Chapter 716 - Warriors of the Ancient Phoenix Clan
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After opening up the surrounding protective array formation of the Divine Phoenix Mystic Realm, Lin Ming walked into the valley where the mystic realm was locked in. Here were also the words that Mu Qianyu had left behind….
“Thundercrash Mountain, nameless cave, ten years’ time, the appointed meeting!”
Even though he had already reunited with Mu Qianyu, seeing these words still filled him with emotion.
After clearing up his feelings, Lin Ming followed the rules of the spell that he had learned from Mu Yuhuang, and then began to open up the Divine Phoenix Mystic Realm a bit at a time.
The last time he had entered into the Divine Phoenix Mystic Realm, it had taken the collaborative efforts of Mu Yuhuang and Mu Tianguang. Now, Lin Ming was able to do so by himself.
Forming different array formation symbols with both hands, energy vibrated, accompanied by the distant sound of wind and thunder. The surrounding heaven and earth origin energy began to crazily surge, forming a twisting, black vortex in the air. This vortex constantly spun, finally turning into a black hole, wide enough for him to step into.
After stabilizing the entrance, Lin Ming stepped inside….
In an instant, Lin Ming’s surroundings went pitch black before splashing with color again. Lin Ming had finally returned to the Divine Phoenix Mystic Realm. In front of Lin Ming was endless red desert, interspersed with rocks. The ground was barren, and in between the rocks, flowing rivers of lava churned. The rivers glowed red from heat, and as the lava slowly flowed, massive bubbles burbled up from deep underground, making muffled sounds as they released the smell of suffocating sulfur.
But behind Lin Ming, there was an endless field of ice that extended to the horizons. Blizzards howled, and massive towers of ice spiked the ground, shimmering with a chilling radiance.
Lin Ming was familiar with the Divine Phoenix Mystic Realm. The last time he had come to the Divine Phoenix Mystic Realm, these lands of fire and ice were considered a great trial. But to the current Lin Ming, these trials of fire and ice were nothing at all.
Time was of the essence. Lin Ming launched into his movement technique and rushed into the vast land of lava. This crimson land was filled with all sorts of lucky chances. But these lucky chances were not important to Lin Ming.
Flying with Golden Roc Shattering the Void, the scenery around him rapidly changed. Soon, Lin Ming arrived at the Ancient Phoenix Great Temple.
The Ancient Phoenix Great Temple was constructed from dark red rock. It reached into the sky, and all around the great temple were various sorts of sculptures and totems. After the entrance opened, Lin Ming followed the familiar path in, coming to a grand jade platform. He placed the key in and then dripped his blood on it.
In the next moment, Lin Ming was enveloped in a warm light. Then, in a few breaths of time, he was transported to a completely closed chamber.
This chamber was filled with all sorts of murals and totems. The last time he had come here, Lin Ming had fought against a fuzzy red people, engaging in a fierce gauntlet of battle before finally meeting the Temple Spirit that guarded the Ancient Phoenix Great Temple.
But this time, as Lin Ming stepped in, the Temple Spirit immediately appeared.
Energy coalesced into the image of a face, like a translucent ghost. The ghost said, “Trial Challenger! I am the ‘Temple Spirit,’ and I protect this realm. We have met before….”
The Temple Spirit was part of the Stone Spirit Race and also the guardian of the Ancient Phoenix Great Hall. It had a lifespan as long as the rocks themselves.
“Sir Temple Spirit, I apologize for disturbing you from your slumber. The reason that I come to the Ancient Phoenix Great Temple is to participate in the king level smelting trial. Also, I only have six months of time. If it’s impossible to pass this trial in six months of time, then I would rather choose not to enter,” Lin Ming calmly said as he looked at the Temple Spirit. Half a year was already a very tight timeline. His current strength was incomparable to when he completed the final general level smelting trial, but correspondingly, the king level smelting trial was also much harder. It would be at least several times more difficult than the general level trial.
It was hard to say whether or not he could complete it in half a year.
“King level smelting trial?” The Temple Spirit thought for a moment. “Trial Challenger, after you placed a drop of blood onto the jade platform, the result of your bloodline test was only at the peak of the general level…”
Lin Ming frowned. Before, after having passed through the final general level smelting trial, he had obtained a drop of Ancient Phoenix blood as a reward. However, one drop was simply too low. Whether it was the blood of the Ancient Phoenix or the blood of the True Dragon, both of them were extremely useful when Lin Ming’s comprehensive combat strength was still weak. But now, after becoming that much stronger and reaching a level at which he could contend with a Life Destruction powerhouse, these different bloodlines were only able to offer him limited strength.
The reason was because the quantity was simply too low.
According to Demonshine’s words, there were certain God Beast Clans within the Realm of the Gods where half their blood came from a God Beast. For a genius to be birthed in such a family, their degree of talent was unimaginable.
“Sir Temple Spirit, I remember that the last time I entered the Ancient Phoenix Great Temple, besides the bloodline test, I also fought red figures in a chamber, finally earning the right to enter the general level smelting trial through my results there. How come that isn’t possible this time?”
Lin Ming was very self-aware of the power of his own bloodline. Even after obtaining the rewards from the general level smelting trial, they still weren't able to compare with those that could enter the king level smelting trial. Thus, the only thing he could rely on was his own comprehensive talent in all other aspects .
Within the world of martial arts, this so-called comprehensive talent wasn’t one’s martial talent, but rather one’s integrated combat strength in comparison to their age. This was the standard method of evaluation of a genius.
In this aspect, Lin Ming had complete confidence in himself.
“That is the qualification test for the general level smelting trial. The qualification test for the king level smelting trial is much stricter….” The Temple Spirit said without the slightest hint of emotion.
“Much stricter? That also exists?” Lin Ming noted the subtext to the Temple Spirit’s words. He guessed that the Ancient Phoenix Clan also had extraordinary talents, however, they lacked bloodline purity and richness. If they couldn’t participate in the king level smelting trial just because of a deficiency in their bloodline then that would just be too unfair.
“Yes, but it is a life or death smelting trial; the mortality rate is extremely high. Failure means…death!”
Life or death smelting trial?
Lin Ming’s eyes widened. He never thought that the screening requirements would be so harsh for the Ancient Phoenix Clan’s Royal Family. Then again, after thinking of it some more, the animal kingdom was also the same. The Royal Family enjoyed far more privileges and resources, thus the test they faced would also be that much stricter. Once they failed, that would mean death.
This was all to ensure that the Royal Family remained absolutely formidable. Otherwise, they would just be the same as all the other clansmen. What right did they have to be part of the Royal Family?
With a light breath, Lin Ming unwaveringly said, “I can!”
The Temple Spirit glanced at Lin Ming. “Your bloodline concentration is far different compared to the true Royal Family. The difficulty of the smelting trial is also very high. Are you sure?”
“I am!” Lin Ming gripped his fists together. Even if it weren’t because of Mu Qianyu, Lin Ming would still have returned to the Ancient Phoenix Great Temple to attempt the king level smelting trial. The life of a martial artist was filled with difficult choices. If he had the chance to choose, he would always choose to blaze forward.
“Good, then it shall be as you wish!” The Temple Spirit’s figure gradually rose up as it finished speaking. It ascended 100 feet into the air, looking down at Lin Ming. “Trial Challenger, in this battle you must now face the heroic souls of the Ancient Phoenix Clan. They had once participated in the Ancient Phoenix Clan’s king level smelting trial; these are the most outstanding soldiers of the Royal Family. Now, through the recorded memories of the Ancient Phoenix Great Temple, they will be restored to their original form. If you defeat them, then you will obtain the qualifications to enter the true king level smelting trial. However, defeat…means death!”
As the Temple Spirit’s voice faded, Lin Ming saw that 100 feet in front of him a haze red phantom began to emerge from thin air.
Lin Ming’s mind went numb. Past soldiers of the Royal Family? He never imagined that he would actually fight with them in this manner.
Slowly extracting the long spear from his spatial ring, Lin Ming’s heart blazed with a brilliant fighting spirit.
He wondered, 'Tens of thousands of years ago, or even hundreds of thousands of years ago, at a time when the history of the Sky Spill Continent is completely unknown, just what level did those martial artists reach? What sort of cultivation methods did they train in?'
He could discover them in this battle!
The red phantom slowly solidified, eventually turning into a tall man holding into a dark red spear. His eyebrows were straight, and he had a handsome appearance. His chin tapered to a point, giving him a somewhat beautiful flavor. At the same time, the man’s presence was imposing, dominating, as if he were a model carved from jade.
“First opponent of the smelting trial qualification test. Ancient Phoenix Clan, Nuyan Family, Fourth Cousin of the Sixth Crown Prince, General of the Firecloud Battalion, Nuyan Yu!” Above the Ancient Phoenix Great Temple, a flat voice resounded, informing Lin Ming who his opponent had once been.
Nuyan Family? Firecloud Battalion General?
Listening to this, the Ancient Phoenix Clan seemed to be comprised of many families and factions, and the Nuyan Family was just one of these.
What sort of combat strength did the Firecloud Battalion reach? What cultivation were their soldiers?
Lin Ming lifted his spear, his heart inexplicably filled with yearning and desire for the Ancient Phoenix Clan from hundreds of thousands of years ago, wondering just what that army looked like. When he saw the murals and images within the Ancient Phoenix Great Temple, the normal soldiers had ridden Vermillion Birds and Blue Luans. Not just that, but those Saint Beasts had been far more formidable than those from Divine Phoenix Island!
In such a war, how great and magnificent a scene it would have been!
After Nuyan Yu fully formed into reality, he held his long spear, pointing it straight at Lin Ming. The soldiers of the Ancient Phoenix Clan often had to ride Vermillion Birds and other Saint Beasts into battle, thus a majority of them used long polearms. For instance, the spear, halberd, and lance were all extremely common. This was completely different from the current Divine Phoenix Island that primarily used swords.
“Revolving Core cultivation?” Lin Ming discovered that Nuyan Yu’s cultivation was only at the Revolving Core realm. But, as to what boundary this Revolving Core realm actually reached, he found it difficult to guess. This was likely due to the differences in physique and training from those martial artists of the Sky Spill Continent.
“There is no one in the Sky Spill Continent who can give off such pressure with just a Revolving Core cultivation. I wonder just how old this Nuyan Yu was before he left behind this recorded phantom. If he was just in his twenties, then that would truly be terrifying!” Lin Ming’s expression turned solemn, his eyes filling with fighting spirit. Ever since he had broken through to the Revolving Core, this was the first time he had stood opposite another heroic young elite who was comparable to him.
Swish!
Without a word, Nuyan Yu thrust his spear at Lin Ming!
All of the fire origin energy of the world was stirred up by this spear, forming a phantom Ancient Phoenix that flapped its wings, shooting towards Lin Ming!
The phantom hadn’t arrived, but a sweltering heat wave had already reached him!
“Come on!”
Lin Ming’s eyes erupted with a fierce fighting spirit. Against such an enemy, he didn’t have any thoughts of holding back. From the very start he had opened the Heretical God Force, as well activating the Death God force field and Asura force field!
Chasing Sun!
A spear thrust out. This spear contained the Concept of Fire.
This was a collision of Concepts. Lin Ming wanted to see just how far off his own Concept of Fire was compared to those young elites of the Ancient Phoenix Clan.
Bang!
Nuyan Yu’s Ancient Phoenix phantom was pierced through by Lin Ming’s spear, but Lin Ming’s spear light was also melted away by those feverish flames.
Both strikes disappeared into thin air, evenly matched!
Lin Ming sucked in a deep breath. He knew that just in terms of Concepts he had already lost. The only reason he had been able to block that strike just now was because his battle spirit had been infused into his attack.