"Senior, what should we do? It seems we can't go to the ancestral land."
Within the True Phoenix formation, Xu Mu and the Wine Immortal hid behind a pile of rocks.
The phoenix circling in the sky did not attempt to kill them, as Xu Mu held the identity token given to him by Nangong Huaitian.
Xu Mu gazed at the sky, a hint of helplessness on his face.
Because of their actions, Nangong Zhenyuan had made a misjudgment, prematurely activating the mountain gate formation and forcing the normal combat rhythm to accelerate significantly, plunging directly into its most heated stage. They had no time to investigate the ancestral land and could only remain here.
The Wine Immortal's brow furrowed. He channeled all his abilities through the identity token to empower the True Phoenix, a process that was immensely draining. Even his wine gourd was running low.
This was also one of the reasons they couldn't go to the ancestral land.
For if the Wine Immortal stopped supplying energy, the phoenix in the sky risked disappearing at any moment.
If that happened, the Nangong clan would be utterly finished.
"Staying here is of no use. I'll look around and see if I can find a way to break the stalemate." After a moment of thought, Xu Mu's expression turned grim as he left, disappearing into the unknown.
The struggling Wine Immortal lifted his eyelids slightly, then closed them again.
At this moment, he could only pray in his heart that Xu Mu could truly find a way to resolve the crisis, rather than resort to the method he had mentioned earlier – revealing his identity to draw enemy fire for the Nangong family.
"You old bastard, you deserve to die!"
Just as the Wine Immortal sighed, Bai Yun's voice echoed once more in the air above the mountain gate.
This time, she had led those battle-arrayed Domain Lord legions to within eight thousand meters of the mountain gate, and their offensive momentum was growing fiercer.
In contrast, Nangong Zhenyuan's aura was shaky, his fingers faltering even as he formed hand seals. The True Phoenix illusion had dimmed, and its power was far less potent than at the beginning.
"Damn it!"
Nangong Zhenyuan gritted his teeth, shaking his head, forcing himself to stay conscious.
"If I were young again, enduring for another hour would be no hardship. But now, I am old and severely wounded..."
"Ancestor, why don't you let me take over? I can also burn my bloodline!"
Nangong Mao Guan, dragging his battered body, approached Nangong Zhenyuan and pleaded with reddened eyes. However, he was immediately rebuffed.
"Get back. As long as I'm alive, this formation eye stake will not be wielded by you. Your task is to protect the Saintess!"
Nangong Zhenyuan said, then turned his gaze back with intense hatred towards the advancing Bai Yun.
"It is you who killed Yu'er, and brought my Nangong clan to this dire situation. Today, even if I have to give up my life, burning myself completely, I will slay you, this vixen!"
Nangong Zhenyuan declared, burning his vital blood. The True Phoenix in the sky let out a clear, resonant cry and dived towards the earth.
The numerous Domain Lord legions, who had just advanced to within three thousand meters of the mountain gate, were struck with panic. They unleashed spells with all their might, attempting to escape the area. However, the overwhelming power of the phoenix rendered many spells and abilities ineffective.
Then, the phoenix descended, impacting the earth. Flames and feathers surged outward, creating colossal waves of rock and earth that engulfed countless individuals.
Thus, those powerful Domain Lord realm experts, who once dominated their territories, perished.
Ten thousand meters away, Bai Yun, severely wounded, gazed at the sea of flames before her with anger and trepidation.
In this final collision, their combined Domain Lord forces from the three great families had lost more than half their numbers. Those who survived were also gravely injured; the cost was immense.
However, the good news was that after the phoenix struck the ground, leaving behind a massive crater hundreds of thousands of meters long and wide, and a lingering inferno, it slowly vanished.
Seeing this, a flicker of triumph crossed Bai Yun's eyes. She shouted, "Everyone, launch the final assault! The True Phoenix formation has dissipated. It's our turn to attack!"
As Bai Yun spoke, the surviving Domain Lords swallowed nervously. After intense internal struggle, they once again stepped onto the battlefield, flying towards the mountain gate.
At this point, even if some wished to retreat, it was impossible. For the blood feud had been forged; it was a matter of life and death.
On the mountain gate, Nangong Zhenyuan knelt on the ground, his white hair hanging down, soaked with the blood he had coughed up, utterly disheveled.
"Are... are they all dead?"
Nangong Mao Guan looked down the mountain at the remaining dozens of Domain Lords, and the Lord legions hiding further away, shaking his head in despair.
"Reporting to the Old Patriarch, half of them are dead."
"Then... again."
Nangong Zhenyuan said, drawing strength from an unknown source. He trembled as he stood up from the ground, gripping the formation eye stake in his hand, intending to summon the phoenix once more.
The Domain Lords below the mountain, like startled birds, quickly retreated. Only Bai Yun did not.
For she believed Nangong Zhenyuan was at his limit.
The world fell silent.
Many Domain Lords stared at Bai Yun's retreating figure, their expressions stunned.
For no phoenix appeared in the sky.
Bai Yun stood there, laughing heartily, and unleashed her Three Thousand Heartless Silks with a palm strike.
"Hahahaha, you old dog Zhenyuan, your time has come!"
"Don't be too arrogant!"
Nangong Zhenyuan dropped the formation eye stake and flew into the air, launching a palm strike to intercept Bai Yun. However, upon impact, he was flung back thousands of meters, crashing heavily onto a cliff.
"Ancestor!"
Within the Nangong clan, countless Domain Lords gathered, their gazes fixed on Bai Yun with rage.
But their anger soon turned to despair.
For they had no combat power left; almost all of it had been absorbed by the True Phoenix formation.
Now, they were truly lambs to the slaughter.
Bai Yun spat out a mouthful of blood, then carelessly stepped onto the mountaintop. She looked down at Nangong Zhenyuan lying on the ground and sneered, "Old dog, when you broke me and Nangong Yu apart back then, did you ever imagine this day would come?"
"When Nangong Yu betrayed me and you splendidly married Xi Lengxue, did you ever imagine that one day, I, Bai Yun, would set foot on the Nangong clan's mountain gate in this manner!!!"
Bai Yun's voice thundered, filled with boundless hatred.
Nangong Zhenyuan, clutching his chest, weakly replied, "I regret not killing you with all my might back then!"
"I also regret that Nangong Yu, despite his talent, lacked foresight and eloped with you, causing this calamity!"
Bai Yun heard this and struck again, but was jointly blocked by Nangong Mao Guan and others.
"Bang!"
Bai Yun was forced back into the air, sneering, "Loved?"
"If Nangong Yu truly loved me, why did he eventually marry Xi Lengxue!"
"You broke your promises; you should have been annihilated long ago!"
"If he didn't truly love you, why did he, after you attempted to assassinate him, cling to my leg desperately, begging me not to kill you!" Just as the Domain Lords behind her arrived, preparing to strike, Nangong Zhenyuan suddenly shouted this.
Thus, Li Kun descended from the heavens, saving Nangong Zhenyuan.
"Yu Tianzun!"
Ignoring everyone's shock, Li Kun's eyes burned with fire as he stared at Nangong Zhenyuan and asked sternly, "What did you just say? Say it again, what happened to Nangong Yu!"
Nangong Zhenyuan saw Li Kun and was stunned for a moment, then let out a tragically bitter laugh.
"Hahahaha... you've come too."
"Li Kun, Bai Yun."
"You both view Nangong Yu as a traitor."
"But have you ever considered that he begged me to spare you, and saved your lives!"
...