Chapter 2068 — True Primordial Fire

"Welcome to the Rising Phoenix Clan, esteemed guest. My name is Feng Lingtian, the Grand Elder of this clan."

The short old man introduced himself to Yuan shortly after their arrival.

But before Yuan could do the same, he continued, "I heard that you have the Primordial Phoenix’s Bloodline, but before we can even begin our conversation, I must verify something first. We haven’t seen this bloodline for millions of years—since the Immortal Monarch’s Era, so I apologize for being skeptical, nor am I trying to offend you."

Yuan shook his head calmly and spoke, "No, I fully understand your skepticism. I just need to prove my identity, correct?"

Naturally, Yuan had predicted this would happen and was prepared for it.

"Then, allow me to apologize in advance." Yuan suddenly said.

"Huh?" The Grand Elder couldn’t understand his words at first, but quickly realized why he was apologizing.

"Kneel."

Yuan activated Immortal Monarch’s Dominion, commanding the Grand Elder to kneel on the ground.

The Grand Elder was at the 5th level of the God Ascension Realm, but Yuan had not only improved his cultivation but also his Immortal Monarch’s Bloodline after consuming the Primordial Phoenix’s Blood Essence. This allowed him to command God Ascension Realm beasts with much more ease and for far longer than before.

"G-Grand Elder!" Feng Zhenyan gasped in shock when she saw him kneel to the ground—something he wouldn’t do even for the Matriarch of the Rising Phoenix Clan.

Although Yuan had withdrawn the Immortal Monarch’s Dominion almost immediately, the Grand Elder’s knees remained firmly rooted on the ground. His head was bowed, but if one could see his face, they would find his eyes wide with shock and his mouth agape, as if he had just witnessed a miracle.

Just as dragons could wield Dragon Authority to command those of weaker bloodlines, phoenixes could invoke Phoenix Authority to command phoenixes with lesser bloodlines.

Though the Grand Elder’s bloodline wasn’t the absolute strongest, it was among the very best, strong enough to elevate him to the position of Grand Elder within the Rising Phoenix Clan, one of the Royal Phoenix Clans.

However, while impressive, it wasn’t enough to prove Yuan’s identity as a Primordial Phoenix.

Aware of this, Yuan said calmly, "That was just an introduction. Now, here’s the real proof."

He lifted his hand and, with a smooth motion, flipped his palm over—summoning the Primordial Flames into existence.

Feng Zhenyan’s eyes widened as she silently stared at the invisible flames dancing above Yuan’s palm. The Grand Elder, who had begun to lift his head at Yuan’s words, suddenly sprang to his feet and instinctively backed away—every fiber of his being warning him of the flames’ danger, despite his nature as a phoenix.

"This is..." The Grand Elder swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

Though he had never seen them with his own eyes, he had read of them in ancient records—flames invisible to the eye, capable of burning even a phoenix with fire immunity. A power wielded only by the most ancient and exalted bloodline, the True Primordial Fire.

"Would you like to experience the flames yourself, to be certain it’s no trick?" Yuan asked suddenly.

The Grand Elder trembled at the mere thought of subjecting himself to the strongest fire in the universe.

As phoenixes, it was in their very nature to immerse themselves in the strongest fires they could find, both to temper their bodies and as a mark of pride worth boasting about, almost like moths drawn to flames.

Therefore, when the Grand Elder was offered a chance to experience the strongest fire known to exist—something long thought extinct—there was no way he could pass up such an opportunity, even if it might cost him his life.

The Grand Elder nodded his head with a stern expression on his face, agreeing to Yuan’s offer.

"Very well."

Yuan looked at Feng Zhenyan and said, "You should stand back a little."

However, Feng Zhenyan shook her head and responded in a resolute but somewhat nervous voice, "No, please allow me to experience the True Primordial Fire as well."

After all, she was also a phoenix.

"If you say so."

Without hesitation, Yuan released the True Primordial Fire, instantly engulfing their bodies in its invisible, all-consuming blaze.

Feng Zhenyan immediately let out a scream of pain, while the Grand Elder clenched his fists and gritted his jaw in silence, veins bulging across his body as he endured the searing agony.

Yet, despite their obvious agony, both Feng Zhenyan and the Grand Elder wore almost sadistic smiles on their faces, clearly relishing the pain.

"Yes! This is it! This is the pinnacle of fire! I’ve survived all these years just for this moment!" the Grand Elder shouted, spreading his arms wide and crying out to the heavens.

Moments later, Feng Zhenyan suddenly collapsed to the ground. Seeing this, Yuan withdrew the flames from her, leaving her body steaming with wisps of smoke, almost like a roasted bird.

At a glance, the Grand Elder seemed fine, but Yuan could sense that his body was sustaining damage. Since he had no intention of harming them, there was no reason to continue, so he withdrew the flames from the Grand Elder as well.

However, the very next moment, the Grand Elder suddenly let out a scream, but unlike Feng Zhenyan’s, his cry wasn’t just from physical pain. It carried the raw edge of emotional anguish, as if he’d just lost something precious or endured a deep, mental wound.

"No! The light is gone! Ahhhh!" he cried out in despair, even dropping to the ground and rolling around like he was on fire.

Yuan could only watch in stunned silence, his eyes wide, speechless at such an unexpected reaction. He couldn’t help but wonder if the True Primordial Fire had some side effects that caused hallucinations.

"Don’t worry about him. This is quite normal," Feng Yuxiang said to Yuan.

"If you say so..."

A moment later, the Grand Elder crawled toward Yuan and pleaded in a desperate voice, "Please... use the True Primordial Fire on me again... I’m so cold..."