Chapter 1624 Phoenix Ascendancy Plateau(2) "Leader, we have a situation." The Phoenix that met with Yuan bowed before a handsome young man. This young man's hair blazed red with strands of bright orange, mirroring the fiery aura he carried about him. Clad in a robe of red and gold, the colors of flame and royalty, he exuded the powerful presence of a Golden Immortal, attracting attention and awe from those around him. "Is this about the guest you brought back?" The young man asked. "Yes. He claims to have the Ancient Phoenix Bloodline. It's a little suspicious, but I dare not verify his identity." The Phoenix said. Even if there was a ninety-nine percent chance that Yuan might be a fake, they couldn't risk offending an Ancient Phoenix. "He is also traveling with a Shadow Dweller." "A Phoenix and a Shadow Dweller traveling together? What an odd pair." A young lady with features reminiscent of the young man sat beside him, her expression marked by curiosity. "The Ancient Phoenix Bloodline is an Imperial-grade bloodline, and it ranks in the top 3 amongst all Phoenix bloodlines. They're essentially royalty. Meanwhile, my Scarlet Phoenix Bloodline is only ranked 9th. If he turns out to be real, we must assist him to the best of our capabilities. However, if he is a fake… I'll make him suffer a fate worse than death." The young man said. "What does he want, anyway?" "He wishes to trade for our True Ember." "The True Ember, huh? While it's not a priceless artifact, it's quite valuable. If he's an Ancient Phoenix, he is likely to have come from the rank one Phoenix territory, Eternal Phoenix Domain, and they have plenty of artifacts that surpass our True Ember, so why would he come all the way here?" "Forget it. There's no point guessing their motives. Bring them to me, and I'll ask them myself." "Yes!" The Phoenix departed the next moment, returning to Yuan and Yingzi. "Nobody is dumb or bold enough to imitate an Ancient Phoenix, right?" The young lady suddenly muttered out loud. The young man sighed, "The Primal Expanse is immense beyond comprehension. There are bound to be some fearless individuals out there." Sometime later, the Phoenix returned to Yuan's side. "Esteemed guest, our leader would like to meet you. Please, follow me." The Phoenix led Yuan and Yingzi to the summit of the tallest mountain within the territory. Upon reaching the peak, Yuan was greeted by a surprisingly familiar sight—a pagoda stood prominently on the mountaintop. 'So they do have buildings in this world… I guess they're just incredibly rare.' Yuan thought to himself. However, the pagoda was striking in its simplicity, almost to a fault. It appeared that the builder, while earnest in their efforts, had clearly lacked experience and imagination in its design, resulting in a structure that was functional but unadorned and stark. It was almost as if the builder had to work on it with nothing but a brief explanation of its outer appearance. Once the Phoenix brought Yuan and Yingzi inside the pagoda, it became even more apparent that the builder had no idea what they were building. Although the pagoda looked like it had four floors from the outside, inside, there was only one floor and room. The other floors were just an empty space. Inside, at the far end of the modestly decorated room, sat two individuals: a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman. Their appearance was top quality, surpassing even the appearance Yuan had given the Supreme Ox. However, they would still only be considered slightly above average when compared to those truly beautiful in the Nine Heavens. The young man narrowed his eyes at Yuan the instant they entered the room, his gaze as sharp as swords. Before Yuan could even open his mouth, the young man spoke with a cold expression, "Bastard, what are you trying to pull here?" "What do you mean?" Yuan frowned. "The Ancient Phoenix Bloodline ranks the third purest amongst all Phoenix bloodlines, and all inferior bloodlines would naturally feel submissive toward them. You may smell like a Phoenix, but I don't feel anything from you. I have seen Phoenixes with royal bloodlines before, and your aura is nothing like theirs. You may be able to mimic our smell, but you will never be able to mimic our royal bloodline. You should've disguised as an ordinary Phoenix instead, you bastard." Even though his disguise was instantly exposed, Yuan remained calm and began to think of a way out of his predicament. "Are you willing to bet your life—your territory and all its residents on those accusations?" Yuan asked. "Your threat is as weak and empty as your attempt to fool me. I can easily erase someone at your cultivation with a sneeze. As for the Shadow Dweller, even if she has the ability to wipe us out, the Eternal Phoenix Domain will avenge us." "Kneel before me!" The young man suddenly roared, and his body exuded a profound aura that instantly filled the room. "..." A few moments of silence went by without anything happening, leaving Yuan puzzled. The young man frowned and muttered, "If my Phoenix's Influence failed to work on you, then you must not be a Phoenix at all… What are you?" Yuan swiftly noticed an opportunity to turn the situation around and showed a cold smile on his face. "You dare order me to kneel? A lowly Phoenix like you?" The young man's face twisted with anger as he stood up. "How dare—" "Who permitted you to talk back? Shut up!" Upon hearing Yuan's voice, imbued with an unfathomable power, the young man felt his own voice falter, leaving him unable to utter another word. "?!?!" The young lady turned to look at him with wide eyes. "F-father?! Please tell me you're only pretending to—" Yuan shifted his gaze to her and shouted, "Shut up!" The young lady immediately felt as though someone had suddenly seized her throat, sealing her ability to speak. "?!?!" "Kneel!" Thud! Unable to resist his command, the young man and young lady suddenly fell to their knees, their gaze filled with shock and horror as they stared at Yuan.