C1812 A Familiar Smell

"So it's you."

After the Demon Phoenix uttered those words, Yu Yuan's heart sank, and he instinctively sensed danger looming.

It was hard to articulate, but it felt like a mix of intuition and primal instinct.

He had a gut feeling that if the Demon Phoenix discovered his true identity and realized he was the Divine King Lunar, things would only get more awkward.

The Demon Phoenix would become even more unhinged!

"The arcane of the bloodline, amassed over tens of thousands of years in the Yang Meridian, shouldn't have been mastered so quickly after infusing your meridians. If you were merely his successor, you couldn't possibly be so adept with the secret arts of the soul, capable of splitting into thousands."

"Only those who have never been anointed as a god or favored by the Origin Soul could possibly be like you."

The Demon Phoenix's gaze sharpened like spikes.

Her outstretched wings, each feather, seemed to transform into a thousand razor-sharp swords!

"To split into so many Devil Soul consciousnesses and grasp the various bloodline mysteries in such a short time, the only ones capable of this are the Great Demon God Beilstein."

"And you, Lunar!"

Sizzle sizzle!

The Supreme Demon Phoenix spread her wings, casting out purple divine lightning, while the massive divine throne blazed with deep purple flames.

For some reason, Yu Yuan felt her level of threat had multiplied.

The fury in her phoenix eyes was nearly spilling over.

"That wretch! She knew before I did! I should've seen it coming!"

As if a sudden recollection struck her, the Demon Phoenix's emotions spiraled out of control again. "You never change! Even back then, knowing my disdain for her and after using the mightiest from the outer realms to end her, you still emerged to save her just as I was about to strip her of the laws of life, destruction, and rebirth!"

"All because she was beautiful?!"

Within the dense purple miasma, countless orbs of flame took shape, and the air was pregnant with the birth of thunderous lightning.

At her words, Yu Yuan's mind buzzed.

A flash of insight struck him, and he suddenly recalled the time as Hong Qi when he had inadvertently encountered the little girl under the Luan Bird's protection and had casually saved her.

Indeed, it wasn't the first time!

The Secular Bird Queen perished in the Oblivion Starfield 100,000 years ago, yet her phenomenal rebirth ability had previously enabled her to rise from the ashes.

This latest resurrection went unnoticed, as it concluded abruptly and ended in failure.

The Demon Phoenix, who had been vigilantly awaiting her return, pinpointed her resurrection site with precision and once again snuffed out her life.

The Demon Phoenix had planned to wait for her revival, then at the moment of her death, destruction, and the formation of her bloodline Dao Law, to consume and strip it away from her.

The Secular Bird, who fell victim to the Demon Phoenix in the Oblivion Starfield, was slain by the pinnacle forces of various races. Her absence from the battlefield meant she failed to capture the Secular Bird's bloodline powers.

Obsessed with the loss, she bided her time in silence, meticulously plotting until she could seize the opportunity for the Secular Bird Queen's rebirth, which she located with unerring accuracy.

She coveted the entirety of the Secular Bird Queen's legacy.

Yet, it seemed her own past self had thwarted her scheme.

Currently, within the recesses of Yang God Yu's consciousness, vague impressions and memories threatened to surface, but due to his disconnection from his true self, the memories' full brilliance remained just out of reach.

"What does it matter if she's beautiful? She still met her end at my hands! I struck her down before your very eyes, yet you disrupted my plans! Your meddling prevented me from consuming her entire bloodline, allowing her a second chance at rebirth!"

The Demon Phoenix was visibly agitated and infuriated.

"I've heard that Hong Qi once saved her, and that Yu Yuan rescued her from the clutches of the Devaputra in the Dim Starfield."

"It doesn't matter whether it's Hong Qi or Yu Yuan, as long as it's not you! If that wretch consorts with Hong Qi or Yu Yuan, and if they are indeed your heirs, then so be it."

"It only confirms her treachery! You and your heirs, she would stoop to be with any of you!"

"But it's always you! You're like a dog that can't stop returning to its own vomit, always rushing to save that wretch time and time again!"

With a whoosh, the enraged Supreme Demon Phoenix vanished from the grand purple divine throne, which was swiftly consumed by a torrent of flames.

Yu Yuan, gripping the Blood Prison with a readiness for battle, sensed that his doom might be imminent.

The Demon Phoenix had evidently lost control once again.

Yet, after a moment's wait, he found himself still in the bizarre dimension flooded with demonic energy, unassailed by the frenzied Demon Phoenix.

What was happening?

He scanned his surroundings with unease and attempted to locate the Demon Phoenix using his blood energy.

...

Beyond the boundary wall of the Origin Blood Continent.

The deep purple demonic energy, reminiscent of two conjoined wings, began to churn tumultuously, sending a shiver through the spectators and a premonition of impending disaster.

Such fluctuations in demonic energy often mirrored the emotional turmoil of the Demon Phoenix, signaling a clear omen.

Swoosh!

The Demon Phoenix, wielding her purple-golden spear, materialized abruptly before Yu Yuan and Jee Ningshuang. Her gaze bypassed Yu Yuan entirely, fixing instead on Jee Ningshuang.

"Yu Yuan is acceptable, Hong Qi as well, but not him."

The Demon Phoenix's voice carried an icy chill that made listeners' blood run cold.

Jee Ningshuang's heart pounded uncontrollably.

In the Demon Phoenix's words and the look in her eyes, Jee Ningshuang saw unmistakable murderous intent. She was clueless about what had transpired but was acutely aware of the Demon Phoenix's deep-seated hatred for her.

Her surprise was genuine; she had no familiarity with the Demon Phoenix, nor any prior interactions.

Why did the Demon Phoenix harbor such intense animosity towards her?

The frigid energy beneath the Origin Blood Continent sensed the danger before she did, and a dense, icy fog erupted from within the crystalline barrier, enveloping Jee Ningshuang and pulling her back with force.

Crack!

A massive prismatic ice crystal formed between Jee Ningshuang and the Demon Phoenix, glinting with a brilliant silver sheen.

"Another wretch! It's no surprise—I've found you disagreeable for the longest time!"

With a powerful beat of her expansive wings, the Demon Phoenix shattered the crimson sword light river from Yu Yuan's Optimus Sword.

In that instant, Yu Yuan, whether in body or true form, was momentarily cast aside from her thoughts.

In her quest for the Great Dao of Blood and the secrets of life, Jee Ningshuang had cast everything else aside.

With a spear in hand, she lunged at the prismatic ice crystal blocking her path and declared fiercely, "Not even the bitterest cold can shield you!"

Puff!

The ice crystal, capable of withstanding the mightiest blow from a Starry Behemoth, was effortlessly penetrated by the purple-golden spear. As the spear tip emerged, hundreds of strands of purple lightning burst forth before Jee Ningshuang.

She swung her sword tirelessly, conjuring a resplendent river of ice crystals at her side.

No sooner had the river of ice crystals formed than it was mercilessly shattered by the purple lightning.

Jee Ningshuang grunted, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth as numerous wounds tore open across her body. She fought while retreating, no longer able to concern herself with Yu Yuan.

She unleashed the Frost Laws she had mastered, the boundless Frost Energy bestowed by the extreme cold, and the arcane secrets of the stars, all weaving a dazzling display around her.

Yet, they were relentlessly vanishing in bursts of destruction.

With each star river's disappearance and the explosion of tiny cold stars, she was repelled once more by the force of the Demon Phoenix.

Boom!

Her body collided with the crystalline barrier, trembling slightly before she passed through it, plummeting from the high skies of the Origin Blood Continent like a kite severed from its string.

"What in the world is happening?"

Zhong Chichen was utterly bewildered, unable to fathom why the Demon Phoenix, having enveloped Yang God Yu in its grasp, would suddenly forsake Yu Yuan and instead target Jee Ningshuang as if she were a sworn enemy.

The Demon Phoenix's irrational behavior was beyond Zhong Chichen's comprehension, and indeed, no one could make sense of it.

Thus, as Jee Ningshuang suffered a grievous wound from the Demon Phoenix's purple-golden spear, there was no chance for anyone to prepare a defense or offer aid.

"I..."

Taishi's spirit stirred as he gazed into those resentful phoenix eyes, pondering the words of the Demon Phoenix.

Yu Yuan might have a chance, so could Hong Qi, but not him.

Another contemptible person...

"She's aware."

Taishi inhaled deeply and rocketed skyward, intent on catching Jee Ningshuang as she descended from the heavens.

Whoosh!

A dark red shadow soared into the sky, outpacing him with incredible speed.

This shadow, cradling a crystalline "Life Altar" in both hands, deftly caught the falling Ji Ningshuang.

It was none other than the Great Demon God, Grec!

Grec, abandoned in the canyon's depths by Yu Yuan, had called forth his innate "Life Altar" to shield the grievously wounded Ji Ningshuang.

"Grec!"

Taishi and Zhong Chichen's faces registered a flicker of surprise. Exchanging a glance, they encircled Grec in the center.

"Release her!"

Taishi let out a grunt, as the mountains and rivers of the Origin Blood Continent began to thunder.

His mastery of the Earth Law seeped into the ground, as he and Zhong Chichen prepared to join forces and wrest Ji Ningshuang from Grec's grasp.

Yet outside the realm barrier, Yu Yuan's true form acknowledged Grec with a nod.

With one hand over his heart, Grec bowed deeply towards Yu Yuan, his demeanor one of utmost reverence and humility. He then turned to Taishi and Zhong Chichen to explain, "I am following my master's orders to receive the Sword Immortal Jee and ensure her safe passage to the frigid depths below."

Master? Receive?

Taishi and Zhong Chichen were visibly taken aback. Their time on the Origin Blood Continent had been brief, and they were not privy to many events, leaving them somewhat bewildered by Grec's allegiance.

Nevertheless, they grasped the gist of Grec's words and held back from acting immediately.

"He has become the progenitor of our entire clan."

Grec spoke in a somber tone, the Great Demon God's head bowed, his face etched with resignation and despair.

"The Yang Meridian has now become part of Yu Yuan. After assimilating all the mysteries of the Yang Meridian and the vast blood energy, Yu Yuan has transformed into this," Reid declared.

With that revelation, Zhong Chichen and Taishi refrained from intervening, allowing Grec to descend with Ji Ningshuang.

"What did she learn?"

At equal elevation, Zhong Chichen and Taishi kept a vigilant eye on the Demon Phoenix beyond the realm wall while turning to Taishi, "Can you tell me what drove her to such madness, why she was so intent on killing Goddess Ji? Shouldn't Yu Yuan be the prime target?"

Taishi exhaled deeply, "You don't understand women."

In the Dim Starfield, the Devaputra sat upon a purple divine throne, ruling over the Blood Prison with an iron fist. The Origin Blood Continent was his domain, and it was there that Jee Ningshuang, wielding the Optimus Sword, faced the Starry Behemoth. Her purple lightning crackled with Frost Energy, a testament to her formidable power.