Donghua had no idea what the Phoenix Clan intended, or how they had concluded that he wanted to vie for supremacy.
If he'd known they meant to help him seize power, he would've left without looking back. It would've been like, I'm trying to help you, and you're actually trying to ruin me.
Donghua wasn't particularly willing to accept the Phoenix Clan's allegiance, for three reasons.
First, the Phoenix Clan was burdened by Heaven and Earth Karma. If they pledged themselves to the Purple Mansion, it would inevitably diminish its destiny and fortune. It simply wasn't worth it.
Second, the Phoenix Clan lived in the Southern Primordial World, where they would be of no help to him. If the Witch and Monster Two Clans later tried to kill him, the Phoenix Clan wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
Third, the Phoenix Clan wasn't some minor tribe. As former rulers of the world, their allegiance to Donghua would make the Witch and Monster Two Clans suspicious. He was already attracting more attention than he wanted; the Phoenix Clan's allegiance would only worsen his conflict with them.
With that in mind, Donghua began to politely decline.
"Fellow Daoist Yuan Jin, I'm deeply honored by the Phoenix Clan's offer of allegiance. But the Purple Mansion is already drawing too much attention, and the Witch and Monster Two Clans have taken a strong dislike to us. We may face disaster sooner or later. If you pledge yourselves to us, you'll only bring trouble upon your people. I can't do that to you. You'd be better off seeking another patron."
Yuan Jin was delighted by Donghua's candor. His words didn't discourage her from pledging allegiance—instead, they only confirmed that the Phoenix Clan had made the right choice.
"His Majesty King Dong, our Phoenix Clan once dared to contend for dominion over the world. We aren't afraid of trouble. If the Witch and Monster Two Clans attack the Purple Mansion, we'll be the first to fight and will never hold the Purple Mansion back."
"We beg His Majesty King Dong to show mercy and accept our Phoenix Clan."
Donghua felt a headache coming on. Why are you so stubborn? Can't you take a hint? And what happened to your pride? You're really giving it up just like that?
Before he could say more, Yuan Jin took out two spiritual treasures.
"His Majesty King Dong, these are the Top-tier Innate Spiritual Treasures once used by Phoenix Ancestor: the Nirvana Pearl, which contains Phoenix True Fire, and the Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler. Please accept them."
Donghua was about to refuse when the unowned Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler flew straight toward him and stopped before him. The Pure Yang Great Dao within him surged with joy, and the two resonated from afar.
The Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler shone with boundless light, then flew into Donghua's body and recognized him as its master.
Donghua was dumbfounded. How was he supposed to refuse now? Could he even refuse?
Even with the thickest skin, he couldn't bring himself to turn it down.
The Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler was a Top-tier Innate Spiritual Treasure containing the Primordial Yang Great Dao, which stood on equal footing with his Pure Yang Great Dao.
When the two met, neither could coexist with the other. But if they merged, they could complement each other and truly give rise to the Great Dao of Yang.
Donghua found it impossible to refuse. If the Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler could merge with his Pure Yang Sword, it would truly rival an Innate Supreme Treasure.
Even if they couldn't merge, he could still make remarkable progress by using it to comprehend the Primordial Yang Great Dao.
"Yuanfeng, you hot-tempered old woman—you really planned this all the way to your own death!"
Donghua was helpless. The Nine Heavens Primordial Yang Ruler was tied to his Great Dao—and, looking further ahead, even to his path to enlightenment.
He took the Nirvana Pearl and examined it. Though it was a Top-tier Innate Spiritual Treasure, it held little appeal for him.
A spiritual treasure had to suit its owner, and having enough was all that mattered. He already had plenty of top-tier treasures.
Seeing Donghua accept the Nirvana Pearl, Yuan Jin smiled happily. Then she knelt on one knee and raised a seal in both hands. "Your subject Yuan Jin pays her respects to His Majesty King Dong."
The seal was called the Phoenix Seal. It was the Phoenix Clan's Destiny Spiritual Treasure, forged when Yuanfeng founded the clan.
At the Phoenix Clan's peak, its power had rivaled that of a top-tier spiritual treasure, and in practical use it had even surpassed one.
But now, karma entangled the Phoenix Seal, and it had lost all the divine splendor it once possessed.
Donghua thought for a moment. "In that case, there's no reason I can't accept the Phoenix Clan. But I have one condition."
"Though I founded the Purple Mansion, it doesn't belong to me alone. If I accept you, the Purple Mansion's destiny and fortune will inevitably flow south and merge with the Phoenix Clan's."
"So the Phoenix Clan must provide a supply of natural treasures to compensate the Purple Mansion's cultivators. Can you agree to that?"
Yuan Jin replied, "Our clan agrees. People say the Dragon Clan has many treasures, but our Phoenix Clan is no poorer. We're willing to provide them!"
Donghua was certain of that. Otherwise, he wouldn't have brought it up. The Dragon, Phoenix, and Kirin Three Clans hadn't been defeated by anyone; they'd simply lost their struggle against one another and withdrawn of their own accord. The treasures they'd collected back then would naturally have remained intact.
Donghua accepted the Phoenix Seal and took out the Dragon Head Golden Staff, which represented the Purple Mansion's destiny and fortune. He tapped the staff against the seal.
In an instant, dragons and phoenixes cried out together. The Purple Mansion's destiny and fortune surged, and divine light blazed from the Phoenix Seal. Phoenix cries rang across Southern Heaven.
Meanwhile, on Purple Mansion Continent in the East Sea,
Great Commander of Fate, Shao Siming, Lord of the Clouds, and the others all rose to their feet, sensing the Purple Mansion's destiny and fortune.
But as they felt it steadily decline, several of them could no longer stay calm.
"Great Commander of Fate, what happened? Why has the Purple Mansion's destiny and fortune fallen so much?"
"Great Commander of Fate, has something happened to the Emperor Lord?"
"Great Commander of Fate..."
Great Commander of Fate ignored their questions and silently sensed the Purple Mansion's destiny and fortune. Yet it continued to decline. When it had fallen to half its former level,
he could no longer sit still. He opened his eyes and turned the matter over in his mind.
"Emperor Lord, where are you? Please don't let anything happen to you."
A small tribe's leader hurriedly asked again, "Great Commander of Fate, has something happened to the Emperor Lord? Otherwise, the Purple Mansion's destiny and fortune wouldn't have fallen so much!"
Great Commander of Fate shot him a cold look. The next moment, the Yin-Yang Furnace appeared in his hand and sucked in the loudmouth. Before the others' eyes, he refined the tribe leader alive!
At the sight, everyone else fell silent.
After that, Great Commander of Fate acted as if nothing had happened and calmly said,
"Lord of the Clouds, lead the soldiers and wipe out this tribe."
"Understood!"
Lord of the Clouds asked no questions. He took the command token and went to mobilize the Purple Mansion's soldiers.
"Shao Siming, assemble the Thirty-Five Offices and the Seventy-Two Divine Generals. Patrol the Three Islands and Ten Continents. Kill anyone who dares to stir up trouble!"
"Understood!"
Tai Hua began, "Great Commander of Fate, has something happened to the Emperor Lord...?"
Before Tai Hua could finish, Great Commander of Fate fixed his gaze on her, as if to warn that if she dared to say those words, she would meet the same fate as the tribe leader.
Tai Hua said nothing. She knew he really would kill her.
There was no one in Great Commander of Fate's heart but the Emperor Lord.
But she was terribly worried about her elder brother. Just as she was about to leave, a voice rang out from above Jingyang Palace.
"Don't worry. I'm borrowing the Purple Mansion's destiny and fortune."
Hearing that voice, Great Commander of Fate and Shao Siming hurried outside Jingyang Palace. The others hurried over as well.
Donghua's faint, flickering phantom appeared above Jingyang Palace.
"Why has everyone come? Still, it's just as well. I'm borrowing the Purple Mansion's destiny and fortune. Cultivate well and wait for my return."
"We respectfully obey Your Majesty's decree!" Everyone bowed.
Tai Hua hurriedly asked, "Elder Brother, where are you?"
Donghua glanced at her. "Don't worry. I'm fine. You need to cultivate properly. When I return, if your cultivation hasn't improved, I won't let you off."
In Southern Heaven, Donghua stopped when he saw that half the Purple Mansion's destiny and fortune had flowed away, then handed over the Phoenix Seal.
"Are you satisfied now?"
Yuan Jin respectfully accepted the Phoenix Seal. Tears of joy streamed down her face, and she could no longer hold back her happiness.
Since the Phoenix Clan's defeat, its destiny and fortune had never been so abundant. Now, breaking through to Grand Unity Golden Immortal was nothing—she could even break through to Quasi-Saint.
Yuan Jin knelt gratefully and bowed to Donghua three times.
Only then did Donghua remember that the Purple Mansion's people would surely sense the change in its destiny and fortune. He immediately entered the River of Time and Space and used Jingyang Palace to project his phantom.
That was how the events just now had come to pass!
Thanks to reader "Xu Yu" for the monthly ticket!
Thanks to "Jiuri Bubi Houyi, Missing Huaxia, Shen Zhexian, Forgotten Melody, Donghua Dijiang" and many other readers for their recommendation tickets!
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