Chapter 656: Departure

“What, you’re leaving?”

When the three ancestors learned that Yi Tianyun was leaving, they were very reluctant to see him go. How could they just let such a powerful Divine Envoy leave? Although giving up Phoenix Lake had been a painful loss, it was trivial compared to his contribution in saving the entire Phoenix Race.

“That’s right. I’m heading to the Celestial Realm,” Yi Tianyun said, not bothering to hide it. It wasn’t a secret, so there was no need to be quiet about it.

“The Celestial Realm?” They exchanged confused glances. “The passage from the Netherworld to the Celestial Realm is practically destroyed. It’s incredibly difficult to ascend from here unless you go through the Mortal Realm. But with your powerful cultivation, Divine Envoy, how could you possibly use that passage?”

“I have my own way of handling it.” Yi Tianyun didn’t reveal that he could use the Ascension Divine Altar. Even without it, he could still travel between the realms freely.

With the power bestowed by the Guardian, he was no longer subject to any restrictions and could travel between the two worlds at will. He simply planned to use a Teleportation Array this time to save time.

“Alright then…”

They exchanged glances. Although it was a shame, they couldn’t very well stop Yi Tianyun from leaving. Besides, with the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom dealt with, the Phoenix Race was no longer in danger.

Yi Tianyun then followed them outside. Bai Shuihuang and the others had already finished wiping out the remnants of the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom, collected all the spoils, and sorted them into several Storage Rings.

“Divine Envoy, these are the spoils we’ve collected from the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom. Please take a look.” Bai Shuihuang placed the Storage Rings on the table. There were over a dozen of them; the wealth of the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom was truly impressive.

This was only the portable loot. Things like cultivation grounds and other facilities couldn’t be brought back, so all they could offer were these treasures.

Yi Tianyun took the rings and gave them a quick inspection. Afterward, he kept a few for himself and said, “This is about enough. The rest is yours to keep.”

The Storage Rings he kept contained some Elixir Pills and weapons of a moderate grade, consisting mainly of High-Grade Soul Artifacts and Fourth-Grade Elixir Pills. He took only a small portion of the Sacred Artifacts and Fifth-Grade Elixir Pills, leaving the majority for the Phoenix Race.

‘Of course, it would be best to keep everything.’ However, his guiding principle had always been mutual benefit. The Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom was wiped out so quickly thanks to the efforts of the Phoenix Race. Had he been forced to pacify the cities one by one himself, it would have consumed a great deal of time. For that reason, he only kept a portion for himself and gave the majority to the Phoenix Race.

“But…” Just as Bai Shuihuang began to speak, Yi Tianyun cut her off with a shake of his head.

“Say no more. I’m already incredibly grateful for your help in eradicating the remaining forces of the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom. This is what you’ve earned. I always operate on the principle of equality and mutual benefit. As your Divine Envoy, and with Luo Yan here, I’ve grown attached to this place. If you still feel you owe me something, then just focus more on training Luo Yan.”

Yi Tianyun hadn’t spent much time with Luo Yan, but since she called him her godfather, he was determined to look after her well.

“Very well.” Bai Shuihuang was never one to waste words. Since Yi Tianyun had put it that way, she wouldn’t argue the point.

“Godfather, are you leaving?” Luo Yan walked over, a look of reluctance in her eyes.

Although her memories had returned, she hadn’t forgotten how Yi Tianyun had doted on her. The title felt a little awkward at first, but she still felt very close to him.

“Yes, I’m about to make a trip to the Celestial Realm.” Yi Tianyun reached out and ruffled her hair with a smile. “I hope that by the time I come back, you’ll have become even stronger—a true pillar of the Phoenix Race!”

“I will!” Luo Yan pumped a small fist and grinned. “Next time, it won’t be you protecting me, Godfather. It’ll be my turn to protect you!”

“I’ll be waiting for it.” Yi Tianyun smiled and ruffled her hair again. Then, after bidding farewell to the other elders, he departed.

“Thank goodness the Divine Envoy we recruited isn’t a tyrannical person. Otherwise, with his level of cultivation, the Phoenix Race itself might have been in jeopardy.” The three ancestors shook their heads.

“If he were a tyrannical person, I would never have chosen him as our Divine Envoy,” Bai Shuihuang said with a faint smile. “The Divine Envoy values loyalty and relationships. You can tell just by the way he treats Luo Yan. He repays kindness with kindness. From now on, we must stand on the same side as the Divine Envoy. No matter what path he chooses, we will be his allies!”

“Right!”

They nodded emphatically. After this battle, they were all convinced that Yi Tianyun was a man of good character and would be an outstanding ally.

…

“Ding! Successfully completed the urgent mission ‘Rescue the Phoenix Race’! Gained 500,000,000 Experience, 100,000 Madness Value, 10,000 Sin Value. Phoenix Race Favorability increased by 200!”

The notification finally popped up, signaling the mission’s completion and granting him a hefty bonus reward.

「In the blink of an eye, he arrived before the Ascension Divine Altar.」 The Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom Cultivators who had been stationed here were long gone. In their place were crowds of ordinary Cultivators who had gathered to observe the altar, hoping to find a way inside.

They had wanted to enter for a long time, but this had been the territory of the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom. Now that the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom was no more, and the Phoenix Race hadn’t come to claim the area, everyone assumed it had become a Land of No Master.

The Phoenix Race didn’t claim it because they knew it was Yi Tianyun’s territory. He had obtained its inheritance, so it now belonged to him. As long as Yi Tianyun remained silent, who would dare try to take it?

Divine Rune Masters, and even many powerful Spirit King Stage experts, came to see if they could sneak inside. However, their attempts to force their way in were pointless. They were all repelled by the powerful Divine Runes protecting the altar.

“What in the world is going on? With such a formidable Divine Rune defense, who could possibly get in? Who even activated it? Was it the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom? Or the Phoenix Race?”

“No one knows. If it were the Celestial Nether Divine Kingdom, I heard even their own people can’t get in. The Phoenix Race has never even come here, so it’s highly unlikely they activated it.”

“That’s just weird. Why seal it off for no reason? None of us can get in!”

They could only shake their heads in frustration. No matter who tried, no one could break in.

“From this day forward, this place belongs to our Dragon Taming Divine Kingdom! All of you, disperse!” Just then, a powerful expert stepped onto the stairs and boomed out to the crowd.

If Yi Tianyun had been there, he would have certainly recognized the man. It was none other than Master Sky Cyan, whom he had first met in Langyun City. Who would have thought he would appear here.

To make such a declaration in front of so many Cultivators—that the Ascension Divine Altar now belonged to the Dragon Taming Divine Kingdom—was simply absurd!