All things in the world have spirits, even rocks and stones can be transformed, and plants can become sentient.
Among all living beings, the "True Dragon" and the "True Phoenix" possessed the strongest power and the noblest bloodlines, hence the emperors of the Dachu Dynasty were known as the people of the True Dragon's heavenly mandate.
In fact, True Dragons and True Phoenixes existed only in legends and had not appeared in the world for countless years.
However, the bloodlines left by the Dragon Phoenix were carried on.
Among the Yin Mountain Three Saints, White Ghost had once found a dying "Earth Dragon"—to put it nicely, but actually it was just a worm before its spiritual awakening. After many years of cultivation, burrowing in the shallow ground and consuming countless essences of the sun and moon, it finally awakened three parts of the True Dragon bloodline... This three parts of True Dragon bloodline was enough to make it almost invincible among its peers on land.
Thus, a worm transformed, shedding its filthy shell, and became an Earth Dragon.
At this moment, Xie Xuanyi was utterly certain that the fragmented flames wandering around him were indeed the legendary "Phoenix Fire" that could burn all things!
That pitch-black throne was the best proof.
The Phoenix Fire contained the ultimate power of "destruction."
Phoenix Nirvana, death and rebirth!
Only through complete destruction could revival come.
Legend had it that pure-blooded Phoenixes were immortal and indestructible, could soar to the ninth heaven with their wings, and spit black flames that burned everything… Xie Xuanyi approached the throne and thrust the thin, straight umbrella spoke forward; his sword met no resistance and easily pierced into the black fire.
However, an inch penetrated, an inch obliterated.
When he pulled it out, only a bare umbrella handle remained.
"It really is... Phoenix Fire."
Xie Xuanyi sighed deeply, then immediately felt a headache... Did he really know this young girl?
The next moment.
A sudden pain transmitted from within his divine sea, causing Xie Xuanyi to groan and collapse to the ground.
Fragments of memory, like lotus petals that had drifted for years, slowly pieced themselves back together.
After a long while, Xie Xuanyi recovered.
He lifted his head, his expression complex, looking towards the girl deep in sleep on the throne; the drifting Phoenix Fire, like a gossamer garment, draped over her body.
Xie Xuanyi's gaze fixed on the slender, delicate legs of the girl.
There, a stark and dark scar that was eye-catching.
This young girl.
He did indeed know her.
...
...
Years ago, when Xie Xuanyi was a novice, he traveled through all the regions seeking challenges in swordsmanship.
So beautiful was the landscape, that it made all the heroes of the world bow down.
In his youth, Xie Xuanyi, with a temperament as direct as a sword, aimed to revive the declining fortunes of the Da Sui Sword Palace. As soon as he left the mountains, he aimed for the position of the foremost leader among the younger generation and challenged the geniuses of all major sects.
It was a way to establish supremacy, and sometimes, life and death!
Back then, Xie Xuanyi had only the reputation of being "number one" in his heart.
If he did not take action, so be it.
But once he did, it must draw blood!
Traveling through all regions with an unbeaten record, such an accomplishment was unprecedented in the last six decades.
Xie Xuanyi achieved his wish and ascended to the top among his peers, ranked first on the "Heavenly Pride List," becoming the most prominent figure of his time.
With such a temperament, naturally, he caught the attention of the whole world, made numerous enemies, and also many "close friends."
Of course, the so-called "dear friends," a considerable part of them... were flies drawn by fame.
These people wore smiles easily, donned layers of elaborate disguise, toasted merrily, spoke the most pleasing words, and wore the sincerest expressions.
These people were more fearsome than enemies.
It was just that, at the time, Xie Xuanyi had not yet grasped this truth.
Some things, only after experiencing them, do you remember them deep in your bones.
"Ah... is it really you?"
Xie Xuanyi's complexion was somewhat pale as he supported himself on his knees and slowly stood up.
He had an excellent memory, never forgetting a face.
As long as he had met someone once, even after many years... Xie Xuanyi could recognize them at a glance.
Yet, this young girl made him feel unfamiliar.
Because when they had met years ago,
She had not yet cultivated to the "Transformation" stage.
The Northern Hunt of Dachu, a grand national festival held every few years!
At that time, the prominent Xie Xuanyi was invited to participate in the Northern Hunt. Talents from all major sects gathered, departing majestically from the Imperial City to head north, hunting the Demon Race... This Northern Hunt was naturally about who killed more and stronger demons!
That year... countless geniuses, all kinds of immortals showcased their Divine Skills.
But Xie Xuanyi surpassed them all.
Because Xie Xuanyi had hunted a "Phoenix."
Although the True Dragon and True Phoenix had disappeared, descendants of their bloodline still remained. Perhaps it was fate, but during that hunt, Xie Xuanyi chanced upon the aura of a Phoenix Blooded Demon from a remote mountain range. After a fierce battle, he severely injured this newly cultivated Great Phoenix Demon and successfully brought it back to Dachu.
The battle was exceedingly brutal, and Xie Xuanyi was gravely injured.
And the Phoenix, needless to say.
Xie Xuanyi had severed the Phoenix's leg bone and confined it within a cage...
As a trophy of the Northern Hunt, he presented this Phoenix to the royal family.
On the day of the Northern Hunt, he captured a descendant of the Phoenix Blood!
This event once again shocked the world, and Da Sui Sword Palace received generous rewards.
Xie Xuanyi, who had long been undefeated among his peers across all the regions, was after this Northern Hunt, officially ranked first on the Heavenly Pride List!
It can be said that this was the most glorious day of Xie Xuanyi's life!
Xie Xuanyi always felt he had a good memory; to this day, he remembered every face that had congratulated him that day, every envious and jealous gaze.
But looking back now,
he had completely forgotten about the Phoenix descendant he had critically injured...
On the road to godhood, countless bones were strewn.
In those days, Xie Xuanyi only focused on reaching the summit, never looking back, nor looking down.
"Unexpectedly, I would encounter you here..."
In Xie Xuanyi's tone, there was a mix of three parts lamentation and seven parts sigh.
On the throne, the young girl's legs, injured by Sword Qi, bore terrifying dark scars on her tender skin pale as lotus root!
Xie Xuanyi could recognize her... precisely because of the Sword Qi left by him.
The Spirit Manipulation Technique was not exclusive to Yin Mountain; the Dachu Royal Family also possessed similar magic, capable of rearing and enslaving demons. After this Phoenix was brought into the royal family, there was no chance of escape. Logically, she should have been imprisoned in a cage until her soul completely submitted to the Dachu Royal Family, and only then might she have a chance to see the daylight.
However, ten years ago, the emperor passed away, and the Imperial City was thrown into chaos.
During that time, anything could have happened.
Her ability to hide at the base of Jinli Mountain... perhaps it was then, during the chaos, that she had escaped?
Xie Xuanyi had never believed in fate.
But today's encounter was too coincidental, too dramatic.
He couldn't help but wonder, what was Heaven's purpose in arranging this meeting?
"If it were me ten years ago, standing here, catching a fleeing demon, even if my cultivation were completely dissipated, I would still draw my sword with all my might,"
Xie Xuanyi spoke softly, "But today's me is no longer the same as before..."
Over these ten years, he had realized a truth, demons can be good or evil, and so can humans.
He certainly hated demons.
But those cultivators who had surrounded him back then, those who had professed brotherhood upfront while stabbing him in the back,
those people were more deserving of death than any demon!
Xie Xuanyi stood amid the drifting ashes of the Phoenix Fire, quietly watching the little girl on the throne.
During his battle with this Great Phoenix Blooded Demon, he had noticed that although it possessed top-tier Phoenix Bloodline, its time in cultivation was extremely short. It would need a few more years to transform.
The battle initially had both parties fervently reluctant to yield!
But later...
The young Phoenix Blooded Demon fell to a disadvantage, it started begging for mercy, transmitting its thoughts with its divine soul, hoping Xie Xuanyi would "show mercy."
Xie Xuanyi, of course, ignored it.
Humans and demons inherently had irreconcilable blood feuds.
It was either enslavement or slaughter!
In the realm of cultivation, strength was revered, and it was not uncommon for Great Practitioners from the Demon Race to step into Dachu territory and slaughter the lives of the Human Race.
Back then, as soon as Xie Xuanyi drew his sword, he had to determine victory or defeat, one side had to fall.
So... ultimately, the Great Phoenix Blooded Demon fell.
This was actually fair.
Xie Xuanyi won, and the Great Demon was brought back to Dachu.
If he had lost, he would have perished beyond the borders, his body decomposing and buried.
"Let's leave today's matters as they are..."
Xie Xuanyi withdrew his gaze and made a decision.
"After I leave Jinli Mountain today, I will not mention a single word about it. If you can heal your wounds and leave Dachu, that will be your fate."
With the Phoenix Fire here offering protection, cultivators like the Heavy Mist cultivator could study for three to five years and still possibly not break the dharma.
But Xie Xuanyi was not Heavy Mist—
Even though he now had nothing, he still had absolute confidence to shatter the Phoenix Dharma.
If he wanted to eliminate this Phoenix Blood Descendant... he had more than one method, the simplest and most "shameless" of which would be to leak the information about this "Great Phoenix Blooded Demon" and soon, a large group of righteous fighters would arrive.
Every part of a Phoenix Blooded Demon Descendant was a treasure.
Having said that, Xie Xuanyi prepared to leave.
For someone like him, known for never leaving survivors, making this decision was actually quite difficult.
If he released the news about the phoenix...
He guessed those who would rush here upon hearing it would be the same kind of people who had once surrounded him to kill him.
Xie Xuanyi truly detested those fellows.
Under no circumstances did he want to use such dirty tactics to do his bidding.
He decided to spare this phoenix, as well as the persistently contentious himself from those years ago…
But just as he turned around, Jinli Mountain began to tremble.
Heavy Mist cultivator had been in seclusion in Jinli Mountain for half a year, trying to subdue the phoenix and causing countless "disruptions." This ancient volcano, silent for many years, had always quietly endured the strikes of array patterns and magic artifacts...
When luck was poor...
A single speck of dust could trigger an entire avalanche.
Undoubtedly, Heavy Mist cultivator was that speck of dust!
The long-silent Jinli Mountain began to erupt!
With a loud bang!
Xie Xuanyi's expression suddenly changed, just as he turned and took a step, the ground beside him cracked, and a column of fire burst skywards... He reacted incredibly quickly, instantly retreating several meters, avoiding being hit by the column of fire.
Xie Xuanyi's expression darkened as he watched a piece of his robe slowly burn in the air, eventually turning to ash.
He glanced at the plain handle in his hand.
Previously testing the power of the Phoenix Fire.
Resulting in him even losing the only "sword" he could wield.
But this was nothing.
He took a deep breath.
Xie Xuanyi threw away the handle and started running, avoiding the eruption sites of two flame columns before leveraging a jump toward a stone wall, his fingers like hooks, embedding them into the wall, hanging there like a monkey...
This was perhaps the only good news: after reviving, Xie Xuanyi's Primordial Power had dissipated completely, but his physical body remained in good condition.
He looked up to gauge the distance.
With similar repeats, he could escape Jinli Mountain after just dozens more times.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Just then, the wave of heat from the depths of Jinli Mountain fully erupted, beginning to spew!
The scene now resembled a purgatory on earth.
Xie Xuanyi looked down, large areas of the ground were cracking, vigorous columns of flame surged from the cracked ground, and the scorching molten magma flowed wildly.
He instinctively cast his gaze towards the little girl on the throne, his expression slightly hesitant.
The Phoenix Blood Descendant... was severely injured.
Being struck hundreds of times in her divine soul over half a year, and not waking up, she must have suffered extremely severe soul trauma during her escape from the Imperial City.
Xie Xuanyi was well aware that the so-called majestic "Phoenix Dharma" was nothing but a paper tiger, easily breached upon touch.
Normally, a phoenix wouldn't fear natural fires.
But today was different.
The little one chose to sleep, allowing her soul to heal itself.
Now, with the volcanic activity and mountain collapse, if the dharma was broken, her physical body would definitely face a fatal blow.
When that happened, whether she would live or die was hard to say.
"Forget it"
Xie Xuanyi sighed helplessly, resigned, "Consider this my debt to you."