The Fenix Clan festivities continued deep into the night, before most of the Fenix Clan members returned to their homes. Everyone knew that while they were safe and no longer on the verge of destruction, the rebuilding process would need to begin the very next day.
…
"John!" an ethereal, feminine voice entered John's ears, causing his head to swivel in all directions, searching for the source of the sound.
"Who are you!" John cried out in confusion as he spotted no one around him.
"John!" the voice sounded out once more, filling John with a familiar feeling.
"Hah!"
John suddenly sat up straight in his bed, after being hastily roused from his deep sleep. He looked around for a moment, taking in what had happened, before he wearily woke up and took a deep stretch, yawning in the process as well.
"It was just a dream," John mumbled to himself as he got out of bed. "But why did it feel so real, and why was that voice so nostalgic. It's like I've heard it before, but have never heard it at the same time...weird."
After the festive celebrations last night, John and his family retired to their mansion, which was luckily still intact. John's mother had invited his master to lodge in the house as well, but Lilian refused and disappeared from sight eventually. Upon arriving in his room, John fell onto his bed and almost immediately fell asleep. His dreams had been quite chaotic last night, mostly likely due to the accumulated stress from over the last few months.
However, none of his dreams had felt as real as the last one. John shook his head a few times to get the lingering thoughts out of his mind, before he hopped out of bed and walked to his wash room.
"Today is going to be quite a busy day again," John sighed as he began to wash up.
After washing up, John put on a fresh Fenix Clan robe. While he had many Heavenly Lightning Sect Robes which were more luxurious, it felt right wearing his Fenix Clan robes at the moment.
John finished his morning routine, before he walked downstairs. A familiar sense of nostalgia washed over him as he smelled his mothers breakfast cooking.
"John, you're awake," Rachel Fenix called out happily. "Come, sit. I made your favorite breakfast," she said to him with a large smile on her face.
"Morning Mom. Morning Dad," John called out as he sat at the table where his father was already seated. Barden Fenix smiled as he greeted John.
"Morning son. Seems like you slept quite well last night. It's already almost midday," Barden replied.
"That late huh?" John replied. "I guess I was more tired than I realized."
"Eat up before the food gets cold," Rachel suddenly spoke up. John nodded his head and began to eat the meal his mother had prepared.
"So good!" John called out as he took the first bite and a familiar taste filled his mouth.
"Of course it is," his mother replied. "I wouldn't have your first home cooked meal in a year be a bad one."
John nodded his head as he took another bite of his breakfast. He quickly finished the meal, and a satisfied feeling filled his body.
"The Patriarch wants to see you today," Barden suddenly said to John.
John glanced at his father and nodded his head. "Sure. I'm sure you all have a lot of questions," John replied.
"Something like that," Barden replied. "We have quite a busy day ahead of us. We should head out now."
"Lead the way," John replied.
Barden and John bid Rachel farewell with two warm embraces, before they left their mansion and strode out into their courtyard. John took in the familiar courtyard, and also spotted the cultivation platform to the side of the house.
Barden noticed his gaze, and smiled in reminiscence as well.
"Seems like just yesterday I was teaching you about cultivation on that platform, and look at you now. Already stronger than your old man. Time surely does fly," Barden said as he shook his head in self-pity.
"Don't feel too bad father," John replied. "I was cultivating in the holy lands, while you were here. If you were in the holy lands as well, I'm sure your cultivation speed would be incredible as well."
Despite being the youngest son of Cade Fenix, Barden already had the second highest cultivation in the Fenix Clan after the Patriarch, revealing his immense talent.
"How could I feel bad?" Barden replied boisterous with a large smile on my face. "My son is a heavenly prodigy. Just that alone is enough to die happily."
John shook his head as he asked his father to lead the way. Barden immediately took to the sky and flew towards the deeper reaches of the Fenix Clan. John followed closely behind, and the two quickly arrived at the building located at the highest point within the Fenix Clan.
The building was constructed against the mountainside, and was quite luxurious. John examined it closely from the outside for a moment.
"I guess I've never been in this building before," John said to his father as they landed and strode through the main doors.
"Most in the Clan never have," Barden replied. "This is where the Patriarch lives. When he passed his authority of Clan Leader down to my father, he decided to stay out of the spotlight. That's why you never saw him," Barden explained as he strode deeper into the building.
John followed closely behind, and quickly spotted many other Fenix Clan Elders gathered as well. They all turned to look at John, whose status within the Clan was at the highest, even above that of the Patriarchs.
As soon as John walked in the room in which the Elder's were gathered, his eyes locked onto a particular person who was extremely eye-catching.
In the very center of the room, Orenn Fenix, stripped bare, was chained to a pole. His body was bloodied and bruised, and his eyes stared at John with hate.
