Chapter 23: The Miracle Phoenix Cry

Under the influence of this power, Murong Fier’s fear intensified with each passing moment.

She felt as though she had been cast into an utterly foreign and mysterious world, where everything had become terrifyingly unpredictable.

Her heart hammered against her ribs, and a flicker of terror danced in her eyes; before this divine being, she knew she had no chance of resistance.

“Shatter!”

Just as the two were about to clash, Xian Yuan unleashed a formidable punch.

“My life is over!”

Murong Fier squeezed her eyes shut, utterly defenseless against such an assault.

****

“Shen Xiulan, if my granddaughter perishes, I will make your Heavenly Gate Island pay a blood debt!”

“Uh… this…”

Shen Xiulan wore a helpless expression. ‘What does this have to do with me?’ she thought, utterly exasperated. ‘Who could have known Xian Yuan would be so ruthless? And I can already foresee how Heavenly Gate Island will be utterly doomed after Murong Fier’s death. Am I to prepare for my own funeral?’

****

“Master Ma, are you certain this is what you meant by ‘not being able to surpass Xian Yuan’?”

The Tea Immortal cast a disdainful glance at Master Ma, thinking, ‘Xian Yuan is practically about to slaughter Murong Fier.’

Feeling a pang of guilt under the Tea Immortal’s gaze, Master Ma cleared his throat. “That’s under normal circumstances,” he began. “Look, doesn’t Xian Meng possess a pair of Heavy Pupils (TL Note: Heavy Pupils refer to an ancient mystical trait where one eye has two pupils, granting extraordinary vision or power.)? So, it’s quite normal.”

“That does seem to be the case.”

****

However, just as Xian Yuan was about to strike Murong Fier, she seemed to glance, intentionally or not, towards the group of people who had erected a protective shield, then directly launched an attack against them.

“Holy crap!”

“Damn it!”

****

A group of cultivators cursed vehemently, desperate to flee, but the light emanating from Xian Yuan’s Heavy Pupils transformed into a suffocating, confined space, cutting off all avenues of retreat.

*Groans… gasps…*

These cultivators hastily unleashed their full power to maintain the barrier, while inwardly cursing Xian Yuan’s ancestors with every breath.

“Bang!”

A heavy punch landed squarely on the protective shield formed by the cultivators, causing it to tremble violently, yet astonishingly, it remained completely intact.

Even though the shield held, the immense force behind the blow still caused the cultivators to cough up mouthfuls of blood.

‘Was this truly the combat prowess of a True Immortal?’ they wondered, utterly terrified. ‘Who exactly is this maiden? We refuse to believe she’s merely a disciple of Heavenly Gate Island, capable of unleashing such formidable power!’

“Not shattered? Heh, heh! Then take a few more of my punches!”

Seeing that the barrier remained unbroken, Xian Yuan revealed a playful smile. With a single step, her figure vanished abruptly, only to reappear above the barrier an instant later, where she brought her palm down.

“Boom!”

A muffled thud resonated.

A crack instantly appeared in the defensive barrier, and many cultivators were shaken so violently that they spat out blood.

“Hmph—”

Xian Yuan shook her hand, indicating just how tough this ‘turtle shell’ truly was.

“Out of tricks, aren’t you, demoness!”

Lin Feng sneered, ‘Can the combined power of so many cultivators truly be broken by someone in the True Immortal realm alone?’

“Don’t celebrate too soon!” Xian Yuan retorted, pouting her lips as her hands formed a complex seal. Her body began to exude a rich, mysterious aura, like an ancient temple awakening. She slowly closed her eyes, immersing herself in her cultivation.

As her eyes shut, the surrounding air seemed to solidify, and a profound silence descended upon the entire scene. Suddenly, a long, melodious cry echoed, like a heavenly symphony piercing through the void.

Xian Yuan’s eyes fluttered open slightly, her pupils gleaming with a mysterious light. Her body instantly erupted with an intense aura, akin to a volcano that had long gathered its strength, now on the verge of eruption.

The ethereal image of a Divine Phoenix materialized behind her. Its form was grand and majestic, its feathers shimmering with a myriad of colors, radiating boundless majesty and nobility. Its eyes, deep and fiery, seemed capable of piercing through all illusions and resolving any predicament.

“Miracle Phoenix Cry!” Xian Yuan’s voice resounded through the heavens, like a divine melody echoing across the entire world. Her words contained boundless power, stirring the hearts and souls of all who heard.

As Xian Yuan uttered her command, the Divine Phoenix’s illusion let out a long, resonant cry that shook the very core of existence, seemingly capable of awakening slumbering souls. A terrifying ripple of energy emanated from the ethereal phoenix, sweeping forth like a tempestuous storm.

*Crack! Crack!* A series of sharp snaps reverberated through the air, like a symphony played by heaven and earth. The Divine Phoenix’s ethereal wings beat once, akin to a colossal eagle soaring through the sky, unleashing terrifying gusts of wind. The once impenetrable protective shields instantly collapsed, disintegrating into countless fragments under the immense pressure.

The cultivators were flung backward, their bodies tumbling through the air as if freed from the shackles of gravity. Some screamed in agony, collapsing unconscious onto the ground, their forms limp and broken like tattered kites.

The entire scene plunged into chaos, with disheveled cultivators scattering in every direction, their terrified eyes filled with helplessness and confusion. Xian Yuan, however, stood unmoving, her gaze shimmering with a cold light, like an inviolable goddess.

Her figure flickered in and out of sight amidst the storm, resembling a blooming lotus, beautiful and enigmatic. With a delicate twitch of her finger, a wondrous power permeated the air, as if the very laws of heaven and earth bent to her will.

“This is a Great Dao Divine Body (TL Note: A Great Dao Divine Body refers to a rare and exceptionally powerful physique, granting its possessor innate control over the fundamental laws of the universe.)! How is this possible!”