The Dragon Phoenix Returning Ruins Pagoda Suppresses the World, Saints Lower Their Gaze as Undercurrents Rise

At the summit of the Demon Peak of Bones, the deathly silence—taut as a bowstring pulled to its limit—suddenly slackened the moment the figure of Gu You Saint dissipated. The roiling Chaos Demon Flame flickered like a serpent's tongue, licking at the giant bones ravaged by the great battle and emitting faint, crackling sounds. The air was thick with a unique battlefield atmosphere, woven from the pungent stench of sulfur, the charred odor left by the burning of soul flames, and a lingering, ethereal trace of Dragon-Phoenix Holy Might. The heavy, ragged breathing of the survivors hung in the scorching air, clear and rhythmic like the fading echoes of a low-pitched war drum.

Xiao Zhan forced his spine to straighten. The phantom of his Dragon-Scale Battle Armor flickered around him like a candle in the wind before finally receding into his body and vanishing. The eruption of Dou Zun-level power had been as fleeting as an epiphyllum, brilliant yet brief; the immense exhaustion and the weakness brought on by overdrawing his origin surged over him like a tide, causing his vision to blacken and his body to sway unsteadily. Yet, his gaze remained sharp as lightning, sweeping downward instantly to search for his kin.

"Yan'er! Xiao Yi Xian!" His voice was hoarse and low, yet carried an unquestionable weight of concern and anxiety, as if every word were imbued with infinite strength.

"Father!" Hearing the call, Xiao Yan lunged toward the edge of the deep pit. The Chaos Fire Seed retracted into his body instantly, his eyes flashing with the excitement of survival and a deep, lingering worry for his father. The sheer might of that Burning Heaven Holy Seal clashing against the Saint was etched into his heart like a brand, a memory he would never forget.

Xiao Yi Xian drifted down, her movements as light as an immortal's. The mysterious luster in her purple-gold eyes had not yet fully subsided, shimmering like stars in the night sky. She gave a slight nod to Xiao Zhan, her voice remaining cold yet tinged with an imperceptible gentleness: "Uncle Xiao, we are unharmed." Deep within that noble purple-gold hue, there was a hint of complex emotion—a mix of respect for Xiao Zhan and reflection on the intensity of the battle.

Xiao Zhan's gaze finally settled on the figure before him, who was gently enveloped in seven-colored radiance. The seven-colored palace attire clung to her graceful form like flowing water, outlining breathtaking curves as if she were the most exquisite masterpiece in heaven and earth. Her hair, like a waterfall, flowed with a dreamlike sheen, every strand radiating a mysterious aura. Those purple-gold eyes, swirling with seven-colored divine light, held a point of dark gold in their depths that anchored the world, carrying a primordial majesty that looked down upon all living things with detachment. Now, she looked back at him with a gaze that was calm and profound. Within the familiar coldness, there was now a deeper, more transcendent nobility and power that made one dare not look directly at her.

"You..." Xiao Zhan's throat bobbed, and he forced a weak, strained arc onto his blood-stained lips. His hoarse voice carried a sense of relieved exhaustion and gratification: "You finally woke up... it is good that you are safe." This sentence seemed to have been spoken with the last of his strength, every word heavy with deep emotion.

Queen Medusa (perhaps now better addressed as Heavenly Snake Supreme) did not respond immediately. Those purple-gold eyes, deep as the ancient starry sky, lingered for a moment on Xiao Zhan's blood-stained green robes, his pale face, and the weakness he was forcibly suppressing between his brows, as if savoring everything he had endured. She could clearly sense the nascent, yet violently fluctuating, power of the Dragon-Phoenix Dou Zun within him, as well as the bone-deep, unconcealable fatigue. Her fingertips, hidden beneath the seven-colored palace attire, curled almost imperceptibly, betraying her inner turmoil.

"Hmph." A soft sound, still cold but seemingly stripped of some of its chill, escaped her lips like a spring breeze brushing over ice, bringing a hint of warmth. She said nothing more, merely raising a jade hand and waving it gracefully and calmly toward Xiao Zhan.

Hum—!

A pure, vast energy, carrying seven-colored light and a gentle, vital essence, poured into Xiao Zhan's body like nectar from the nine heavens, imbued with the purest rhythm of heaven and earth. This energy was far beyond ordinary Dou Qi; it contained the nourishing origin from the depths of the Heavenly Snake Supreme's bloodline, rooting itself into Xiao Zhan's body like the roots of a tree of life. Wherever it passed, the Dragon-Phoenix Dou Qi, which had been fluctuating violently like a wild torrent, became peaceful and docile under the gentle touch of this power. His parched meridians, like land long-deprived of rain, greedily absorbed the vitality, accelerating their own repair. Even the exhaustion of his soul was soothed by this gentle yet powerful force, like a spring breeze brushing across his heart.

Xiao Zhan let out a muffled groan, feeling a warm current surge through his limbs and bones, dispelling all the cold and sharp pain. Although the injuries from overdrawing his origin could not be healed in an instant, his condition had clearly improved, as if he had been reborn. He looked at Queen Medusa, his eyes filled with complexity and gratitude: "Thank you."

Queen Medusa had already shifted her gaze. Her purple-gold eyes turned downward, where Xiao Yan's aura had also undergone a transformation, the Chaos Fire Seed in his palm flickering like a star; meanwhile, the Poison Pill within Xiao Yi Xian swirled with purple-gold light, her aura becoming increasingly mysterious and unfathomable, as if she held endless secrets. Her gaze lingered particularly on the ancient ring on Xiao Yan's left hand and Xiao Yi Xian's dantian, the seven-colored divine light flickering slightly as if probing some unknown mystery.

"This place is not to be lingered in." She finally spoke, her voice clear and cold as an ice spring, carrying an unquestionable majesty and decisiveness. "Though that old ghost has retreated, there is no guarantee the Soul Hall does not have further schemes. The space in the Desert of Buried Immortals is chaotic; staying here too long invites variables. We must leave at once."

"Her Majesty the Queen is right!" Yue Mei's voice came from afar, filled with a respect so intense it bordered on trembling. She had been watching the peak nervously, and only now, seeing the situation stabilize, did she dare to hurry forward. "Elder Xiao, Young Master Yan, Lady Xiao Yi Xian, please follow Her Majesty back to the oasis! The Ten Thousand Dragon-Phoenix Pagoda has been forged, and the oasis's defenses are no longer what they once were. It is as solid as a copper wall and an iron bastion, enough to shelter everyone for a peaceful recovery!"

Xiao Zhan nodded slightly, forcibly suppressing the roiling blood within him. He cast a gaze at the summit of the Demon Peak, now completely swallowed by the Chaos Demon Flame with no trace of immortal light remaining, a flicker of pain and heaviness crossing his eyes. The third core fragment had, in the end, been shattered and reduced to nothingness. But for now, returning alive was the most urgent priority.

"Let us go!" Xiao Zhan said in a deep voice, his tone revealing an unquestionable decisiveness.

Queen Medusa said no more; she raised her jade hand and slashed lightly at the void!

Rip—!

A stable spatial passage, its edges flowing with seven-colored light, appeared before them as if torn open by the hand of a god! Inside the passage, there were no violent, raging turbulences, only the gentle flow of spatial energy, radiating stable and peaceful ripples. This was a manifestation of having reached an extremely high level of mastery over the laws of space, showcasing Queen Medusa's extraordinary strength!

"Follow." Queen Medusa's figure flickered, and she was the first to step into the passage, leaving a dreamlike and brilliant trail of seven-colored light behind her, like a fairy walking upon the clouds.

Xiao Zhan took a deep breath, forcing himself to rally his spirits, and followed closely behind, his steps firm and powerful. Xiao Yan helped up the still-lethargic Xiao Yi Xian, and the three of them quickly stepped into the spatial passage, as if entering a brand-new world. Yue Mei entered last, and the entrance closed silently amidst the seven-colored light, as if it had never existed, leaving behind only peace and tranquility.

Inside the spatial passage, the boundaries of time and space seemed to be veiled by a thin layer of gauze, becoming blurred and ethereal. The barrier of the passage, woven from seven-colored light, flowed with a dreamlike luster, like a gorgeous ribbon that completely isolated the violent, chaotic spatial turbulence outside. The interior was exceptionally stable, with only faint spatial ripples brushing against their bodies, bringing a subtle, indescribable sensation.

Xiao Yan supported Xiao Yi Xian, feeling the pure and profound spatial energy within the passage, and could not help but be shocked by the immense power Queen Medusa was currently displaying. He lifted his eyes to look ahead, where two figures walked side by side.

Though Father Xiao Zhan's aura was slightly weak, his posture remained as straight as a pine, his blood-stained green robes only adding to his mountain-like steadiness, as if he were an unshakeable monument. And Queen Medusa... she wore her seven-colored palace attire, shimmering with light, every step landing as if upon a lotus platform in the void. She was noble and majestic, yet carried a breathtaking, cold beauty, like a fairy stepped out of a painting. Though the two exchanged no words, the tacit understanding born from surviving life and death together, combined with the deep-seated concern in Xiao Zhan's eyes and Queen Medusa's seemingly cold yet subtly protective care, stirred a strange warmth and stability in Xiao Yan's heart. It seemed... something was quietly changing.

Xiao Yi Xian leaned against Xiao Yan's arm, her purple-gold eyes slightly closed as she silently adjusted her breathing, digesting the vast information and power brought by the purple-gold brand within her Poison Pill. She could feel Queen Medusa's gaze occasionally sweeping over her; it was not a look of scrutiny, but rather one of... confirmation? It carried a hint of resonance with an aura of the same origin but a higher level. Was it because of that purple-gold brand originating from the core of the Immortal Hall? She pondered silently to herself.

The journey through the passage was not long. After only a moment, the seven-colored light ahead flared brilliantly, like the rising sun, illuminating the path forward!

Snake Abyss Oasis, core area.

The moment they stepped out of the spatial passage, the scene before them left both Xiao Zhan and Xiao Yan stunned, as if they had been transported into a dreamlike world!

A magnificent tower, a hundred zhang tall and flowing with the metallic luster of earth-yellow, stood in the center of the oasis like a pillar supporting the heavens! The tower had nine levels, with flying eaves, bracket sets, and intricately carved beams and pillars; every detail revealed the meticulous craftsmanship and extraordinary momentum of its creator! Countless lifelike dragon-shaped reliefs coiled around the tower, and totems of spreading phoenixes were inscribed upon it, radiating an ancient, primordial aura as if telling tales of thousand-year-old legends! Vast and pure Earth Vein Dragon Qi flowed within the tower like a docile river, and the dense spiritual energy had almost condensed into tangible mist, permeating the entire core area of the oasis and making one feel as if they were in a fairyland!