However, the Nether Crow quickly realized that it would be following Han Xuanji from now on anyway.
Wouldn't it be better if Han Xuanji were stronger?
This time, I've really latched onto an incredibly powerful patron!
Forget about regaining my strength, living a life of luxury and dominating the immortal Immortal Realm will be a piece of cake!
I'd rather die than give up on this powerful figure!
Thinking this, the Nether Crow suddenly pounced at Han Xuanji's feet, its voice extremely obsequious:
"My lord! My reverence for you is as boundless as the waters of the Nether Sea! From this day forward, you will be my guiding light, my second parents! If you tell me to go east, I will never go west! If you tell me to catch fish, I will never chase chickens!"
Jiang Hao had already gotten used to Han Xuanji's power, but for a moment he couldn't find the right words to describe it.
This being's power far surpassed his, and it was even difficult to judge his realm, yet before Han Xuanji, he was as vulnerable as a clay chicken or a clay dog!
Just how far has Senior Brother Han progressed?
It seems that what I knew before was only the tip of the iceberg of his strength.
Jiang Hao sighed inwardly, feeling that repaying the debt of gratitude was now a distant dream.
When and how long will it take for me to grow to that level?
Han You's reaction was the most direct. In his world, the concepts of good and evil, strength and weakness were pure, and the power that Han Xuanji displayed made him feel extremely at ease.
As expected of his father... master!
Han Xuanji remained calm and composed in the face of everyone's reactions. He looked calmly at the excited and barely restrained Nether Crow and said indifferently:
"Don't be alarmed, and don't resist."
"Yes!"
The Nether Crow nodded vigorously and closed its eyes.
Han Xuanji said no more, his gaze sharp as he looked at the sky.
He formed a mysterious Law Seals in front of his chest and struck the Nether Crow.
"O soul, return!"
He uttered four ancient and profound Daoist sounds, each word seemingly containing the supreme power of words becoming law, resounding directly in the realm of cause and effect and the Unseen!
In an instant, the wind and clouds changed color, and the Nether Sea boiled!
Centered on Nine Nether Island, the entire Nether Sea seemed to be stirred up by an invisible giant hand!
The somber waters of the Nether Sea surged with towering waves, startling countless beings lurking throughout the Nether Sea, who let out uneasy roars.
At this moment, the Wall of Sighs that stretched between the Nether Sea and the Land of Returning to the Ruins began to shake, and the countless dark gold chains binding the Nine Nether Dao-Devouring Phoenix emitted a clanging sound as they could no longer bear the weight.
As Han Xuanji thought for a moment, countless fine, yet extremely refined, black streaks of light instantly emanated from the body of the Nether Crow.
At the same time, the countless Nether Crow scattered throughout the Nether Sea all felt the pull of this power. They shared the same memories and were all willing to comply without resistance.
In the blink of an eye, the remaining ninety-eight remnant souls began to converge on the Nether Crow.
The Nether Crow let out a long, extremely pleasant cry.
"Bah!"
A cry that seemed to have been suppressed for countless ages suddenly erupted.
Han Xuanji slowly withdrew the seal and said calmly:
"The ninety-nine remnant souls have been gathered. The next step is to send you into the main body and reclaim your power."
The Nether Crow opened its eyes and felt as if it had become... a little stronger!
Jiang Hao looked at the unchanging Nether Crow and joked:
"Nothing has changed."
"Hey! What do you know, you brat!"
The Nether Crow immediately bristled, its neck stiffening as it cried out.
"Lord Crow, I'm currently in a state of inner radiance, returning to my original, unadorned state! My true power is surging deep within my soul! Once I reclaim my original body and regain even a fraction of my former glory, I'll scare you to death!"
Although it spoke toughly, its small eyes were fixed on Han Xuanji with eager anticipation.
In Han Xuanji's vision, the opponent's inner soul form had undergone a tremendous change; it was a dark phoenix phantom exuding a suffocating pressure!
Although it is much weaker than at its peak, its essence is not much different from that of the sealed original body.
Han Xuanji ignored the bickering between the two and looked solemnly at the enormous figure bound by countless chains.
At this moment, as the ninety-nine remnant souls merged into one, the Nine Nether Dao-Devouring Phoenix's true form also began to possess a life force.
"Concentrate, calm your mind, and focus on your origin."
Han Xuanji gave Nether Crow a few instructions, then formed hand seals again. This time, the Law Seals were more complex and ancient, drawing upon the remaining core power of the entire Reincarnation Devil-Refining Grand Formation, and even mobilizing a Nether Sea Origin Power.
He pointed his fingers like a sword, gently tapped the Nether Crow, and whispered:
"Go!"
In an instant, the solidified dark phoenix soul phantom of the Nether Crow transformed into a stream of light, like a fledgling returning to its nest, or a sharp arrow piercing through the void, directly penetrating the core of that enormous dark shadow!
"Buzz!"
The moment the soul merged with the physical body, the entire Nine Nether Island, and even the entire Nether Sea, trembled violently.
That figure, silent for millennia, was infused with a true soul and came to life!
"Bah!"
A phoenix cry, far more resonant than when the remnant souls had gathered, suddenly erupted!
The sound waves transformed into tangible black ripples, sweeping in all directions and causing the thick, dark gold chains to tremble wildly, emitting a metallic clang!
At the same time, in various parts of the Immortal Realm, and even in some unknown hidden places, several ancient beings simultaneously sensed this.
In the Immortal Realm, high above the nine heavens, inside a floating celestial palace.
An elderly man in white robes, who was playing chess, suddenly stopped what he was doing, stood up abruptly, and looked through the Endless Void towards the direction of the Nether Sea, his expression solemn:
"The primordial chaos of the Nether Sea... Could it be that an unparalleled being has used heaven-defying methods to disrupt reincarnation and achieve a rebirth against all odds?"
He then attempted to deduce the secrets of heaven, but found them to be completely Chaos, and he could not deduce anything at all.
Inside the ancient remains slumbering somewhere in the Nether Sea.
A pair of enormous eyes, like blood-red lakes, slowly opened, uttering a deep, muffled whisper:
"Who... is this force... so unfamiliar and powerful..."
Even in the Land of Reincarnation, some indistinct beings were exchanging information.
"Who released that guy?"
"The secrets of heaven are shrouded in mist; one can only vaguely sense a power that transcends the rules and is controlling everything... Could it be the work of some reclusive Dao Venerable?"
"Not to be spied on, not to be mentioned..."
These powerful beings, standing at the pinnacle of the Immortal Realm, all used their divination Divine Ability to try and uncover the source of the anomaly.
However, when their divine senses touched the Land of Returning to the Ruins, the secrets of heaven were completely disrupted, the threads of cause and effect became blurred, and they could only feel a magnificent power enveloping everything.
Some speculate that a supreme expert is behind this.
Similar thoughts arose in the minds of these powerful beings, causing them to remain silent and in awe of the changes in the Nether Sea, and not daring to intervene easily.
Some people guessed that it might be the legendary ancient ferocious beast Nine Nether Dao-Devouring Phoenix, breaking its seal, but they had no idea who helped it break the seal and could only secretly guess at the other party's identity.
Only a handful of people can accomplish this; they are none other than a few figures who stand at the pinnacle of the Immortal Realm.