Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 688 - 672: Tit for Tat

In the spacious treehouse, as Zhouyang entered, the gazes of the four Tier Six members of the Celestial Phoenix Race, including Feng Xuan, all focused on him.

Faced with the attention of four peer existences, Zhouyang's expression remained unchanged as he glanced over the four individuals, then smiled and clasped his hands in salute, saying: "I am Zhouyang, greetings to all Fellow Daoists of the Celestial Phoenix Race."

"I am Qing Lan, and I serve as the Grand Elder of our clan."

Inside the treehouse, an elderly woman with a seven-colored phoenix hairpin in her hair was the first to respond to Zhouyang.

The old woman appeared frail and near the end of her life, yet her cultivation was unimaginably profound, giving Zhouyang a sense that she was in no way inferior to those Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators.

Besides Feng Xuan, the remaining two male members of the Celestial Phoenix Race didn't rush to introduce themselves but instead looked at Zhouyang with an assessing gaze, hinting at subtly hostile intent.

Seeing this, Zhouyang slightly curved his lips and proactively said to the two, "If I'm not mistaken, these two must be the Second Elder and the Clan Leader of your esteemed race!"

Prior to this, outside the Holy Land, Jiang Fengxian had mentioned that the Second Elder among the six Holy Land Elders of the Celestial Phoenix Race was her never-before-met grandfather.

Now, these two male members of the Celestial Phoenix Race, observing Zhouyang in an evaluating manner, with the older white-haired man and middle-aged man sharing five to six similar facial features, made it easy to infer their identities.

Upon hearing Zhouyang's almost provocative words, the Celestial Phoenix Race elder with the cultivation of a Human Race Mid-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator darkened his face instantly and, with a flicker of cold light in his eyes, said coldly, "Boy, you, a mere Human Race cultivator, dare to meddle in our Celestial Phoenix Race's affairs. Do you really think that with the backing of the Profound Sun Immortal Sect, we don't dare kill you?"

"You really can't kill him!"

A cold voice came from behind Zhouyang, as Jiang Fengxian had already entered with her daughter.

As she stepped into the treehouse, she cast a frosty gaze upon the speaking elder and the middle-aged man with a complex expression beside him, her eyes filled with uncontrollable hatred.

Her entrance immediately captured the attention of all four Celestial Phoenix Race members in the room.

It was obvious that upon seeing the magnificent and elegant seven-colored phoenix wings behind Jiang Fengxian and Jiang Yufeng, the three, except for Feng Xuan who had previously seen them, all brightened with uncontainable delight in their eyes.

Then, as if realizing something, their gazes began to waver, each displaying different emotions.

The Grand Elder's eyes flickered with unusual light and suddenly turned back to Zhouyang, softly saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, I haven't communicated with Human Race peers for over a thousand years; would Fellow Daoist Zhou be willing to move to my humble abode for a chat?"

Zhouyang, hearing this, did not rush to respond but instead looked towards Jiang Fengxian.

This old woman clearly wanted to send him away so that Jiang Fengxian and her daughter could privately communicate with their father and grandfather, yet he dared not let the mother and daughter out of his sight.

As expected, Jiang Fengxian was no fool and immediately responded coldly, "Grand Elder, if you want to communicate, there are three people here to do so with you. Why go through unnecessary steps?"

"Three people, are you counting yourself as part of the Human Race? Then why did you come here?"

Jiang Fengxian's grandfather, the Second Elder of the Celestial Phoenix Race, angrily burst out.

"I am, of course, Human Race!"

Jiang Fengxian coldly looked at her supposed "grandfather," mocking, "As for why I'm here, haven't you known all along?"

"Bold! Do you know..."

The white-haired elder shouted, seemingly about to make a threat.

But just as he spoke, a middle-aged man beside him interrupted.

"Father, please calm your anger. Allow me to speak with her for a moment!"

The middle-aged man, after interrupting the white-haired elder, looked at Jiang Fengxian with a complex gaze and said, "Whether you admit it or not, you, awakened with the Phoenix True Blood, belong to our Celestial Phoenix Race. The noble phoenix blood flowing through you is something you cannot change!"

"Is that all you have to say?"

Jiang Fengxian indifferently met the middle-aged man's gaze, seemingly unaffected by his words, as if she hadn't heard them at all.

"I know you hate me, hate that I left your mother when she was pregnant with you. But you must have learned from your mother about what happened back then. I was also beyond my control!"

The middle-aged man glanced at the white-haired elder beside him and sighed deeply, "Back then, my father used your mother and your lives to coerce me, and I had no choice but to follow him back to the clan to ensure your safety. Later, when I advanced to Tier Six and went looking for you, I learned your mother had passed, and you were nowhere to be found!"

"Finding your way to our clan means you must have seen the map I left in that cave estate, so you should know my predicament!"

Jiang Fengxian's expression finally showed a change.

With an angry glare at the middle-aged man, she spoke each word intentionally: "So, a mere explanation of being beyond your control can erase all the harm my mother suffered?"

Her words made the middle-aged man feel embarrassed and he blurted out, "So what do you want me to do?"

He regretted it as soon as he said it, realizing he had inadvertently confessed.

Indeed, Jiang Fengxian shot a sharp gaze back and said coldly, "I swore at my mother's grave that one day I would come to the Celestial Phoenix Race myself to capture you, a heartless man, and have you guard her grave for the rest of your life to atone for what you did to her!"

"Coming here this time is to fulfill that very oath!"

The chilly voice reverberated through the treehouse, leaving the four Celestial Phoenix Race members, save for Zhouyang and Jiang Yufeng, stunned by Jiang Fengxian's words.

What immense courage it must take to dare to speak such words in their Sacred Land of the Celestial Phoenix Race!

The white-haired elder immediately flew into a rage and shouted angrily, "Arrogant! Who do you think you are? You're just an Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator, yet you dare utter such wild words, truly think we don't dare kill you?"

Before his shout fell, an overwhelming aura surged from him, pressing directly towards Jiang Fengxian.

Just then, Zhouyang, who had been standing behind Jiang Fengxian, suddenly stepped forward, releasing a powerful force of Divine Sense from his body. It instantly tore through the oppressive aura and forced the white-haired elder to step back a pace or two.

"And who did you say you wanted to kill just now?"

Zhouyang's deep voice resonated throughout the treehouse, his formidable Divine Sense pressure enveloping the room, causing the other three, aside from the Celestial Phoenix Race's Grand Elder, to change their expressions dramatically.

The white-haired elder was momentarily intimidated and dared not respond.

However, his presumptuous manner clearly enraged the hosts.

Then, the Grand Elder suddenly stepped forward, heavily thumping the green wooden staff in her hand onto the ground, releasing a pressure stronger than Zhouyang's Divine Sense, instantly dispelling Zhouyang's pressure.

She then ignored the furious Zhouyang and nodded to the equally angry white-haired elder, saying, "Second Elder, please calm down. Let me exchange a few words with this young lady."

Upon hearing this, the white-haired elder took a deep breath, glared fiercely at Zhouyang, and solemnly said, "Grand Elder, by all means."

Having gained his approval, the elderly woman looked at Jiang Fengxian and said, "Young lady, originally the family matters between you and the Second Elder's family were not something I, as an outsider, should interfere with. But the words you uttered earlier were indeed rather inappropriate!"

"Xuan Yu is currently the Clan Leader of our Celestial Phoenix Race. As long as he holds this position, he represents the face of our clan and is supported by millions of clan members. How could he be taken away by you?"

Speaking up to this point, the elderly woman paused slightly, smiled and continued, "Of course, if you choose to return to our clan, it becomes a matter within our own clan. At that time, if you can defeat Xuan Yu, naturally, you can seize the position of Clan Leader from him and make him follow your commands!"

Clap, clap, clap!

"What a calculation, Grand Elder, truly a well-laid plan!"

Zhouyang clapped his hands while mocking, "Without offering any real promises, you intend to draw a Nascent Soul Cultivator into your clan as a weapon. Grand Elder's ability to achieve something from nothing, truly opens my eyes!"

The moment he spoke, the expressions of the other three members of the Celestial Phoenix Race in the room changed dramatically.

"Impudent!"

"How dare a Human Race brat act so rudely in our clan's Holy Land!"

"Grand Elder's status is noble; how dare you insult her? Kneel and apologize to the Grand Elder at once, or don't blame us for being impolite!"

Fourth Elder Feng Xuan, Clan Leader Xuan Yu, and the white-haired elder spoke in unison, their intentions clearly directed towards Zhouyang, ready to act upon disagreement.

"What is this? Bullying with numbers?"

Zhouyang's face turned cold, and he sneered, "I'd like to see just how you intend to be impolite!"

His fearless demeanor left the three who spoke both shocked and angry, rendered speechless for a moment.

Undoubtedly, reaching the Nascent Soul Stage means none are fools.

Facing several adversaries of the same realm in the Holy Land of the Celestial Phoenix Race, yet Zhouyang dared to be so fearless, naturally raised suspicions about any possible backing he might have.

Moreover, Jiang Fengxian, whose stance was unclear, stood nearby. If she were to assist Zhouyang during a battle, their plans to recruit Jiang Fengxian into the Celestial Phoenix Race would be completely foiled.

Thus, despite being infuriated by Zhouyang's arrogance, the elders of the Celestial Phoenix Race dared not act impulsively to instigate a war.

As one involved, witnessing this scene, Jiang Fengxian's expression changed slightly as she respectfully saluted the Grand Elder, "I understand your good intentions, Grand Elder. But I have long become accustomed to living among the Human Race and practice authentic Human Race cultivation techniques. I'm afraid I cannot adapt to your lifestyle!"

Before allowing the Grand Elder to retort, she added, "However, I believe there's some truth in your words. How about allowing you, Grand Elder, to officiate a Magical Combat between me and Xuan Yu right here? If I lose, I will naturally accept your arrangements. But if I win, I must ask the Grand Elder to allow me to seek justice for my late mother!"

The reason she gave was indeed appropriate, and her words respectful, which the elderly woman could not reject outright, despite not agreeing with them.

In contrast, the white-haired elder laughed coldly upon hearing her words, "To seek justice for your mother, shouldn't you duel against me? How about it? If you defeat me, my son and I can bow at your mother's tomb!"

"But if you lose, you should obediently remain in our clan and serve our clan, forsaking any dealings with those Human Race cultivators, bringing disgrace to your noble bloodline!"

Clap, clap, clap!

Zhouyang couldn't help but clap again.

With a face full of ridicule, he looked at the white-haired elder and sneered, "Your skin is truly thick! Back then, you disrupted the love between Impatiens and her mother, causing great harm. And now, you have the face to utter such words in front of them, truly broadening my horizons!"

With a fierce look, he shouted severely, "Since you like bullying the weak, why not let me, Zhouyang, battle you instead of Impatiens? If you defeat me, I'll submit to your arrangements. Otherwise, you must follow through with your own words and bow at Impatiens's mother's tomb with your son!"

"Impudent! What are you but an outsider? How dare you interfere in our clan's affairs? I'll capture you now to show you this is no place for your insolence!"

The white-haired elder was furious, angrily shouting as he waved his hand, sending a streak of green light towards Zhouyang.

Even his son hadn't anticipated this sudden move, causing confusion among the others in the room.

Yet Zhouyang's response was completely unexpected.

He raised his fist in an instant, with dragon roars echoing, directly shattering the green light, revealing its true form.

The green light turned out to be a Qimen Spiritual Artifact resembling a Phoenix Feather.

"Courtesy demands reciprocity, old man, take a punch from me too!"

Zhouyang shouted fiercely, and before the Qimen Spiritual Artifact could return to the white-haired elder's hand, he launched a punch at the elder.

Instantly, a dragon-shaped force several feet long shot out from his fist, roaring towards the white-haired elder with echoes of dragon roars.

"Stop right there!"

In the tree house, the elderly woman shouted furiously and pointed her green staff forward, dispersing the dragon-shaped force Zhouyang had launched.

Her gaze darkened as she looked at Zhouyang and Jiang Fengxian, finally focusing on Jiang Fengxian, coldly saying, "Since you have no intention of joining our clan, take your man and leave. You are not welcome here!"

Unexpectedly, before Jiang Fengxian and Zhouyang could respond, the white-haired elder shouted, "Grand Elder, don't let them leave so easily. This arrogant Human Race kid has repeatedly mocked you and me. I must teach him a lesson today!"

Seeing this, Zhouyang immediately seized the opportunity, replying, "Alright, remember what you said, don't deny it when you lose later!"