Chapter 85: Xuanjing Evil Phoenix

"Damn it! Just wait until I level up a few more times—I'll pin you down and rub your monkey face into the ground!"

Xiao Tianyang made a silent vow in his heart as he swiftly retrieved a two-meter-long leaf from his Ring mid-air.

The wind brushed past him as he grasped the leaf's stem, climbing onto it. The leaf itself, resembling a boat, gently descended through the sky.

"I thought I'd never need this thing, but thank goodness I kept it. Otherwise, I'd be a goner..."

Xiao Tianyang sat heavily on the leaf, wincing in pain as the corners of his lips twitched. He hurriedly took out various healing medicines—some for external wounds, some for internal injuries. At this point, he wasn't sparing a single resource.

However, treating his injuries was easier said than done. His fractures made movement difficult—only one arm was usable, and his back was unreachable, making things even more troublesome.

After painstakingly tending to his wounds, more than ten minutes had passed. Only then did Xiao Tianyang take the opportunity to assess his surroundings.

"I'm still about a thousand meters from the ground. I need to land as soon as possible. If I get spotted by flying spirit beasts, I'll be in serious trouble."

His heart sank to rock bottom.

He had just realized where he was—in the depths of the Star Dou Forest!

Not only that, but he was also still airborne!

Moments ago, he had been too injured and preoccupied to think about it. But now that he did, he realized he was in even greater danger than if he had been on the ground.

Here, he was completely exposed, without cover. If a spirit beast set its sights on him, he'd be nothing more than a moving target!

Gritting his teeth, Xiao Tianyang gripped the leaf stem tightly and pressed downward with all his strength. The slow descent abruptly quickened.

Just then, a chilling sense of danger surged through him.

Without hesitation, Xiao Tianyang rolled off the leaf!

"Boom!"

A burst of purple-black flames engulfed the leaf, reducing the valuable tool to ashes in an instant!

Twisting his body mid-air, Xiao Tianyang looked up and felt his pupils contract in shock.

Hovering above him was an enormous bird with a wingspan exceeding ten meters—a creature of unparalleled beauty.

Its purple-black feathers shimmered like polished gemstones under the moonlight, reflecting dazzling hues. But the most striking feature was the blazing tuft of purple-black flames atop its head.

A single glance sent an overwhelming sense of impending doom coursing through Xiao Tianyang's veins.

Not daring to delay, he activated his Ancient God's Eyes to scan for information on the creature.

What he saw only deepened his despair...

Spirit Beast: Xuanjing Evil Phoenix

Type: Divine Beast / Fire / Undead

Age: 60,200 years 

It wasn't just the beast's staggering age that filled Xiao Tianyang with dread—it was also its classification and his own critical condition!

"A Divine Beast!"

He had learned about them from his teacher.

Simply put, Divine Beasts were the apex predators of the spirit beast hierarchy—the ultimate fighters, invincible from birth!

And the "Undead" attribute? What did that mean?

"Immortality?!"

Then how the hell was he supposed to fight it?!

Before he could process his terror, the Xuanjing Evil Phoenix flapped its wings and dove at him, its razor-sharp talons glinting menacingly as they aimed straight for his vitals!

Xiao Tianyang's breath hitched. Desperately, he activated his Ancient God's Eyes once more, firing a beam of radiant energy!

A surge of danger rippled through the Xuanjing Evil Phoenix, causing it to recoil instinctively. However, it was too late—the beam moved far faster than the beast had anticipated!

The radiant energy sliced past its slender neck, severing a swath of its gemstone-like feathers. Instantly, a shower of fragrant blood spilled into the air.

"What the hell? Why does its blood smell so good?!"

Xiao Tianyang unconsciously inhaled the intoxicating aroma before snapping himself back to reality.

Because at that moment, he met the Xuanjing Evil Phoenix's furious gaze. The flames atop its head blazed even hotter.

"I need to get back to the ground! I stand no chance up here!"

Determined, Xiao Tianyang pulled out a massive cauldron, grabbed its handles, and let himself plummet!

By sheer luck, his sudden descent allowed him to narrowly evade another burst of deadly purple flames!

But the Xuanjing Evil Phoenix, now fully enraged and vowing to kill him at all costs, wasn't about to let him escape. It dove after him relentlessly, matching his speed with terrifying precision!

"Damn it! My fused flame martial soul is strong, but since it's also fire-attributed, it won't do much against this beast!"

"The Ancient God's Eyes are powerful, but without a spirit ring to amplify them, their soul power consumption is insane!"

"What do I do?!"

Hiding inside the cauldron, Xiao Tianyang's mind raced furiously.

In theory, his unique flame fusion was stronger than the Xuanjing Evil Phoenix's fire. But theory didn't matter—it all came down to strength and control.

He was only in his early thirties. No matter how powerful his abilities were, he was still bound by his current limitations.

It was like comparing a child wielding a divine sword to a seasoned warrior armed with a wooden club. The result was obvious.

"Wait! I have another martial spirit!"

A sudden realization struck him.

Raising his left hand, he summoned a weapon that had long been neglected—his exquisitely crafted long-handled scythe.

"I haven't used this for a while, but something always felt... off about it."

"No time to hesitate now. It's do or die!"

Gritting his teeth, Xiao Tianyang made up his mind.

Ding!

Side Quest Triggered: Survival In Despair

Objective: Survive!

Reward: Conceal your most guarded secrets!

This was the simplest task he had ever received. And the reward? Minimal.

But it was exactly what he needed!

Without hesitation, Xiao Tianyang swallowed three crimson pills, unleashing a tidal wave of soul power that surged through his body, flooding every limb and organ!

However, he was still at a bottleneck. His last elixir-fueled breakthrough had left him unable to surpass his current level until he absorbed a new spirit ring.

Which meant—

His body was now on the verge of self-destruction!

But this was a gamble he had no choice but to take!

Ignoring the searing pain, Xiao Tianyang poured his overflowing soul power into the Scythe of Judgement.

The delicate, silver-white scythe grew rapidly in his grip, reaching a massive two-and-a-half meters in length!

As he neared the ground, he looked up—The Xuanjing Evil Phoenix's beak was mere inches from his face!

With no time for fancy techniques—He swung the scythe in a single, devastating horizontal slash.

In that instant—The clouds above the entire Star Dou Forest— Split apart!

…

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