Chapter 164
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Chapter 164: Phoenix’s Blazing Fire
"Clang!"
The resonant sound of a sword pierced the heavens and the earth, as if a blade had been unsheathed, sending ripples of chilling intensity through the air. It echoed like a dragon’s roar, summoning ancient winds and clouds, while the sound of heaven and earth harmonized as a perfect accompaniment.
The figure in blue clothes moved like the wind through the swirling mist, her garments fluttering wildly. Her straight silhouette cut through the overlapping space, emerging from the void with lethal precision.
Her slender fingers, stained with blood, sharpened into points as deadly as any long sword. She swept aside the black fog, which had penetrated layers of obstacles, and brought it to a halt before He Lou Feng, aiming directly at her heart.
Ming He’s eyes shone brightly, her expression serene. Though her body moved swiftly, it stood as firm as a towering mountain. In an instant, she was before He Lou Feng, the woman’s flowing white hair mirrored in her gaze.
A single strike, aimed to kill.
Nineteen had instructed her to hinder He Lou Feng’s movements, but Ming He’s intent was far more lethal—she sought to end her life here and now.
If the formation master fell, the mist would shatter.
The sword energy, razor-sharp and imbued with murderous intent, tore through the dense mist, unstoppable even by the ancient Absolute Formation of Mist. It moved with the force of a bamboo split by a blade, relentless and unyielding.
Here, in this place, there was no trace of the power of heaven and earth.
So why could she still connect with them?
He Lou Feng’s expression finally shifted. The disdain and arrogance in her eyes dissipated like smoke. She gripped the array flags in her left hand, attempting to alter the formation and strike at Ming He first.
"Clang!"
Once more, the sound reverberated from the top of the ancient pavilion, echoing across the heavens.
Nineteen struggled to sit upright, the array flags around her flickering in rapid succession. Blood trickled from the corner of her lips, her human flesh and blood body on the verge of collapse. Yet, the overwhelming formation shifted, intercepting the killing move of the Absolute Formation of Mist aimed at Ming He.
This was not Ming He’s battle alone!
The woman in black clothes smacked her lips, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at her lips. She swallowed the blood rising in her throat and cast a bright glance at Ming He before lowering her eyes to continue controlling the Four Gods Array, aiding the human race’s armored guards in their struggle against the Tian Yan Tribe’s forces.
Seeing this, Ming He couldn’t help but smile, a warm feeling blossoming in her chest amidst the tension and danger.
So this was what it meant to fight side by side.
On the battlefield of the heavens, thousands of armored guards of the human race stood with her—she was not alone.
Fighting alone.
As the thought crossed her mind, Ming He felt a sudden clarity, her brows lifting with newfound understanding. Once more, she gathered her fingers into the shape of a sword, and a surge of sword energy erupted from her fingertips, radiating immense power and grandeur.
But this time, it carried something more—a steadfast resilience that refused to retreat and a fiery spirit of unity.
Perhaps she had been mistaken before.
To embody the sword might allow her to encompass the heavens and the earth, but it could never transform them into sword energy.
The true heavens and earth belonged to the human race.
What if she wielded the human body itself as a sword?
United in purpose, fighting side by side.
With this realization, Ming He felt the sword energy within her boiling—sharp and fierce, yet harmonious with her meridians, as if its full brilliance could only be unleashed upon release.
Striking after the strike.
In the blink of an eye on the battlefield, two beams of sword energy, one following the other, finally reached He Lou Feng’s side.
A barrier sealed off her retreat on the right side.
One strike aimed directly at her heart.
On the left side was the power of the Ancient Formation of Heaven’s Trap Formation.
With no other choice but to face the battle head-on, He Lou Feng prepared to confront her opponent.
Then let it be a fight!
The ends of the woman’s white hair were severed by the residual sword energy, falling into the sea of blood. She stared with eyes as cold as ice, using the array flag in her left hand as a weapon. She stirred the air to block in front of herself, attempting to intercept the incoming fierce sword energy.
The array flag was unbreakable and would not be severed by the sword energy.
However, the airflow created by the flag was not the same.
The seemingly unyielding turbulent forces dissipated under the bright sword energy, vanishing into the void like melting ice and snow.
The sword energy advanced relentlessly.
Aimed at He Lou Feng’s vital heart.
Ming He stood there, struggling to adjust her breath, forcibly suppressing the heaviness of the Sea of Souls. She raised her gaze to look at He Lou Feng.
The woman understood that her formation mastery was constrained by Nineteen, and with her current strength, it would be difficult to endure this sword energy, so she decided not to waste any effort.
She simply stood there, a light smile on her lips.
A hint of sarcasm and self-mockery mixed in her expression.
It seemed she had overestimated herself.
She thought setting up the Absolute Formation of Mist would protect her and allow the Myriad Races to stand behind her, so she had carelessly killed the Third Prince.
She didn’t believe she was wrong.
She only underestimated the human race, underestimated Nineteen, and underestimated Ming He.
Using herself as a sacrifice to suppress the mist formation, such determination and resolve seemed like a mission engraved in the essence of the human race, requiring no time for contemplation.
She believed Ming He couldn’t kill her because the elite of the Tian Yan Tribe still hid in the shadows behind her.
Yet Ming He summoned the sword energy like a blade, isolating the dust in the void, swift and decisive to the point where even the elite of the Tian Yan Tribe couldn’t react in time.
Her strength depended on her mastery of formation; being constrained by the array flag made it impossible to block Ming He.
If the roles were reversed, and the Third Prince stood in her place, he could certainly stop it.
But she ended up with a useless Tian Yan!
He Lou Feng looked up at the calm expression of the woman in blue clothes in the distance, feeling momentarily disoriented.
Could the Tian Yan Tribe truly triumph over such a human race?
Why was this human race so exceptionally formidable?
She closed her eyes, and a bloodied, incomplete figure surfaced in her mind, her breath stuttered, and pain seeped from her heart, enveloping her entirely.
"Boom!"
Just a moment before the sword energy struck, a vast and overwhelming force of heaven and earth crashed down upon He Lou Feng. But it wasn’t meant to kill her.
The vigorous sword energy trembled slightly upon meeting this wave of soul power, yet it continued forward, crashing into a vortex of air.
Finally, along with the rising gusts of wind, they vanished into the void.
The two sword energies dissipated instantly.
Ming He was overwhelmed by waves of pain in her Sea of Souls, blood trickling from her ears. The agony forced her to clutch her head tightly, gritting her teeth as her body trembled uncontrollably.
After a while, as the pain ebbed, she lifted her bloodshot eyes to gaze at He Lou Feng, her emotions a tangled web.
The woman’s hair was as white as snow, cold to the touch. Her right hand, its knuckles pale, gripped the ivory white jade fan tightly, and she whispered, “Qing Yue!”
That sudden surge of power was the soul power of the Soul Clan, born of heaven and earth, belonging to the human race, yet it had saved He Lou Feng’s life.
Ming He’s gaze shifted to the bamboo sword named "Bright Moon" within the Big Dipper Seven Star Sword Array.
That immense soul power had erupted from the sword itself.
That person—had indeed outmaneuvered her!
Following this upheaval, the formidable auras of the hidden Tian Yan Tribe finally closed in on He Lou Feng.
Clad in opulent robes, their black hair tied back, their faces bore a striking resemblance to those of the human race.
Yet they were undeniably the elite of the Tian Yan Tribe.
Elites, the embodiment of a clan’s strength.
Tragically, half of the human race’s elites had already fallen in battle.
The moment the Tian Yan Tribe elites appeared, the battlefield of the heavens stirred once more. The formation seal’s power seemed to awaken, drawing forth layers of threads that pressed down like a mountain, bending the spines of these so-called elites.
They bowed their heads, spitting blood, their auras suppressed to the limit, yet they retained their fighting capabilities.
Under the formation seal, their strength was merely constrained, not entirely nullified.
“Kill her!” He Lou Feng commanded coldly, her fingers clutching the remnants of soul power, her gaze icy as she pointed disdainfully at Ming He.
“Yes,” came the low response from dozens of shadowy figures cloaked in mist. Their fingers sprouted sharp nails, their vertical pupils widening as shadows surged, enveloping the air as they lunged toward Ming He.
The air cracked and exploded in rapid succession.
Even with their strength restricted, these Tian Yan Tribe elites could rival Earth Emperor Realm experts.
At her peak, Ming He would have struggled to hold them off, let alone in her current state—exhausted, her spiritual sense frayed, and her body battered.
Before the assault even reached her, the mere disturbance in the air caused Ming He to grimace. Blood sprayed from her lips, drenching her in crimson, her blood-soaked robes fluttering—a pitiful sight indeed.
“Boom!”
The sound of heaven and earth resonated once more. The Bright Moon bamboo sword trembled slightly as a wave of soul power, less overwhelming than before but still formidable, swept in like a tempest, quelling the currents aimed at Ming He before dissipating into nothingness.
The Tian Yan Tribe elite spat out another mouthful of blood, their foundation grievously wounded.
Ming He’s pupils narrowed in shock. Seizing the moment of the elites’ distraction, she steadied her breath, clutching a small porcelain bottle in her hand.
With her bloodied fingers, she uncorked the bottle and downed the milky white recovery elixir within.
It was the elixir Nineteen had given her before the battle, designed to restore spiritual energy and fortify her essence.
“To save me, and her as well?” He Lou Feng murmured, standing amidst the clouds, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the ivory white jade fan, her emotions a storm of complexity.
“Just as you wish to aid my rise, yet also seek to protect the Tianwu Continent?” Blood dripped from the corner of her lips, her faint smile both alluring and haunting.
“Is there truly a way to have it both ways in this world?” He Lou Feng raised her hand, gently wiping the blood from the corner of her lips. When her eyes opened again, they were calm, like the unfathomable depths of an ancient well. Her voice, melodious and laced with the natural arrogance of royalty, echoed, “Why are you all just standing there?”
“The task is not yet complete, so continue until it is!”
“As long as we draw breath, we must keep fighting.”
She spoke each word deliberately, slowly issuing the command to eliminate Ming He.
Her gaze was as cold as the unyielding ice atop Tianshan Mountain, sharp enough to pierce the soul.
Under such a gaze, the blood of the Tian Yan Tribe elites momentarily froze. They nodded instinctively, their eyes shifting to Ming He, now filled with a bloodthirsty gleam.
The power of the Soul Clan had already dissipated.
This time, no one could save Ming He.
With this thought, they surged forward, unleashing the most potent attacks of their lives.
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
“Boom!”
Five consecutive thunderous roars shook the heavens and the earth. The Tian Yan Tribe elites felt a sharp pain in their chests as their energy surged chaotically. Their long black claws shattered, causing them to break out in cold sweat and turn pale.
Ming He lowered her head, spitting out blood, her gaze dazed as she looked at the five golden lights surrounding her.
Above the swirling clouds, He Lou Feng crushed the ivory white jade fan, her face turning ashen. Meeting Nineteen’s smiling gaze, she felt a surge of anger. After a moment, a cold smile appeared: “No wonder you are the young leader of the human race!”
Truly—what a grand display!
Having been exiled to the Tianwu Continent and spent over a decade in the territory of the human race, she knew exactly what that golden light signified.
It was a protective barrier formed by human cultivators using their life essence, draining their vitality and soul.
In the art of formation mastery, it was called a barrier.
It could block a deadly killing move.
If shattered, the barrier’s master would suffer severe injuries.
Nineteen was already gravely injured, and now blood poured from her lips, clearly indicating that one of those five golden lights belonged to her.
Five rays of light.
All focused on a single human cultivator.
Such a grand display truly befitted the status of the young leader of the human race!
With their attack failing, the Tian Yan Tribe elites exchanged glances, suppressing their pain to gather their strength once more, striking at Ming He with renewed ferocity. Their movements intertwined, revealing a rare synergy.
Ming He’s breath hitched.
Then, she heard the familiar sound of explosions, like the crackling of firecrackers.
The Tian Yan Tribe elites: We’re finished.
Nineteen sat cross-legged atop the ancient pavilion, in the shadow of the revolving Four-direction Compass. She spat out a mouthful of blood, her lips curling as she looked at He Lou Feng. Her voice was hoarse, barely audible, her words discernible only by the movement of her lips.
The woman in black clothes, now stained crimson with blood, wore a faint smile. Her black eyebrows, slick with blood, oddly retained their graceful arch. Her lips, a mix of pale and red, parted slightly as she spoke deliberately, "Who said there are only five?"
Who claimed there were merely five barriers?
There were far more than that.
Nineteen found He Lou Feng’s indifferent focus on adjusting the array flags rather dull and shifted her gaze to Ming He, encircled and vulnerable, a subtle worry flickering in her eyes.
Indeed, the barriers surrounding Ming He numbered more than five.
Yet, these barriers varied in strength.
The ephemeral starlight was formed from the expenditure of life essence and soul.
The weaker barriers were conjured by herself, Qin Huai Yuan, Mu Qian, and other young cultivators. Bearing the inheritance of great sects, they could sustain their combat strength after reinforcing the barriers, subtly draining the Tian Yan Tribe’s power and wearing them down.
The barriers they created could only withstand a single strike from the Tian Yan Tribe’s elite at best, and when shattered, the resulting backlash could harm Ming He.
In contrast, the stronger barriers were formed by Jiu Jiu, Lord Fu Yao of the Imperial Palace, the ancestral figure of Qin Huang Mountain Qin Ling, Liu Yu, Qing Long, and other Earth Emperor Realm experts.
Such barriers, when broken, would unleash destructive force upon those attacking Ming He, ensuring her safety to the greatest extent.
However, despite the willingness of many powerful allies to expend their essence and soul to protect the young leader, Ming He’s capacity to endure was finite.
Now, it seemed her endurance was nearing its limit.
Could Ming He hold on?
Nineteen didn’t know and couldn’t guarantee it, so a quiet worry gnawed at her.
But beyond worry, she had no other recourse.
The human race was truly fighting with their backs against the wall, leaving no room for retreat.
Ming He was indeed nearing her breaking point.
Even as the golden light weakened the combat strength of the Tian Yan Tribe elites, the combined backlash weighed heavily on her consciousness, threatening to plunge her into chaos.
Yet, a final thread of clarity within her mind whispered that the battle was not over.
The human race had not yet achieved victory, and she could not give up!
So she clenched her fists, breathing heavily, and instinctively kept her weary eyes open to evade the incoming killing moves.
But while she could dodge one, two, three, or four, she could not evade dozens.
Her consciousness began to fade further into darkness.
Pain enveloped her, yet it felt as though she was numb, unable to rouse her senses.
“Hiss!”
Something burned, searing her chest and her soul.
Ming He’s awareness sharpened slightly from the scorching sensation.
With great effort, she lowered her gaze and extended her spiritual sense, discovering that the heat emanated from the Phoenix Feather in her storage ring.
It was a life feather gifted to her by the Phoenix Clan’s leader Feng Xin, tied to a promise of a transaction.
Feng Xin had once said that when the Phoenix Feather glowed, it meant she was nearby and would come to fulfill her promise.
Yet, it had never been mentioned that it could also emit heat and burn.
Ming He blinked in confusion, noticing the expressions of the Tian Yan Tribe members around her shift dramatically. Their pale faces twisted in fear, veins bulging on their exposed hands, clearly terrified to the extreme.
Why were they afraid? What were they fearing?
As Ming He pondered this, a streak of light suddenly cut across the sky, striking one of them and instantly engulfing them in flames, reducing them to ashes that merged with the sea of blood below.
Not even a wail escaped their lips.
Dozens of figures met the same fate.
"Little Ming He, long time no see!" A melodious voice filled with warmth rang in Ming He’s ears, wrapping her in a fiery aura that instantly chased away the heavy, fallen atmosphere.
Ming He stood frozen, slowly turning to meet a pair of sparkling, smiling eyes, like stars and moons, holding the fierce sun within.
The woman wore a robe of flame-red adorned with beautiful landscapes, her black hair held high in an impressive phoenix crown, and she donned a pair of blazing boots. The red flames gathered between her brows radiated an intense heat, exuding the pride of a royal presence as she stood beside her.
"Feng Xin!" Ming He exclaimed in surprise, her body swaying precariously until the royal woman reached out to steady her.
"Indeed, it is I," Feng Xin replied proudly, her gaze lingering on Ming He’s blood-soaked, battered form, filled with compassion. She scanned the battlefield and saw that every human cultivator bore a similar state.
Blood filled the landscape, waves of crimson surged, severed limbs and heads lay scattered, and a mountain of corpses formed a grim barrier, a horrific scene she had never imagined, resembling the hellish realm of Asura.
Fight until the last drop of blood!
Though blood had flowed dry, not a single person retreated.
Only the human race, with such resolve, could convince the Ancient Fiends that they would emerge victorious.
Feng Xin’s thoughts wandered, her emotions a mix of confusion as she supported Ming He’s body, looking intently at her. Despite her blood-stained visage, Ming He’s eyes remained bright.
Yet, she was weary.
Her body and spiritual sense were exhausted.
Her current situation was dire.
Feng Xin cast a glance towards Nineteen, her heart heavy once more.
As the leader of the Phoenix Clan, she had reached the peak of the Earth Emperor Realm, and her insights surpassed those of ordinary cultivators. With a simple glance, she could discern the situation on the battlefield of the heavens.
With the Ancient Formation of Heaven, offering oneself as a sacrifice, the Star Lock, the Four-direction Compass, the barrier of light… such were the humans!
If they did not arrive today, could the human race survive?
Feng Xin sighed deeply, her gaze returning to Ming He, emotions swelling in her eyes that she didn’t fully understand.
Perhaps it was compassion?
Ming He, as she remembered her, was not like this.
When they first met in the ancient palace of Donghua Realm, the young girl had a spark of ambition in her brow, her words spoken without submission or arrogance as she traded the Phoenix Fire Seed for the Star Lock, her brightness akin to the rising sun.
Later, when they met again outside Tianwu City, as a sword cultivator who had just grasped the power of heaven and earth, she dared to bravely reject Feng Xin’s outstretched hand, teaching her the true meaning of "the human heart is treacherous."
That was when she realized that even a Blood Oath could be fought with strategy.
Word traps were indeed remarkable.
In the end, the pride and flames in Ming He’s eyes seemed ready to consume her.
At that moment, the girl’s words echoed loudly: she believed that she alone could stand up to an entire Phoenix Clan.
Now that she thought about it, it was indeed true.
Yet, the faint ray of light in her eyes carried a dangerous dimness.
Ming He swayed unsteadily, lacking even the strength to stand on her own.
She had always been so proud and confident, her sword bone resonating with clarity.
Feng Xin instinctively placed her palm on Ming He’s back, channeling a continuous flow of inner spiritual energy into her, her emotions still tangled. After a moment, she lifted Ming He and found a somewhat clean spot to set her down, then handed her a pill, asking, “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” Ming He replied, sitting cross-legged as she sank into her breath. She pursed her lips and began to operate the Star Technique to regulate her breathing. When she opened her eyes, she saw Feng Xin gently wiping the blood from her face with her sleeve, her gaze holding a certain softness.
Ming He paused, feeling somewhat at a loss.
She lowered her gaze, feigning nonchalance as she asked in a deep voice, “How did you come here, Phoenix Lord?”
“To come here, of course, is to fight!” Feng Xin replied, her soiled sleeve retracting as she smiled brightly. Suddenly, she murmured softly, “Actually, Young Master Qin spoke very well.”
The Ancient Fiends, born from the blessings of heaven and earth, had always kept to themselves, as if the Myriad Races and the rivers of blood had nothing to do with them.
It seemed they remained focused on their cultivation without ever stepping into the Great Emperor realm because of this.
In the order of heaven and earth, they had never given, so how could they expect to receive?
Since returning from Tianwu City, she had been thinking about what Qin Chu Yi had said, pondering the connection between the Tianwu Continent and the Ancient Fiends. In her thoughts, she found her way.
When she made her decision, she vaguely felt she was touching the Great Emperor realm.
Thus, she affirmed her choice.
She had originally intended to visit the Imperial Palace to see Fu Yao and inquire about the Ancient Fiends joining the battlefield of the heavens.
However, just as she stepped out of Wutong Heaven, she sensed the rebirth of the Phoenix Feather.
That was her life feather, which she had given to Ming He.
The only possibility for such an event to occur was that, even if Ming He was not recognized as the master of the Star Lock, as the young leader of the human race, she could not act as if she didn’t see it.
So she tore through the void, braving the bone-chilling cold to arrive just in time to save Ming He.
Fortunately, she made it in time!
“What?” Ming He looked confused, unable to hear clearly.
Feng Xin had no intention of repeating herself.
She gazed at the distant battlefield, where the familiar energy of her kin approached. A brilliant smile spread across her face, the nobility and pride of the leader blazing like the fierce sun, all captured in that one smile, showcasing her unparalleled grandeur.
She looked seriously at Ming He, her tone gentle: “Young leader.”
“Would you like to see a daytime firework display?”
Ming He returned a puzzled look, then watched as Feng Xin stood tall, no longer looking at her. With blazing eyes focused on the blood-soaked battlefield aflame with war, she declared, “Phoenix Clan, heed my command—”
“Let the battle begin!”
“Yes.” The distant response rumbled like thunder.
“Clang clang!” The clear cry of the phoenix swept across the entire battlefield, followed by several flames rising high, proud in their might, their sound resonant, their form surpassing the flames.
Ming He followed Feng Xin with her gaze, her eyes widening in wonder and admiration.
The sky above the battlefield of the heavens, draped in the Ancient Formation of Heaven and the Absolute Formation of Mist, was a canvas of blood-red and shadow. The sun trembled amidst the mist, the bright moon plunged into the abyss, and through the swirling, dull dust, a colossal phoenix unfurled its majestic wings.
“Clang!”
With a slight parting of its beak, a resonant cry pierced the heavens, outshining the celestial bodies as a cascade of light descended from the skies, instantly cloaking the visible horizon in a fiery red brilliance, blazing like a second sun upon the earth.
“Retreat!”
The elite of the Tian Yan Tribe, lurking in the shadows, were struck with alarm. One swiftly moved, grasping He Lou Feng’s sleeve, urging a retreat.
“No retreat!” He Lou Feng commanded sharply, “To withdraw now would mean that even the united efforts of the Myriad Races in the future could not sway the human race.”
“In this dire hour, only a fight to the death remains.”
He Lou Feng manipulated the array flags, summoning the mist to shield the human race’s armored guards and the Phoenix Clan, her gaze laced with a mocking smile: “Esteemed clan relatives, the stakes are laid bare before you.”
“The choice is yours.”
Though she spoke thus, all members of the Tian Yan Tribe knew their options had vanished.
Absolute Formation of Mist, battlefield of the heavens.
The Fifth Prince of the Tian Yan Tribe.
Such profound cunning!
“Fight to the death!”
The middle-aged man, marked by vertical pupils, bellowed coldly, leading the charge against the most radiant and formidable phoenix, whose aura burned with the fiercest intensity—Feng Xin’s true form.
He was not alone.
Many from the Tian Yan Tribe followed.
Understanding the tactic of ‘capture the leader to scatter the followers,’ the astute Tian Yan royalty naturally grasped this strategy.
Ming He’s gaze fixed on Feng Xin, her breath quickening in stealth, a wave of concern washing over her.
Yet, the phoenix stood unshaken, its beak slightly agape, releasing flames of fire-red that pierced the dense mist, igniting the Tian Yan army and their elite warriors.
Inspired, the other phoenixes unleashed torrents of fire, scorching the Tian Yan Tribe.
The air was filled with the echoes of agonized screams.
The battlefield of the heavens became a grand spectacle of blazing fire.
The phoenix’s blazing fire, the fiercest in the world, its scorching power surpassing even the sun’s radiance, targeted the Tian Yan Tribe with devastating precision.
Amidst the cacophony of cries, the human race’s spirit rekindled, momentarily matching the vast and relentless Tian Yan army in battle.
From the depths of the black fog, fierce flames emerged, casting everything in a fiery red glow.
Daytime fireworks, nothing less.
Ming He smiled as she observed the central phoenix, fearless and commanding, swiftly focusing to replenish her spiritual energy and mend her scorched veins.
At that moment, a sharp, black ghostly light descended from the heavens, striking the phoenix’s wings with unerring accuracy, dimming the fiery red light.
The black ghostly light continued to fall, like relentless arrows, pressing down upon the phoenix’s wings, swiftly extinguishing the flames.
The daytime fireworks faded under the ghostly light, and the world returned to obscurity.
“That is—” Nineteen frowned, her eyes blazing with anger, “Half-step to the Emperor realm!”
“How shameless to resort to sneak attacks under the guise of a clan leader!” She brandished the array flags, suppressing He Lou Feng’s sudden resurgence of power, a heavy weight pressing down on her heart.
“Clang!”
The phoenix’s cry echoed once more, but this time it was a piercing wail of agony.
The fiery red light dimmed as the colossal phoenix was struck by another streak of black ghostly light midair. Its wings trembled, forced to fold as it plummeted to the battlefield like a falling star, crashing into a deep pit. There, it transformed into a woman clad in a red embroidered robe, her face pale, blood trickling from the corners of her lips.
Feng Xin, the clan leader of the Phoenix Clan, had been forced back into her human form by that black ghostly light!
Ming He’s heart skipped a beat, her breath faltering as fresh blood seeped from her meridians.
As she struggled to rise, Feng Xin’s gaze met hers, offering a reassuring smile before turning toward the horizon. Her brow furrowed, her voice icy: “I wasn’t aware the clan leader of the Tian Yan Tribe had a penchant for ambushes!”
Feng Xin’s lips curled slightly, her smile laced with biting sarcasm.
“All’s fair in war!” A deep, resonant voice boomed from beyond the heavens.
Feng Xin laughed sharply. “Indeed, all’s fair in war!”
“Then strike again!” She wiped the blood from her lips with her thumb, her smile fierce and defiant, reminiscent of the day Ming He had drawn her sword against her. Yet, beneath the bravado, her heart remained steady and unafraid.
A cultivator on the cusp of the Emperor realm—she doubted he could strike a second time.
The voice from the shadows fell silent.
But Ming He understood why.
The energy required for the phoenix to spread its wings was immense. With Feng Xin forced back into her human form, she wouldn’t be able to summon her wings again anytime soon.
Moreover, the pit was deep, and Feng Xin, along with the other phoenixes, must have sustained grave injuries.
Half-step to the Emperor realm.
The Tian Yan Tribe’s clan leader was only at half-step to the Emperor realm, yet his power was already overwhelming. Even if it had been a sneak attack, his strength was unfathomable.
If he were to break through to the Emperor realm, what would become of the human race?
Ming He’s heart clenched, and she dared not dwell on it. She glanced at the chaotic battlefield of the heavens, then closed her eyes, focusing on the radiant stars above. She activated the Star Technique, drawing upon their light to replenish her spiritual energy.
Time passed indistinctly until she heard Feng Xin’s voice, warm and teasing: “Little Ming He, lend me some Star Power.”
Just as her inner spiritual energy had stabilized, Ming He opened her eyes to see the once-proud woman now covered in bloody stains. Her crimson robe masked the worst of her disheveled state.
The battlefield was shrouded in thick mist, the Tian Yan army advancing relentlessly. Feng Xin stood at the edge of the deep pit, her smile radiant, her aura regal and unyielding. She tilted her head to look at Ming He, a glint of blood in her eyes.
She was clearly at the brink of despair.
Ming He steadied her own turbulent spiritual energy and stepped through the void, soaring toward Feng Xin. As she approached, she noticed frost forming on Feng Xin’s lashes, the cold clashing violently with the phoenix’s fiery essence. Her aura was slipping beyond her control.
The bone-chilling cold within her had been triggered!
Ming He knew of Feng Xin’s past entrapment in the ice coffin, but she hadn’t anticipated the cold’s lingering potency.
Ming He steadied Feng Xin’s body, placing her palm against the vital point on her back. She activated the Star Technique, channeling the last traces of Star Power into Feng Xin’s body, shielding her heart from the encroaching cold.
“Do you regret coming to the battlefield?” Ming He asked suddenly, her gaze lingering on Feng Xin’s battered form.
Feng Xin didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she looked toward the distant Tian Yan Tribe and remarked, “They’re so hideous. I can’t stand the sight of them.”
The Phoenix Lord, after all, destroyed whatever displeased her.
The woman in the fiery red robe smiled faintly, her mind already envisioning the phoenix’s rebirth and the purging flames that would consume all. But as she turned and caught the concern in Ming He’s eyes, she paused, a thought crossing her mind.
“Little Ming He,” she said with a playful smile, “do you think I saved your life today?”
Ming He nodded. “You did.”
At that moment, she had been teetering on the edge of life and death, her spirit wavering. Without Feng Xin’s intervention, she couldn’t have guaranteed her survival.
“Then do you remember the favor you owe me?” Feng Xin asked, her eyes half-closed.
Ming He nodded again. “What do you want?”
“I once asked you to return with me to Wutong Heaven, but you refused. Now, it seems that’s no longer an option.”
“So, how about becoming my Phoenix Lord?”
Her smile was dazzling, her eyes glinting with mischief. Ming He hesitated, unsure whether she was jesting or serious.
“Daydreaming!” A cold, ethereal voice echoed from afar, as if carried on the wind yet close enough to send a shiver down their spines.
Feng Xin stiffened slightly.
Ming He’s expression shifted, a flicker of joy in her eyes as she turned toward the distant mist.
There, a crimson figure was cutting through the void, racing toward her.
