I nodded, looking at Lan Yin earnestly. But right now, we had no way of knowing where the Vermilion Bird had gone. It was already 10:41, just over an hour until midnight, and judging by Luke Ling's demeanor, he was still waiting to seize an opportunity.
Just now, Lin Rui and Old Nine both showed their skills. Luke Ling couldn't see through Lin Rui's moves, and Old Nine's techniques were too troublesome for him to handle. So, for now, he wouldn't make a move.
"Ethan, come here. Watch closely."
I nodded and walked over. Lan Yin raised the Phoenix Blade, pointing at the crack with his finger.
"Once you find the right moment, all you need to do is break the Phoenix Blade and drive the hilt straight into that monster's body. For now, you can't wield the Phoenix Blade. When the Vermilion Bird returns, I'll teach you how to break it. As you are now, you can't do it yet."
"Just tell me—how do I do it?"
Lan Yin nodded and began to explain. The Phoenix Blade can only be repaired by Underworld Denizens, using a special kind of spiritual silk produced by souls. This silk, when materialized, appears as fine, delicate fabric. It takes extremely strong spiritual silk and precise manipulation to reconnect the Phoenix Blade.
"When I reconnected the Phoenix Blade, it took me nearly twenty years to succeed. Luckily, Lan Miu—that old bastard—was patient enough in teaching me, or I would have lost my patience long ago."
Lan Yin continued, still pointing at the crack in the Phoenix Blade as he spoke.
"Ethan, remember this: when the Vermilion Bird returns, you'll be able to pick up the Phoenix Blade. If you focus, you should sense something different at the crack compared to the rest of the blade. All you need to do is coexist with the spiritual silk used for repairs, then use fire to destroy it. It's a temporary solution, but it should work."
I let out a sound of surprise, looking at Lan Yin. He seemed impatient, then glanced at me, his eyes darting around before he set down the Phoenix Blade and beckoned me over.
"What is it?"
"Time is really running out. We’ll have to try anything now. Ethan, do you know? The Vermilion Mantle has three forms. The usual form—you and Lan Ruoxi both use that most of the time."
I looked at Lan Yin in confusion. He smiled, and as I thought about it, I realized there didn’t seem to be any difference between my Vermilion Mantle and Lan Yin’s.
"The other two forms are the battle form and the defensive form. The most obvious sign of the battle form is that you can use the Vermilion Bird’s power to create clones."
As soon as he said this, I understood. Lan Yin really had released quite a few Vermilion Birds.
"Setting aside the defensive form, I’m not skilled with it, so basically I can’t use it well. Otherwise, I could have blocked that monster’s punch. If only I’d practiced more these past few years."
Lan Yin spoke, and I nodded.
"What should I do?"
"The method is similar to how you use the Ghost Soul, but it’s also completely different. We’ll have to wait for the Vermilion Bird to return."
I nodded, hoping Zhu Tang would come back soon.
"Ethan, remember the method I just taught you to break the Phoenix Blade. Later, just follow your instincts and try slowly. As soon as you burn through the spiritual thread, stop—don’t let Zhu Tang notice."
I nodded. We kept waiting until eleven o’clock, but Lan Yin still couldn’t sense Zhu Tang.
"Maybe we should go out first."
I suggested, but Lan Yin shook his head.
"It’s fine, Ethan. They haven’t started fighting outside yet. I’m badly wounded, but at least my senses are still sharp. Both sides are just facing off—no one wants to start a war. With Hu Tianshu out there, it shouldn’t get too bad. But about the Dark Banquet, I think you need to know, Ethan."
I looked at Lan Yin in surprise.
"How do you know everything?"
Lan Yin smiled and shook his head.
"I’m not sure what the Dark Banquet really is. But eight hundred years ago, that old pervert Lan Miu was invited to attend. I saw the invitation list back then, but I could only recognize the names I knew—Yin Choujian was there, along with Mona Ouyang and Lan Miu."