In an instant!

Qi Xiu felt everything around him collapsing. It was as if he had plunged into the legendary Ruishui River, where even a feather could not float, continuously sinking.

Just before the scene in front of him was completely submerged,

he saw the middle-aged scholar formed by the Divine Tree of Wutong slightly lift his head, a smile spreading at the corners of his mouth, as his figure gradually disintegrated.

Whoosh—

Opening his eyes, the Wutong Divine Tree surrounded by countless rings of red gold stood before him; Qi Xiu slightly raised his gaze.

He found himself standing in front of this divine tree.

He wasn't sure if he had never entered the Phoenix Nest Cave Heaven or if, after entering, he was sent out by this divine tree.

However, regardless, with the approval of this divine tree, he should be able to smoothly take away the Phoenix Inheritance.

Bowing and saluting to the divine tree, as Qi Xiu was about to turn around and leave, he saw the divine tree suddenly burst forth with rings of crimson light, and the eighteen Wutong Treasure Leaves within it, sensing its call, flew out on their own.

The next instant!

From the nine Phoenix Nest Caves hanging on the Wutong Divine Tree, a splendid treasure light shot forth into the treasure leaves.

In an instant, within the central treasure light, the eighteen leaves overlapped and merged, swaying gracefully, radiating layers of dazzling brilliance that glittered intensely.

Finally, the eighteen treasure leaves united into one, transforming into a Red Gold Treasure Leaf, cascading boundless and vast divine light, the barely visible Phoenix Sovereign imprint on it becoming remarkably solid, as if a Divine Bird truly resided within.

"I possess nothing of value, within this leaf, I have infused nine portions of Phoenix Emperor Essence; at a critical moment, it may lend you a hand.

Go now."

As the Phoenix Emperor Treasure Leaf returned to his hand, the voice of the Wutong Divine Tree also reached Qi Xiu's ears.

"Thank you, elder, for the gift."

Qi Xiu solemnly put away the treasure leaf, clasping his hands in gratitude towards the Wutong Divine Tree.

After aiding Qi Xiu to refine the Phoenix Emperor Treasure Leaf, the once towering, bronze-cast-like Wutong Divine Tree, surrounded by endless crimson light, visibly corroded and shattered.

In the blink of an eye,

this unrivaled divine tree, with an infinite lifespan, capable of casually vanquishing a Primordial Spirit True Honor, transformed before Qi Xiu into a rain of light that covered the entire Inheritance Land.

"Holy Venerable's command, I have fulfilled my duty.

Hahaha, my lord, the Wutong arrives!"

Amidst a hearty, joyful laughter that shook the heavens and the earth, Qi Xiu seemed to see that middle-aged scholar stepping on clouds, pursuing his only master.

And as the Wutong Divine Tree dissipated, the nine Phoenix Nest Caves originally suspended from its branches, also like nine great stars, crashed to the ground with a rumble, causing the entire Inheritance Land to tremble and shake.

Gazing at the remnants left by the dispersal of the Wutong Divine Tree, Qi Xiu felt a slight sense of melancholy, then after glancing at the nine Phoenix Nest Caves, he transformed into a wisp of green smoke and swiftly retreated to the distance.

Racing at extreme speed through the high altitudes, Qi Xiu's eyes glowed with divine light, scanning the lands. Earlier, when the Peacock Great Saint brought him here, it intentionally detoured, confusing the direction, even reversing it with Secret Techniques.

But little did he know that Qi Xiu's Dragon Eyes could penetrate illusions, directly observing the aura.

He merely needed to follow the trace of aura from his arrival to retrace his steps.

Traversing the void, fleeing all the way.

Amidst the blazing, glaring firelight, Qi Xiu returned to the place where he had originally set out.

That very Ancient Volcano, which the Peacock Great Saint mentioned, was once the location where the Phoenix Sovereign was reborn from the ashes!

In fact, since the previous arrival, Qi Xiu had already sensed the extraordinariness of this place with his Dragon Eyes; though this volcano seemed perilously extreme, it was a forbidden land where even a Primordial Spirit True Honor might be buried.

Yet it harbored hidden vitality and concealed divine splendor.

Combined with the fact that the Peacock Great Saint also mentioned this was once the site of the Phoenix Sovereign's rebirth from fire,

So Qi Xiu had speculated back then.

The true location of the Phoenix Inheritance was not within the Phoenix Nest.

But within this volcano!

The guardians like the Peacock Great Saint most likely believed what the Phoenix Sovereign intentionally left as misinformation before its extinction.

Precisely to prevent these guardians from taking away its left behind inheritance.

Now it seemed, his previous speculation was probably correct.

"It's laughable that the Peacock Great Saint, from a young age, plotted how to enter the Phoenix Nest, how to take the inheritance, how to leave this Inheritance Land he considered a birdcage.

They were completely unaware that the inheritance had always been right under their noses.

They merely prided themselves on being the Phoenix Sovereign's adopted children and the divine bird's fierce beasts.

They could not believe that the Phoenix Sovereign would place the inheritance in such an easily accessible location.

This was the opportunity given to them by the Phoenix Sovereign.

But they simply failed to see it.

Staring at the volcanic Melt Sea below, Qi Xiu was just about to proceed to retrieve the Phoenix Sovereign inheritance when the entire inheritance land suddenly jolted violently.

The next moment!

A gigantic golden hand appeared out of nowhere, towering and grasping the sun and moon, while boundless brilliant golden Buddha Light rapidly consumed the Qiankun. Arrogant and indifferent chanting reverberated across the heavens, exuding a supreme aura of suppressing Ten Thousand Laws, acknowledging only my supremacy.

"That is... the Upper Protector!

The Sheng Tang general, truly extraordinary.

He actually broke through the dilemma of the Wutong Divine Tree!"

With a flash in his eyes, Qi Xiu realized in his heart that it must be the Upper Protector of Evernight Ancient City who broke through the dilemma of the Phoenix Nest Cave Heaven.

"I must hurry."

Knowing that once the Upper Protector caught on, he certainly wouldn't be able to take the Phoenix Inheritance from this Primordial Spirit True Honor, Qi Xiu immediately turned into a puff of blue smoke and slipped once again into the volcano.

...

A boot descended, stamping out a still-stubbornly burning flame. Song Baiyi, his expression solemn, tightened the wrist on his arm and raised his right hand.

The green Buddha Beads he had been toying with earlier fell slowly.

Originally flowing with Buddha Light and possessing a Divine Marvel appearance, the Buddha Beads had now become dim and obscure. The internal Buddha chanting shadows had blurred to the extreme, with no chanting to be heard and the scent of sandalwood indistinct.

Most critically, one of the emerald Buddha Beads was now covered with cracks and, with a slight shake, completely weathered away into a plume of smoke.

As the Buddha Beads disintegrated, Song Baiyi's eye twitched slightly. Taking a deep breath, he reached forward with his left hand and suddenly grasped a fair, delicate neck.

"You know nothing of the situation inside the Phoenix Nest Cave Heaven, do you?"

Grasped by Song Baiyi, Moon Sea True Venerable instinctively wanted to resist. But upon meeting Song Baiyi's angry tiger eyes, she immediately suppressed the urge.

Even though both were Primordial Spirit True Honors,

compared to this Sheng Tang general, they were simply not on the same level.

"Forgive me, Protector, this was a trap set by the Phoenix Sovereign, and I too was deceived.

Look at those two Ancient Fierce Birds over there, they were similarly tricked."

Trying to explain, Moon Sea True Venerable pointed at the two creatures in the distance, already singed featherless by the Divine Fire inside the Phoenix Nest Cave, desperately restoring their bodies - Peacock Great Saint and Golden-Winged Roc.

Her words indeed slightly appeased Song Baiyi's anger.

Indeed, even the Phoenix Sovereign's adopted children like Peacock Great Saint and Golden-Winged Roc had plunged into the Phoenix Nest Cave Heaven, clearly indicating that the Old Phoenix Sovereign had indeed set a complex trap.

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, he released Moon Sea True Venerable. His eyes flickering with insight, Song Baiyi swiftly moved, arriving in front of Peacock Great Saint and Golden-Winged Roc.

The two Ancient Fierce Birds, seeing Song Baiyi's approach, panicked and attempted to flee using magic.

However, with Song Baiyi using a secret treasure to temporarily disable the Great Dao Divine Ban in the Phoenix Nest Cave Heaven,

even with their extraordinary bloodlines, they could not contend against this Sheng Tang general, a Primordial Spirit True Honor.

Using a thought, Song Baiyi immobilized the two Ancient Fierce Birds on the spot; without a word, he suddenly kicked heavily at the Golden-Winged Roc.

A rumbling echoed.

This unparalleled fierce bird instantly exploded into a mass of blood, its soul obliterated, dead beyond dead.

Witnessing the tragic death of the Golden-Winged Roc, the Peacock's heart filled with grief and anger but dared not show any sign or make a sound.

He knew that Song Baiyi was avenging the prior hunt by the Golden-Winged Roc.

After killing the Golden-Winged Roc, Song Baiyi, with hands behind his back, moved before the Peacock, gazing down at him with cold eyes, piercing him like knives.

"Speak, where is the Daoist who was with you?"

...