Unsealing Emptiness

Chapter 452: Feast?

In the estate, Ember continued on with her duties, ignoring the burning gaze of Ozul.

But it wasn’t easy to ignore him for long,

"Alright, what is it?" She looked up from her book and sighed with unease.

"They were not ordinary people. Who were they?" He was referring to the stalemate he had just walked through. The aura exuded by Beastkin was always of a different nature than the Humans, so he knew at first glance that they too were all Beastkin.

"Just some people from the past," replied Ember, not indulging him in details. Before Ozul could say anything, she continued, "How was your walk?"

Her eyes couldn’t help but glance down at his feet, watching the cat groom herself. It made no sense whatsoever that this cat was friends with the Celestial Phoenix.

"I ran into... other Dragon Hatchlings," he thought for a moment before realizing that he didn’t know their names.

Ember nodded her head and spoke, "The Immortal Sect always sends their Dragon Hatchlings to the trial. They sent 4 this time as well. It’s the fastest way for them to grow."

"Why send only 4 then?" he asked. Although he didn’t know any of them, he was sure that there were more than only 4 people who had gone along with the Sect.

In response, Ember smiled slightly, "They are cruel bastards. The Hatchlings are put through trials in the Immortal Sect, and there are only two ways out from those trials: either conquer the trial or die.

The Immortal Sect only has 4 Dragon Hatchlings right now. They sent all they had."

Ozul didn’t know whether to be impressed by the Sect or not. People are always useful, why would the Sect let them die? At least he would never agree with this behavior.

And then Ember added, "Those people you were asking about, they too brought along a Dragon Hatchling with them."

Connecting the dots, Ozul instantly thought about the only being that could be considered a Beastkin in the previous Realm.

’That giant fox had also told me her name after she transformed... what was it?’ He put some pressure on his brain to think back, ’Vincent? No... Whisker?...’ In the end, he gave up thinking.

"Is she stronger than my people?" He asked. Calling Raven, Blaze, and Zier his people gave him hope that one day they would let him rest and do all the work for him.

"Do you know her?" Ember seemed a little surprised.

He nodded and told her, "She was the strongest being in that Realm. Before coming here, she transformed, so I am not sure of her skills now."

Nodding in understanding, Ember replied, "I can’t give you a real estimate on her cultivation. Information regarding the Hatchlings isn’t easy to obtain. But I can tell you one thing," she smirked, "There was never a Dragon Hatchling to my knowledge who grew as fast as those three monsters."

Raven, Blaze, and Zier were all breaking the walls of the Origin Realm in such a short time. If she let the news about their cultivation spread, it would undoubtedly attract the Sect.

Hearing the praise, Ozul was satisfied, "They are talented," he muttered, counting the days before he could retire again.

Ember gave him an incredulous look, "Do you even hear yourself?" She knew for a fact that he wasn’t clueless and that his own strength was more unbelievable than anyone else.

It hadn’t even been a decade, and there was a Dragon Hatchling who could kill Trancendents. The only thing that topped that was the fact that this Dragon Hatchling also had a cat who could ride a Celestial Beast.

To take her mind off of him, she kicked her out of her room before telling him, "The trial starts in two days. Go prepare yourself."

Outside her room, Ozul walked back to his room, ’What do I have to prepare for?’

...

Two days passed by in the blink of an eye.

Phoenix City received more guests in this period and the streets only became more crowded.

Merchants from all around the Realm had gathered here, so it only made sense for ordinary folks to also be attracted here during these days.

On this day, however, the atmosphere on the streets was somber.

Everyone waited with bated breaths, expecting the Phoenix to make an appearance at any moment.

Meeting their expectations, a screeching noise reverberated throughout the region.

*Khree!*

The dark feathers of the Celestial Phoenix spread unnaturally as she gracefully rose to the sky.

With a wave of her wings, the cold dew of the morning faded instantly, replaced with an unfamiliar warmth.

The people on the streets of Phoenix City watched in awe as pillars of black flames began to rise, circling the entire city.

The children gaze up at the Phoenix with stars in their eyes. They had left their villages to come to the festival for this very reason.

Before long, Phoenix City was caged within black flames.

"None shall leave or intrude into my territory until the trial is over."

The voice of the Phoenix spread throughout Phoenix City and even the regions surrounding it.

On the ground, Ozul couldn’t help but question the situation, "Why does that matter?"

"Some beasts are very sensitive during their feast," Rai, unable to help himself, answered with an ominous tone from beside Ember.

"What does that mean?" Zier asked, tugging at Rai’s sleeve, "Hey! Tell me what does that mean?"

But Rai didn’t even look at him as he continued staring at the Phoenix with a silly smile.

The Celestial Phoenix then dived back to the ground, disappearing into the pillar placed within the City Lord’s Hall. The fire surrounding the city, however, remained burning with the same intensity.

Following that, the City Lord’s voice spread over the city, "The trial will begin shortly. All of you gather in the Hall." He was addressing only the participants and the people accompanying them.

Much to his displeasure, that included the trio, Ozul, Rai, and Ember.

With a slight smile on her face, Ember walked in the gates of the City Lord’s Hall. She ignored the pillar of the Phoenix, her sight fixed on all the Transcendents gathered around the manor.

Immediately as everyone’s eyes fell in her direction, their eyes widened in surprise.

For one, they could confirm the rumors that Ember of the Phoenix City indeed had recovered her cultivation.

What actually took them off guard was the sight of three peak Nascent Soul cultivators walking behind her.

Since the recent rumors, people knew for a fact that these three were the Dragon Hatchlings whom the Phoenix had personally allowed entry to her trial.

There was also Ozul who was rumored to have some relation to the Phoenix, but not many people believed it. Especially because among everyone else, he alone was without Spiritual Essence.

Hence, they were more interested in the trio.

Even Saiko, the Elder sent by the Immortal Sect, gave them a scrutinizing look, unable to make head or tails of the situation.

The Immortal Sect was the undeclared ruler of this Realm. The amount of resources they could provide was unmatched. Yet, the Dragon Hatchlings under their care were two stages below!

’No, these brats are talented. But they...,’ he eyed the three with narrowed eyes, ’...they are monsters. I have to inform the Sect immediately.’

Sarah and Aakal along with the two other Hatchlings were right beside him. Sarah wanted to approach Ozul, but she didn’t want to face the wrath of the Sect Leader by creating a scene.

Ember knew the moment they walked into the Hall, everyone would learn of the geniuses of the three Hatchlings. But she wasn’t afraid of letting the world know.

After all, she was preparing a trump card that would deter just about anyone of this Realm.

As Ember walked over, everyone shifted to make a path for her. They were Transcendents, but in front of a Sage, they could only bow their heads in respect.

"There are a lot more than I expected," she muttered, observing the crowd.

Rai answered, "The Phoenix is starving, perhaps."

"Hey! What does that mean," Zier tugged at his hand again, "Tell me! What does that mean!?"

Unfortunately for Zier, Rai was fond of enjoying people’s misery.

. . .

In a land hidden between forests, amidst houses of varying sizes, walked Beastkin of all kinds.

If Ozul was here, he would notice a stark contrast between the other cities and this one as there were only Beastkin here!

Although most of the features of the Beastkin were human, the feral aura and the scent of Beastkin differed greatly. Contrary to what some imagined of a city ruled by Beastkin, the city was more peaceful than any.

However, a certain tall building right in the center of the city wasn’t as peaceful as it looked from the outside.

6 Beastkins were sitting around a table, involved in a heated debate.

"How could she show such disrespect?!" One of them shouted.

Ozul would immediately recognize the aura released by all of them was above any Transcendent. They were all at the Sage Realm!

"Why are you so surprised? She always had this attitude." Another Beastkin frowned.

"She was half a step into the Empyrean Realm back then. Do you think she is still a peak Sage after recovering her cultivation only recently? What gives her the right to be so arrogant now?!" the previous Beastkin complained in a louder voice.

"I agree. The Wilderness nurtured us all, and she has a duty she must fulfill!" another one chimed in.

"I have had enough of this," the only Beastkin who didn’t share the sentiment stood up. His orange hair with a hint of gray made him stand out among others. His words caused the discussion to pause.

"The moment she fell, all of you coveted her possessions, ready to devour her if you had the chance. And now that she has regained her strength, you complain she must serve the Wilderness again? You lot act just like the humans you despise so much," he spat before leaving the room.

"That bastard! Who does he think he is?!" The moment he left, the debate again erupted into a fit of anger.