This time, Qian Xunji hadn't brought anyone with him.
By the time he returned to Spirit City from the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, he would surely have become a Deity.
Douluo Continent, Sunset Forest.
The Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
"Your Holiness the Pope." Yue Guan was thrilled to see Qian Xunji. He had recently made a breakthrough in cultivating Immortal Herbs.
From now on, Spirit Hall would never be short of Immortal Herbs. Aside from Qian Xunji's children, there would be plenty to use on the gifted students of Spirit Hall Academy.
Qian Xunji nodded in response to Yue Guan's enthusiasm. He listened to Yue Guan's report first and praised him, then headed toward the fire spring.
Yue Guan knew His Holiness the Pope was going to cultivate again, so he didn't disturb Qian Xunji any further.
Beside the fire spring.
Qian Xunji had explored the two springs before and knew that the remains of the two Dragon Kings, one of ice and one of fire, lay beneath the water.
Now that he was about to become a Deity, there was no need for him to linger near the surface.
He descended steadily. Three full days passed, and he was already three thousand zhang deep. All around him, only waves of scorching heat remained.
No one below the rank of Super Douluo could set foot here.
Qian Xunji's view suddenly opened up. Once again, he had arrived at the resting place of the Fire Dragon King's remains.
The Fire Dragon King's body was enormous. A rough estimate put its length from head to tail at no less than a thousand meters.
Although it had been dead for many years, its remains still brimmed with divinity. After all, it had been a God King Realm powerhouse, a being that had touched the very laws of existence.
From a distance, a sword wound that pierced straight into its chest was horrifying to behold.
But that wasn't the Fire Dragon King's fatal wound.
Soul Beasts had far greater vitality than humans. Even if their hearts were pierced, they could cling to life for a while.
If they encountered a Soul Beast with healing abilities and didn't die on the spot, they might recover after a few years and come back full of vigor.
And the Dragon Clan was among the very best of the Soul Beasts.
The Fire Dragon King's true injuries had come from its spirit. Only severe damage to its spirit could have left behind a corpse still so brimming with divinity.
Qian Xunji didn't rush to search for the Fire Dragon King's Godhead as he gazed at its remains.
He had come up with a whole new idea.
He no longer wanted to limit himself to a Godhead.
After all, the Fire Dragon King had been a God King in life. Even if less than a tenth of its divine power remained, its body was still a genuine God King's body.
If he could claim the Fire Dragon King's body for his own, then with a God King-level physique, he would have a means of protecting himself even against the Sea God.
At the very least, he wouldn't be killed with a single move by the Sea God.
And if he could replace the Fire Dragon King, it would be nothing but a boon to his plans involving Gu Yuena.
As for the gods of the Divine Realm?
Qian Xunji had already regarded them as enemies the moment he decided to keep a low profile and avoid going to the Divine Realm.
One day, he would kill every male Deity in the Divine Realm and leave only the female Deities alive.
He would turn the Divine Realm into his private garden for seduction.
In the past, Qian Xunji truly couldn't have possessed the Fire Dragon King's body for his own use.
But ever since he met Huang and acquired the Ancient Phoenix Seal and Ancient Phoenix Method from her, anything had become possible.
The highest mystery of the Ancient Phoenix Method was rebirth through nirvana in fire.
Once he reached the Deity level, he could fully wield it.
Qian Xunji wasn't a Deity yet, but his body, soul, and the power within him had all reached the Deity level. He could just barely perform Nirvana Rebirth.
As for the fire, there was no place on the entire Douluo Continent more suitable than the fire spring.
Everything was ready. All that remained was to put his idea into practice.
Qian Xunji calmed his excitement and sat cross-legged beside the Fire Dragon King's remains.
He began to use the Ancient Phoenix Method to activate the Ancient Phoenix Seal.
Divine Fire from all around began to gather toward Qian Xunji, forming a sphere.
Within the sphere was the phantom image of an ancient phoenix.
Qian Xunji had already unleashed the Nirvana Divine Skill.
Divine Fire from all around surged into the sphere at tremendous speed.
As the Divine Fire poured in, the ancient phoenix's phantom gradually took on a more solid form.
As time passed, Qian Xunji's flesh began to melt, followed by his sinews and bones.
Half a year later.
By now, Qian Xunji's body had long since disappeared from within the sphere. All that remained was the consciousness that had crossed into this world.
Everything that had made up Qian Xunji had turned into a source flame, including his Martial Soul, the Six-Winged Angel, and his soul.
Though it was only flame, its vitality was extraordinarily vast and tenacious.
Nirvana was complete. Next came rebirth.
Qian Xunji guided the sphere straight into the Fire Dragon King's body.
It entered at the heart.
Once inside the Fire Dragon King's heart, the sphere began to disperse, spreading toward the bones, meridians, and flesh throughout its body.
Along with it flowed Qian Xunji's boundless vitality.
Nourished by this vitality, the sword wound on the Fire Dragon King's body healed before his very eyes. Its body, too, began to turn from death toward life.
Nine-tenths of the Fire Dragon King's body had come back to life. Only its head remained.
Qian Xunji proceeded with the utmost caution. This step wouldn't be easy; the slightest mistake could doom him forever.
The Fire Dragon King's head would be where Qian Xunji's consciousness and newly formed soul remained.
Qian Xunji began guiding the source flame toward the Fire Dragon King's head.
The Fire Dragon King's head began to revive.
A voice appeared within Qian Xunji's consciousness.
"I never thought my remnant soul would wake again."
"That's a familiar presence."
"Is that you, Senior Phoenix?"
"No. The Phoenix is dead, isn't it? You should know that."
"I thought not."
"The male is the Feng, and the female is the Huang."
"So you must be the Feng."
"I didn't expect you to survive."
"And to have met the Huang, too."
"Your luck was better than mine."
"By my reckoning, we're of the same generation."
"If the Dragon God hadn't acted on a whim back then, how could the Divine Realm have fallen into human hands?"
"There's no point in speaking of that now."
"Feng, you want my body, don't you?"
"I can give it to you, but I have one request."
"I know," Qian Xunji answered at once. "The dispute between you and the Dragon God back then was a personal grudge. I won't take it out on his descendants."
"Then I can rest easy. This remnant soul will be my thanks to you."
"I hope that one day you'll free the Soul Beasts from the shackles my father placed on them."
"That wasn't what he intended."
"Though he killed the Phoenix back then, he suffered a severe backlash himself."
"In the end, you and my father are alike. You're both leaders of the Soul Beasts."
"I will."
"Then I'll be on my way." The Fire Dragon King knew that the Phoenix had been incredibly proud. Even when split in two to become the Feng and the Huang, that pride had remained etched into their very bones.
If the Feng gave his word, he would surely keep it and see it through.
That was why the Fire Dragon King could rest easy.
The Fire Dragon King let his consciousness fade and gave his remnant soul to Qian Xunji.
Qian Xunji's soul realm immediately surged higher and higher.
The conversation between him and the Fire Dragon King had all come from old tales Huang had once told him.
Seven parts true, three parts false. The whole point was to get his hands on the Fire Dragon King's head.
With the Fire Dragon King's remnant soul taken care of, all that remained was to condense his own soul anew.
Once he condensed a soul, he could come back to life in the Fire Dragon King's body.
Before you continue