The Fire Phoenix King had made extensive preparations for the Heart of the Fire Phoenix; everything was for this very moment. She completely erupted with power, burning her Essence Blood to its limit and supplementing it with a Frenzy Elixir, causing her speed to explode.
Her massive Phoenix Wings were the best proof of this. With a gentle flap, they kicked up a powerful shockwave of air, propelling her straight forward with incredible speed. She had unleashed her full power, so the results were naturally astonishing.
Bingxin couldn’t catch up even by burning her own Essence Blood. This was her oversight—a fatal one. She was desperate, but the Fire Phoenix King was even more so.
The Fire Phoenix King held nothing back, unleashing her full power for the sake of the Heart of the Fire Phoenix, casting all other concerns aside. When Bingxin saw this, she grew despondent, feeling that it was impossible to catch up now. It seemed the Heart of the Fire Phoenix was truly going to be stolen by the Fire Phoenix King.
"Looks like this trip wasn’t for nothing. She’s actually going to get the Heart of the Fire Phoenix..." A glint flashed in Dragon King Hei Chen’s eyes, his expression filled with delight.
The Elders of the Phoenix Race were also inwardly pleased at the sight. The Fire Phoenix King was indeed the best candidate to obtain the Heart of the Fire Phoenix. Although Bingxin was the daughter of the former Clan Leader, she wasn’t a true Phoenix—she was a half-blood, her lineage impure.
If the Fire Phoenix King were to obtain the Heart of the Fire Phoenix, it would be the perfect outcome.
Just as everyone was thinking this, Lin Xuan’s figure suddenly appeared on the scene. The Phoenix Wings on his back unfurled to their maximum, and he lunged for the Heart of the Fire Phoenix at his top speed.
Moving just a hair faster than the Fire Phoenix King, he ruthlessly snatched the Heart of the Fire Phoenix.
Everyone was stunned by this scene. They never imagined that the first one to seize the Heart of the Fire Phoenix would be Lin Xuan, not the Fire Phoenix King!
The instant he grasped the Heart of the Fire Phoenix, it burrowed into his body and merged with him completely. Then, with a sudden ROAR from within, a pillar of flame erupted skyward, blasting away the lunging Fire Phoenix King!
A terrifying flame instantly burst from his body, manifesting as a giant Phoenix. It was as if Lin Xuan had been possessed by an enormous Phoenix—more accurately, by the very same Phoenix from the earlier battle, which now completely overwhelmed his body.
A terrifying and tyrannical Flame coursed madly through his meridians. In the blink of an eye, his body was charred black. Lin Xuan felt he was about to be burned unconscious. ’To think I’d be incinerated twice in such a short time!’
This was far more tyrannical and terrifying than his experience in the Phoenix Nirvana. He could feel the Heart of the Fire Phoenix go berserk the moment it entered him, viciously burrowing into his bloodline as if to completely burn it away.
’So this is the Heart of the Fire Phoenix... Is it trying to raise my Phoenix Bloodline to the King Grade Level all at once? But there’s a fatal flaw in that. If my bloodline isn’t enough to sustain the burning evolution, it can’t succeed. The only outcome is death!’
After a moment of stunned silence from the onlookers, Hei Chen burst out laughing. "Is he an idiot? He actually dared to catch it with his bare hands! The Heart of the Fire Phoenix cannot be tamed without a pure Phoenix Bloodline. The only result is self-destruction! If you want to help, you should at least take stock of your own abilities!"
The other members of the Demon Race quickly joined in, laughing as if they had just heard the funniest joke in the world. It was one thing for Lin Xuan to want to help, but how could he possibly help with the Heart of the Fire Phoenix? To catch it with his bare hands... he was simply courting death.
The Phoenix Race Elders wore strange expressions, unsure of what to feel. ’Is this... lucky?’ Lin Xuan had managed to acquire their greatest Phoenix Martial Arts. If he were to take it away with him, it would be a devastating blow to the Phoenix Race’s prestige. Now that Lin Xuan was being burned to death, he couldn’t take the techniques with him. Didn’t that make this a stroke of luck for them?
Jin Wei and the others looked grim. They never expected Lin Xuan to intercept the Heart of the Fire Phoenix—it was sheer suicide. It was widely known that no one outside the Phoenix Race could acquire the Heart of the Fire Phoenix. Anyone who did would certainly die!
An absolute, unavoidable death.
"Elder Jin, your man seems to be quite the idiot," Hei Chen jeered with a laugh. "He actually dared to go for the Heart of the Fire Phoenix. Obtaining the peerless Phoenix Divine Identification Technique wasn’t enough for him; he had to get greedy for the Heart of the Fire Phoenix, too. A pity. An idiot is still an idiot, and he’ll get what’s coming to him!" He turned his gaze to Lin Xuan on the screen. The way things were going, Lin Xuan’s death was certain!
"Elder Jin, this..." The Fox King’s expression was grim. She never thought things would escalate this far. If Lin Xuan really died, the loss would be immense.
"Sigh... We’re out here. There’s nothing we can do," Jin Wei lamented, sighing again.
「In the Fire Phoenix Domain」
After being blown back, the Fire Phoenix King watched, stunned, as Lin Xuan absorbed the Heart of the Fire Phoenix. Then, she sneered. "What an absolute idiot. Does he really think he can absorb the Heart of the Fire Phoenix? How laughable! This works out fine. Once you’re dead, I’ll just take the Heart of the Fire Phoenix back."
Flying to Lin Xuan’s side, Bingxin was also left dumbfounded by the sight. She murmured, "How could this be... Didn’t I tell you not to touch the Heart of the Fire Phoenix, no matter what? Why didn’t you listen to me..."
Anyone not of the Phoenix Race who touches it is doomed to die!
This legend had persisted for ages, yet Lin Xuan had dared to touch the Heart of the Fire Phoenix. Looked at another way, however, he had just bought Bingxin more time. If anyone wanted to vie for the Heart of the Fire Phoenix again, they would have to wait until it had completely incinerated Lin Xuan. Otherwise, no one could get near it.
Who could possibly approach this sky-piercing pillar of flame? Anyone who tried would be scorched by the terrifying column of fire—at best, they’d be severely injured; at worst, they’d die!
In truth, Lin Xuan was lamenting his bitter fate. He hadn’t deliberately tried to take the Heart of the Fire Phoenix at all. It had simply drilled into his body on its own. His original plan was to control it with his Elemental Power and toss it to Bingxin.
Who would have thought the Heart of the Fire Phoenix would so easily shatter his Elemental Power, burrow into his body, and instantly overwhelm him.
’Am I going to die...’
Gradually, Lin Xuan felt his body being incinerated, bit by bit. It felt as if his internal organs were melting, even his head felt like it was about to be reduced to ash. His consciousness began to fade, his vision blurring. The only reason he had lasted this long was thanks to immediately using his Phoenix Essence Blood and the Yulan Pearl to shield his vital organs, but even those defenses were slowly being breached.
In this moment, he felt death drawing nearer. If this continued, his demise was certain!