Chapter 1357
Breaking the Restriction, Phoenix Clan Ancestor
Half an hour later, there was no movement in the stone hall.
After storing several golden pills directly into his "storage artifact," Song Qingming didn't pay much attention to the other demon beast materials and immediately burned them on the spot using a spell.
On the other hand, "Fire Phoenix" had already arrived at a stone platform in front of it.
She was still holding the animal hide she had obtained from "Yufeng" and was carefully comparing it with the many runes on the stone platform.
"So, are you sure this is the place?"
"According to the records above, this should be the correct place. Someone has set up a barrier on the stone platform. To open the mechanism below, we need to deal with it first."
Forcibly breaking the barrier would likely cause quite a commotion.
It's up to you now!
Having said that, "Fire Phoenix" stepped down on her own and offered her seat to Song Qingming.
Since successfully repairing the sealing array of "Jade Profound Island", Song Qingming's array skills have also improved significantly, reaching the mid-level of the fifth grade.
In terms of array formation skills alone, he can now be considered one of the top experts in the "Huayang Realm".
Huo Feng brought Song Qingming along when she came to "Dragon Abyss Sea" to retrieve the relics of her ancestors.
Besides the fact that the other party was a Nascent Soul expert she could trust, she was also attracted by Song Qingming's superb array formation skills, which could help her avoid a lot of trouble here.
After all, they were now deep within the territory of the "Dragon Abyss Sea," the territory of the true dragon clan.
If one chooses to forcibly break the seal on this place, causing too much disturbance and alerting the nearby Nascent Soul Demon Emperor, it will alarm the experts of the True Dragon Clan.
Even if she manages to find the "Phoenix Blood Immortal Stone," it's uncertain whether she'll be able to bring it back.
Upon arriving at the stone platform, Song Qingming carefully examined the restrictions above and quickly realized that the barrier set up here was harmless and could be broken by a typical fourth-level high-grade array master.
After considering several ways to break the barrier, Song Qingming chose the safest one.
It only took him a little over half an hour to successfully open the barrier above the stone platform, revealing a black passage leading underground.
Seeing that Song Qingming had solved the problem so easily, "Fire Phoenix" immediately smiled and led Song Qingming to the front of the black passage.
"Hmm! It seems bringing you along really saved a lot of trouble."
"I have sensed a Heavenly Phoenix bloodline; this must be the place."
After releasing its divine sense to explore inside, "Fire Phoenix" quickly led Song Qingming into the passage.
The two passed through a dimly lit space and soon appeared in an underground cave.
Upon arriving here, Song Qingming also sensed a rich fire-attribute spiritual energy, suggesting that a high-grade fire vein was hidden here.
Guided by the fire-attribute spiritual energy, the two walked several hundred feet further ahead. Soon, a crimson expanse appeared in front of them, with countless underground magma gushing out and blocking their path.
"Wait, don't go over there yet!"
Faced with these magma obstacles, "Fire Phoenix" was about to cast a spell to pass through the area when Song Qingming called out to stop her.
Seeing the "Fire Phoenix" looking at him with a hint of doubt, Song Qingming immediately explained:
"The spiritual energy here is completely still, and there seems to be a hidden restriction."
"There are still restrictions?"
Upon hearing this, the "Fire Phoenix" immediately covered the magma with its divine sense and also sensed something was wrong. It then withdrew its divine sense.
"I was wondering why they came in so easily. I thought they really didn't care about this place at all and only sent those low-level demon kings to guard it."
It seems that the True Dragon Clan has done something to this place.
"If I hadn't brought you along today, we would have almost fallen into their trap."
Thinking back to her previous idea of coming to "Dragon Abyss Sea" alone to search for spiritual items, and now confirming that the other party was already on guard, Fire Phoenix also sighed slightly.
Song Qingming nodded and said:
"If they are prepared, there may be more than just this one place. We must be careful when we go in."
"Don't worry, I've been planning this for so long, I don't want to fail here."
"Those old fogies of the True Dragon Clan aren't around, so we'd better hurry and get going to avoid any unexpected situations."
Upon hearing this, Song Qingming raised his hand and waved it, and five silver array flags flew out from his sleeve and landed in mid-air.
The array flags gathered to form a huge pentagonal rune, and the spiritual light concentrated in one place and was directly thrown into the magma in front.
As soon as Song Qingming quickly cast his spell, a special spiritual power was attracted by the rune array and gradually extracted from the magma.
Seeing this, "Fire Phoenix" immediately relaxed a little.
Since they met, regardless of their cultivation levels, Song Qingming's array formation skills have never disappointed her.
Although the current restriction may not be able to stop the "Fire Phoenix" which has already reached the Nascent Soul stage.
However, with Song Qingming's help, she wouldn't have to take any risks and it would save her a lot of effort, making him a truly good helper.
Just as the "Fire Phoenix" was waiting patiently for Song Qingming to break the restriction, the molten lava in front of it suddenly collapsed rapidly, and then a huge dragon head emerged from it.
"Who dares to disturb the resting place of our ancestor?"
"You two are not true dragons. Where did you come from? Get out of here at once!"
Otherwise, you will all perish here today!
The dragon head was entirely white, with two large, bowl-sized eyes that were wide open and filled with rage as it stared at the "Fire Phoenix" and Song Qingming, the two people who had intruded into this place without cause.
The sound he uttered even made the surrounding magma tremble.
Despite the threat from the white dragon, "Fire Phoenix" showed no fear and looked at Song Qingming.
But at this moment, he also had a hint of embarrassment on his face.
"This thing was placed inside the barrier beforehand. I was so focused on breaking the formation that I didn't notice there was something else inside."
Don't worry, this thing is merely a spirit; it's not that serious.
"You focus on breaking the formation, I'll handle this!"
The white dragon before them appeared menacing, but it was actually just a spirit body hidden within a restriction, its supernatural powers and magic far from reaching the Nascent Soul stage.
Before Song Qingming could reveal the other party's background, "Fire Phoenix" had already activated its crimson flames and directly wrapped them around the other party's neck.
She actually pulled the white dragon head out of the restriction and slammed it to the ground.
"Hmph! How dare you be so disrespectful to me."
We, the true dragon clan, will surely hunt you down and capture you all to serve as our servants.
Although the White Dragon possessed supernatural powers far inferior to the Fire Phoenix, he was suppressed to the ground by the Phoenix and had no power to resist.
However, it kept chattering away, displaying a defiant and unyielding spirit.
Seeing this, a hint of displeasure flashed in "Fire Phoenix's" eyes. She picked up the white dragon and slammed it repeatedly into the ground, flattening its body.
Just as the "Fire Phoenix" was about to cast a spell to finish off its opponent, the White Dragon suddenly opened its mouth and spat out a ball of white light, which landed in mid-air.
After spitting out the white ball, the white dragon immediately turned into a ray of light and disappeared.
The white sphere it spat out emitted powerful pressure in mid-air, and then exploded with a "boom," creating a golden vortex on the spot.
"This is a spatial passage!"
Upon seeing this, "Fire Phoenix" immediately unleashed a burst of flames in an attempt to destroy it.
Just as she was casting her spell, a beam of light suddenly flew out from the golden vortex, blocking her attack in mid-air.
Before long, a golden figure appeared in front of the "Fire Phoenix".
The newcomer was dressed in a golden robe, barefoot, and had two prominent dragon horns on his head. The aura emanating from him was also at the Nascent Soul stage.
Looking at the "fire phoenix" before him, Ao Xing immediately revealed a contemptuous smile.
"I said I had just returned, how come someone has already triggered the restrictions here? It turns out that a distinguished guest has arrived."
"The Celestial Phoenix Clan, you've finally come!" "How did you get here? Is this a trap?"
Upon seeing the golden dragon Ao Xing suddenly appear before her, who was one of the four Nascent Soul ancestors of the "True Dragon Clan," "Fire Phoenix" was filled with astonishment.
I had already confirmed that there was no problem with "Wind Control", so why would this Third Elder, who had left Longyuan Sea many years ago, appear here by such a coincidence?
"You're wrong. There's no trap here. It's just a barrier we set up in advance just in case."
I mentioned this to the Grand Elder before, but that old fellow didn't believe you would dare to come. Sure enough, you almost managed to slip through the cracks.
"You're just unlucky; I happened to sense the commotion here from nearby."
After explaining to Huo Feng, Ao Xing turned his gaze to Song Qingming, who was disguised as "Long Feng".
At this moment, he was still casting a spell to break the restriction in front of him, and there was a hint of helplessness in his eyes when he looked at the fire phoenix.
"I heard that Chi Li has already left. I didn't expect you could still find help."
"Huh! Why is it another human cultivator?"
Hahaha, your Heavenly Phoenix Clan, you always boast about your noble bloodline, yet you didn't even acknowledge your own ancestor back then.
Why have I changed the rules again and even colluded with the human race?
Could it be that the Celestial Phoenix Clan needs to intermarry with humans to reveal their noble bloodline?
"He's just a helper I hired; he has nothing to do with any of this!"
Despite Ao Xing's sarcastic remarks, "Fire Phoenix" remained calm and simply offered a brief explanation.
“Help. The Northern Frontier has fallen to such a state that we need you to ask human cultivators for help.”
"Don't you find what you're saying a bit ridiculous, fellow Daoist?"
"Laugh if you like!"
I have come here today to retrieve the relics of my ancestors. If you are willing to let me pass, the Heavenly Phoenix Clan will remember this favor.
The long-standing feud between our two clans can be wiped clean!
"To wipe the slate clean, fellow Daoist, you really have a lot of face."
When my great-uncle came to Longyuan Sea, your Tianfeng clan had already removed him from the list.
Now you're using the guise of family to try and seize his legacy, trying to take all the credit and benefits.
This is absolutely outrageous!
"I know you want that stone, but with me here today, you can't take it away."
"Sorry, I didn't come here empty-handed!"
"Then let me see just how many supernatural powers you possess!"
Seeing that Ao Xing was not giving an inch, the "Fire Phoenix" once again lit up with crimson flames and swept directly in front of its opponent.
Seeing this, Ao Xing smiled slightly, immediately activated his golden dragon claw to easily pass through the flames, and then directly pressed down on the opponent's head.
Just then, a seven-colored feather fan suddenly appeared in the "Fire Phoenix's" hand.
This seven-colored feather fan is eight or nine parts similar to the one in the hands of the "Red Ancestor" back then, only its power and grade are slightly inferior.
It is a special spiritual treasure, the "Seven Flames Fire Spirit Fan," crafted using the secret techniques of the "Heavenly Phoenix Clan."
Although "Fire Phoenix" was only at the second level of the Nascent Soul stage, being in the molten lava field, her magical powers and supernatural abilities were greatly enhanced by fire-attribute spiritual energy.
Even though her cultivation level was slightly lower than his, she was not inferior to Ao Xing in terms of aura.
With the help of the "Seven Flames Fire Spirit Fan", the crimson flames successfully shattered the opponent's dragon claws, forcing Ao Xing's attack to retreat head-on.
However, just as they blocked an attack, Ao Xing suddenly moved closer to "Fire Phoenix".
With a serious expression, he raised his hand to cast a spell, and golden dragon claws appeared out of thin air in all four directions: front, back, left, and right, bringing with them an astonishing aura of world-destroying power.
The next moment, "Fire Phoenix" felt the surrounding space being squeezed by its opponent, making it unable to move for a moment.
"Spatial confinement!"
Seeing that her spellcasting had become extremely difficult and she could no longer dodge the attack, the fire phoenix immediately emitted black flames that transformed into a protective shield.
Upon seeing the black flames appear, a hint of surprise flashed across Ao Xing's face.
"Nine Netherworld Cold Flame, I never imagined you could actually subdue it!"
The "Nine Netherworld Frost Flame" instantly froze the surroundings. Faced with the Fire Phoenix's disregard for magic power in unleashing this divine ability, Ao Xing was also worried that he would be trapped in the ice flames, so he quickly dodged to the side.
On the other side, "Fire Phoenix" quickly broke free from the opponent's spatial confinement.
".
Although there is a difference in cultivation level between Huo Feng and Ao Xing, they seem to have some understanding of each other's supernatural abilities.
In their fight, Ao Xing managed to gain a slight advantage due to his cultivation level.
However, they couldn't defeat "Fire Phoenix" in a short time. The two fought for hundreds of rounds, but still couldn't determine a winner.
Just as "Fire Phoenix" was locked in a stalemate with her opponent, she finally heard good news from Song Qingming, who was breaking the formation nearby: the opponent had successfully broken the restrictive formation in front of her.
"I'll hold her off for you, you go and get the treasure!"
"Now that the True Dragon Clan has been alerted, we cannot linger here. Otherwise, if anyone else comes, we may not be able to leave this place safely today."
While "Fire Phoenix" was fighting Ao Xing, Song Qingming had already considered retreating.
However, the barrier was already almost broken, so he didn't give up rashly and gritted his teeth to help "Fire Phoenix" break through the barrier formation.
Once the white light shield in front dissipated, a circular platform surrounded by molten lava was revealed.
On that circular platform stood a blue stone tablet, which was about two or three zhang tall.
"Just hold her off for a moment, I'll leave as soon as I get what I need!"
Upon hearing Song Qingming's voice transmission, "Fire Phoenix" was overjoyed and immediately flashed away from the battlefield, handing Ao Xing over to Song Qingming, who had come to meet her.
In a flash, she arrived on the platform, her gaze fixed on the human skeleton sitting beneath the stone tablet.
Although the other party had been gone for many years, leaving only a skeleton covered in tattered clothes, the aura emanating from above still inspired fear.
Clearly, this person's cultivation level during his lifetime was above that of the "Fire Phoenix".
Coupled with the familiar spiritual energy faintly emanating from the other person, "Fire Phoenix" immediately recognized that this person was the "Heavenly Phoenix Clan" ancestor she was looking for.
A quick glance around the ground revealed no storage bags or similar items on the other person.
"Fire Phoenix" looked up and turned to the stone tablet, only then did it notice an inconspicuous circular hole in the middle of the "blue stone tablet".
Inside the cave, there was a round stone whose color was noticeably different from the stone tablet, indicating that they were not the same.
The stone looked quite ordinary and didn't emit any unusual spiritual light, which is why "Fire Phoenix" didn't notice it at first.
Only now, when divine sense covered it, did it sense a rich spiritual power.
"The Phoenix Blood Immortal Stone, it must be you!"
Confirming that this was indeed what she was looking for, "Fire Phoenix" was overjoyed and immediately cast a spell to conjure up crimson flames in an attempt to take it into her hands.
Just as the flames touched the top of the stone, a flash of white light appeared before their eyes, and the scene in front of the "Fire Phoenix" changed.
The next moment, she found herself in a dark, peculiar space.
The surroundings were dark, and there was no one in sight or any spiritual energy to be sensed. "Fire Phoenix" stood frozen in place.
"Could this be some kind of illusion?"
"It's you!"
Just as "Fire Phoenix" was filled with doubt, a voice suddenly came from ahead, interrupting her thoughts.
Immediately afterwards, a crimson figure appeared before her. (End of Chapter)