Mi Li nodded: "Theoretically, it is possible, but those who can cultivate to the ninth rank are all exceptionally talented individuals. How can they be so easily crushed in this aspect? After all, these control details not only require personal aptitude, but also the accumulation of combat experience at this level over a long period of time."

Immediately afterward, Mi Li's expression turned serious, and she solemnly said, "Your cultivation has improved too quickly. In this aspect, you are actually far inferior to cultivators of the same level. Not to mention the ninth-rank's ability to manipulate objects remotely, even the eighth-rank's proficiency in using the power of heaven and earth is mostly inferior to those eighth-rank cultivators who have been famous for many years, such as your father-in-law, and that so-called 'Jiaqian Jushi' who tried to assassinate you on the way to the capital last time. Although that person's realm was average, his application of skills and control over his realm were something even I had to admire."

Zuan knew she was telling the truth. Although his actual combat ability was not bad, he relied more on the various magical cheat abilities he possessed. If it really came down to comparing the understanding and application of the corresponding cultivation level, he was still far behind those who had stayed at this level for decades.

Mi Li was pleased that he was no longer as frivolous as usual, knowing that he had indeed taken her words to heart: "These things can't be rushed, they will take time. Let's see if you have awakened those divine birds first?"

Zuan was startled and hurriedly opened his inner vision, discovering that the magic arrays on the seventh floor had lit up completely, forming a new pattern: a chicken's head, a fish's tail, a snake's neck, and a turtle's back, all in a golden color.

It looks a lot like the phoenix he had seen in various films and television shows before.

He hurriedly looked to the lower right corner, where golden lines appeared, weaving together two ancient seal script characters: Golden Phoenix!

"It's not the Fire Phoenix?" Zu An was somewhat disappointed, after all, he was going to use the Fire Phoenix to refine pills this time.

Hearing his words, Mi Li also sighed: "There has never been a definitive conclusion about which nine phoenix chicks are in the Nine Phoenix Chicks. There are many different interpretations. One of them is that the Golden Phoenix ranks fourth. It seems that you will have to wait until the next awakening of the divine bird to be the Fire Phoenix. This batch of medicinal herbs will have to be wasted. We will continue to collect them later."

Zuan was also somewhat unwilling, knowing that these medicines were not easy to obtain, especially the Purple Cloud Spirit Flower, which even the Imperial Hospital in the palace did not have, and who knew when he would find it again.

Just as he was feeling disappointed, a thought suddenly struck him: "Wait!"

He felt the magic array lines on his internal organs flashing, and they began to outline a new strange bird shape.

He then realized that the Golden Phoenix must have appeared after breaking through from the seventh to the eighth rank. The reason it hadn't made any moves before was probably because it needed to advance to a certain level from the eighth rank. Now that he had reached the fourth level of the ninth rank, he had most likely met the conditions for the strange bird to appear after breaking through from the eighth to the ninth rank.

Zaun couldn't even make out the exact shape of the strange bird; he could only see a ball of flame with faint circles of feathers spiraling around its center.

A few wisps of flame beside it outlined its name: "Fire Phoenix!"

---

I was typing at my desk when suddenly a huge cockroach scurried out, just 0.01 centimeters from my hand, and then arrogantly swaggered away. I was devastated, because as the saying goes, when you find one cockroach, it means there are countless cockroaches around.

Regular updates will resume tomorrow. I'll take a few days off and then update three times a week to make up for the missed updates.