Chapter 467: Valley Gathering

"My heavens! Boss, how on earth did you do that? What just happened was truly miraculous."

Long Kun was completely stunned. He had even thought that Xu Yang might not be able to create another miracle this time, given that he was facing four true giant dragons—beings at the pinnacle of power in the current godless era of the continent.

However, reality once again delivered a harsh blow to Long Kun, though this time, he willingly accepted it.

It's safe to say that besides his mother-in-law, Xu Yang was the person Long Kun respected and trusted most in the world.

"I'm sorry to have worried you, but honestly, I'm not entirely sure what just happened myself. The only thing I know is that the three souls that suddenly appeared originated from within me—they are the terracotta warrior spirits I acquired along with the Desolate Sky Expanse.

"By a stroke of luck, they entered my Heart Sea space back then.

"The Heart Sea realm is an independent inner space I created after devising the Law of Tai Chi. It just so happened to accommodate these terracotta warriors who had nowhere else to go. Unexpectedly, it was this very serendipitous connection that allowed them to turn the tide at a crucial moment."

Xu Yang's explanation sounded quite unbelievable, yet everyone knew he never lied, even though such an encounter was unheard of, even for the Phoenix leader.

But since it had happened, there was nothing more to say. Fortunately, the outcome was exactly what everyone had hoped for.

At this moment, Xu Yang and the others arrived beneath the Frightening Cloud Valley, drawn there by the Phoenix leader. Contrary to their imagination, this was a fully realized, independent inner space, not a fantasy world. It was a genuinely powerful spatial domain forged by the inherited laws of the Phoenix lineage.

The dazzling, glowing rainbows surrounding it were the perfect manifestation of the Phoenix domain's power.

"Ancestor, what is your purpose in bringing us here? Won't those four dragons pursue us after breaking free from the Boss's restraints?"

The Phoenix leader had now transformed into human form, appearing as a middle-aged person. Apart from a slightly pale complexion, he was indistinguishable from other top cultivators.

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his frame appearing somewhat lean, yet he exuded a sense of gravitas as profound as a mountain.

The Phoenix leader spoke softly: "They will certainly pursue us. The Dragon race will never let me go. Not only that, but they will also try every means to stir up more trouble, as the Phoenix lineage's heritage holds extraordinary significance for the entire continent."

The Phoenix leader's words were not an exaggeration. After all, the Phoenix clan was once the continent's strongest lineage, guarding humanity, and was considered the supreme leader of the righteous path for tens of thousands of years.

Before the descent of the Nine Dragon Heavenly Tribulation, the Phoenix clan's power was immense. If this lineage hadn't lacked the ambition to dominate, purely wishing to help humanity rise, they would likely have long since replaced the Dragon race as the most powerful force on the continent.

Unfortunately, they were ultimately schemed against by malicious individuals from the Dragon and Qilin lineages, leading to their decline thereafter.

There were countless legends surrounding the Phoenix lineage, but people were unaware of the true cause and effect behind them. Now, with such a rare opportunity, Xu Yang truly wished to learn more secrets about the Nine Dragon Heavenly Tribulation from the Phoenix leader.

Xu Yang seemed to have many things to say, but just before he could speak, his body suddenly went limp, and he nearly stumbled and fell to the ground.

It turned out that Xu Yang had been fighting the most powerful dragons in existence, almost entirely on borrowed energy. Now that he had relaxed, his body became incredibly weak from the excessive exertion.

After all, no matter how powerful Xu Yang was, he was still just a human, not yet having truly entered the realm of gods. It was natural for him to feel fatigue.

"Don't speak too much for now; circulate your energy and regulate your breathing," the Phoenix leader instructed. "Though I cannot guarantee your safety indefinitely here, for a short while, those few 'worms' will find it difficult to break through."

With the Phoenix elder's words, Xu Yang and the others naturally felt more at ease. They nodded solemnly and, following the elder's guidance, began to circulate their energy and regulate their breathing.

Meanwhile, the Phoenix leader personally intervened, helping Xu Yang recover to his peak state in the shortest possible time.

With a gentle flick of his finger, a drop of blood-red Phoenix True Blood materialized in his palm and was injected into Xu Yang's glabella. In just a fleeting moment, everyone saw an exceptionally noticeable change in the light emanating from Xu Yang's body. Even the Phoenix leader himself had not anticipated such a unique form of transformation.

"My heavens, look! Something seems to be happening to the Boss's body. This energy is quite strange; it's not purely the power that Phoenix Blood should emit."

Long Kun had now awakened a significant portion of the Phoenix lineage's bloodline power. He could clearly discern the extent to which the changes occurring within Xu Yang were connected to the fundamental energy projected by the Phoenix leader. Indeed, as he said, the Phoenix True Blood absorbed by Xu Yang was not as pure as one might have imagined, but the issue certainly couldn't lie with the Phoenix leader.

"If I'm not mistaken, this peculiar change is likely deeply related to Xu Yang's previous acquisition of Dragon lineage inheritance power and his tempering of the flesh, as the fundamental essences of my Phoenix lineage and the Dragon lineage have a certain restraining effect on each other."

Everyone nodded in agreement. After all, he was the leader of the Phoenix lineage, truly the top expert on the entire continent. Who would dare to refute his words?

Long Kun, on the other hand, was perfectly at ease; he showed no discomfort even when facing the Phoenix leader. However, the Five Elemental Emissaries of the Xuan Gate and Yun Shu, who were nearby, seemed to be facing the Phoenix leader as if they were devoted worshipers.

After all, the very purpose of the Xuan Gate lineage was to guard the Phoenix heritage beneath Frightening Cloud Valley. To have the opportunity to meet the Phoenix leader in person was already an unparalleled honor for Yun Shu and the others.

In less than an hour, Xu Yang had fully recovered to his peak state with the Phoenix leader's assistance. Due to Xu Yang's profound foundational strength, which far surpassed that of his peers, he was undoubtedly the continent's top existence, further protected by numerous inheritances. Although this battle was incredibly arduous, his body bore no hidden dangers and had returned to its absolute pinnacle.

However, one point of regret was that due to the previous integration of Dragon bloodline within him, Xu Yang could not perfectly inherit the Phoenix leader's full power.