Chapter Forty-Five: Secrets of the Dragon and Phoenix

After that, Bingyan no longer had any free time. He was either following Mo Wuxie, this ancient demon, cultivating Daoist arts, immersed in the study of the Half-Moon Star Wheel and the Violet Sword, or holding the Violet Sword and engaging in intimate conversations with Ziling, hoping to uncover the world’s hidden secrets.

In the world of cultivation, time loses its meaning; in the blink of an eye, another half a year had passed.

One day, Mo Wuxie summoned Bingyan. Seeing the expression on Mo Wuxie’s face, Bingyan was filled with confusion. How to describe it? There was a sense of reluctance, as if parting were imminent.

Sure enough, Mo Wuxie spoke: “Bingyan, you’ve been here for more than two years now. I’ve witnessed your progress over these years and feel truly gratified. Now, it is time for you to venture out and face the world on your own.”

At those words, Leng Bingyan’s heart trembled. He hurriedly replied, “But I still wish to stay by your side, Grandpa!” As he spoke, memories of their two years together—of the tireless guidance and teaching he had received—rose in his mind. Though the process had been arduous, Bingyan had found joy in it. Now, to suddenly speak of parting—truth be told, Bingyan was reluctant to go.

Mo Wuxie smiled with satisfaction, reaching out to gently stroke Bingyan’s head. “I know you’re unwilling to part. And do you think I could let you go so easily? It brings me great joy to see you cherish our bond.” Then, changing his tone, he continued, “But eaglets must one day soar into their own skies. You cannot always remain under my protection. The sky is vast, the sea boundless—you must go forth boldly and make your own way in the world.”

Leng Bingyan nodded. From his grandfather’s tone, he understood there was no choice but to leave. So he suppressed the pain of farewell and said resolutely, “Very well. I will not disappoint you, Grandpa!”

“That’s the spirit,” Mo Wuxie laughed. “But I won’t send you out aimlessly; I have a task for you.”

“What task? I’ll see it through, no matter what!” Bingyan replied, his determination evident, ready to risk everything if need be.

“Do you remember, when you left the Han family, you met a strange girl on the street—a girl dressed in black, wearing a mask?” Mo Wuxie watched Bingyan’s exaggerated reaction, smiling knowingly.

Bingyan wasn’t surprised; with someone as powerful as Mo Wuxie, what could there be that he didn’t know? Still, he was puzzled. “Is this task related to her?”

“Indeed, it’s closely related. That girl, in some ways, is quite similar to you.” Seeing Bingyan’s astonishment, Mo Wuxie continued, “I don’t know how you view matters of gender transformation. In truth, these are minor currents in the grand flow of fate. Though I disdain the heartlessness of Heaven’s will, it remains a vast and illusory force—what we call ‘Heaven.’ Compared to this boundless current, gender is but a minor ripple, not worth clinging to.”

“And the reason I say she is like you is because… when she was born, she was not a girl either. Her transformation was also something acquired later.”

Leng Bingyan fell silent, but his heart was in turmoil. No wonder she had looked so startled when he called her ‘elder sister’—so that was the truth.

Strangely, he now felt a deeper sense of kinship with Xia Yu. But Bingyan did not voice his questions; he knew Grandpa Mo would explain everything.

Mo Wuxie said, “Both of you have your reasons, so let me tell you her story.” He paused, then continued, “Her name is Xia Yu, the youngest daughter of the Xia Corporation in the outside world. She has an elder brother, Xia Yan, and a second brother, Xia Tian. Of course, when she was born, she was the third son of the Xia family. But later, something changed.”

“You know, even now, there still exist the five great divine clans. The Han family you hail from is one of them. All five are descendants of the gods, bearing traces of divine blood in their veins.”

“The Divine Dragon, Spirit Phoenix, Vermillion Bird, Jiao Dragon, and the Han family—is that right?” Bingyan asked. So her name is Xia Yu—‘Little Yu’ is quite a charming way to call her.

Mo Wuxie nodded approvingly. “Exactly—the five great clans! Their origins are shrouded in mystery. As for the Divine Dragon and Spirit Phoenix, it’s impossible to trace how long they’ve existed. But I can tell you this: they arose after the War of the Gods. The true Dragon and Phoenix races ascended to the divine realm along with the gods long ago. Those left behind, the Divine Dragon and Spirit Phoenix clans, are merely bearers of a fraction of that bloodline.”

“And as for the battlefield of that war, I believe you know where it is.” Mo Wuxie didn’t say more, but Leng Bingyan knew—right above where he was now in the Valley of the Horizon, at the Loveless Cliff.

“The clans of Dragons and Phoenixes are all gifted, stunningly beautiful, and their lifespans lengthen with their power, which is closely tied to their bloodlines. The purer the blood, the greater the strength!”

“Their lineage is everything—children born within the clans are always Dragons or Phoenixes, which is how the clans endure. Occasionally, a bloodline may awaken in someone in the mortal world, but such cases are rare.”

“Returning to Xia Yu—she is one of those rare outsiders. Moreover, she is the Spirit Phoenix clan’s king for this generation!”

Mo Wuxie paused, then said, “The Divine Dragon and Spirit Phoenix clans could almost be considered one. Marriages between them are common and even encouraged. The distinction between them lies in their true forms: the Divine Dragon clan’s true form is the dragon, with several types—red, blue, green, white, black, silver, gold—unchangeable from birth. Red, blue, and green are the ordinary clansfolk, skilled in battle; white and black are a higher tier, more powerful, and serve as middle leaders; silver is rare and marks a senior elder, who upon reaching maturity enters the council of elders and can shape the clan’s destiny; the highest is the golden dragon, the royal bloodline, the ultimate authority among Divine Dragons. There is only ever one golden dragon at a time—never two, an unchanging law. Don’t ask why—I don’t know either.”

After making Bingyan speechless with that remark, Mo Wuxie continued, “The Spirit Phoenix clan is similar, with forms of red, blue, green, white, silver, and gold. The details are much like the Divine Dragon clan. For both, their true forms are not revealed until adulthood, which is their peak. Before then, the only way to distinguish them is the totem mark on the back of their hands!”

“Xia Yu is the current Spirit Phoenix king. As for Xia Tian, her so-called second brother, he is not actually her blood brother, but the Divine Dragon king sent to the Xia family to help her awaken—her future husband, to put it plainly!”

In every generation, the Dragon and Phoenix clans each produce only one royal heir, and these two are destined for each other as if drawn together by fate. They naturally feel attraction and love for each other, ultimately joining to produce even more perfect descendants. It has always been so.

“The royal heirs of the Dragon and Phoenix clans are born to be a pair; their bloodlines are innately connected, drawing them together by fate. Xia Tian was recognized as the dragon king from birth, but the phoenix king had yet to appear. So the elders of both clans used divination to seek her, and finally pinpointed the royal bloodline.”

“But there was a complication—the elders discovered that the phoenix king, Xia Yu, was born male! Yet the phoenix king is supposed to embody the pure yin, which means Xia Yu would eventually transform into a woman. To help this transformation proceed smoothly, the clans sent Xia Tian to her side, hoping the resonance of royal blood would guide her awakening. Then, by a carefully arranged coincidence, they placed the Spirit Phoenix king’s secret text, the ‘Spirit Phoenix Immortal Record,’ and its first section, the ‘Mystic Ice Art,’ in Xia Yu’s hands, so she could cultivate and reach a level equivalent to a Golden Core stage cultivator.”