Lin Changâsheng spoke bluntly, "The treasures here may be good, but I have no desire to be trapped in this place forever."
"Hahahaâ"
Yet as soon as Lin Changâsheng finished speaking, the red-robed woman let out a mocking laugh.
"Anyone who comes here cannot leave this Secret Realm, because this is a one-way teleportation Secret Realm!"
The red-robed woman laughed.
Hearing this, Lin Changâsheng frowned. If this was true, wouldnât they really be stuck here?
But Lin Changâsheng simply couldnât believe it; since there was a way in, there must be a way out.
"If Iâm not mistaken, youâre here to guard the Golden Coffin in the deep pit. Maybe the way to leave the Secret Realm is inside that coffin!"
Lin Changâsheng guessed aloud.
At this, the red-robed womanâs brow twitched slightly, showing clear displeasure.
"Youâre partly right. I am here to guard the Golden Coffin, but the way out is absolutely not inside the coffin! Donât even think about going after itâitâs far too dangerous!"
The red-robed woman slowly stood up and began walking toward Lin Changâsheng, step by step.
Though her garments covered her, she wore very little, covering only the most crucial spots.
Quite a bit of skin could still be seen, making Lin Changâshengâs heart race involuntarily.
Because her figure was nothing short of flawless: shapely and well-proportioned, a touch more would be plump, a touch less would be too skinny.
Her slender jade feet stepped on the burning flames without the slightest discomfort, radiating seductive allure.
"This Demon Beast is no jokeâsheâs even more powerful than Xiaonan!"
Lin Changâsheng was startled. The fact that she could assume a human form was proof enough that her cultivation was on par with Xiaonanâs.
Plus, this Demon Beast possessed Phoenix Race blood, meaning she was even stronger.
If it came to a fight, they might not even be able to do anything to her.
"If thereâs a way in, then there must be a way out!"
Lin Changâsheng replied firmly.
"I told you, thereâs no way to leave here. Believe it or not!"
The red-robed woman stepped up to Lin Changâsheng and moved in close to his ear. "If youâd be willing to stay here with me and guard the Golden Coffin, Iâd be willing to use my Phoenix bloodline to aid your cultivation. What do you say?"
Her words oozed with temptation, making it hard for Lin Changâsheng to restrain himself.
After all, her figure was deeply alluring, and Lin Changâsheng was still a young man, lacking experience in the world.
But reason reminded Lin Changâsheng: this was no place to linger, or heâd be trapped here for a lifetime.
"What if I say no?"
Lin Changâsheng answered decisively.
This left the red-robed woman feeling quite disappointed.
"Then I can only say this: either you die here, or you spend the rest of your life trapped in this Secret Realm! The choice is yours!"
The red-robed woman seemed to lose her patience and turned away.
In that instant, as she turned her back, Lin Changâsheng made his moveâstriking with a palm without hesitation.
This femaleâs cultivation was fearsome; he had to strike first.
But even with Lin Changâsheng acting first, he couldnât hurt her in the least.
A crimson shield flashed up around the red-robed woman, easily deflecting Lin Changâshengâs palm strike.
This was her Divine Flame Shield.
Clickâ
With a wave of her hand, the doors slammed shut, and the temperature in the Great Hall soared.
"Refuse a toast and youâll drink a forfeitâleave your lives here!"
The red-robed woman shouted, sending both her palms forward. Fierce fiery power exploded from her, transforming into two Fire Phoenixes charging straight at Lin Changâsheng and Gu Shan.
"Look out!"
Gu Shan warned.
This Fiery Flame Divine Power was nothing to scoff atâthis was the Nirvana Divine Fire. Once touched, death was certain.
Lin Changâsheng, fully aware of its might, instantly leaped backward to evade.
Rumbleâ
Gu Shan struck out, shattering the two Fire Phoenixes instantly.
At the same moment, Xiaonan had circled behind the red-robed woman.
Hissâ
Petrification Divine Power erupted, and just as the red-robed woman turned to counter, she locked eyes with Xiaonan and was instantly paralyzed on the spot.
Soon, her entire body began to turn to stone.
Lin Changâsheng thought the fight was over with one blow, but to his shock, a doppelganger split off from the red-robed womanâs body.
The original form remained petrified where it stood.
"What the..."
Even Gu Shan was shockedâthis was the first time heâd ever seen Xiaonanâs petrification fail.
Could this Demon Beast be immune to petrification?
"Youâve sealed your own doom!"
The red-robed woman seemed truly enraged at Xiaonan. Her carelessness had cost her a life!
If she didnât have three lives left, sheâd never be able to guard this place.
The red-robed woman wasnât really a Three-headed Phoenix, but a Nine-headed Divine Bird.
The other six lives had been lost guarding this place.
Now, only three remained.
And after being petrified by Xiaonan, sheâd lost another, leaving only two.
No wonder the red-robed woman was furious.
Without further word, the red-robed woman revealed her true formâher figure swelled rapidly, transforming into a Double-headed Fire Phoenix.
Flames blazed all around her, waves of searing heat rolling outward.
If Lin Changâsheng hadnât possessed the Undying Dragon Flame, this heat would have easily burned him.
In her true body, the Double-headed Fire Phoenix launched attack after attack on Xiaonan.
Whether it was the unmatched might of her flames, or some bloodline suppression at work, Xiaonan was clearly outmatched by the Double-headed Fire Phoenix.
She was pushed back step by step.
Boomâ
Lin Changâsheng stomped on the ground, suddenly unleashing the Tenfold Force Field Realm.
Although ten times gravity couldnât quite immobilize the Fire Phoenix, it did significantly slow her down.
In order to resist the Fire Phoenixâs Nirvana Divine Flame, Lin Changâsheng also activated the Nine Heavens Divine Dragon Poison Body, channeling the Divine Dragon Power within.
Instantly, Lin Changâsheng felt his strength soar, breaking through from late-stage Void Refining straight to the early stage of Integration.
With a thunderous palm, Lin Changâsheng struckâa cloud of poisonous mist swirling around his hand.
This was the Soul-Devouring Poison Palm. While its raw power wasnât quite enough to slay the Fire Phoenix, the poison within was a real threat.
The Double-headed Fire Phoenix was focused on attacking Xiaonan and failed to notice the incoming palm; struck squarely on the back, she staggered, nearly toppling over.
Kraâ
The Double-headed Fire Phoenix turned blood-red eyes toward Lin Changâsheng. "A puny Integration Cultivator thinks to harm me?"
She ignored Lin Changâsheng and kept attacking Xiaonan.
Maybe due to bloodline suppression, Xiaonan was pummeled back again and again, her Qilin Armor torn apart by the Double-headed Fire Phoenix.
But slowly, the Double-headed Fire Phoenix began to realize something was wrongâthe flesh on her back had started to rot away, revealing golden blood beneath.
Only then did she realize the danger, instantly igniting Divine Fire to try to burn the poison away.
But it was already too late; the toxic fluid had seeped into her bloodstream and flowed throughout her body.
If sheâd purged it right after being struck, she could have avoided danger.
"Die!"
Seeing her struggle, Gu Shan seized the opportunity and smashed his fist down on her head.
Bamâ
His domineering Fist Aura landed squarely, slamming the Double-headed Fire Phoenix to the ground and sending a fountain of golden blood from her beak.
Xiaonan seized the chance as well, unleashing Celestial Thunder, flames, and blasts of cold ice, all striking the Fire Phoenix.
A rain of falling Fire Feathers scattered from her burning form.
The Double-headed Fire Phoenix felt disaster looming and rushed toward the magma pit.
"Stop her!"
Lin Changâsheng realized what was happening. If she managed to get into the lava cave, she might resurrect in flames and recover her wounds in an instant.
As he spoke, Lin Changâsheng and Gu Shan charged forward, blocking the Double-headed Fire Phoenixâs path.
Lin Changâsheng summoned the Divine Thunder Bow, and nine lightning-charged arrows gathered on its string.
Swish, swish, swishâ
As Lin Changâsheng released the bowstring, the arrows shot through the air, aimed straight for the Double-headed Fire Phoenixâs eyes.
Blinding her would keep her from finding the magma pit.
The Fire Phoenix must have realized this, too; she swept her wings up to shield her eyes.
But Lin Changâsheng had anticipated thatâmidflight, the arrows curved, bypassed her wings, and struck directly into her eyes.
Kraâ
The Double-headed Fire Phoenix shrieked at the sky, agony bursting forth as searing flames erupted from her body.