Although the Explosive Origin Pill was powerful, its side effects were considerable, and it placed extremely high demands on one's physical cultivation.
The higher one's physical cultivation, the milder the side effects. If one's physical cultivation was equal to or greater than one's enhanced magical cultivation, the side effects of the Explosive Origin Pill could be ignored.
Moreover, if one's physical cultivation was a full major realm below one's magical cultivation, the Explosive Origin Pill would make one's body burst apart.
With Hong Yun's current physical strength, he wouldn't be blown apart, but he would be left weak for three years after the pill wore off.
"If I don't fight, I die. I might as well fight!"
A resolute glint flashed in Hong Yun's eyes. He swallowed the Explosive Origin Pill, and the Red Cloud Dao Scripture began circulating on its own. A torrent of berserk magical power surged through his limbs and bones.
In an instant, Hong Yun's aura soared. His magical power surged violently, shooting into the skies, and his cultivation rose straight to Peak Primordial Unity Golden Immortal.
Boom! Rumble—
Hong Yun shattered the cave ceiling with a single palm strike and shot into the sky, bursting out of the cave.
"He's out!"
The Golden-Winged Great Peng was the first to spot Hong Yun.
As soon as Hong Yun emerged, eager to claim credit, the Golden-Winged Great Peng beat his wings and charged.
This time, he wasn't careless like before. He unleashed his strongest divine ability at once.
Two golden blades of light shot from his golden wings, slashing down at Hong Yun with the force to cut through everything.
Hong Yun's expression didn't change. The Ice Soul Sword left its sheath, and a blue sword arc surged to meet them. The sword arc collided with the blades of light, unleashing a deafening boom.
The shock wave swept away the thick fog around them, revealing a patch of sky, but the mist quickly closed in again.
The Golden-Winged Great Peng staggered back dozens of paces, shock flashing in his eyes. "Impossible!"
Before, Hong Yun's magical power hadn't been much stronger than his. Now, it had grown so much.
A single sword strike had broken his Golden-Wing Divine Ability.
"Great Peng, he took some kind of pill to force out his potential. He won't last long!" Fire Phoenix had seen through Hong Yun's condition and spoke in a grave voice.
Hong Yun said nothing. His goal was to break through the encirclement, not to get bogged down fighting these powerful avian creatures.
After knocking back the Golden-Winged Great Peng, he turned into a streak of light and sped toward the depths of the Azure Parasol Mountain Range.
"Quick! Stop him!"
At Fire Phoenix's command, three Early Taiyi Golden Immortals attacked at once. Three streams of Phoenix Truefire intertwined into a net of flames, blocking Hong Yun's path.
A ruthless glint flashed in Hong Yun's eyes. An Ice Soul Divine Thunder shot from his sleeve.
The Ice Soul Divine Thunder struck the center of the fiery net with pinpoint accuracy. Boom! It exploded.
The terrifying cold wave collided with the Phoenix Truefire, unleashing a violent surge of energy.
The impact tore a gap in the fiery net, and Hong Yun seized the chance to slip through.
"Damn it! That thing again!"
Fire Phoenix's face turned livid.
He hadn't expected Hong Yun to have another Ice Soul Divine Thunder, and this one seemed even more powerful than the last.
The sight of the Ice Soul Divine Thunder's power made the Golden-Winged Great Peng shudder. He'd already suffered from one before and knew just how dangerous it was.
"After him! He can't have gone far!"
Fire Phoenix gave the order and took off in pursuit, with the other four powerful avian creatures close behind.
Hong Yun flew frantically ahead. The Explosive Origin Pill's effects were rapidly fading. He had to break through the encirclement before they wore off; otherwise, he'd be meat on the chopping board.
The Azure Parasol Mountain Range was vast. Hong Yun had only stayed on its outskirts before, and Fire Phoenix and the others had sealed off every route except deeper into the mountains. He had no choice but to press on.
As the Azure Parasol Ancestor's cultivation grounds, the depths of the Azure Parasol Mountain Range were far more dangerous than its outskirts.
But this was Hong Yun's only way out alive.
Realizing what Hong Yun intended, Fire Phoenix gritted his teeth and used the Blood-Burning Secret Art, closing in on Hong Yun with a burst of speed.
"Bald Daoist, hand over the Parasol Tree!"
Fire Phoenix spat out a stream of flames that transformed into a phoenix of fire and pounced on Hong Yun.
Hong Yun didn't meet the attack head-on. He flashed aside, dodging the fiery phoenix, and swung the Ice Soul Sword dozens of times. Sword energy shot toward Fire Phoenix from every angle.
Fire Phoenix beat his wings and blocked every sword strike. Just as he was about to attack again, an Ice Soul Divine Thunder suddenly appeared right in front of him.
Boom! Rumble—
A fierce cold wave erupted again. Fire Phoenix froze stiff, his movements sluggish. Hong Yun seized the opening, swept past him, and charged into the depths of the Azure Parasol Mountain Range.
Phoenix Truefire dispelled the chill. Fire Phoenix trembled with rage—this was a total humiliation.
"Pass down the order: pursue this scoundrel with all your might!"
Fire Phoenix roared furiously. "Whoever captures him will be personally rewarded by me before the clan chief!"
Fire Phoenix's voice echoed across the sky, carrying for millions of miles. The Golden-Winged Great Peng and the other three let out cries, summoning more reinforcements.
After entering the depths of the Azure Parasol Mountain Range, Hong Yun continued flying inward. He could feel that the pursuers behind him weren't thinning out; their numbers were growing.
This won't do. I have to find somewhere to hide. Hong Yun thought.
Hong Yun fled with his head down, unaware that obscure patterns of formation had appeared along the path he'd flown. The entire Azure Parasol Mountain Range was beginning to change.
Suddenly, Hong Yun sensed something. It was as if some unseen force were pulling him. Could it be an opportunity?
At the thought, Hong Yun immediately changed direction and flew toward the source of the sensation.
Following that strange pull, Hong Yun unknowingly avoided many of the formation traps throughout the Azure Parasol Mountain Range.
Fire Phoenix and the others, following behind Hong Yun, repeatedly triggered formations. They faced sudden killing arrays, labyrinth arrays, and illusion arrays, suffering casualties along the way.
After flying for most of the day, Hong Yun finally reached the place he'd sensed. It was a nameless barren mountain. Delight filled his heart, and he sped toward it.
Just as he was about to reach the mountain, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
That figure hadn't flown there. Hong Yun couldn't understand how, but it had stepped straight out of space.
It was a snow-white Immortal Crane, several times larger than an ordinary one. Its wingspan stretched a hundred zhang, and an air of indifference radiated from its entire body.
The instant he saw the Immortal Crane, Hong Yun stiffened. It hadn't revealed its aura, yet he was trembling from head to toe, as if even his soul had frozen.
"Great... Great Luo Golden Immortal..."
Through clenched teeth, Hong Yun roared inwardly. The Phoenix Clan's Great Luo Golden Immortal had finally decided to step in.
This Immortal Crane was a true Great Luo Golden Immortal. Though it had only broken through to Great Luo in terms of magical power, it was still a Great Luo Golden Immortal—someone a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal could never contend with.
Hong Yun's heart sank. What he'd feared most had happened. Against a Great Luo Golden Immortal, even a hundred lives wouldn't be enough.
The Immortal Crane watched Hong Yun in silence, its eyes devoid of emotion, as if it were looking at an ant.
"Were you the one who stole the Parasol Tree?"
Hong Yun clenched his teeth and answered gravely, "This junior merely came upon the Parasol Tree by chance. I did not steal it from the Phoenix Clan."
Hong Yun did his best to stay calm, but the hand gripping the Ice Soul Sword trembled slightly.
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