You defeated the Eight-Winged Strange Dragon with such ease that Ru Shou was truly left dumbstruck. Perhaps you were stronger in your True Phoenix Form, but that was not why you won the battle against the Eight-Winged Strange Dragon. Rather, it was because you seemed to know every one of his movements like the back of your hand, even knowing how to lure out his weak points.
Of course, another important reason was that this dragon possessed a body full of divine abilities, yet could never be as nimble and adaptable as an intelligent being, capable of continuously analyzing a battle of spells. Perhaps supported by the Demon Bead, the Eight-Winged Strange Dragon was intelligent beyond measure, but that intelligence only allowed him to unleash ninety-nine percent of his body's capabilities. He could not, like you, develop power that surpassed his own limits...
Soon, however, before Ru Shou could even begin to envy the Prison Suppressing Mad Dragon Demon Bead, he realized something after his initial shock. The appearance of your True Phoenix Form had thoroughly exposed your identity. You had used this ability before Ancestor Witch Zhu Rong, which meant that you had lied when speaking to Ru Shou earlier!
A lie was a lie, but your current strength was nothing like what Ancestor Witch Zhu Rong had once described. You had grown stronger by far more than a little. Even compared to the Rushou in Ru Shou's memories, the difference was hard to judge. With such strength, and with Xunyoudu absent, you already had the possibility of keeping him here for good!
At this thought, although Ru Shou had already guessed the truth, he had no intention of exposing it on the spot. Instead, he began playing dumb, as though he had noticed nothing. What Ru Shou did