Battle Through the Heavens: Starting with Cao Ying as an apprentice

Only the ancient phoenix tree outside the hall, which has survived since ancient times, rustled softly in the wind, as if telling the story of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan's past glory and present desolation.

Since the ancient dragon emperor Zhukun of the Great Void returned to the world with the power of a late-stage Nine-Star Dou Sheng, Huang Tian decisively ordered that all members of the clan who were abroad, no matter where they were or what missions they were carrying out, should immediately return to their ancestral land.

The once soaring Heavenly Phoenix, who considered itself the overlord of the sky, is now forced to cower within the barrier, even having to carefully consider the consequences of flapping its wings.

What a humiliation this is.

But Huang Tian had no other choice. He had once sensed a wisp of aura that Zhu Kun had inadvertently revealed across the endless void—a deep and unfathomable abyss.

He had no doubt that if the old dragon truly harbored murderous intent towards the Heavenly Phoenix Clan, let alone him, even if the entire clan were to unite and form the Myriad Phoenix Burning Heaven Formation, they would probably not be able to withstand the power of a single palm strike from the opponent.

The absolute gap in skill levels brings a suffocating sense of despair.

In his desperate situation, he made a decision that even he himself found shameful: he sent a secret envoy with generous gifts to the Soul Clan to seek protection from the unpredictable Soul Emperor.

He knew perfectly well that it was like trying to get a tiger to give you its skin or drinking poison to quench your thirst.

But if we don't seek the skin, today could be the day our clan is wiped out; if we don't drink the poison, we will die from it right now.

Fortunately, the Soul Emperor agreed.

The reply was brief and did not mention any harsh conditions. This unusual "goodwill" made Huang Tian's heartstrings tighten even more, but it also allowed him to grasp a sliver of hope.

"I only hope that the new Dragon Emperor is still young and has no ambition to become a tyrant, so that he will not take such a drastic step as to eliminate the threat completely."

Huang Tian stepped out of the main hall, looked up at the sky which was rendered pale gold by the barrier, and sighed inwardly.

He recalled the few words he had heard in the intelligence report about the new Dragon Emperor.

Zi Yan, who possesses the legendary bloodline of the dragon and phoenix, immediately united the four dragon islands that had been divided for thousands of years with thunderous methods as soon as she appeared in the world. Her methods, her mentality and her strength are all astonishing.

Huang Tian figured that even if he went all out, the outcome would be fifty-fifty.

Why... does Heaven favor the ancient dragon alone?

An overwhelming surge of grief and indignation welled up in her heart, and Huang Tianjin's golden-red eyes almost spit fire: "I, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix, am also a direct descendant of the ancient Heavenly Phoenix! We can also awaken the dragon and phoenix bloodline! Why does the Dragon and Phoenix Origin Fruit, which defies fate, never favor my clan?"

He was unwilling! In ancient times, the Heavenly Phoenix and the Ancient Dragon were evenly matched.

Now that their bloodline has degenerated, they have been overshadowed and reduced to having to depend on others for survival!

After enduring countless hardships until Zhu Kun disappeared and the Ancient Dragon Island fell into chaos and division, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan saw hope for revival. The clansmen cultivated diligently day and night, striving to catch up.

Unexpectedly, a dragon emperor with unparalleled bloodline and a dragon concubine who had "already fallen" suddenly appeared and restored unity with overwhelming force.

That wasn't enough; even the old dragon emperor Zhukun, who had been missing for thousands of years, returned safely!

It was as if the fortunes of heaven and earth had all returned to the ancient dragon, while he, the Heavenly Demon Phoenix, was now a lonely and illegitimate son abandoned by the times.

"Father!"

A hurried call pulled Huang Tian back from her grief and indignation.

His son, Jiufeng, strode over, clutching a jet-black jade slip in his hand, the slip shrouded in a chilling aura.

"A letter from the Soul Emperor."

Huang Tian took it and probed it with his soul power. The next moment, his brows furrowed suddenly, and his fingers, gripping the jade slip, turned slightly white from the force.

"Father?" Jiufeng had never seen such an expression on Huangtian's face before. It was not only solemn, but also showed a hint of... panic.

“Ancient Dragon Island…” Huang Tian’s voice was hoarse, each word carrying the weight of a thousand pounds:

"The new Dragon Queen Zi Yan has already mustered the elite forces of the four islands and will soon be attacking our tribe."

Jiufeng's face turned deathly pale, and she staggered back half a step: "What?"

Huang Tian smiled bitterly. He glanced at the jade slip: "The Soul Emperor wants us to hold our ground and buy time until he leads his troops to our aid."

"Delay? What can we use to delay?" Jiufeng asked urgently, her voice trembling:

"Zi Yan's strength is comparable to her father's, and she has several Dragon Island experts at the Dou Sheng level under her command! Soul Emperor... will Soul Emperor really come?"

"Father, the Soul Clan is cunning and cannot be trusted! Or... let's escape! Abandon our ancestral land, preserve our bloodline, and flee into the void!"

Huang Tian slowly shook his head, his back view appearing exceptionally lonely and desolate in the sunlight outside the palace.

"Escape? Where to escape to?"

"The Ancient Dragon of the Void wields the power of space and possesses unparalleled talent across the continent. If they lock onto the aura of our bloodline, even if we escape into the turbulent currents of the void and hide in the crevices of space, they will eventually use their supreme spatial divine powers to drag us out, leaving us nowhere to hide."

Jiufeng stood there, stunned, a chill running from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

Yes, to try to use spatial escape techniques in front of the Ancient Dragon of the Void is like showing off one's skills before an expert, and is tantamount to courting death.

The Heavenly Demon Phoenix's extreme speed appeared so pale and powerless under the opponent's power to control space.

"Father, what should we do?" Jiufeng's voice was tinged with despair.

Huang Tian remained silent for a long time before slowly turning around. His gaze returned to the black jade slip in his hand, his expression complex and unreadable.

Ultimately, the complexity transformed into decisiveness, like steel being tempered in fire.

"Give the order to the entire clan." His voice was deep, yet carried an undeniable power:

"Activate the 'Myriad Phoenixes Burning Heaven Formation' and activate all the defensive restrictions inherited from ancient times. All adult clansmen, regardless of gender or cultivation level, should be fully armed and given Nirvana Pills. Elders should return to their positions at the formation's cores and prepare to meet the enemy."

"Father, are we really going to gamble that the Heavenly Emperor of Souls will come?"

"We have no choice." Huang Tian gazed towards the eastern horizon, the direction of Ancient Dragon Island, his eyes sharp as a hawk about to face its death.

"This is the only way out of this desperate situation. The Heavenly Emperor of Souls needs our clan to restrain the Ancient Dragon, betting that he won't stand idly by and watch the Ancient Dragon's power surge after annexing our clan. Betting that my Heavenly Demon Phoenix... is not meant to die here!"

Looking at her father's resolute back, Jiufeng had a thousand words in her heart, but in the end, she only bowed deeply, turned into a streak of red light, and sped away to deliver the order.

Huang Tian stood alone beneath the ancestral parasol tree, looking up at the sky.

Above the clan's territory, the pale golden protective barrier swirled endlessly, seemingly sturdy, yet it was unknown how long it could withstand the impending storm.

"May our ancestors bless our people and help us overcome this disaster!"

Chapter 398 Dragon Attacks Phoenix; Soul Clan Emerges!

One day later, in the sky above the Heavenly Phoenix Clan.

Space began to distort, and the clear blue sky rippled violently like the surface of a lake tossed with a stone.

"Snap—!!!"

A teeth-grinding cracking sound echoed through the sky!

Several enormous spatial rifts, thousands of feet long and bottomless, were torn open in the sky like hideous black scars!

The terrifying dragon's might, like a tangible tsunami, surged out from the depths of the crack, instantly sweeping across the entire territory of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan. Countless clansmen with lower cultivation levels groaned on the spot, their faces turning pale.

From within the crack, figures surged forth like a black tide.

The leading woman, dressed in a purple-gold robe, stood suspended in mid-air, her beauty unparalleled, with a purple-gold dragon seal shining brightly on her forehead.

She simply stood there, and a vast, ethereal aura of dragons and phoenixes naturally intertwined around her.

It was none other than Zi Yan, the new Dragon Emperor of the Taixu Ancient Dragon Clan.

Behind her, nearly a hundred powerful members of the Ancient Dragon Clan, including the leaders, elders, and generals of the four major dragon islands in the east, south, west, and north, stood in mid-air. Their majestic dragon might formed a continuous line, completely sealing off and suppressing the tens of thousands of miles of territory where the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan was located!

"Huang Tian".

Zi Yan spoke, her voice clear and melodious, yet carrying an undeniable imperial majesty that resonated in the ears and hearts of every member of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan.

"Today is the day your kind of scruffy birds will be wiped out."

Her response was a deafening phoenix cry! And a burst of golden-red flames soaring into the sky!

Countless figures rose into the air from the sycamore forest and the palace, their wings obscuring the sun and flames dyeing the sky red!

Huang Tian appeared atop the sea of ​​fire, his back unfurling a pair of brilliant golden phoenix wings, each a hundred feet long, burning with resolute flames.

"Your Majesty the Dragon Emperor, what a magnificent display of power!" Huang Tian's voice was icy cold and resolute.

"My Heavenly Phoenix Clan, even if we fight to the last soldier and shed our last drop of blood, we will fight to the death!"

Zi Yan's beautiful face showed neither sorrow nor joy. She said nothing more, but simply raised her slender, fair right hand and then gently waved it down.

"kill."

"Roar--!!!"

The dragon's roar shook the heavens and tore through the clouds!

The powerful members of the Ancient Dragon Clan, like a long-awaited black torrent, carrying destructive power, crashed down towards the golden-red sea of ​​flames below!

"Ten Thousand Phoenixes Burn the Heavens, Rise!" Huang Tian roared, his voice shaking the nine heavens.

In an instant, a golden-red flame array burst forth from beneath the earth, with countless phoenix phantoms dancing and crying out within the array, colliding fiercely with the black dragon shadow that swooped down!

"Boom—!!!"

An indescribable, terrifying energy explosion instantly became the only thing in the world.

The blinding light devoured everything, and the destructive shockwave swept across in a ring, evaporating the clouds for miles around. The mountains and land below collapsed, shattered, and turned into dust like a fragile sand table!

This ancient war for survival between races has entered its most tragic and brutal phase from the very beginning.

Above the Central Plains, in the depths of the Pill Tower, Sound Valley, Flower Sect, Burning Flame Valley, and the secret realms of various ancient races, gazes filled with shock, solemnity, indifference, and sighs pierced through endless space and fell upon this battlefield that had instantly transformed into a purgatory.

The mainland's attention was completely ignited.

Meanwhile, in the far north, the entrance to the Soul Realm opened silently.

The figures in black robes emerged one after another like ghosts. The leader looked up at the Dragon and Phoenix Battlefield and a cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

Fenglei Pavilion Ancestral Hall.

The ever-burning lamps flickered in the dim light, casting an intermittent glow on the memorial tablets of the past masters.

Lei Zun Zhe—a renowned three-star Dou Zun powerhouse in the Four Directions Pavilion—was standing before the ancestral tablets, his body trembling slightly.

The three sticks of sandalwood in his hand were already half-burned, and the blue smoke rose straight up.

[The Ancient Dragon of the Void... surely it wouldn't come all this way to cause trouble for my humble Wind and Thunder Pavilion just because of that girl Feng Qing'er?]

The thought swirled in his mind countless times, but it brought him no comfort whatsoever.

Feng Qing'er, the genius of the Heavenly Phoenix Clan whom he had placed high hopes on and who was even vaguely regarded as the next Pavilion Master to cultivate, had already bid farewell and returned to the Heavenly Phoenix Clan long ago when news of Zhu Kun's return came.

He was secretly relieved at the time, feeling that he had gotten rid of a potentially troublesome hot potato.