Han Li stared unblinkingly at the sky, where the golden dragon and the colorful phoenix were locked in a fierce battle, evenly matched for the moment.
Could this turn into a prolonged battle of attrition lasting days and nights?
His thoughts raced like lightning as he withdrew his gaze and glanced at the white-robed maiden and Ye Chu, both seated cross-legged within the formation. His expression stiffened slightly.
The maiden’s eyes were tightly shut, her hands forming seals, with five-colored spiritual light swirling restlessly around her. There was no sign of anything unusual. Meanwhile, Ye Chu continued to spew green light, pouring it relentlessly into the maiden’s body, though the color of her skin had drastically changed.
Her once emerald-green, wood-spirit-like complexion had now turned crystalline white, flawless as jade.
She had transformed into a breathtakingly beautiful woman, with an oval face, phoenix-like eyes, and the appearance of an eighteen or nineteen-year-old.
As if sensing Han Li’s gaze, she glanced at him coldly, her eyes devoid of emotion and chillingly indifferent.
Noticing her faint displeasure, Han Li responded with a faint smile before quickly turning his head away.
At that moment, a strange, crackling sound echoed from the sky.
Han Li’s heart tightened, and he looked up again.
The scene above had changed dramatically. The hurricane force had morphed into blue spiritual light, and enormous, translucent ice lotuses bloomed in the air. A bone-chilling cold capable of piercing the heavens instantly joined the fray.
This extreme cold coexisted seamlessly with the white flames, showing no signs of rejection. Instead, these two opposing forces of nature seemed to complement each other, amplifying their power manifold.
White sparks and blue ice lotuses intertwined, swirling across most of the sky, forcing the lightning back relentlessly.
The phoenix, having somehow transformed wind into ice, had gained the upper hand in the battle.
*”Heh, the conversion of the five elements, all returning to one! You’ve finally resorted to the Yin-Yang Polarization Art! Good, very good. I’ve been waiting for this day.”*
Despite the golden dragon’s apparent disadvantage, it showed no panic. Instead, it let out a booming, human-like laugh, sounding almost exhilarated.
*”You know of this technique?”* The phoenix paused mid-flight, its voice laced with surprise—identical to the white-robed maiden’s.
Ignoring the question, the dragon suddenly began chanting deafening incantations. Then, something astonishing happened.
The dragon’s massive body shed its golden radiance, turning a deep, blood-like crimson. Its maw opened wide, and a thick pillar of blood spewed forth.
The moment the blood touched the air, it swirled and condensed into a colossal sword over ten zhang long.
The sword was crystalline red, with a dragon’s head and a phoenix’s body. A nauseating stench of blood surged from it.
*”The Blood Crystal Maha Sword! How did this treasure fall into your hands? Could it be that you intend to—”*
The phoenix recognized the sword instantly but was cut off as realization dawned. Panicked, it spread its wings to flee.
*”Too late to run now!”*
The dragon’s voice turned icy as it lunged forward, shrinking rapidly into a streak of blood-red light that merged into the sword.
The sword trembled before slashing toward the distant phoenix.
A faint blood-red gleam flashed, and a hundred-zhang-long crimson shadow sliced through the phoenix before it could react.
A furious cry erupted as the phoenix’s massive body remained seemingly unharmed, but a blood-red phoenix phantom, several chi in size, was forcibly severed from it.
The blood-red sword shadow coiled backward, enveloping the phantom in a crimson mist before darting back into the sword.
The sword glowed brilliantly, emitting a low hum.
Meanwhile, the phoenix’s body burst into countless motes of spiritual light, dissipating into nothingness. Only a small streak of blood-red light descended, vanishing into the maiden below.
Ye Ying shuddered, her eyes snapping open—filled with terror and disbelief.
*”The blood of the Heavenly Phoenix… Most of my true spirit’s blood has been taken by that sword.”* Her voice was hoarse, her usual composure gone.
*”Do not panic, Young Mistress. The Heavenly Phoenix’s blood isn’t so easily stolen. For now, it’s merely trapped within the sword. Even if that Long family member uses his spirit to control the dragon’s blood within the sword, he won’t be able to fully absorb the spiritual blood immediately. If we seize the sword, we can reclaim it—perhaps even take their dragon’s bloodline in return.”*
Ye Chu’s voice was icy as she stopped channeling spiritual light.
*”You’re right. I can still sense my blood. They haven’t succeeded yet. Let’s take the sword back.”*
The white-robed maiden regained her composure, then turned to Han Li.
*”Brother Han, I know you’re no ordinary Deity Transformation cultivator. If you help me reclaim my blood, the Ye family will owe you a favor—anything within our power.”*
Ye Chu looked surprised, while Han Li frowned slightly, hesitating.
*”Don’t think the Long family will let you walk away unscathed. If we fall, you won’t escape their pursuit alone. Besides, you’ve already sided with us. Even if you return to the human race, the Longs will hunt you down. Only under our protection can you be safe.”*
Ye Chu’s tone was cold and unyielding.
*”Do I have any other choice?”* Han Li sighed, rubbing his chin.
*”No need to sound so reluctant, Brother Han. Countless human cultivators would kill for a connection with the Ye family.”*
The maiden chuckled softly before transforming into a golden light and soaring upward. Ye Chu followed as a green streak.
The maiden’s skin reverted to its emerald hue, making her indistinguishable from a wood spirit again.
Han Li, enveloped in azure light, also flew toward the blood sword.
With the dragon and phoenix gone, the storm, lightning, ice lotuses, and white flames vanished, revealing a clear blue sky once more.
Only the massive blood sword remained, a stark reminder of the earlier battle.
Han Li and the others knew their opponents wouldn’t let them take the sword easily.
Sure enough, as the trio approached, space rippled beside the sword, and two middle-aged men with similar features appeared in a flash of silver light.
Dressed in brocade robes with purple headbands, they gazed coldly at the three.
*”Long Yu, Long Lin! It’s you two!”* Ye Chu’s pupils constricted as she recognized them.
The white-robed maiden halted her flight a hundred zhang from the sword, scanning the two with her divine sense. Her heart sank.
*”Sister Chu, you know them?”*
*”A thousand years ago, we were all at the early Soul Transformation stage. I met them once at a gathering of true spirit families. They specialize in ghost-raising and demon-controlling arts—far from ordinary cultivators. If the Long family sent them, they’re dead set on obtaining my Heavenly Phoenix blood.”*
Ye Chu’s expression darkened.
*”Ghost and demon arts… That’s troublesome indeed.”* The maiden’s mood soured further.
*”We wondered who the Ye family’s spy among the Wood Tribe was. So it’s Fairy Chu. When you vanished at the height of your fame, we found it suspicious. Now you’ve reached the peak of Soul Transformation—clearly, you’ve had quite the fortune among the Wood Tribe.”*
One of the men smirked, while the other remained silent, his face hostile.
*”Reaching mid-Soul Transformation in just a millennium is no small feat either. But daring to target our Young Mistress—your audacity knows no bounds.”*
Ye Chu’s voice was sharp.
*”Hah! Our Young Master is on the verge of a breakthrough, merging dragon and phoenix bloodlines. Soon, he’ll reach the Body Integration stage. Spare us the empty threats.”*
The man laughed arrogantly.
*”Was the Yin-Yang Polarization Art deliberately sold to me? Even with the Blood Crystal Maha Sword, my blood shouldn’t have been so easily separated otherwise!”*
The maiden’s eyes flashed with cold fury.
The two exchanged glances before one waved dismissively.
*”Enough talk! With us here, you won’t disturb our Young Master.”*
They clearly had no intention of answering.
*”Young Mistress, words are pointless now.”*
Ye Chu snorted, emerald light erupting from her body. Waves of green radiance spread, filled with faint images of trees and flowers.
With a hand seal, the green light surged toward the two men.
In response, the Long cultivators flicked their sleeves—one summoning a crimson ancient book, the other a pitch-black scroll.
The first tapped the blood book, and its pages flipped, releasing countless bloody runes that morphed into crimson demonic shadows. They spat beams of red light at the descending green radiance.
The second unrolled his scroll, unleashing a howling black wind that clashed with the green light.
Explosions erupted as blood and darkness collided with the emerald onslaught.
The white-robed maiden’s face darkened. She flipped her hands, revealing a golden blade in one and a jade-green ring in the other.
With a flick, she sent both artifacts flying toward the enemy.
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