Ch. 1363 - Phoenix Rebirth, Reforging Dao Foundation

When all the infernal energy surged toward him, the Undying Sage Monarch’s true fate appeared across the sky. The blazing sun behind him shone high, dominating half the heavens as though it intended to devour everything beneath it.

“With just you, you think to swallow us?” snorted Red-Blade Bull Demon.

His own true fate manifested as well, a towering bull demon that stood against heaven and earth.

This bull demon was not identical to Red-Blade Bull Demon himself. It was thousands of times larger, similar in form but different in countless subtle details.

“The Future Self,” said the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign in surprise.

The so-called Future Self meant that one day, Red-Blade Bull Demon would grow to become identical to the manifestation of his true fate now.

To touch even a fragment of the future was, in some sense, to transcend the flow of time itself.

For the River of Time dealt only with the past, events that had already occurred and could be traced. But the future was the unknown, untouchable by most.

For Red-Blade Bull Demon to use his future self as his true fate meant one thing: he had already carved out his own Dao.

Though he had yet to step into the Infinite Dao Realm, he was only a step away from opening the eleventh divine meridian.

With his future self revealed, the bull’s roar shook the heavens.

Red-Blade Bull Demon was the first to charge forward. Swinging his massive axe, he unleashed explosions across the void.

The other Infernal Archons did not hold back either.

Each unleashed their holy might, suppressing the four directions and surrounding the Undying Sage Monarch at the center.

Finally, under the relentless assaults, even the Sage Monarch’s true fate could no longer endure.

It began to flicker, becoming dim and indistinct.

The Undying Sage Monarch’s aura weakened steadily, until at last he was completely suppressed.

The phantom of the Undying Phoenix behind him shattered.

“We won,” said the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign with a sigh of relief.

“Not yet,” Xu Zimo said, shaking his head.

“Did you forget his title? He’s called the Undying Sage Monarch for a reason.”

“Should I help?” asked the Violet Mist Saint Sovereign.

“No need. These Infernal Archons have fought side by side for countless ages. You’d only get in their way,” Xu Zimo replied.

Paimon and the others had fought together since the most ancient of times. To them, each other’s movements were as familiar as their own.

…

As the Undying Sage Monarch was pressed down, a sharp cry echoed through the void, the cry of a phoenix. The sky itself shattered under its force.

A tremendous surge of power erupted from the Sage Monarch’s body.

Paimon and the others were flung back by the blast.

When they steadied themselves, their eyes glowed with demonic light as they looked toward the center.

The Undying Sage Monarch’s body had vanished. In its place, a blazing sphere of light pulsed and flickered.

“He’s revealing his true form,” said Paimon.

Sure enough, as his words fell, the radiance faded, revealing a colossal Undying Phoenix before them.

This was no true fate, nor a projected illusion, this was the real Undying Phoenix, one of the lower eight royal beast races.

The phoenix’s feathers shimmered in seven-colored brilliance, surrounded by flames of undying fire.

Its majestic presence spread across the land.

Across the boundless desert, countless beasts prostrated themselves, not daring to lift their heads.

To look upon it was to blaspheme.

The King of God Beasts.

Its eyes burned with pride as it gazed down upon all living beings from its lofty perch.

Its vast wings stretched wide, blotting out the sky.

Yet Red-Blade Bull Demon showed no fear.

He laughed loudly and said, “Back in the Demon Descent Era, phoenixes were mounts, and azure dragons were appetizers with wine. Your kind may frighten others, but not me.”

He hefted his giant axe once more.

His attacks held no technique, only pure, overwhelming power.

He cultivated the Dao of Strength itself.

Legend said that once, a supreme being had proven the Dao through sheer strength, splitting heaven and earth apart, unstoppable in all things.

“Comrades,” Paimon roared, “today we slay this phoenix! Let no one dare call our Ancient Demon Race weak again!”

Around him, infernal energy surged like a tidal sea. His Domain of Despair expanded outward, covering the heavens with a storm of black clouds.

Seven-Face transformed into a lotus of seven faces.

That lotus rooted deep into the ground, its myriad petals blooming as it absorbed all the world’s despair and negativity.

Celestial Devourer raised his aura to the sky, piercing through the heavens themselves.

The demonic currents merged into a river in the sky, which soon became an ocean, a sea of Ancient Demons.

That dark ocean churned violently above, flooding the heavens like an infernal tide.

Celestial Devourer stood within it, his body half-submerged in its depths.

The four Ancient Demons struck together with absolute force.

Four torrents of power converged at once, shaking the heavens and earth.

Even under such crushing might, the Undying Phoenix managed to endure.

Flames of undying fire burned brighter and brighter upon its wings.

The Undying Flame was also the fire of Nirvana.

The more grievous the Sage Monarch’s wounds, the stronger the flames became.

And when the Nirvana Fire reached a certain point, it would trigger rebirth.

The phoenix cried out again and again, its voice echoing through heaven and earth.

“You cannot kill me,” said the Undying Sage Monarch. “Your strength will eventually wane, but I shall rise again and again.”

“Damn it!” Red-Blade Bull Demon roared in fury.

He strode forward, tossing aside his massive axe.

Reaching the phoenix, he seized both its wings in his hands, and tore them apart.

“Then we’ll kill you as many times as it takes!” he bellowed. “Old Bull’s not backing down today!”

As the phoenix was ripped apart, the flames of Nirvana gathered once more.

From within the fire came the sound of a beating heart.

He was resurrecting again.

“Enough, Old Bull,” Xu Zimo said, interrupting the demon’s rage.

“Can’t you see it yet? He’s using you. He wants to die.”

“What?” the Bull Demon froze.

Xu Zimo stepped into the air, looking up at the phoenix in the heavens.

With a faint smile, he said, “You’ve played your hand well.”

“My lord, could you explain?” asked the Bull Demon, scratching his head. “This old bull’s a bit lost.”

“Don’t you understand?” Xu Zimo said. “With every rebirth, a phoenix grows stronger.”

“He’s taken the wrong path. His Dao has reached a dead end. He can’t advance even a step further, and breaking through the eleventh meridian is nothing but a dream. But he knows this himself. Since he’s an Undying Phoenix, each death allows him to rebuild his Dao foundation, to strike once more at the gate of the Great Dao, hoping to set his path right.”

As Xu Zimo spoke, realization dawned on the others.

This man wasn’t fighting to survive, he was seeking death.

Using the phoenix’s power of rebirth to reshape his Dao foundation.

“So what if you’ve seen through it?” said the Undying Sage Monarch coldly. “Will you kill me, or not?”

“You really think your Undying Phoenix Race is truly immortal?” Xu Zimo said with a faint smile, lifting his head.

Comments