An enemy of the phoenix clan had successfully cursed a True Immortal of the Fallen Phoenix Clan. Worse still, the unlucky fellow had been transported into a spacetime rift that appeared by chance and fallen into the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, where there was no Longevity Substance. A True Immortal was no Red Dust Immortal. In this world, a Red Dust Immortal's body could produce Longevity Substance in an endless stream, but a True Immortal had no such ability.
Although a True Immortal could possess a nearly infinite lifespan in the Immortal Domain, here in the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, not only did the Longevity Substance in his body dwindle with every use, but, even more frighteningly, the Great Dao rules of the entire world suppressed him, preventing him from bringing out his full strength.
After making a series of calculations, he had set his sights on a Heavenly Venerable like Xiao Ping'an.
A reigning Heavenly Venerable like him.
By now, the Longevity Substance in his body was nearly exhausted, and the four Dark Blood Demon Supremes he had gone to such lengths to control had failed to kill Xiao Ping'an alongside the others.
Seeing that Xiao Ping'an was about to die, the Fallen Phoenix Clan's True Immortal grew anxious too.
If Xiao Ping'an truly died, his mark as the reigning Heavenly Venerable might become useless.
If Xiao Ping'an successfully lived a new lifetime, he might turn the tables and kill this Fallen Phoenix Clan expert.
Thus, after repeated calculations, he had struck at Xiao Ping'an's most desperate moment.
If not for the curse in that sea of blood, Xiao Ping'an might really have been cleaved to death by that single slash.
But Xiao Ping'an also saw that the sea of blood had begun to burn fiercely under the suppression of this world's Great Dao.
Even the blood-colored phoenix's arm had begun to look as though it were burning. Clearly, its Great Dao rules were being replaced with those of this world.
Moreover, the curse within the phoenix blood sea had also begun to burn fiercely under the suppression of the entire world, and was starting to collapse.
With the good news mixed with the bad, it amounted to no good news at all.
The blood-colored fallen phoenix held a blood-colored White Bone Saber, vowing to kill Xiao Ping'an and seize his mark as the reigning Heavenly Venerable and his essence blood, restoring his own True Immortal realm in this world and freeing himself from the terrible curse.
If he could refine this sea formed from true phoenix blood, perhaps he could go a step further.
A blood-colored saber light tore through the dark universe, eerie beyond measure.
This slash surpassed the understanding of the world. It truly was unparalleled, shaking all ages. That was an actual Immortal Artifact.
Although it was suppressed by the Great Dao rules of this world and its realm was falling rapidly, it could still barely maintain the power of a True Immortal-level Immortal Artifact for now.
The many Dark Supremes watched the True Immortal who had fallen from the Immortal Domain, their eyes all burning with interest.
That True Immortal had set his sights on Xiao Ping'an, while the Dark Supremes had set theirs on the gravely wounded True Immortal.
He was an expert of the Fallen Phoenix Clan, and the blood Qi and longevity essence in his body were so powerful and terrifying.
If those Dark Supremes obtained them, perhaps they would not need to devour living beings for a long time. They might undergo a startling transformation, perhaps even forcibly live a new lifetime and mend the cracks in their Immortal Platforms.
Moreover, the White Bone Saber was clearly an Immortal Artifact as well. If they carefully studied the immortal Dao runes within it, or became the weapon deity of that Immortal Artifact, perhaps they really would have a chance to live on indefinitely.
In a later age, the Azure Emperor once attempted a similar method. He forcibly suppressed the Immortal Artifact's deity of the Desolate Pagoda and replaced it as the pagoda's weapon deity, hoping to evolve an Immortal Domain within it. Although he failed, he benefited greatly, and many people wanted to study the method.
They watched Xiao Ping'an form seals with both hands, the Dao of time in his left and the Dao of space in his right. Countless Great Dao Runes appeared like a storm, carrying terrifying power of spacetime.
His hands continued forming seals, and countless Great Dao Runes fused into one.
This was a forbidden secret technique unique to Xiao Ping'an.
He struck the final, unified Great Dao Rune into the White Bone Saber, unleashing a terrifying storm that caused vast swathes of the universe to collapse.
A series of clangs rang out as flowers of the Spacetime Great Dao bloomed, and dazzling light burned fiercely.
A great collision took place there, tearing the universe apart and sending countless fragments of time flying.
Xiao Ping'an's Overlord Heaven Bell shot into the sky, and the weapon deity within it sent out a divine thought of inexplicable excitement.
He wanted to devour the White Bone Saber, that Immortal Artifact. He wanted to evolve into an Immortal Artifact himself.
The Overlord Heaven Bell bravely rammed the White Bone Saber. The myriad spirits of heaven and earth manifested, while countless immortal Dao runes from the Desolate Pagoda poured forth, bearing down on the White Bone Saber and bursting with the most brilliant radiance.
The Overlord Heaven Bell, which had yet to become an Immortal Artifact, was actually able to restrain the White Bone Saber. Although they fought on roughly equal terms, it was indeed locked in an inseparable struggle with the Immortal Artifact-level White Bone Saber, holding out against the damaged Immortal Artifact's attacks.
A True Immortal was hunting the Overlord Heavenly Venerable!
The news spread to every corner of the universe, shocking everyone.
Xiao Ping'an was already old and frail, visibly close to death. His blood Qi was severely depleted, and his longevity essence had suffered grievous losses.
Neither the True Immortal nor the Overlord Heavenly Venerable could fight at full strength.
The True Immortal was indeed powerful. Though gravely wounded and suppressed by the Great Dao rules of this world, he forced Xiao Ping'an to muster all his concentration just to contend with him.
Xiao Ping'an, who had barely been able to lift his eyelids, now appeared to have recovered the Overlord Heavenly Venerable's peak combat strength.
But the price was truly devastating.
What he was using now was all the longevity essence in his body.
This meant that not only did he have to finish the battle quickly, but even if the battle ended and he killed the True Immortal, he would very likely have exhausted the last of the longevity essence in his body.
The Fallen Phoenix Clan could be said to have been bold enough to defy the heavens. Back then, they had defected to the Foreign Land, and their Immortal King had been killed by the Gu Ancestor, who had feigned surrender.
Although the Desolate Heavenly Emperor later pacified the Foreign Land, he did not settle accounts with the Fallen Phoenix Clan, and even invited them to return to the Immortal Domain to live.
But the fallen phoenixes were extremely proud, and their pride came from their strength.
They were born with powerful bloodlines, much like the Undying Heavenly Emperor. Both came from the true Immortal Phoenix Bloodline, and although they had developed into different branches, if traced back far enough, they truly shared the same ancestor.
An expert of such strength put Xiao Ping'an under far too much pressure.
This fallen phoenix's bloodline looked very pure. He was probably among the foremost experts even in the Immortal Domain.
If he had not been suppressed by the Great Dao rules and wounded, Xiao Ping'an's current strength really would have made things difficult.
They fought for a day and a night, yet neither gained the upper hand.
Although only half the fallen phoenix's body could emerge to fight Xiao Ping'an, the presence he unleashed shook the entire Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
Almost all the Dark Supremes knew that a fallen phoenix had been stranded in this world, and that he was a True Immortal-level expert.
Many Dark Supremes had already begun secretly contacting one another, rubbing their fists and palms, eager to divide the fallen phoenix and his possessions among themselves.
At the critical moment when he was about to pass away and live a new lifetime, Xiao Ping'an had encountered such a terrifying attack. His luck was truly terrible.
Even though he was an incomparably powerful Heavenly Venerable whose might shook the world, he was truly tired now.
He forced himself to rally and used the longevity essence in his body to withstand the terrifying enemy.
The blood in his body had also begun to boil during the battle, almost bursting into flame.
Unless he was driven to the very last extremity, he truly did not want to burn the last of his origin essence blood and perish together with his enemy.
This battle shook the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands and was destined to be recorded in history.
The battle between the dying Xiao Ping'an and the True Immortal who had descended was unprecedented in its ferocity.
They fought until heaven crumbled and earth split.
Tyrant Body Ancestral Star.
Amid Primordial Life Stone and countless partially hidden Dao platforms, divine light flickered, and Immortal Source gave off an undying aura of longevity.
There was a mirror and a Jade Ruyi within, sleeping just like ordinary Extreme Dao Weapons.
Suddenly, a soul lamp beside them flickered between light and darkness, waking the mirror and the Jade Ruyi.
"Ping'an!" "Ping'an is in danger!"
Although Xiao Ping'an's two female confidantes had become the weapon deities of Extreme Dao Weapons and fallen into the deepest slumber, waves of alarm now gripped their hearts and forcibly woke them.
Seeing Xiao Ping'an's soul lamp looking as though it might go out, neither of them could sit still.
With a series of cracks, two pieces of Immortal Source exploded.
The phoenix blood red gold mirror and the Jade Ruyi fully awakened at once, soared into the sky, and flew into the Cosmic Frontier.
Two Extreme Dao Weapons followed them: a spear forged from Dao tribulation gold and a divine bell forged from Dao tribulation gold. They were weapons the Great Accomplishment Sacred Body had left to his two daughters, and Xiao Ping'an had long since refined them into top-tier Extreme Dao Weapons.
The awakened Great Accomplishment Sacred Body twins charged furiously into the Cosmic Frontier.
Xiao Ping'an's confrontation with this Fallen Phoenix True Immortal had already lasted two days and two nights.
A battle at this peak level consumed an astonishing amount.
The longer it dragged on, the worse it was for Xiao Ping'an.
At last, the battle ended.
The White Bone Saber followed the Fallen Phoenix True Immortal back into the blood sea, and both vanished from sight.
The White Bone Saber swept up some of Xiao Ping'an's blood and, radiating a blood-colored light, disappeared from this world.
The Great Dao laws in that blood would help the White Bone Saber become an Immortal Artifact again, and might also allow the phoenix True Immortal to undergo a nirvana transformation and adapt to the Great Dao rules of this world.
The blood-colored waterfall had yet to disappear, standing like a blood-colored forbidden zone.
Under the suppression of this world, the curse in the phoenix blood began to slowly fade.
Four Dark Supremes emerged almost simultaneously.
They rushed toward the blood-colored waterfall, intent on seizing the true phoenix blood. They even wanted to kill the fallen phoenix and take his Immortal Artifact, the White Bone Saber, while also carrying away his corpse to study and make good use of it.
During Xiao Ping'an's battle, they had hidden in the forbidden zones and watched closely, hoping to reap the fisherman's profit.
Now, seeing that both Xiao Ping'an and the True Immortal were injured, and especially that Xiao Ping'an's blood Qi was about to run dry, they felt there was an advantage to be had.
At this point, Xiao Ping'an's white hair hung over his shoulders, his face was covered in wrinkles, and his body was drenched in blood as he struggled to heal his wounds.
That first slash had nearly cleaved him to death. Countless immortal Dao runes were entangled within his body, and the harm they had done him was truly immense.
He had to call upon countless immortal Dao runes from the Desolate Pagoda just to barely grind away a portion of them.
After this battle, his blood Qi was nearly exhausted, and less than two-tenths of his longevity essence remained. It was barely enough even for healing, let alone nurturing an Immortal Fetus. There was no chance; it was not enough.
A battle at this peak level had truly cost Xiao Ping'an his life in his later years.
Especially at this critical moment of living a third lifetime, Xiao Ping'an felt he had never been so aggrieved.
After each taking a portion of the blood-colored waterfall, the four Dark Supremes actually charged toward Xiao Ping'an.
They wanted to kill Xiao Ping'an, even relying on their astonishing combat strength to wear him down to death.
Xiao Ping'an opened his eyes, which flickered with purple light. Whenever that purple spread, it meant he was angry.
A little purple figure rushed out from between his brows.
It was not that he did not want to fight in the form of a Tyrant Body Battle Immortal, but that his strength truly was beginning to fail him.
Barely managing to condense a little purple figure now was already a desperate effort.
Moreover, this little purple figure had been in decline for a long time, and its presence was much weaker than before.
Fortunately, the Overlord Heaven Bell instantly transcended the limits of spacetime and forcibly beat one Dark Supreme to death.
Xiao Ping'an swallowed ten Immortal Divine Medicines in one breath. Although they could not extend his life, certain substances within them did temporarily stabilize his body, keeping it from deteriorating further.
But he had, after all, reached his later years. He had already forcibly squeezed the essence blood from his body to restore himself to his peak and kill eight Dark Supremes in a display of overwhelming might.
He had expended far too much in that battle.
After barely recovering somewhat, he had fought the Fallen Phoenix Clan's True Immortal and expended far too much again. His remaining longevity essence had truly been drained away, with less than two-tenths left.
He truly was about to pass away.
After using the Spacetime Great Dao, the little purple figure rapidly dimmed and returned to the space between Xiao Ping'an's brows.
The three Dark Supremes, who had just been struck with terror, had originally intended to withdraw. But seeing the weakened state of Xiao Ping'an's primordial spirit, they immediately decided to wear him down to death, giving him no chance whatsoever to live a third lifetime.
Xiao Ping'an's Overlord Heaven Bell passively defended him, and he barely managed to catch his breath.
At this critical moment, two long cries rang out from afar.
"You deserve to die!"
"Ping'an, we're here! Hold on!"
The Great Accomplishment Sacred Body's twin daughters, Yun'er and Weiwei, had arrived.
The two fully awakened Great Accomplishment Sacred Bodies had never been as furious as they were today.
On their pretty, delicate faces, every strand of hair stood on end, their beautiful eyes were wide and round, and their killing intent soared to the heavens.
One held a golden spear, the other a golden divine bell, with a mirror and a Jade Ruyi respectively hovering above their heads.
Bearing a terrifying pressure, they charged to kill the three Dark Supremes.
The heart blood of Xiao Ping'an, the reigning Heavenly Venerable, was truly precious. Not only was it a priceless supreme treasure to the phoenix clan, but to these Dark Supremes, the mark of a living Heavenly Venerable and his origin essence blood were absolutely the treasures most likely to bring about their transformation, possibly allowing them to possess Heavenly Venerable-level strength as well.
They had originally intended to pursue and kill the True Immortal, but seeing Xiao Ping'an in this state, they thought him weak and easy to bully and wanted to take advantage.
They had not expected to gain nothing at all, and now they had to face two Great Accomplishment Sacred Bodies blazing with rage.
"Kill!"
The Great Accomplishment Sacred Bodies began a great slaughter.
At Xiao Ping'an's urging, the Great Accomplishment Sacred Body twins had killed almost no Dark Supremes in their lives. For one thing, Xiao Ping'an truly was powerful enough to strike fear into the forbidden zones; for another, the Dark Supremes knew their limits, and no Dark Turmoil had occurred in this era.
Thus, Yun'er and Weiwei had not had the chance to kill Dark Supremes.
But now, looking at these three Dark Supremes, they truly were blazing with rage.
And so an incomparably fierce battle of Supremes erupted.
For Xiao Ping'an's sake, the two Great Accomplishment Sacred Bodies were truly fighting with their lives on the line.
The blood throughout their bodies seemed to ignite as they consumed their own origin essence blood without regard for the cost.
Although they were weapon deities of Extreme Dao Weapons, the strength they unleashed shocked even these Dark Supremes.
With a tremendous bang, a Dark Supreme died under the sisters' joint attack, his bright red blood splattering across the starry sky.
(End of chapter)