Chapter 119: Reign of Death!

Long before the current era... Before the great sects lingered their territories across the continent, and before cultivators reign throughout the continent.

There was an ancient legend about the first beast. It was a legend of the first phoenix.

It was recorded that a sovereign phoenix once waged war under the heavens for seven days and seven nights without pause. Its golden feathers were burned to ash. Its hollow bones were splintered. Its warm blood rumbled until the rivers turned red.

Eventually, its broken body plummeted from the heavens, swallowed by an endless sea of crimson fire.

The world believed the sovereign had fallen. But, myth says that on the dawn of the eighth day, a faint ember sparked beneath the ashes.

It was so faint, fragile, and nearly invisible. Then another ignited beside it. And slowly one after another, until the whole sea of fire roared back to life.

From the heart of that ash, a new Phoenix appeared, its body was more terrifying, its divine pressure heavy, and its might far greater than the creature that had perished.

Everyone used to say a saying across the time: "A true phoenix does not flee from death. Death itself fears before the phoenix."

****

Back within the suffocating dark cave, everyone quivered in fear. Because every eye was locked upon the hollow, lifeless corpse of Xue Hongzhao.

"SECT MASTER!" an elder shrieked, his voice cracking in sheer despair.

The dark cave instantly burst out into frenzied panic.

"Kill him!"

"Avenge the sect master!"

"Tear that bastard to shreds!"

The pure grief and fury surged across the surviving elders and disciples beyond the brink of sanity. A few clenched their weapons and others surged their beast essence, they lunged toward the demonic cultivator standing in the blood-pooled ground. The rage rumbled across the area.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The demonic cultivator stood completely still, his dark eyes devoid of emotion.

A senior disciple leaped through the air, his saber thrusting straight toward the demonic cultivator’s exposed neck.

The demonic man tilted his head a fraction of an inch to the left. The steel blade tore through the empty air.

His pale hand snapped forward like a whip, catching the disciple’s wrist, twisting the joint, and slamming him into the stone floor with an immense force.

An elder lunged from his blind spot, driving an essence infused fist at his forehead.

The demonic cultivator crouched smoothly under the punch, placing an elbow into the elder’s ribs.

The bone splintered, and the elder was pushed backward through the bone scattered floor.

"Far too slow," the demonic cultivator muttered, his voice filled with boredom.

The three disciples surrounded him carefully, thrusting spears and daggers from three directions.

The demonic cultivator took one calm step back, pivoted toward his back, and waved his hands.

Every lethal strike grazed harmlessly past his robes. It was as if he had read the directions of their attacks before their bodies moved forward to attack him.

Then, a terrifying, blood-soaked aura burst out behind his back. A faint linger of his beast tore into reality, its sharp fangs snapping shut as its claws slammed onto the floor.

The lunging cultivators were blasted across the air a bit, tumbling through the ground in sheer panic.

Lin Yuan’s eyes widened in shock. "A White Tiger?!"

The demonic cultivator was also a holder of the white tiger beast.

But, unlike Lin Yuan’s shiny, silver-white twin beasts, this appearance was deeply different. Its massive body was covered in thick, ash-white fur, and jagged crimson symbols lingered across its face like fresh scars. Its eyes burned with ravenous, strong bloodlust.

The cultivator slowly smeared behind the beast’s ear, whispering a single word. "Slaughter."

The angry white tiger moved forward with an immense speed. A few elders shattered in a spray of blood and screams.

"Fall back!"

"We cannot win against him!"

"It’s a legendary beast corrupted with the demonic essence of Divine Beast Realm level!"

Lin Yuan clenched his fists so hard his nails cut deep into his palms.

His body was running on pure adrenaline. His aperture was hollow, and his beast essence pool hovering just a bit above lethal zero percent. His knees trembled against his weight, the simple act of standing still needed immense willpower.

Chen Ming remained leaning on a rock behind him, his hands shaking in fear. "Lin Yuan... Lin Yuan, stop!"

"I’m fine," Lin Yuan gasped, gritting his teeth while wheezing a splash of blood.

"You can barely keep your body up! Your aperture is empty!"

Lin Yuan forced his spine straight, ignoring the agonizing pain itching from the twin tiger tattoos on his back.

’Not here,’ Lin Yuan clicked his tongue. ’How strong is that demonic bastard? Can I become an immortal if I use demonic techniques too?’

Across the chaotic, dark cave, the demonic cultivator suddenly halted mid-air. His dull, bored expression changed.

His gaze swept over the scared elders, past the screaming disciples, and locked immediately onto Lin Yuan.

For the first time, a spark of genuine, manic grin appeared in his hollow eyes. He stared at the twin tiger silhouettes shining faintly under Lin Yuan’s shredded robes.

A wide, terrifying smirk slowly appeared on the man’s pale face.

"Oh?" Lin Yuan muttered, raising his eye brow.

The demonic cultivator slowly ran his tongue across his upper lip, savoring the scent in the air.

"Another white tiger holder..." He murmured, smearing his neck as he lifted his head up like a predatory being happy seeing its prey. "Little brother..."

His grin widened until his yellowed teeth were visible before he continued speaking. "I am going to strip your flesh from your bones and swallow your aperture whole."

The ground under the man’s legs exploded. He was too fast.

Lin Yuan’s eyes barely tracked the movements in the air before the demonic cultivator appeared in front of him, thrusting a devastating slice towards his neck.

"Lin Yuan!! Move aside!" Chen Ming shrieked.

***

The linger of the phoenix’s feathers withered across the continent in the ancient war. The fallen sovereign had smeared cold amidst the ashes, its feathers scattered, its heart shredded, its breath gasping.

But deep under the ashes... a single ember had remained. It was not a myth!

It flickered again and again after the death. A rumble of ancient fire bursts out from the melting rock after every time it falls. An agonized cry tore through the heavens — the sovereign roar of an immortal being reclaiming its throne.

The ashes scattered like burning stars. The shattered bones joined together with loud snaps. The scorched flesh healed itself back into muscle. The wings flapped, wide and terrible. The phoenix will rise again and again if it has a strong will!

****

Back within the cave, the air trembled violently, and then the corpse of the sect master spasmed once.

A tiny, faint spark flickered in the bloody hollow of his chest. The demonic cultivator’s fingers were an inch from killing Lin Yuan by slicing his neck.

A powerful shockwave of golden-crimson flames rumbled behind him. The sheer force ripped the ground apart, staggering the demonic cultivator backward as he crossed his arms to shield his face.

The demonic cultivator trenched a ten paces back, his manic smile disappeared from his face. He slowly lowered his arms, his eyes widening.

Xue Hongzhao was hovering three feet above the ground, in front of him. His torn robes fluttered in a gust of pure heat. The hot, golden-red divine flames swirled around his body like living dragons, rapidly sealing the hollow wound in his chest.

And deep within his chest, a newly healed heart began to throb filled with anger and great resolve.

The divine fire rumbled brighter and hotter, vaporizing the dried blood on his skin until his body was restored its power back.

Slowly... the sect master opened his eyes. Those eyes are swirling with divine flame, representing the rage ablazed in his heart.

Behind his back, the divine phoenix appeared, its face filled with disdain. Its wings spread wide across the dark cave area, the fire dripping from its feathers setting the ground ablaze.

The phoenix’s screech rattled the foundation of the mountain. Every cultivator in the cave petrified in utter disbelief.

Chen Ming’s mouth opened in shock, Bai Ning stopped breathing. Lin Yuan stared at the flying master, his brain racing with many thoughts.

Even the demonic cultivator’s relaxed expression finally vanished, replaced by deadly confusion.

Xue Hongzhao slowly descended down to the ground. His robes were still torn and stained with the blood. His body had crossed the limit of death and walked back out because of his pure will and great resolve.

One who has a phoenix beast as his core beast can evade death once if his will is too strong to command the ancient bloodline of phoenix. Xue Hongzhao has that strong will.

"The Phoenix..." Xue Hongzhao rumbled, his voice booming across the cave, "is not a beast that merely cheats death."

The phoenix spread its wings, letting out a loud screech again,

The atmospheric temperature rose too high immediately, turning the moist cave into a blazing cave.

"It is the beast that uses death itself as the resolve for its rebirth again," Xue Hongzhao muttered, a dangerous smirk appearing on his face.

The divine flames roared into the darkness, illuminating every corner of the cave.

"I have already died once today..." Xue Hongzhao took his mighty black bow, aiming an arrow of pure, concentrated fire toward the demonic cultivator, "and now, I have returned to take your head, bastard."