Fei Zhitu chuckled, his attitude becoming surprisingly much more amiable as he explained, "It's understandable that you're unaware. The truth is, Ancient Sacred Spirits love nothing more than devouring Spirits of Heaven and Earth that share their elemental affinity. Doing so greatly benefits the Ancient Sacred Spirit. From the look of it, that Ice Phoenix remnant soul of yours is incredibly weak and likely urgently needs such a Spirit to recover its strength. Ancient Sacred Spirits and Spirits of Heaven and Earth are natural born enemies! But don't worry, since that Ice Phoenix remnant soul belongs to you, it will naturally return after devouring the Spirit of Heaven and Earth found here."
"So that's how it is!" Yang Kai maintained a calm expression on the surface, but inside, he was growing incredibly anxious.
While the others didn't know the real situation, he understood perfectly. The Phoenix Empress inheritance was merely using his body as a temporary vessel; it didn't belong to him. If not for him possessing the Dragon Emperor inheritance, the Phoenix Empress inheritance wouldn't have followed him away from the Tongxuan Continent and would probably still be sealed within the Phoenix Nest to this day.
Of course, Yang Kai would never reveal such a thing. People's hearts were unpredictable; if these individuals learned the Ice Phoenix didn't belong to him, who knew what thoughts might arise.
However, this incident did make Yang Kai realize something. The Dragon Emperor and Phoenix Empress inheritances of the Dragon Phoenix Mansion actually contained the remnant souls of Ancient Sacred Spirits. No wonder they possessed such terrifying power. This also explained why the two tattoo patterns seemed almost alive, constantly roaming across the surface of his skin.
The Spirit of Heaven and Earth within the ice channel had wanted to devour everyone's life force, but it unexpectedly ran into its natural enemy and fled in panic. With this, the heavy boulder weighing on everyone's hearts vanished instantly, and the crisis was resolved. With the dual protection of the Artifact Spirit and the Li Fire Dome, they no longer needed to fear the extreme cold of this place. They immediately quickened their pace, rushing toward the end of the ice channel.
Halfway there, Yang Kai noticed the frigid cold energy of this place rapidly converging toward a specific direction. The terrifying chill that had been so daunting was greatly alleviated in a short time.
A moment later, this unusual commotion ceased. From the corner of his vision, a magnificent and noble figure gracefully appeared, heading straight toward them.
Yang Kai's expression turned to one of great joy. The Ice Phoenix remnant soul had indeed returned!
Although he had been worried, he actually had some confidence that it wouldn't leave so easily. After all, it was part of the Phoenix Empress inheritance. He himself bore the Dragon Emperor inheritance, which created a certain resonance and attraction toward it.
For so many years, it had slumbered within his body, using it as a vessel. It wouldn't make sense for it to leave now.
A flash of brilliant light. The massive form of the Ice Phoenix hovered above everyone's heads. Its noble, cold gaze swept over them below, making everyone hold their breath, not daring to exhale too loudly.
A flicker of surprise passed through Yang Kai's eyes. He called out softly, "City Lord Fei, please open a small gap in the Li Fire Dome."
"Oh." Fei Zhitu nodded quickly. With a thought, a crack appeared in the Li Fire Dome. At the same time, the protective barrier formed by the Artifact Spirit Fire Bird also opened a small gap.
The Ice Phoenix's form shimmered, turning into a beam of white light. It shot straight into Yang Kai's body and vanished.
Although everyone was curious whether the Ice Phoenix had managed to devour that Spirit of Heaven and Earth, no one asked at that moment. The most pressing concern now was to get out of this ice channel as quickly as possible.
Fortunately, the end was not far. After just a few dozen breaths, everyone safely stepped into a palace. Only then did the lingering cold finally disappear completely.
Fei Zhitu turned his head to glance at Yang Kai. Seeing his furrowed brow, seemingly inspecting his own condition, he didn't disturb him, instead saying, "You all rest here for a bit. I'll go look for the secret marks left behind by Old Qian. Once I find them, I'll naturally notify you."
As he spoke, he walked off to one side.
The others, hearing this, naturally found spots to sit cross-legged and focus on recovering their energy. While they hadn't exerted much physical effort while passing through the ice channel, they had received quite a fright. If not for that Ice Phoenix remnant soul appearing at the last moment, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Moreover, while resisting the extreme cold and the Spirit of Heaven and Earth's attack, everyone had consumed some of their strength. Now, they seized the time to recover.
Yang Kai sat quietly to the side, sensing the condition within his body.
Although the Phoenix Empress inheritance didn't belong to him, since it existed within his body, he could perceive something of it. To his surprise, the Ice Phoenix remnant soul didn't seem to have received a massive boost. While it felt somewhat stronger than before, it clearly wasn't the result of devouring the Spirit of Heaven and Earth.
It hadn't managed to devour that Spirit of Heaven and Earth! Yang Kai immediately formed a judgment. It had merely absorbed the icy energy from that place, which resulted in this change.
This outcome didn't surprise Yang Kai. Firstly, the Ice Phoenix remnant soul wasn't overly powerful on its own; it was merely an inheritance and couldn't exert much strength in his hands. Only by passing it to Su Yan, and as Su Yan's own power grew, would its true might be displayed.
Secondly, since that ice-element Spirit of Heaven and Earth had been born inside the ice passage, it would have been thoroughly familiar with that environment. Dodging the Ice Phoenix remnant soul probably wouldn't have been much of a challenge for it.
What a pity! Yang Kai sighed inwardly. If the Ice Phoenix remnant soul had truly managed to devour that Spirit of Heaven and Earth, some unexpected transformation might have occurred. Had he then passed it on to Su Yan, the benefits she would have gained would have been far greater.
Yang Kai had no intention of going back to hunt down that Spirit of Heaven and Earth. Even though the Ice Phoenix was its natural bane, Yang Kai had no way to command the Ice Phoenix remnant soul. Moreover, even a rabbit will bite when cornered—and going by the Spirit of Heaven and Earth's abilities, if it was truly pushed to its limit, the outcome of a fight was anyone's guess.
While the group meditated and rested, the others kept stealing glances in Yang Kai's direction from time to time. A deep, undisguised envy lingered in every pair of eyes—even the taciturn, cold-faced Lian Guang was no exception.
Yang Kai pretended to notice none of it, focusing solely on his own meditation and recovery. Whatever they were thinking was none of his concern, so long as none of them caused trouble for him.
"Alright, I've found the hidden marks left by Old Qian. Everyone, follow me!" Fei Zhitu's voice suddenly rang out. Upon hearing this, the group rose to their feet and gathered toward him.