Shortly after Yuan used the Immortal Monarchâs Blessing on Feng Haoyu, the Grand Elder retrieved a crimson needle shaped like a feather and used it to test his blood.
With a quick prick, he collected a single drop of Feng Haoyuâs blood.
Moments later, the Grand Elder excitedly exclaimed, "It worked! Your bloodline has improved by nearly five percentânot just in strength, but in purity as well!"
Although five percent might not sound like much, it was actually an extraordinary improvement, given how quickly it had been achieved. In fact, even among the other Royal Phoenix Clans, a one or two-percent increase in bloodline purity could take decades to attain.
"F-Five percent?!" Feng Haoyu almost couldnât believe what he was hearing and nearly collapsed from shock.
However, Yuan quickly added, "I should remind you that this improvement isnât permanent. After a year, your bloodline will return to its original state. But if the Rising Phoenix Clan agrees to serve me, I wonât just make it permanentâIâll raise it far beyond five percent."
The Grand Elder trembled at the thought of the entire clanâs bloodline being elevated by more than five percent. It was an offer no phoenix could resist. However, there was one issue.
"As much as Iâd like to decide on the spot, I donât have the authority to do so. In fact, not even the Matriarch could make such a decision alone. Once she returns, weâll convene a meeting with all the elders to reach a conclusion. That said, given the circumstances, I believe the outcome will be favorable."
"In that case, I will take my leave now and return exactly one year from today," Yuan said, already planning to visit the Heavenly White Tiger Clan in the meantime.
Hearing this, the Grand Elder felt a flicker of worry, fearful that Yuan might leave and never return. Unfortunately, there was truly nothing he could do to prevent it.
Suddenly, Feng Haoyu stepped forward, dropped to his knees, and said firmly, "Even if the Rising Phoenix Clan does not agree, I am personally willing to serve you."
"What?!"
Both the Grand Elder and Feng Zhenyan exclaimed in shock.
"Are you doing this just to impress me?" Feng Yuxiang asked, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously. "Unfortunately for you, my heart, body, and soul already belong to the Young Master."
Feng Haoyu chuckled at her assumption and calmly shook his head. "I donât mean to sound rude, but I have no interest in you. That idea was my motherâs doing from the start."
"Then whatâs your reason for wanting to serve me?" Yuan asked.
With a serious expression, Feng Haoyu responded without hesitation, "My instincts."
"You have good instincts." Yuan smiled. "Very well. If you wish to serve me, I wonât disagree."
"Thank you, Young Master."
"Then I will return in a year. Until then." Yuan left with Feng Yuxiang shortly later.
Once Yuan had left, Feng Haoyu turned to the Grand Elder and said, "Iâm sorry if my decision makes things more difficult for the clan, but I truly believe in this. The moment I first saw him, I could tell there was something extraordinary about him, and his abilities only confirmed it."
The Grand Elder shook his head and said, "Thereâs no need to apologize. If I have to be honest, I also wanted to do the same, but I didnât have the courage."
After leaving the Rising Phoenix Clanâs territory, Yuan said, "They werenât bad. I was expecting much worse."
"You just havenât been with them long enough to see their flaws. While theyâre not bad people, theyâre a hassle to deal with," said Feng Yuxiang.
"Who isnât a hassle nowadays? I bet you were also a handful before going to the lower heavens," Yuan chuckled.
Feng Yuxiang could only lower her head in silence.
"Anyway, letâs head to the Heavenly White Tiger Clan now," he said. "Hopefully, it wonât take longer than a year."
"Fortunately, there is a teleportation device near their territory, so it wonât take long to arrive at their territory," said Feng Yuxiang.
Once they arrived at the nearest city with a teleportation device, Yuan said to the operator, "Heavenly White Valley."
Some time later, Yuan and Feng Yuxiang arrived at the Heavenly White Valleyâa vast expanse blanketed in a thin veil of white mist, almost like they were standing on clouds.
The spiritual energy in this area was incredibly dense, much more than even the Rising Phoenix Clanâs territory.
"So, how are you going to approach them?" Feng Yuxiang asked.
"Since their ancestor was one of the Nine Divine Supreme, thereâs only one way to approach them," he said.
"Youâre really going as the Immortal Monarch? Wonât that cause a huge commotion once itâs revealed?" Feng Yuxiang asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Who said anything about revealing it to everyone?" Yuan replied calmly. "Iâll only show it to a select few. And even if word does get out, it was bound to happen sooner or later anyway."
"I only hope the Heavenly White Tiger Clan still respects the Immortal Monarch. It has been countless years, after all."
"Should I hide in your Dantian?" Feng Yuxiang asked.
Yuan pondered for a moment before shaking his head.
"No need."
He smiled and continued, "We still have some business with Bai Xutao, after all."
Although the Heavenly White Tiger Clan ruled over the entire Heavenly White Valley, their main residence lay deep within a massive valley nestled between two towering, snow-covered mountains.
The Heavenly White Valley teemed with magical beasts, many of which soared through the skies. So even while flying, they still had to contend with these creatures.
Most of the magical beasts were around the Immortal Ascension level, posing no real threat to Yuan, only a mild inconvenience. However, as they drew closer to the Heavenly White Tiger Clanâs residence, the number of magical beasts diminished significantly.
Suddenly, Yuan spotted a shadowy figure moving swiftly in the distanceâits movements sharp and fluid, as if locked in combat. Because the white mist had grown so thick, he could only make out the vague outline of the figure. From what he could see, it appeared quite smallâalmost the size of a child.
After pondering for a moment, he decided to approach this figure.