Initially, Li Haoran had resisted Su Yiren. How could a dignified man like him live off a woman? He wanted to be independent and self-reliant like Senior Brother Lu.
Later, he found Su Yiren beautiful, kind-hearted, gentle, considerate, and full of maternal warmth, making one unable to resist acting spoiled around her.
Now, seeing every punch and kick of hers brimming with raw, terrifying power—beating the phoenix so hard it couldn't even crawl back up—he felt his slender frame was certainly no sturdier than a phoenix. For the sake of personal safety, it was best to keep his distance from Su Yiren.
This was what they called staying true to one's original aspiration.
Li Haoran's legs trembled as he snuffed out any budding thoughts of living off a woman.
He had the mind for it, but not the bones to survive it.
Holding her arm while walking down the street had only cost him a broken arm. If their relationship progressed any further, he didn't dare imagine what kind of brutal devastation his body would endure.
Lu Yang seemed to read Li Haoran's mental state and patted him on the shoulder. "Everything has its pros and cons."
Never mind Li Haoran; even the Commandery Governor and the Mo Family Patriarch shuddered at Su Yiren's horrifying combat style.
This senior looked so delicate and gentle, so how could she seem like a completely different person the moment she threw a punch?
They had come underground to see if there was any place they could help, but now they worried that if they stepped in to assist, Su Yiren might just thrash them as well while she was at it.
"Is this Dao Seeking Sect senior a body cultivator?"
The two of them still assumed Su Yiren was an elder or similar figure from the Dao Seeking Sect.
"Senior Su isn't a senior from our Dao Seeking Sect—she's his fiancée," Meng Jingzhou said, solemnly gesturing toward Li Haoran, outstanding youth of Luofeng Commandery.
The Commandery Governor and the Mo Family Patriarch immediately looked upon Li Haoran with solemn respect.
While the group above chatted and laughed, the Nine Nether cultist below was not having a good time.
To refine the phoenix corpse, wipe out Luofeng Commandery, and sow discord between the human race and the Phoenix Clan, he had plotted for years—scouring archives, combing ancient tomes, consulting seniors, and exploring ancient ruins—until he finally unearthed the method to refine the corpse.
The Phoenix Clan was pacifist and enjoyed relatively harmonious relations with humanity. If he could use the pretext of refining the phoenix corpse to incite conflict and escalate it into war, casualties would be astronomical, sending countless souls into reincarnation.
Just one step away!
Just one single step!
How had a Body Integration cultivator suddenly popped out of nowhere?!
"Even if you're in the Body Integration stage, it won't do!" the Nine Nether cultist shrieked, completely crazed.
Controlling such a colossal corpse severely tested both his cultivation and his mental energy.
Ordinarily, other Nine Nether cultists would have helped shoulder the burden of controlling it, but Su Yiren had already slaughtered them.
The ancient phoenix erupted into roaring flames, crackling violently, to the point where even the space around it showed signs of distorting. Even standing at the far edge, Lu Yang's group could feel rolling heatwaves crashing over them, wave upon wave.
With no other choice, the Commandery Governor pulled a string of golden bells from his storage ring, casting a barrier over everyone.
Su Yiren stomped down onto the phoenix's back, sending it crashing downward, but the flames showed no sign of abating.
The Phoenix True Flame could melt all things, and earth was no exception. This very subterranean cavern had been burned out by the True Flame; if it was allowed to spread, the entirety of Luofeng Commandery would be plunged into a sea of fire!
Phoenix True Flame and Golden Dragon True Flame were flames on par with Samadhi True Fire, renowned throughout the world.
"When the Phoenix True Flame blazes, it's as troublesome to deal with as ever," the Immortal Fairy remarked while watching the battle from the spiritual space, reminiscing about the Phoenix Clan prodigy she had once taught.
The prodigies of both the dragon and phoenix races naturally mastered their clans' signature abilities, wielding their flames to absolute perfection—flames exceptionally suited for cooking.
"Is there any way to counter it?" Lu Yang asked hurriedly. If there wasn't, his only option would be to summon Eldest Senior Sister.
"Right in the middle of the neck is an acupoint unique to phoenixes, which serves as the source of the Phoenix True Flame. Strike that acupoint, and it won't be able to breathe flame anymore!" The Immortal Fairy didn't drop the ball this time, offering a solution at the crucial moment.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yang quickly sent a voice transmission to Su Yiren. Surprised, Su Yiren glanced back at Lu Yang, but didn't overthink it, assuming the Dao Seeking Sect disciple was well-read and had heard about it during a lecture from his masters.
After all, his master was the Dao Seeking Sect Master.
Su Yiren zeroed in on the spot Lu Yang described and charged forward. The Phoenix True Flame surged toward her like mad. Pulling her fingers tight, she clenched her right hand into a fist at her waist, unleashed her full force, and threw a punch that completely warped the space before her, keeping the Phoenix True Flame from getting any closer.
"Die!"
Su Yiren threw another punch, producing a sound like muffled thunder as it struck the ancient phoenix's neck. As if severed from its source, the Phoenix True Flame gradually died out.
"What's going on?!" The Nine Nether cultist was struck with horror. The Phoenix True Flame was said to melt all things and be inextinguishable—how could it just vanish?
What the Immortal Fairy had told Lu Yang was a closely guarded secret of the Phoenix Clan, known by few even within the clan itself, let alone a Nine Nether cultist.
Deprived of the Phoenix True Flame, the ancient phoenix was no longer a threat. The Nine Nether cultist still wanted to fight desperately to carve a path of blood, but Su Yiren battered him until he couldn't move an inch.
Su Yiren was fuming inside as well. She had pretended to be a quiet, ladylike maiden for several days and had finally managed to leave a good impression on Li Haoran, only for this bastard to ruin it all!
Damn Nine Nether Cult!
Die, die, die!
Watching Su Yiren's earth-shaking fists rain down blow after blow, Li Haoran's eyelid twitched uncontrollably.
If those landed on him, he doubted even his soul would survive.
Finally, Su Yiren delivered an incomparably fierce and unyielding punch. The boom traveled through the earth and rang across all of Luofeng Commandery, signaling the end of the battle.
She tore an opening in the phoenix corpse, hauled out the Nine Nether cultist, and searched his soul on the spot, her brow furrowing immediately afterward.
During the battle just now, the cultist had exerted his divine sense far beyond its limits, leaving his mind an utter mess with nothing legible.
In other words, the cultist had already gone mad.
"Unlucky," Su Yiren muttered, snapping the cultist's neck and sending him to the Nine Nether.
The cavern left by the battle underground was somewhat tricky to deal with. For the time being, Su Yiren used the power of rules to stabilize the space above, leaving the rest for the Great Xia Dynasty to send personnel to handle.
After all, she was not skilled in such matters.
"Many thanks for Senior's assistance! Without Senior, Luofeng Commandery surely would not have escaped this catastrophe," the Commandery Governor said, cupping his fists in heartfelt gratitude.
"Don't be so quick to thank me. Why don't you explain what's going on with this Phoenix Blood Stone?"
"Senior, there really isn't much to this Phoenix Blood Stone. I just found it curious..." The Commandery Governor clearly did not want to tell everyone the truth.
Lu Yang took out an image-recording orb. "This contains proof of Your Excellency the Commandery Governor trespassing into a private residence, stealing property, and defecting to the Nine Nether Cult."
"Wait a second! Trespassing and theft are one thing, but when did I defect to the Nine Nether Cult?!"
Lu Yang played the image-recording orb. In the projection, the Nine Nether cultist vaulted over the wall, with the Commandery Governor and the Mo Family Patriarch following right behind him, all heading toward Meng Jingzhou's guest room together.
The recording cut off right there.
"What about after that?! Where's the footage of the two of us sussing out the Nine Nether Cult's objective and preparing to fight?!" The Commandery Governor and the Mo Family Patriarch flared up in panic.
Lu Yang said deadpan, "The image-recording orb broke. It won't display the rest."
"If Lord Governor is willing to explain the reasons to us, perhaps I might find a way to fix the image-recording orb."
"The disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect truly live up to their reputation," the Commandery Governor grated out through clenched teeth.
Chapter 228