Chapter 705: Nine Phoenixes

The Azure Sky Demon Emperor’s gaze fell upon the hairpin in Jiang Fan’s hand. His pupils constricted slightly.

Given his experience, he naturally sensed the extraordinary nature of the hairpin. As Jiang Fan activated it with his soul power, a dangerous aura, one that made his heart pound, surged forth from the hairpin.

So much so that the hand he had raised to strike suddenly froze. He dared not act rashly. The mocking expression on his face vanished, replaced by a solemn one.

"What are you doing?" he demanded. "Put it down! Put it down immediately!"

Jiang Fan smiled, a cold smile. "What's wrong? Are you scared? It's too late! Today, either you die, or I die!!"

*Boom!* All of Jiang Fan's soul power poured into the hairpin, not a single trace remaining!

The bronze hairpin began to vibrate. A green light, shaped like a tender sprout, emerged from within it. It grew rapidly, from a sprout to a foot-tall sapling, then from a sapling to a towering Wutong tree, ten zhang high. Its leaves were dense, and it was a magnificent sight.

At this moment, something on the tree stirred. Looking closely, on one branch, a bronze-colored phoenix rested. Its posture was graceful, and its gaze was stern and proud, looking down upon all beings like a divine bird atop the clouds.

"A pho... phoenix?" The Azure Sky Demon Emperor's pupils contracted again. Under the gaze of this phoenix, his demon emperor-level soul actually trembled, as if it had encountered its nemesis!

But what horrified him was that there was more than one phoenix on the tree. There were others on the other branches! A rough count revealed a total of nine! All of them stared coldly at the Azure Sky Demon Emperor, making his soul cry out in terror.

The Azure Sky Demon Emperor's face instantly turned ashen, and sweat poured from his entire body. His body trembled uncontrollably. Even his voice trembled abnormally: "Jiang Fan! Stop! I order you to stop right now!!!"

He was scared. Truly scared! These phoenixes could kill him. Kill him with ease! He never imagined that Jiang Fan held such a terrifying object in his hand!

Jiang Fan gazed up at the Wutong tree, looking at the nine phoenixes perched upon it. He placed all his hope in them. "Go!"

At his command, the phoenix on the topmost branch spread its wings, revealing an incomparably elegant posture. With a single flap, it flew towards the Azure Sky Demon Emperor.

"No! Don't come closer! Don't come closer!!" The Azure Sky Demon Emperor's expression drastically changed, and he rapidly retreated.

The phoenix flew slowly, its movements utterly graceful. Yet, the distance between it and the Azure Sky Demon Emperor closed at an alarming rate, as if the Azure Sky Demon Emperor was merely running in place.

And then, the phoenix effortlessly passed through the Azure Sky Demon Emperor's body, emerging from his back. It caused no physical injury. However, its long, beautiful talons were clutching a soul body. It was precisely the Azure Sky Demon Emperor's!

"No! No!!!" The Azure Sky Demon Emperor roared in terror. His soul body clung tightly to his physical form, trying not to be pulled away, but his resistance was useless. His soul body was being dragged out of his physical body bit by bit. Fear, terror, and rage spread across the face of his soul body.

He despaired. Before this phoenix, his demon emperor-level soul body was utterly powerless!

But just as his soul body was about to be completely pulled from his physical form, the bronze light from the hairpin suddenly dimmed. The Wutong tree, along with the phoenixes upon it, rapidly faded. The phoenix clutching the Demon Emperor's soul body also disintegrated into a streak of green light and returned to the hairpin.

The Azure Sky Demon Emperor felt as if he had received a great amnesty. His soul body immediately returned to his physical form. He gasped for air, squatting on the ground and breathing heavily. His eyes were filled with the horror of having narrowly escaped death.

He had almost died! Died at the hands of Jiang Fan, a junior human!

"Jiang! Fan!" The Azure Sky Demon Emperor roared with shock and fury. With a furious blow, he slammed his palm onto Jiang Fan. This was a Nascent Soul stage attack!

Jiang Fan smiled bitterly and conjured the Sky-Gazing Mirror. It reflected most of the force back, but the remaining power struck him without fail. Unlike before, when they were underwater, this time they were at close range. His chain armor couldn't protect him at all.

*Crack, crack—* His body was like dried pottery, struck hard. All the bones inside him fractured, and his internal organs turned into a bloody pulp. If not for the protection of his chain armor, he would have already turned into a mist of blood.

"Still not dead?" The Azure Sky Demon Emperor roared, bringing his palm down on Jiang Fan's head once more.

"No!" Consort Yunxia finally couldn't hold back. She pleaded. She couldn't bear to watch Jiang Fan die in front of her.

The Azure Sky Demon Emperor turned his head coldly, his eyes burning with intense murderous intent: "You're pleading for him? He almost killed me, didn't you see? You're actually pleading for a killer who almost murdered your husband!!!" He simply couldn't believe it. His most beloved consort was pleading for the man who tried to kill him! This filled him with boundless rage!

With a remote grab, he pulled Consort Yunxia towards him. He squeezed her neck and said fiercely, "What exactly is your relationship with Jiang Fan? Speak!"

Jiang Fan sighed faintly. He had already told Consort Yunxia not to act rashly. Blood flowed continuously from his mouth, as he said with difficulty: "Just kill me; there's no need to involve innocents." He was filled with regret. In the end, his soul power wasn't enough to unleash the full power of the Nine Phoenixes Worshipping the Dao Hairpin. Otherwise, the matter would have ended there.

"Shut up!" The Demon Emperor glared at him coldly. He raised his palm, intending to strike him dead. But after a flicker in his eyes, he withdrew his hand. He then released Consort Yunxia and said grimly: "Yunxia, I don't like to be betrayed. Not by body, nor by heart! Now, you will kill him with your own hands!"

"What?" Consort Yunxia's pupils contracted. Make her kill Jiang Fan with her own hands? How could she possibly do that?

"Do it!" The Azure Sky Demon Emperor narrowed his eyes. The suspicion in his gaze towards Consort Yunxia deepened.

Consort Yunxia's red lips trembled slightly, and she struggled to move her feet, approaching Jiang Fan. But she couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Why aren't you doing it? Could it be that you truly have an affair with Jiang Fan?" Dangerous arcs of light shot from the Azure Sky Demon Emperor's eyes. Consort Yunxia's delicate body trembled. She knew how the Azure Sky Demon Emperor treated women who betrayed him: he exterminated their entire clan! But how could she kill Jiang Fan?

"Still not..." The Azure Sky Demon Emperor was about to reprimand her when, vaguely, a faint Buddhist light flickered in the distance. He let out a cold snort: "Little beast! Still haven't left! I was going to deal with you later! But now, you won't be leaving either!"

He leaped and darted towards the little Qilin. Before leaving, he glared coldly at Consort Yunxia. "Before I return, I expect to see Jiang Fan's head! Don't disappoint me, Yunxia!"

With a flick of his sleeve, a terrifying force pierced Jiang Fan's abdomen. *Crack!* His Golden Core cracked, and innumerable spiritual power surged outwards. To prevent Jiang Fan from playing tricks and escaping, he directly crippled Jiang Fan's cultivation!

Jiang Fan let out a muffled groan and fell to the ground. A bitter expression appeared on his face.