated. Lustbite energy depended on diligent cultivation, on a firm, refined foundation of internal energy, and was cultivated stage by stage. Phoenix energy was innate. As long as the person had a really good constitution and well-developed internal energy, whenever that person summoned Phoenix energy, it would be completely within that person's control.

Han Yunxi had a really good constitution, but her internal energy was not developed well enough, so she had been lucky and it had been a blessing in disguise.

If she had really held out for three days and three nights, until her Nirvana energy had been regenerated, then given her internal energy proficiency, she would not have been able to endure her Phoenix energy and would have been harmed by it instead all the same. She had suffered through the pain for hours, forcing her Phoenix energy back, suppressing it, and had instead escaped disaster.

Now that her Phoenix energy had been awakened, as long as she improved her internal energy, then just like he controlled his Lustbite energy, she would gradually come to be able to control her Phoenix energy.

Long Feiye's anxious heart relaxed after reading the letter. He trusted what the sword sect master said.

”In that case, once we've succeeded in dual cultivation, then I'll be able to control my Phoenix energy?” Han Yunxi asked, excited.

Long Feiye nodded. He couldn't help but laugh. He thought, this time had not been so bad after all.

”Tsk tsk tsk, Poison lass,” Gu Qishao said, teasing. ”Qi gege really won't be able to bully you anymore.”

Before Han Yunxi could reply, Long Feiye gave Gu Qishao a withering look.

Han Yunxi suddenly thought of something and shot to her feet. She went over to the Pill Furnace Master, who was still sitting off to the side. ”Old man, you said Phoenix energy can help speed up the refining of pills. Is that really true?”

If it was really true, they wouldn't have to wait in this medicine hut for so long, and maybe they could go to Three-Way Black Market earlier and spend the new year with Gu Beiyue.

1. So starting this chapter, we'll capitalize Phoenix energy to match the style convention of Lustbite energy as we now know it's an official power type.