A month passed in the blink of an eye, and the time of the fated battle arrived. Heifeng Jiansui and Heifeng Xingmei stared at each other in a small 9x9 m. arena. The arena consisted on 9 boxes of 3 m length and breadth, like in a tic-tac-toe game.

Heifeng Jiansui was decked in top-grade Mortal Rank equipment while Nineprime was sheathed on his hip. All the equipment had been personally forged to increase defense while not impeding movement.

Meanwhile, Heifeng Xingmei was wearing a skin-tight black battle dress with a black spear. Both of them were top-grade Mortal equipment, with the spear being the same one Heifeng Jiansui had forged for her long back.

“Couldn’t you find a better weapon? It’s still the same after these years…” Hefeng Jiansui couldn’t help but say this on seeing the spear he had forged.

Xingmei had a bitter smile as she responded. “Little brother’s craftsmanship is supreme. Finding a better weapon is near-impossible and even if I find one, I have devoted myself into becoming one with the spear… It will more likely lower my fighting strength.”

“So the formation to teleport us to the Ancestral Succession Selection Arena hasn’t activated yet. How long is it going to take?” Xingmei seemed to be getting bored. This situation was more like waiting on the gallows.

“It won’t take too long, the preparations for this have been the top priority of the Palace… I suppose they are letting us engage in pre-battle banter, to mentally weaken each other before the match…” Heifeng Jiansui answered.

“I don’t feel like exchanging any banter.” “Neither do I.” Both the siblings replied one after another.

“Well, the only thing to do is wait here…” Like this, both the siblings closed their eyes and meditated before an official arrived.

“The teleportation formation is ready. Please prepare yourself and do not move.” After saying this, he returned as bright lights flashed around the 9x9 arena. And the two siblings disappeared, carried away into a dimensional realm!

+++

The dimensional realm seemed vast without end. The ground had a massive black phoenix carved on it, while the sky had streaks of the nine elemental colors flying everywhere. Looking at Xingmei, Heifeng Jiansui realized that she had been teleported around 25 m away from him.

Suddenly, a sweet but chilling birdsong was heard. “The battle for the succession of the Black Phoenix Clans begins!” The voice brought up a killing frenzy within Heifeng Jiansui, and all thoughts of mercy towards his sister were exterminated!

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Hefeng Jiansui was shocked by this state that was caused by the arena, and took a moment to eliminate the frenzy. In that time, Heifeng Xingmei had already rushed at him with berserk speed!

The spear in her hand was like a flying dragon, striking at him with dominating will! Unlike Heifeng Jiansui who had broken through the mental frenzy, Heifeng Xingmei had been strengthened by it!

The spear had twin streams of ice and fire revolving on its tip. The opposing elements were not forced to harmonize, but their suppression of each other was combined to form an explosive force at the speartip! This technique was stronger and less complicated that harmonizing ice and fire!

Facing the spear, Heifeng Jiansui did not draw his sword. Instead, his palms were extended, glowing white like silver. Razor sharp sword intent shone with glory!

Heifeng Xingmei had chosen to specialize in the Dark Phoenix Allbeast Ruler art. Among the supreme techniques within the Palace library, it had the most diverse skills: Beast taming, bloodline refining, body tempering, soul cultivation, qi attacks, battle spirit techniques, bloodline arts… This technique required years to cultivate, however Xingmei was the elder sibling by 6 years of age! Cultivating it from the age of 3 when her physique gained enough strength to practice martial arts, she had mastered its fundamentals and the first layer at the age of 13!

With the spear strikes, along with explosive power of ice and fire, her innate qi, blood and spirit were in harmony. Heifeng Jiansui faced the dominating power with only his sword palms. Sword finger, sword claw, sword palm, sword fist… without drawing his sword, Heifeng Jiansui calmly faced the onslaught of strikes!

With every blow blocked, Heifeng Xingmei’s assault began to grow more frenzied. She knew Heifeng Jiansui was a swordfighter, however he battled her with his bare hands? Even now before killing her, he still wanted to humiliate her?

With these thoughts, Heifeng Xingmei unexpectedly fell into harmony with the berserking frenzy! Her strength and speed multiplied, but she still couldn’t suppress her opponent! So she used a trump card originally impossible for her to use, Battle Spirit Fusion!

The shadow of a towering Black Phoenix materialized behind Xingmei and entered her body! Her eyes slanted upards and turned yellow, and black feathery wings sprung out from her back! Her bones became reed thin, and her fists and feet transformed into sharp claws!

Originally, human martial artists with divine beast bloodlines would awaken a battle spirit possessing one aspect of their ancestral heritage. For example, the five maids of Heifeng Jiansui’s battle spirits! However, Heifeng Xingmei actually possessed a complete Black Phoenix battle spirit!

Fusing with it was something possible only for cultivators entering Third Stage of the Body Transformation realm: Battle Spirit! But the berserking frenzy must have removed the shackles blocking her, allowing her forcefully fuse with her battle spirit!

Heifeng Xingmei originally possessed 75% pure Black Phoenix bloodlines! Her body was already extremely capable of fusing with her battle spirit! Now that she fused, she was like a tiger given wings!

Of course, only fusing with the battle spirit wasn’t enough. Her blood essence burned as she awakened the power of her bloodlines, forcing her body through more transformations! With the blood and spirit of a Black Phoenix, she could no longer be mistaken for a human!

Slash, slash, slash… She had already thrown away her spear. But the black claws leaving various afterimages in the air were not inferior to spear strikes! Like Heifeng Jiansui turning his fists to swords, she had infused the essence of spears into her fists! Meanwhile, ice and fire casually flashed from every blow, bolstered by heavy wind. The current her didn’t need to consciously control the elemental forces anymore.

But even she who could no longer be compared to human could not cut a strand of her opponent’s hair. She finally realized that she didn’t need the exceeding power of one but the overwhelming power of many!

“Black Phoenix Allbeast Rule!” The dominating words called out the technique that named the supreme art! And the black phoenix aura emitting from her blood and spirit dissipated around her, giving rise to countless beasts!

Wolves, panthers, lions, tigers, elephants, eagles, crocodiles… Even divine beasts like rocs and dragons appeared. A veritable army of beasts appeared at her call. Under them shone the Black Phoenix Allbeast Formation, empowering them with the energy gathered from the surrounding world.

Heifeng Xingmei’s face seemed pale due to loss of blood essence. The beasts were formed from the various beast bloodlines she had fused. A large amount of blood essence had been consumed for this trump card. But finally, her invincible opponent seemed to have been cornered!