Chapter 1333: The Leader of the Ten Clans

The surrender of the Phoenix Clan, led by Phoenix King Zun, to Xu Yang's team was, in fact, inevitable. The moment Xu Yang unleashed the Phoenix God totem, other observing clans had already begun to suspect this. While they didn't know how Xu Yang had acquired such an incredible inheritance, the facts were undeniable: the Phoenix God totem, both in terms of power and spiritual influence, completely overwhelmed every member of the Phoenix Clan, Phoenix King Zun included. Furthermore, his recent nirvana transformation was only perfected because he received a fundamental inheritance from the Phoenix God within Xu Yang, which meant he essentially owed Xu Yang an immense debt of gratitude. Crucially, Xu Yang had consistently interacted with the Phoenix Clan as the inheritor of the Phoenix God, which inherently placed Phoenix King Zun's lineage in a subordinate position. Given these myriad external factors, the Phoenix Clan's submission was an inevitable outcome.

Upon receiving this fifth powerful essence of Beast Emperor power, Xiao Hua's physical body seemed to undergo subtle changes, influenced by the five accumulated Beast Emperor inheritances. However, these alterations went unnoticed by others. Only the masked female assassin in red, perhaps due to specific reasons, seemed to detect this transformation in Xiao Hua beforehand. Yet, she remained silent, standing impassively within the group as always, not uttering a word.

With Phoenix King Zun contributing the essence of Beast Emperor power from within him, he fundamentally altered his allegiance. No longer a follower of the Beast King Clan's faith in the Extreme Northern Wilderness, he became a devout adherent of Xu Yang, who stood before them as the Phoenix God's representative. Under his leadership, the entire Phoenix Clan prostrated themselves before Xu Yang, letting out a series of sharp phoenix cries. A magnificent scene, akin to 'a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix,' unfolded once more; only this time, it was truly 'a hundred phoenixes facing the sun!'

Xu Yang gently waved his hand, halting the worshipful gestures of the Phoenix Clan warriors. His expression returned to its usual composure.

“My stance remains unchanged. Since you have chosen to submit to me and align your beliefs with my will, I now command your Phoenix Clan to return to your original territory, just as before, and diligently cultivate. From this moment forward, you are no longer required to contribute your resources to any stronger entities within the Extreme Northern Wilderness. Your sole mission is to focus on your own cultivation, elevating your entire clan's combat prowess to an even greater level.”

Upon hearing Xu Yang's directives, all the elite Phoenix warriors, led by Phoenix King Zun, paid him profound homage. They deeply etched his image into their hearts, treating him with the same reverence they held for the Phoenix God. The clan members fully understood that Xu Yang's approach, while ostensibly changing their traditional way of life and overturning the Beast Clans' long-standing practice of paying tribute to the Beast Emperor Clan in the Extreme Northern Wilderness, was in fact an immense boon for the powerful Beast Clans of the Extreme Northern Wilderness. By retaining the fundamental power previously offered as tribute to the Beast Emperor Clan, they could significantly enhance their own strength, thereby accelerating their civilization's development. Such treatment was unequivocally a groundbreaking blessing, one that only a truly exceptional leader could bestow upon the entire Extreme Northern Wilderness.

“In any case, we wish your esteemed team greater success on your upcoming journey. The Phoenix Clan will now take its leave. Oh, and Esteemed Xu Yang, your next challenge will be the Dragon Clan. Without a doubt, this clan not only possesses formidable overall combat strength but also holds the distinguished position as the foremost among the Ten Royal Guardians. They are the most powerful of the Ten Royal Guardians' ten great clans. Even though our Phoenix Clan nominally holds comparable status with them, in reality, our overall combat strength pales in comparison to the Dragon Clan's. In other words, if your team truly intends to collect all the fundamental inherited powers of the Ten Royal Guardians, then the confrontation with the Dragon Clan will be your greatest challenge.”

While the Phoenix Clan's warning might not have had an immediate practical impact, it certainly revealed their true attitude: their surrender to Xu Yang was far more than nominal, representing a fundamental shift in their allegiance.

Xu Yang smiled and nodded. “Rest assured, the Beast King Clan will eventually become our adversaries. Before that, all Ten Royal Guardian clans will be our targets. Based on your words and my own assessment, the Dragon Clan will likely never compromise with us. As the foremost of the Ten Royal Guardian clans, they will undoubtedly defend the Beast Emperor Clan's honor to the death. In that case, there's no need for us to hold back; we'll simply unleash our full power and teach them a decisive lesson.”

As Xu Yang finished speaking, Phoenix King Zun led the Phoenix Clan into the sky. Hundreds of phoenixes ascended, their vast forms eclipsing the sun and blanketing the sky, a truly breathtaking sight across the entire Extreme Northern Wilderness. With the Phoenix Clan's departure, the current gathering place of the Dragon Clan became the next destination for Xu Yang's team's campaign.

“Since the next battle is against the Dragon Clan, we should summon White Dragon for some psychological counseling.” Xuanwu's clone suddenly interjected, remembering White Dragon. A playful smile touched Xu Yang's lips, and he didn't object to the idea. With a thought, White Dragon's outline materialized before them once more.

“I must say, these young descendants of the Dragon Clan are truly troublesome, acting as mere lackeys for the Holy Emperor Clan here in the Extreme Northern Wilderness. As an elder of the Dragon Clan, shouldn't you step forward and offer these juniors some psychological guidance?” While Xu Yang addressed White Dragon with a teasing tone, he genuinely harbored the intention of instigating White Dragon to take action. After all, the Dragon Clan harbored deep resentment towards Xu Yang's team. As the top-ranked race among the Ten Royal Guardians, they naturally served the Beast Emperor Clan with unwavering loyalty. If White Dragon could genuinely play a role, Xu Yang's team would undoubtedly achieve their goals with far greater ease and efficiency in the upcoming battle.

However, White Dragon shook his head shrewdly. “Boss, with your strength, do you really need an old dragon like me to intervene? Although I am an elder of those dragons,