"I'll talk, I'll talk! Please don't kill me!"
Faced with Ye Yunfei's murderous intent, Miao Yuguan's face paled with fear. Ever since he had learned that Miao Haoyu had died at Ye Yunfei's hands, he had been utterly terrified. He no longer dared to flaunt his status in front of Ye Yunfei; all he sought now was a way to survive.
"Before I came in here, I once heard my father mention that after my grandfather and the Old Wizard join forces to enter the Zhuque Divine Grotto, they will search for an ancient palace. Within that palace is a skeleton of a Vermilion Bird, said to be the remains left behind by a true Divine Vermilion Bird. It supposedly contains the true Origin Bloodline of the Vermilion Bird!
Our Miao Clan ancestors were originally human. Later, when they entered the Zhuque Divine Grotto, they accidentally stumbled into that ancient palace. They obtained some of the Vermilion Bird's Origin Bloodline from that skeleton, merged it into their own bodies, and thus gave rise to us descendants who possess the Vermilion Bird Divine Meridian.
I also heard my grandfather say that although our Miao Clan claims to be descendants of the Vermilion Bird, we are merely vessels containing some of the Vermilion Bird's Origin Bloodline. We are not true descendants of the Divine Vermilion Bird."
Miao Yuguan spoke whatever he knew to save his own life, holding nothing back.
"There is a skeleton of a true Divine Vermilion Bird in the Zhuque Divine Grotto?" Ye Yunfei was slightly surprised upon hearing this.
Although Ye Yunfei had previously suspected something along these lines, a true Divine Vermilion Bird was a terrifying, lofty existence!
In his previous life, after becoming a Heavenly Emperor, Ye Yunfei had accidentally learned an ancient piece of information: experts at the Heavenly Emperor level would be instantly obliterated in the face of a true divine beast!
One could imagine just how terrifying a true divine beast was! And within this Zhuque Divine Grotto, there was actually a skeleton left by a Divine Vermilion Bird! This was truly shocking news.
"Where is this ancient palace located?" Ye Yunfei thought for a moment before asking.
Now that he knew this, Ye Yunfei would undoubtedly go and see the palace for himself. Moreover, he understood that the most valuable treasure within the Zhuque Divine Grotto was certainly that Vermilion Bird skeleton.
If one could obtain the Vermilion Bird's Origin Bloodline contained within that skeleton, one would probably be able to possess a true Vermilion Bird Divine Meridian, or acquire many of the bloodline-inherited cultivation methods or martial arts of the Divine Vermilion Bird race.
Although the Miao Clan of the Vermilion Bird Realm claimed to be descendants of the Divine Vermilion Bird, in truth, their ancestors merely obtained a portion of its Origin Bloodline from the skeleton—and likely just a small part at that!
"Th-this... I don't know. I only heard my father mention the existence of such a palace. Even my grandfather and the Old Wizard don't know the exact location of that palace. They too must search for it within the Divine Grotto. How could I possibly know? Oh, right! I heard my father mention a saying: 'Where the Cloud Marsh arises, the Vermilion Bird Divine Palace appears.'"
Miao Yuguan hurriedly explained.
"Where the Cloud Marsh arises, the Vermilion Bird Divine Palace appears... Alright, you don't have to die for now."
Ye Yunfei pondered for a moment before speaking, then sent Miao Yuguan into the Phantom Tower.
"Mother, Xiao Fei. Next, we are going to look for that ancient divine palace."
Ye Yunfei addressed Miao Ziqiong and Miao Xiaofei.
"Brother, do you want to take us to find that Divine Vermilion Bird skeleton?" Xiao Fei asked.
"Yes. The Vermilion Bird Divine Meridians you both possess are the most advanced ones within the Miao Clan. If you two could obtain the Origin Bloodline contained within that Divine Vermilion Bird skeleton, the benefits would be immense. Since we are already here, we should do our best to seize this opportunity and not let it slip away."
Ye Yunfei explained to Xiao Fei.
"Okay, Brother. I'll listen to you."
Xiao Fei was already eager; hearing Ye Yunfei's words only increased her yearning.
"Don't worry. Your brother will help you."
Ye Yunfei chuckled.
"Do as you see fit. The only thing that matters to me is that everything remains safe."
Looking at her son and daughter, Miao Ziqiong smiled and nodded.
Though she was still within the Vermilion Bird Realm, she felt much calmer now. She knew her son possessed the strength of a Half-Emperor. She had personally witnessed him easily killing other experts of that realm and seen the dozen-plus Half-Emperor experts he kept by his side. With such a formidable overall force, challenging the entire Miao Clan wouldn't be out of the question. Thus, she wasn't particularly worried anymore. Simultaneously, her heart was filled with shock and pride; she never expected her son to have grown to this level in such a short time.
"Let's go! We press on!"
Ye Yunfei waved his hand, leading Xiao Fei and the others forward.
Along the way, they encountered many fire-attributed treasures, crystals, medicinal herbs, elixirs, and even magical tools, all containing fire energy and law. With their formidable strength, Ye Yunfei's party seized many opportunities, ending up with a significant haul. If other beings didn't actively provoke them, Ye Yunfei generally ignored them. However, if anyone initiated hostilities, he would not hesitate either to capture and seal them away or to kill them outright.
"Brother, this Small World contains such advanced fire energy and fire laws. Could it have once been the dwelling place of a Divine Vermilion Bird?" Xiao Fei couldn't resist asking Ye Yunfei.
"Hard to say. I can think of two possibilities that might have shaped this Small World to what it is now."
Ye Yunfei considered before answering.
"Firstly, a Vermilion Bird perished here, leaving behind vast amounts of pure fire energy and fire laws. Over endless eons, this gradually evolved, potentially transforming this Small World into one wholly aligned with the fire element. The energy and laws possessed by a Divine Vermilion Bird are far too powerful; they could easily alter the environment of a Small World."
"Secondly, this Small World might originally have been the dwelling of a Divine Vermilion Bird."
"I see. Brother, you really know a lot."
Xiao Fei stuck out her tongue.
"Yi? Fei'er, look, what are those up ahead? There seem to be quite a few giant, strangely-shaped plants composed of fire."
At that moment, Miao Ziqiong pointed forward with some surprise and spoke up.
Ye Yunfei and Xiao Fei immediately looked in the direction she indicated.
Far ahead, in a vast valley, grew numerous giant, peculiar crimson plants. A closer look revealed that these enormous crimson plants were entirely composed of flames! Clusters of thin crimson flames gathered together to form these giant, peculiar grasses. Each crimson plant bore three flowers. A large group of beings had gathered at the mouth of the valley, scrutinizing the red plants within.
"These are the legendary Three-Life Fire Essence Grass! They are an incredibly rare, almost mythical fire-attributed spiritual herb. Their value is immeasurable! In the outside world, you could not buy them with any amount of money!"
After observing the giant crimson plants for a moment, Ye Yunfei exclaimed excitedly.
"Mother, Xiao Fei. This Three-Life Fire Essence Grass will be extremely beneficial for the two of you. We absolutely must not miss this opportunity!"
Ye Yunfei immediately added.