Visiting Undying Volcano

"Regarding our brothers' future development: because of this matter, we have formed no small grudge with Hongjun. He is stronger than any one of us. Only by staying together can we be safe. So, from now on, whenever we travel, all of us brothers will move together."

Although Dijiang knew that Hongjun's thoughts would likely be focused on attaining sainthood next, leaving him no time to bother with them, they still had to be cautious.

"The second matter is that, apart from me having the Creation Jade Disk when we were born, none of you have a companion Spirit Treasure."

Dijiang paused. In truth, none of the brothers had one. It was only because he had already displayed the Creation Jade Disk before them that he had called it his companion Spirit Treasure.

"So our top priority now is to find at least one Spirit Treasure suited to each brother's attributes. I already have leads for Zhu Rong and Gonggong: the Dragon Clan and the Phoenix Clan. A starved camel is still bigger than a horse, and their territories are the Four Seas and Undying Volcano respectively. Most of their people cultivate the Water Law and Flame Law, so treasures of those types should be relatively plentiful. As for the treasures for our other brothers, we can only try our luck while exploring the Primordial World."

"We'll listen to Big Brother." Zhu Jiuyin spoke steadily.

"Same here!" Zhu Rong and Gonggong spoke at the same time.

"Zhu Rong, I clearly said that first."

"Gonggong, just because you say you said it first means you said it first? I say I said it first."

"What, not convinced? Want to have a spar? I won't use the Sea-Calming Divine Pearl, so you don't go making excuses for yourself after you lose." The more Gonggong spoke, the more worked up he became. He even rose to his feet and rolled up his sleeves, waiting only for Zhu Rong to answer the call before fighting a great battle.

On the other side, Zhu Rong paid Gonggong no heed whatsoever. "Fine, let's spar! Who's afraid of who?"

"Enough. Stop fooling around."

At last, Dijiang appeared between them. He exerted the power of space upon them, forcibly suppressing them.

"My fault, Big Brother."

Zhu Rong and Gonggong spoke in unison once more.

After speaking, they did not continue arguing. They exchanged a glance, snorted coldly, and turned their heads away in opposite directions.

Dijiang could only sigh helplessly at the sight. Water and fire were naturally at odds, and it suited Zhu Rong and Gonggong perfectly. Still, they only bickered; under Dijiang's suppression, they had not come to blows.

Seeing that the two brothers, Zhu Rong and Gonggong, had settled down, Dijiang continued.

"We'll go to Undying Volcano first."

"Undying Volcano?"

The moment Zhu Rong heard that, his eyes lit up.

"Big Brother, are we going to raid the Phoenix Clan's old nest? Wonderful! I still haven't settled the score with those two old bastards from last time!"

Gonggong gave a cold laugh from the side. "Is that all the ambition you have? The Phoenix Clan may have gone into seclusion, but its foundation remains. Origin Phoenix is even suppressing Undying Volcano with her own body. Do you really think she's made of mud?"

"What would a watered-down fraud like you know?" Zhu Rong glared at Gonggong. "Since Big Brother says we're going, he must be confident!"

Dijiang shook his head helplessly as he watched the two begin bickering again.

"Enough. Both of you, say less."

Dijiang's expression turned solemn as he said in a deep voice, "Although the Phoenix Clan has gone into seclusion, as Gonggong said, a starved camel is still bigger than a horse. We are not going there to exterminate their clan. We are going to 'borrow' a treasure."

"Borrow a treasure?" The Ancestral Witches looked at one another.

"That's right."

A meaningful smile curved Dijiang's lips. "Origin Phoenix is suppressing Undying Volcano with her own body, sorting out the earthly flames. Although she has preserved the Phoenix Clan's bloodline, she herself is enduring immense pain and the backlash of karmic burden. We are going there to make a deal with her."

"What deal?" Zhu Jiuyin keenly caught the deeper meaning in Dijiang's words.

"We will use our methods to help lessen the pressure of suppressing the earthly flames, in exchange for supreme fire-attributed treasures from the Phoenix Clan's treasury!"

Confidence gleamed in Dijiang's eyes.

If Zhu Rong's Flame Law and Houtu's Earth Law joined forces, sorting out the earthly flames would be as easy as taking something from one's hand.

Not only would it ease Origin Phoenix's burden, Houtu and Zhu Rong could also gain a share of merit for helping.

"So that's how it is!"

The Ancestral Witches suddenly understood. This deal would bring steady profit without any loss!

"Time waits for no one. We depart at once."

Dijiang wasted no more time. With a sweep of his sleeve, silver Space Law instantly enveloped the Twelve Ancestral Witches.

"Whoosh!"

Space folded, and the figures of the Twelve Ancestral Witches vanished from Pangu Hall.

Southern Continent, Undying Volcano.

This had once been the most prosperous and scorching sacred land in the Primordial World, yet it was now shrouded in endless Tribulation Aura and karmic burden, bleak and oppressive.

Among the volcanic ranges stretching for hundreds of millions of miles, dark-red magma erupted from time to time—the sign of violent upheaval in the earthly flames.

At the deepest point of Undying Volcano, a huge mass of Southern Bright Flame flickered with difficulty. Within its firelight, the phantom of a colossal fire phoenix could faintly be seen. It was Origin Phoenix, suppressing the earthly flames with her own body.

"Cough..."

The fire phoenix phantom let out a pained groan, and the glow of the Southern Bright Flame dimmed further.

"Clan Chief!"

Several Phoenix Clan elders guarding the volcano's outskirts wore expressions of grief, yet there was nothing they could do.

Just then, the void above Undying Volcano suddenly twisted violently.

"Who goes there?!"

The Phoenix Clan elders were horrified. They each summoned their magic treasures, facing the threat as though confronting a great enemy.

The Phoenix Clan had now gone into seclusion, and their clan chief was eternally suppressing Undying Volcano. Although the clan still had Vermilion Bird, a Primordial Golden Immortal, anyone who dared come knocking at this time was certainly no ordinary person. They all understood just how deep the waters of the Primordial World ran. Even their clan chief was not considered among the strongest. If someone no weaker than their ancestor had come, they would have no power to resist.

"Whoosh!"

Space split open, and Dijiang led the eleven Ancestral Witches calmly out.

Though the terrifying pressure of twelve Primordial Golden Immortals was restrained, the heavy aura originating from Pangu's bloodline still made the Phoenix Clan elders below feel as though they could not breathe.

"It's you?!"

One of the Phoenix Clan elders recognized Dijiang and the others. They were the culprits who had instantly slain two of their Late Great Principal elders in the Ten Thousand Mountains all those years ago!

"Enemy attack! Activate the clan-protecting grand formation!"

The elder let out a shrill roar, and countless crimson formation patterns instantly lit up across all of Undying Volcano.

"Too noisy."

Dijiang frowned slightly and merely waved a hand.

"Space, imprison."

Buzz—!

The space within a million miles instantly solidified. The formation patterns that had just lit up became like flames frozen in ice, unable to operate in the slightest.

Several Phoenix Clan elders were pinned rigidly in midair, unable to move even a finger.

"Fellow Daoist Origin Phoenix, is this the Phoenix Clan's way of receiving guests?"

Dijiang ignored those elders and instead directed his gaze toward the mass of Southern Bright Flame deep within the volcano, his calm voice carrying inward.

"Boom!"

Deep within the volcano, the Southern Bright Flame churned violently. Origin Phoenix's weak yet still imposing voice rang out.

"Who are you?"