Chapter 16: Phoenix’s Red Mark
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
Mu Zhe couldn’t hold back any longer and dropped to his knees.
Yu Xinghe hurried to support him, but he couldn’t steady himself either, and he stumbled onto Mu Zhe, causing him to sway.
Shen Weifeng’s eyes lit up, finally understanding why this figure was called the “number one person in Jiuzhou.”
Just now, Shen Gurong felt like a bystander, watching as he skillfully manipulated Shen Fengxue’s body to unleash a terrifying set of sword techniques, severely injuring the man who had effortlessly conjured flames a thousand feet high.
Scanning the scene, he saw Xue Manzhuang, who had been extremely arrogant asking to marry him just moments ago, kneeling nearby coughing up blood. Shen Gurong raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “You lost.”
Xue Manzhuang grinned, “I’m not dead yet, so I haven’t lost.”
He coughed up another mouthful of blood, which he wiped away with his hand. The phoenix blood seemed to sparkle with iridescent light as it fell to the ground, instantly sprouting clusters of phoenix flowers ablaze with fiery colors.
In Shen Fengxue’s memories, there was no trace of Xue Manzhuang. He wondered if he had been erased from existence or if, in Shen Fengxue’s eyes, such a person simply wasn’t worth remembering.
Once the excitement subsided, Shen Gurong belatedly felt a strong smell of blood rising in his mouth. He bit his lip, forcefully holding back the blood in his throat.
Taking a deep breath, Shen Gurong forcibly suppressed the bloody scent in his mouth, mimicking the action he had just witnessed, he flicked his hand, but his cherished sword did not reappear.
He flicked his hand again and again, repeatedly, but there was still no response from Lin Xiachun.
Shen Gurong: “…”
This was starting to get embarrassing.
Shen Gurong was afraid of death. If he couldn’t summon that divine weapon and had to face this undying bird again, he wasn’t sure if he could easily defeat it. He didn’t want to linger outside the barrier any longer.
Just as he was about to take a step back to return to the Boundary Spirit Stele, a blaze suddenly rose before him.
The flames coiled around Shen Gurong like a fiery dragon, roaring and enclosing him within.
Shen Gurong instinctively felt a bit disgusted by the flames around him. He thought that, based on Shen Fengxue’s previous combat prowess, even without his sword, it shouldn’t be a problem to beat this person up again.
Within the raging flames, a phoenix’s cry pierced through. After burning for who knows how long, when the fire dispersed, a resplendent phoenix appeared in its place.
The phoenix tilted its head back and let out a long cry, then spewed out a stream of crimson phoenix fire from its mouth, rushing towards Shen Gurong.
Phoenix fire can incinerate everything in the world, even those in the Mahayana stage would suffer burns, but usually, only adult phoenixes possess it.
The red mark on Xue Manzhuang’s forehead seemed to drip blood, a sign of an adult phoenix.
No wonder he had been so confident just now.
Shen Gurong saw the flames rushing towards him, his pupils almost shrinking to pinpricks. He didn’t have time to dodge, but his instincts told him he didn’t need to.
He feigned calmness, staring without blinking at the flames that almost ignited the air.
In the next instant, there was a deafening roar as the flames engulfed Shen Gurong entirely.
From afar, Yu Xinghe exclaimed in shock, “Master!”
Li Suo quickly grabbed him, preventing him from recklessly rushing out.
The phoenix swooped through the air, its long feathers igniting fiercer flames.
He landed in front of the blazing flames, transforming into human form. Seeing Shen Gurong, whose figure was only vaguely visible through the fire, he raised an eyebrow and declared boldly, “I said I would bring you back to the Yao Clan today.”
After enduring decades of setbacks from the Liren Peak’s people, he finally had the opportunity to claim the rare flower growing at the peak of the cold mountain for himself. This almost maddening sense of control flooded him with a twisted sense of pleasure.
Shen Fengxue…
Saint Shen, who had never deigned to acknowledge him, was finally his alone.
As soon as this thought crossed his mind, Xue Manzhuang trembled even in his breaths. He saw Shen Gurong’s gaze, hotter than the phoenix fire itself.
“Shen Fengxue, I don’t want to kill you,” Xue Manzhuang suppressed his inner excitement and said, “As long as you admit defeat, I’ll extinguish the fire.”
Just then, a light laughter suddenly came from the flames in front of them, followed by a gust of clear wind that unexpectedly caused the phoenix blood to swirl back and attack.
Xue Manzhuang was startled, immediately retreating, his eyes shrinking in horror as he exclaimed, “This is Lord Nan Yang’s…”
A gust of wind dispersed, and Shen Gurong, dressed in white, not even a corner of his clothes singed, stood gracefully in place, his beauty and elegance radiating tranquility.
The protective barrier around him slowly dissipated as he lifted his gaze slightly and smiled faintly. “Who said anything about admitting defeat?”
Xue Manzhuang was stunned, catching a glimpse of Shen Gurong’s smile, his eyes widening. He stood frozen in place, unable to even attempt to block the flames rushing back towards him, and was sent flying several meters by the impact.
With a deafening roar, dust billowed up in all directions.
Amidst the smoke and fog, Xue Manzhuang was directly reverted to his original form, letting out a piercing “chirp!” as a small, palm-sized red ball rolled straight down the stone steps.
Shen Gurong exclaimed inwardly, “Wow”: [Shen Gurong! You’re truly the most powerful in the world!]
Shen Gurong praised himself wildly, because of the sudden appearance of the protective barrier, half of his spiritual power was drained, leaving him feeling somewhat weak.
He raised a hand to cover his lips, lightly coughing up blood. Finally, the pent-up qi in his chest dissipated somewhat.
Fortunately, the spiritual medicine that Xi Guxing had given him to take in recent days had some effect. Otherwise, in this confrontation, his spiritual power would have surely resulted in severe internal bleeding.
As his primordial elixir instinctively operated within his body, the phoenix spiritual power lingering around was absorbed by Shen Gurong into his vacant spiritual veins before it dissipated completely.
In just a moment, the previously half-empty spiritual veins became replenished to full capacity.
It seemed that phoenix spiritual power was even more effective than spiritual medicine.
Shen Gurong’s brows slowly relaxed as he placed his hand into the wide sleeve, silently wiping the blood from his palm onto the fabric.
By now, the dust had settled, leaving the stone steps empty.
Xue Manzhuang had somehow managed to escape.
This was Shen Gurong’s first time engaging in combat using Shen Fengxue’s body against another person. Seeing how he had managed to defeat such a formidable cultivator, even though he sustained some injuries and the opponent fled, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction.
He was feeling pleased when suddenly he felt a slight burning sensation between his brows. He raised his hand to wipe it, and his fingertip felt like it was grazed by fire, causing intense pain.
The disciples by the Boundary Spirit Stele stared wide-eyed, their expression a mix of fear and reverence. Shen Fengxue’s oppressive aura had not completely subsided yet, causing Mu Zhe and Yu Xinghe to be unable to stand steadily. Li Suo held them both in his arms, their faces pale.
Xi Guxing arrived late, prompting Li Suo to carry the two unstable figures back. The other disciples dispersed as well.
Shen Gurong heard Xi Guxing’s voice and quickly walked back into the Boundary Spirit Stele with a hint of smugness. “Senior Brother, the phoenix has already fled.”
I drove it away.
I’m waiting for praise.
Xi Guxing’s face was originally indifferent. After all, clashes between Xue Manzhuang and Shen Fengxue were a regular occurrence, and he had grown accustomed to it. However, as he approached, Xi Guxing’s gaze fell upon the spot between Shen Gurong’s brows, and his expression suddenly changed drastically.
Shen Gurong’s eyes widened as a crimson mark slowly appeared half an inch above his brows.
Xi Guxing hurried over and grabbed Shen Gurong’s hand, his voice stern. “Did you absorb the phoenix’s spiritual power into your spiritual veins?!”
Shen Gurong was puzzled, not understanding why Xi Guxing was so serious.
He nodded.
Xi Guxing exploded in anger. “Are you out of your mind?! How dare you casually absorb the spiritual energy of the Yao Clan?!”
Shen Gurong was even more bewildered, not understanding why Xi Guxing was so enraged.
Instinctively, he opened his mouth, intending to ask, “So what if it’s the spiritual power of the Yao Clan?” But instead, he emitted a chirping sound: “Chirp chirp?”
Xi Guxing: “…”
Shen Gurong: “???”
Shen Gurong: “!!!!”
If you love what Ciacia is doing, then consider showing your support by supporting a cup of tea for her at Kofi. If you can’t wait for the next release chapter, subscribe to advanced chapters membership on her Kofi to get access to up to 10 chapters!
<Previous Chapter<Table of Contents>Next Chapter>
