Chapter 1208: Golden Crow Sacred Sword
Yun Che was no longer the naive youth of years past, and having encountered several deities over the years, he no longer felt fear in the presence of this Phoenix deity residing beneath the Fire Prison. Instead, he held even greater respect.
But the Phoenix deity’s words caused his heart to stir violently, and he spoke with some excitement, “You mean... you want to bestow all your remaining divine blood and divine soul upon me?”
His reason for entering the Burial God Fire Prison again was to seek power that could make him stronger in a short time. Even if that wasn’t possible, he could rely on the Time Wheel Pearl to cultivate at the bottom of the Fire Prison. Now, he had unexpectedly discovered another deity’s existence, and before he could even make any request, the Phoenix deity’s implication was that it intended to actively bestow divine power upon him.
“Without a doubt, you, who have inherited the Evil God’s power, are the one in this world best suited to unleash the Phoenix’s divine power to its utmost. Although I have long known of your existence, I never dared to hope for your arrival. Three years ago, when I sensed your aura, I was overjoyed. At the very least, entrusting all my power to you would not betray the final will and power left behind by the Phoenix.”
The Phoenix deity’s voice was majestic and solemn, yet also carried sincerity and the peace of a wish fulfilled.
Receiving a deity’s power is, for anyone, the greatest blessing in this world. It requires not only immense fortune but also passing numerous trials. Yet at this moment, without Yun Che asking, the Phoenix deity took the initiative to guide him here and then offered to bestow all its power upon him... Such treatment surely makes Yun Che the first person in the history of the God Realm.
Only he possessed such qualifications.
“If you had come a few years earlier, the last Golden Crow Soul Spirit would certainly have chosen you as well, not Huo Poyun.”
The Phoenix deity’s words carried a trace of regret.
Yun Che had no reason to refuse, and his heart surged with surprise and excitement. He let out a soft breath and asked, “Phoenix deity, if the disaster behind the ‘Crimson Crack’ truly erupts, do I have any hope of resisting it with the power I currently possess?”
The Phoenix deity fell silent. After a long while, it slowly said, “You inherit the Evil God’s power and are currently the only human in the world to have inherited the power of a Creation God, making you the most special. But in the end, you are still just a human. Before the inevitable calamity that will erupt, your existence and your power are as insignificant as a speck of dust before the vast ocean.”
Yun Che: “...”
“That calamity is not something any individual can resist. Only if the entire God Realm abandons racial barriers, territorial boundaries, and personal grudges, and unites with all their strength without reservation or selfishness, sacrificing everything to resist together, can there be even a sliver of hope.”
Yun Che: “...”
“This calamity will be a trial for the entire God Realm. We have all ultimately chosen to bestow our remaining power upon humans in order to leave behind more hope—it is the only thing we can do. Although you can maximize my power, in the face of that cataclysm, an individual’s strength is ultimately just dust.”
Yun Che was stunned for a long time.
In just a few words, the Phoenix deity described to Yun Che a calamity vast enough to almost annihilate the world.
If the “calamity” the Phoenix deity spoke of was the same as what the Ice Phoenix maiden had mentioned, then why did the Phoenix deity say his power was as insignificant as dust before the calamity, while the Ice Phoenix maiden claimed that only he could resolve this disaster...
What exactly was the “truth” that the Ice Phoenix maiden knew?
“Then... when will this calamity roughly erupt?” Yun Che asked.
“Unknown. No one can predict it. Perhaps a few years, a few decades, a few hundred or thousand years, or perhaps tomorrow.”
“I can feel that you greatly desire power. Bestowing the final Phoenix divine power upon you is also the best choice for me. But I hope that while you carry this final Phoenix divine power, you will also bear the corresponding responsibility. At least when that calamity arrives, you can ignite a glimmer of hope with the Phoenix’s flame.”
Yun Che did not ask further and nodded heavily, “I do need power right now. Rest assured, if that calamity is truly as terrifying as you say, then when the time comes, escape will be impossible for me anyway.”
“Very good.” The Phoenix’s eyes blazed with an extraordinary radiance. “My existence has become extremely weak; otherwise, I would not have to rely on this Burial God Fire Prison.”
“I will bestow upon you the final seven drops of Phoenix divine blood, seventy percent of my divine soul, and...”
“The complete Phoenix Ode Scripture!”
Yun Che’s heart trembled violently.
Unable to leave the Burial God Fire Prison, this Phoenix deity’s existence was already extremely faint, with only the last seven drops of divine blood remaining. He was not at all surprised. What he could not help but be moved by was naturally the complete Phoenix Ode Scripture!
The Phoenix Ode Scripture he had cultivated up to now only had six levels, far from comparable to the complete Golden Crow World-Incinerating Record. But if he obtained the complete Phoenix Ode Scripture, coupled with denser Phoenix divine blood and a stronger Phoenix divine soul, his Phoenix flames would no longer be inferior to the Golden Crow flames!
The Phoenix’s eyes released a blaze of fire several times more intense. Then the sea of flames parted, and a spark like a star burned and shone between the two pupils, releasing a powerful and pure Phoenix divine aura.
“This is the last divine power left behind by the Phoenix in the world. Human who bears the Evil God’s power, I now bestow it upon you, along with the Phoenix’s will!”
With the Phoenix’s holy voice, the spark flew like a meteor, landing on Yun Che’s brow, then sinking into it without any resistance.
Seven drops of the most primal Phoenix divine blood, a wisp of Phoenix divine soul—the other wisp of Phoenix divine soul within Yun Che immediately resonated, letting out a long phoenix cry in his heart and soul. The original three drops of Phoenix divine blood also boiled at the same time, and Phoenix flames spontaneously ignited on Yun Che’s body, burning without extinguishing for a long time.
Yun Che clearly sensed that this wisp of Phoenix divine soul not only carried powerful energy but also bore the imprint of the complete Phoenix Ode Scripture.
At the same time, the Phoenix’s eyes dimmed, and the originally intense Phoenix divine aura weakened by nearly tenfold.
“Upon the divine soul I have bestowed upon you, there is not only the complete Phoenix Ode Scripture but also the final Phoenix divine power. It is merely too weak and can at most raise your profound strength by half a minor realm, but at least it is still a help.”
“As for the divine soul and divine blood, for you, perfectly refining them should be a simple task.”
The soul voice was still majestic but had clearly grown weaker.
Yun Che calmed the resonance surging within his body and bowed deeply to the Phoenix soul spirit, “Phoenix deity, I thank you for your gift. I will surely not disappoint you.”
He was very clear about the consequences of the Phoenix giving him all this... Its existence would soon vanish.
“No need to thank me,” the Phoenix deity said. “This is the decision I made in accordance with the Phoenix’s will. Your arrival has instead fulfilled my final wish. Only...”
It suddenly let out a long, profound sigh. “But I am destined to betray the final entrustment of the Golden Crow Soul Spirit.”
Yun Che was startled, then suddenly thought of something and blurted out, “Are you referring to... the Golden Crow Sacred Sword?”
“... The Flame God Realm has long had legends about the Golden Crow Sacred Sword; it is not strange that you know of it.” The Phoenix soul spirit slowly continued. “Before it dissipated, the Golden Crow Soul Spirit entrusted to me precisely the Golden Crow Sacred Sword. In its time, it was a treasure of the Golden Crow lineage. When the gods and demons were wiped out long ago, it survived annihilation by existing at the bottom of the Fire Prison, and because it remained there, it has endured to this day. However, as the Primal Chaos Qi grew increasingly thin, its power had long since faded from its peak, but in the present world, it is unquestionably an extremely powerful existence.”
“Yet it is by no means something an ordinary person can wield.”
“To prevent its divine power from dissipating too quickly, the Golden Crow Soul Spirit could only leave it here, waiting for someone sufficiently qualified to arise, who could then be granted it.”
“The only one in the world with such qualifications was that human youth named Huo Poyun. But I could no longer wait until he fully matured. I can only hope that in the future, he does not forget the legend of the Golden Crow Sacred Sword and can come to the bottom of this Fire Prison to find its existence.”
The Golden Crow and the Phoenix were originally mutually exclusive existences, yet faced with the entrustment of the Golden Crow Soul Spirit before its complete dissipation, the Phoenix soul spirit still regarded it as a mission. Its words were filled with deep regret and melancholy.
Yun Che did not immediately begin refining the divine blood and divine soul. He furrowed his brow slightly, lost in thought, and then suddenly said, “Phoenix deity, what are the qualifications to obtain the Golden Crow Sacred Sword?”
“Powerful profound strength, and sufficiently profound mastery of the Golden Crow flames—especially the latter.”
“... What level of Golden Crow flame mastery would be required?” Yun Che’s eyes flickered.
“Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath!”
Yun Che was slightly taken aback. “That is to say... one must reach the realm of comprehending ‘Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath’?”
“The Vermilion Bird’s ‘Thousand Feathers Annihilation Requiem,’ the Phoenix’s ‘Radiant World Red Lotus,’ and the Golden Crow’s ‘Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath’ each represent the ultimate flame might of the three great divine flames. It is extremely difficult for a human body to cultivate them, far beyond what mere high comprehension can achieve.”
“If a human who inherits the Golden Crow’s divine power can cultivate ‘Nine Suns Heavenly Wrath,’ they would indeed have the qualification to be recognized by the Golden Crow Sacred Sword.”
The Phoenix soul spirit’s words made Yun Che’s gaze sharpen. He said, “Could you let me try the Golden Crow Sacred Sword?”
The Phoenix soul spirit was silent for a moment, its divine aura fluctuating slightly, but it did not ask further and simply said, “Very well.”
The sea of flames churned, and another wave of fire parted. Less than a thousand zhang in front of Yun Che, a flash of red-gold light shone. Even in the vast depths of the Fire Prison, this golden radiance was dazzling and difficult to look at directly.
It was a large golden sword. Half of the blade blazed with scorching gold, while the other half was thrust beneath the red rock... Yun Che’s gaze was firmly fixed on it, unable to look away.
“Try to pull it out.”
Yun Che stepped forward, passing through layers of flames, and arrived before the large golden sword. As he approached, a terrifying sword might mixed with an equally powerful Golden Crow flame aura rushed toward him.
Within this sword seemed to lie a volcano ready to erupt at any moment. Although only half was exposed, its sword might was far more terrifying than the Heaven-Defying Sword by an unknown degree.
Yun Che took a step forward, took a deep breath, and grasped the wide hilt burning with golden flames. He tightened his grip slowly, surging his profound energy, and then gave a mighty pull.
BOOM!!
Yun Che’s profound energy exploded all over his body, golden flames blazing wildly. But the Golden Crow Sacred Sword did not rise in response, nor did it tremble even slightly—it was completely... unmoving.
Yun Che frowned deeply but did not give up. He activated “Heaven-Shattering,” and another burst of profound energy exploded, pushing his power directly to its peak state. He also operated the Golden Crow World-Incinerating Record to its limit, the Golden Crow flames on his body soaring hundreds of zhang.
He gripped the hilt again, took a deep breath, and then let out a great roar:
“HEAVE!!!!”
BOOM—
A surge of violent, tremendous force erupted, brutally blasting the surrounding flames apart, creating a brief and vast vacuum zone... But beneath Yun Che’s hands, the Golden Crow Sacred Sword still did not budge.
Whoosh...
Even in his full-power state, it remained completely unmoved. Trying further would be futile. Yun Che released his hands from the hilt and let out a soft breath. “As expected, it won’t work.”
He was very sure that this was not due to insufficient mastery of the Golden Crow flames. The only reason was that his current profound strength was too low to handle the Golden Crow Sacred Sword, making it impossible to gain its recognition—even though he possessed the Evil God’s power.
“Huh? Huhuhuhu? What’s that smell? So fragrant... so fragrant!!”
Just as Yun Che gave up, an eager girl’s voice suddenly sounded in his ears. At the same time, a red light flashed on his left arm, and Hong’er materialized on her own, her vermilion eyes anxiously darting around.
“Hong... Hong’er?” Hong’er often bypassed his will to appear forcibly; he was used to it. But... this was the bottom of the Burial God Fire Prison!
Yet, amidst this vast sea of flames, Hong’er showed no signs of distress whatsoever. She paid no attention to Yun Che’s words, her small nose constantly twitching. “So fragrant! So fragrant! I’ve never smelled anything so good before! Where is it, where is it... Huh?”
Hong’er’s gaze locked firmly onto the Golden Crow Sacred Sword.
Yun Che’s eyes also widened...
Wa... wait? Could she be... going to...
No... it can’t be, right?
“Waaah!” Hong’er let out a joyful cry, and at lightning speed, she threw herself directly at the Golden Crow Sacred Sword.