Lin Xuan’s Yulan Sacred Fire was exceptionally effective, effortlessly dispelling the Flames—a feat neither Bingxin nor her companions had anticipated. However, his attack immediately drew the Phoenix’s wrath, prompting it to unleash a furious assault right at him.
Terrifying tongues of fire rolled toward Lin Xuan like a tidal wave, their immense range leaving him no place to run.
However, Bingxin quickly moved to intercept. With a wave of her hand, she unleashed the ultimate Elemental Power of her dual ice-and-fire Attribute. With a deafening boom, she forcibly stopped the rolling wave of fire in its tracks.
CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
The Ice Attribute Elemental Power in Bingxin’s body erupted, freezing the incoming Flames and forcibly tearing an opening through them. The rest of the fire-wave, however, continued to sweep past toward those behind her.
The other Mutated Phoenixes began to resist as well. Their internal Ice Attribute Elemental Power gave them a tremendous advantage. They could have used their Ice Elemental Power to destroy the Flames just as Lin Xuan had, but the effectiveness depended on the proportion of the Attribute within their bodies.
Some were Mutated Phoenixes, but their Ice Attribute only constituted a portion of their power. For them, it was better to absorb the Flames into their bodies and then use their Ice Attribute to suppress and refine them.
Bingxin’s Ice Attribute was quite powerful, but she still chose to absorb the Flames. Though painful, it was still somewhat beneficial for her.
However, compared to Lin Xuan’s pure Yulan Sacred Fire, there was a clear difference. Bingxin was the Youlan Emperor’s daughter, but that didn’t mean she had completely inherited the Yulan Sacred Fire. So while her Ice Attribute was very strong, it still fell short of the genuine Sacred Fire.
"The Yulan Sacred Fire really is more powerful; it’s having a huge effect on this Phoenix... I’ll cover you. Your job is to blast an opening. Can you do it?" Bingxin said, shielding Lin Xuan.
"No problem!"
Without a second thought, Lin Xuan immediately agreed to the battle plan. Following Bingxin’s lead, he swiftly flew up. When they were close enough, his aura surged. He raised three fingers and pointed forward, a blue light flashing in his eyes. "Three-fingered Yulan!"
BOOM!
A massive Yulan Finger shot out, piercing straight ahead. It slammed heavily into the Phoenix, forcibly blasting a huge hole in it and even freezing parts of its body.
The effect was astonishing!
In contrast, the Fire Phoenix King’s offensive was far weaker. Her attacks were just normal Phoenix Fire, which had very little effect on the giant Phoenix. The colossal creature was itself condensed from an astonishing amount of Phoenix Fire, so attacking it with ordinary Phoenix Fire was naturally ineffective.
The difference compared to the Mutated Phoenixes was night and day. The effectiveness of the Mutated Phoenixes’ attacks was on full display here. Even an attack with just a hint of the Ice Attribute had a considerable effect.
’At this rate, they’ll destroy the Phoenix first and then take the Heart of the Fire Phoenix...’ The Fire Phoenix King’s brow furrowed. Her people couldn’t get close at all; they were repelled the moment they tried. By the time the Heart of the Fire Phoenix dropped, they wouldn’t be able to rush in and seize it.
’In that case, I’ll let you destroy this Phoenix. I’ll just snatch the prize at the very end...’ A sinister smile touched the Fire Phoenix King’s lips as she instantly settled on a plan.
While attacking the Phoenix, Bingxin also kept an eye on the Fire Phoenix King. From the other’s lack of action, she immediately deduced her intent. ’But what does it matter if I know?’ she thought. ’Are we supposed to just stop attacking?’
They had to press on. She simply ordered her people to spread out a bit, forming an encirclement. This would not only block the Fire Phoenix King’s subordinates but also allow them to track where the Heart of the Fire Phoenix might fly.
Under the frenzied assault, the Fire Phoenix cried out mournfully again and again. Blasted by the Yulan Sacred Fire, its Flames were rapidly frozen, and its massive body grew smaller and smaller.
At this moment, the Heart of the Fire Phoenix within its body flickered in and out of view, emitting a peculiar light. It seemed about to erupt at any second.
Sure enough, a moment later, the Heart of the Fire Phoenix suddenly shot out from the Fire Phoenix’s body. It transformed into a streak of red light and flew toward a cluster of fire on the ground, its speed so great it became a red arc streaking forward. The instant the Heart of the Fire Phoenix left the giant Phoenix, the creature dissolved back into countless balls of Flame that scattered in all directions, turning into an extremely dense barrage that slammed into them.
"After it!"
A cold glint flashed in Bingxin’s eyes. The Phoenix Wings on her back trembled, and she shot forward in pursuit. Since she was closer, she quickly caught up. As she reached for the Heart of the Fire Phoenix, her face lit up with joy. She only needed to reach out and grab it.
In the distance, the Fire Phoenix King’s expression changed drastically. If this continued, she would truly lose. But she was too far away now; it was impossible to interfere with Bingxin, even if she wanted to. She was simply too far.
’This Heart of the Fire Phoenix is mine!’
Bingxin reached out to snatch it. Just as her fingers were about to close around it, the Heart of the Fire Phoenix suddenly changed direction and flew behind her, successfully evading her grasp!
"It seems even the Heart of the Fire Phoenix doesn’t want to go with you!" the Fire Phoenix King laughed loudly and gave chase. The weight that had been pressing on her heart instantly lightened.
As long as the Heart of the Fire Phoenix wasn’t caught, she still had a chance.
Bingxin’s expression turned cold. To fail at the very brink of success... She had been so close, but who could have known the Heart of the Fire Phoenix was so slippery?
She immediately spun around and gave chase again. The two rivals quickly converged. The moment they were within attack range, the Fire Phoenix King let out a cold snort and swiftly unleashed her strongest attack.
"Burning World Red Lotus!"
The Fire Phoenix King grunted, her hands a blur as they formed countless Hand Seals. In the blink of an eye, a giant lotus of fire materialized and descended upon Bingxin, its extreme heat seeming capable of incinerating everything.
"Ice and Fire Heart Lotus!"
Bingxin was not one to back down. She quickly formed her own Hand Seals, and a lotus of Dual Flames—ice and fire—rose to meet the attack. The ultimate fusion of cold and heat made the surrounding space flicker between freezing and scorching.
BOOM!
The two attacks collided, creating a massive explosion. A surging wave of Elemental Power swept out in all directions, blooming into an even larger lotus in the sky. It looked just like a blossoming flower, strangely beautiful.
After the explosion, both women shot off again, pushing their speed to its absolute limit. Finally, they unleashed everything they had. They attacked each other relentlessly as they flew, filling the sky with endless explosions until the entire firmament was saturated with their Energy.
"You’ve already lost..."
Just as the two were about to catch up to the Heart of the Fire Phoenix, the Fire Phoenix King gave a cold smile. A terrifying Flame suddenly erupted from within her—she was burning her Essence Blood!
On top of burning her Essence Blood, she had also taken a Frenzy Elixir, allowing her to erupt with an even more terrifying aura all at once. The Phoenix Wings on her back instantly swelled to an immense size. With a WHOOSH, her speed completely surpassed Bingxin’s as she shot toward the Heart of the Fire Phoenix and reached out to grab it!
’Damn it, I’ve been tricked!’ Bingxin cursed inwardly. She had also been burning her Essence Blood, but unlike the Fire Phoenix King, she hadn’t taken an Elixir Pill to boost her power.
At this point, she couldn’t catch up even if she tried. Just as despair flooded her heart, Lin Xuan’s figure suddenly appeared right in front of the Heart of the Fire Phoenix!