Deep within the Scripture Repository, Jincancan was enveloped in a torrent of golden runes.
The Divine Phoenix Secret Art, blazing with eternal golden flames, was transforming into the most primal true meaning of the Great Dao, surging into its sea of consciousness.
Screech!
A clear, piercing phoenix cry, born from the very depths of its bloodline, rang out abruptly!
In Jincancan's glazed golden pupils, shock and ecstasy intertwined, then gave way to boundless enlightenment.
This technique was unlike its own inherited legacy—it pointed directly to the phoenix's nirvana, an unparalleled Great Dao that could incinerate all heaven and earth, vast and profound, by no means a thing of the mortal realm!
"What a pity it's only the Nirvana Scroll. If the second scroll were complete, how much higher would its rank be? What rank lies beyond the Immortal Tier?"
Jincancan's spirit shook, and new doubts arose about Jiang Ling's origins.
"He gives out such inheritances casually—just who is he? Why have I never heard of him in my past life?"
The thought had barely formed before it was scattered by the surging power of the inheritance.
Daring not to let its mind wander further, it quickly collected its wits. Golden flames swirled around its body, and its aura grew deep and noble before one's very eyes, sinking completely into the Dao rhyme of the Divine Phoenix Secret Art.
At the same time, news of the Black Rock Demon Lord's subjugation spread back to the Vast Mist Ridge like a hurricane.
The Black Rock Demon Lord, one of the Eight Great Demon Lords, had gone to avenge his son—only to be instantly suppressed by the Primordial Beginning Sect's immortal formation, his arm severed, a slave contract signed, and reduced to a mere gatekeeping spirit beast.
The entire demon domain of the Vast Mist Ridge erupted in an uproar.
"What? Black Rock fell? Subjugated by a tiny mortal sect?!"
The Green Mist Demon Lord shot to his feet, and the uncontrolled violent gales swirling around him tore his cave mansion to shreds. Disbelief and horror filled his copper bell-like eyes.
"Hiss... Is the rumor true? That Primordial Beginning Sect, the one on the verge of collapse, really has an invincible immortal formation?"
Beneath the Cold Abyss, the Serpentine Ice Demon Lord flicked out its scarlet tongue, and a look of wariness colored its cold vertical pupils for the first time.
Sounds of schadenfreude rang out just as loud.
"Hahaha! Karma! That fool Black Rock, strutting about just because he had a Nascent Soul son, even daring to encroach on my territory. Now his son's become someone's meal, and he's a gatekeeper dog! Perfect! Worth a toast!"
The Blazing Flame Demon King slammed his chest and roared with laughter, snatching a flagon of blood wine and gulping it down, overflowing with delight.
"Hmph, a brute with no brains. Kicking an iron plate for a worthless whelp—he deserves this fate."
In the Spirit Valley, the Colorful Plume Demon Lord preened her resplendent feathers lazily, her tone dripping with contempt and disdain.
Yet not all the demon clan were mere onlookers.
"Bastards! This humiliation is too much!!!"
A heaven-shaking roar, filled with unbridled fury, exploded from an eternally blazing flame mountain deep within the Vast Mist Ridge.
Inside the cave mansion, heat waves warped the air, and a colossal, magnificent divine bird rose to its feet with a thunderous crash.
It resembled a divine eagle, its entire body covered in crimson-gold plumage with a molten luster. Its twin eyes blazed like two miniature suns, exuding a terrifying heat that could incinerate all things.
This was the Scarlet Sun Demon Sage—one of only three Void Refining Stage Great Sages in the Vast Mist Ridge!
The Scarlet Sun Demon Sage possessed the thin bloodline of the ancient divine beast, the Three-Legged Golden Crow. Though of a different race from the Black Rock Demon Lord, they had fought side by side in their early years, forging a life-and-death bond.
The Black Rock Demon Lord's subjugation into slavery was not only a humiliation to the demon clan's honor—it had ignited the Scarlet Sun Demon Sage's wrath.
"Mere mortal ants, daring to humiliate a great power of my demon clan with a mere strange formation! If we do not avenge this, what honor remains for the demon clan of the Vast Mist Ridge?!"
The Scarlet Sun Golden Crow's angry cry shook the Flame Mountain, and the very air seemed on the verge of melting.
"This Sage shall burn that Primordial Beginning Sect to ash, turn that broken formation to cinders, and avenge you and your son!"
Before the words faded, it transformed into a blazing crimson-gold sun, wreathed in heaven-shaking demonic might, tearing through the firmament and charging straight for the Primordial Beginning Sect!
Wherever it passed, the sky was seared open to reveal pitch-black rifts, the earth turned to scorched earth, and rivers dried up in an instant.
The Scarlet Sun Golden Crow's move sent the demon domain into an even greater uproar!
"The Scarlet Sun Great Sage has made his move!"
"With a Great Sage leading the charge, Primordial Beginning Sect will be razed to the ground! We'll rescue... uh, restore our clan's honor!"
"The Scarlet Sun Great Sage is truly loyal and righteous!"
"Rescue Black Rock? Hmph, that worthless wretch is a disgrace even if saved! The Great Sage is going to wipe away our shame!"
Talk spread like wildfire through the demon domain—some revelled in the misfortune, but more were struck by surprise and admiration for the Scarlet Sun Golden Crow's act.
Yet several powerful Demon Lords and Demon Kings's eyes flickered, their thoughts already quietly turning to the vast territories and rich resources the Black Rock and Scarlet Sun might leave behind.
The law of the jungle—eat or be eaten—was the eternal melody of the demon domain.
At the Primordial Beginning Sect.
Jiang Ling was tallying up supplies, planning to recruit more disciples into the sect.
His cultivation base was inextricably linked to the number of his disciples.
Even if a single disciple's cultivation was low, quantity would lead to qualitative change—with enough people, they could pile him all the way to immortality!
"BOOM!"
At that moment, a terrifying pressure surged from the far distance, and the aura of scorching sun true fire made even living beings a thousand li away feel their souls searing with pain.
The air of the entire Primordial Beginning Mountain Range grew dry and flammable, and beyond the area covered by the immortal formation, plants withered at a visible pace.
"The Scarlet Sun Demon Sage!"
Hua Yuntian had just stepped out of Immortal Rest, intending to catch his breath, when he saw the sky-blacking shadow of the divine bird—and sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
The Scarlet Sun Demon Sage, one of the few Void Refining great powers of the demon clan, whose ferocious might was renowned far and wide. Blessed with divine beast bloodline, he held an exalted position among the demons—even in his past life, Hua Yuntian would have given him due respect.
Outside the mountain gate, the Black Rock Demon Lord, who had been huddled up licking its medicinal pill, snapped its head up, and an expression of unbelievable joy burst forth in its huge bear eyes.
But the joy was instantly replaced by anxiety.
It had experienced the terror of that immortal formation firsthand!
"No! Great Sage, flee! Leave me be! This formation is unholy—run!!!"
It roared with all its strength, trying to warn the Scarlet Sun Golden Crow, its voice filled with desperate worry.
Jiang Ling strolled slowly out of the main hall, lifted his head to gaze at the blazing sun rapidly approaching from the horizon, which dyed the entire firmament crimson-gold—and dug his finger into his ear in annoyance.
"Tsk, this never ends, does it? Just one quiet day, and here we go again... That plumage looks pretty valuable though..."
He smacked his lips, his gaze roaming over the divine bird as if appraising a rare fowl waiting to be plucked.
"Ants of the Primordial Beginning Sect! Crawl out and meet your deaths for this Sage!"
The Scarlet Sun Golden Crow's angry cry exploded like a billion suns ringing in one's ears, and the sound waves, wreathed in sun true fire that could incinerate all things, crashed toward the Primordial Beginning Sect's mountain gate like an apocalyptic torrent!
"Release Black Rock! Or this Sage will burn you all to ash—no chicken or dog shall remain!"
RUMBLE!!!
The sun true fire slammed into the black-yellow light barrier!
The light barrier trembled violently, black-yellow ripples spreading wildly, and a deafening, earth-shaking roar erupted.
The entire Primordial Beginning Mountain Range shook violently, rocks tumbling down the slopes, and the temperature around soared in an instant to a degree hot enough to melt fine steel.
Yet the Primordial Beginning Sect, shielded by the immortal formation, did not so much as stir up a single wisp of smoke.
Within the Primordial Beginning Sect, the disciples poured out of Immortal Rest in a throng, their faces pale with alarm as they stared up at the void.