Chapter 673 Confrontation with Phoenix Heaven
In this vast and boundless void, the chaotic aftershocks of the earth-shattering battle between Zi Yan and the three dragon kings have not yet completely subsided, and fragments of space are still slowly floating.
However, with the sudden arrival of Huang Tian, the patriarch of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, the entire battlefield fell into an eerie silence.
However, the void at this moment was even more solemn than during the previous dragon war, as if even time itself had frozen.
Countless gazes, no matter where they came from, converged on the colossal shadow that stretched across the void.
The crimson-gold phoenix body exuded a suffocating pressure, causing every spectator to feel their mind shake.
In those gazes, there was horror, awe, disgust, and fear, but more than anything, there was a sense of bewilderment and anticipation about an unknown fate.
Faced with this peerless expert at the late stage of the Five-Star Dou Sheng realm, even Zi Yan, who was also a Five-Star Dou Sheng, had to temporarily suppress her killing intent and warily watch the suddenly appearing patriarch of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan.
However, Zi Yan's mood was far from relaxed. After receiving Zi Xiaoling's warning earlier, she had intended to strike swiftly and decisively, before Huang Tian arrived, to severely injure or even kill the three Dragon Kings.
Unfortunately, Huang Tian's speed far exceeded her expectations. He arrived just in time at the critical moment and used his terrifying strength as a five-star Dou Sheng to block her earth-shattering attack.
Although the three Dragon Kings were still severely injured and weak, they ultimately failed to perish on the spot as she had wished. This outcome clearly greatly displeased the new Dragon Emperor of the Ancient Dragon Clan.
On the other hand, what alarmed her even more was that Huang Tian's appearance not only changed the course of the battle, but also, with his unparalleled strength as a five-star Dou Sheng and his status as the patriarch of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, would greatly influence the future course of events.
Zi Yan met Huang Tian's gaze head-on without flinching, her sharpness undiminished, even more intense.
Zi Yan's phoenix eyes, filled with coldness, suddenly rose to meet Huang Tian's crimson-gold gaze. The sharp edge in her eyes did not diminish at all; instead, it became even more ferocious, like a drawn blade.
She made a grasping motion in the air with her delicate hand, and the golden spear that had previously torn through the sky seemed to have a telepathic connection, shooting back with the remaining purple-gold flames and landing steadily in her palm.
As the spear trembled, its tip hummed and changed direction, pointing directly at the magnificent golden phoenix. The purple-gold light emitted by the spear tip subtly clashed with the luster on the phoenix's feathers.
"I am Zi Yan, the new patriarch of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan." Her clear, cold voice boomed through the void, carrying an undeniable authority. "I have come here solely to quell the rebellious elements within the clan."
Her gaze swept over Huang Tian's towering figure, her tone abruptly shifting, the tip of her spear tilting slightly forward, her voice growing even colder:
"Clan Chief Huang Tian of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, I have long heard of your name. Today's situation is special, and we will set aside the old grudges between our two clans for the time being. I advise you to leave immediately, and I will pretend that today's events never happened. Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite, and let's see if your Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan can withstand my wrath!"
The moment she finished speaking, the purple-gold light in Zi Yan's pupils suddenly surged, like two miniature purple suns floating in the depths of her eyes.
A surge of powerful battle qi erupted from her body, merging with the bloodline of the Supreme Dragon-Phoenix and transforming into a visible torrent of oppressive force that crushed towards Huang Tian. It was a suppression originating from the source of her bloodline, carrying the dual domineering power of the Ancient Void Dragon and the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix, even causing ripples to appear in the void.
Zi Yan herself was well aware that now that Huang Tian had appeared, there was no possibility of a peaceful resolution to this confrontation.
Even so, she still needed to establish a firm foothold and build the first barrier with words and momentum, so that this uninvited guest would realize that the Ancient Dragon of Taixu under her command was not a soft persimmon that could be easily manipulated.
The moment Zi Yan's torrent, carrying the oppressive might of the Supreme Dragon and Phoenix, rolled in, Huang Tian's nearly thousand-foot-tall golden body involuntarily trembled slightly.
That was a tremor originating from the depths of her bloodline. The dragon-phoenix bloodline flowing within Zi Yan's body possessed both the domineering nature of the ancient dragon and the supreme aura of the ancient phoenix. The pressure formed by the fusion of these two supreme bloodlines was like an invisible mountain, pressing down heavily on his Heavenly Phoenix bloodline.
The stinging pain in his meridians made him slightly open his beak, almost letting out a suppressed groan. He had to forcefully urge his internal fighting spirit, which surged like a river through his limbs and bones, to barely suppress the blood throbbing that was about to run rampant.
When he looked up at Zi Yan again, his crimson-gold vertical pupils held a hint of solemnity and apprehension.
In terms of cultivation, his strength as a late-stage Five-Star Dou Sheng was indeed a step above Zi Yan's; however, in terms of bloodline, although he was already a leader among the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, Zi Yan's Supreme Dragon Phoenix bloodline was too special. It was a perfect fusion of the Ancient Void Dragon and the Ancient Heavenly Phoenix. In terms of bloodline level alone, it had already surpassed his pure Heavenly Demon Phoenix.
The Heavenly Phoenix Clan originated from a branch of the ancient Heavenly Phoenix, and their bloodline naturally carries a sense of awe and suppression towards their ancestors. Now, facing someone like Zi Yan who possesses the purest bloodline of both clans, that sense of suppression originating from their very soul becomes even clearer.
If it weren't for his superior cultivation level and the fact that he was currently under the blessing of the "Demon Phoenix Sacred Elephant," he would probably have already been forced to stand on end by this pressure, leaving him in a sorry state.
Huang Tian slowly flapped his wings, the golden feathers leaving two afterimages in the void, as if calming the surging blood and qi in his body. However, his gaze remained fixed on Zi Yan, no longer daring to show the slightest contempt.
Now that she has stepped into this void, Huang Tian has no reason to turn back.
The Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan is currently embroiled in internal strife, a situation that the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan is delighted to see. The deep-seated hatred between the two clans, spanning millennia, is etched into their very blood. If they don't seize this opportunity to stir up trouble, when will they?
As the clan leader, he had no reason, for both public and private reasons, to sit idly by and watch Zi Yan successfully wipe out her own clan, allowing the Taixu Ancient Dragons to return to unity.
Moreover, he had just torn through space to descend. If he were to be driven back by Zi Yan, a young girl who had only recently ascended to the throne of the Dragon Emperor, wouldn't the reputation of Huang Tian, and even the entire Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, be shattered in front of all the clans in Zhongzhou?
At that time, the joke that "the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan Chief was scared away by a young girl" will probably spread to every corner of the Central Plains, making all the clans laugh at it for a hundred years.
For the sake of face, for the long-standing feud between the two races, and for the sake of disrupting the situation of the Ancient Dragon of the Void, he had to stay.
Even though Zi Yan possessed the bloodline of the Supreme Dragon-Phoenix, and even though this confrontation was destined to be dangerous, he would not back down an inch. "Hehe, Lady Zi Yan is joking."
The surging blood and qi within his body subsided slightly, and Huang Tian's deep and majestic voice echoed in the void once more, his tone carrying a deliberate ease, as if the previous bloodline tremor had never occurred:
"I have come here not with the intention of making an enemy of the Ancient Dragon Clan of the Void, but simply to deal with an important matter within the clan."
His crimson-gold vertical pupils narrowed slightly as his gaze swept over the three disheveled dragon kings below, but his tone suddenly changed:
"To be honest, some time ago, the forbidden area of my Heavenly Phoenix Clan was robbed, and the remains of a ninth-tier ancestor were lost. What's even stranger is that before the incident, several scales that did not belong to our clan were found in the clan's territory. After identification, they were found to be scales of the Ancient Void Dragon."
"Following the clues, I only managed to catch a faint trace of the ancestral remains not long ago. Its approximate location is in the void surrounding your Taixu Ancient Dragon Island."
Huang Tian's tone suddenly became more serious, and a half-smile curled at the corners of his eagle-beak-like lips.
"It was precisely because of these suspicions that I tracked them down here. As for rescuing these three Dragon Kings... it was merely a matter of chance."
As he uttered the last sentence, the golden feathers surrounding him trembled slightly, and an invisible pressure spread out.
"This matter concerns the dignity of my ancestors and is of utmost importance. As the new Dragon Emperor of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, I wonder if you can give me and the entire Tianyao Phoenix Clan a reasonable explanation? Otherwise, I cannot leave so easily."
These words seem logical and clearly state their position as "investigating the theft case," but the provocation and challenge between the lines are undisguised.
This not only gave them a reason to stay, but also pointed the finger directly at the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, and incidentally confirmed that the three Dragon Kings were not involved in the "theft" and that the case was only targeting Donglong Island. It was a triple win.
In fact, Huang Tian's claim of "the theft of ancestral remains" was not entirely a fabricated excuse.
When he tore through space to reach this void earlier, he vaguely sensed a faint yet strangely familiar aura. It was the unique fluctuation of the remains of the ninth-order ancestor of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan. Although it was so weak that it was almost covered by the energy turbulence left over from the battlefield, it could not escape his senses as the clan leader.
At first, he did not connect this matter with the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, but when he sensed that the aura was indeed lingering in the void around Ancient Dragon Island, a thought suddenly became clear: the stolen ancestral remains must have appeared in this vicinity, and it was most likely related to the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan.
Although the exact location of the remains cannot be determined, nor can it be said which member of the dragon clan moved them, this aura has undoubtedly become the most suitable "reliance" for him at this moment.
In this way, Huang Tian could stay on this battlefield in a perfectly legitimate way, and at the same time point his spear at the Ancient Dragon Clan of the Void. He would naturally not let go of such an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
He looked at Zi Yan, a hint of certainty flashing in his crimson-gold pupils. No matter what secrets were involved, as long as the "theft" charge was firmly established, there would be enough room for maneuver in today's matter, and he would have a legitimate reason to get involved. He had barely managed to find a reasonably plausible excuse.
Even Huang Tian himself did not expect that his seemingly innocuous excuse would actually touch upon the core of the truth.
The stolen remains of the ninth-tier ancestor of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix were indeed inextricably linked to the Ancient Dragon Clan of the Void. It was Xiao Ling who infiltrated the forbidden area of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan and stole them, braving countless dangers to escape the clan's territory before bringing them back to this Ancient Dragon Island.
The demonic core in the remains had already transformed into nourishment for Zi Yan's bloodline when she was refining the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit, and had been integrated into the Supreme Dragon-Phoenix bloodline.
The various rare materials remaining from the remains are now lying quietly in Xiao Ling's storage ring.
Huang Tian's words echoed in the void, instantly stirring up silent waves among the various factions.
The vast majority of the ancient dragon clan members, whether they were soldiers from Donglong Island or members of the three-island allied forces, had a hint of doubt on their faces. Everyone knew about the long-standing feud between the Taixu Ancient Dragon and the Tianyao Phoenix clans. At this moment, Huang Tian brought up the excuse of "the theft of the ancestral remains," which they thought was just a fabricated excuse. It was clearly an attempt to take the opportunity to interfere in the internal strife, and it had no credibility whatsoever.
Even the three Dragon Kings, who had just been saved from the brink of death, looked at Huang Tian with a strange, knowing gaze, clearly believing that this was the reason why the other party wanted to cause trouble.
Only a few elders on Donglong Island who knew the inside story suddenly had strange expressions, their fingers unconsciously clenching. Although they did not know the details, they had vaguely heard that Xiao Ling had infiltrated the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan. At this moment, what Huang Tian said seemed to match the rumors, and their hearts skipped a beat.
Xiao Ling, who was in the Donglong Island camp, raised his eyebrows slightly and paused for a moment.
He hadn't expected Huang Tian to suddenly bring this up. His gaze swept over the other's confident demeanor, but he quickly realized that Huang Tian was probably just guessing based on that wisp of residual aura. He might not be able to be 100% certain about the whereabouts of the remains, let alone that the thief and the core of the matter were right here in this void.
As long as I don't go so far as to publicly display the remains of the Heavenly Phoenix Demon, this matter shouldn't involve me.
Zi Yan knew perfectly well that she was not only aware of the stolen remains mentioned by Huang Tian, but was also a direct beneficiary of them.
The Heavenly Phoenix Demon Core within the remains not only helped her perfectly refine the Dragon-Phoenix Origin Fruit, pushing her bloodline potential to a new level, but also subtly warmed her relationship with Xiao Ling during the process. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a great opportunity.
But of course, there is absolutely no possibility of admitting to this.
Her grip on the spear tightened, her purple-gold eyes suddenly sharpened like knives, and she coldly shouted, "Nonsense! I have never laid a finger on anything belonging to your Heavenly Phoenix Clan. You dare to use such a frame-up trick here?"
With a sudden flick of the spear tip, a purple-gold aura danced across the spear shaft, carrying an aura that seemed to pierce through the void: "I see you're just using this as an excuse to stir up trouble, trying to take advantage of the chaos within my clan! Since that's the case, there's no need for further words. Let me see just how capable you, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan Chief, are to dare to act so presumptuously here!"
Seeing Zi Yan's attitude, Huang Tian's composure faded, and a cold light flashed in his crimson-gold vertical pupils.
He flapped his wings suddenly, his nearly thousand-foot wingspan creating a howling gale, and his tone suddenly became sharp as ice: "Since Lady Ziyan refuses to give me an explanation, then this matter will not end well!"
"The remains of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan's ancestors are a matter of national dignity, and cannot be lightly insulted! If you do not hand over the remains today, do not blame me for forcibly taking them back!"
The moment the words fell, two completely different yet equally domineering auras collided violently in the center of the void. Golden and purple halos clashed and tore each other apart, and the previously dormant energy turbulence boiled over once more, as if the entire world was trembling in anticipation of this epic showdown. (End of Chapter)
