True Fire Phoenix

The Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake silently emerged behind the man in black, its body wreathed in a cold, sinister aura, as though malice from the abyss had spread through the air.

Its long body coiled and twisted, its scales glimmering with eerie light. Every scale concealed a deadly curse and venom capable of killing in an instant.

Its head rose high like a small dark mountain, its blood-red tongue flicking in and out as it emitted piercing hisses, forming a stark and powerful contrast with the blazing, majestic presence of the True Fire Phoenix.

With the boost from the Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Jia Youcai silently calculated that if he faced an ordinary Soul Emperor, he should have the strength to fight and give it his all.

However, if his opponent was a Soul Sage... His heart tightened at the thought.

The man in black curled his lips into an incomparably cruel smile and said in a chilling voice, "Kid, don't get too smug. The Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake isn't so easy to deal with."

The moment his words fell, the Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake opened its enormous maw. A stream of dark green venom shot toward the True Fire Phoenix like an arrow loosed from a bow. The air sizzled and corroded wherever the venom passed, releasing a pungent, foul odor.

The True Fire Phoenix let out a clear, soaring cry. With a fierce beat of its wings, an incomparably blazing firestorm surged out and swept toward the venom.

Flames and venom collided violently, erupting in a deafening explosion. The venom rapidly evaporated under the intense heat, turning into wisps of black smoke, while the flames were also greatly weakened by the venom, their glow dimming slightly.

"Again!" The scales on the Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake suddenly stood erect like steel needles, and countless black venomous spikes poured down upon the True Fire Phoenix like rain. The spikes were so dense that they blotted out the sky.

Jia Youcai's heart clenched. He could clearly sense that the venomous spikes were no trifling threat.

The True Fire Phoenix swiftly spiraled upward, attempting to evade the spikes. But there were simply too many. Quite a few still grazed its wings, leaving streaks of black marks behind with sizzling corrosive sounds.

Damn it, this poison is actually so corrosive! Jia Youcai inwardly cried out in alarm. He hurriedly controlled the True Fire Phoenix, trying to burn away the venom stains with flames, but the effect was far from obvious.

"Hmph, kid, you're still too green." The man in black burst into smug laughter. "The poison of my Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake isn't so easily cured."

Just then, Huo Wu's voice sounded in Jia Youcai's mind. Don't panic. Let's try using the True Fire Phoenix's power to purify the poison.

Hearing this, Jia Youcai focused his mind and controlled the flames around the True Fire Phoenix, making them even hotter and purer. Under the scorching heat, the venom stains gradually faded, and the True Fire Phoenix temporarily regained its brilliance.

"Interesting. You've temporarily suppressed my poison." The man in black smiled disdainfully.

The next moment, the True Fire Phoenix soared into the sky like a burning meteor streaking across the heavens, then dove straight toward the Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake.

Sensing the threat from the True Fire Phoenix, the Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake rapidly twisted its body in an attempt to dodge. But the True Fire Phoenix was far too fast, arriving directly above it in an instant. It spread its massive talons and clawed down at the Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake.

The Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake nimbly avoided the True Fire Phoenix's claws, then lashed its tail like a steel whip toward the True Fire Phoenix, carrying a howling gust of wind.

The True Fire Phoenix sidestepped the strike, then beat its wings. A powerful wave of flame shot toward the Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake like a roaring sea of fire.

Struck by the fiery shockwave, the Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake's body swayed violently. Yet it quickly regained its balance, opened its maw once more, and fired a black beam of energy at the True Fire Phoenix.

The True Fire Phoenix showed no fear. The flames around its body burned even more fiercely, forming a shield of fire. The black energy beam struck the flaming shield with a violent explosion, but failed to break through its defenses.

"Youcai, we can't maintain the Spirit Fusion state for much longer. Put in more power—we'll defeat it in one blow!" Huo Wu shouted.

Jia Youcai nodded and mobilized the True Fire Phoenix's power with all his strength. The True Fire Phoenix released an earth-shaking cry that echoed through the clouds.

I wonder why he still hasn't used his Martial Soul Avatar.

Whatever the reason, this is an opportunity.

Jia Youcai and Huo Wu exchanged a glance and shouted in unison, "Corona Light!"

The True Fire Phoenix's flames abruptly contracted into its core. It was as if all the light between heaven and earth had been drawn into that incomparably pure golden orb. Like a miniature sun, it radiated blinding brilliance.

The next second, the orb exploded with a thunderous boom. Thousands upon thousands of blazing sunbeams shot forth like holy swords at dawn, carrying sacred and overwhelming power as they dyed the entire sky a dazzling golden red. Wherever the fiery light passed, even the drifting poisonous mist ignited into glittering sparks.

The man in black's pupils constricted sharply as the Sixth Soul Ring beneath his feet suddenly erupted with an ink-black glow.

"Sixth Soul Skill—Nether Ghost Kill." The man in black spoke in a low voice.

The black light released by the soul ring instantly spread out and wrapped around the Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake. The venomous snake, which had been left somewhat battered under the suppression of Corona Light, began to undergo a bizarre transformation beneath the black glow.

Its body became even longer and more slender, while the eerie light on its scales deepened further. Two curved black horns even grew from either side of its head.

The black light around the Evil Scaled Poisonous Snake grew even more intense the next moment. With a twist of its body, it split into three phantom snakes identical to its true form. Each phantom snake gave off the same aura as the original, making them impossible to distinguish as four sinister ghosts wandered through the air.

All four snakes opened their maws at once and spewed out four streams of pitch-black poisonous mist. Unlike the previous venom, this mist carried a cold, decayed aura. The four streams intertwined into an enormous poison net that descended over the True Fire Phoenix like a massive black web, seeking to trap it within.

When the Corona Light unleashed by the True Fire Phoenix encountered the poison net, it was as if something had blocked it. Its advance visibly slowed. The blazing sunbeams struggled within the net, their radiance gradually fading.

Jia Youcai was startled. He had not expected the man in black's Sixth Soul Skill to be so powerful, capable of resisting their full-powered Corona Light in such a bizarre manner.

Senior Sister, there's something strange about this poison net. Our attack has been weakened! he shouted anxiously in his mind.

Huo Wu's voice carried a trace of gravity as well. Youcai, let's push harder.

All right, Jia Youcai replied.