Chapter 9: The Allure of the Humanoid Dao Body

The oppressive aura of the Xuanxiao Divine Phoenix, a palpable tide of power, surged through the entire spatial passage.

The Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor’s nine grotesque heads simultaneously slammed heavily onto the ground.

The Abyssal Demonic Scorpion’s tail hook, gleaming with a cold light, emitted crisp snapping sounds under the pressure, stiffening into a perfect right angle.

Yet, Ye Xingchen’s primordial spirit remained as unperturbed as a willow swaying in a gentle breeze, not even a single strand of his hair stirring as his robes billowed.

“Truly, this is the might of a divine beast,” Ye Xingchen remarked, a flicker of admiration in his eyes.

The oppressive aura that the Xuanxiao Divine Phoenix naturally exuded merely by speaking was enough to make these demonic beasts, who usually dominated their respective territories, prostrate themselves as if on a pilgrimage, daring not to make the slightest move.

The Divine Phoenix’s golden pupils abruptly contracted into needle-thin slits.

Its oppressive aura should have been potent enough to shatter the bones of Forbidden Mage-level cultivators and force them to grovel for mercy.

Yet, the human before it was like a bottomless abyss, utterly devouring all traces of the overwhelming pressure.

As a divine beast, its perception far surpassed that of ordinary demonic beasts by dozens of times.

Still, it could not discern the true depth of the person’s power before it, only sensing an immense danger emanating from them.

Communication between powerful individuals often required few words.

A subtle glance, an inadvertent gesture, was enough for them to understand each other implicitly.

The strong often recognized and appreciated each other’s prowess, while the weak instinctively sought to attach themselves to the powerful to grow stronger.

In just a few exchanges, Ye Xingchen had already begun to grasp the Xuanxiao Divine Phoenix’s true intentions.

Humans possessed their pride, and divine beasts even more so.

Without this innate pride, would the very title ‘divine beast’ not become a mockery?

Moreover, numerous onlookers surrounded them.

Having reached this level of cultivation, it naturally placed even greater emphasis on its dignity and reputation.

If it genuinely had no intention of submitting, it could have simply refused outright.

Why, then, speak of ‘not bowing to heaven and earth, nor revering gods and Buddhas’—such thought-provoking words?

Every word, both spoken and implied, hinted at a desire to negotiate terms.

If it were to follow him, its dignity must not be insulted, nor should it be treated as a caged pet.

Furthermore, as a dignified divine beast of an entire realm, why should it stoop to serve a human?

Moreover, Ye Xingchen had long since discerned that the oppressive aura earlier was nothing more than an initial test.

If he could not even pass this initial hurdle, it would undoubtedly turn and leave without hesitation.

For the weak were utterly undeserving of its direct attention.

The fact that it still lingered here now made its meaning abundantly clear.

The person before it had, at the very least, proven worthy of its consideration.

Ye Xingchen had accurately grasped its intentions from the very beginning of their conversation, which was why he appeared so composed.

He knew well that such a highly intelligent divine beast was no mere caged bird.

Forcibly capturing it would not only be a waste of a heavenly treasure but, in the worst-case scenario, might even compel it to choose suicide to preserve its divine beast dignity.

Therefore, the best approach was to offer equivalent terms, exchanging sincerity for sincerity, which alone could ensure a lasting alliance.

After all, considering it from another perspective, its continued choice to observe rather than depart immediately must imply that it had pondered some possibility advantageous to itself.

Ye Xingchen pondered for a moment.

He noticed that the scorched Dao marks on the Divine Phoenix’s tail feathers were definitely not remnants of a phoenix’s nirvana.

Thus, in a steady and powerful voice, he declared:

“Above divine beasts exist Illusory Beasts, and beyond them, Illusory Divine Beasts.

Alas, though the beast race is blessed abundantly by heaven and earth, it has always struggled to break the shackles imposed by the Heavenly Dao. If one wishes to advance further…”

He met the Divine Phoenix’s abruptly constricted pupils with his gaze, enunciating each word carefully:

“Only by achieving a Humanoid Dao Body.”

The Divine Phoenix’s tail feathers suddenly flared open in anger, revealing gruesome Dao scars on their underside.

These were shackles branded by the Heavenly Dao, resembling searing hot chains wrapped around the base of each feather, burning out eight archaic characters, scarlet as blood:

[The Humanoid Dao Body, how can it be easily attained?]

“The Dao follows nature; heaven and earth inherently abide by the laws of Yin and Yang.”

Ye Xingchen’s fingertip lightly brushed against the scorching archaic characters.

“The beast race is innately powerful but experiences restricted growth in its later stages, while the human race, though innately weak, possesses infinite possibilities.

However, when Heaven closes one door for you, it will surely open a window.”

Ye Xingchen’s words were subtle, yet the Xuanxiao Divine Phoenix understood them perfectly, immediately responding:

[Are you saying you have a way?!]

Ye Xingchen quietly activated his Qimen Dunjia (TL Note: A form of ancient Chinese divination and strategic calculation) cultivation technique.

A wisp of ghostly white flame emerged from the center of the nine-palace grid (TL Note: A concept from Qimen Dunjia, representing a spatial or energetic layout).

This flame, formless and intangible, exuded a profound allure.

Then, the cluster of ghostly white flame appeared in his palm, slowly dividing into two distinct flames of black and white, representing Yin and Yang.

They gradually spun, transforming into a Taiji (TL Note: The ‘Great Ultimate’ symbol, representing the duality and interconnectedness of Yin and Yang) diagram.

“In the genesis of heaven and earth, all began with the primordial Chaos and the Wuji (TL Note: The ‘Ultimate Non-Being’ or ‘boundless non-duality’, preceding Taiji).

Pangu (TL Note: A primordial being in Chinese mythology who separated heaven and earth) split open the sky and earth, giving rise to the two energies of Yin and Yang.

Laozi (TL Note: An ancient Chinese philosopher, traditionally credited as the author of the Tao Te Ching and the founder of Taoism) transmitted the true words of the Dao and De, while Confucius established the path of benevolence and righteousness.

Thereafter, the Five Elements rotated, and all myriad things came into being…”

The flames, accompanied by the Taiji totem, continuously flowed between his fingers, imprinting profound and mysterious patterns into the void itself.

The Divine Phoenix’s pupils abruptly narrowed into two golden lines.

The Chaos Flame on its tail feathers suddenly resonated inexplicably with the flames in Ye Xingchen’s hand, weaving intricate Dao patterns in the void?

Suddenly, space began to twist inexplicably.

The flame patterns actually etched deep marks into the air, emitting a grating, sizzling sound that set teeth on edge.

[You, a mere human, can actually control the primordial Chaos Flame, a talent innate to my clan?!]

One must understand that in all its years of traversing the world, it had never encountered a human capable of wielding the most mysterious Chaos Flame.

Moreover, judging by the energy fluctuations emanating from it, and comparing it to the innate abilities of the Xuanxiao Divine Phoenix clan, this was clearly the origi* of the Chaos Flame, not merely a derivative talent!

To possess such power, just how terrifying was this person’s true strength?

A slight smile played on Ye Xingchen’s lips, for his objective had evidently been initially achieved.

The next step was a mutual exchange of benefits.

He suddenly withdrew all his oppressive aura, then lazily feigned picking his ear, saying playfully:

“Do you believe me if I say I used to eat wontons every day?”

With a casual snap of his fingers, dozens of steaming wonton bowls shimmered into existence behind him as ethereal projections.

“Look, there’s fresh shrimp filling, pork filling, three-delicacy filling… I wonder if you’ve ever tasted them?”

The Xuanxiao Divine Phoenix was so caught off guard by this abrupt turn that it momentarily failed to react.

Even its tail feathers instantly stiffened, and the surrounding flames inexplicably solidified for a brief instant.

“Just kidding,” Ye Xingchen chuckled. “It seems you don’t eat wontons.”

Ye Xingchen suddenly adopted a serious expression, and the ethereal wonton bowls dissolved into shimmering starlight.

“But seriously…”

A stirring melody suddenly burst forth from his fingertips—none other than Chief Qiao’s classic BGM.

“Doesn’t this feel more appropriate?”

Ye Xingchen vividly recalled a legend from his previous life: Chief Qiao, a name known to all and none in the cultivation world.

He remembered how Chief Qiao, when ascending to the Upper Realms, carried a boombox, defeating all challengers across the land.

Later, during his tribulation to attain the Dao, even the Nine Heavens Lightning Tribulation failed to shatter his profound iron boombox.

From then on, the cultivation world specifically added an iron rule for him: whenever the ‘deng deng deng deng—’ BGM sounded, even if an Emperor-level powerhouse arrived, as long as they couldn’t smash his boombox, they had to retreat three paces immediately.

Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The Chaos Flame began to dance eerily to the rhythm of the music, arranging itself in the air to form eight large characters: ‘To act cool like the wind, always by my side’.

(TL Note: A popular internet slang phrase expressing a desire to constantly exude an air of coolness or swagger)

The Xuanxiao Divine Phoenix’s pupils trembled with shock as it watched.

In all its years of existence, this was the first time it had ever seen someone manipulate the primordial flame in such a manner…

‘It seems this phoenix lacks a sense of humor, or perhaps it has never witnessed the world of cultivators or Earth.’

“Right, back to business.” Ye Xingchen suddenly shed his playful expression.

The Chaos Flame in his palm reformed into a ghostly white flame, then condensed into a single pill.

“This Chaos Nirvana Pill, forged from compressed Chaos Flame, will be of immense benefit to your Xuanxiao Divine Phoenix clan.

It can directly elevate your cultivation.

Once your cultivation breaks through to its peak, I naturally possess the means to help you achieve a Humanoid Dao Body.

What do you say?”

Having diffused the tense atmosphere, Ye Xingchen knew that a preliminary agreement had been reached between the two parties.

Now was the opportune moment to provide both sides with a graceful exit.