Haunted

"Ancient Sky Phoenix!"

Perhaps because the golden light was too blazing and resplendent, Xiao Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, cold glints flickering within them.

Then, an even more terrifying pressure than that of the Ancient Sky Phoenix erupted from the Beast Spirit Cover, where the golden light had swelled dramatically.

"Ancient Void Dragon!"

Rumble!!!

Dazzling golden light surged violently from the Beast Spirit Cover before him. Then, a clear phoenix cry rang out as a golden Heavenly Phoenix swiftly took shape. With one beat of its enormous wings, the entire sky trembled, the spectacle utterly terrifying.

Once the Golden Phoenix formed, it flapped its wings and swooped toward Xiao Chen, who seemed like an ant beneath it. Under that enormous shadow, one could truly feel an irresistible force. This power was simply too overwhelming.

Roar!

At the same time, a dragon's roar shook the heavens, and the world darkened. The space within a hundred zhang around Xiao Chen instantly collapsed, forming a pitch-black hole a hundred zhang wide in the sky. That darkness was so profound it seemed capable of devouring even souls, sending chills through one's heart.

Clearly, this was an attack launched by the lingering remnants of the Ancient Sky Phoenix and Ancient Void Dragon that had remained within the Beast Spirit Cover after their deaths, triggered upon sensing Xiao Chen.

Their purpose was to force Xiao Chen back and make him abandon any thoughts of taking the Beast Spirit Cover.

Otherwise, with Xiao Chen's terrifying Seven-Star Dou Saint strength, the Beast Spirit Cover formed from the two of them after death would not be able to stop him in the slightest.

"Alas!"

A detached sigh suddenly rang through the world.

As the sound arose, the shattered and collapsed space around Xiao Chen recovered at an indescribable speed. When the Ancient Sky Phoenix's golden wings came within ten zhang of him, they seemed to strike a towering mountain and shattered, turning directly into a rain of light.

But just then, an unexpected change occurred.

A massive golden pillar of light shot out of the Beast Spirit Cover with a sharp hiss. As it twisted, it swiftly transformed into a gigantic Primordial Void Dragon. It raised its head and let out a roaring dragon cry before lunging at the Golden Phoenix. Then its body twisted like a giant python, tightly coiling around the Golden Phoenix's enormous form.

"Are they killing each other?"

Seeing this, Xiao Chen was visibly stunned. His brows furrowed as he muttered in confusion.

But the next scene made his expression darken.

The Golden Phoenix, whose body had been bound by the Ancient Void Dragon, did not resist in the slightest. Instead, its enormous body melted away like ice and snow, rapidly dissolving into the Primordial Void Dragon phantom at a visible speed. The latter's illusory body became increasingly solid, and behind it appeared a pair of enormous golden wings identical to those of the Ancient Sky Phoenix, blotting out the sky and sun.

An authority that stood above heaven and earth spread from its body.

"Dragon Phoenix."

"Human, leave!"

A supreme voice, majestic and domineering, overlooking the heavens, came from the Dragon Phoenix Phantom.

At once, the entire Ancient Forest shook.

"If you were truly a Dragon Phoenix, I would leave without another word. Unfortunately, you are not. A mere phantom is not qualified to make me retreat."

Xiao Chen laughed loudly. Not only did he not retreat, he instead took a large step forward and arrived above the Dragon Phoenix Phantom's head.

Then, his palm swept through the void. A massive Blood Axe flashed into existence, bringing with it a fierce gale as it slashed down at the Dragon Phoenix, which stood like a pillar supporting the heavens.

There was not the slightest hint of mercy in that attack.

Roar!

Seeing this, the Dragon Phoenix roared in fury. The Ancient Altar beneath it immediately erupted with boundless golden light, which spread through heaven and earth.

In an instant, it dyed the entire Ancient Forest into a gilded world.

Then, the Dragon Phoenix Phantom extended its mountain-sized dragon claw and collided with Xiao Chen's Blood Axe.

Rumble rumble rumble!!!

After the void where the two collided froze for an instant, a devastating energy storm erupted.

Space collapsed, heaven and earth reversed, and endless spatial storms raged out from the thousand-zhang black hole that spread outward.

For a time, the entire Ancient Forest seemed to be suffering through the apocalypse. Mountains and rivers shattered, countless beasts wailed, and ancient trees that held up the sky were reduced to dust before they could last even an instant against such a storm.

"Since you're dead, stop haunting the place."

A thunderous shout exploded, and then an astonishing scene unfolded.

After that thunderous cry fell, the Dragon Phoenix Phantom standing tall against the heavens developed visible cracks across its enormous body, as though glass had been struck by a stone. By the time the sound completely faded, those visible cracks had spread over its entire body.

Shortly afterward, beneath the Dragon Phoenix Phantom's unwilling and dimming gaze, its entire body transformed into a torrential rain of Golden Light Rain.

"Worthy of the legendary Dragon Phoenix. Even a mere lingering remnant could reach the level of a Four-Star Dou Saint. Truly terrifying!"

After sighing in admiration, Xiao Chen's gaze fell directly upon the Beast Spirit Cover.

With the disappearance of the Dragon Phoenix Phantom formed from the fusion of the Ancient Sky Phoenix and Ancient Void Dragon, the Beast Spirit Cover naturally ceased to exist.

The scene before Xiao Chen now changed dramatically, becoming a Desolate Plain.

This plain covered a vast area and was filled with Crimson Sand, as though it had been stained by fresh blood. Amid that crimson color were occasional pale white patches resembling lime. Looking into the distance—

At the center of the plain stood an ancient Stone Altar more than a hundred zhang tall, an indistinct authority spreading from it.

With a thought, Xiao Chen appeared in the center of the altar.

At the center of the altar was a Gold-Purple Stone Platform. On top of it was a half-foot-wide depression, and within that depression, a Sapling grew out from the stone platform. The sapling was only as thick as a thumb, yet it twisted and coiled like a giant dragon. At its tip hung a fruit.

The fruit was roughly the size of a palm and was gold and purple in color. Upon closer inspection, the golden half was a Primordial Void Dragon shrunk countless times, twisting and winding, while the purple half was an Ancient Sky Phoenix spreading its wings in flight.

Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit.

A fruit that existed only in legends.

This fruit needed to absorb the life force of a Primordial Void Dragon and a Heavenly Phoenix, and even then, it had less than a ten percent chance of appearing. Even in the records of the Ancient Dragon Clan, this Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit had appeared only five times.

It was said that aside from Ancient Void Dragons and Ancient Sky Phoenixes, no other race could consume and refine the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit.

But—

"System Ancestor, should we consume this thing?"

Xiao Chen asked tentatively.

"Host, you have cheats. How could you ask such a foolish question?"

"Oh! Then I understand."

Hearing that, Xiao Chen nodded. Without another word, he directly wrapped his arm in the Purifying Demonic Lotus Flame and plucked the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit.