[Respectfully inviting the Stone Emperor to descend? Your expression grew somewhat solemn, but you did not panic.
You had anticipated all of this long ago.
The Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Clan certainly knew you would return and could not possibly have made no preparations.
You had long considered the possibility that they would ask the Stone Clan's Dou Di to act.
Otherwise, you would not have spent so long building up your strength before returning to the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Clan.
Just as your Ancient Heavenly Phoenix maternal grandfather prepared to welcome the Stone Emperor, you charged forward without the slightest hesitation, unleashing your utmost speed.
You moved so fast that even your afterimages vanished, as though you had suddenly blinked into place.
Your Ancient Heavenly Phoenix maternal grandfather failed to react. His eyes had only just widened when he felt sharp claws carrying spatial power pierce his heart.
At the same time, the Stone Clan's Dou Di shouted, "Stop, you beast!"
You ignored him entirely. Your innate beast flame ignited on your claws and exploded directly inside your Ancient Heavenly Phoenix maternal grandfather's body.
He summoned all his beast flame to resist, only to discover that the beast flame he took such pride in was like ordinary fire encountering heavenly flames before yours, utterly powerless to resist.
The flames burned through and destroyed his internal organs, tearing a massive hole in his chest, seemingly about to burn him entirely to ashes.
Unwilling to waste him, you opened your mouth and swallowed him whole.
At the same time, an attack struck your back, landing on your Dragon Emperor Armor and instantly spreading cracks across it. This was the first time you had encountered someone capable of breaching your Dragon Emperor Armor's defenses.
You turned around and saw that figure of unremarkable stature. You recognized him: the Stone Clan's Dou Di.
He stared at you with hostility and said coldly, "You beast. How dare you let this emperor's words blow past your ears like the wind?"
You looked at him and, after two seconds of silence, said, "Dumbass."
Such blunt, vulgar words stunned the Stone Clan's Dou Di for an instant, followed by boundless fury.
He cursed back at you several times, clenched his fist, and struck at you with the power of heaven and earth.
You neither dodged nor evaded, likewise clenching your fist and returning his punch.
You actually fought him to a standstill, leaving the Stone Clan's Dou Di utterly shocked. In disbelief, he said, "Although a Dragon Phoenix at its peak need not fear a Dou Di, that only means it can preserve its life before one. You haven't even reached your peak. How could you possibly possess such terrifying strength?"
You did not answer him, but you knew perfectly well where your strength came from.
Both the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Clan and the Ancient Void Dragon Clan possessed what were called royal bloodlines.
Born with the royal bloodlines of both races, you had also consumed the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, fully awakening the bloodlines within you. Thus, the Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline that had formed within your body was a Dragon Phoenix Royal Bloodline surpassing that of an ordinary Dragon Phoenix, capable of unleashing terrifying strength beyond the norm.
Just as now, despite being only a mid-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng, you could contend with this Stone Clan Dou Di.
Afterward, you fought for a long time.
As a Dou Di, not only did he possess a powerful body, but his soul power had also reached the Emperor Realm, and he had mastered several high-level Heaven Tier Dou Techniques as well as one Emperor Tier Dou Technique.
As a magical beast, your soul was your weakness, and even being a Dragon Phoenix did not make you an exception. However, you had also learned the Ancient Void Dragon Clan's skill of dispersing the soul and merging it into the flesh, making it extremely difficult to target and kill your soul.
By playing to your strengths and avoiding your weaknesses this way, you relied on the Ancient Void Dragon Clan's powerful body and spatial power, along with the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix Clan's supreme speed and Heaven-Burning Beast Flame, to battle the Stone Clan's Dou Di for three full days.
The Heavenly Phoenix Small World collapsed under your battle. You fought from the small world into the void, then from the void into the Central Plains, destroying countless buildings.
Everyone watched your battle.
The Dragon Phoenix's power profoundly shocked every human and magical beast.
They had never imagined that a Dou Di, who could easily erase a late-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng, would remain unable to subdue a mid-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng magical beast for so long.
Not only could he not subdue you, but as time passed, your endurance as a magical beast even allowed you to gain the upper hand.
When all Dou Qi was exhausted and the contest became one of pure physical strength, you completely suppressed him.
Having lost all face, the Stone Clan's Dou Di developed murderous intent toward you, but he could do nothing to you and could only choose to flee for the time being.
As he fled, you bit and tore with all your strength, ripping off one of his entire legs and swallowing it.
The battle ended with a tiger's head and a snake's tail. You returned to your cave to recuperate and digest your Ancient Heavenly Phoenix maternal grandfather and the Dou Di's leg inside you.]
[Year 120: You completely digested your Ancient Heavenly Phoenix maternal grandfather and the Dou Di's leg. Not only had your injuries fully healed, but your cultivation had also drawn closer to the late Nine-Star Dou Sheng stage.
You emerged from seclusion and saw Shi Huang waiting for you in the cave.
He told you that the Stone Realm had been completely sealed off, and the Stone Clan's Dou Di seemed to be plotting something.
You took this to heart, hesitating between cutting through the tangled mess with a swift blade by storming the Stone Realm and raising your cultivation further. In the end, you chose the latter.
Shi Huang left after delivering the news. Before you knew it, his cultivation had already broken through to Five-Star Dou Sheng. You did not know what great opportunity he had obtained.]
[Year 130: You became active on the Dou Qi Continent again, beginning to search for all kinds of natural treasures.
After your battle with the Stone Emperor, you had become the strongest known figure on the Dou Qi Continent. Behind the scenes, perhaps only the great Emperor Clans possessed means of harming you.
You began plundering resources wantonly across the entire Dou Qi Continent, mercilessly devouring any factions that dared obstruct or oppose you.
But likewise, you also granted protection to those factions and individuals who submitted.
At the end of the year, you took out all the resources you had plundered over the past ten years and entered seclusion to absorb them.]
[Year 132: Your resources were exhausted, yet your cultivation had not improved much.
You understood that the resources on the Dou Qi Continent were no longer of much use to you.
At your level, improving your cultivation basically required the accumulation of time.
You had a long lifespan and could slowly advance to the late Nine-Star Dou Sheng stage with time, but you were unwilling to do so.
You had a premonition that you and the Stone Emperor were competing in a race whose progress was hidden from view. Whichever of you achieved a breakthrough or increased your strength first would leave the other with no path but death.
For this reason, you decided to change your disposition and brutally take the initiative.
You clearly remembered that, aside from you, the supreme magical beast, there were four magical beast overlords on the Dou Qi Continent: your Ancient Void Dragon paternal grandfather, your Ancient Heavenly Phoenix maternal grandfather, the Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python, and the rare Ancient Heavenly Snakes.
You had already devoured your Ancient Heavenly Phoenix maternal grandfather and the Nine-Colored Heaven Swallowing Python. Although your Ancient Void Dragon paternal grandfather had not been entirely sincere toward you, he had never harmed you either. Naturally, you would not be an ungrateful wolf, so your only target was the Ancient Heavenly Snakes.
You left the cave, heading straight for the Ancient Heavenly Snakes.]
Before you continue