C1980 I Came to Find Him!
Among the many intelligent species of the Extraterrestrial Star River, there was a widely known saying.
In the Everlands, there lived a purple phoenix that preyed on giant beasts.
Unlike human titans such as Lin Daoke, Tan Xiaotian, and Nie Qingtian, the Dark Phoenix showed little interest in clashing with the Otherkin.
Under her command at Shadow's Keep were beings like the Moonfang Tiger and the Kylin, along with numerous Monster Lords and the Demon Army, who cooperated with the human upper sects to battle the allied forces of the Otherkin.
She, however, delighted in scouring the starry skies to hunt down the remaining giant beasts, feasting on their bloodlines.
The rare occasions she made her presence known to the extraterrestrial powerhouses were often when she joined forces with Lin Daoke or Tan Xiaotian to confront the formidable Demon God Bertain.
It seemed that only with Bertain's emergence on the battlefield could one catch a glimpse of her elusive shadow.
She was Everlands' ultimate weapon against Bertain!
Lower bloodline level warriors of the Otherkin could hardly fathom her strength, mistakenly assuming she might be weaker than the likes of Lin Daoke, Nie Qingtian, and Tan Xiaotian.
Yet, figures such as Reid, the High Priest of the Sky Fiend Tribe, Cardo of the Dawnbringers, and Ballo of the Starborn were well aware of the reality—
The Dark Phoenix was the pinnacle of power in the Everlands.
The innermost battles of the Everlands, unknown to the Otherkin, required Lin Daoke and Tan Xiaotian to join forces to curb the Dark Phoenix's edge.
Her unexpected arrival naturally sent a wave of tension through the peak warriors of the Otherkin in the Stellar Oblivion.
In an instant, the purple phoenix, previously hidden in the depths of the Stellar Oblivion, appeared at the center of the land formed by aerolites, her wings unfurling and casting a brilliant purple light like a rain of stars.
The overwhelming demon energy churned like a tumultuous sea of clouds, making it hard for all to breathe.
With a gentle folding of her expansive wings, her colossal form diminished, and amidst the crackling lightning and blood-red fire, she revealed her stunning human-like figure.
Her gaze naturally fell upon the sealed stone door of Yu Yuan's palace.
"Sir!"
High Priest Reid, bypassing all the Otherkin experts present and even halting Tianqi, stepped forward to address her. With an uncharacteristically solemn voice, he called out, "Sir, may I inquire as to the purpose of your visit?"
While in the Dark Star region, Reid had witnessed the formidable power of the Dark Phoenix and had seen the Demon God Flekke, a fellow Demon God, slain by the Dark Phoenix on the Primal Blood Continent.
The war, which seemed destined for defeat, was turned around by Yu Yuan and Ji Ningshuang's collaboration. Yu Yuan had refined the Root of the Solar Meridian and, with the aid of the blood-colored barrier of the Primal Blood Continent, managed to force the Dark Phoenix to retreat in defeat.
Recently, in the Darkpinion Astral Domain, the Secular Bird Queen, Jihui, and Tan Xiaotian joined forces, only to end in failure.
The Secular Bird Queen suffered another major setback and was compelled to flee into the Ashlands through her nest's connections.
Jihui and Tan Xiaotian also faced defeat in the Darkpinion Astral Domain, further confirming the Dark Phoenix's fearsome and terrifying reputation.
Reid was aware that this Dark Phoenix from the Everlands was the only creature to have ventured into the Wasteland and dared to steal food from the hands of the Lord of Ruin, even recruiting several Beast Gods from the Otherworld.
In such a delicate phase, the Dark Phoenix's abrupt intrusion meant that Reid had to proceed with caution.
Whoosh!
A radiant light appeared.
"Lord Cardo!"
Members of the Dawnbringers and the Starborn exclaimed in delight.
Ballo breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I'm glad you've arrived."
The Dawnbringers' Cardo, the Sky Fiend High Priest Reid, the God-King Tianqi, the Starborn's Ballo, the Shadowkin's Brie, the enchantress Rebecca from the evilkind, Jessica from the Silverscale Tribe, and the soon-to-arrive Taishi, along with the Abyssal Leviathan and the Abyssal Greater Basilisk who could join at any moment, were a formidable force. Originally assembled to guard against the Beast Gods from the Otherworld, their union here meant they feared no adversary.
"I have come for him."
The stunning Dark Phoenix paid no heed to anyone present; not even Cardo's arrival stirred the slightest ripple in her gaze.
She focused solely on the palace where Yu Yuan was in seclusion and calmly made her way towards it, choosing to ignore everyone else.
"Please, wait a moment."
Cardo, wielding the Light Scepter, positioned herself in front of the palace. Her diminutive figure became a massive, luminous crystal, merging with the scepter in her grasp.
In that moment, Cardo stood as if facing a formidable foe.
The light emanating from her body was immeasurably stronger than when she had last slain Harry of the Fire Lizard tribe and the Aberrant Soul, Ferris. Previously, she had acted with effortless grace. This time, however, the situation was entirely different. Almost instantly, Cardo had pushed her bloodline to its utmost limit and unleashed the full might of the holy weapon in her grasp, bracing herself for a grueling fight. The dazzling light blinded everyone, causing their consciousness and senses to shatter.
"This doesn't concern you. Step aside," the Dark Phoenix commanded, her face set in an impatient frown, signaling Cardo to retreat.
Boom!
A deep purple sky, brimming with the vital energy of intelligent life, burst forth behind her, engulfing the light released by Cardo.
Sizzle! Sizzle!
An uncountable number of blinding beams erupted from within Cardo, her petite frame resembling a hedgehog detonating its spines of light, forming blades capable of slicing through the void and stars.
Puff! Puff!
The dark purple sky enveloping the space was assaulted by millions of these light blades, emitting a dense and piercing cacophony. The assembled powerhouses, merely by listening to the sound of the light blades breaking through barriers, felt a creeping numbness on their scalps, their senses fading, and a profound terror rising within them.
"Cease!" Taishi emerged in haste from the Starway. He noted that the Dark Phoenix and the Dawnbringers' patriarch had begun combat without any prior exchange, his face etched with grave concern.
"Give us a reason!" Taishi swiftly moved through the void, positioning himself in front of Cardo, shielding her radiant form with his own and softly proposed, "Allow me to negotiate with her."
Behind Taishi, the glow from Cardo's body, previously outshining the sun by thousands of times, began to subside.
"He is merging his real body with the life dew from the Lord of Ruin," the Dark Phoenix stated, her piercing gaze as if intent on penetrating Taishi's divine form and reaching Cardo behind him.
"What?" Cardo exclaimed from behind Taishi, shaking her head in denial, "No, that substance known as life dew, his real body... it should be entrusted to the Solar Spirit at the Abyssal Gate."
"Lord Cardo, Yu Yuan has left twice," High Priest Reid whispered from across the continent. "You are only aware of the first instance."
The first time, Yu Yuan delivered the jade box to the Solar Spirit. The second time, he went back to take it again. Thanks to the Dragon Slaying Stage and the Starway, the round trip didn't take much time. Cardo hadn't remained in the area, so she only knew about Yu Yuan's initial journey to the Abyssal Gate.
"Twice..." Cardo fell silent, a sense of unease dawning on her.
"What will happen now?" Taishi asked with a grave tone.
Taishi, aware that the Boulderdawn and the Dark Phoenix were not adversaries at this juncture, chose to seek the truth with patience, despite knowing that the Dark Phoenix had been Han Miaoyuan's strongest ally and support during the downfall of the Boulderdawn.
"His real body cannot withstand the life dew; it will drain him to the bone. And... I've lost control over the bloodlines of the Everlands because of his reckless actions!" Dark Phoenix exclaimed furiously.
Taishi's face turned ashen.
"Ah!"
The revelation stunned the peak warriors of the extraterrestrial Otherkin and the tenth-level bloodline experts.
They quickly came to a realization. The so-called life dew, the Key of Eternity, was what the black goat from the Otherworld had given to Cardo, and Yu Yuan was attempting to merge with it! Was Yu Yuan seeking to align with the Lord of Ruin to gain something? Or was he planning to use the life dew to oppose the Lord of Ruin?
"If that's the case..."
After a moment's deliberation, Taishi, against the consensus, instructed Reid and Cardo to refrain from any rash actions and urged Tianqi and the others to remain composed. He then turned and commanded, "Go find him."
"In critical times, you always maintain your composure, Taishi. It has always been so," Dark Phoenix acknowledged with a nod.
Then, under the astonished stares of those present, she disregarded the sealed stone doors and vanished into the palace.