Unsealing Emptiness

Chapter 447: Celestial Phoenix Bowed?!

The Phoenix was looking in a certain direction with deep focus.

Tracing her line of gaze, Ember noticed a familiar figure with a black cat on his shoulder, slowly walking toward them.

’No! What is he walking here?!’ Ember was shouting internally. Judging from the interest of the Celestial Phoenix in Ozul, she feared something horrible might happen.

It wasn’t just her, everyone was now staring at Ozul and wondering if he had maybe lost his mind. The sight of him walking the Phoenix with a black cat unusually sitting on his shoulder might have looked comical if not for the ominous pressure descending on everyone.

But no one could guess that Ozul was even more frustrated than others.

Although he looked to be striding toward the Phoenix carelessly, he was internally cursing himself for following Jinx’s whims.

’If you are powerless against this Phoenix, I guess I might get to test whether I can die or not...’ He thought while shooting Jinx a certain look, which she ignored and eagerly stared ahead.

He wasn’t completely hopeless and walking toward the Phoenix foolishly. In his mind, there was a possibility that Jinx could unexpectedly match her power.

After all, he couldn’t forget when Old Gu’s subordinate was about to kill him, and Jinx appeared out of nowhere. Time seemingly stopped flowing as she gracefully landed on the dagger, scaring them both shitless.

And from his recent observations, Old Gu could be as strong as or stronger than the Celestial Phoenix since both gave him the same feeling.

’Still, all of that is just wild guessing. I am more likely to experiment with death today... sigh...’ Ozul sighed visibly but didn’t stop walking.

The trio also watched in horror as he kept walking. They couldn’t even come near the Phoenix due to the sheer pressure.

"You..." The Phoenix’s voice descended on everyone in the vicinity.

Everyone was caught off guard due to the sudden relief from the ominous pressure weighing down on their souls!

It was when Ozul and the Celestial Phoenix were only a few meters apart that Jinx jumped down from his shoulder and strode forward in a gentle and light manner.

Ember sighed in relief, counting her lucky stars that Ozul had stopped in his tracks on his own. If he were to offend the Phoenix, even she wouldn’t be able to protect him.

And now everyone was eager to figure out what the cat was doing.

There were two creatures in their sight. One’s mere presence was enough to deter the strongest cultivators of this Realm while the other was just... a cat.

It made no sense to the onlookers how a cat had the guts to face that being and still stride forward so casually.

Ozul observed with bated breath when the Phoenix leaned her slender neck down, her pitch-black beak which occasionally released fumes of black fire was now directly in front of Jinx.

Just as everyone thought the Phoenix was about to breathe fire onto the poor but foolish cat, something unexpected happened.

Instead of hurling back and hissing in fear, the cat took a few steps forward and began to lick the Celestial Phoenix’s beak!

The cat was grooming the Celestial Phoenix!

And just when they were expecting the Phoenix to blow the cat out of existence, something unexpected happened again.

The Celestial Phoenix bent her feet and plopped down on the ground; she bowed down her head!

"..."

"..."

"..."

Ember, Ryujin, and even Rai looked stupidly at this scene. Maybe they were in a dream?

But who could blame them? Even Ozul, who knew Jinx the most, couldn’t believe that she was just casually being intimate with the Celestial Phoenix now.

Before anyone could make sense of that reality, however, the Phoenix suddenly picked itself. She cast a single look at Ozul before the air wrapped around her.

*csts...*

A hissing sound was heard by all as dark flames taller than an estate emerged around the Phoenix, Ozul, and the cat.

The flames which looked almost like writhing shadows obscured everyone’s vision.

The onlookers remained frozen, unable to make out the situation. The Phoenix didn’t explain anything and suddenly blocked their vision. The experienced ones could even tell that the barrier of dark flames wasn’t so simple.

It blocked all of their senses and they could only guess what would happen to them if they were caught trying to forcefully eavesdrop.

...

Inside the barrier of dark flames, Ozul couldn’t help but appreciate the familiar color.

Something in him even wanted to imitate the flames with the Purity. They looked nothing short of shadows that breathed, so he could at least copy the appearances if he tried hard enough. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t become a flame; it would never burn.

’Could it? It sounds improbable, but there’s no hurt in trying...’ Ozul mused, lamenting he had never thought out of the box when it came to Purity.

He, however, couldn’t continue his thoughts for long. In front of him stood one of the most dangerous creatures of this Realm. One could only imagine how stupid it was to be distracted at this moment.

He waited silently, certain in his mind that the Phoenix had something to say to him. He didn’t feel endangered, even when trapped between the ominous flames.

"You." The Phoenix started, looking at him with a piercing gaze, "What relation do you have with Mother?"

"Huh?" muttered Ozul with a blank face. There was a guess in his heart, but he couldn’t keep jumping to conclusions.

"What ’Mother’ are you talking about? Is it Jinx?" He answered with a question of his own.

Before the Phoenix could reply to him, Jinx abruptly pawed the Phoenix in a successful attempt to gain her attention.

"Mother..." muttered the Phoenix as she stared down at the heterochromatic eyes of Jinx.

The Phoenix and Jinx kept staring at each other and Ozul could only guess that they were communicating.

He wasn’t even curious as to what Jinx was telling the Phoenix since he had to first digest the fact that the Celestial Phoenix had just addressed Jinx as ’Mother.’

’What does this even mean?!’ He was shouting in his mind, and even he knew that was a first for him.

He didn’t have enough time to process the unexpected discovery that Jinx was Mother to the Celestial Phoenix.

"I have been told that you are looking for answers..." The Phoenix broke the staring contest and addressed him immediately.

Those words struck his mind like the ocean breaking apart mountains. All other thoughts were pushed aside and if he had a heart, it would’ve been beating out of his chest right now.

"What do you know about me?" He asked, unable to hold himself back.

"Calm down," her voice wasn’t as icy as it sounded before. Now the Phoenix exuded a warm aura that left Ozul bewildered, unable to guess her intentions.

"I know nothing of your origins. Mother never mentioned you to us before."

"Us?" Ozul subconsciously asked.

"Me and my siblings."

’There are more creatures like her?’ he thought in the back of his mind.

His eyes wandered toward Jinx who was innocently licking and cleaning her paws right now. He always knew those red and blue eyes of hers held secrets beyond his imagination.

"As for your answers. If there is one place where you will find them, it will be the Land of God Emperor. It’s the origin of all... and you feel an awful lot similar to Mother; your origin must lie there as well."

She then paused and stared down at him intently, as if trying to peer through his secrets.

"Hm." She hummed, "I don’t think I can bless you either. At most, I can help your companions. There’s nothing more that I can offer you."

Stating that, the Phoenix swung her wings and sharp blades of wind killed the dark flames encircling them.

"Wait wait wha-" Ozul began.

But his voice was interrupted by the Phoenix addressing the City Lord, "This man’s companions will be allowed in the next Trials. Make sure of that."

It took all of his wits to pause his thoughts and reply to the Phoenix, but Ryujin was successful, "It will be done, Your Majesty."

Ember and the trio from afar looked at Ozul and sighed in relief confirming that he was unharmed.

Following that, the Phoenix moved her slender neck and repeated the action that had just shocked the entire crowd; she bowed her head in front of the cat again!

This time, the cat stepped onto the Phoenix’s head without a care in the world!

The breathing dark flames around the Phoenix somehow didn’t affect the cat as the former lifted her head up, waved her graceful wings, and soared into the sky.

And just like that, a scene was etched into everyone’s mind that would keep them restless for countless nights; a seemingly ordinary cat was riding the Celestial Phoenix.

Only after the Phoenix had disappeared from their sights did people realize they had their mouths left agape.

The first to come to their senses was Ember, she hurried to Ozul’s side and couldn’t help but shake him, "What was that?! Your cat personally knew the Phoenix?! Why didn’t you tell me before?!"

"So you were just as much in the dark. I am glad," the City Lord smirked and taunted from the side.

Ember was about to retort when Rai appeared by her side as well and she remembered they were still in the middle of the city.

"Gather everyone and return to the estate," she ordered Rai who nodded obediently but couldn’t help but throw a few glances toward Ozul.

Ryujin also ordered his men to clear up the scene. Unlike Ember, he also had the responsibility to restore the destruction they had caused.

"This is too much to digest..." someone couldn’t help but groan as they dusted off ashes from their clothes.