The Vermilion Bird is one of the Three Supreme Fire Attribute Beasts, standing as the leader among them, and its flames carry divine attributes. During the Primordial Era, its fire was the most feared by the Devil Race, which was precisely why, when the war finally erupted, it became the first among the three to fall.
When the Ancestral Goddess created the universe, she left behind Three Tribulations and Three Boons.
One of the Three Tribulations is the fiercest fire, the Pale Flame, while one of the Three Boons is the purest water, the Glazed Glass Ice.
The Pale Flame was the fiercest fire in the universe. It could burn through space itself and scorch a True God's body until it shattered. Pale white in color, anyone who touched it would be reduced to ash. Ni Xuan ultimately extinguished this tribulation, leaving behind an indestructible origin seed.
At first, Ni Xuan attempted to master this power. However, his efforts ended in failure. With no other option, he shattered it into three fragments using the most extreme power of the Creation God of Elements. He later bestowed these three fragments upon the three Beast races, the Vermillion Bird, the Phoenix, and the Golden Crow.
This was the reason the three Beast races held Ni Xuan in such deep respect. It was because he was the very source of the power and flames they possessed and took such pride in.
Far away from the Eternal Light Divine Kingdom, within a relatively deep region of the Endless Fog.
Dense Abyssal Dust hung so thick that light could barely penetrate even a few corners of it. However, at this moment, a golden radiance spread outward, illuminating the once dark grey world.
"To think that I would see the Golden Crow and Phoenix's flame in this lifetime." Watching the golden flames burn around the handsome young man before her, Ling Xian spoke in a tone touched with nostalgia.
In the early years of the Abyss, members of the two Beast races fell for one reason or another, but none of them lasted long. They either died or succumbed to the erosion, turning into Abyssal Beasts that dwelled deep within the Endless Fog.
"Make your move." Opposite her, Yun Wuji stood in the air as the Golden Crow's flames ignited around him, making it seem as if he were bathing in a sea of gold. Every inch of space surrounding him burned violently, wrapped and twisted by the scorching heat.
After Yun Wuji issued his challenge, Ling Xian accepted it without hesitation. Despite her power being unstable due to her 'illness', she did not believe that any Divine Regent could defeat her, no matter how talented or gifted they might be.
Far away from them, Su Shang, Shenwu Youluan, and Shenwu Qing watched from a distance. The dense Abyssal Dust made it difficult to make out what was happening, and they could not get any closer. The shockwaves from a True God's battle would severely injure them or even kill them.
"Master will make this arrogant man understand his place!" Su Shang said, her eyes cold and piercing as they fixed on Yun Wuji's figure.
'You see what I see?' Shenwu Youluan and Shenwu Qing exchanged knowing glances before chuckling in unison. The expression on this woman's face looked as if she were about to fall into their man's demonic clutches and drown in his infinite charm.
"Young people sure are impatient," Ling Xian sighed softly. Suddenly, her gentle, cloudy eyes transformed into endless, blazing abysses of fire.
A long, ancient divine cry echoed across the Endless Fog.
Behind Ling Xian, a colossal divine figure hovered in mid-air, its head held high like a jade crown. Its eyes, reminiscent of a phoenix, were narrow and sharp, the pupils like unfathomable vortices of crimson gold, reflecting both the raging flames and the weight of countless ages.
The Vermilion Bird divine figure's wingspan stretched for thousands of miles, its feathers like molten cinnabar, each one glinting with a fiery, radiant light. When it flapped its wings, it surged like crimson clouds, the heat waves rippling outward to form a sky filled with flowing fire, scorching the grey expanse of the Endless Fog until it shimmered with a red glow, layer upon layer, like a sunset consumed by flames.
The drooping feathers, like starlight collapsing into dust, transformed into blazing crimson lotuses upon touching the ground, each blooming for a fleeting moment before vanishing into nothingness.
The crimson sky caused everyone in the Endless Fog to look up in shock and astonishment, though their reactions were less intense than one might have expected. Over the past three years, phenomena like this had occurred many times, and people had more or less grown accustomed to them. It seemed that some powerful beings were about to engage in battle.
Some people even abandoned their hunts, retreating to avoid the shockwaves, while others did the opposite and pressed deeper. Once the fight began, the first to die would inevitably be the Abyssal Beasts. If they were lucky, they might turn the battle to their advantage by collecting the Abyssal Stones and Crystals from the fallen creatures.
Yun Wuji stared at the sea of pure crimson flames. The fire resembled the Phoenix's yet felt entirely different. Suddenly, golden flames erupted from him, as dazzling as the sun, surging outward like countless suns surrounding him.
In a matter of moments, the original sea of crimson flames was pushed back by the golden fire, and the sky above them split in two, divided between red and gold.
'She is the real deal. Compared to her, the Divine Regents are too weak. Fortunately for me, I am immune to fire, though it would not have mattered if I weren't.' Just from the aura she radiated and the power of her flames, Yun Wuji could feel the extent of her strength. Even if all the Divine Regents he had encountered before combined their powers, they would not be able to defeat her.
And from Yun Wuji's deductions, Ling Xian was considered the weakest among the High Priests due to her unstable energies.
Her eyes shone with a bright crimson light, yet she showed almost no surprise as she saw her own flames being pushed back by a newly ascending Divine Regent.
It was as if she had already expected this.
Under her will, the crimson flames surged like tidal waves crashing, driving the golden fire back. Her first move was overwhelmingly powerful, as if she intended to end the fight in a single move.
"Yellow Springs Ashes!" In response to her attack, Yun Wuji muttered slowly. A golden sea of fire erupted around him, engulfing the entire area and driving the crimson flames back until they barely clung to existence around her. The intense heatwaves radiated so far that they reached the women watching from a distance.
"Hmm?" Ling Xian let out a sound of surprise, stunned to feel her own flames being pushed back by the golden fire, something that should have been impossible. Her ancient eyes fixed on the scene as she muttered, "Could it be?"
The Vermilion Bird was the leader of the Three Supreme Fire Attribute Beasts, but not because its flames were the most destructive. When it came to sheer devastation, the Golden Crow's flames were far more powerful.
"It seems that overthrowing Shenwu Yanye wasn't pure luck. You really are talented," Ling Xian praised. Despite appearing as if she were being pushed back, in the next instant, the crimson light in her eyes blazed even brighter.
The Vermilion Bird's flames burned even more fiercely than before, seemingly intent on turning the entire Endless Fog's sky into a deep crimson glow.
The colossal Vermilion Bird behind her flapped its wings, and in the next instant, Ling Xian's body moved as if teleporting. The space around her seemed to burst like fragile bubbles as she appeared directly before Yun Wuji, less than a dozen meters away. Stretching out her withered hand, a dense burst of fiery crimson flames shot forward, engulfing them both.
BOOMM!
The first to strike was Ling Xian, and it was clear she intended to finish Yun Wuji off as quickly as possible.
Her movements were abrupt, the distance between them almost nonexistent, leaving Yun Wuji barely any time to react before the crimson flames struck. Soon, the sea of fire had completely engulfed his figure.
BOOMM! BOOMM!!
However, Ling Xian did not stop. More crimson flames erupted one after another, surging like a raging sea of fire with Yun Wuji's original position at its center, as if trying to drag him down to the bottom of a crimson abyss.
The shockwaves from her attack spread across the space, reaching the farthest edges of the Endless Fog. The searing heat made many people feel their skin tingle, while the unlucky beasts nearby were reduced to crisped remains before they could even comprehend what was happening.
The space around them tore apart like Andrew Tate's fragile ego after a knockout, leaving countless dark scars everywhere. Apocalyptic spatial storms erupted, only to be incinerated by the scorching golden and crimson flames.
Ling Xian retracted her hand, ceasing her attack. She narrowed her eyes and stared ahead as the crimson flames gradually faded, revealing the figure of Yun Wuji.
He remained exactly where he had been earlier, completely unharmed. Not a hair was out of place, and his clothes showed no damage whatsoever. Tilting his head and digging a finger into his ear, he said, "Well, that wasn't bad. Your flames are quite warm and comfortable. I almost fell asleep."
"...How could this be?!!" Su Shang, watching from afar, could not see the scene clearly, but she could roughly make out what was happening. Her eyes widened as she realized that Yun Wuji appeared completely unaffected by her master's attacks.
On the other hand, Ling Xian showed none of the shock or astonishment one might have expected, which made Yun Wuji frown. He asked, "Why are you staring at me like that? I know I'm handsome, but woman, don't fall in love with me that easily."
Ling Xian, "..."
"It seems my guess was indeed correct. You own the power of Senior Ni Xuan! When you first displayed the Phoenix Flame and Golden Crow Flame, I had my suspicions, but now I can confirm it!" Ling Xian's expression shifted to one of surprise, a kind, joyful smile spreading across her aged face as she spoke with certainty.
"In ancient times, although the Vermilion Bird, Phoenix, and Golden Crow races shared the same origin, they later became incompatible due to differences in their ideals. Now, the Phoenix Flame and the Golden Crow Flame coexist peacefully within you alone. It seems that only Lord Ni Xuan's profound veins could allow them to coexist in this way."
...
If you'd like to support me and read chapters in advance, feel free to check out my Patreon:
https://patreon.com/ImmortalCockroach