The trip to the Underworld Sea concluded. Han Xuanji quietly returned to the Lingxu Heavenly Palace, bringing Han You and Little Red.
As for Jiang Hao, he returned to the Jiang Family holding the azure.
How he intended to explain obtaining this item was no longer Han Xuanji's concern.
As long as he didn't mention him, he could make up whatever story he liked.
On this day.
Inside the garden, Spiritual Qi still permeated the air, immortal flowers bloomed, and streams babbled.
Han Xuanji appeared with Little Red and Han You, immediately attracting the attention of everyone who was currently cultivating.
Su Ming, Li Taiqing, and the others came out one after another to welcome Han Xuanji back.
Immediately, everyone's gaze fell upon the extraordinary, dark red Little Phoenix behind Han Xuanji, and the handsome, black-clad youth beside it. A hint of curiosity flashed in their eyes.
Li Taiqing was the first to speak, a gentle smile on his face:
"Master is back. It seems this trip yielded great results."
His gaze was also drawn to Little Red and Han You, especially Little Red, which caused a subtle sense of alarm in his heart.
"Master is back!"
With a tiger roar, Little White Tiger transformed into a white streak and rushed over, rubbing against Han Xuanji's leg.
Little Gold also transformed into a golden light and circled around, curiously hovering near Little Red. It could sense the other party's unusual nature.
Han Xuanji's expression was calm as he introduced them to the group:
"This is Han You. He has a certain destiny with me and will temporarily stay by my side. He can be considered your Fifth Junior Brother."
He pointed to the black-eyed youth standing quietly beside him.
Han You obediently bowed to everyone, his voice ethereal:
"Han You greets all Senior Brothers."
His pure and flawless demeanor instantly earned the group's favor.
However, everyone was slightly confused. Sharing the same surname as Han Xuanji, did this imply some kind of connection?
Next, Han Xuanji pointed to the Little Phoenix beside him, who was trying hard to strike a majestic pose but seemed slightly lacking in confidence due to its name:
"Its name is Little Red. It has now sworn a Dao oath to follow me and will cultivate alongside you from now on."
"What kind of creature is it?"
Little White Tiger was curious. Its Bloodline instincts told it that the other party was far from simple.
"Caw caw, this Venerable One is the Nine Nether Devouring Phoenix. Have any of you heard of me?"
Little Red quickly put on the air of a Senior, its tone filled with self-satisfaction.
"Nine Nether Devouring Phoenix?"
Everyone repeated the impressive-sounding title in unison, and then... they simultaneously shook their heads, their faces filled with confusion.
Lin Potian scratched his head and said frankly:
"Never heard of it! It sounds really powerful, though. Is it the descendant of some kind of mutated Divine Bird?"
Nangong Wenjian also mused:
"Nine Nether... it seems related to the Underworld Sea?"
Li Taiqing also frowned slightly. After a moment of thought, he shook his head helplessly:
"I am ashamed. I have read quite a few ancient texts of the Sect, but I have never heard the name 'Nine Nether Devouring Phoenix'."
Su Ming also hadn't heard the name, but anything that could stay by Senior Brother Han's side shouldn't be ordinary.
Of course, a certain Little White Tiger was an exception.
"Huh?"
Little Red, who was preparing to receive everyone's worship, or at least looks of shock and awe, was instantly dumbfounded. Its pair of blood-red eyes widened, filled with disbelief and a hint of indignation.
It was an ancient Divine Beast, a terrifying existence that once contended with Dao Venerables!
Its fierce reputation could stop children from crying at night and make mighty experts tremble in fear.
"This is truly... infuriating this Phoenix! You are all so ignorant! I, the Nine Nether Devouring Phoenix, am an existence that once contended with supreme mighty experts! How could you... how could you have never heard of me?"
The more Little Red spoke, the more agitated it became. It wished it could reveal its true form right there and then, letting these "ignorant" fellows properly experience what ancient ferocity felt like.
Even Little White Tiger was startled by its sudden rise in volume and said dismissively:
"If we haven't heard of you, we haven't heard of you. Why be so fierce? It doesn't look like your strength is anything special anyway."
A newcomer acting so arrogant right off the bat must be suppressed!
Little Gold, meanwhile, circled Little Red, its eyes full of curiosity and scrutiny. Its keen senses told it that the power contained within this dark red Little Phoenix was extraordinary, but it was smart enough not to speak, choosing only to observe quietly.
Little Red immediately felt annoyed. Although Han Xuanji was terrifyingly powerful, the others were nothing in its eyes.
At this moment, Han You stepped forward to help explain for Little Red:
"Little Red is very strong. You shouldn't underestimate it."
"My good friend..." Little Red was incredibly touched when Han You spoke up for it.
Han Xuanji took all this into his view and said lightly:
"Little Red is the Nine Nether Devouring Phoenix. Its strength is only below mine."
This sentence echoed in everyone's hearts.
Only below mine!
These five short words contained a significant amount of information. They knew Han Xuanji's strength was unfathomable, so what kind of evaluation was it to be personally acknowledged as "only below mine"?
Li Taiqing's pupils contracted. His gaze toward Little Red completely changed, turning into deep shock and a hint of reverence.
Little White Tiger was so frightened that it trembled all over and dared not utter another sound.
Han Xuanji continued: "If you encounter any difficult trouble outside in the future, you may ask it for help..."
This statement essentially positioned Little Red as the "ultimate enforcer," indirectly confirming its terrifying strength.
Next, Han Xuanji looked at Han You, who was standing quietly to the side, and said slowly:
"As for Han You, his mind is pure, like a newborn's. His talent is superb, but his Heart-Nature still needs tempering. As his Senior Brothers, you should guide him more often and help him become familiar with the ways of the world."
Han Xuanji had already imparted the Xuantian Chaos Primordial Scripture to him. Han You, worthy of being a person of great Luck, cultivated very quickly, so he did not need to worry much about him.
Hearing this, everyone looked at Han You again, their gazes now containing understanding and gentleness.
So this was the situation with their Fifth Junior Brother. No wonder his demeanor was so unique.
When Little Red heard Han Xuanji personally acknowledge its strength and standing, especially the phrase "only below mine," the frustration and gloom in its heart largely dissipated, and it even began to feel a hint of smugness.
It raised its small head, glanced sideways at Little White Tiger hiding behind Han Xuanji, and snorted. Although it didn't speak again, its eyes clearly conveyed:
"Little runt, did you hear that?"
With the addition of one person and one bird, the Myriad Phenomena Garden became a bit livelier.
Everyone was also quite interested in the Nine Nether Devouring Phoenix.
Su Ming, curious about what Han Xuanji had done on this trip, pestered Han You with questions.
Little Red, meanwhile, recounted its glorious history to everyone though its stories were mostly self-aggrandizing embellishments...
On the other side, after giving his instructions, Han Xuanji said nothing further. He turned and entered his secluded cultivation area to take inventory of his gains from the trip.
With Little Red joining, the available power at his disposal was strengthened. This meant he wouldn't need to act personally in many situations, which was a good thing.
And this second trip to the Underworld Sea had undoubtedly yielded far more rewards than the last.
"The resources are now complete. It is time to advance further."
Han Xuanji was clear in his heart.
Although his current Realm seemed transcendent, facing the inevitable great calamity that might sweep through the Immortal Realm and the deeper layers of cosmic games, he still needed greater strength.
The first item was this fragmented World Origin, a reward obtained from signing in at the Wall of Sighs.
It contained the fragmented Origin power of the Heavenly Dao, which, for him, was an excellent item for perfecting his own Great Dao.