Chapter Sixty-Nine: The Stolen Fate of Great Xia
No one answered, but subtly shifted their positions, quietly encircling the young man. The President of the Phoenix Society remained unruffled, his smile unwavering. “Let me put it simply: I admire your strength. I invite you all to join my Free Nation. The Free Nation will offer you far better conditions than Great Xia.”
Lin Fan gripped the knife in his hand.
Elder Dao Wanjian’s face was expressionless. “You may not understand. We of Great Xia are a traditional people; we believe in returning to our roots.”
“If I were to die one day, these old bones of mine would rather not perish in a foreign land—how could I face my ancestors?”
“What’s the point of talking to him?” Mo Buzhi stomped forward fiercely, his righteous aura shaking the heavens. With a scroll in hand, he laughed heartily, “Just hit him already!”
Talisman papers swirled upward.
Dao Wanjian formed seals with his hands, an overwhelming Daoist aura surging from him, his beard and hair fluttering.
“Daoist secret art—Nine Suns Earthfire!”
Boom!
The ground, shrouded in talisman papers, instantly burst into scorching flames. The crimson fire instantly enveloped the figure of the Phoenix President.
At the same moment—
Mo Buzhi unfurled his scroll, bellowing, “Alone, I fought three thousand miles; a single sword’s cold light chills nineteen provinces!”
A colossal, terrifying sword crashed down from the heavens.
Its cold light blazed for ten thousand miles!
This sword, its brilliance chilled nineteen provinces!
The entire Free Nation was illuminated by that sword’s light. All could clearly see the sky cracking apart, the giant sword descending.
It was as if a sharp blade pierced the firmament, smashing down relentlessly!
The sword’s might was boundless.
At the same time, in an unremarkable patch of darkness, a Tang blade fell like a meteor!
Swish!
The Tang blade, suddenly appearing beneath the massive sword, seemed inconspicuous—yet it was unimaginably sharp, flickering through the Phoenix President’s figure in a flash.
The First Squad of the Godslayer Army struck as one!
Every strike was a killing blow!
In the blink of an eye, the young man was pierced through by the sword’s radiance, then turned to ashes within the Daoist sunfire.
“Hmph.” Dao Wanjian’s face was pale, but he still spoke coldly, “Just a petty villain—so feeble, yet dares disturb my Dao heart?”
But Lin Fan’s face remained grim.
Within the scorched remains, a crack suddenly appeared.
Crack!
The phoenix cloak was as blazing red as ever, surging flames erupting forth.
Crack—crack—crack—crack!
The fissures spread.
Like an eggshell splitting open.
From the charcoal, a phoenix’s cry resounded!
A clear and resounding note.
In the next moment, blazing flames rose again from the blackened remains—but this was no longer the Nine Suns Earthfire summoned by Dao Wanjian.
A magnificent flaming phoenix spread its wings and soared from the ashes!
Radiant fire burst forth, searing air mixed with embers sweeping across the field.
At that instant—
Lin Fan moved.
As the fire surged toward him, his blade flashed with an icy brilliance!
A cold gleam left afterimages, slicing straight into the flames, cleaving them in two!
The blade did not falter!
That chilling brilliance, as if imbued with endless frost, split the inferno as it advanced, striking at the heart of the flames!
Swish!
In an instant, Lin Fan stood behind the phoenix, sheathing his knife.
The phoenix let out a pained shriek, then was reduced to ash once more.
“This guy…” Mo Buzhi looked uneasy. “It can revive?”
Dao Wanjian frowned. “Why does its aura seem so familiar…”
But just as they thought it was finally over—
“Be careful.”
Lin Fan drew his short blade again, turning coldly to face the charred remains.
The ashes cracked open once more.
An even more dazzling, even larger phoenix rose in a spiral from the burnt debris!
“The Undying Phoenix!” Dao Wanjian’s eyes widened. “That’s the Mother of Ten Thousand Phoenixes from our Daoist records!”
“The Mother of Phoenixes of Great Xia!”
A phoenix is reborn through nirvana.
But ordinary phoenixes can only be reborn once.
Ultimately, they can still be killed.
Only those who can undergo consecutive rebirths in a short time—those are the true Undying Phoenixes, the Mother of Ten Thousand Phoenixes!
The Phoenix Ancestor!
But why would the Phoenix Ancestor of Great Xia appear here in the Free Nation?
This is the spiritual entity formed from five thousand years of Great Xia’s national destiny!
“I see it now, I see it!” Dao Wanjian seemed to suddenly understand. “These people from the Free Nation once stole Great Xia’s national fortune, took countless treasures!”
“And the Phoenix Ancestor—that’s what they stole!”
A trace of struggle flickered in the phoenix’s eyes.
“Heh, you do have some insight. But so what if you guessed right?” From the phoenix’s beak came the Phoenix President’s voice. “In fact, my Free Nation should thank you!”
“Thank you for nurturing such a mighty force.”
“And now, that power is mine!”
“After countless genetic experiments, I can now wield this power.” The phoenix soared, as if admiring its own mighty, phoenix-powered body. “With this strength, I am undying!”
The phoenix let out a clear cry.
The Phoenix Ancestor arched its neck and sang, wings quivering.
In a flash, it became a stream of fire, wrapped in searing heat, hurtling toward Gongshu Ming!
The scorching flames burned the air, distorting even space itself!
“Watch out!”
Lin Fan had no time to think. His blade flashed again!
But even so, he could barely keep up with the streak of fire!
The blade’s light was but three inches from the fiery streak, but the phoenix’s beak, in Gongshu Ming’s shocked gaze, pierced through dozens of steel rhinos and struck him full force!
Bang!
Gongshu Ming’s entire left arm, from the shoulder down, was reduced to ash.
“Ahhh!”
A shrill, agonized scream.
For a craftsman, to lose such a dexterous arm—the pain was not merely physical!
The phoenix fire still raged on Gongshu Ming’s severed shoulder, as if it meant to burn him to nothing.
At that moment—
Swish!
The blade’s radiance finally caught up to the phoenix.
With a chill, it effortlessly tore through the streak of fire.
Splat!
The phoenix was once again reduced to cinders, falling to the ground.
But—
Everyone’s faces remained grave.
Because this creature possessed the power of the Undying Phoenix!
“Gongshu Ming, hold on,” Lin Fan growled through gritted teeth, then turned to the remaining four, raising his voice: “Reverse the cultivation!”
Reverse the cultivation!
The Godslayer Demon-Slaying Technique was originally a balanced and gentle art, able to refine the body in harmony.
But once reversed, it became the most frenzied and sinister of all demonic arts!
It would drain the body’s energy in an instant, even damaging all meridians and foundations.
But in return, it could unleash a violent surge of power for a brief period.
Power at the cost of potential!
When Lin Fan taught them this technique, he had warned them over and over: unless absolutely necessary, never reverse the cultivation—even if it meant severe injury, never sacrifice your potential.
The human body is fragile, after all.
But—
At this moment, hearing Lin Fan’s command, none hesitated.
They reversed the cultivation!