During the time Xiao Yan's breathing had grown heavier from confronting the Dou Sheng skeleton, Zhai Xing on the square could no longer hide the wild joy spreading across his face.
The residual spiritual imprint left by the elite Dou Sheng had completely vanished. The skeleton now posed no threat—its offensive power utterly gone.
Yet, though his mind knew the bones were harmless, Zhai Xing did not move immediately, still tense from the sheer force of the terrifying palm he had faced moments ago.
"Can you stand?" Zhu Ling asked, extending a hand toward Xiao Yan.
"Haha… I'm fine. Just… excited by the discovery," Xiao Yan replied softly, a grateful smile tugging at his lips. He could not help but feel indebted to her for helping him reach this point.
"Young Master…!" The elders of Falling Star Pavilion hurried forward, checking him over. Only when they saw he bore no injuries did they release a collective sigh of relief.
"Older Martial Cousin Zhu Ling, did you manage to locate where the Tian-Class Dou Technique is?" Yan Xiaoyu asked, standing before Zhu Ling, brows raised in curiosity.
"I was just about to inform Xiao Yan…" Zhu Ling said calmly, nodding.
"As expected… it's within the skeleton," Qing Xiu said, her eyes narrowing slightly, a faint smile playing at her lips.
"That means we will assist Mister Xiao Yan in seizing the Tian-Class Dou Technique—and ensure no other clans discover our actions, or they will join against us," Qing Lin said, crossing her arms and stroking his chin thoughtfully.
Yan Xiaoyu's gaze swept over Zhai Xing and the others, then sharpened. She spoke softly, "It seems Bing He, Chen Tian, Zhai Xing, and the black-robed elder have decided to form an alliance."
"Undoubtedly because of our presence. Otherwise, they'd likely be quarreling over the skeleton by now," Qing Xiu added, shrugging and letting a faint sneer touch her lips. She knew all too well that without their participation, a fight for the skeleton would have erupted long ago.
"Regardless, we will hold back Bing He, Chen Tian, Zhai Xing, and the black-robed elder. The others will be left to the elders of Falling Star Pavilion and our own," Yan Xiaoyu quickly divided the responsibilities, her voice steady.
"Rest assured, Lady Yan Xiaoyu. None shall pass to disturb our Young Master from obtaining the Tian-Class Dou Technique," the Elders of Falling Star Pavilion declared, cupping their hands with solemnity.
The Elders of Moonlit Chaos Mansion also nodded in agreement, their expressions resolute—they would not allow anyone to interfere with Xiao Yan.
"Actually," Qing Xiu said with a mischievous smile, leaning closer, "I have a better plan. If Xiao Yan takes the skeleton, all eyes will be on him… so why don't we—"
She whispered her scheme, a plan designed to divert attention away from them while ensuring Xiao Yan's action will remain undetected by the others.
"Seems they've learned of our alliance…" Zhai Xing muttered, his voice low and dark, carrying a chilling weight.
"It's no surprise they found out. How else could you hope to contend with those monsters for the skeleton?" the black-robed elder said, his laughter soft and controlled.
He turned toward Zhai Xing and the others before continuing, "We will join forces with you to seize the skeleton. In return, all of you will help me take one item from them."
"Since Elder Huang Xuan has spoken and is lending his support, we naturally owe you a favor. We will assist in retrieving the item you seek from them," Zhai Xing replied, laughing as he nodded.
They exchanged a glance, then clenched their teeth, forcing themselves into agreement despite the tension rising on their scalps. They had no choice—without cooperation, the skeleton would slip from their grasp.
They exchanged a glance, then clenched their teeth, forcing themselves into agreement despite the tension rising on their scalps. They had no choice—without cooperation, the skeleton would slip from their grasp.
Once the discussion ended, Zhai Xing, Huang Xuan, Chen Tian, and Bing He fixed their gaze on Yan Xiaoyu's group, who returned the stare with equal intensity, eyes glinting with chilling resolve.
The other experts instinctively stepped back, sensing the storm brewing between the two groups. They knew better than to compete for the skeleton while such forces were present, opting instead to watch from the sidelines and wait for the aftermath to reap any benefit.
"Xiao Yan, proceed with Qing Xiu's plan!" Yan Xiaoyu called softly, her voice steady amid the tense air.
Xiao Yan nodded. Planting his toes firmly on the empty air, his body launched forward like a streak of lightning toward the Dou Sheng's skeleton.
"Brat! Where do you think you're going?!"
Huang Xuan's eyes narrowed, a dense, frigid glare slicing through the air as he saw Xiao Yan hurtle toward the skeleton. He moved to intercept, but a sudden chill raced down his spine, forcing him to turn.
There she was—Qing Xiu, enveloped in swirling black and white flames, charging toward him with a pair of majestic crimson-gold wings unfurled behind her. In her hands, a black-and-white longsword, forged from her very flames, swung in a deadly arc. Each movement exuded raw, fearsome power.
Huang Xuan's expression darkened as he readied himself. The sharpness of the flame-forged sword was lethal, and Qing Xiu's strength was no less terrifying. He had no choice but to brace for the strike.
Dou Qi surged violently within him, converging in his hand and shaping into the monstrous claw of a Heaven Demon Phoenix. With a roar, he hurled it forward. The black-and-white sword met the phoenix claw head-on, producing a cataclysmic shockwave that tore through the air, blowing dust and debris in all directions.
The surrounding void trembled, and a blinding flash of energy radiated outward, announcing the clash of two formidable powers.
"This aura… those wings… What is your connection to the extinct Immortal Fire Phoenix?!" Huang Xuan's heart trembled as he sensed the overwhelming power radiating from Qing Xiu's wings. Recognition struck him instantly, and the question left his lips without a pause.
The Immortal Fire Phoenix had once been one of the small kings among the Magical Beasts in ancient times, a being whose might rivaled even their ancestor, the Ancient Heaven Phoenix. Yet, through mysterious plots and calamities, they had long vanished, leaving no trace on the Dou Qi Continent in the current era.
"Nothing much. I merely inherited their legacy, that's all…" Qing Xiu said with a calm smile, revealing nothing further.
In truth, her nature was not human but that of a bird-type magical beast, carrying the faint bloodline of a phoenix. After being rescued by Mei Ling, she was nurtured under her guidance and trained into a full-fledged alchemist—an extraordinary feat, considering Magical Beasts rarely focused on Spiritual Strength.
When Xiao Hua learned of her phoenix bloodline and indomitable will, he entrusted her with the blood essence of an Immortal Fire Phoenix and the inheritance of the Phoenix Empress of the same lineage.
Though the process was perilous and nearly cost her life, Qing Xiu had endured and succeeded. She had emerged as the Immortal Fire Phoenix—the only one of her kind alive in the current era.
"Don't think a fallen tribe can challenge the authority and might of the Heaven Demon Phoenix!" Huang Xuan roared, his body swelling and transforming into a towering, ten-foot Heaven Demon Phoenix that barreled toward Qing Xiu.
"Heh! Authority? Strength? Descendants who cling only to their ancestors and never strive to surpass themselves have no right to speak before this Empress!" Qing Xiu sneered, her laughter cold and cutting. Flames enveloped her form as she transformed into a colossal, hundred-foot Immortal Fire Phoenix, radiating a majesty that rivaled the heavens themselves.
The temperature in the square skyrocketed, igniting everything within a hundred meters. The surroundings seemed swallowed by a world of raging fire.
With a single flap of her massive wings, torrents of black and white flames surged outward, crashing like violent ocean waves. The void itself twisted and churned under the intensity, trembling under her overwhelming presence.
Huang Xuan charged headlong into the inferno, only to be slammed by the unrelenting sea of flames. A guttural, agonized cry tore from his throat as he hastily burned his essence bloods to escape, retreating at extreme speed.
His ten-foot Heaven Demon Phoenix form was reduced to a pitiful wreck. Countless vibrant feathers were incinerated to cinders, his body marred by blackened scorch marks that filled the air with the stench of burning flesh.
Even a brief contact with Qing Xiu's flames left him shaken to his core, a sensation of being "refined alive" clawing at his heart. Terror surged within him—he had glimpsed the true gulf between them.
The difference in power was not just vast—it was absolute. All Huang Xuan now desired was to flee as far as possible, never to appear before her again.
"Didn't you claim that an extinct phoenix could never challenge your tribe? Then why do you flee now? Give your life to this Empress!" Qing Xiu's eyes blazed, her gaze dripping with chilling bloodlust as her roar echoed like a storm across the square.
In an instant, the sea of black and white flames parted, revealing a gleaming metallic tip that reflected light with a razor-sharp glint. Moments later, the full form was unveiled—a colossal black and white longsword, its surface etched with intricate phoenix engravings, radiating an aura of deadly elegance.
Even from a distance, the terrifying fiery aura seeping from the blade was palpable. Any expert at Peak Dou Zun would be gravely wounded merely by approaching it. As for Huang Xuan, only a 5-Star Dou Zun, the danger was incalculable.
"Go," Qing Xiu whispered, her voice calm yet absolute.
The colossal longsword shivered as if alive, emitting a soft, haunting hum. Then, with an unfathomable speed, it shot forward, tearing through the air. The void itself cracked along its path, leaving a streak of black spatial rift in its wake.
In the blink of an eye, the enormous black and white blade had already appeared before Huang Xuan, unstoppable and inexorable.
Huang Xuan's mind went into chaos as he saw the colossal longsword hurtling toward him, its reflection mirrored in his eyes. His life seemed to flash before him in a single instant, each heartbeat stretching into eternity.
"Heaven Demon Phoenix Bell!"
Three icy, thunderous cries tore through the sky. In an instant, a thousand-foot-tall golden energy bell descended with earth-shattering speed, engulfing Huang Xuan completely. Its radiant aura flared violently, forming an impenetrable shield against the oncoming blade.
Bang!
The collision detonated like a miniature apocalypse. A shockwave ripped through the air, tearing apart the ground and sending dust, sparks, and fragments of energy flying in every direction. Metallic screeches rang out as the black-and-white longsword and the golden bell battled for supremacy, the void itself quivering under their clash.
Even so, the golden bell could only hold back the longsword for a moment before the blade pierced through. Yet that brief pause was enough—Huang Xuan snapped out of his daze and leapt aside, narrowly escaping the sword's path.
Recovering his bearings, Huang Xuan lifted his head. Before him hovered three unexpected figures—white-haired, clad in grayish-white robes. Majestic wings unfurled gently from their backs, and a faint crackle of lightning whispered around them.
"Reinforcements from the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, huh…" Qing Xiu murmured, her elegant eyes narrowing sharply even as flames swirled around her colossal Immortal Fire Phoenix form. The air around her rippled with unyielding majesty, as though the world itself feared her wrath.
"The fact that the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe has sent three more elders… you must have realized someone is here, haven't you?" Qing Xiu added, her voice icy, laced with a deadly intent that made the air itself seem to shiver.
"Ha… ha… You've hidden it remarkably well. Even the destruction of the Spiritual Beast Realm, where our ancestor and the Ancient Void Dragon once resided, did not reveal it," one elder said, his laughter dark and cold, carrying a menace that raised the hairs on one's neck.
"Unfortunately for you, while you were distracted by the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, our ancestor secretly sent out a cryptic message—detectable only by their descendants, which is us," another elder added, his tone measured but sharp, cutting through the tension like a blade.
The last elder's eyes narrowed to slits, sharp and dangerous. "The Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit… you're here for it. All of you… to seize it before it falls into our hands."
Qing Xiu clicked her tongue in mild irritation. She had not expected the Ancient Heaven Phoenix to leave such a cryptic message. True, their focus had been drawn to the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit—they had never seen it before—but she had not anticipated that the Ancient Heaven Phoenix's subtle maneuvering would evade their detection so thoroughly.
"Seems the beating my Martial Uncle Ming delivered wasn't enough to keep you obedient, huh…" she sneered, her words cutting like a knife.
The expressions of the three elders shifted drastically. The Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe, once one of the three most powerful tribes in the Magical Beast world, now faced a precarious situation.
Their trouble had begun during a previous campaign to support the Three Dragon Kings, lured by an extremely enticing reward. They had not expected Ming Cheng to lie in wait.
Charging alone to their realm, he had fully suppressed and sealed their tribe leader and most of the elders at Dou Sheng, leaving only a single one-star Dou Sheng unbound. The seal would last three years. While it did not diminish their innate strength, it left the tribe critically weakened.
Even for a short period, the absence of their most powerful experts would severely impact the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe's standing among the three dominant Magical Beast tribes. Their authority and influence—long established over generations—now teetered dangerously on the edge.
"Young Lady, there is no need to mention Hall Master Ming Cheng. Before we arrived, we sealed this space completely, preventing any communication from passing through." One of the elders drew in a deep breath, suppressing the fear in his heart as he spoke with a voice that still trembled faintly.
"The Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit is far too important for the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe. No matter the cost, even if it means offending the Moonlit Chaos Mansion, we must claim it today!"
Without hesitation, the three elders transformed, their bodies expanding into ten-foot-tall Heaven Demon Phoenixes. With a thunderous cry, they charged at Qing Xiu, feathers blazing, determined to seize victory. They had prepared every measure before arriving, rescuing Huang Xuan as part of their plan. Failure was not an option.
Qing Xiu's phoenix eyes narrowed, icy and domineering. A cold snort escaped her lips as her figure blurred, piercing through the void like a burning comet. She collided head-on with the three elders, flames roaring and wings spanning the heavens. To her, the spatial lock was meaningless—once she shattered her enemies, the seal would collapse on its own, and then she could summon her teachers at will.
Meanwhile, Huang Xuan made no move to aid his clanmates. He focused only on healing his grievous wounds, his gaze flickering toward Xiao Yan. If he could recover enough strength, he might launch an attack on him and attempt to force negotiations. Though such a move would certainly offend the Moonlit Chaos Mansion, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe had already made their choice. They would gamble everything.
After all, with the Dragon Empress of the Ancient Void Dragon Tribe awakening the Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline, their tribe's future was already cast into shadow.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, chaos erupted in full force. Zhu Ling was locked in a deadly struggle with Bing He and the experts of Ice River Valley, while Qing Ling clashed fiercely with Chen Tian and the Heaven Demon Phoenix's forces, who were joined by the two subservient tribes—the Earth Demon Tiger and the Silver Moon Wolf, both led by their tribe leaders.
What none of them had expected was the sudden appearance of additional hidden experts who had secretly allied with Huang Xuan's side.
Their intervention forced the elders of the Moonlit Chaos Mansion and the elders of the Falling Star Pavilion to step in, surrounding Xiao Yan in a protective formation to ensure no harm could reach him.
Amidst the turmoil, Yan Xiaoyu's spear locked onto Zhai Xing, her flame and lightning surging like two divine rivers intertwining into a storm of destruction. Zhai Xing had hoped to retreat, but her relentless assault smothered every opening. Though his cultivation stood two stars above hers, she met him blow for blow, unyielding, her eyes burning with ferocity.
Bang! Bang!Bang!
The square trembled beneath their clash. Every collision of spear and chain shattered the air like thunder splitting mountains, producing shockwaves that surged outward in endless waves. The void quivered, black cracks spreading like spiderwebs across the sky, devouring the light as the ground below fractured into deep chasms.
Killing intent surged between the two like an ocean tide, drowning the battlefield in suffocating pressure. The watching experts were forced to retreat again and again, their faces pale with terror. None dared to set foot within a thousand feet. They knew—anyone below the apex of Dou Zun would be torn apart instantly if they approached.
"Hahaha! This is it!" Yan Xiaoyu roared, her voice brimming with exhilaration. Her black spear danced like a dragon, the silver phoenix engravings upon it flaring alive as if real phoenix cries echoed through the battlefield. Each thrust tore gaping fissures into the void, spear-light cascading like heavenly meteors as her battle intent soared to the heavens.
Zhai Xing's chains, black as pitch, writhed like serpents from a nightmare. They twisted into a storm, whipping and lashing with enough force to shatter mountains. Every strike thundered like a prison of annihilation, yet each time, Yan Xiaoyu's spear pierced through, scattering the black storm into fragments of light and shadow.
"Monster!" Zhai Xing roared, his face twisted with rage as blood surged violently in his chest. He was two stars above her, yet every clash left his arms numb and his confidence crumbling. He could already feel it—in this battle of will and ferocity, he was being devoured.
Each exchange between them was like two calamities colliding. Space shattered, the ground collapsed, and the heavens themselves seemed unable to bear the weight of their fight. To the onlookers, this was no longer just a duel—it was a disaster capable of wiping out everything in its path.
After one more clash, Zhai Xing twisted his chains violently, using the rebound force to propel himself backward. His feet scraped deep crack line into the collapse void as he retreated several meters, buying himself a brief moment to breathe.
His gaze swept across the battlefield, and what he saw only darkened his heart. Everywhere, his allies were being suppressed, their advantage slipping away. None of them were in a position to break through, and some were already nearing defeat.
"I cannot drag this out any longer…" Zhai Xing muttered through clenched teeth, his eyes cold and calculating. "If I don't force her back, our side will suffer a crushing loss before Sir Hall Chief arrives…"
He had already sent a secret transmission for assistance, summoning Hun Mie Sheng. Yet the Moonlit Chaos Mansion's surveillance stretched across the continent, forcing Hall Chief of Hall of Souls to take an indirect path to avoid revealing the Hall of Souls' headquarters. That delay meant Zhai Xing had to hold out—no matter the cost.
'Since that is so… let's go all out!'
His chest rose with a sharp breath. His eyes flickered with grim determination before sinking into a sinister gleam. His voice, low and chilling, carried through the battlefield:
"Let this old man see whether Xiao Hua's disciple truly deserves her reputation!"
The ferocious grin stretching across his face was unsettling, his aura rising like a tide of slaughter. His Dou Qi surged violently, condensing into a tar-like liquid that squirmed unnaturally in the air. It twisted and pulsed before solidifying into a colossal black blade shaped like a ghastly ghost head.
The weapon exuded an aura of calamity. Its entire surface was sheathed in a layer of sinister black crystal, and each swing of its edge sliced the very void. Where it passed, thumb-thick cracks spread like spiderwebs, threatening to collapse space itself.
Gripping the blade tightly, Zhai Xing's eyes blazed with cold cruelty as he met Yan Xiaoyu's solemn gaze. With a roar, he lifted the weapon high. Countless afterimages flickered as the blade moved, filling the sky with shadows before it came crashing down like a judgment from the heavens.
"Shattering Star Blade!"
His deep, guttural roar shook the square. In that instant, the entire sky dimmed, swallowed by a suffocating darkness. Behind him, countless stars appeared out of nowhere, suspended in the void like an endless night.
One by one, the stars behind Zhai Xing erupted into streams of dazzling light, all converging onto the black blade in his hands. With every star absorbed, the weapon's aura grew heavier, sharper, and more destructive. By the time the final starlight fused into it, the massive ghost-headed blade radiated such overwhelming killing intent that even distant elite Dou Zuns felt their hearts tremble.
It was as though Zhai Xing wielded a fragment of the night sky itself—reforged into a weapon meant to cleave heaven and earth alike.
"Die for this old man!" Zhai Xing bellowed viciously.
The blade hacked downwards. With its fall, the space before him collapsed in an instant. Countless cracks tore across the void, and finally, a thousand-foot blade glow erupted, splitting space apart with overbearing might. Like a bolt of divine lightning, it shot explosively toward Yan Xiaoyu!
The sudden appearance of such a terrifying blade glow instantly drew countless gazes. Shock filled their eyes as murmurs rippled through the battlefield.
Star Shattering Blade!
This was Zhai Xing's greatest trump card. Countless experts had fallen beneath this strike. Yet ever since joining the Hall of Souls, few had been worthy enough to force him into displaying it again. Who could have expected that here, in this very battle, the world would once more witness its dreadful might…
"Old Ghost Zhai Xing's Star Shattering Blade stands at the very peak of Di-Class Dou Techniques. Its power is terrifying—there are scarcely any techniques of the same class capable of meeting it head-on. However… against Young Lady Yan Xiaoyu, it may still prove useless."
Among the experts observing from afar, many drew in sharp, icy breaths. Yet not a single one believed that Yan Xiaoyu would be felled by this strike.
Yan Xiaoyu's lips curved into a faint, confident smile, her enchanting face momentarily radiant with the proud bearing of a phoenix. Her spear spun gracefully around her, Dou Qi surging in torrents as flames and lightning burst forth, rolling outward in waves that shook the air.
She gripped the spear firmly, eyes burning like embers. Her chest rose and fell with a steady breath, and the very atmosphere seemed to ripple under the rising heat.
Ao—!
A sharp, piercing cry resounded from Yan Xiaoyu's black spear, echoing like the decree of the heavens. Her spear intent surged to its absolute peak—sharp enough to pierce the soul, vast enough to split the void. With a single sweep, the intent condensed into the form of a translucent crimson phoenix.
Fire and lightning Dou Qi flooded into it. At once, the phoenix blazed forth, spreading its wings wide as if to embrace all under heaven. Its feathers dripped molten radiance, each plume shimmering like jade refined in a divine furnace. With a graceful dance of her spear, the phoenix folded into the weapon, adorning it with heavenly feathers that radiated unbearable heat and majesty.
The experts watching froze in awe, their instincts screaming of the impending storm.
Her spear ignited fully, the black shaft now wrapped in streaks of scarlet flame that shattered into countless ember-feathers. Each feather shot outward like a shard of the phoenix itself—swift, merciless, unstoppable. They swirled around her for an instant before converging at the spear's tip.
The crimson phoenix behind her gave a final, voiceless cry, its wings folding forward as its blazing body merged seamlessly into the weapon.
"Scorch-Feather Bodypierce.!"
Yan Xiaoyu's gaze was unwavering, her thrust calm yet absolute.
The spear pierced forth.
The swarm of feathers fused into a single devastating strike—a scarlet drill of fire, piercing with unmatched sharpness. It roared across the void and collided head-on with Zhai Xing's descending blade glow.
Bang!
A cataclysmic explosion erupted, far exceeding all expectations. The shockwave ripped through the heavens, surging outward like a storm of black clouds, tearing the void apart wherever it passed.
The experts watching quickly retreat, their heart fallen into panic as they could sense the rolling shockwave that contained a rich destructive strength. Even the other battlefields were affected by this shockwave, causes them to stop fighting and retreat, focusing on defending against the incoming shockwave.
At this moment, everyone becomes so terrified by this scene that none of them dares to even greed for anything and focus on surviving the shockwave!
-------|
Read 20 Advanced Chapters in Patreon:
http://patreon.com/GodYato