Chapter 506: The Phoenix Statue and Zhu Li
"Que Huang, defeated!"
Upon hearing Que Huang's miserable scream, Peng Huang and Diao Huang's hearts skipped a beat. They quickly turned their heads and saw Que Huang lying on a mountain peak, like a dead dog.
The once towering mountain, thousands of meters high, had collapsed more than halfway.
In battles between semi-saints, a simple move could destroy entire mountains, turning them to dust.
Seeing this, Mo Yu's face lit up with joy. He initially thought that even though Uncle Snake had just broken through to Dou Saint, being able to hold his ground against a mid-level semi-saint like Que Huang was already impressive. Unexpectedly, Uncle Snake had managed to win.
The Nine-Winged Purple-Gold Snake, a powerful ancient beast, truly lived up to its reputation!
"Sir, you've lost."
A flash of purple-gold light, and Uncle Snake transformed back into his human form. He looked calmly at the severely injured Que Huang and spoke indifferently.
Over the past two years, not only had he evolved from a Seven-Winged Purple-Gold Snake to a Nine-Winged one, but he had also fully absorbed the legacy of the Sea Demon Sovereign, giving him a level of power that was worlds apart from before.
Though he had only recently entered the semi-saint realm, with the strength of the Nine-Winged Purple-Gold Snake and his powerful abilities, defeating a mid-level semi-saint like Que Huang was not surprising.
Even though he had defeated Que Huang, Uncle Snake did not go for the kill. After all, Que Huang belonged to the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, which had true Dou Saint experts in their ranks.
Killing someone of such status could provoke retaliation, and the consequences would be disastrous.
The difference between a semi-saint and a Dou Saint might seem small, but in terms of power, the gap was immense, like heaven and earth.
As a semi-saint himself, Uncle Snake knew this all too well.
To avoid provoking large-scale retaliation from the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, Uncle Snake showed restraint, merely rendering Que Huang temporarily unable to fight without causing too severe injury.
"Damn it! So what if you're a Nine-Winged Purple-Gold Snake? Are you not afraid of our Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan's revenge?"
Even though Que Huang had been defeated, a dark, resentful expression flickered across his face.
The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan was a dominant force in the magical beast world, second only to the Ancient Void Dragon Clan. For him, a grand elder of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, to be humiliated like this was unbearable!
"You speak too harshly. We were merely sparring, and anyone could have won. If you wish to leave now, I won't stop you," Uncle Snake replied with a light smile.
Hearing this, Que Huang's face twisted in rage. He turned his gaze toward Diao Huang and Peng Huang, and coldly commanded, "Diao Huang, Peng Huang, join me in summoning the Clan Leader's Spirit!"
As his words fell, Diao Huang and Peng Huang, who were locked in their own battles nearby, stiffened. They quickly nodded and withdrew from their fights, gathering behind Que Huang.
The three formed a triangular formation, and terrifying waves of energy began to surge from their bodies, as if something truly dreadful was about to be born.
"Bloodline Summoning!"
With Que Huang's cold shout, an intense red light erupted from the palms of Diao Huang and Peng Huang, swiftly enveloping Que Huang.
Within this eerie red glow, Que Huang's body began to shrink rapidly, eventually taking on human form.
As the red light merged with his body, Que Huang trembled, and a pair of golden phoenix wings unfurled from his back. At the same time, his aura surged dramatically!
In the sky, Que Huang's golden eyes turned icy cold, and boundless Dou Qi exploded from his body. Behind him, a massive, thousand-foot-long phoenix silhouette appeared, shimmering in golden light.
This phoenix, entirely golden, gave off a strange, otherworldly feeling. Its golden eyes gazed down upon all beings, and an overwhelming sense of pressure descended from the sky!
Under this immense pressure, the very energy of the surrounding heavens and earth seemed to grow chaotic, and even within the Mighty Lion Clan, shocked voices could be heard.
Mo Yu stared at the enormous golden phoenix silhouette, his body suddenly chilled.
"Could that be... the Sacred Image of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan Leader?" Mo Yu murmured, his face darkening as he realized what he was seeing.
The Clan Leader of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan was a five-star Dou Saint. Although the sacred image summoned by Que Huang and the others could not fully replicate his power, it was still as strong as an attack from a high-level semi-saint.
"Not good, Uncle Snake is in danger!"
Thinking of this, Mo Yu's face changed drastically.
Uncle Snake had only just broken through to the semi-saint level. While he could defeat a mid-level semi-saint like Que Huang, facing the sacred image of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan Leader, a high-level semi-saint, would be too much for him.
Moreover, Uncle Snake had intervened on Mo Yu's behalf, so Mo Yu felt guilty about putting him in danger.
Just as Mo Yu was preparing to help, he felt someone gently pull his sleeve.
Turning around, he saw Zi Yan's wide, round eyes staring at him. She whispered softly, "Mo Yu, don't worry. My Third Grandpa is here."
"Third Grandpa?" Mo Yu was taken aback but soon realized who she meant, and a smile of relief appeared on his face.
In the arena, Que Huang glared at Uncle Snake, his arm slowly raising, long fingers pointing toward him. His voice, cold and oppressive, was filled with an overwhelming sense of authority.
"Clan Leader's Sacred Image—Devour the Heavens and the Earth!"
With a cold shout, the enormous golden phoenix behind Que Huang seemed to come to life. It let out a piercing cry and, with a massive flap of its wings, sent a colossal golden light beam, thousands of meters long, crashing down toward Uncle Snake like a meteor.
Seeing this, Uncle Snake's face grew serious. From the sacred image of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix, he could feel a strong sense of danger.
This sacred image was not weaker than the Sea Demon Sovereign from the past, making it a lethal move comparable to a high-level semi-saint's attack!
However, just as Uncle Snake was about to fight with all his might, an elderly laugh echoed from the sky above the Mighty Lion Clan's territory.
"Hehe, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan is still as domineering as ever. Who would've thought you'd even bring out the Clan Leader's Sacred Image just to retrieve the Phoenix Essence Blood?"
As the voice fell, the sky rippled with spatial distortions, and two figures silently appeared before everyone.
One was an old man, the other a burly middle-aged man.
Mo Yu examined the two carefully. Thanks to Zi Yan's earlier hint, he realized that these two were likely members of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan.
Hovering in the sky, the old man's face was kind and gentle, but Mo Yu dared not relax. He could feel an immense pressure radiating from him, a pressure that seemed to reach his very soul. If not for Mo Yu's strong soul, he would not have been able to look directly at the old man.
As for the burly man, his towering, muscular body exuded a fierce, savage aura. His strength seemed no weaker than the Nine Heavens Sovereign of the Hall of Souls.
"It's Third Grandpa and Hei Qing!" Zi Yan exclaimed excitedly upon seeing the two.
"Zi Yan's Third Grandpa must be the third elder of the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, Zhu Li," Mo Yu thought to himself.
Zi Yan was from the Eastern Dragon Island, the true lineage of the Dragon Emperor, and her Third Grandpa, Zhu Li, was most likely the third elder of Eastern Dragon Island.
As for Hei Qing, Mo Yu was familiar with him from the original tale. Hei Qing was Zi Yan's loyal bodyguard, an eight-star Dou Zun. As long as they didn't encounter a saint-level expert, Hei Qing was unstoppable across the continent.
With the arrival of these two, Mo Yu felt relieved. Although Hei Qing might not play a big role in this battle, Zhu Li was a high-level semi-saint. With him here, the outcome was secure.
Just as Mo Yu expected, in the sky above, the old man squinted slightly and then slowly stretched out his withered hand.
As his hand extended, an overwhelming aura gathered in it, transforming into a golden dragon just as massive as the Heavenly Demon Phoenix statue.
The golden dragon roared to the heavens and then, under the stunned gazes of the onlookers, charged straight toward the Heavenly Demon Phoenix statue.
"Hehe, let me see the power of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan Leader's statue," the old man's cheerful, aged voice rang out just as the attacks collided.
Clang!
In the sky, the two terrifying forces clashed with a sound like metal striking metal. The resulting shockwave unleashed a terrifying storm, sending anyone within a hundred meters flying, their blood churning.
As the storm subsided, the golden dragon created by the old man trembled and slowly dissipated.
Across from it, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix statue also staggered backward a few steps, each one causing space itself to collapse into patches of black void.
"Who dares to interfere with the affairs of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan!" Que Huang roared, his face twisted in fury.
"Hehe, Grand Elder Que Huang, could it be you don't recognize this old man?" As the explosion's shockwave cleared, Zhu Li chuckled softly.
"You're... Zhu Li, the third elder of Eastern Dragon Island from the Ancient Void Dragon Clan? What are you doing here!?"
Recognizing the gentle, smiling old man, Que Huang's rage froze. Then, as realization struck, his expression turned to one of shock.
The Ancient Void Dragon Clan was the true overlord of the magical beast world. Even though they had been dormant for millennia, no other beast clan dared to challenge their authority.
As one of the three elders of Eastern Dragon Island, Zhu Li was not only famous across the Dou Qi continent but also incredibly powerful, a high-level semi-saint.
Even as the grand elder of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, Que Huang did not dare act recklessly in front of him.
Seeing Que Huang's wariness toward Zhu Li, Mo Yu finally relaxed.
The Ancient Void Dragon Clan's authority was undeniable. Even though they lacked top-tier strength at the moment, each of the four Dragon Islands individually was nearly as strong as the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan.
The only downside was that apart from the old Clan Leader, Zhu Kun, a peak Dou Saint, the Void Dragons lacked any five- to nine-star Dou Saints. This was why the Dragon Emperor's prolonged absence had left the Dragon Islands leaderless and divided.
Still, the Ancient Void Dragon Clan's power was formidable. Their number of Dou Saints and semi-saints likely exceeded twenty or thirty.
Besides a few of the top-ranked imperial clans from the ancient times, no faction on the Dou Qi continent could rival their strength.
With Zhu Li's arrival, Uncle Snake knew there was no need for him to intervene anymore.
After all, this was now a matter between the two strongest clans in the magical beast world: the Ancient Void Dragon Clan and the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan. Despite being a Nine-Winged Purple-Gold Snake, which was nearly as powerful as those clans, Uncle Snake lacked the backing of a strong enough group to influence the situation.
Shaking his head, Uncle Snake walked over to Mo Yu's side.
"Uncle Snake, are you alright?" Mo Yu asked with concern.
"Hehe, don't worry. Even though Que Huang is a mid-level semi-saint, he couldn't do much to me. While the Heavenly Demon Phoenix statue did put some pressure on me, the elder from the Ancient Void Dragon Clan blocked it, so I'm fine," Uncle Snake replied with a smile.
Hearing this, Mo Yu nodded.
Uncle Snake had indeed become much stronger and more stable since their fight with Ao Huang in the South Sea.
Meanwhile, in the sky, Zhu Li stroked his white beard and smiled as he responded to Que Huang's question.
"If you can be here, why can't I?" Zhu Li chuckled.
"I'm here to capture the person who consumed our clan's essence blood. You know well that in the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, neither corpses nor essence blood are allowed to be taken away. The Mighty Lion Clan dared to shelter someone who consumed our essence blood, which is why we took action. Elder Zhu Li, do you intend to stop us?" Que Huang said coldly.
Hearing this, Zhu Li shook his head. "This is your clan's matter, and I don't intend to interfere. However, long ago, the Ancient Void Dragon Clan made a pact with a Mighty Lion Clan expert to assist them in times of crisis. So today, Grand Elder Que Huang, I'm afraid you'll have to return empty-handed."
"Are you not worried that this will affect the relationship between our two clans?" Que Huang's face grew even darker.
Zhu Li just smiled calmly, stroking his beard. "Our Ancient Void Dragon Clan has stood tall on this continent for eons. We don't need to look to others when making decisions. If you're truly eager for a fight, go ahead and start one."
Hearing Zhu Li's confident words, Que Huang's face twitched, and anger flared in his eyes. But in the end, he suppressed his rage.
Even as the grand elder of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, he couldn't afford to bear the consequences of a war with the Ancient Void Dragon Clan.
With a vicious swipe of his hand, he tore open a rift in space and, without hesitation, stepped into it.
Behind him, Peng Huang and Diao Huang exchanged frustrated glances but followed him into the rift. (End of Chapter)
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