However, Lin Jin wasn’t sure if he could contact Zhao Jingyan from this distance.
Fortunately, he could vaguely see Zhao Jingyan’s situation from here.
She seemed to be in a large hall, surrounded by corpses, as if a huge battle had just ended.
Lin Jin remembered that Zhao Jingyan spoke about fighting the people who betrayed her and reclaiming her position as Great Commander of Phoenix Palace. She had evidently stuck to her plan.
Lin Jin wondered if she had already succeeded.
Lin Jin felt somewhat guilty for not helping Zhao Jingyan. Though, now that he thought about it, it wasn’t like he merely stood by and watched her fight alone. His helping her phoenix achieve Nirvana and be reborn was already good enough.
Without this, Zhao Jingyan wouldn’t have been able to fight at all.
Right now, Lin Jin knew he couldn’t hold out much longer so he tried to speak using Curator’s voice.
“Zhao Jingyan, if you can hear me, please hurry to Heavenly Spiral City in three days. I need your help.”
Lin Jin repeated himself a few times, and then, the blurry image of Zhao Jingyan seemed startled as she glanced around. Lin Jin knew she had heard him now.
That was enough.
Unable to endure the pressure surrounding him anymore, Lin Jin could only back away and exit door number twelve.
The pressuring force only disappeared after he stepped outside.
Lin Jin started panting heavily. Honestly, he could only have pulled this off as his strength had improved recently. Had it been before, forget enduring this crushing pressure, he wouldn’t have been able to pry open the visitors’ doors.
This was perfect evidence of how much stronger Lin Jin had grown lately.
Opening the doors and contacting his visitors became Lin Jin’s greatest discovery for today. If he had to fight Corpse Taoist and the Demonic Appraisal Association, then only Zhao Jingyan among the visitors could help him.
Lin Jin thought about requesting aid from the rest of the visitors, but he figured it was best not to drag them down.
As they weren’t fighting enemies on the scale of intermediate countries, Rank 4 pet beasts couldn’t help. In this situation, only pet beasts at Rank 5 and above could participate.
Lin Jin believed that Zhao Jingyan would rush over at once after getting the message.
He was right. Zhao Jingyan was currently in the main hall of Phoenix Palace. Earlier on, together with her loyal subordinates, she launched a counter-offensive on Phoenix Palace. After consecutive days of fighting, her wish finally came true and she reclaimed Phoenix Palace.
This battle had been earth-shattering.
The fighting affected a number of neighboring countries too. For Zhao Jingyan, she managed to succeed not only because of her tremendous personal improvement but also because she had her Rank 5 phoenix, who had been reborn from the ashes.
She also gained the support of several reclusive elders of Phoenix Palace.
At first, Zhao Jingyan assumed that these reclusive elders had already passed away. She was surprised to find out they were still alive. Had it not been for these elders and their assistance, Zhao Jingyan might have had to continue fighting for a few more days before she could reclaim her position as Great Commander.
Casualties piled high due to this battle.
However, it was unavoidable. These betrayers were too stubborn to surrender, so Zhao Jingyan had no choice but to kill every single one of them.
This battle also proved to everyone how fearsome Zhao Jingyan’s Rank 5 phoenix was. Later on, Zhao Jingyan learned that the reclusive elders only decided to help her because they noticed that her phoenix had achieved Nirvana.
According to these elders, only phoenixes who have achieved Nirvana could be considered real phoenix deities. Only then were they worthy of commanding Phoenix Palace.
Anyway, Zhao Jingyan had gotten her wish. She now commanded Phoenix Palace again and her betrayers had all been wiped out.
Out of the blue, she heard Curator’s voice.
At first, Zhao Jingyan thought she was just hearing things.
This wasn’t the Visitation Hall so how could she possibly hear his voice? However, when the voice came again, she knew she had heard it this time. It really wasn’t a hallucination.
“Great Commander, what’s wrong?” asked a female officer in a hushed tone after noticing her shocked expression.
Zhao Jingyan shook her head.
“Did you hear something just now?” asked Zhao Jingyan.
The female officer shook her head.
Clearly, only Zhao Jingyan had heard it.
She looked startled.
Just then, an old woman approached her. Her age was unclear but this old woman should be at least more than a hundred years old now. This elderly woman was one of Phoenix Palace’s reclusive elders. Not only did she boast exceptional strength, but she too had a Rank 5 pet beast.
“Great Commander!” The old woman chuckled.
Zhao Jingyan greeted her at once. “Elder Feng Yu!”
“You’ve quelled the rebellion but Phoenix Palace’s forces have suffered great damage, and we need time to recuperate. You’ll have to guard Phoenix Palace for the time being,” said Elder Feng Yu.
Zhao Jingyan’s heart sank when she heard that.
Her ears weren’t fooling her. Curator must have used some kind of voice conveying spell that entered only her ears when he instructed her to set out for Heavenly Spiral City at once.
Zhao Jingyan could ignore everything else, but she had to heed Curator’s summon.
There was no question about that.
Thus, Zhao Jingyan informed everyone else about her departure.
“That won’t do!” Elder Feng Yu was visibly displeased. She had just told Zhao Jingyan to stay put for the time being to defend Phoenix Palace. To think she would announce her departure immediately after that. Elder Feng Yu would never allow that.
“You can’t do this! Great Commander, you must know how to weigh what’s important. Now that Phoenix Palace’s forces are greatly depleted, you have to defend our sect. How could you possibly leave us at a time when we are most vulnerable to attack? You have to look at the big picture,” reprimanded Elder Feng Yu with a stern expression.
Zhao Jingyan knew that, of course.
She sighed. “Elder Feng Yu, it is exactly because I know that I should focus on what’s important that I have to leave.”
“What did you say?” Elder Feng Yu’s brows furrowed. She found Zhao Jingyan’s stubbornness unbelievable.
“No! Anyway, no matter how important the issue, it won’t be as important as Phoenix Palace.” Elder Feng Yu was clearly insistent on making Zhao Jingyan stay.
Just then, another old woman came over.
In comparison to Elder Feng Yu, this old woman had a head full of white hair. She had a much more striking appearance, and her domineering aura was further enhanced by the fiery red-feathered robes she was wearing.
“What’s going on?” that woman inquired after hearing the commotion here.
At the sight of her, Zhao Jingyan bowed at once. “Elder Huo Yu!”
The old woman was clearly another one of Phoenix Palace’s reclusive elders, someone who was higher up in the pecking order.
One of the biggest factors that led to Zhao Jingyan’s successful counter-offensive was the assistance she received from Elder Feng Yu and Elder Huo Yu. Had these two reclusive elders not stepped forward to offer their assistance, Zhao Jingyan couldn’t have returned so easily.
Moreover, both women were her seniors in terms of status and experience so Zhao Jingyan had to show them respect.
Zhao Jingyan explained her situation to both elders and then said, “Elders, I know that Phoenix Palace needs time to recuperate so as Great Commander, I should be staying here. However, Curator is my benefactor who has given me a second chance at life. Had he not come to my rescue, my pet beast would never have achieved Nirvana. Now that Curator has summoned me, I must go and return the favor.”
