34 - Comprehending & Removing Curse

"The mangekyo sharingan!" Jasmine said shocked about the new development of Itachi's eyes.

"Hn, so you have indeed also seen the third trial. Then you know of my past?" Itachi asked. Afterall during the whole trial he hadn't heard Jasmine's voice. He had thought maybe she hadn't been able to see what he saw. But from what Jasmine just pointed out from his eyes, she indeed witnessed the trial, as well as learning of his powers and abilities.

"..." Hearing Itachi's question, Jasmine only stayed quiet.

Not hearing Jasmine speak, Itachi merely shook his head as he focused on the matter at hand. "Well no matter" Itachi said as he focused on the [World Ode of the Phoenix - Fragment]

He quickly closed his eyes as his mind submerged into the soul imprint inside the jade. As the [World Ode of the Phoenix] was using a soul imprint, Itachi must also use his soul power in order to comprehend it.

And if he was unable to comprehend it, after leaving the trial ground, the words, images, and methods to circulate profound energy that were recorded on the jade stone would be completely erased from his memory.

Though this wasn't a problem for Itachi, as he was a natural born genius. 'I don't have the first four stages, so I would just need to create them myself' He thought.

"Itachi what are you going to do? If you try to force yourself to go on the opposite path, the most likely outcome will be the distortion of your profound veins, messing up your channels, and even the profound entrances that you had fully opened would close one after another." Jasmine said warning him frantically.

"Me not having the foundation of the first four stages, just means I have to create my own" He said.

"Build your own foundation? Do you know how many tens of thousands of years the Primordial Phoenix Clan spent to finally obtain this [World Ode of the Phoenix]? And do you realize how many revisions, changes and evolutions it underwent after it was first created? You only have a month's time at most before you are kicked out, and yet you still want to build your own foundation to comprehend the fifth and sixth stages?" Jasmine shook her head, "Even if you really are some peerless genius, it will still be impossible to do so!"

"A month's time?" Itachi questioned. "I don't even need to take that long" he siad.

He had then began to comprehend both fifth and sixth stage of the [World Ode of the Phoenix]. After half a day Itachi finally opened his eyes as crimson red flames engulfed him.

"Wha-what?! Y-you, you have comprehended it?" Jasmine asked astonished.

"Indeed, I just needed to fill in the gaps and flaws of the technique with my own understanding of it." Itachi said calmly as the flames around him disappeared.

Slowly standing up he looked at the wide space of the stone chamber before he tried to perform the moves he had just learned.

Soon flames once again emerged around his body as this time they formed a flame avatar covering his whole body. Once formed the flame avatar took the shape of a phoenix as it flew up as it carried Itachi from within.

"Hn it seems that it is working fine. Though this is too flashy for travelling" Itachi said as he observed from within the flying flame avatar. "Now let us see how effective it is... [Empyrean Dance of the Wing]" muttered as the Phoenix avatar suddenly flapped it's wings as a wave of flames soon came our of it and targeted whatever was in front of it.

"*BOOM!*"

A huge explosion occurred as everything in front of Itachi's Phoenix avatar had suddenly been wrecked leaving nothing but rubble and ash. "...It seems I underestimated the power" He muttered looking at the destroyed stone chamber.

He sighed before the Phoenix avatar made out of flames disappeared to show Itachi still floating as this time he had wings of pure fire in his back. This was a simplified version of the [Empyrean Dance of the Phoenix] Itachi made now.

Why did he create an inferior form? It was because travelling inside a Phoenix avatar would be too eye catching. Although travelling with wings made of fire is still eye catching it's not as much as traveling in a Phoenix avatar.

The simplified version also shoots fire out of it's wings that would cause an explosion within impact, albeit a bit weaker. Still he was satisfied as he got back down. "This is acceptable, though it seems I wouldn't be able to test the power of the sixth stage" He said.

"This is really unbelievable, you were actually able to forcefully comprehend the Phoenix Flame Techniques from the fifth and sixth stages of the [World Ode of the Phoenix] by utilizing your profound strength's extremely strong affinity to fire and your understanding of flame technique , even under the situation where the concept of the phoenix's flames' power was severely lacking! Human, you astonish me." Jasmine said shocked.

"Hn, it was nothing" Itachi said dismissing it.

"No! The flame techniques of the two huge realms, 'Empyrean Dance of the Phoenix Wing' and the 'Star Scorching Demon Lotus', are closely related to the concepts of the flame's energy and are together as one. To thoroughly understand these two great flame techniques under these circumstances, I believe that even if the Phoenix was here in the mortal world, he would certainly be immensely astonished as well." Jasmine said

"And not only that, it's not even due to the Evil God's fire seed. You comprehended it with just your understanding of flame techniques. Even if the Evil God was here instead, it would basically be impossible for him to do this in the short span of one month, it would basically be impossible for him to do this in the short span of one month. Yet you did it in half a day!" She yelled

"Half a day Itachi! Not even true gods can do such a feat as you. Your astonishing comprehensive ability is sufficient to be crowned as the best in the present world." Jasmine said

This is the evaluation that the Phoenix Spirit had towards Itachi. Being the spirit of a divine beast superior to the mortal world, it had never expected that it would give such an evaluation to a human one day.

The jade that recorded the [World Ode of the Phoenix] slowly vanished in Itachi's hand, and the Phoenix Spirit's voice sounded again: "Shockingly you have already comprehended the 2 stages, and it's time for me to send you out. However, before I do so, I should perhaps give you a special present."

Inside the pitch-black world, a golden light suddenly came flying and touched Itachi on his forehead. Instantly, the scarlet phoenix imprint on his forehead appeared.. but the color had turned into a pure golden color from the previous scarlet color! Just like a cluster of burning, golden-colored flames.

"This is..." Itachi muttered as he felt a change within the Phoenix imprint on his forehead.

"This is a special power that I can only use once in my lifetime, but I never thought the day where I used it would actually come. However, as the one who carries the power of the Evil God, your future is destined to be extraordinary, and bestowing this power upon you is more than suitable. As to what kind of power this is, when the time of you using it comes, you will naturally know."

"Now then, let me send you out. This remaining energy of this spirit will truly fade. Besides you have already destroyed half of the chamber... now go on" It said

"..." Itachi could only stay quiet as he only tested the technique because he thought that the spirit had already faded but it turns out it hadn't

As the Phoenix Spirit's voice faded, the pair of huge golden eyes disappeared within the darkness, and the space in front of Itachi's eyes immediately distorted...

...

Soon Itachi opened his eyes to see that he was in front of the entrance formation. He also saw Feng Baichuan waiting for him.

Spotting Itachi, he hurriedly went towards him and excitedly asked "Young Friend! You are alive, h-have you completed the trial?" He said with a bit of hope.

"..." Itachi didn't speak as he answered with his actions. Suddenly he held out his palm as phoenix flames danced around his hand.

"P-phoenix flames!" Feng Baichuan said shocked.

Itachi then willed the flame to touch the flame imprint on Feng Baichuan's forehead and once it made contact, the blue color had changed into the normal red imprint. With that Feng Baichuan also broke through to the Nascent Profound Realm.

"I-I advanced! T-to think that after so many years, the curse is lifted again!" He said as he teared up.

"Mn, Let us go gather your clansmen. It would be quicker if they were all together, so I can get rid of the curse all together" Itachi spoke calmly.

"Y-yes of course!" Feng Baichuan said excitedly.

...

It only took a few hours to completely extinguish the bloodline's curse from all the members of the phoenix clan. After that Itachi bid farewell as he used the simplified version of [Empyrean Dance of the Phoenix].

Every clansman from the phoenix clan came out to see him off, and looked at the skies as Itachi flew off; they stayed for a long while, even after his silhouette had completely disappeared from their sight.

"Father, was big brother Itachi really sent by the Phoenix God to save us?" Feng Zu'er asked innocently, as he reluctantly looked at the sky.

Feng Baichuan caressed his son's head and slowly nodded: "Yes. Since the year our ancestor committed a grave mistake, after so much atonement and remorse, the Phoenix God has finally forgiven us. However, I have a wonderful feeling that one day, we will meet him again."

"Really?" Feng Zu'er and Feng Xian'er's eyes lit up as their faces filled with anticipation.

"Definitely." Feng Baichuan smiled. Without the cursed bloodline, their profound strength would no longer be limited, and the phoenix imprint on their forehead could be hidden anytime as well so the next generation would no longer need to hide in these dangerous grounds deep in the mountains: "However, the next time we see him, perhaps the level in which he will be standing, will be high enough for everyone to look up to . That is why, Zu'er, Feng'er, if you really want to see him again, you must start to train diligently from now on. As of now, we don't have the qualifications to repay his great kindness, but after you two have grown up and acquire sufficient strength, you can then walk out of here and assist him… Even if it is the most miniscule of assistance, it will still show the gratitude of our entire clan."

"Mn!" Feng Zu'er and Feng Xian'er vigorously nodded their heads as their young and tender faces filled with determination.