“Haha! Great! Brother Xiao Yan, you are truly impressive! Fighting against two opponents single-handedly, managing it so swiftly. This feat will surely shock the Beast Region beyond imagination!” Yaoming was the first to recover, laughing heartily, his admiration toward Xiao Yan growing stronger. Though Yaoming himself stood at the peak of Two-Star Dou圣 Later Stage, he wasn’t certain whether he’d be able to defeat Xiao Yan one-on-one. The longer they stayed with each other, the more he could detect Xiao Yan’s hidden might. His quick and crucial decision aiding the latter among the three mighty dragon realms and Dragon Island was partly because of his deep-rooted power.
While the current might of Xiao Yan showed him being merely One-Star Dou圣’s Peak Stage, such young power was unmatched by anything he’d known after ages of cultivation. That extraordinary giftedness defies understanding; one would struggle to foresee his ultimate potential. At Yaoming’s standing, building relationships involved not only the strength shown now but importantly the person’s potential. Thus, Yaoming judged Xiao Yan’s potential to verge on terrifying levels; otherwise, Yaoming couldn’t have agreed so swiftly and dramatically to his assistance after regaining leadership against a force such as the Heaven DemonPhoenix Race—an opponent of the upper echelons of tri-racing, the Nine幽 Hell Serpiente Race understood clearly. Years of hiding by the Virtual Dragon Race meant only the Heaven Phoenix Race emerged as the true king of this era among spirits—the others, like the Nine幽 Hell Serpiente Race itself, fell behind in comparison.
“Xiao Yan!” Phoenix slowly recovered from shocked surprise. Taking a deep calming breath, her fierce glare burned straight at Xiao Yan with an authoritative tone: “If your daring hand spills their blood again and again, the Heaven DemonPhoenix Race shall mark your destiny as unrelenting blood feud.”
Upon this threat, Xiao Yan merely burst into laughter. Then his laughter recollected, as a frosty tone escaped instead: “I have little desire to waste breath. Doubt my word at peril; If you stay unswayingly foolish in your stance, don’t test me to unleash cruelty—don’t doubt the damage your race might endure.”
Phoenix staggered at his icy-eyed gaze, swallowing words of rage barely spoken, unaccustomed to him as she may be. She yet sensed the true, deathlike seriousness of his promise behind every breath.
“What in the world do you truly desire?” Pressed for resolution, Phoenix finally snapped, for every single Dou Saint was a rare treasure to cherish. Their race could suffer dearly from losing anyone, the Heaven Phoenix Race not standing exception. Were Xiao Yan to truly take EaglePhoenix’s and Kuhai’s heads, then grievous internal trauma would ensue indeed.
“I intend only that the Heaven DemonPhoenix Race stays its hands and its interference in the Heavenly Ancient Dragons’ matter.” Xiao Yan simply said, calm and collectedness in contrast.
“Tssk! Do you imagine the East Dragon Island capable of withstanding combined Dragon Lords solely from our lack of interference?” countered Phoenix coldly “The united Three Dragon Lords—do you truly think those incompletely transformed DragonPhoenix bloodlines can hope to withstand such a might?” The cold wind whipped into the verbal storm, but Phoenix faced an unwavering stoic silence that met her gaze like stone: “You possess the twin paths—I can capture you alongside the clan leader or allow your safe and sound passage. Go if you would. Yet carry my word back home: stay out of this!”
“You flatter yourself,” Phoenix snarled. EaglePhoenix and Kukon’s folly was their naiveté in underestimating and getting heavily weakened before the sealing happened. “Even though you had them outmatched with Yaoming, were I to risk self-demise, both you might face severe injury!”
Upon this icy challenge and the dismissal of his might, Phoenix’s eyes hardened. Yet she did smile, though chillingly enough to rival the bitter frost, undaunted.
“Still the fierce matriarch of this Heaven DemonPhoenix triumvirate,” he complimented softly; then with cold precision, his gripping palms tightened on both Kuhai’s head and EaglePhoenix’s, ominously stating,” But speak then swiftly decide; whose swiftness—your destructive will, or my fingers on core souls?”
Pallor drained upon Phoenix face at the dire choice presented—those fierce eyes drilling fiercely upon him unyielding. But Xiao Yen bore the intensity like the calm in the fierced whirlwind, the pressure rising with his steady hold.
“Fine! I concur, our race abandoning intrusion into the Virtual Ancient Dragon Clan’s internal affairs.” Phoenix relented finally while gritting her teeth and spoke, demanding release of Kuhai and EaglePhoenix.
“Hah—a bold resolution!” Xiao Yan let out a slight grin yet made swift movements to imprison Qifeng as his hand slashed the spatial barrier enclosing, snatched up Qi Feng mid-air, pulling them to his grasp and effectively sealing Qifong’s energy.
“It seems our bargain is devoid of genuine commitment,” Phoenix noted icily.
“Am I fool enough?” was the sharp reply as his laughter held venomous intent at delivering prisoners to her embrace and her race reorganizing its might before dispatching a more significant onslaught, “This trio remain as sureties. Defiant continuation of involvement would invite their corpses’ preparation; But observe the agreement, let things settle among the Dragons’ civil strife—then I pledge to release them.”
“Rest assured, the Heaven Phoenix Race isn’t trivial in its standings; their slaughter binds an irreversible death-debt for us both,” cold steel lined his next command: “Your choice to trust or loathe matters not to my certainty. You remember—This, is *not* my seeking negotiation, but an outright threat!”
Xiao Yan twisted both EaglePhoenix and Kuhai, cracking skulls under his grasp’s rising force, while frosty death chilled Phoenix into silence like ice on fire’s extinguishment.
“And remember now—return, tell your clan leadership! Either sacrifice both Elder Council and heirs apparent or proceed to play puppeteers among the Virtual Dragons. Now—get you!” Phoenix quaked, her breath caught like thunder unbroken; the venom dripping through Xiao Yan’s declaration left her shaking. For someone standing high upon the Heaven Flame Phoenix Clan’s ranks across all lands—it’s unfathomable anyone had challenged such pride so audaciously, and yet here it was. Yet in heart’s deep well festered bitter defeat—control, the battlefield, the very narrative had fallen to Xiao Yen. The option? Submit or witness her capture, or even worse—mutual annihilation absent a spontaneous self-sacrifice, a gamble unaffordable.
Silence stretched thick and deep over all the void as shock gripped all witnesses to that verbal storm’s thunder, so overwhelming its aftermath.
“Deliver their fate into my return report,” the Phoenix gave way, gloomy resolve darkedening her voice. At Xiao’s wave—imprisonments lifted and a strong wind pushed the surviving elders to where Phoenix now stood beside them, but NineFeng, Eagle and Kuhai lingered at Xiaoyan’s unrelenting clutch, the elders murmuring their awkward helplessness at being captive beneath them.
“Hold tongue—all pitiful weaklings!” Phoenix’s rage roared over their feeble sounds forcing silent compliance.
“You, Xaoyan…this you inscribe deep within the Phoenix’s vow…should one single scratch upon them mar, Heaven Phoenix Race binds you blood-tied doom. You mark me!” her frozen gaze turned again.
“Reassure this, Phoenix长老,” replied Xaoyan with casual warmth,”As long your oath stays true your loved are secure, but keep in mind—I observe you. Should any shift in your movements disarray me, your first report will be a head flying toward home.
A sneer fought within Phoenix’s lips at her deepening humiliation—how hard-fought yet futile; such grand expedition turned calamitous within the Void Spacetime Realm at the chance strike from this unrelenting storm. Blood-stained humiliation, captives held back from sight and her clan likely to receive this defeat like thunder in their ears—an indelible mark in all their gazes. Yet, fury she suppressed and swelled it deeper as her hand cut fiercely into the void, opening fissural passage—no longer delayed; vanished swiftly into the darkness with hurried followers of once-proud elders in the ranks.
At the exit of each surviving leader of the phoenix through this void, stillness embraced once more.
“You know, Yaoming,” eyes blinking in a rare flicker of disbelief, finally gave way; “few have ever won my admiration—I have to tip my hat to your nerve today. That phoenix tasted true bitterness; this story spreads far and wide back to the Beast Region and more than a few in hushes cheer for its fall.”
As thunder echoed in hearty amusement, XiaoYan grinned releasing prisoners to Ninesnake’s长老, swiftly grasping them with urgent motions.
“Dou Saint aren’t created daily; should those two elders be lost—HealerPhoenix Dominion shakes beneath its very foundations. The weight such a loss inflicts, few powers in the continent might sustain unscathed—for one like HeavenPhoenix. Such as the Celestian Alliance would face crippling severance if either the Grand Elder, the Little Pilar Elder or FlameCloud Ancestral Elder suffered the same fate.”
“Now what?” smiled Yaoming.
East Dragon Realm beckons, Xiao Yan sighed slightly as his smile thinned, peering deep into the distance beyond. From Phoenix Elder’s prior mention, perhaps at battle now encircled under Tri-Crest dragons. And Qiyen…truly in danger at worst?
“Press all efforts, proceed!”
Mind set, brows furrowed briefly while his hand slashed decisively as his frame tore rapidly toward far-off void, swiftly joined by Yaoming, Immortel, CyanLion et cetera trailing in full force.
“Do not perish now, Qiyen…”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage