Corrupt Creations

"My... Life...?" 

"..." 

"Is there really no other way?" Huo Shihong asked while still having his head bowed. 

"Sigh... They are all more powerful than you are and there is nothing you could do to save yourself and your daughter from them. The only opportunity of getting out of this situation, is to enter the Phoenix Chamber together with your daughter. Even someone at their realm of power won't be able to break the barrier this Venerable One created around the chamber that easily." 

"But I'm a cripple... There is no way I could do it! Even that dark sphere of power around Yuyin... I can't break it." 

"There is a way. This Venerable One can't interfere directly with what happens, but I can infuse some of the power contained in the Fire Labyrinth, inside your energy veins, making you surpass the Profound Mana Realm of power for some brief minutes. But it will be impossible for you to make out of this alive. That power will overload your energy veins and burn your lifeline, quickly consuming your vitality and turning it into more power." 

Huo Shihong made sure to pay attention on every single word the Phoenix Spirit was saying. He understood that he would at least have a chance to enter the Phoenix Chamber together with his daughter if he took that offer. 

However, if he didn't take it, there was only death waiting for them, so the Lord Phoenix Spirit words were like a heavenly music for his ears. 

"I accept it." 

"Sigh... If there was any other way, this Venerable One would certainly help you, but there is not." 

"Can I ask why Lord Phoenix Spirit is going that far to help a servant like me?" 

"It's not for you. That girl inheriting my power started to cry after noticing what was happening here. She is my successor and responsible to show the world the might of the Phoenix Flames, so this Venerable One felt like helping her a bit. Although what can be done, is to save one while sacrificing the other." 

"Lilian?! How is she? How is my daughter doing?" 

"She is in the middle of the inheritance process, that's why this Venerable One can't directly act. If the process were to be interrupted, she could die or suffer irreparable damage, wasting all the efforts. Maybe, being connected to the labyrinth power, was what made her able to feel and see your presences here." 

"It's good to hear that she is alright." 

"Are you ready to begin?" The Phoenix Spirit suddenly asked. 

Huo Shihong inhaled deeply and said: "Please tell her that it was my choice... And that I love her and Yuyin. Sigh... I'm ready." 

His eyes shone with resoluteness. 

The Lord Phoenix made sure to record his words in a fragment of its soul. After that, the whole Phoenix Spirit body, circled in the infinite void before Huo Shihong, diving towards him. 

Screech! 

That massive burning body came towards Huo Shihong and he thought he was going to be swallowed by a sun. However, those flames started to get sucked towards his body, entering it and activating his bloodline. 

On the outside, Third Shadow was bombarding the fire barrier together with Fifth and Seventh Shadows, but nothing they did seemed to make it show any signs of breaking. 

They were about to strike together one more time when suddenly, they felt a fiery hot energy awakening at the place Huo Shihong was. 

Boom! 

A wave of flames left Huo Shihong's body, destroying everything around him. Seventh Shadow darkness energy dome was thoroughly destroyed by it, but miraculously, Huo Yuyin didn't suffer a single scratch. 

That wave of flames impacted against the three Shadows, forcing them to use their Mana to protect their bodies. Seventh Shadow felt a bit of difficulty while resisting those flames, and got shocked after realizing that energy belonged to a practitioner of a higher realm of power than him. He was a Mana Control peak-stage practitioner and those flames seemed to belong to a Profound Mana initial-stage expert. 

Huo Shihong felt a huge quantity of Mana inside his energy veins, a quantity that was at least a thousand times stronger than what he had normally. While still amidst his Phoenix Flames, he stood up from his wheel chair, hovering in the air, since he had acquired the ability to fly. After reaching the Profound Mana Realm, a person would naturally learn how to use his Mana to support his body weight in the air, even without the need of the wind attribute. 

He opened his only arm and Huo Yuyin flew towards him, staying inside his embrace. He made sure to create a thick layer of Mana around her body, protecting her from anything that may happen. 

After that, his eyes seemed to get sharper as he looked to the flame barrier standing right behind his three mortal enemies. He would do everything to fly past them and enter that place together with his daughter. 

Huo Shihong positioned his body in the air and just like a sharp arrow shot by a divine war bow, he darted towards the direction where those three people were. 

Seventh Shadow felt pressured by Huo Shihong's energy and was forces to step back, however, he suddenly felt the pressure lessening. 

Fifth and Third Shadow release their aura, that were at the Profound Mana Realm as well, blocking part of the pressure he was feeling. 

"What is happening?! How was he able to get so much stronger?" 

"I don't know. But there is not time for that. Prepare for the battle." 

A dark layer of energy started to surround them as they were getting ready to execute their skills. 

Huo Shihong approached them with a thunderous speed. His body started to burn the entire environment around him and his eyes seemed to be raging in flames. He could not use his arm to battle, since he was holding Yuyin, but he was able to use the rich flame energy in the environment to execute many techniques. 

From the flames circling around his body, ten thousand filaments of flames shot towards his enemies, blinding them with the bright orange color his Phoenix Flames were exuding. 

As if ten thousand missiles were coming their way, the members of the Twelve Shadows were obliged to take this combat seriously. 

Fifth Shadow went forward while creating a Curtain of Darkness, making the whole area bathe in the dark element. As the fire filaments entered that area, they started to be consumed by his darkness, turning into nothingness. 

However, he suddenly felt that Huo Shihong Phoenix Flames started to resist his dark element effectiveness, burning his Curtain of Darkness away. 

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

Many explosions started to occur at the point where the clash between them was happening. 

While Fifth Shadow was concentrated on resisting those thousands of fire filaments, Huo Shihong's body was already shooting towards Seventh Shadow, the weakest link of their chain. 

Seventh Shadow felt that oppressive aura coming towards him, but he didn't panic. He released his entire aura, creating a cocoon of darkness around himself. He realized Huo Shihong was going to focus him, since he was the weakest of them, but inside his cocoon, he wouldn't be easily taken down. 

Even though he saw what Seventh Shadow was doing, Huo Shihong didn't try to ignore him and move past the place he was, since he knew an opponent like Seventh Shadow would certainly strike him from behind if he didn't take proper measures. 

Huo Shihong didn't try to spare any energy while creating a sea of Phoenix Flames around the place where Seventh Shadow was. Those flames burned everything around that cocoon of darkness constantly, not letting a single gap for Seventh Shadow to leave and attack him. 

After doing it he shot towards the flame barrier covering the entrance to the Phoenix Chamber, but he suddenly felt a very strong aura pressing down on his body. Third Shadow was already just some meters apart from him, ready to strike Huo Shihong with an Orb of Darkness. 

Third Shadow had silently activated his Shadow Step, calculating Huo Shihong's trajectory, getting ready to strike when he saw fit. 

Sect Master Huo was already expecting that he would make a move, but he was surprised to see him appearing right in front of him. He saw that it was already too late to escape and decided to clash head on with Third Shadow. 

"Phoenix Wing!" 

A huge wave of Phoenix Flames attacked Third Shadow, clashing against his Orb of Darkness and creating an explosion of fire and darkness. 

Sect Master Huo was force to an abrupt stop, but Third Shadow kept advancing towards him. That happened because Third Shadow had a slightly stronger aura. 

Huo Shihong suddenly felt that there was another aura approaching him from behind. He instantly knew that he was between two powerful powerhouses and there was no easy way out of that situation. 

He suddenly used every single drop or particle of Mana inside his energy veins to execute his next skill. A skill that the Phoenix Spirit imparted with him, after infusing power inside his body. 

"Purifying Flames!"