Chapter 164

Chapter 164: Matters of the Ancient Divine Clan

Nie Zheng left, and the bombshell he dropped before departing kept Ning Rui fuming for months. For many days afterward, whenever he encountered You You or others who’d witnessed the incident, he’d clutch his head and scurry away like a mortified ghost.

This made everyone even more curious about the mysterious junior sister Nie Zheng had mentioned.

Apart from a few insiders and Ning Rui, no disciples knew Nie Zheng’s true status. The official explanation for his disappearance was simply that he’d "gone traveling again."

Maybe because the disciples still vividly remembered Nie Zheng’s aggressive debt-collecting spree from previous years, his absence caused little stir. The Zhen Yan Sect—and indeed all immortal sects across the Immortal Realm—settled back into peaceful routines.

You You had sent Nie Zheng back not just to help complete his mission, but because Immortals shouldn’t linger in the lower realm. Spiritual energy here paled compared to celestial energy, and prolonged stay could damage his cultivation.

There was another reason—she hoped he’d find ways to wake the Feng Clan. She’d questioned Feng Rong thoroughly, but the newly hatched phoenix’s fragmented ancestral memories only revealed this: their clan had suffered catastrophic destruction, suddenly losing their ability to undergo Nirvana. All injured members now slept eternally in egg form.

Feng Rong survived because he’d been an unhatched egg stored in the Nirvana Realm during the disaster. Without parental divine power to catalyze his hatching, he’d remained dormant until recently.

You You even consulted Yuan Papa. But as a solitary Qilin who’d slept for millennia, he knew nothing of the Feng Clan’s plight.

The Feng Clan belonged to the ancient Divine Clans. Such catastrophic events should’ve left traces. Mortals’ short lifespans might’ve erased these legends, but Immortals preserved more records. Besides, Qiu Yao had manipulated the Feng Family—he clearly knew something about their history, and his Immortal Realm connections might hold clues.

"You You," Yuan Qi set down his teacup as she pored over ancient texts, "do you truly wish to uncover ancient secrets?"

"Not secrets exactly." She glanced up. "I promised Feng Rong I’d help. To save his people, we need to understand what happened. It’s tough, but we must try."

Yuan Qi’s fingers tightened around his cup. "What if… all efforts prove futile?"

"Then we’ll know we tried. Feng Rong’s our brother—we help family." She turned fully, smiling earnestly. "Same goes for you, Yuan Papa. If you ever need help, I’ll move mountains for you!"

The Qilin froze. Ripples disturbed his tranquil heart. His usual smile faltered as he murmured, "I see…" But what family did he have left?

You You and Feng Rong combed through every available text, with Ling Qi organizing materials. Yet details about the Ancient Times remained scarce—just unreliable legends offering nothing concrete about the Feng Clan.

Half a year passed without word from Nie Zheng. Even Feng Rong had forgotten about the red lotus messaging talisman when it finally glowed.

You You blinked at the activated talisman—Nie Zheng should’ve contacted Ning Rui first through the sect-linked device.

"Sect Master!" Nie Zheng’s hushed voice leaked through. "It’s urgent."

"Nie Zheng?" You You instinctively offered, "Want me to fetch Ning Rui?"

"No time! About your request—I found something." His whisper gained urgency. "It concerns all ancient Divine Clans—dragons, phoenixes, qilins. Heavenly Palace records say they fell not from war, but heavenly punishment!"

"Heavenly punishment?!"

"Records claim they angered the heavens." Static crackled as Nie Zheng hurried, "The Heavenly Dao cast them out. That’s why reviving the Feng Clan might be impossi—"

Scuffling noises interrupted. "Gotta go!" The connection died.

You You: "……"