"This is the treasure you tricked and took back. How come I can't see where she is?" Yu Qingxuan stared at the rusty hairpin for a long time but couldn't figure out what it was.
"This hairpin has already passed through several hands, and these idiots have deliberately aged it several times just to get a good price." Long Chen took out a white jade plate and gently tapped the hairpin on the white jade plate.
With a soft "snap,"
fine cracks appeared on the hairpin. Long Chen tapped it a few more times, and the rust peeled off.
However, even after the rust peels off, it shows no luster and still looks rough.
Long Chen tapped again, and fine cracks appeared again. When the rust peeled off this time, Yu Qingxuan finally noticed that a long-tailed bird was perched at the end of the hairpin.
"Look at this bird?" Long Chen asked.
"It looks a bit like an ancient phoenix, but its head is too big and its mouth is a bit swollen. I've never seen a bird like this before." Yu Qingxuan shook her head.
Others also looked at the hairpin but couldn't recognize it. Someone said, "The Phoenix clan also has a big head branch—big heads and higher intelligence." "
How is that possible?" Every branch of the Phoenix clan has historical records; none have this shape. Someone immediately rebutted this.
Long Chen smiled slightly and tapped again. This time, the hairpin peeled off another layer of rust, making the bird's head much smaller, but the mouth was still smaller, making it look even stranger.
"This... This is a bit like our empire's totem Vermilion Bird! Someone exclaimed.
"Don't talk nonsense. How could the Vermilion Bird have such a mouth?" Someone said.
"Maybe it's a deformity?" The man protested.
"Are you reckless? Is a totem something you dare to talk about?"
You have to know, the Vermilion Bird is a sacred symbol in the Vermilion Bird Empire and the totem of their faith. Sacred and inviolable, if someone hears their words in the empire, it would be a grave crime.
The man's expression changed, and he hurriedly apologized. Yu Qingxuan looked at the little bird, her eyes filled with surprise:
"This look does look like a Vermilion Bird, but its mouth is just too strange."
"Hehe, keep watching." Long Chen chuckled and tapped the white jade board again. When the rust peeled off, the Vermilion Bird Empire's powerful figures, including Yu Qingxuan, exclaimed in surprise:
"Vermilion Bird spits out pearls?"
When the rust on the hairpin completely peeled off, revealing the bird's true appearance, they were all stunned.
It was indeed a Vermilion Bird, with a long tail hanging down, wings slightly spread, as if singing loudly toward the sky, with a tiny pearl in its beak.
The Vermilion Bird Spitting Pearl refers to the fact that before entering Nirvana, the Vermilion Bird releases its internal essence and condenses it into a single pearl.
This pearl contains the power of its entire life. If Nirvana succeeds, it will swallow it as the foundation for rebirth.
If Nirvana fails, this pearl will become a priceless treasure, because the Vermilion Bird Fire ranks fifth on the Heavenly Fire List.
The Vermilion Bird Fire, like the Golden Crow Fire, should originally be considered beast fire, but it can evolve later. When the Vermilion Bird Fire evolves to its highest level, it is also called the Nirvana Fire.
The Golden Crow Fire has evolved to its highest level, known as the Solar Fire, though the Nirvana Fire ranks above the Solar Fire.
However, the Vermilion Bird Fire must be achieved after successful nirvana, then undergo nine transformations of the natural disaster. Each rebirth is equivalent to a single nirvana, meaning only after nine rebirths does it truly become the fire of Nirvana.
The Vermilion Bird Empire entrusts the Vermilion Bird god and worships the Vermilion Bird totem, so the design of this Vermilion Bird Spitting Pearl is truly soul-deep.
However, the Vermilion Bird they saw spouting pearls was all murals, but the Vermilion Bird on this hairpin was three-dimensional, so no one recognized it.
Now that they recognized them, everyone was shocked. All kinds of pearl hairpins and golden hairpins—though decorated with divine birds like phoenixes and phoenixes—no one dared to use vermilion birds.
Legend has it that the phoenix and phoenix are among the descendants of the Vermilion Bird, inheriting part of its bloodline. The phoenix's totem is spread across the nine heavens and ten lands, but as the founding ancestor, no one dares to paint its totem in the inner courtyard, let alone paint its pattern on clothing or create it into jewelry.
Legend has it that the Vermilion Bird is a spiritual beast of heaven and earth. Those who are close to the Way of Heaven and are blessed with deep blessings can receive blessings by befriending it.
Those with ill fate, being close to only invite disaster, so no cultivator wears Vermilion Bird ornaments—it could be fatal.
As for the Vermilion Bird Empire, even the ruler does not have the Vermilion Bird emblem; even their identity plaques bear the characters "Vermilion Bird" written in Jiuli script, without any symbolic design.
It can be said that the Vermilion Bird pattern is a taboo, so when they saw the hairpin with the Vermilion Bird motif, they were all shocked.
"The pearl in its mouth... Yu Qingxuan carefully examined the rice-grain-sized pearl in the Vermilion Bird's mouth, a look of disbelief appearing in her beautiful eyes.
"It should be the Nirvana Pearl, but unfortunately, it's so long ago that it has been corroded by underground yin energy, and its power has almost completely vanished.
However, the fire seed has not been extinguished. Qingxuan, try nourishing it with the power of flames; perhaps you can reignite it. Long Chen said.
"Long Chen, this Nirvana Pearl is extremely precious. You found the hairpin—come and light it!" Yu Qingxuan shook her head and said, "The Nirvana Pearl is a treasure that countless fire cultivators dare not even dream of. If she ignited it, it would mean the Nirvana Pearl would recognize her as its master, which made her feel a bit embarrassed."
"Are you kidding? You want a grown man like me to pin a hairpin on my head?" Wouldn't that make people laugh to death? Stop messing around, just give it a try. If it doesn't work, I'll think of another way. Long Chen said.
Long Chen's expression made Yu Qingxuan laugh. Seeing his resolute demeanor, she stopped being polite. She extended her jade-like finger, and a colorful flame slowly surged into the Nirvana Pearl. That flame was the Celestial Rainbow Flame.
As the Rainbow Flame was poured into the Nirvana Pearl, the hairpin originally had many spots—traces left by the underground yin energy—but under the burning of the Rainbow Flame, the spots gradually disappeared, and the hairpin itself remained undamaged; instead, it became even brighter.
Everyone was moved. This hairpin must have an unusual origin. After all, no divine weapon can withstand the corrosion of underground yin energy, and once the yin energy invades, it can never be removed. Forcibly removing it will damage the hairpin, yet this hairpin remained unharmed.
"Buzz!"
Suddenly, the Nirvana Pearl trembled slightly, and then Long Chen noticed that inside the grain-sized pearl appeared a vast world, and at the center of that world stood a gigantic figure—a Vermilion Bird.
For a moment, Yu Qingxuan and Long Chen were both stunned, unable to believe what was happening before them.