Lin Xuan successfully entered the Lower Gate. His speed left everyone dumbfounded, especially the Elders of the Phoenix Race. It wasn’t Bingxin who went first, nor was it the Fire Phoenix King—it was Lin Xuan!
What was going on? He wasn’t even a Phoenix, yet he had completed Phoenix Nirvana and regenerated his physical body before they did. His speed, so far beyond the others, left them completely stunned.
It was like a counterfeit product being faster and stronger than the genuine article. In front of so many members of the Demon Race, this was an outright slap to the face, leaving them so ashamed they could barely hold their heads high. Could the ones they sent in still be called Phoenixes? It felt as if Lin Xuan were the true Phoenix. He had passed all the trials perfectly suited for a Phoenix, which was just too strange.
Especially that final pillar of fire that shot toward the heavens, forming the image of an auspicious Phoenix—they couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. They only knew one thing for certain: Lin Xuan was definitely not a Phoenix, yet he possessed various Phoenix abilities, making him seem just like a real one.
Of course, his advantage was only momentary. Bingxin and the Fire Phoenix King also successfully completed the fourth trial, achieving their rebirth through fire. They then vanished from where they stood, teleported to the fifth trial as well. The others were still recovering slowly.
If they didn’t fully recover within a single day, they would not be able to proceed to the next trial. It might have looked easy to stand up, but if their bodies couldn’t take the strain, they wouldn’t even be able to speak, let alone get to their feet.
Thus, the true nature of the fourth trial was to endure nine days of torment, with the final day reserved for recovery. All in all, it lasted a full ten days.
They were all rapidly recovering now, drawing upon the Phoenix Essence Blood in their bodies to heal themselves. This process was also painful, and it remained to be seen whether they could endure it.
Bingxin and the Fire Phoenix King had caught up, but a step behind was still a step behind. No matter how small the delay, they were still slower.
’The Phoenix Essence Blood is completely absorbed, and my Cultivation has risen again. This trip to the Phoenix Ruins was absolutely worth it!’
Lin Xuan was overjoyed as he was teleported to the next trial. So this was the legendary Phoenix Ruins. How could he not be thrilled to have improved so much?
He could feel the changes within his body. His Phoenix Essence Blood felt more potent, the Fire Elemental Power he could command was more abundant, and its might was even more astonishing.
When he thought of the Phoenix Divine Identification Technique he had acquired earlier, he felt that the two would make a perfect, seamless combination. He could already sense that when he finally unleashed his Phoenix Power, it would reach a truly terrifying level.
All he could say was that coming here had been more than worth it; the benefits were immense. But without the necessary strength, he would have been eliminated just like the other members of the Demon Race.
He hadn’t gotten this far by luck; he had earned every step with his own strength.
’Is this the fifth trial?’
Lin Xuan surveyed his surroundings. The trial before him was what mattered most now. When he got a clear look at the area, he froze. He was surrounded by a sea of fire—or more accurately, countless balls of fire were scattered across the ground, and even more were floating in the air.
The fireballs weren’t particularly large, each about the size of a human head. They were scattered across the ground and through the air, all spaced some distance apart. There were so many that they were impossible to count; the area was simply too vast.
’Are these fireballs the Heart of the Fire Phoenix?’ Lin Xuan paused. He didn’t recall this scene from the Phoenix Soul’s memories; that part must have faded. But on reflection, these fireballs had to be the Hearts of the Fire Phoenix.
It only took a bit of deduction to understand. With so many fireballs, the task was obviously to find the one true Heart of the Fire Phoenix from among them. It was like a treasure hunt.
"Yes, all these fireballs are Hearts of the Fire Phoenix. This is the final trial: the Fire Phoenix Domain!" Bingxin appeared beside Lin Xuan, her gaze fixed ahead, locking onto the Fire Phoenix King who had just materialized before them.
"I never thought you’d be faster than us. What in the world do you have inside you?" the Fire Phoenix King demanded coldly the moment she appeared, her beautiful eyes filled with utter shock.
She found it impossible to accept that she had been so thoroughly defeated by a mere human.
Bingxin was equally astonished. When Lin Xuan’s column of flame had erupted into the sky, she had felt an immensely powerful surge of Phoenix Power. Only a Phoenix should be able to produce such an effect, yet Lin Xuan had done it. That was what she found so shocking.
"There’s nothing. I just relied on the Phoenix Essence Blood I absorbed to resist the heat. There was nothing else I could have used. What do you think I could possibly have that would let me withstand that terrifying lava? If it were so easy, why would I have been burned so badly?"
Lin Xuan replied, mixing truth with falsehood, "My recovery is just a bit faster than yours. Is that a problem?"
He hadn’t mentioned his Bloodline Power. When activated, it had significantly boosted his recovery. By the same token, if his Bloodline Power and the Dragon’s Essence Blood were to fuse, the resulting Dragon Power would definitely be doubled!
The further he advanced in his Cultivation, the more he could feel it. Even when mixed with other types of Essence Blood, his own Bloodline Power remained pure, with no issues of compatibility. This was the overwhelming power of his bloodline, and it continued to astound him. The key thing was, it hadn’t even been fully awakened yet...
The Fire Phoenix King was silenced by his retort. After all, even if he did have a secret, why would he tell her?
The Fire Phoenix King snorted coldly, turned, and drifted off into the surroundings. She had no time to waste here; she wanted to find the Heart of the Fire Phoenix as quickly as possible.
The final trial was simple and brutal. There was no time limit; they just had to find the true Heart of the Fire Phoenix from among all the flames. They were free to absorb the flames to distinguish the real one from the fakes, but it wasn’t a simple task. The process would inflict pain upon them.
Although the Phoenix was a Divine Beast and a master of fire, that didn’t mean these flames could be absorbed at will, especially since they had been specially treated. The absorption process would inflict considerable damage, so one had to be extremely cautious.
"I’m going to start searching now. You can just stay here; it would be a good place to cultivate. Or you can follow me," Bingxin said to Lin Xuan. When she looked over, however, she found him zoned out, staring intently at the scene before him.
’Even the Soul Pearl can’t see through them...’
He had been trying to use his Soul Pearl to see which was the true Heart of the Fire Phoenix, but he discovered that he couldn’t see through them at all!