Promise!

Chapter 315, Subduing the Phoenix

Swish!
Emerging from the gaps in the Five Elements and Five Directions Grand Array, the phoenix danced across the nine heavens, causing the celestial phenomena to change and creating fiery clouds wherever it passed, heading straight towards this side.

The mirage dragons ridden by Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yunchang were only at the Vajra Realm, far inferior to Zhuang Jin's, so their speed was naturally slower, and the distance between them continued to close.

Zhuang Jin's current situation is: he is at the Yang Shen realm, and a phoenix at the Great Vajra realm is chasing him, but he is still a little worried because his horse... no, his mount is not as fast as the other party's!
Closer to home.

'Huh? What's going on? The five major clans actually let this phoenix out? Has another unexpected event caused the situation to collapse?'

Upon discovering that the phoenix had broken through the formation, Zhuang Jin was prepared to no longer hide, to take Shangguan Yunchang into the Holy Spirit Pearl space, and to use his full power at the Yang God realm to get away. However, he soon realized that this was not the case; only this one phoenix had come out.

He quickly changed his mind and suppressed his intention to reveal his Yang Shen realm without any concealment.

"At this moment, the main mirror of the Suspended Sky Mirror is sealed by the authority of the five major clans. The Yang Gods of the five major clans—Xuanyuan Nanshan, Yuwen Shentong, Shi Yongnian, Mu Tianyuan, and Gongshu Yuheng—are also within the formation, fighting against the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, the Qilin, and the Xuanwu. They cannot be distracted by external matters. However, if I do not conceal myself and continue to use my Yang God realm strength, there is still a high probability that my aura will be detected."

From the perspective of the five great clans' Yang Gods—Xuanyuan Nanshan, Yuwen Shentong, Shi Yongnian, Mu Tianyuan, and Gongshu Yuheng—how would one feel if, while they were fighting to the death, another Yang God was lurking in the outside world? They would certainly think that there was a hidden mastermind behind them, causing unpredictable changes.

'Even if I'm careful and act swiftly, it only reduces the chances of being discovered. Furthermore, considering the methods left behind by that immortal eight hundred years ago, there might be other ways to monitor and detect fluctuations, attracting attention.'

'This is troublesome. Even if I tried to hide, it's too late now.'

After Zhuang Jin's Holy Spirit Pearl was sublimated, its shielding ability is now extremely strong, but he has the refined 'Phoenix Nirvana Blood' on his body, which has a strong connection with that phoenix, and it is impossible to shield it.

Just like being wanted and having a bounty on your head in a game, no matter how much you disguise yourself, if your name is still marked with a red sign, it's like burying your head in the sand.

"Husband?" Shangguan Yunchang looked worried.

"It doesn't matter."

Now that Zhuang Jin has reached the Yang Shen realm, his thoughts are incredibly fast, and he instantly devised two methods.

'The first method is for myself and Yun Chang to maintain our Yin Spirit realm on the surface, continue riding the Mirage Dragon to leave, and secretly release the eight swords of the Eight Gates Sword Formation to ambush and intercept the Phoenix.'

Once the phoenix passes by, using the eight swords as anchor points, the spiritual illumination characteristic transmits power to expand the sword realm, swallowing it up. The power of the Holy Spirit Pearl's true realm remotely enhances the battle, sealing the battle fluctuations within, and quickly ending the battle.

This method involves a battle taking place within the Yangshen Void Realm, with only a brief fluctuation occurring afterward. As long as the Void Realm is not broken or destroyed, there is no risk of exposure.

Of course, the fluctuation at that moment could be detected, but this was the work of an unknown Yang God, so what did it have to do with the two of them who were escaping on the surface?
This is yet another disguise to cover up their true identity. After all, it's better to have an unknown Yang God appear out of nowhere than to expose themselves.

As for whether remote control will affect performance,
This is not a problem.

The first level of the Yang God realm is characterized by spiritual illumination, which allows for the maximum projection of power from a distance. Its fighting style is characterized by its unpredictability and difficulty to deal with, making it a completely different style from the Great Vajra Realm of the Beast Realm.

'The second method is to lure the phoenix into the Holy Spirit Pearl's space. Once it's inside, it'll be like meat on a chopping board, trapped in a snare.'

It must be said that while the Holy Spirit Pearl can be forcibly absorbed into a physical form, for Zhuang Jin, it is a beast below the Yin God level and at the Great Vajra Realm, capable of struggling and resisting, making failure highly probable.

Furthermore, if you forcibly take them in, their resistance might reveal their presence, so it's best to lure them in willingly.

'A lure naturally needs bait. If I go there and use my own 'Phoenix Rebirth Blood' as bait, the phoenix might not fall for it, and its attack would reveal its true strength.'

'A battle so close at hand is disadvantageous for Yang God warriors. Besides, they can't create an illusion or escape that way. It's better to find a different bait.'

Zhuang Jin's heart stirred, and she had an idea.

He planned to employ two strategies simultaneously: first, to lure the phoenix into the Holy Spirit Pearl space on its own initiative; otherwise, he would use the Eight Swords to create an ambush and forcefully take action.

"go with!"

Zhuang Jin raised his hand and waved, and the eight swords of the Eight Gates Sword Formation, carrying the Holy Spirit Pearl, silently disappeared.

……

Swish!
As the phoenix flew through the sky, its body gradually changed into three layers of light: orange-red, crimson-gold, and seven-colored, attracting the gathering of fire-attribute heaven and earth energy. Wherever it passed, it dyed the sky a crimson red, like the glow of a sunset.

Suddenly, it seemed to sense something attracting it. It even disregarded the danger of the Five Elements and Five Directions Formation behind it and the 'Phoenix Nirvana Blood' it sensed. Suddenly, it swooped down towards a place below.

After escaping the Five Elements and Five Directions Formation, the phoenix chose a direction to flee in. It only subconsciously followed Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yunchang after sensing the 'Phoenix Nirvana Blood'.

If he caught up with the two, he would most likely just eliminate the two 'little bugs' and reclaim his treasure. But at this moment, he sensed something even more precious, something that could transform and elevate him.

This was naturally the spiritual energy that Zhuang Jin had set up as bait!

—Spiritual energy is a treasure not only for martial artists, but also for exotic beasts, especially those at the Great Vajra Realm, which can support their bodies to undergo further transformation and sublimation, reaching a deeper level of 'indestructible Vajra'.

For this phoenix, the Phoenix Rebirth Blood was merely something to quickly replenish its vital energy and restore its strength after its own rebirth. While it was indeed useful to it now, it wasn't much more effective. Instead, the spiritual energy was different, so it naturally chose the bear's paw over the fish.

Swish!
Sensing something that strongly attracted it, the phoenix plunged headlong into the illusory, bluish-green doorway below without hesitation.

—At this moment, it is some distance away from the Five Elements and Five Directions Formation, calming its mind after the life-or-death crisis, regaining its pride as a divine beast, and not believing that it will encounter any danger here again. It also has a bit of a vengeful venting mentality, which is why it is acting this way.

hum!
After the phoenix entered, the eight swords of the Eight Gates Sword Formation, which had been lying in ambush outside, transformed into streams of light and followed, blocking its retreat. Suddenly, the illusory, bluish-green door vanished.

'The fish has taken the bait; now it's time to close the door and beat the dog.'

Zhuang Jin immediately sensed it and focused his mind on it.

……

hum!
Upon entering the Holy Spirit Pearl space, the phoenix immediately sensed a terrifying and palpable suppression. The place was covered in ice and snow, with endless snowflakes dancing and swirling, each one capable of severely injuring a Yin Spirit.

In this environment, its phoenix divine fire was suppressed within three zhang around its body. As a natural fire-attribute divine beast, it felt a bone-chilling cold at this moment.

It turns out that Zhuang Jinyang's Divine Void Realm and Holy Spirit Pearl Space now work together in two modes.

One type of power, originating from the external Holy Spirit Pearl True Realm, enhances the Yang God Void Realm, greatly amplifying its power. Zhuang Jin calls this mode the 'Super Void Realm Mode'.

One type, within the Holy Spirit Pearl space, uses the power of this True Realm to encompass and merge the Yang God Void Realm, forming a 'god-like kingdom'. Zhuang Jin calls this model the 'pseudo-god kingdom model'.

The former mode, as mentioned before, could probably give Zhuang Jin, who recently broke through to the Yang God realm, the power of Yuwen, which is the peak combat power of a Yuwen divine ability accumulated at the first level of the Yang God realm.

The latter mode is like a god within their own divine kingdom, capable of defying even more powerful gods. Even a Grandmaster at the second level of the Yang God realm, with their inner furnace, would be a formidable opponent for Zhuang Jin. At this moment, the phoenix entering is experiencing precisely this latter mode: the 'pseudo-divine kingdom mode'!
"Wow!"

As soon as the phoenix entered, eight swordsmen immediately blocked its path. The illusory blue door it entered through vanished instantly. As a divine beast with an innate sense of danger, it felt an overwhelming sense of impending doom and extreme unease.

Instantly, even the spiritual energy that had been drawn in couldn't bother searching and directly entered a state of great nirvana.

As the saying goes, "Dragons have scales that cannot be touched, and they will surely be enraged." The phoenix also has the legend of being reborn from the ashes, and it is said that it can be reborn in fire.

At this moment, it is entering the 'Great Nirvana State', temporarily and greatly enhancing all its attributes until its physical body can no longer withstand the explosion, and then it is reborn in the flames, falling into a weakened state.

Swish!Swish!Swish!
The Eight Gates Sword Formation sent eight sword lights weaving and attacking, intending to delay and wait for Zhuang Jin's consciousness to arrive.

With the power of the divine kingdom, each of these eight swords shone with a chilling light and was capable of severely injuring a Yang God. However, when they landed on the Phoenix's indestructible body, which had entered the 'Great Nirvana State', they only left shallow white marks.

As it rapidly ascends, its body suddenly expands, about to transform into the most intense and dazzling fireworks explosion.

Just then——

hum!
An indescribable figure appeared, merely a shadow, seemingly too large for the entire space to contain. It was Zhuang Jin's mind merging with the origin of the Holy Spirit Pearl space, entering the Creator Mode.

He raised his palm, then pressed it down.

What kind of palm strike was that?

Immeasurable light! Immeasurable life! Like a legendary Buddha kingdom in the palm of your hand, the cold, pale golden light illuminated the entire space, descending with a power that seemed to grasp stars and seize the moon.

The light receded, revealing that the phoenix in its 'Great Nirvana State' was now frozen and sealed, its wings flapping vividly within the ice.

It was just one move, and the battle was over.

That's the absolute difference in strength. There were no fancy back-and-forth exchanges; it was just a matter of one move. And this was still under the seal. If Zhuang Jin wanted to kill it, it wouldn't be any more difficult, it might even be easier.

'He's at least a Yang God level warrior; killing him would be a huge waste. Let's keep him and slowly work him out, trying to convert him to enlightenment. He can also be used as a tactic against powerful clans in the future.'

Zhuang Jin thought to himself and withdrew the Holy Spirit Pearl, which had transformed into a faint stream of light and returned.

……

Meanwhile, Zhuang Jin quietly sealed the Phoenix, retrieved the Holy Spirit Pearl, and returned to the capital Yong'an with Shangguan Yunchang. Other representatives of aristocratic families, such as Meng Duangui, Yang Shiji, Lu Sizhe, and Mou Zonglun, all returned safely one after another.

Because they came from the same prominent family, they were relatively close and gathered to discuss the events of the day.

"The 'Heaven-Sealing and Earth-Locking Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Formation' has been broken. The culprit, that five-clawed golden dragon, is no ordinary beast. I wonder if it is a Great Vajra Crystal Second Realm Immortal or a Third Realm Primordial Chaos Dragon?"

"Although that five-clawed golden dragon was strong, the five great clans were obviously prepared. After the formation was broken, they quickly formed another formation to suppress it. Otherwise, we would not have been able to get here safely."

"How could such a terrifying ancient beast be dealt with simply by being prepared? I observed halfway through my journey that the Great Vajra Realm phoenix broke through the formation and seemed to have gone to Brother Zhuang's location?"

"The phoenix did not catch up with Yun Chang and me, but it's hard to say exactly how."

"From this point of view, even powerful clans may not be able to guarantee complete safety. If that five-clawed golden dragon were to break through the formation along with the other two Vajra Realm beasts, the Qilin and the Xuanwu, and launch a reprisal... we should prepare for the worst."

……

Even high-ranking martial artists like the Yin Shen of the aristocratic families were deeply worried and prepared for the worst-case scenario, planning to abandon the capital city of Yong'an and join the fight against the Gecko by cutting off its tail.

The panic spread, and soon many rumors, both true and false, began to circulate. On this day, the people of Yong'an in the capital were filled with anxiety and unrest began to emerge.

However, things calmed down by evening, as news came from the Songling Red Zone center: the five-clawed golden dragon, as well as the Qilin and Xuanwu, had all suffered heavy damage. The five major clans continued their blockade and would establish territories on the front lines to begin the land reclamation process. They could then enter the fiefdoms and begin construction.

Ordinary martial artists and common people were overjoyed upon hearing this, but upper-class martial artists like the representatives of aristocratic families had different opinions on the battle report.

……

'Battle reports can be deceiving, but battle lines don't. Could it be that the five major clans have been replaced by a new Ying Xue?'

Upon hearing the battle report, Zhuang Jin secretly shook his head: 'If the five major clans had truly won, not to mention the five-clawed golden dragon, shouldn't they have at least killed one of the Qilin or the Xuanwu? They haven't even taken one down, they're not even as good as me, and they're still maintaining the blockade of Songling. Isn't all of this just propaganda?'

His guess was actually quite accurate.

In the subsequent battles within the Five Elements and Five Directions Formation, whenever the Five Clans were about to secure victory, the Imperial Xuanyuan Sword, the Shi Family Kunlun Mirror, the Mu Family Eight Trigrams Formation, the Gongshu Family Azure Dragon Mechanical Beast, and the Yuwen Family Boundary Void Stone—these divine artifacts representing the foundation of the Five Clans—would cause some trouble and create obstacles.

This is obvious. The method left behind by that immortal eight hundred years ago was unexpectedly used by the Five Clans to kill the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon. The dragon slaying was successful, and they gained great benefits. They also cleansed away one of the methods he left behind, as well as the chain reaction brought about by this event: the last hard bone in the core of Songling was removed, the entire area was opened up for cultivation, and even the other strange lands in various states were affected, disrupting the balance plan.

The five major clans could not win, and each suffered losses.

The Imperial Xuanyuan Sword, Xuanyuan Nanshan possesses royal blood and can barely wield it, but ultimately he is no match for the Yangshen Emperor, who is also old and has little lifespan left, so he cannot last long.
The Kunlun Mirror of the Shi family requires the sacrifice of one's own bloodline, making one a relatively useless person;

The Mu family's Eight Trigrams Formation of Gods and Demons: This family's ancestral Yang Gods all returned to the Suspended Sky Mirror Master Realm after death. The Yin Gods and below them all entered the Eight Trigrams Formation of Gods and Demons. Using this treasure also requires consuming one's foundation.
The Azure Dragon mechanical beast of the Gongshu family requires the Spirit Source Red Crystal; using it is like cutting off a piece of flesh.

The Boundary Stone of the Yuwen family is not particularly problematic, but it places an immense burden on the physical body.

Naturally, the fighting could not continue, and the only options were compromise and blockade. As long as the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, Qilin, and Xuanwu did not escape, the matter would be temporarily shelved and left for the future.

In fact, the five major clans are now in a dilemma. Their resources must be kept in the core of Songling to guard and blockade them, otherwise they fear that the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon, Qilin, and Xuanwu will come out to retaliate and give them a severe beating.

They were committed, but unwilling to watch the powerful families remain uninvolved, they devised a scheme to lure everyone into investing in the development and entering the brown, blue, and purple zones. This way, even if something went wrong, everyone would suffer the loss together.

The immortal left behind a method, which can be considered an admission of guilt. As long as the five-clawed golden dragon, the qilin, and the black tortoise are left as a thorn in the side, preventing Songling from being fully developed and blocking the final step, the other states will temporarily observe and not follow suit. This is acceptable for the time being.

After all, it's impossible to take sides and let the five valves be completely destroyed, as that would further disrupt the balance.

'This situation is actually advantageous to me. Like that immortal, maintaining a balance of power allows me to develop safely. A complete collapse of the situation would not be in my interest.'

Zhuang Jin thought to himself, seeing through everything perfectly.

……

(End of this chapter)