Chapter 705: Dragon and Phoenix Meet

"Father, do you remember how Mother died?"

In the royal cemetery, the girl in red spoke in a faint, chilling voice that seemed to carry an icy edge, making the graveyard feel even colder.

King Wu was stunned by her words. His face flickered slightly before he forced a laugh. "Wu Yao, it's been so many years. Why do you still bring this up?"

"You should know it was just an accident. I didn't intend for it to happen."

A shadow of gloom crossed his eyes.

Wu Yao's face was devoid of expression, her eyes showing no ripple of emotion. "Then what about when Father intended to strip the Sacred Dragon Qi from my body and give it to Wu Huang?"

King Wu's expression grew even more unnatural. Years ago, Wu Yao had failed to awaken the Sacred Dragon Qi within her body, which he naturally saw as an extreme waste. Rather than letting her squander it, he believed it was better to extract it.

"Even if I had removed your Sacred Dragon Qi, it wouldn't have harmed your life. At most, you would just be unable to cultivate," King Wu argued.

Wu Yao calmly murmured to herself, "And then be forever confined within the royal palace, to be controlled by Wu Huang in the future?"

A flicker of deep disgust passed through her eyes. "I suppose his repulsive ideas were also encouraged by Father, weren't they?"

King Wu's face stiffened. He knew full well Wu Huang's somewhat twisted possessiveness toward Wu Yao, but he had never stopped it. In his view, this could even serve as a motivation for Wu Huang.

Amidst his embarrassment, King Wu also felt a surge of anger. In the past, Wu Yao would never have dared to speak to him this way, or rather, she would have kept such thoughts deeply hidden. Yet now, she dared to openly refute him.

"Wu Yao, I am still your father. Have you grown wings after spending several years in Hunyuan Heaven?" King Wu roared.

Wu Yao calmly replied, "Actually, I didn't want to come back. This place genuinely disgusts me. But I made a vow at Mother's grave years ago, and now I must fulfill it."

King Wu's eyes filled with apprehension and uncertainty. "What do you intend to do?"

Wu Yao slowly raised her slender hand, and black lightning pulsed in her palm. The next instant, countless black lightning bolts erupted, streaking across the sky.

The black lightning howled as it rained down, engulfing the royal palace and the entire Great Wu capital. Immediately, the ground trembled, and flames shot skyward.

"Wu Yao, how dare you!" King Wu roared in fury.

This rebellious child dared to burn down the royal palace and the capital!

Flames surged like a fireworks display. Wu Yao gazed at the towering inferno, her beautiful face as still and emotionless as a statue, cold and ruthless.

King Wu's spirit essence fluctuated violently with rage. He then gritted his teeth and said, "Did you take the Treasure Lotus Clay? Give it to me!"

Wu Yao clenched her hand, and a jade bottle appeared. Inside, dark red clay slowly writhed. She stared at it, a cold smirk appearing on her lips.

*Boom!*

Black lightning burst forth, instantly obliterating the jade bottle and the precious clay within.

King Wu froze. Moments later, his eyes nearly bulged from their sockets as he roared, "Wu Yao, you deserve to die!"

Enraged, his spirit essence surged downwards, and he struck a fierce palm at Wu Yao. His fury was clear, overflowing with murderous intent, holding nothing back.

However, facing his murderous palm strike, Wu Yao simply flicked her slender finger. A burst of black lightning shot out, colliding with King Wu's spirit essence.

A thunderous crack echoed, and King Wu immediately screamed in agony. A part of his spirit essence shattered, and he reeled back in disarray.

"Is Father planning to kill me again?" Wu Yao asked.

King Wu's spirit essence trembled violently, becoming increasingly ethereal—a sign that it was about to dissipate. His face contorted, and he shrieked, "Wu Yao, you rebellious child, are you trying to commit patricide?"

He had never imagined that Wu Yao's return was not to help him, but rather to kill him.

When she was in Great Wu before, Wu Yao had never shown the slightest hatred towards him. Now, looking back, King Wu felt a chill run down his spine. Clearly, Wu Yao had been deeply hiding her true self all these years, because at that time, she hadn't had the power to challenge him.

But now, she had grown much stronger and no longer needed her disguise.

Gazing at the red-clad girl standing before the tomb, King Wu felt an intense cold. Perhaps, from the day the Queen died, Wu Yao had deeply etched this hatred into her heart.

"Wu Yao, Yao'er, it was my fault back then, but how have I ever treated you poorly these past years?" King Wu's expression shifted, and he finally lowered his stance, consumed by fear.

For now, he could only try to placate Wu Yao. As long as his life was spared, there would be a time to settle accounts later.

However, in response to his lowered posture, Wu Yao merely said softly, "Father, please go and accompany Mother, okay? She has been very lonely all these years, alone."

King Wu roared, "Wu Yao, you've truly gone mad!"

Wu Yao stared blankly at him, a hint of sorrow passing through the deepest part of her eyes. "Father, is there anyone left in the Wu family who isn't mad? And all of this, you created yourself."

She raised her slender hand, black lightning flickering and dancing from her fingertips.

King Wu was utterly terrified, his spirit essence frantically retreating as he tried to escape.

However, the black lightning in Wu Yao's hand shot out violently, like a chain of thunder, piercing through the void and instantly coiling around and binding King Wu's spirit essence.

King Wu struggled wildly but couldn't break free.

Just then, a rapid whooshing sound echoed above the Great Wu capital, and a streak of light descended from the sky, landing directly in the royal cemetery deep within the palace.

The light coalesced, revealing Zhou Yuan, who had been pursuing King Wu.

When he landed in the cemetery, his first sight was King Wu bound by black lightning. He paused in surprise, then lifted his gaze and saw the red-clad girl standing before the tomb.

The red-clad girl also looked up, and their eyes met, both pairs of pupils constricting slightly.

In that instant, it was as if thunder had surged through the crowns of their heads, causing both their hearts to skip a beat simultaneously. The feeling was akin to a fated encounter between lion and tiger in the depths of a forest.

Zhou Yuan stared at the red-clad girl with her exquisite beauty, his expression grave. He slowly spoke, "Wu Yao."

Though they had never met, Zhou Yuan knew her identity the moment their eyes met.

"Zhou Yuan," Wu Yao said, her narrow phoenix eyes slightly narrowing.

The atmosphere remained silent for several breaths. Zhou Yuan frowned as he looked at the scene before him, slightly confused. Why did it look like Wu Yao was attacking King Wu?

"Hahahaha!"

At this moment, King Wu suddenly burst into laughter, a desolate and despairing sound. "The Phoenix does not see the Dragon; if it does, Wu perishes. Haha, this prophecy truly wasn't wrong by a single jot!"

"I originally thought that 'Dragon and Phoenix' referred to Wu Yao and Wu Huang. But now, it seems it refers to the two of you, hahaha!"

Wu Yao turned her gaze back to King Wu, her phoenix eyes slowly closing. She softly said, "Father, please go and join Mother."

As her voice faded, she suddenly clenched her slender hand. The black lightning chains wrapped around King Wu instantly constricted.

The black lightning furiously eroded King Wu's spirit essence.

In despair, King Wu let out a bitter laugh. "Hah, I never imagined, truly never imagined, that I, Wu Xuan, would ultimately meet my end by being murdered by my own child! Hahaha, Wu Yao, Wu Yao, I truly underestimated you!"

"I schemed for years, only for the two of you to reach the very end!"

"Hahaha, how interesting, how interesting. Wu Yao, do you know the final prophecy of my Wu family?"

"'Dragon and Phoenix fight, the devourer survives!'"

"Hahaha, the struggle between the two of you is true destiny, the most spectacular. But alas, one of you will ultimately be devoured. Hahaha, no matter who it is, it will be a good show. So, I will be waiting for you down below!"

His voice was filled with intense malice and resentment.

The black lightning surged, and at that moment, King Wu's spirit essence shattered with a resounding crash.

Thus ended the tale of a generation's King Wu, whose many years of plotting culminated in this very fate.