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Chapter 869 Phoenix Perches on the Divine Tree
Inside the house.

A massive number of demon souls were sacrificed from the Demon Refining Bottle and continuously absorbed by the black statue.

Among these fresh demon souls, there are even several sixth-tier demon souls, which can be considered high-tier demon souls.

After absorbing enough living souls, the black statue on the Candlelight Path began to glow with a dark light.

The blurry black figure reappeared, but this time, a look of surprise appeared on her face.

"Huh? I didn't expect to get so many high-level souls this time. Tell me, what do you want?"

Just like last time, Qin Ming exchanged incense offerings and prayer power with the other party.

The illusory figure of the Candlelight Path didn't say much, but calmly agreed.

Because the number and quality of the demon souls sacrificed this time were both extremely high, the avatar of the Six Paths Ancestor was also quite magnificent.

He gave Qin Ming a spiritual incense made from the power of six incense sticks' wishes, all at once.

After the transaction was completed, the black phantom disappeared.

Qin Ming put away the six sticks of incense on the offering table, quite satisfied. He hadn't expected the Demon Realm's Holy Ancestor to be so trustworthy.

It also adheres to the principle of equivalent exchange in its actions.

As long as you pay the corresponding price, you can get a rich reward.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the number one charlatan in the ancient demon realm.

No wonder the incense of the Candlelight Path is so prosperous; it has spread to the Spirit Realm, in addition to the Ancient Demon Realm.

Qin Ming took the six sticks of incense and the power of his vows to the immortal's abandoned field and continued to fertilize the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Tree.

Strands of incense and prayer power transformed into tassels, continuously seeping into the roots, stems, branches, and leaves of the immortal tree.

Suddenly.

The verdant branches of the Seven Emotions and Six Desires Tree began to gradually unfurl, and the entire tree emitted layers of alternating seven-colored mist.

Within the luminous mist, countless beings who believed in the Way of Candlelight were revealed, each harboring their own deepest desires.

On that slightly unripe spiritual fruit, numerous dim purple-gold patterns suddenly appeared, which were unique Dao patterns of spiritual objects of heaven and earth.

Qin Ming sensed it briefly and found that the tree's growth rate had increased significantly after being nourished by this wave of incense and prayers.

After tending to the spiritual plants, he handed the Demon Refining Bottle to the Devouring Sky Rat, instructing it to continue collecting demon souls on the battlefield.

He himself went to the capital of the Wanze Demon Kingdom to report the results of the battle to the Bai Ze Demon Emperor.

Upon learning that the army of Lei Ze Water Palace had successfully defended the western border, the White Ze Demon Emperor, known for his clear distinction between reward and punishment, once again gave Qin Ming a great credit.

With his previous military achievements, he was considered to be among the top-ranking demon generals in the Demon Court.

The White Ze Demon Emperor and the upper echelons of the demon race have begun to acknowledge the White Ape Demon General's sincere submission.

Otherwise, after all, he was recruited by the Demon Court, and it is still unknown whether he truly submits to the Demon Court.

However, the White Ape Demon General, leading the four water palaces, has a long history of fighting against the Holy Feather Demon Kingdom and has never wavered in his loyalty.

This also made Bai Ze, the demon emperor, look at him differently, and gradually gave him power.

'This is ridiculous! How come I'm getting more and more influential among the demons? At this rate, I'll be sitting in the highest position soon!'

After the court session ended, Qin Ming pondered to himself and stepped out of the main hall.

"Fellow Daoist White Ape, please allow me to have a chat."

Outside the main hall, the Fire Kirin Demon General and the Dragon Fish Demon General walked towards him.

The two men smiled and invited him to get together privately.

Qin Ming immediately nodded and followed the two into a villa in the capital.

"Fellow Daoist White Ape, you have truly made a name for yourself! Hahaha!"

"I heard that you forged an extremely powerful seventh-tier treasure and defeated the Night Owl Clan. Is this true?"

The two demon generals had also heard of Qin Ming's demon-refining bottle and showed great interest in it.

"To be honest, my fellow Daoists, I obtained a rare spiritual material by chance, and after decades of effort, I managed to refine it. Its greatest function is to collect and preserve divine souls."

Qin Ming also took a sip of the spirit wine and immediately offered a casual explanation.

Anyway, they'll probably gradually learn about this treasure in the future.

Even the Dragon Fish Demon General probably didn't expect this.

The seventh-grade mid-level 'Demon-Devouring Nether Jade' that Qin Ming used to refine the Demon-Refining Bottle was obtained from him in exchange.
If the other party found out, I wonder what they would think.

"It's actually a seventh-tier supreme treasure targeting the soul! Brother White Ape is truly a hidden master. We are full of admiration."

"Brother Ape will definitely have a place among the next spots to go to the Spirit Realm."

The Dragonfish Demon General also held this newly promoted Demon General in high regard.

The three then began to clink glasses and chat.

After a few rounds of drinks, Qin Ming asked the two men, "Did you two invite me to drink for some other reason?"

Fire Kirin Demon General and Dragon Fish Demon General exchanged a glance, and then said noncommittally, "That's right. We just happened to run into Brother Ape, and there is an opportunity for us. We would like to invite him to go together."

"Oh? What was the opportunity?" Qin Ming put down his wine glass and asked.

He's become quite sensitive to the word 'opportunity' now.

Since even a seventh-level demon general in the Integration Stage has to go in a team, the opportunity must not be so easy to obtain.

'Hopefully it's not another huge pitfall,' he thought to himself.

The Dragonfish Demon General explained, "It's like this, we've discovered the exact location of the legendary 'Phoenix Perching on the Wutong Divine Tree,' but that place is also quite dangerous for our cultivation level."

Therefore, joint action is the best course of action.

Upon hearing this, even Qin Ming was extremely surprised and asked, "What? The Phoenix Perching on the Wutong Divine Tree?"

"I've heard a little about this Phoenix Perching on the Wutong Tree. Isn't it said that this divine tree is the dwelling place of the ancient true spirit Heavenly Phoenix clan, and that it has long since disappeared even in the ancient demon realm?"

According to historical records, it seems that only one such plant exists among the True Phoenix Clan in the Spirit Realm.

"After all, this tree is quite extraordinary, being a celestial tree of the eighth rank or higher, which is why it can attract true phoenixes to build their nests and roost here."

Fire Scale Demon General nodded and said, "Brother Ape is right. The Phoenix Perching Divine Tree of the True Phoenix Clan is indeed unique, and the one we are talking about now does exist in the Ancient Demon Realm."

"But it is a withered and decaying phoenix-perching parasol tree. As for its exact location, it is within the territory of the Holy Feather Demon Kingdom, which is why it is not easy to take action."

"We need to go secretly together, otherwise we'll alert the Night Owls and it will be difficult to escape if we're outnumbered."

"A withered Phoenix Perching Tree? What use is that?" Qin Ming suddenly realized. If that was the case, their words made sense. "Besides, being in the Holy Feather Demon Kingdom would be far too risky, wouldn't it?"

Qin Ming had heard of the Phoenix Perching on the Wutong Divine Tree, and if he had the chance, he would also get one for Fairy Lanbing to plant in the Little Spirit Realm, which would surely help her improve her cultivation.

But upon hearing that it had already withered and died, and was still within the territory of the Holy Feather Demon Kingdom, his interest immediately waned considerably.

The Holy Feather Demon Kingdom is a place where feathered demons flourish, and it is not impossible that an ancient phoenix was born there.

However, the Wanze Demon Kingdom and the Shengyu Demon Kingdom are currently locked in a fierce battle, essentially fighting to the death whenever they meet. At such a sensitive time, attempting to seize opportunities on the other side's territory is clearly not a wise move.

All he needs to do now is continue to collect demon souls on the battlefield, steadily and surely, and fatten up the Seven Emotions and Six Trees to obtain a chance to merge with them.

There's absolutely no need to take such a big risk.

After all, there are also powerful seventh-tier demon cultivators in the Holy Feather Demon Kingdom.

The two demon generals seemed to have noticed Qin Ming's concerns and immediately explained, "Brother Ape, you may not know this, but the Phoenix Perching Wutong Divine Tree that we discovered, although it has withered and died, is different from others."

"This phoenix tree originated from an ancient powerful figure of the Phoenix Clan, who is said to be among the most outstanding in the True Phoenix Clan."

"It is a companion spirit tree that has existed for hundreds of thousands of years. It must have absorbed the aura of the true phoenix, and perhaps it contains the phoenix clan's inherited treasures."

"It is said in the ancient demon realm that the final place where the true spirit phoenix ascended to heaven was located at the place where the phoenix perched on the parasol tree."

"If we could obtain the essence blood of the ancient phoenix, that would be an incredible opportunity for us. As for that withered paulownia tree, that would be secondary."

"As for this message, it was discovered by our spies planted in the Holy Feather Demon Kingdom and then sent back unintentionally."

"We consulted a lot of materials to corroborate this, and with the jade slip containing the photograph, we confirmed that it was indeed true."

After the Dragon Fish Demon General finished speaking, he flicked his finger, and images appeared in the void.

At the edge of a collapsed void rift, a charred, ancient paulownia tree was revealed, but the person taking the rubbing was standing far away and only captured a small part of the tree.

I did not see its full appearance.

Within the void rifts, one can even see numerous terrifying void beasts.
"Well? If I didn't have definite information, I wouldn't have discussed this matter with Brother Ape."

Qin Ming frowned after listening, and after a long while said, "Let me consider this matter and give you both an answer in a few days."

The two demon generals replied, "Very well, we need to make some preparations anyway, so we won't set off so soon."

"Brother Ape, please think it over carefully."

The three then continued their conversation about other things.

After talking with the two for three days, Qin Ming took his leave and returned to his White Ape Island.

Qin Ming then took out a jade slip containing the inheritance of spiritual plants, which he had obtained from the inheritance tower in Tianxing City.

The above contains relevant records about the phoenix perching on the parasol tree.

Indeed, as the two demon generals said.

If a true phoenix were to build its nest on this Phoenix Perch Tree, it would surely contain the blood of a true spirit, or even the natal feathers left behind after its metamorphosis.
Those two demon generals were most likely after this item. If they truly obtained such a heaven-defying opportunity, their cultivation and strength would skyrocket—that much is certain.

After all, the True Phoenix, like the True Dragon and the Kunpeng, is ranked among the Ten Great True Spirits of antiquity. In the ancient demon realm and the spirit realm, it is a top-tier existence.

Even without obtaining its natal feather, a little bit of true blood on the tree can cause an ordinary demon to undergo a transformation, and even its chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

Therefore, it was extremely tempting even for the Fire Scale Demon General and his companion, whose cultivation had reached the seventh level.

Meanwhile, on the western border of the Wanze Demon Kingdom, after being intimidated by the Demon Refining Bottle last time, the Shengyu Demon Kingdom also became extremely wary and reduced its military deployment there.

After all, with that seventh-tier Dao-Merging Treasure, tens of thousands of demons were reduced to ashes after being refined, leaving only their husks.

That battle left a deep psychological scar on the demon race.

So much so that later, when the Sky-Eating Rat wanted to show off its power again, it had no energy left to use.

Every time it appears holding a black treasure bottle, the demon army there vanishes without a trace without a word.
It was not given a chance to recite the Tongbao Mantra at all.

The Devouring Rat kept stroking the treasure bottle with its little hands, and then said helplessly:

"Master's treasure is indeed powerful, but the casting time for the Tongbao Incantation is too long. You have to chant 'Please turn around, treasure' before it can be cast. Sigh!"

"These stinky birds are really fast. Next time, the master should improve this Tongbao technique."

Seeing that there was no more battle to fight, the Devouring Rat, the Mysterious Water Crocodile, and the Blue Ice Fairy had no choice but to lead their troops back to defend the Four Great Water Palaces.

The first thing they did upon returning was to report some recent battle reports to Qin Ming.

After listening to their reports.

Qin Ming's expression also became rather strange: "So, after the last wave of attacks with the Demon Refining Bottle, which really hurt the Night Owl Clan, they've actually started to adopt a strategy of avoiding battle."

In this case, without a large number of demon souls to sacrifice, the growth of his Seven Emotions and Six Desires Tree will probably be delayed for a long time.

Qin Ming frowned and immediately began to think of a solution.

So he told Fairy Blue Ice about the story of the phoenix perching on the sacred parasol tree, wanting to hear her opinion.

When Fairy Blue Ice heard about the legendary sacred tree where the Phoenix Clan dwelled, even her usually aloof expression showed signs of emotion.

He immediately shared some of the memories from his bloodline inheritance with Qin Ming without reservation.

The Devouring Sky Rat and the Mystic Water Crocodile also showed extreme surprise.

"Sigh! It seems that Fairy Blue Ice's extraordinary opportunity is about to appear as well. When will my opportunity arrive?"

After listening to Fairy Lanbing's words, Qin Ming digested and absorbed them for a while. Combined with the words of Huo Lin Demon General and the other two, he could basically confirm that there was indeed an ancient Phoenix Perching Wutong tree in the Holy Feather Demon Kingdom.

So he ordered his men to send a message to the two men, agreeing to go and plan the matter of the tree.

At worst, they could go next door and collect some demon souls.

The two demon generals were overjoyed to receive Qin Ming's message.

After secretly plotting for a while, the three of them set a date and secretly crossed the border, disguised as demon cultivators from the Holy Feather Demon Kingdom.

……

the other side.

In the spirit realm, on Little Turtle Peak.

As one of the Seven Sons of Humanity, Golden Beetle was sitting calmly on the main peak, instructing Yue Lingyan on her cultivation.

Decades ago, he went to Qin Ming's lair, hoping to find clues about the disappearance of his clone.

But they discovered this beautiful demon woman by chance.
This human leader immediately recognized that this woman possessed an extremely high level of true spirit bloodline from the Qingqiu Fox Clan.

The golden beetle was immediately delighted, thinking that every cloud has a silver lining.

"I lost a True Spirit Black Tortoise, but I gained a promising Green Fox. So it's not too bad for me."

"I don't know where Li Qianjie has run off to. Since that's the case, I can only exchange spirit pets. If he dies out there, then don't blame me."

When Yue Lingyan first met this powerful human, he easily recognized her identity, which terrified her.

Fortunately, the other party did not have much malicious intent.

Just as Jin Guizi was preparing to forcibly take Yue Lingyan away from Xiao Guifeng, an unexpected figure appeared and stopped him.

This person is the Holy Lord of Ten Thousand Flowers of the Flower Spirit Clan next door.

After years of recuperation and recovery, coupled with some special opportunities, her cultivation level has recovered to the late stage of the Integration Realm.
Furthermore, it can unleash one or two tenths of its previous supernatural power.

(End of this chapter)