Chapter 1737: Heavenly Phoenix True Feather

The Mortal Realm

Facing the Phoenix Clan Ancestral Hall's seal, Qin Sang directly conjured six divine birds.

A streak of crimson flowing fire shot across, its dazzling light piercing through the mist. The sky above the spiritual island turned fiery red, and the surrounding seawater was stained crimson, resembling molten lava.

With the Phoenix King's sudden departure, the Phoenix Clan's formation fell into disarray. Easily suppressed by the clone, they were scrambling when they suddenly sensed the aura erupting from the Ancestral Hall, striking terror into their hearts.

As the divine birds broke through the air, Qin Sang simultaneously retreated.

The moment the flowing fire engulfed the Phoenix Clan Ancestral Hall, the entire Phoenix Clan ancestral land, including the jungle where the Phoenix Clan resided, shook violently. Countless demonic birds were startled from the forest, and dense flocks flew erratically like headless flies.

Seeing the towering firelight in the direction of the forbidden area, they let out terrified cries.

Qin Sang hovered in mid-air, gazing at the Ancestral Hall, which had become a sea of fire. His eyes suddenly narrowed, and his expression showed a hint of surprise.

The combined power of the six birds had been verified many times, but surprisingly, as the firelight dimmed slightly, it became clear that the Phoenix Clan Ancestral Hall had not been destroyed; it stood firm amidst the raging flames!

The Ancestral Hall creaked and groaned, seemingly on the verge of collapse.

But the protective barrier formed by the seal was still intact!

Although the barrier was covered in visible cracks, it did not shatter immediately. Moreover, strange powers continuously seared out from the Ancestral Hall.

As these powers merged, the cracks on the seal gradually healed.

The Solar Divine Birds, which had always been invincible, failed to break open the seal!

With Qin Sang's perception, it was clear that this power originated from the broken feather. The force resisting the Solar Divine Birds was not the ancient hall's prohibition itself, but rather the result of the ancient hall's prohibition merged with the power of the broken feather.

In the legends of the Demon Sea Phoenix Clan, the broken feather was an ancient True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix, a revered treasure of the clan.

Back then, the various clans of the Demon Sea tried every means to infiltrate Canglang Sea, entering the Seven Killing Hall to steal the dragon corpse, primarily led by the Phoenix Clan and the Flood Dragon Clan.

The previous Flood Dragon King risked danger himself, spending considerable effort and promising great benefits, to persuade the Phoenix Clan to bring out the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix, to be wielded by the Nine Phoenix King, whose bloodline was most compatible with it.

The broken feather, being an ancient True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix, naturally possessed immense power.

The Phoenix Clan Ancestral Hall was where the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix was enshrined, and it relied on this feather to maintain its impenetrable seal.

The Demon Sea Phoenix Clan claimed to be descendants of the Heavenly Phoenix, but most clan members could not be recognized by the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix. Once separated from the Ancestral Hall, only descendants whose bloodline was most compatible with the feather could barely exert some of its power, and with severe limitations, making it unsuitable for battlefield use.

Otherwise, the Phoenix Clan could simply conjure the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix and make the human race run ragged.

The Canglang Sea Witch Clan had declined, and the human race had only risen for a few thousand years. In terms of foundation, neither was comparable to the Demon Sea demon race. This was also why the Demon Sea demon race dared to invade Canglang Sea recklessly.

Even if they were defeated, they could simply retreat to their ancestral land and defend it, leaving both the human and witch races helpless.

Letting the Nine Phoenix King take the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix to another realm inevitably raised concerns about losing the clan's cherished treasure.

In fact, the Flood Dragon King did perish in the Seven Killing Hall. If not for the top cultivators of the human and witch races desperately sealing the Demon Lord, the Nine Phoenix King and other demons outside Yitian Peak would not have escaped unscathed.

However, the Phoenix King had other considerations.

At that time, the Demon Sea demon race already suspected that the Demon Sea and Canglang Sea were not as distant as imagined. The Demon Sea had also produced Spirit Transformation cultivators who knew that a barrier existed around the Demon Sea, allowing exit but preventing entry.

The connection between Canglang Sea and the Demon Sea was established after the discovery of the Seven Killing Hall.

The Demon Sea demon race speculated that the Seven Killing Hall was key, and that perhaps not only Canglang Sea could enter it.

Besides searching for the dragon corpse, the Flood Dragon King's party had another mission: to use the Heavenly Phoenix Feather to explore the secrets within the Seven Killing Hall and find an exit towards the Demon Sea.

The Flood Dragon King was unfortunately killed in the battle with the Demon Lord. Later, the Nine Phoenix King no longer dared to pursue the dragon corpse, instead laying low and secretly exploring the Seven Killing Hall.

Before she could find it, the Seven Killing Hall ascended, and the two realms were connected, which could be considered fulfilling the mission.

Although Qin Sang didn't know the full story, he had personally witnessed the Nine Phoenix King using this feather to break through the inner hall's immortal prohibition. He had tried to overestimate the broken feather's power as much as possible, but unexpectedly, he still underestimated it.

The stronger the seal, the higher the grade of the broken feather!

Seeing the cracks on the seal recover at a visible rate, the power of Southern Brightness Li Fire was blocked by the seal, unable to scorch the ancient hall.

Qin Sang silently circulated his profound arts, and a vast surge of true essence immediately poured into the Solar Divine Tree. Six newly formed divine birds rose and simultaneously plunged into the sea of fire!

Boom!

Swoosh!

Layers of fiery waves surged high, and the spiritual island practically became a domain of fire.

Amidst the raging inferno, an almost inaudible cracking sound emerged. Qin Sang's expression shifted, and his figure instantly vanished.

Simultaneously, a rift suddenly opened in the dark sky, revealing flashing sword-stars within. The Phoenix King appeared out of thin air before the rift and rushed out.

She immediately saw the crumbling ruins in the center of the sea of fire, and Qin Sang standing amidst the ancient hall's wreckage. Her eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and she let out a mournful cry.

Qin Sang was looking down at an object in his right hand.

It was a long feather, over a foot in length, with traces of breakage. The feather shimmered with the same spiritual light as the seal's barrier, but now that light was gradually fading, until it completely lost its color and turned withered yellow, though the feather's original magnificent patterns were still discernible.

Even with the dimming spiritual light, Qin Sang dared not touch it directly, enveloping it with true essence.

Fortunately, the long feather's power was not as violent as the Vermilion Bird True Feather, so there was no need to suppress it with other treasures.

He looked up and saw the Phoenix King emerging from the formation, feeling surprised.

Although he hadn't focused his energy on the Phoenix King earlier, the Phoenix King was only at the late-stage Transformation cultivation. Normally, it would be impossible for her to break through the Seven Constellations Sword Array so quickly.

Sensing the spiritual aura emanating from the Phoenix King, Qin Sang understood.

Near the Ancestral Hall, the Phoenix King could use the seal to connect with the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix, gaining great divine abilities beyond her own realm.

Now that the Ancestral Hall was destroyed and the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix had fallen into Qin Sang's hands, the Phoenix King's aura rapidly declined.

"The Demon Sea demon race indeed possesses a great heritage!"

Qin Sang sighed inwardly.

Had he not been extra cautious and destroyed the Ancestral Hall with lightning speed, if the Phoenix King had conjured the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix, it would have been difficult to stop her.

As his thoughts flickered, Qin Sang secretly formed a sword art.

The dark starry sky behind the Phoenix King suddenly dissipated. The next moment, the Sword Soul clone surrounded the Phoenix King, and seven dazzling sword lights intersected above her head. With just a thought from Qin Sang, they could strike her down!

"This humble Daoist has no intention of causing more bloodshed. I hope fellow Daoist reconsiders."

Qin Sang gazed deeply at the Phoenix King, his tone full of profound meaning.

The Phoenix King's delicate body stiffened. She could sense how sharp and powerful the sword intent locking onto her was. Without the Ancestral Hall's protection, with her divine abilities, let alone harming the opponent or reclaiming the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix, even escaping would be difficult.

This was the Phoenix Clan's ancestral land.

The Ancestral Hall was destroyed, and there were no means to contend with the opponent.

If the opponent started a massacre, the consequences would be unimaginable.

She glared at Qin Sang, her right arm's brocade sleeve trembling slightly, seemingly hiding some technique. She was tempted to try it several times, but then she saw the Solar Divine Tree hovering beside Qin Sang, and a look of fear flashed in her eyes. Ultimately, reason prevailed.

The Phoenix King clenched her fists, almost grinding her teeth, and forced out a sentence, "I've never seen you before!"

Spirit Transformation cultivators couldn't just pop out of cracks in rocks.

"This humble Daoist is not a Canglang Sea cultivator, so of course you wouldn't recognize me," Qin Sang replied casually, his mind still drawn to the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix.

The Phoenix King's pupils contracted.

The invisible barrier was indeed protecting them; it was no idle talk.

The barrier had only disappeared for a few hundred years, and now an external Spirit Transformation cultivator had traveled here. Was the external human race truly so powerful?

"Since Senior Daoist comes from an outer realm, you should have no grudge against our Demon Sea clans. Do you intend to interfere in the grievances between our two realms, helping the human race slaughter the demon race? Are you not afraid of this spreading and earning the reputation of bullying the weak?"

This questioning seemed so powerless, and the Phoenix King knew she was merely putting on a brave front. Her heart grew cold.

"Who said we have no grudges?"

Qin Sang smiled faintly, raising the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix. "Although this humble Daoist is an outer realm cultivator, this is not my first time here. Back then, my cultivation was shallow, and your subordinate, the Nine Phoenix King, pursued this humble Daoist in the Seven Killing Hall with this feather. This time, I killed her and took the feather to settle that old grudge, but I have no intention of causing further trouble."

The Phoenix King was shocked and uncertain upon hearing this. When the Nine Phoenix King returned, she had reported her experiences in the Seven Killing Hall, mentioning that she had pursued a cultivator and was almost dragged into Yitian Peak.

But that person was only a Core Formation cultivator back then!

The Nine Phoenix King was dead, so there was no way to verify it, and whether it was true or false was meaningless now.

Since the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix had fallen into the opponent's hands, how could they willingly hand it over? Not going on a killing spree in the Phoenix Clan's ancestral land was already a blessing in disguise.

But the Phoenix King dared not fully believe Qin Sang's words.

Her chest rose and fell as she suppressed her anger, forcing herself to calm down. "So, Senior Daoist will not help the human race slaughter our clan or interfere in the conflict between the two realms?"

"Not so," Qin Sang shook his head. "Another purpose of my visit is precisely for this, but it's different from what you imagine. As long as you are sensible, this humble Daoist will not create more slaughter. You alone might not be able to make the decision, so I want you to lead the way, and we will visit the Flood Dragon King together."

He paused, then looked outside the spiritual island. "Quickly tell your clan members to stop fighting, otherwise this humble Daoist's external clone will no longer hold back."

The Phoenix King was trapped by the main body, while the clone and demonic soul were invincible outside.

Having been driven into their ancestral land, these Phoenix Clan demon kings had no retreat and fought desperately, displaying extreme ferocity.

The Phoenix King's expression flickered uncertainly. She let out a long sigh and a clear cry, and the chaos outside immediately ceased.

Western part of the Phoenix Clan ancestral land.

On the calm sea, a dharma boat cut through the waves.

The clone stood at the bow, personally steering the boat, while the Phoenix King stood beside him, her face as cold as ice.

As they traveled, Qin Sang could sense various demons lurking nearby. The deeper they went into the Demon Sea, the more numerous they became, with flood dragons being the most common further on.

Qin Sang understood that the Demon Sea demon race had three top clans: the Flood Dragon Clan, the Phoenix Clan, and the Golden Toad Clan. Persuading these three clans would determine the overall situation.

He openly proceeded towards the Flood Dragon Clan, not fearing any traps ahead.

The sea surface was vast and boundless.

They flew for an unknown distance.

Suddenly, waves surged ahead. The sea split from directly in front of the dharma boat to both sides, the water rising high like mountains in the sea. In the middle, a dark figure emerged from the seabed, parting the water.

The arrivals were divided into two groups: one of golden flood dragons and one of black flood dragons. Leading them were two demon kings with human forms and long horns.

Qin Sang's main body appeared at the bow at some unknown point, recognizing them all as the Flood Dragon King's personal guards, but the Flood Dragon King himself was nowhere to be seen.

The two teams of Flood Dragon guards rushed out of the sea and stopped ahead. The two demon kings bowed to Qin Sang from a distance, then raised their hands and struck towards each other. Two streams of water converged between them, forming a water mirror, on which a majestic man wearing a golden crown and dragon robes appeared. It was precisely the Flood Dragon King.

The two sides gazed at each other across the water mirror. The Flood Dragon King glanced at the expressionless Phoenix King, then cupped his fists in a salute.

"According to human customs, should this King address Senior Daoist as a Perfected One or a True Lord? This King failed to welcome you from afar, how rude! How rude!"

His voice rumbled like thunder.

Qin Sang smiled indifferently, not wasting words, and replied loudly, "Titles are but empty names, Flood Dragon King may use whatever he pleases. My wish, I presume the Flood Dragon King already knows. What are your thoughts?"

"True Lord asks my clan to retreat with a single word. How does this King know it's not a delaying tactic?"

Qin Sang scoffed, "If this humble Daoist wished harm upon the Demon Sea, why would I need a delaying tactic? If I were to suddenly strike on the battlefield, how many of you could escape? Or are you suggesting I must destroy your clans' ancestral halls one by one before you are willing to listen to my mediation?"

As he spoke the last sentence, Qin Sang's tone suddenly turned cold.

Fury blazed in the Flood Dragon guards' eyes, but they dared not speak.

The Flood Dragon King was silent for a long time. "The message True Lord sent earlier seems to have an unspoken meaning."

Qin Sang looked at the Flood Dragon clan members on either side of the water mirror. "This matter is too important to be spoken of to outsiders. Can your clan's water mirror technique transmit messages secretly?"

"He is my clan brother, and very tight-lipped. If True Lord transmits a message to him, he will relay it to this King via secret art," the Flood Dragon King said, pointing to the demon king on the right side of the water mirror.

Qin Sang nodded, his lips moving slightly.

Before long, that demon king showed a shocked expression. Not daring to delay, he quickly relayed the message to the Flood Dragon King in the ancestral land via secret art.

In the water mirror, the Flood Dragon King abruptly stood up.

He wanted to press for whether it was true or false, but reason told him that this True Lord had come from thousands of miles away and would not do so merely to deceive them.

"This humble Daoist can swear an Oath of Karma," Qin Sang paused, then added, "This is a catastrophe that no cultivator in this realm can escape. This humble Daoist hopes to receive your full assistance. After it is resolved, you may contend however you wish; this humble Daoist will absolutely not interfere."

The Flood Dragon King paced back and forth a few steps, then glanced at the Phoenix King and said, "This King needs to contact the kings of the other clans for a joint discussion before making a decision."

"This humble Daoist will wait for you here."

Qin Sang returned to the dharma boat.

The water mirror dispersed, and the Flood Dragon guards silently stood guard in place. Without Qin Sang's command, the Phoenix King dared not leave the dharma boat on her own.

The sea surface returned to calm.

Night fell.

Inside the boat.

Qin Sang sat cross-legged, the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix on his lap, and the Solar Divine Tree placed before him.

Along the way, he had already discerned that the power contained within the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix was indeed a type of demonic fire, which he tentatively named Phoenix True Fire!

Qin Sang activated the "Fire Seed Golden Lotus" technique, aimed it at the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix, and attempted to extract a wisp of demonic fire using a secret art, comparing it with the Southern Brightness Li Fire within the Solar Divine Tree.

"It failed!"

The firelight dimmed, and a sigh was heard.

But there was no dejection on Qin Sang's face. He could feel that when he activated the secret art, a fluctuation seemed to appear within the True Feather of the Heavenly Phoenix. At the very least, it should be easier than refining the Southern Brightness Li Fire.

As he was lost in thought, a voice suddenly echoed in Qin Sang's ear, clear and crisp like that of a seven or eight-year-old girl, yet what she said was far from pleasant.

"You're going to die."

Qin Sang's expression abruptly changed, and his gaze, sharp as a sword, shot towards the Solar Divine Tree!