Inside the secret realm, trees were lush and green all around. There stood one towering tree, reaching high into the clouds, its canopy stretching for miles, overshadowing the sky. At a single glance, one could perceive the extraordinariness of this tree.

"That is the Phoenix Tree," said Feng Ling. "It has existed for countless eons. It's due to this tree that the Phoenix has chosen to stay in this realm. Even in its prime, the Phoenix cannot leave this realm. To find the Phoenix, one simply needs to locate the Phoenix Tree."

Lin Fei nodded in understanding. It was common knowledge that Phoenixes roosted in Phoenix Trees. And so, the two of them flew directly towards the tree. Before they even reached it, they felt an intense, burning heat. The air itself seemed to be aflame.

Fixing his gaze, Lin Fei could now see a blazing inferno, and within it, a crimson phoenix spreading its wings. His heart shuddered at the sight. A true Phoenix! This was the legendary divine creature, comparable in power to the pinnacle of Deity Transformation and the mightiest of Martial Gods.

However, although it was a terrifying divine creature, Lin Fei could distinctly feel that this Phoenix did not emanate an overpowering aura of life. Meaning that while it might be a divine creature, it hadn't yet reached its peak. In fact, it seemed to be still in its juvenile phase.

"My friend Lin, now do you believe that this Phoenix is still in its juvenile phase?" Feng Ling asked with a smile.

Having witnessed the Phoenix firsthand, Lin Fei, of course, believed. This Phoenix was indeed in its juvenile phase and had a long way to go before reaching maturity. Even though Phoenixes are said to be immortal, continually reborn from their ashes, their growth still takes time. And this time-lapse provides opportunities for other beings.

"When we act later on, try not to kill it," Feng Ling advised. "If we kill it, it will transform into an indestructible Phoenix egg, and who knows how long it would take for it to hatch again. We should try to capture it alive. Only by doing so can we obtain the Phoenix's bloodline."

Lin Fei nodded in agreement. The immortality of the Phoenix was not a mere saying. It might be difficult to kill, even for those of divine caliber. Perhaps only beings beyond the divine level can truly slay a Phoenix. When comparing vitality, Phoenixes are said to be much stronger than true dragons. There are tales of dragons falling, but very few, if any, of a Phoenix's demise.

Moreover, the offspring of a Phoenix are not Phoenixes. Once a Phoenix in the world perishes, its number decreases. Their number remains almost constant. Phoenixes might have offspring like peacocks, rocs, and possibly others, but their descendants will never be Phoenixes. This was one of the fascinating attributes of Phoenixes.

Lin Fei observed as the Phoenix flew up to perch on the Phoenix Tree, appearing like a flame, burning intensely.

"Get ready!" At that moment, Feng Ling gave a low command.

"Saber World!" Without hesitation, Lin Fei instantly unleashed Saber World.

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"Boom." Saber World descended, isolating its insides from the outside completely, trapping the phoenix. Rather than attacking, Lin Fei's Saber World mainly aimed to entrap and prevent the phoenix from escaping.

Right then, Feng Ling made her move. "Boom." Instead of fire, she summoned the wind. She knew all too well that using flames against a phoenix would be futile.

So, a roaring wind charged at the phoenix. Along with the gust, there seemed to be a shadow of a sword. Surprisingly, Feng Ling also possessed the bloodline of swordsmanship. This was beyond Lin Fei's expectations.

"Swish."

The sword shadow fiercely slashed down, but the phoenix, seemingly enraged, spat out a torrent of fire. It was the genuine phoenix flame, one that could incinerate the void. Even Lin Fei's Saber World seemed to be under immense pressure as if it could collapse at any moment. The phoenix's flames met Fengling's sword energy and reduced it to ashes instantly. As for the wild winds? They couldn't even get within ten meters of the phoenix.

Feng Ling's face changed drastically. "How can it be this powerful?" she exclaimed. "It's just in its juvenile stage, comparable to a Martial King at best. How can it be so strong that even I can't handle it?"

The revelation shook her; she was, after all, a top-tier Martial King. Yet she couldn't even deal with a juvenile phoenix. Worse still, she couldn't even get close to it!

"Ice Seal!" With gritted teeth, Feng Ling used another of her bloodlines. A chilling aura attempted to envelop the phoenix. However, before it could even approach the creature, it was melted by the intense flames surrounding the phoenix.

Three bloodlines! She had used three of her bloodlines, but even if Feng Ling had eight or nine bloodlines, what difference would it make? Her primary lineage was that of the phoenix, meaning most of her bloodlines were of the fire attribute. How could any fire attribute contend with a true phoenix?

"What a magnificent phoenix!" Lin Fei exclaimed in awe.

It was evident to Lin Fei that Feng Ling was now in an awkward situation, caught in a dilemma. In truth, Feng Ling's strength was by no means lacking. On the contrary, she was incredibly formidable! The three bloodlines she had unveiled—those of the sword, the wind, and the ice—were all potent. Taking into account her phoenix bloodline and other fire attribute bloodlines, Feng Ling truly stood at the pinnacle of Martial Kings.

In any other setting, against other Martial Kings or Nascent Soul Great Beings, Feng Ling would have feared no one. But now, she was facing a phoenix, an entity that countered her, rendering most of her bloodlines ineffective. It was as though, in front of the phoenix, she had suddenly lost over half of her power. How could she possibly fight in such a state?

Thus, Lin Fei stepped in.

"Heavenly Saber, Strike!"

In an instant, Lin Fei conjured a massive Heavenly Saber. He manifested his True Martial King Form, a towering figure spanning tens of thousands of meters. Combined with the grandiose Heavenly Saber in the void and the augmentation from the Saber World, the power behind Lin Fei's strike had reached its zenith.

"Annihilation Frost Bloodline!"

Just as the Heavenly Saber was about to descend, Lin Fei unleashed the Annihilation Frost Bloodline. Even though he was aware of the formidable nature of the phoenix flames, he still wanted to give it a try. After all, his Annihilation Frost Bloodline wasn't just any ordinary lineage—it was among the most elite. One could gauge its potency by considering how many ice attribute Divine Abilities were merged into it.

"Whooosh…"

A freezing aura permeated the air. While Feng Ling's ice couldn't penetrate the ten-meter radius around the phoenix, Lin Fei's frost bloodline managed to instantly freeze the bird, turning it into a crystal.

However, it lasted just a split second. Even though Lin Fei was swift, the phoenix still broke free in that brief moment.

"Boom!"

The next instant, Lin Fei's Heavenly Saber had struck down, landing on the phoenix.

"Squelch."

Contrary to Lin Fei's expectations, the body of the phoenix was sliced in half by his saber in a blink!