Battle of Remnant Souls
When Lin Ming and his group arrived, they saw that the Altar in front of them was shining brightly!
The five members of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan were hovering above the Altar, their expressions extremely solemn. The leader, Huang Ming, a Six-Star Dou Venerate Huang Ming, was constantly forming complex hand seals, and streams of seven-colored light shot out from his hands, injecting into a depression in the center of the Altar.
Something seemed to be embedded in that depression, radiating a light that shared the same origin as the oppressive aura at the bottom of the abyss, yet was even more concentrated!
Around the Altar, Space Distortion, and dozens of semi-transparent Phoenix Phantom made of crimson energy appeared! These Phoenix Phantom let out silent roars and launched continuous attacks on the five members of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan. Each strike carried a terrifying power that could Space-Tearing!
The enormous phantom of the Fenghuang's Remnant Soul, carrying a terrifying aura capable of burning the Eight Desolations, was about to devour the five members of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan on the Altar, along with the entire space.
However, at this critical moment, a hint of madness and determination flashed in the eyes of Huang Ming, the Five-Star Dou Venerate Huang Ming on the Altar!
Instead of retreating, he bit his tongue hard, spitting a mouthful of Essence Blood, rich with the essence of his bloodline, onto his hands as he formed hand seals! At the same time, he roared fiercely, his voice carrying an ancient rhythm:
"With my blood, I call your name! Ancient ancestors, supreme beings flowing in the source of our bloodline! Hear the call of your descendants, awaken! Break this damned cage and reappear in the world!"
The four powerful members of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan behind him followed suit without hesitation, spitting out their Essence Blood and merging it into the ritual initiated by Huang Ming!
Five streams of Essence Blood, containing the Origin Bloodline of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, flowed like five streams into the sea, frantically pouring into the depression at the center of the Altar!
The Crimson Crystal embedded within, pulsating like a heart, suddenly burst forth with an unprecedentedly brilliant light after being nourished by this shared bloodline!
"Eh--!"
A phoenix cry, clearer and more majestic than before, seemingly traversing Eternal Space-Time, suddenly resounded from the center of the Altar!
With that phoenix cry, a Soul Fluctuation, far more solid and terrifying than those energy phantoms, filled with vibrant Life Aura and boundless fury, erupted from beneath the Altar like Volcanic Eruption!
Dark red energy was frantically gathering above the Altar, and an enormous, clearly defined, and sharp-eyed Soul Projection of Ancient Heavenly Phoenix soul was rapidly condensing and solidifying at a speed visible to the naked eye!
Its eyes, burning with crimson -Golden Flame, slowly swept across the entire space, carrying an indifferent gaze that looked down upon all living beings, and endless resentment!
The oppressive force caused the entire Underground Space to tremble violently, and rubble fell from the rock walls!
"Not good! They're not breaking the Restriction, they're using their own bloodline as a catalyst to forcibly awaken and summon the Remnant Soul of this Ancient Heavenly Phoenix!" Upon seeing these people's actions, Zi Yan immediately shouted with a grim expression.
Upon hearing this, Lin Ming's face instantly darkened, and his heart sank.
Once the Remnant Soul of this Ancient Heavenly Phoenix is fully awakened and controlled by the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, given its terrifying strength—at least at the Dou Sheng level in its previous life—even a mere Remnant Soul would be far beyond their current capabilities to contend with! At that time, let alone seizing opportunities, even escaping unscathed would become a pipe dream!
Xiong Zhan and Qing Lin also sensed a deadly threat, their faces turning extremely grim.
On the Altar, Huang Ming and the others wore expressions of near-ecstasy! They could feel the Ancestor's Will returning, and that vast, boundless power was opening up to them! If they succeeded, they would be the greatest contributors to the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan!
The aura of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix grew stronger, its cry became more and more resounding, and its enormous Soul Body was almost completely solidified. Scarlet Gold Flame burned around it, scorching and distorting the space around it.
Its indifferent gaze finally settled on the five Bloodline Descendant on the Altar, as if a faint connection had been established.
However, just as the Heavenly Phoenix Remnant Soul was about to fully awaken, Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan's ecstatic joy reached its peak—
"Well..."
A long, melancholic sigh, as if it came from the ancient River of Time, suddenly resounded throughout the entire Underground Space.
The sigh was not loud, yet it carried a strange magic, instantly overpowering the resounding phoenix cry and clearly penetrating the depths of the soul of every living being present.
As the sigh subsided, above the Altar, in a position directly opposite the Heavenly Phoenix Remnant Soul, the space rippled like water after a stone was thrown in, with fine spatial ripples spreading outwards.
Immediately afterwards, a slightly ethereal figure of a middle-aged man dressed in a simple gray robe quietly emerged in the center of the ripples.
This figure was not particularly tall, and its aura was far less domineering and flamboyant than that of the Heavenly Phoenix Remnant Soul. It didn't even emit any energy fluctuations.
But he hovered quietly in mid-air, seemingly integrated with the entire Altar and the Underground Space. The ancient animal patterns embroidered on his gray robe were faintly visible under the glow of the Golden Flame. He exuded a calm and majestic aura that Years of Sedimentation, like a statue that had walked out of ancient times.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze calm and unwavering, and placed it upon the newly formed Heavenly Phoenix Remnant Soul. His tone was as indifferent as if stating a predetermined fact:
"You wretch, it took the combined strength of my entire sect to slay you here. I once said I would suppress your Remnant Soul at the bottom of this abyss for eternity, letting you slowly perish over countless years. I never imagined that after countless years, there would still be descendants of your lineage attempting to awaken you... Today, you still cannot escape the fate of being utterly annihilated."
These seemingly innocuous words, like ice water thrown into boiling oil, instantly ignited the emotions of the Heavenly Phoenix Remnant Soul!
The Remnant Soul, which had been indifferent in its eyes, suddenly flared up with crimson -Golden Flame in its empty eye sockets when it heard the words "Beast Taming Sect." Its massive body trembled violently, and the rage it emitted almost set the entire Underground Space ablaze!
"Beep!!!"
The earth-shattering cry of the phoenix rang out once more, this time filled with endless humiliation, resentment, and rage!
It stared intently at the gray-robed figure, crimson flames flickering wildly in its eye sockets—it recognized this Remnant Soul!
It was Yu Cang, the last Sect Master leader of the Beast Taming Sect, who led countless powerful members of the Beast Taming Sect to surround and kill this Sky Overlord and used a secret technique to suppress its soul here!
New and old grudges, like a volcano that had been accumulating for millions of years, erupted completely at this moment!
The ancient Heavenly Phoenix Remnant Soul surged with crimson -Golden Flame for several feet, its wings flapped violently, and its massive body instantly transformed into a Red Gold streak of light, Space-Tearing and leaving behind several dark Spatial Rift.
With terrifying power capable of the Burning Heaven and Boiling Sea, it frantically pounced on the Remnant Soul of the gray-robed middle-aged man. Its sharp claws burned with flames powerful enough to Melting Gold and Breaking Iron. Each swing caused the air to explode with a piercing sound. It was clear that it wanted to tear Yu Cang's Remnant Soul to pieces, fighting to the death!
"Buzz!"
In response, Yu Cang slowly raised his illusory hand, seemingly slowly, yet precisely striking the void.
As his hand fell, the countless runes on the Altar, which had been dim, instantly lit up. Red Gold light traveled rapidly along the rune patterns, causing the Heaven and Earth Energy in the entire Underground Space to converge wildly.
In just a few breaths, a gigantic Energy Palm, ten feet tall and incredibly condensed, appeared in the void. Its surface was covered with ancient runes, emanating an aura of the same origin as the Remnant Soul of Yu Cang, and it rushed towards the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix that was rushing towards it.
"Boom--!"
The collision of the two Remnant Soul instantly unleashed a terrifying energy storm far exceeding any previous clash!
The moment the Scarlet Gold Flame collided with the condensed Energy Palm, a visible Shockwave spread wildly outwards from the point of impact.
The entire Underground Space shook violently as if a magnitude 12 earthquake had struck. Several huge cracks, each several meters long, appeared in the rock walls, and black rock powder spread out like thick smoke, making the entire space murky.
The Ancient Heavenly Phoenix's claws gripped the Energy Palm tightly. The Scarlet Gold Flame collided with the Energy Palm, producing a sizzling sound. The runes on the surface of the Energy Palm began to flicker violently, and fine cracks appeared. The Energy Palm of Yu Cang was not to be outdone. Its immense power flowed through the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix's claws, penetrating into its Remnant Soul, attempting to shatter it.
The Remnant Soul of two ancient powerhouses engaged in an earth-shattering battle within this sealed Underground Space!
The Ancient Heavenly Phoenix continuously swung its sharp claws and pecked at the Energy Palm with its sharp beak, each attack carrying the power to Space-Tearing; Yu Cang, on the other hand, constantly manipulated the Energy Palm to defend, while also activating the runes on the Altar, occasionally unleashing streams of condensed energy towards the Remnant Soul of the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix.
The explosive sounds of colliding energy, the piercing sound of space tearing apart, the roar of the phoenix, and Yu Cang's deep shouts intertwined to create a symphony filled with the Destructive Aura.
Each collision caused space to shatter, the Law to wail, and the rock walls of the Underground Space to continuously crumble, making the already dim space even more fragmented, as if it would collapse completely at any moment.
However, time is ultimately the most ruthless blade.
The Remnant Soul of Yu Cang consumed far more energy than its opponent during the long years of suppressing the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix.
Each time the Heavenly Phoenix Remnant Soul stirred, he had to expend his own Soul Power to suppress it, and now he was already at his limit. Meanwhile, the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix had just received nourishment from the Essence Blood of the five members of the Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan, greatly replenishing its Soul Power, and its ferocious power was at its peak.
After dozens of rounds of fierce fighting, Yu Cang's Remnant Soul began to dim noticeably. His figure became increasingly illusory, as if a gust of wind could blow it away. His condensed Energy Palm also became more and more transparent due to insufficient Soul Power, and was torn apart time and time again by the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix's fiery claws, with the repair speed becoming slower and slower.