1000 POWER STONES = (BONUS CHAPTER)
::::::
Kaido and Yuanba took a look at a total of 12 or so simple and crude houses.
They also had seen vigilant glances towards them from the villagers.
Well, Kaido didn't care too much.
"I… I'm the clan master, my name is Feng Baichuan… Thank you the benefactor for exterminating the Black Demon Mercenary Group—"
"No need, I came here for the Phoenix Trials, I know that anyone who came here has the right to go through the Trials, can you lead the way for me?"
Feng Baichuan and the rest of the villagers froze when they heard that, they didn't know how these strangers knew about the Phoenix Trials but that wouldn't be good for them given their situation... What was their worst nightmare?
For someone to know about the secret of the Phoenix Clan, that is it.
"What is that frightened look on your faces, guys? I already said I didn't come here with bad intentions, I just want to participate in the Pheonix Trials, I won't harm you."
Kaido was starting to lose patience and his violent temper took hold, so he took out a keg of wine from his spatial ring and started drinking to adjust his mood.
By nature as Andrew, he was usually a quiet person, but after he became Kaido, it can be said that it is difficult for him to go back to the way he was.
Sensing the change in the air, Feng Baichuan hurried to calm the situation before it escalated.
He could say that this man is a formidable expert who should not be opposed.
"We were indeed guardians of the Pheonix ruins but now, we're just sinners... I won't linger on you, follow me, Senior. I'll lead you to the trial ground." A self-deprecating laugh appeared on Feng Baichuan's face, but he stepped forward and walked without saying more.
"Good."
Kaido nodded satisfied.
"Yuanba. Feed this fruit to that woman."
Before he left, he threw the remaining Flame Fruit to Yuanba. After all, the princess is a True Profound cultivator. Yuanba in his current cultivation base would definitely be no match for her if she woke up, so Kaido decisively decided to enslave her.
Since she hates him so much, he can't tame her in normal ways either.
"Understood, Master."
Yuanba grabbed an orange flame-like devil fruit and fed a portion of it to Cang Yue.
Before she knew it, she'd already become a slave to the person she detested the most.
...
In the back mountain of the Phoenix Village.
A simple-looking cave soon appeared in Kaido's field of vision, but he knew that this was nothing but the illusory effect of the seal formation.
Inside the cave was actually an abnormally spacious flat stone room that was at least a hundred meters long and wide.
"All these years, only our clan knew our place and kept it to ourselves very carefully. We never dared—"
"You don't need to talk too much. I'll go in for the trials, if I succeed I'll break the curse on your clan."
Kaido stopped Feng Baichuan's useless drama, but in return gave him hope and the exact words he wanted to hear.
"R-Really!! Sorry… I mean, thank you too much, Senior! My clan will never forget this good if it comes true!"
Feng Baichuan seemed embarrassed by his loud reaction. But he was very pleased with the promise of the senior giant.
He didn't know how Kaido knew about their curse, but he thought that Kaido assumed it was due to their low cultivation base and the miserable condition of their clan.
"Don't worry, your clan will definitely not forget this good one,"
Kaido said with his usual smile.
He only knew what he's meant.
...
Kaido stood in front of the entrance to the trial grounds for a while, then entered without hesitation.
The moment he entered the entrance, the sight before him suddenly distorted, and he felt a feeling similar to what he felt when he entered through that black hole back then when he came to this world.
There is no doubt that he crossed over into a separate realm... These divine beings are truly amazing precisely because of their ability to create separate realms.
Kaido saw pitch darkness, immediately after that two lines of golden light slowly opened as a pair of slightly narrow eyes, a pair of giant golden eyes within the pitch-black space directly above his head.
"Greetings, Human… I suppose? Welcome to the trial grounds. You are the first challenger without the Phoenix bloodline in these past thousand years."
A female voice directly appeared in Kaido's mind... This was the voice of a divine beast, Phoenix Spirit!
"I am not a human. I want to go through challenges in order to obtain the supreme bloodline of the Phoenix."
"..."
Confusion appeared in the golden eyes. But Kaido didn't notice.
"In the millions of years of the Phoenix's existence, there hasn't been a living creature whose origin she couldn't determine… Who are you, stranger? I can sense the lingering aura of a humble dragon on your body, but it's clearly just a concentrated bloodline that was later refined and not your true bloodline."
"As a remnant of a Divine Phoenix Spirit, I cannot determine what your bloodline is... There is no joke more ridiculous than this throughout existence."
"This is your problem, not mine, Phoenix Spirit. I came here for the trials, not to investigate me."
"..."
The Phoenix was undoubtedly the calmest of the Divine Birds among the other Firebirds, but nonetheless, Kaido made her feel annoyed by his indifferent tone.
As if he was a being above her... She is a Divine Spirit!
"Very good, the trial has three stages in total, respectively: First stage: Purgatory Flame Demon. Second stage: Arrows of the Phoenix. Third stage: Corruption of the Heart's Flame. If you wish to forfeit during the trial, you may shout out at any time and I'll immediately let you leave the trial grounds. You may die if you forcibly endure the trial…. I wish you success."
Just as the Spirit of the Phoenix's voice faded, the pair of golden eyes slowly disappeared inside the world of pitch-black darkness.
Yet the world before Kaido's eyes spun once again. Moments later, the darkness entirely disappeared, and the world around him impressively transformed into a field of deep red.
"Worororo! We're finally starting... Come to me!"
"Purgatory Flame Demon? Heh, seems strong!"
In front of Kaido appeared an even larger demon composed entirely of magma, who had the same level of profound strength as him.
The first level of the True Profound Realm.
But his aura seemed even more terrifying.
"ROAARRRRR!!!"
As soon as he appeared, the magma demon attacked Kaido with overwhelming force.
A fierce expression appeared on Kaido's face as he took out his kanabo and viciously waved at it before crushing the Purgatory Flame Demon.
"Raime Hakke!"
Haki sparks resembling red-black lightning shot out from the kanabo and pierced the 10-meter magma demon.
One hit to kill!
The fearsome Magma Demon was crushed in an instant and turned into a liquid magma pool.
BOOOOM!!!
This was followed by a violent hurricane of winds that tore the trial ground as lava flew everywhere, the scene looked like the end of the world.
Undoubtedly, sending a Purgatory Flame Demon of a True Profound level was a mistake in judging Kaido's strength from a Phoenix Spirit.
The Phoenix's eyes appeared again, this time they were wide open, shock and confusion evident in those two golden pupils.
"..."
"Second stage: Arrows of the Phoenix."
As soon as the voice appeared, the sky was covered with ferocious golden arrows that attacked Kaido from all directions.
This time, the attack strength was not limited to the True Profound Realm, it was directly straight up to what only a Profound Sovereign could match.
::::::