Peng City
This capital city had enjoyed over a thousand years of peace. By now, it was flourishing with human brilliance and prosperous riches. During the day were carriages and horses while bright lights illuminated the night.
Amongst the Three Kingdoms, Great Ming was the strongest. Great Han had inherited the most from Former Qin's legacy while Great Chu had quietly become the wealthiest!
"Smoky willows, verdant curtains. Ten thousand differently styled households..."
Gazing down at Peng City from the air, even Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler couldn't help being influenced by the capital scenery.
She thought: "I only need to kill a single person surnamed Fan. Then after Zhi'er becomes the empress, Chu's wealth would become freely available!"
There were three majestic building complexes in the city that stood out the most. The Great Chu Imperial Palace, Dragon God Palace, and the Fan Estate.
"Forget the imperial palace. But I'll get both Dragon God Palace and the Fan Estate. Although there's not much use for them, I can receive the other Pure Land Sage Rulers to let them know of my capabilities!"
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler was in an extremely good mood. She stood with arms folded in midair, her gaze finally settling onto Dragon God Palace. She gently floated down.
"Wu Gang, come out!" Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler arrived at the square outside Dragon God Palace without forcing her way inside.
Wu Gang was currently Great Chu's guardian deity beast with a prestigious status. Moreover, she had cultivated a dragon body and reached first grade Great Vehicle Realm. Her strength actually wasn't that much weaker than Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler – only one level behind.
Giving face first before resorting to force. Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler was currently willing to grant Wu Gang some face.
Moreover, she heard that Wu Gang had imprisoned Fan Li. Since the enemy's enemy is a friend, Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler felt there was no need to come into conflict against her.
The palace doors slowly opened with the sound of wood scraping. A woman dressed in black exited the hall, standing atop the stairs ten zhang away to overlook Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler silently waiting down below.
"I am Wu Gang."
"I'm called Blood Phoenix, from Brahma Sound Pure Land." Blood Phoenix smiled and said, "I heard Fan Li offended you? If you hand him to me, I'll kill him for you."
Yet Wu Gang remained very quiet without saying a word, only calmly watching Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler.
After briefly waiting for a while, Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler started losing her patience. She frowned and asked, "What's the meaning of this? You're unwilling?"
Wu Gang still didn't speak.
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler finally sensed something was off. Could Wu Gang be stalling for time?
She coldly said, "You already knew I was coming? You deliberately waited here for me? Are you working together with Fan Li!?"
Wu Gang nodded. "Mm."
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler was shocked!
Such critical intel yet Xiang Chong didn't tell her about any of this!?
What was he eating shit for!?
An additional Great Vehicle Realm opponent appeared from nowhere, frustrating Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler very much. But she was still fully confident in defeating Wu Gang since the latter was one rank beneath her.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
"What benefit did Fan Li give you? As long as you're willing to follow me, I can only give you more!" Blood Phoenix bit out.
Yet Wu Gang only shook her head. "Useless. I swore by the Heavenly Dao to acknowledge him as my master."
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler now thoroughly freaked out!
To make a Great Vehicle Realm expert acknowledge a master!?
How could there be such an absurd thing in this world?
She'd heard Fan Li had only started cultivating recently. His strength was pathetically weak at the Foundation realm!
"Not right!"
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler suddenly realized there was an issue. Since Wu Gang already knew about her arrival, then Dragon God Palace must be a trap aimed specifically at her!
She definitely wouldn't believe Fan Li's schemes alone could defeat her. But it was very possible Fan Li wasn't inside Dragon God Palace at all!
Killing Fan Li was Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler's sole target! She immediately prepared to leave even if Wu Gang insisted on tangling with her. No matter what, Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler absolutely wouldn't waste time with her.
"Holy Master graces Peng City with her presence today. This Fan should've properly welcomed you as host. Unfortunately, cowardly me fears death too much and needs someone to protect me before daring to greet Holy Master from afar."
Right when Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler was about to depart, the languid and somewhat irritating voice sounded from within Dragon God Palace.
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler was briefly stunned before sinisterly laughing in joy!
Inside the grand hall, a man smilingly waved at her. If it wasn't Fan Li then who else could it be?
"Hmph! Or maybe you think Wu Gang alone can ensure your safety? Truly stupid to the extreme!"
From beyond Wu Gang, Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler sized up Fan Li.
She had the Brahma Sound Pure Land secret technique allowing her to see through various disguises and illusions. Her eyes emitted a faint rippling glow.
After she finished utilizing the secret technique, she confirmed the man inside Dragon God Palace had no disguise whatsoever. His appearance before her now was his true face.
Fan Li's cultivation was indeed pitifully weak like the rumors said at the Foundation Realm!
"If Wu Gang can do this junior a favor, I can recommend you entry into my Brahma Sound Pure Land to cultivate." Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler suddenly said.
This was an extremely enticing temptation!
The reason why Brahma Sound Pure Land had the qualifications to be deemed a 'Holy Land' was because of the extremely high success rate of ascension for its cultivators.
Over half the previous generations of Sage Rulers in that Pure Land had ascended into the immortal realms!
But the admission standards were also extremely harsh. Unless exceptionally outstanding talents were selected from a young age like Princess Chang Le and taken in by the Pure Land to officially become disciples, it was nearly impossible for outsiders to enter at will. They would only be seen by the Sage Rulers as thieves coveting the Pure Land's secret techniques.
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler's words weren't truly meant to welcome Wu Gang into the Pure Land. Since Wu Gang had already submitted to Fan Li, then they were surely enemies rather than friends!
She only wanted to confuse Wu Gang for an instant, seizing the opportunity to launch a sneak attack. And it worked!
Wu Gang's eyes revealed bewilderment! She seemed to have been moved?
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler sinisterly laughed before her figure abruptly blurred, actually managing to quickly flash past Wu Gang to kill Fan Li hiding inside Dragon God Palace!
"Die! Stupid man!" She reached out with a single hand, wanting to pinch Fan Li to death like an ant.
The speed of a second grade Great Vehicle Realm cultivator was truly too fast. Fan Li didn't have any reaction time at all. His gaze was still fixed at Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler's original standing position before she attacked.
"Success!" Joy ignited within Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler's heart. With such a vast disparity in strength, Fan Li was completely unable to resist!
But right as she thought this, she saw an obstruction abruptly manifest itself, perfectly blocking her path one zhang away from Fan Li.
The fingers Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler stretched out ahead of her struck the barrier, instantly causing sharp piercing pain!
"What defense is this? How am I unable to break through with my strength?"
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler was greatly alarmed! But in the next second, something even more shocking occurred!
That barrier which resembled rock and dirt surprisingly contained some offensive power. It bulldozed forward, crashing into Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler's body and sending her flying out from Dragon God Palace.
"There's another expert here!?" Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler awkwardly came to a midair halt. Fortunately she wasn't injured. But she immediately understood there was actually another expert protecting Fan Li inside Dragon God Palace.
Brilliant radiance flashed as if the rising sun. Instantly, the barrier enlarged by a hundredfold, completely enveloping the entirety of Dragon God Palace to form a flawless spherical shield.
Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler was extremely knowledgeable. She couldn't help crying out in astonishment, "Confucianist and Taoist treasure, Annals of Lü Buwei!?"
But before she could react, a fierce gale erupted from behind her. Instinctively glancing back, the only thing Blood Phoenix Sage Ruler caught sight of was an enormous pillar-like shadow smashing towards her.
Crack!
She was heavily knocked down from the sky by the tail of the Black Dragon!