Chapter 1018: Conflict 2

Soon, the Little Bull King summoned a massive iron bell adorned with a bull's head. As the bell hovered in the air, members of the Barbarian Bull Clan channeled their mana into it.

Buzz!

Within moments, the Iron Bull Bell had suppressed the entire sky, leaving the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son with no escape.

Sensing his retreat cut off, the holy son gasped. He realized he was in serious trouble—the Barbarian Bull Clan had no sense of honor.

He was indeed strong, confident in his ability to sweep through opponents in the void refinement realm. Even if he couldn't win, he could at least ensure his own survival.

But the sheer number of enemies was overwhelming. Nearly half of Wild Bull Ridge's void refinement realm experts had mobilized, and against such a sea of opponents, he stood no chance.

"Ancient Ancestor, save me!"

As the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son cried out for help, a golden claw tore through the Iron Bull Bell's barrier, snatching him away in the process.

The bull-headed men lunged forward, only to grasp at empty air, their frustration palpable.

The Old Black Bull, however, was ecstatic. He roared with laughter, "Hahahaha! That was the Golden Roc Ancestor of the Flying Spirit Clan! He's violated the inter-clan agreement by interfering!"

"Quick! Spread the word! Tell everyone that the little red bird couldn't withstand Wild Bull Ridge's heavenly prodigy, forcing the Golden Roc Ancestor to intervene!"

Hearing this, the Little Bull King's eyes lit up. He had never imagined such a maneuver was possible.

"Brother Niu'an, you truly think of everything!"

And so, fueled by Wild Bull Ridge's propaganda, the news spread like wildfire.

The Crimson Phoenix Holy Son had boldly challenged Wild Bull Ridge to battle, only to be defeated and forced to humiliatingly beg the Golden Roc Ancestor of his clan to rescue him.

The news sent shockwaves through all the clans. No one had expected the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son, who had awakened the Crimson Phoenix True Blood, to fall so swiftly and decisively.

When the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son learned of this while at the Flying Spirit Clan, he flew into a rage. Crimson flames blazed around him, as if capable of vaporizing an entire sea.

"This infuriates me! These shameless dogs! I swear to cleanse Wild Bull Ridge with blood!"

Immediately, the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son, consumed by fury, attempted to rally all the void refinement realm experts of his clan for a massive assault on Wild Bull Ridge, determined to avenge his humiliation. With reinforcements at his disposal, he was confident he could now withstand Wild Bull Ridge's swarm tactics.

However, the clan's elders intervened, and the Golden Roc Ancestor rebuked him sternly:

"Fool! If you recklessly gather such a large force again, Wild Bull Ridge will surely be prepared, setting a trap to ambush you! Must I break protocol and rescue you a second time?"

"With your recklessness, how can we entrust the future of the Flying Spirit Clan to you?"

"The Five-Colored Peacock Clan has already lost an elder. Our clan cannot afford further losses."

Hearing this reprimand, the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son quickly calmed down, his fiery anger subsiding considerably.

"I fell for their trap. The ancient ancestor's rebuke is justified!"

Seeing the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son's sincere acknowledgment of his mistake, the Golden Roc Ancestor's furious expression gradually softened.

"I've heard a human has recently advanced to the void refinement realm in Profound Ancient City. Go there and slay him to establish your authority."

The Crimson Phoenix Holy Son's eyes lit up at this suggestion, recognizing it as an excellent way to assert his dominance.

The human race and the Flying Spirit Clan shared deep-seated grudges. Moreover, Profound Ancient City likely had no more than two void refinement realm experts at most. Even if they joined forces, he was confident he could defeat them both, eliminating any risk of being overwhelmed by numbers.

"But what if the Giant Spirit Race intervenes? Profound Ancient City's defensive grand formation is no simple matter; even I can't breach it easily. What if they stall until Bai Tong of the Giant Spirit Race arrives to assist?"

The Golden Roc Ancestor smiled approvingly. "It's good you've considered this."

"However, you needn't worry too much about it. I'll have the Tree Demon Clan assist you by holding back the Giant Spirit Race's void refinement realm experts, preventing them from intervening. You only need to focus on dealing with the humans of Profound Ancient City."

At the mention of the Tree Demon Clan, the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son's brow furrowed slightly.

Since the war began, the Flying Spirit Clan had gradually become a vassal of the Tree Demon Clan, their autonomy severely curtailed. This was precisely why he was so eager to strike a decisive blow and establish his authority.

"Ancestor, can we truly trust the Tree Demon Clan?"

The Golden Roc Ancestor fell silent. After a long pause, he finally spoke. "At this point, what choice do we have? We must stand firmly by the Tree Demon Clan's side."

"The Two Realms Battlefield is about to open. No one knows if our Flying Spirit Clan will even survive after this world-shattering battle."

"Before that happens, our clan must produce a great ascension realm expert. Only then can we ensure the continuation of our inheritance in such a perilous situation."

"The Tree Demon Clan's promise may seem faint, but it's not entirely without possibility. Our clan must seize this opportunity."

The Crimson Phoenix Holy Son's expression grew solemn. He took a deep breath and declared, "Then I shall act."

"Go forth. Profound Ancient City is merely the first step. Your bloodline is extraordinary; the Connected Heavens Great War will further awaken the potential of your Crimson Phoenix True Blood."

Within Profound Ancient City, tranquility still reigned.

News from the outside world continued to pour in, with the most sensational reports lately concerning the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son's battlefield performance.

No one had anticipated that the Crimson Phoenix Holy Son, whom countless had hailed as a rising star, would suffer such a swift defeat in his first battle after advancing to the void refinement realm.

The matter became the city's hottest topic, sparking heated debates in every tavern and teahouse.

"Hahahaha! If you ask me, that Crimson Phoenix Holy Son is nothing but a paper tiger, unable to withstand any real test."

"Exactly! What good is extraordinary innate talent or a remarkable bloodline if he still falls in battle? The future doesn't belong to him."

"If I had to pick the strongest among this generation, I'd say it's the Six-Leaf Heavenly Sword Grass of the Tree Demon Clan. Once it metamorphoses into the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass, it will likely become invincible."

"Hard to say. I've heard rumors of an unfathomable heavenly prodigy within the Giant Spirit Race. They advanced to the void refinement realm back in the Heavenlight Secret Realm, and their appearance is said to resemble the Great Spirit God, the founder of their race."

"Ah, if only the human race had such an unparalleled prodigy."

"..."

Amidst this lively discussion, no one noticed that the clouds above Profound Ancient City had turned crimson, as if ablaze.

Boom!

The city's magical formation activated abruptly, enveloping the entire metropolis in spiritual light.

A torrent of fire poured down from the sky, hurtling toward Profound Ancient City.

Had the formation not activated in time, the city would have been reduced to a sea of fire.

"What's happening? Why did the formation activate on its own?"

"Hiss... look at the sky! Why is it so crimson?!"

"Who's attacking the city? Who's invading?!"

Amidst the panicked cries, a phoenix wreathed in crimson flames descended from the sky, its wings beating powerfully.