"This is really unbelievable, you were actually able to forcefully comprehend the Phoenix Flame Techniques from the fifth and sixth stages of the [World Ode of the Phoenix] by utilizing your profound strength's extremely strong affinity to fire, even under the situation where the concept of the phoenix's flames' power was severely lacking! Human, you astonish me."
"The core power of these two great realms lies in raising the power of the phoenix flame by a wide margin, yet all I did was merely comprehend the two great flame techniques; it really wasn't anything impressive." Yun Che said calmly.
"No! The flame techniques of the two huge realms, 'Empyrean Dance of the Phoenix Wing' and the 'Star Scorching Demon Lotus', are closely related to the concepts of the flame's energy and are together as one. To thoroughly understand these two great flame techniques under these circumstances, I believe that even if the Phoenix was here in the mortal world, he would certainly be immensely astonished as well. Admittedly, this is related to the fact that you possess the Fire Seed of the Evil God and have an extremely strong affinity to fire; however, even if the Evil God was here instead, it would basically be impossible for him to do this in the short span of one month. Your astonishing comprehensive ability is sufficient to be crowned as the best in the present world."
This is the evaluation that the Phoenix Spirit had towards Yun Che. Being the spirit of a divine beast superior to the mortal world, it had never expected that it would give such an evaluation to a human one day.
The jade that recorded the [World Ode of the Phoenix] slowly vanished in Yun Che's hand, and the Phoenix Spirit's voice sounded again: "Your time in this trial ground is reaching its end, and it's time for me to send you out. However, before I do so, I should perhaps give you a special present."
Inside the pitch-black world, a golden light suddenly came flying and touched Yun Che on his forehead. Instantly, the scarlet phoenix imprint on his forehead appeared.. but the color had turned into a pure golden color from the previous scarlet color! Just like a cluster of burning, golden-colored flames.
"This is..." Feeling the phoenix's imprint of his forehead change color, Yun Che subconsciously touched his forehead and asked puzzledly.
"This is a special power that I can only use once in my lifetime, but I never thought the day where I used it would actually come. However, as the one who carries the power of the Evil God, your future is destined to be extraordinary, and bestowing this power upon you is more than suitable. As to what kind of power this is, when the time of you using it comes, you will naturally know."
"Now then, let me send you out. Your friend, and that one Phoenix Clan that had been cursed by me are currently facing a great crisis, and only you can save them now... Now go."
As the Phoenix Spirit's voice faded, the pair of huge golden eyes disappeared within the darkness, and the space in front of Yun Che's eyes immediately distorted...
——————————————
When the seal formation had been temporarily opened, Lan Xueruo rushed out with her fastest speed, and understood the situation outside clearly with one glance. With her jade sword out, she rushed directly at the frontmost Black Demon mercenary. The seal behind her also quickly reactivated immediately after she exited the cave.
Captain Black Demon was not around, and the three others with the power of the True Profound Realm - Black Tiger, Black Devil, and Black Wolf - didn't seem to be around either; this was undoubtedly the best situation for Lan Xueruo. With her profound strength of the third rank of the True Profound Realm, it was fundamentally impossible for these Nascent Profound Realm villains to stop her.
"That chick came out... Quick! Quickly go inform the Captain!"
Seeing Lan Xueruo suddenly rush out, the closest squad was also caught unprepared. Before they even had the chance to act and stop her, all of the weapons in their hands were flicked away by Lan Xueruo... With Lan Xueruo's strength, she could have easily killed the few of them with one strike of her sword. However, in her heart, there had never been the thought of killing people.
The tent that stored the food was directly in front of her, and Lan Xueruo located it instantly with a single glance. Brandishing her jade sword, her graceful body swiftly drove forward like a butterfly fluttering through the flowers and broke through the barricade of a dozen and more people. She reached the tent in less than a few breaths of time before quickly removing the spatial ring that was on her left hand.
However, at this moment, two blasts of dangerous gales suddenly came from both sides. Vice Captain Black Tiger and Black Wolf simultaneously jumped out from the back of the tent while laughing sinisterly; two Wolf Fanged Maces swung toward Lan Xueruo from both sides, and forced her to rapidly retreat. Behind her, Vice Captain Black Devil also hopped out from who knows where. The three of them readied their Wolf Fanged Maces, encircled Lan Xueruo, and laughed with incomparable obscenity.
"I knew you would do something like this. Tsk tsk, we've indeed waited a long time for you." Black Wolf licked the corner of his lip and looked at Lan Xueruo with a gaze filled with obscenity.
"This woman is actually beautiful to such an extent that she's actually worth dying for." Seeing Lan Xueruo up close for the first time, Black Tiger's saliva had already started to uncontrollably flowed out.
"What are you spouting rubbish for! Let's capture her first. This beauty may indeed be young, but her profound strength is no weaker than the Captain's; you should more or less be a little careful!"
Amidst a low shout, three Wolf Fanged Maces swung towards Lan Xueruo from three different angles. Lan Xueruo revealed a bitter smile; it had already been four days since she had drank anything. Even though her profound strength appeared to be unaffected, in actuality, under the long period of hunger, anxiousness and sorrow, her body had become utterly weak and unstable. Because of this, she could barely bring out half of her profound strength; even to the point of being unable to detect where these three had been hiding.
Under normal circumstances, she would be still able to handle these three first rankers of True Profound Realm by herself, but in her current condition, it was almost impossible for her to escape, much less defeat them.
Waving her jade sword and releasing her profound energy, she blew back the attacks from all three with a single strike of the sword. However, in doing so, she nearly lost her balance from the recoil. Biting her jade teeth, the golden glow in her eyes slight wavered as she consolidated all of her profound energy. She didn't try to continue the fight but instead suddenly lept up before somersaulting in the air, with the intention of escaping their encirclement. However, the three of them seemed to have expected her actions long ago. Black Devil coldly laughed: "Want to run? Hehe, since you have come out, don't think that you can just go back in... Heaven Rumbling Strike!"
Black Devil jumped right after and ruthlessly swung his mace toward the airborne Lan Xueruo. Lan Xueruo used her sword to block the attack, only to stumble as she landed. At this moment, a wild and loud laughter came from behind her back: "Hahahaha! Excellent! How excellent! I have indeed not waited in vain for this past month; the beauty has delivered herself to the doorstep, Hahahaha!"
This voice gave Lan Xueruo's heart a sudden chill, because this was clearly Black Demon's voice.
As the voice just faded, another blast of violent wind suddenly came from her rear. Lan Xueruo had no place to dodge, there wasn't even enough time to swing her sword; she could only forcefully intercept it with a backhand swing.
Poof!!
Completely exhausted of profound energy, while also under the condition of being sneak-attacked, how could the current Lan Xueruo possibly withstand a blow from Black Demon from her rear. Her delicate and frail body was directly blown away, and a trace of blood slowly flowed down the corner of her mouth.
Contrary to expectations, Black Demon was actually stunned. He had exchanged blows with Lan Xueruo previously and was even injured by her stab; in his heart, he was still more or less fearful of her, which was why he had chosen such a despicable sneak attack. However, he did not expect that this blow would actually result in such an impressive outcome. While looking at Lan Xueruo who was slowly wiping off the blood at the corner of her mouth, Black Demon drew closer step-by-step, and laughed while grinning hideously: "Hehe, little beauty, you can't escape this time anymore. Obediently follow me back and be my wife; I promise that you will be able to live and eat well. When that time comes, wouldn't releasing everyone inside just be a matter of a word for you."
Lan Xueruo stood up from the ground, her beautiful eyes were cold as ice, yet her heart was instead overwhelmed with grief: Never would I have thought that my noble body, would actually be forced into an almost despairing state by bunch of substandard villains. She did not say a word; after placing her jade sword in front of her body, she prepared for the final life-and-death struggle.
"Tsk, what a tough nut to crack." Black Demon squeezed his chin with his fingers, smiling more and more dangerously as he moved closer and closer to Lan Xueruo: "It seems that you won't be obediente unless I knock you out. When the time comes, and you wake up to find yourself stripped naked, let's see if you can still act so tough.
All of the the surrounding Black Demon Mercenaries let out a wave of obscene laughter. Black Demon also took a big step forward, and horizontally swung the Wolf's Fanged Club towards Lan Xueruo.
Clang!
Clang!
CLANG!!
Lan Xueruo gritted her jade teeth and blocked Black Demon's attacks with all her strength. The first block, she retreated a big step back; and for the second block, her right arm felt a wave of numbness, nearly causing her to fall down; as for the third block, she was directly thrown onto the ground, and the jade sword in her hand was also blown far, far away.
"Hehehehe," Black Demon threw the Wolf Fanged Mace behind him and rubbed his hands together as he walked towards the fallen Lan Xueruo. In the midst of his lewd laughter, he grabbed at her with one hand.
Scree~~~~~~~
It was at this moment that a loud, ear-piercing phoenix cry suddenly resounded near their ears, and made their ears ring for a moment. Black Demon's entire body also completely froze, and stopped his movement. Before he was even able to react, he saw a huge flaming figure suddenly breaking through the seal of the cave; it rushed directly at them while carrying a scorching heatwave.
That flaming figure.. was like a miniature phoenix spreading it wings and dancing in the breeze!
Wait a minute... Phoe... Phoenix?
Everyone's eyes instantly stared wide open with mouths agape. Whereas this "Phoenix", after breaking through the seal formation, came flying down toward Lan Xueruo's position like a comet falling at extreme speed.
BOOM!!!!
The phoenix crashed into the ground, triggering a blazing explosion that measured over fifty meters in diameter.
Black Demon, Black Tiger, Black Devil, Black Wolf and all the Black Demon Mercenaries nearby were all blown away by the waves of flame, and nearly lost consciousness before frantically rolling on the floor screaming as they tried to extinguish the flames burning on their body.
Black Demon had been blown several tens of meters back. He stood up with difficulty before using all his might to slap away the flames on his body, and wildly howled: "WHO! WHO IS IT!!"
Just as he shouted, his eyes suddenly opened wide... because as the red glow of the flames slowly faded, he discovered countless corpses laid before his eyes. Within the radius of the blazing explosion just now, everyone under the fifth level of Nascent Profound Realm had died on the spot. Some bodies had been blown into bits, dying without their body parts intact, while some bodies were still burning ferociously, and slowly became charred corpses that were too gruesome to behold.
As the red glow from the flames slowly faded, at the core of the explosion, Yun Che was hugging Lan Xueruo's waist and embraced her weak body with the gentlest of movements. His body was also covered in a layer of a faint red blaze, yet it did not cause even the slightest of burns to Lan Xueruo's body or clothes. As he looked at her deathly-white face and the trace of blood at the corner of her mouth, he keenly sensed the deep feeling of weakness come from her body, Yun Che's heart throbbed with pain as he gently said: "Senior Sister, sorry, I'm late..."