Who could have guessed?
After her fellow clan member, the Fire Phoenix King, had professed his love for her,
Yuanfeng would actually attack him outright and forcibly subdue him.
The poor Fire Phoenix King had only just reached the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, with grand ambitions yet to fulfill. Now Yuanfeng's Nirvana True Fire burned him until he screamed without end, leaving him utterly powerless to resist.
Even so,
Yuanfeng showed no intention of letting the Fire Phoenix King go.
It was as if she meant to kill him on the spot.
The many Hong Huang Great Experts and countless members of the Phoenix Clan were all left dumbfounded.
This scene
was simply too unexpected.
Ling Tian, inside Yuanfeng's womb and closest to the action, saw everything most clearly.
Seeing the Fire Phoenix King's suffering, Ling Tian still wasn't satisfied.
This Fire Phoenix King had been carrying on an illicit affair with Demon Ancestor Luohu.
Ling Tian would have preferred Yuanfeng to kill him right there.
But it seemed Ling Tian's wish wouldn't come true.
Sure enough,
a golden figure suddenly flew out of the Southern Ming Undying Volcano.
It was none other than the Phoenix Clan's Great Elder, the Golden Phoenix King.
The Golden Phoenix King flew toward Yuanfeng in a panic and shouted,
"Matriarch, you mustn't kill him!"
"Although the Fire Phoenix King offended you, he is still an elder of the Phoenix Clan, and the clan's third Primordial Golden Immortal."
"You mustn't kill him!"
Behind the Golden Phoenix King
followed a large group of Phoenix Clan Great Experts, all shouting in alarm as well.
They pleaded for the Fire Phoenix King's life.
They weren't wrong.
A Primordial Golden Immortal was a strategic asset—not just to the Phoenix Clan,
but to all of Hong Huang.
The Fire Phoenix King could not die, not as far as the Phoenix Clan was concerned!
Just as I expected!
Inside Yuanfeng's womb, Ling Tian sighed to himself.
That old bird, the Fire Phoenix King, probably wasn't going to die!
At the same time,
Yuanfeng transformed back into her Innate Dao Body in midair.
Her phoenix eyes swept sternly over every Phoenix Clan Great Expert, and her furious shout rang through heaven and earth.
"Who dares stand in my way when I, Yuanfeng, act!"
As she spoke,
Yuanfeng not only kept going, but the Nirvana True Fire swirling around the Fire Phoenix King flared even higher.
This sight
left the countless Phoenix Clan Great Experts who had rushed over to stop her frozen in place.
Yuanfeng's fierce actions had made everything clear.
"Matriarch!"
The Golden Phoenix King tried to reason with her again, but Qing Luan, who had just arrived, stopped him.
"Elder Sister is the Phoenix Clan's matriarch. Everything within the clan should be decided by her."
Qing Luan spoke softly, but her tone was firm.
At her words,
the Phoenix Clan Great Experts shuddered, but had nothing more to say.
Meanwhile,
the Fire Phoenix King's screams in the sky began to die down.
Just as everyone thought Yuanfeng was about to release him,
Yuanfeng's cold voice rang out once more...
"Fire Phoenix King, this isn't your first offense."
"I should have punished you severely and killed you on the spot."
"But..."
Yuanfeng paused, a hint of helplessness passing through her eyes.
"But since you and I are of the same clan, I'll spare your life this time!"
"For now, I'll seal your cultivation and sentence you to reflect in the Phoenix Clan's forbidden grounds."
As she spoke,
the Nirvana True Fire swirling around the Fire Phoenix King suddenly plunged into his body,
completely sealing his cultivation.
Then,
Yuanfeng raised her hand and smacked him
like a fly, sending the Fire Phoenix King crashing into the Southern Ming Undying Volcano.
"Hmph!"
When she had finished,
Yuanfeng snorted and swept her icy gaze over every living being present.
Only then did she slowly fly back into the Southern Ming Undying Volcano.
Only now
did the Hong Huang Great Experts watching the scene finally react, crying out in shock.
The events of this day
were simply too bizarre.
The whole of Hong Huang would likely discuss them for countless years to come.
Most lamentable of all...
The Fire Phoenix King, a Great Expert on the verge of rising to prominence,
had in the blink of an eye
become a prisoner doomed to never see the light of day again.
How tragic!
The Western Ancestral Vein.
Demon Ancestor Luohu's face was dark with fury.
He hadn't expected Yuanfeng to act so ruthlessly.
It had ruined many of Luohu's schemes.
The Fire Phoenix King in particular—
Luohu had spent countless rare treasures on that connection.
He hadn't expected it to be severed just like that!
"Damn it!"
Luohu couldn't help muttering a curse.
Yuanfeng seemed to be his nemesis.
Every scheme involving her had failed.
This only strengthened Luohu's resolve to kill Yuanfeng and the Phoenix Clan.
"Hmph!"
"Fortunately, my schemes within the Kirin Clan and the Dragon Clan haven't been greatly affected."
Luohu murmured, then closed his eyes again.
And just as Luohu had expected,
his two avatars, Heavenly Mystery Daoist and Daoist Tian Xuan, had already become honored guests of the Dragon Clan and the Kirin Clan...
Back inside Yuanfeng's womb.
After the Fire Phoenix King was subdued,
the system's voice rang out...
[Beep!] [The Fire Phoenix King has been subdued. Host's mission complete.] [Reward: Yellow Middle Plum, one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots, and the Fire Phoenix King and Rahu's hatred!]
Hearing the system's reward, Ling Tian couldn't help curling his lip.
The Fire Phoenix King and Rahu's hatred?
Who cared?
At the same time,
a fruit resembling a flower's pistil appeared in Ling Tian's palm.
The words "Yellow Middle" were clearly inscribed on it.
"Is this the legendary Yellow Middle Plum? They say that just smelling its fragrance gives an immortal ten thousand years of cultivation, and eating a single fruit can make one a Grand Unity Golden Immortal instantly."
Ling Tian looked at the fist-sized fruit in his hand, unconvinced.
"I'll know once I eat it."
With that,
Ling Tian swallowed the flesh of the Yellow Middle Plum in two or three bites and casually tossed the pit aside.
"I don't feel anything. It's not that impressive. It does taste pretty good, though. Uh..."
However,
Ling Tian had barely gotten halfway through his sentence
when a surge of incredibly pure spiritual energy erupted inside him.
Ling Tian's eyes bulged from the force of it. He hurriedly focused all his attention on absorbing the energy.
After initially refining the [Chaos Bead] earlier,
Ling Tian's cultivation began advancing by leaps and bounds once more.
Ling Tian didn't know...
The Yellow Middle Plum pit he had casually tossed aside landed squarely on the [Chaos Bead].
Then...
With a soft pop,
it was absorbed by the [Chaos Bead].
At the same time,
within the Chaos World inside the [Chaos Bead],
a seed radiating rich vitality frantically absorbed spiritual energy in the void.
Once it had absorbed enough spiritual energy,
the seed took root in the void and began to sprout and grow vigorously...
Time meant nothing in Hong Huang.
While Ling Tian was still in seclusion, digesting the Yellow Middle Plum,
the Dragon Clan and the Kirin Clan repeatedly ventured out across Hong Huang to expand their power.
Countless races were wiped out as a result.
The countless races of Hong Huang lived in fear.
Fortunately, the Dragon Clan focused on the Scaled Creatures,
while the Kirin Clan targeted the Walking Beasts.
Although the Dragon Clan and the Kirin Clan rampaged across Hong Huang, they wouldn't clash with each other anytime soon.
What was strange was...
The Phoenix Clan, one of Hong Huang's three great clans, remained completely inactive!
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