While the player is in Battle Through the Heavens, the system is in The Great Ruler.

Chapter 270 Reigning Supreme over the Phoenix Clan, This Arrogant Brat!
Soon after,

Inside the Dragon Emperor's Palace.

"Sect Master Lu, do you wish to travel to the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan?"

When Elder Qingshan heard that Lu Yu was going to the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, his aged brows furrowed deeply.

"Is Pavilion Master Lu lacking certain resources? Perhaps we can wait a few days and let Dragon Island search for them, and maybe we can gather the supplies you need."

Elder Qingshan said solemnly, "Although the Heavenly Phoenix Clan is not as powerful as my Ancient Void Dragon Clan, the current clan leader is a powerful expert at the late stage of the Five-Star Dou Sheng realm. Our clan has just completed its unification, and we should take this opportunity to recall the elders of the various branches who were scattered due to the internal strife. It would be unwise to clash with the Heavenly Phoenix Clan at this time."

"Please wait a little longer, Master..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yu shook his head and said, "I appreciate the elder's kindness. However, I have my own plans regarding the matter of going to the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan. I can manage on my own, so there is no need for the Ancient Void Dragon Clan to help me."

"This……"

Elder Qingshan looked at Lu Yu, then glanced at Zi Yan beside him, and said, "I am not questioning the Pavilion Master's strength, but..."

“I will go with him.” Zi Yan suddenly spoke up, a golden glint flashing in her purple eyes. “With me here, those scruffy birds will not dare to act recklessly.”

Upon hearing this, Elder Qingshan's face immediately showed reluctance, and he whispered his dissuasion, "Your Majesty, you are the Dragon Emperor, how can you lightly venture into dangerous places? If those old ministers find out..."

"No need for further words, this matter is settled."

Zi Yan's tone was resolute, and her dragon-phoenix aura naturally flowed out, "This emperor also wants to see whether the current Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan still retains some of the splendor of the ancient Heavenly Phoenix."

Seeing this, Lu Yu cupped his hands to Elder Qingshan and said, "Elder, rest assured, our purpose on this trip is primarily negotiation; we will not resort to force lightly. Besides..."

He smiled slightly, "With our combined strength, even if a conflict were to break out, we would be more than capable of protecting ourselves."

Elder Qingshan's gaze swept back and forth between the two men. Seeing their resolute expressions, he knew that further persuasion would be useless, so he could only sigh and say, "Since that's the case, I urge you two to act with caution."

"I am on Dragon Island, awaiting good news."

Zi Yan and Lu Yu exchanged a glance, then simultaneously transformed into two streaks of light and sped out of the main hall. One was a dazzling purple-gold, the other a graceful green shadow, and they vanished into the horizon in an instant.

Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, Elder Qingshan stroked his long beard, his eyes still filled with worry. He pondered for a moment, then turned to the Dragon Guards standing outside the hall and instructed them: "Pass down the order to have the East, West, and South Dragon Guards secretly follow them and wait outside the Heavenly Demon Phoenix territory."

"Yes!"

The Dragon Guard Commander accepted the order and left. Soon, countless faint dragon auras silently left Dragon Island and sped towards the location of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix.

These dragon guards are all elites of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan, each possessing strength above the peak of Dou Zun, and their commander has even reached the level of a two-star Dou Sheng.

Elder Qingshan gazed at the distant horizon and murmured to himself, "I hope this time it won't cause too much of a commotion..."

Meanwhile, Lu Yu and Zi Yan were flying side by side above the clouds. Wherever Zi Yan's purple-gold light passed, subtle ripples appeared in the space; while Lu Yu's azure shadow was as graceful as a breeze, not at all inferior.

"Do you think the Heavenly Phoenix Clan will obediently hand over their natal beast fire?" Zi Yan suddenly asked, her eyes filled with a hint of eagerness.

Lu Yu smiled slightly: "Let's try diplomacy first, then force. If they don't know what's good for them..."

He didn't finish speaking, but the glint in his eyes said it all.

Zi Yan smiled knowingly, and quickened her pace even further. The two of them transformed into streaks of light, tracing magnificent paths through the clouds, heading straight for the territory of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan.

……

After a few hours,

Deep within the Beast Realm lies the ancestral home of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan.

Phoenix Mountain Range.

As the two passed through layers of clouds and mist, a continuous red mountain range came into view. The mountains embraced valleys, and faint golden patterns flowed across their surfaces, shimmering in the sunlight like slowly flowing lava.

Legend has it that this mountain range was once the place where the ancient phoenix was reborn. Although tens of thousands of years have passed, a faint trace of the phoenix's aura still remains. Every time the first rays of dawn appear, a pale golden mist rises from the mountains, like the afterglow of the phoenix's rebirth, adding a touch of sacredness to the entire mountain range.

The entire mountain range is shrouded in a hazy golden halo year-round, and the air is filled with an ancient, almost imperceptible, pressure. The Heavenly Phoenix Clan has lived here for ten thousand years, and it is precisely because of this legacy left by the Heavenly Phoenix that they have maintained the name of their ancient Heavenly Phoenix descendants.

"Such a rich aura of the ancient phoenix..." Zi Yan frowned slightly. As a dragon-phoenix, she was particularly sensitive to this kind of power that was of the same origin but repelled each other.

Lu Yu's gaze swept over the faintly visible crimson-gold barrier between the mountains: "It seems the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan has already noticed."

Before the words were even finished, the barrier above the mountain range suddenly rippled violently. A streak of crimson light shot out from the barrier, transforming into a red-haired man.

He was clad in a black flame robe, with a bright flame mark burning on his forehead, and exuded the aura of a Dou Zun level, clearly an elite member of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan.

"Who goes there, daring to trespass on the territory of my Heavenly Phoenix Clan..."

Before the red-haired man could finish speaking, his gaze froze the instant it met Lu Yu's face. His pupils contracted sharply, his face turned deathly pale, and even the flames swirling around him swayed precariously, as if he had seen something utterly terrifying.

"It's...it's you!" His voice trembled with extreme fear, and he staggered back several steps, nearly falling from the sky.

Lu Yu raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing the other person's terrified expression, and asked thoughtfully, "Hmm? You know me?"

The red-haired man seemed struck by lightning, turning abruptly and transforming into a streak of fire that shot back into the barrier. His terrified cry echoed throughout the valley: "Quick! Activate the clan's protective formation to its fullest extent! Summon all elders from seclusion!"

"That fiend who beat Elder Kunhuang to the point of vomiting blood outside the ancient ruins has arrived!" The barrier instantly erupted with dazzling golden-red light, and countless phoenix phantoms rapidly circled on the light screen, emitting sharp cries. The entire Phoenix Perch Mountain Range trembled violently, showing the tense state of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan as if facing a formidable enemy.

Faintly, one could hear shouts of alarm and the urgent tolling of bells coming from within the barrier.

Lu Yu and Zi Yan exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes.

"It should be the Heavenly Demon Phoenix that was fighting for the ruins outside the Creation Saint's Ruins..."

Lu Yu shook his head slightly, his tone conveying a sense of understanding.

Zi Yan chuckled upon hearing this, and said with a smile, "It seems that Brother Lu Yu left quite a deep impression on them back then. But that's fine, it saves us from having to explain too much later."

Just as the two were talking, the barrier suddenly fluctuated violently. Three terrifying auras soared into the sky from the depths of the barrier, and the air throughout the entire Phoenix Perch Mountain Range seemed to freeze.

The first to appear was a woman in a red dress, who looked to be around thirty years old, but the vicissitudes in her phoenix eyes revealed the marks of time.

Her delicate eyebrows were slightly raised, and she exuded a terrifying aura of a mid-stage two-star Dou Sheng.

"Master of Lingbao Pavilion, is that you?"

Immediately afterwards, an old man in black robes slowly appeared. When he saw Lu Yu's face clearly, a look of shock and anger flashed in his eyes.

It was Kunhuang, who had been taught a lesson by Lu Yu outside the ancient ruins. With the cultivation of a late-stage one-star Dou Sheng, his aura fluctuated erratically upon seeing his enemy.

Finally, an old man with a gloomy face appeared. He looked at Lu Yu and the other person with a solemn expression, but he exuded the cultivation level of a mid-stage one-star Dou Sheng.

The three stood in mid-air in a triangular formation, their terrifying pressure enveloping the entire sky as if it were a tangible force.

Lu Yu calmly swept his gaze over the three of them and said indifferently, "One two-star Dou Sheng, two one-star Dou Sheng, if I'm not mistaken, the three of you must be the famous Three Phoenixes of the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, right?"

"I never expected that the Heavenly Phoenix Clan would send three Supreme Elders to welcome us."

He lingered on Kunhuang for a moment longer, a faint smile playing on his lips: "It seems that Elder Kunhuang still vividly remembers the sparring session outside the ruins last time."

Kunhuang's face immediately turned ashen, but he dared not speak out in anger.

At this moment, the woman in the red dress stepped forward, her dress fluttering even without wind: "May I ask what brings the Lord of Lingbao Pavilion here today?"

"I'd like to borrow something from the nobles," Lu Yu said with a smile.

"What?"

Phoenix, the leader of the Three Heavenly Demon Phoenixes, frowned slightly and asked in a deep voice.

Lu Yu's gaze swept over the three people, finally settling on the phoenix: "I'd like to borrow the three of your natal beast fires."

These words, spoken casually, silenced the entire world. For the Heavenly Phoenix Clan, their natal beast fire was like the primordial dragon energy of the Ancient Dragon Clan—the very foundation of their life and cultivation!
Upon hearing this, Kunhuang laughed in fury: "Arrogant! Do you think this is like buying medicine at the Pill Tower? Our natal beast fire is something we cultivate for a thousand years to condense. How can you just lend it to us like that!"

Lu Yu did not answer, but flicked his finger, and a milky white pill appeared in front of him without him noticing.

The moment this elixir appeared, the energy of the entire Phoenix Perch Mountain Range fluctuated, and the golden rays flowing through the mountains seemed to be drawn towards the elixir.

"This pill is called the Supreme Pill." He spoke calmly, yet his voice clearly reached everyone's ears. "It can help a half-saint level expert increase their chances of breaking through to the Dou Sheng realm by 30%."

His gaze swept calmly over the three of them, as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact:

“Three natal beast flames in exchange for one Supreme Pill.” Lu Yu’s tone remained calm. “You can consider this deal.”

Upon hearing this, the three Supreme Elders exchanged glances, all seeing the shock in each other's eyes. The medicinal fragrance emanating from the Supreme Pill caused their internal battle qi to involuntarily become active, clearly indicating that it was no ordinary product.

A flicker of struggle crossed the phoenix's eyes. A 30% chance was indeed extremely tempting for a semi-saint, but the price of three natal beast flames was simply too high.

They need to nurture it for at least several hundred years, and in more serious cases, it can even lead to a decline in their cultivation level.

She couldn't help but weigh the options in her mind: was it really worth it to exchange this price for the clan to have one more Supreme Elder at the Dou Sheng level?
Just as she was deep in thought, Kunhuang suddenly transmitted his voice: "Elder sister, if this pill is real, it will indeed be of great benefit to our clan. However, the natal beast fire is of great importance, so we must be cautious."

The last-ranked Eagle Phoenix, however, had a glint in its eyes, clearly having other ideas.

After a brief silence, Phoenix exchanged a glance with her two younger brothers, and finally slowly shook her head:
"I'm sorry, but my clan cannot accept this deal."

The moment Phoenix finished speaking, a glint of greed flashed in Eagle Phoenix's eyes. He stared intently at the Supreme Pill in Lu Yu's hand and spoke in a sinister tone:
"Eldest sister, second brother, why waste words with him? This man has trespassed on our ancestral land and should be apprehended and punished!"

"Since he has offered himself up, this Supreme Pill should belong to our clan!"

As he spoke, his battle aura surged, unleashing his full cultivation as a mid-stage One-Star Dou Sheng, transforming him into a black shadow that lunged straight at Lu Yu. His right hand materialized into a sharp claw, carrying the power to tear through space, aiming directly for the pill in Lu Yu's hand:
"Boy, hand over the pills!"

Seeing this, Phoenix hurriedly shouted, "Third brother, stop!"

But it was too late. She knew her younger brother's temperament all too well; he was always impulsive, and now, seeing such a treasure as the Supreme Pill, he was blinded by greed.

However, to everyone's surprise, Lu Yu didn't even flinch in the face of this devastating attack. Zi Yan beside him remained completely calm, a faint smile even playing on her lips.

“It seems…” Lu Yu shook his head slightly, “that you are determined to choose the most unwise path.”

(End of this chapter)