In an inn within the City of Martial Gods, Lin Fei met the Martial King with whom he had connected in the Martial God Space. To his surprise, it turned out to be a female Martial King.
Although there were female Martial Kings, they were relatively rare. The woman before him was breathtakingly beautiful, with fair skin and an exceptional aura, further enhancing her regal appearance. To possess such an aura was a rarity even among Martial Kings, hinting at a unique and rare bloodline.
"Ancient Origin Saber King, please have a seat," the female Martial King spoke.
Lin Fei's eyes sharpened, "You recognize me?"
"I've heard a thing or two," she said. "Especially about the Ancient Origin Saber King's recent annihilation of the four Nascent Soul cultivators of the Vast Void Immortal Sect. The news of you obliterating the sect has spread across the entire Ancient Continent. Even within the Martial God Space, your name is renowned."
"What should I address you as?" Lin Fei inquired.
The woman hesitated briefly before revealing, "Feng Ling."
"Martial King Feng Ling? The legendary one from a family with the bloodline of the True Phoenix, and currently its only Martial King?" Lin Fei's interest was piqued.
Martial King Feng Ling was a famous figure. Rumored to hail from the Feng family, whose lineage boasts the blood of the True Phoenix, a bloodline rivaling that of the top-tier deities.
However, the Feng family had never birthed a Martial God, and over the years, the potency of the True Phoenix bloodline had diluted. They were on the decline until the rise of the Martial King Feng Ling.
Feng Ling achieved the status of Martial King before the age of fifty and is now regarded as one of the best. The entire Feng family had placed their hopes on her, aspiring for her to break their shackles and ascend as a Martial God.
Therefore, Feng Ling was considered the most promising Martial King below the rank of Martial God. And now, she had come to see Lin Fei.
"You've sought me out for reasons beyond trading ice-attributed Divine Abilities, haven't you?" Lin Fei speculated, "After all, I doubt the Feng family possesses any ice-attributed Divine Abilities."
Their lineage was fire-attributed. What ice-attributed Divine Abilities could they have?
The Martial King Feng Ling chuckled, "Though our bloodline is fire-attributed, who said we lack ice-attributed Divine Abilities? Even if we don't have any, I can gather plenty for you."
Lin Fei stared intently at the Martial King Feng Ling and then, in a grave tone, said, "I need three hundred types of ice-attributed Divine Abilities. If you can deliver, name your price."
The reason Lin Fei needed three hundred ice-attributed Divine Abilities was based on his calculations. Previously, after integrating twenty-three Divine Abilities, he had enhanced his cultivation progress by 70%.
Approximately, merging one Divine Ability would improve his cultivation by 3%. Now, to achieve perfection, he would need to improve by about 230%, which translates to around eighty Divine Abilities.
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However, as one progresses, the effects of integrating Divine Abilities diminish. Especially when one nears the peak of transcendence, the number of required Divine Abilities might be immensely high.
Thus, after careful consideration, Lin Fei multiplied the number by several times. Nearly three hundred ice-attributed Divine Abilities seemed appropriate. This amount would undoubtedly elevate his Annihilation Frost Bloodline to perfection.
"Three hundred ice-attributed Divine Abilities?" Feng Ling couldn't hide her astonishment. Then, with a bitter smile, she said, "Ancient Origin Saber King, you really do ask for the moon. Even for my Feng family, gathering three hundred ice-attributed Divine Abilities would be a monumental task. However, if the Ancient Origin Saber King agrees to my request, no matter how challenging, my Feng family will fulfill it."
Lin Fei was taken aback. The prestigious Feng family, and Feng Ling, a top-tier Martial King – what could be so challenging that even she couldn't handle?
"What is it?" Lin Fei asked directly.
"Slay the True Phoenix!"
"What? Slay the True Phoenix?" Lin Fei's eyes flashed with surprise as he intently gazed at Phoenix Spirit King.
"Our Feng family possesses the blood of the True Phoenix. But as it has been passed down, the potency of this bloodline is no longer sufficient to support my ascension to Martial Godhood. Therefore, I need the genuine blood of the True Phoenix to merge with mine. In doing so, I can revert my lineage back to its origin. Once this reversion is achieved, I can harness the power of the True Phoenix bloodline to ascend as a Martial God," Feng Ling revealed her plan.
Turns out, while Feng Ling had an abundance of bloodlines, the core remained the True Phoenix bloodline. Its current state couldn't support her ascension to Martial Godhood.
The only way, perhaps the most direct one, was to slay a phoenix and assimilate its blood, thereby aiding in reverting her bloodline to its origin and subsequently, challenge the status of a Martial God.
But, this task is monumental. Everyone knows that a True Phoenix is on par with a top-tier Martial God. To hunt a phoenix? That's undoubtedly courting death!
"I'm sorry, but a True Phoenix is on par with Deity Transformation," Lin Fei said. "While I do possess some strength, I am not yet at a level where I can contend with a Deity Transformation." Shaking his head, he decisively refused. He could take his time gathering ice-attributed Divine Abilities, but slaying a phoenix? That's too risky. He wasn't willing to take such a gamble.
"Ancient Origin Saber King misunderstands," Feng Ling responded. "If it were a phoenix on par with a Martial God, how could I possibly ask you to slay it? The True Phoenix we're targeting this time is merely at the Martial King level. Or perhaps, to be precise, at the peak of the Martial King level. More importantly than killing it, we must not let it escape. Ancient Origin Saber King, you possess the Saber World, which can trap the True Phoenix, preventing its escape. This is the primary reason I sought you out. Of course, your formidable strength, on par with a peak Martial King, is also a significant aid in our mission."
Lin Fei understood. What Feng Ling coveted was his Saber World. Other peak Martial Kings or Nascent Souls might not possess the capabilities of Lin Fei's Saber World. Even if some had restrictive magical treasures, who could truly trap a phoenix? Only Lin Fei's perfected Saber World might be up to the task.
"Feng Ling, why is this phoenix merely at the peak Martial King level?" Lin Fei inquired. "Every True Phoenix is known to rival top-tier Deity Transformations, if not surpass them. Even an injured True Phoenix is at a god-like level."
Taking a deep breath, Feng Ling replied gravely, "This is the highest secret of the Feng family, one we would typically never divulge to outsiders. But given the circumstances, I have no choice. I can only hope that, no matter what, Ancient Origin Saber King will keep this secret. The truth is, this True Phoenix is not yet mature. It's merely in its juvenile stage. If the two of us join forces, there's a high probability we can suppress the young phoenix and obtain its blood."
Lin Fei was astounded. A juvenile phoenix! This was truly astonishing. Everyone knows that the true phoenix and the true dragon represent the pinnacle of divine creatures. If anyone were to learn of a juvenile true dragon or phoenix, it would inevitably create a monumental upheaval. The bloodlines of the true dragon and phoenix are coveted by countless individuals. Indeed, this was a significant secret of the Feng family.
For a moment, Lin Fei was lost in deep thought.