The Candle Dragon retreated, and the Ancestral Qingluan and Ancestral Golden Peng halted their attacks.
The Phoenix Ancestor transformed into her true phoenix form, vast enough to blot out the sun, and soared towards the south.
The Heavenly Phoenix let out a long cry. Lava erupted from the southern lands, and the boundless power of the Fire Dao converged.
Under the heavens, wherever the phoenixes resided, there was immortality!
The lost powers of countless phoenixes gradually reawakened.
"Qiang—"
With a high-pitched cry, all the Heavenly Phoenixes in existence were revived!
Those who had died as Heavenly Phoenixes, amid the sea of flames, were reborn and returned from their nirvana!
The phoenixes' nirvana, a rebirth through fire!
All beings with a nascent spirit, soul, and true essence, whether Golden Immortals, Grand Unity Immortals, or even Grand Unity Manifestation powerhouses, were reborn at this moment!
The fruits of the Candle Dragon's army's five eons of warfare became exceedingly limited.
Behind the Phoenix Ancestor stood the Qingluan and Golden Peng.
Furthermore, there were the divine birds Mie Meng and Bi Yi, two supreme powerhouses.
Below them stood eighteen earthly powers, all of them exotic birds of heaven and earth.
The strength of the Phoenix clan far surpassed that of the Qilin clan!
The Ancestral Dragon and the Azure Dragon arrived in the south.
The Candle Dragon said solemnly, "Elder Brother, my conquest was insufficient!"
The Ancestral Dragon patted the youth's shoulder and said, "You have done your best."
The Azure Dragon also said, "Little Candle, you are far more useful than I was."
The Candle Dragon frowned, "You should call me Third Brother!"
The Azure Dragon turned his head away, pretending not to hear.
Seeing this familiar scene, the Ancestral Dragon's heart felt a sense of ease. He said, "Very well.
Once we break through the south and unify the Primordial World, and after I achieve Hunyuan, I will do my utmost to revive them."
The two nodded, their expressions turning solemn.
Of the Dragon clan's five Ancestors, only the three of them remained.
The Ancestral Dragon ascended, facing the south, and saw the Phoenix Ancestor.
Their gazes met, spanning countless millennia.
From their initial recognition, to knowing each other, to their alliance as Dragon and Phoenix rising together, then to the fragmented emotions when the three clans stood in contention.
Old friends for many years, they should have been confidantes, but because their titles both contained the word 'Ancestor,' they were destined not to be friends.
"Ancestral Dragon, your Dragon clan has unified the Four Seas and the continent, becoming the supreme overlord of heaven and earth. Are you still not satisfied?" the Phoenix Ancestor asked softly.
The Ancestral Dragon replied, "If you were me, would you not do the same?"
The Phoenix Ancestor could not help but smile, "Indeed, you are the Ancestral Dragon I know. Then let us have a decisive battle.
The victor shall rule the world.
The loser shall withdraw from existence."
The Ancestral Dragon shook his head and said, "You are no longer my match.
If you lead your Phoenix clan to voluntarily withdraw from existence, I will not make things difficult for you."
The Phoenix Ancestor laughed aloud, "What? Do you think you can disregard me after destroying the Qilin clan? Have you forgotten who I once burned until they were flying and scrambling?"
As her words fell, a clear and resonant cry echoed from beneath the ever-rising volcano.
The Vermilion Bird of the South, the essence of joy, divided its form, taking three parts above and two below, embodying the righteousness of three heavens and two earths. It was broad above and narrow below, symbolizing hierarchy. Its wings spanned eight inches, representing the eight winds. Its waist was four inches wide, symbolizing the four seasons. Its circular form represented the unending cycle of Yin and Yang.
The first Vermilion Bird in existence, born from the essence of the Li Fire, flew into the Phoenix Ancestor's body.
Her Vermilion Bird avatar, which she had nurtured for many years, merged with her, and her Great Dao became complete! The Phoenix Ancestor's aura surged, and she instantly ascended to the thirty-third heaven.
Seeing this, a smile appeared in the Ancestral Dragon's eyes, and his battle intent flared. "Now, this is the Yuan Feng I know."
The Phoenix Ancestor smiled softly, her eyes radiant, and replied, "So, you wish to be burned by me again?"
The Ancestral Dragon did not get angry; he laughed heartily, "Then let's try again!"
The Ancestral Dragon shook the heavens, and the Ancestral Phoenix rose from the earth. Dragon and Phoenix emerged together, and the winds and clouds of heaven and earth took shape. Their fists met their maces, and in every instant, they exchanged tens of thousands of blows, their minds calculating infinite possibilities.
Winds and clouds surged across the heavens and earth, heavenly fires raged, and heavenly waters flowed unbound. Water and fire returned to their primordial state, flowing freely through heaven and earth, and unrestrainedly impacting existence!
The Ancestral Dragon and Phoenix Ancestor fought their way straight up to the thirty-third heaven. In their wake, only water and fire remained.
The dragon's might was vast, the phoenix's elegance was brilliant. The Dragon-Phoenix calamity – if there were no dragons or phoenixes, how could there be a calamity?
Below, the Ancestral Qingluan faced the Ancestral Azure Dragon, and the Ancestral Golden Peng confronted the Ancestral Candle Dragon.
Both Ancestors of the Phoenix clan were at a disadvantage.
The Ancestral Golden Peng, with only thirty heavens of cultivation, was forced to endure beatings against the Ancestral Candle Dragon, who possessed the combat power of thirty-two heavens.
The two Dragon Ancestors and Phoenix Ancestors fought fiercely and without reservation, but the vast armies below suffered greatly.
Although the Dragon clan's army was superior in strength to the Phoenix clan, the Phoenix clan held the geographical advantage. The unending lava fires of their territory boosted their strength by thirty percent.
Furthermore, even if a phoenix died, as long as their nascent spirit and true essence were not destroyed, they would eventually be reborn!
The Dragon and Phoenix clans fought without restraint, desperately battling for control of heaven and earth.
The lava and earth fire of the south burned endlessly, reaching to the southern wilderness. The land cracked, dragons fell from the sky, and phoenix fire turned the vast expanse into a scorched landscape. The Primordial World's mountains and rivers were left unrecognizable!
At this moment, in the eastern wilderness, a forgotten tribe stirred.
The army of the Heavenly Jun Salamander clan suddenly emerged from their mountains, surrounding the Jianmu tree in the eastern wilderness.
In Jade Capital Mountain, Patriarch Hongjun's eyelids twitched. His good corpse had acted on its own again. It seemed the Heavenly Dao's influence over him had deepened by another third.
However, he did not stop his good corpse.
Gu Hao, Qing Ling watched the surging salamander army without emotion.
The four great guardians of the realms simultaneously moved to meet the enemy.
Whether the puppets were destroyed or the Black Panther clan suffered casualties, he did not intervene.
The strength of the four guardian clans, below the Grand Unity Manifestation level, was already comparable to a major clan. The salamander clan did not catch his eye.
The one who caught his eye was Patriarch Xuanji.
Above Qing Ling's head, the Jade Green Umbrella slowly unfurled, protecting the Jianmu tree.
As long as Patriarch Xuanji did not appear, Qing Ling would not make a move.
The Dragon-Phoenix battle continued for ten thousand years after ten thousand years. The Phoenix clan, despite their rebirth, lost countless members, while the Dragon clan also suffered heavy casualties.
The sons and daughters of the Xi Mountain Serpent clan, millions of serpent soldiers, numbered less than three million. Fortunately, Granny Hua Geng was still safe.
Having witnessed too much life and death, one became not heartless, but numb.
Qing Ling observed the great tribulation, watching the myriad lives and deaths, which never ceased.
The deaths and fall of all living beings were seen by him.
His mind calculated and split into billions, focusing on countless armies. He never intervened to save a single person, nor did he kill an enemy; he merely observed closely.
Patriarch Xuanji remained hidden for ten thousand years after ten thousand years. Qing Ling waited for him for ten thousand years after ten thousand years.
Even as the great tribulation unfolded, the Dragon clan's super formation remained intact.
The formation protected the East Sea, while simultaneously providing an inexhaustible supply of ocean water to aid the sea clans.
After all, seventy percent of the Dragon clan's army consisted of sea creatures.
The killing intent in the world was boundless. The power of the Western Demonic Dao grew stronger, so powerful it inspired dread, but only Hongjun perceived it.
Luo Hou of the West, atop Mount Sumeru, watched the Dragon-Phoenix calamity. He was waiting for an opportune moment for the demonic race to enter the fray!
Qing Ling also knew that Patriarch Xuanji was waiting for an opportune moment to cut down the Jianmu tree!
This was their last chance.
After this tribulation, the Heavenly Dao would either vanish, making it unnecessary to cut the tree.
Or, the Heavenly Dao would reign supreme, and the tree would possess immeasurable merit in the eyes of the Heavenly Dao. In such a case, the Heavenly Dao could only protect it, bestow blessings and rewards, but could not harm it.
However, the master of the Jianmu tree was the master of the Earthly Dao. Heaven and Earth were in opposition. The Heavenly Dao had always suppressed the Earthly Dao, and this situation was predetermined from the moment the Heavenly Dao emerged before the Earthly Dao.
On the thirty-third heaven, the Dragon and Phoenix Ancestors had fought for a hundred thousand years. All thirty-three heavens had been ravaged. The original overlapping heavens of time and space had also vanished, transforming into overlapping heavens of water and fire, filled only with the forces of water and fire.
The Phoenix Ancestor was at a disadvantage, not only because the Dragon clan, after destroying the Qilin, occupied seventy percent of the world's fortune, making the Ancestral Dragon the foremost figure in the Primordial World of this era!
But also because the Phoenix Ancestor had nurtured two sons, diverting her energy. She grew weaker with each battle, and the more she weakened, the more she fought, placing her at a disadvantage.
The Ancestral Qingluan was also heavily wounded, having suffered countless sword wounds from the Xun Tian Sword.
The Ancestral Golden Peng was in constant peril. The battle between these two Ancestors was about to conclude.
The poison of time on the Ancestral Golden Peng grew increasingly severe. His golden wing feathers scattered, and his Golden Dao power could not contend against the power of time.
Although the Candle Dragon bore wounds, most were minor. He grinned ferociously as the crimson river of time surged and transformed into a sea, the crimson sea churning with waves reflecting the stars, moon, sun, and constellations.
The Ancestral Golden Peng sensed his life force draining and the acceleration of time. He spread his wings and, enduring the sharp pain, once again tore through the void, his flight speed surpassing time itself, even leaving the poison of time behind.
The Candle Dragon sneered, closing his eyes. Heaven and earth plunged into darkness, returning to chaos. The Ancestral Golden Peng lost his bearings, and the poison of time once again wrapped around him.
The Golden Peng's expression changed drastically. He let out a cry that echoed through heaven and earth.
In the Northern Darkness, there was a sea, and in the sea, a bird named Peng and a fish named Kun.
The Kun Peng spread its wings, soaring into the sky, arriving in an instant.
But the north wind and snow suddenly intensified, and the Kun Peng flew into a vast world of ice and snow.
The Xuanwu opened its eyes drowsily. The snake head chuckled, "Kun Peng, are you finally willing to step out of the Northern Darkness?"
The tortoise head exclaimed, "Has the world become like this?"
The snake head sighed, "When Fellow Daoist Bai Long transmitted his divine will, I foresaw this day. It is time for us to aid the Dragon clan as well!"
The Kun Peng spread its wings, flying over the ice and snow. The fierce wind retreated, and it sought to emerge again.
The Xuanwu stomped its four feet, and the northern sky froze with ice and snow, separating the north from the Primordial World.
Anger flashed in the Ancestral Golden Peng's eyes, mixed with sorrow.
He knew that if he were defeated, Qingluan would be unable to resist the Candle Dragon and the Azure Dragon.
The Ancestral Golden Peng suddenly spread his wings, soaring to the thirtieth heaven, transforming into a golden divine domain, within which resided the spirit of a golden peng.
The Candle Dragon's expression changed. He stepped onto the river of time, preparing to retreat.
The Ancestral Golden Peng, with a resolve to die, unleashed the power of his Nirvana origin. If he were to be trapped within this realm of the Golden Dao's origin, he would likely be severely wounded.
However, the waves in the crimson river surged and churned, yet he could not escape the surrounding ten thousand miles.
A light laugh echoed, and a maiden in white descended from the nine heavens.
Nine miniature worlds appeared on the maiden's forehead, exuding a terrifying Demonic Master aura. The Nine Heavens Demonic Domain enveloped the Candle Dragon.
The Candle Dragon was a step too late and was trapped within the origin of the Golden Dao transformed by the Golden Peng, engaging in combat with the Ancestral Golden Peng once more.
With the boost from the source of Nirvana, the Ancestral Golden Peng's combat power surged, suppressing the Candle Dragon.
The Ancestral Azure Dragon, seeing the Demonic Master act, shifted the blade of his Xun Tian Sword and swung it towards the maiden in white, while simultaneously widening the distance between himself and the Ancestral Qingluan.
The maiden in white smiled enchantingly. She bore a striking resemblance to the Ancestral Bai Long!
The Azure Dragon's Xun Tian Sword's edge remained undiminished, striking the "Bai Long" and instantly drawing blood from her dragon scales.
"Bai Long" cried out in pain, "Fourth Brother, why do you wound me?"
The Azure Dragon sneered, "Impassive Demonic Master, a mere illusionary demonic art, daring to flaunt yourself before me?"