Chapter 1211: Golden Crow Sacred Sword

Yun Che was no longer the naive young man he once was. Having encountered several deities over the years, he faced the Phoenix God beneath the Fire Prison not with fear, but with profound respect.

The Phoenix God's words caused a stir in his heart. Excitedly, he asked, "Are you saying you will bestow upon me all of your divine blood and divine soul?"

He had re-entered the Burial God Fire Prison specifically to find power that could strengthen him quickly. Even if he failed, he could still cultivate at the bottom of the Fire Prison using the Samsara Pearl. Now, he had unexpectedly discovered the presence of another deity. He hadn't even made a request, yet the Phoenix God was proactively offering to bestow divine power upon him.

"Undoubtedly, you, who inherit the power of the Heretic God, are the one in this world most capable of unleashing the Phoenix divine power to its utmost. Though I have long known of your existence, I never dared to hope for your arrival. Three years ago, when I sensed your aura, I was overjoyed. At the very least, bestowing all my power upon you will not betray the final will and power left by this Phoenix."

The Phoenix God's voice was majestic and solemn, yet it also carried sincerity and the serene contentment of a wish fulfilled.

Receiving the power of a deity is the greatest boon in the world for anyone, but it requires immense fortune and often multiple trials. Yet, at this moment, Yun Che had asked for nothing; the Phoenix God had actively guided him here and was now proactively offering to grant him all of its power. Such treatment likely made Yun Che the first person in the God Realm's history to experience it.

Only he possessed such qualifications.

"Had you arrived a few years sooner, the last Golden Crow Soul would undoubtedly have chosen you, not Huo Poyun."

The Phoenix God's words carried a hint of regret.

Yun Che, of course, had no reason to refuse, his heart swelling with surprise and excitement. He let out a soft breath and asked, "Phoenix God, if the disaster behind the 'Crimson Crack' truly erupts, can the power I possess possibly contend with it?"

The Phoenix God fell silent. After a long pause, it slowly said, "You inherit the power of the Heretic God, making you the only human in the world to inherit the power of a Creation God, and thus the most unique. However, you are still ultimately human. In the face of that inevitable catastrophe, your existence, your power, will be as minuscule as a grain of sand before the ocean."

Yun Che was speechless.

"That is not a calamity any single individual can contend with. Only if the entire God Realm casts aside racial divides, star-realm boundaries, and personal grievances, and dedicates all its efforts, without any selfishness, to resist it collectively, will there be even a glimmer of hope."

Yun Che remained silent.

"This calamity will be a test for the entire God Realm. We all ultimately chose to bestow all our power upon humans to leave behind more hope; this is the only thing we could do. Although you can maximize my power, personal strength is, in the face of that cataclysm, ultimately just dust."

Yun Che stood stunned for a long moment.

In just a few words, the Phoenix God had described to Yun Che a monstrous disaster that could potentially engulf the entire world.

If the "calamity" mentioned by the Phoenix God was the same event the Ice Phoenix young woman had spoken of, then why did the Phoenix God say his power was as minuscule as dust before the calamity, while the Ice Phoenix young woman claimed only he could resolve this difficult situation?

What "truth" did the Ice Phoenix young woman actually know?

"Then, when is this calamity likely to erupt?" Yun Che asked.

"Unknown, and no one can predict. Perhaps a few years, perhaps a few decades, or hundreds or thousands of years, or perhaps even tomorrow."

"I can sense your profound desire for power. And bestowing the last of the Phoenix divine power upon you is also the best choice for me. However, I hope that as you bear this final Phoenix divine power, you also shoulder an equivalent responsibility. At the very least, when that calamity arrives, you can ignite a glimmer of hope with the Phoenix flame."

Yun Che asked no further questions, nodding heavily. "I do indeed need power right now. Rest assured, if that calamity is truly as terrifying as you describe, I will have no way to escape it then."

"Very good." The Phoenix's eyes emitted an unusual glow. "My existence is already extremely tenuous; otherwise, I would not have to rely on this Burial God Fire Prison."

"I will bestow upon you the last seven drops of Phoenix divine blood, seventy percent of my divine soul, and..."

"The complete World Ode of the Phoenix!"

Yun Che's heart stirred intensely.

Unable to leave the Burial God Fire Prison, the Phoenix God's existence must indeed be extremely weak, with only the last seven drops of divine blood remaining; this did not surprise him in the least. What truly moved him, however, was undoubtedly the complete World Ode of the Phoenix!

The World Ode of the Phoenix he currently cultivated only reached the sixth stage, far from comparable to the complete Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World. If he were to obtain the complete World Ode of the Phoenix, along with more concentrated Phoenix divine blood and a more powerful Phoenix divine soul, his Phoenix Flames would no longer be weaker than the Golden Crow Flames!

The Phoenix's eyes emitted a flame light several times more intense. Subsequently, the sea of fire parted, and a star-like fiery point burned and sparkled between its eyes, releasing a powerful and pure Phoenix aura.

"This is the last divine power the Phoenix left in the world. Human, you who bear the power of the Heretic God, I now bestow it upon you, along with the will of the Phoenix!"

Under the Phoenix's sacred voice, the point of light flew like a meteor, touching Yun Che's glabella before merging into it without any resistance.

With the seven most primal drops of Phoenix divine blood and a wisp of Phoenix divine soul, the other wisp of Phoenix divine soul already within Yun Che immediately sensed them, letting out a long Phoenix cry from within Yun Che's heart and soul. His original three drops of Phoenix divine blood also boiled simultaneously, and Phoenix flames spontaneously ignited on Yun Che's body, burning ceaselessly.

Yun Che clearly felt that this wisp of Phoenix divine soul not only carried immense power but also inscribed within it the complete World Ode of the Phoenix.

At the same time, the pair of Phoenix eyes dimmed, and the previously intense Phoenix aura weakened by nearly ten-fold.

"Upon the divine soul I bestowed upon you, there is not only the complete World Ode of the Phoenix, but also the last of the Phoenix divine power. It is merely too weak, capable of increasing your profound energy by at most half a realm, but it is at least some assistance."

"As for the divine soul and divine blood, for you, perfectly refining them should be an easy feat."

The soul's voice remained majestic, but it had clearly become weaker.

Yun Che calmed the surging resonance within him and bowed deeply to the Phoenix Soul. "Phoenix God, thank you for your benevolence. I will certainly not disappoint you."

He was well aware of the consequences of the Phoenix God bestowing these gifts upon him: its existence would soon vanish.

"No need for thanks," the Phoenix God said. "This was a decision I made in accordance with the Phoenix's will. Your arrival, on the contrary, fulfilled my last wish. It's just that..."

It suddenly let out a long sigh, "I am destined to fail the Golden Crow Soul's final entrustment."

Yun Che was startled, then suddenly thought of something and blurted out, "Are you referring to the Golden Crow Sacred Sword?"

"It's not surprising that you know of it, as legends of the Golden Crow Sacred Sword have always circulated in the Flame God Realm," the Phoenix Soul slowly stated. "Indeed, what the Golden Crow Soul entrusted to me before its dissipation was the Golden Crow Sacred Sword. It was a unique treasure of the Golden Crow lineage. When gods and devils perished in ancient times, it was spared annihilation because it remained at the bottom of the Fire Prison, and it has existed there until today. However, due to the increasingly scarce Primordial Chaos energy, its power is no longer what it once was, though it is undoubtedly an extremely formidable existence in the current world."

"Yet, it is absolutely beyond the control of ordinary individuals."

"To prevent its divine power from dissipating too quickly, the Golden Crow Soul could only leave it here, to be bestowed upon someone deemed worthy when such an individual appeared."

"Under heaven, the only one qualified is that human youth named Huo Poyun. But I can no longer wait for the day he fully matures. I can only hope that in the future, he has not forgotten the legend of the Golden Crow Sacred Sword and comes to the bottom of this Fire Prison to find it."

Golden Crows and Phoenixes were inherently opposing existences, yet the Phoenix Soul still regarded the Golden Crow Soul's entrustment before its complete dissipation as a sacred mission. Its words conveyed deep regret and melancholy.

Yun Che did not immediately begin refining the divine blood and soul. He raised an eyebrow, deep in thought, then suddenly asked, "Phoenix God, what are the qualifications to obtain the Golden Crow Sacred Sword?"

"Powerful profound energy, and sufficiently advanced mastery of the Golden Crow Flames, especially the latter."

"What level of mastery is required for the Golden Crow Flames?" Yun Che's eyes flashed.

"Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath!"

Yun Che was slightly surprised. "You mean, one must reach the realm of comprehending Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath?"

"Vermilion Bird's 'Thousand Feathers Exterminating Nether Song,' Phoenix's 'Radiant Red Lotus of the World,' and Golden Crow's 'Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath' each represent the ultimate flame power of the three great divine flames. To cultivate them with a human body is immensely difficult, far beyond what mere high comprehension can achieve."

"If a human inheriting Golden Crow divine power can cultivate Nine Suns Heaven's Wrath, then they would indeed possess the qualifications acknowledged by the Golden Crow Sacred Sword."

The Phoenix Soul's words made Yun Che's gaze sharpen. He said, "May I try to wield the Golden Crow Sacred Sword?"

The Phoenix Soul remained silent for a moment, its aura flickering slightly, but it did not ask further questions. "Very well."

The sea of fire churned, and another wave of flames parted. Less than a thousand feet in front of Yun Che, a glint of crimson-gold shone. Even at the bottom of this vast Fire Prison, the golden light was so dazzling it was hard to look directly at.

It was a massive golden sword. Half of its blade burned with a brilliant golden light, while the other half was plunged beneath the crimson rock. Yun Che's gaze was firmly captivated, unable to look away.

"Try to pull it out."

Yun Che stepped forward, traversing layers of flames, until he stood before the golden greatsword. As he approached, an incomparably terrifying sword prestige, mixed with an equally powerful Golden Crow Flame might, assailed him.

Within this sword, it was as if a volcano, ready to erupt at any moment, was contained. Only half of it was visible, yet its sword prestige was terrifying, surpassing the Heaven Smiting Sword by countless magnitudes.

Yun Che took a step forward, took a deep breath, and gripped the wide hilt, which was burning with golden flames. He gradually tightened his grasp, circulated his profound energy throughout his body, and pulled sharply.

Bang!!

Yun Che's profound energy exploded throughout his body, and golden flames roared, but the Golden Crow Sacred Sword did not budge, nor did it even tremble slightly. It remained utterly motionless.

Yun Che frowned deeply but did not give up. He activated "Heaven Smiting," and another burst of profound energy erupted, raising his profound strength to its peak state. The Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World also ran at its maximum, causing the Golden Crow Flames on his body to shoot up hundreds of feet.

He re-gripped the hilt with both hands, took a deep breath, and then let out a roar:

"HAAA!!!!"

Boom—

A violent surge of immense power suddenly erupted, roughly pushing away the surrounding flames and creating a temporary, vast vacuum. But under Yun Che's grasp, the Golden Crow Sacred Sword still remained completely motionless.

It remained completely still even at full power, so trying again would be futile. Yun Che released his hands from the hilt and let out a soft sigh. "As expected, it's impossible."

He was certain this was not due to insufficient mastery of the Golden Crow Flames. The only reason was that his current profound energy was too low, simply insufficient to control the Golden Crow Sacred Sword, and thus impossible to gain its acknowledgment—even with the power of the Heretic God within him.

"Huh? Huh? What's that smell? So fragrant, so fragrant!!"

Just as Yun Che gave up, a hurried, childish female voice suddenly rang in his ear. At the same time, a red light flashed on his left arm, and Hong'er had appeared on her own. Her crimson eyes anxiously darted around.

"Hong... Hong'er?" Hong'er often forcibly appeared without his consent, so he was used to it. But this was the bottom of the Burial God Fire Prison!

Yet, amidst this vast Fire Prison, Hong'er showed no signs of discomfort and paid no attention to Yun Che's words. Her little nose twitched continuously. "So fragrant, so fragrant! I've never smelled anything so good! Where is it, where is it, huh?"

Hong'er's gaze fixed firmly on the Golden Crow Sacred Sword.

Yun Che's eyes widened in disbelief.

Wait, wait, wait? Is she going to...

No, no way?

"Whoa!" Hong'er let out a joyful cry and, with lightning speed, lunged straight towards the Golden Crow Sacred Sword.