“I’m Yan Zhen, the Saint Son of Jialan Holy Land. I’m also the son-in-law of the Heavenly God Clan, Dragon God Clan, and Snake God Clan,” Yan Zhen said openly. “To be honest, in addition to the Dragon God Clan and Snake God Clan, the Heavenly God Clan will join our alliance too. Barring any surprises, the Star God Clan will as well.”
The Demon Phoenix King’s beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.
Even with her vast experience, she never imagined anyone could marry the daughters of three major God Clans at once. Her first instinct was to think Yan Zhen was lying. But the Myriad Dragon King and the Jade Dragon Consort, the Scarlet Python King and the Flower Snake Saint Lord—they all looked perfectly calm and composed. It didn’t seem like a fabrication.
Could this kid have something special about him?
“What Yan Zhen? This King has never heard of you,” she said.
“Now you have,” Yan Zhen replied. He gave the Demon Phoenix King no face at all—she didn’t deserve any. “Since you’re here, Demon Phoenix King, why not join our alliance too?”
The Demon Phoenix King narrowed her eyes.
“And if this King refuses?”
“No big deal. But when the Demon Domain stretches its claws toward the Phoenix God Clan, we’ll stand by and watch. At most, we’ll help recover the Phoenix God Artifact and the Phoenix Divine Authority.”
“How dare you!”
An invisible shockwave surged toward Yan Zhen, meant to put him in his place. But the Jade Dragon Consort and Flower Snake Saint Lord struck simultaneously, blocking the impact and dissipating it entirely.
The Demon Phoenix King’s expression darkened slightly. Her mind raced, but Yan Zhen continued.
“It might actually be better if you refuse to join. I’m rather looking forward to seeing the Phoenix God Clan wiped out. The Eighth Continent will be cleaner without you.”
It was the first time anyone had spoken of the Phoenix God Clan that way. The Demon Phoenix King gnashed her teeth.
“You brat, how dare you insult my Phoenix God Clan again and again!”
Even facing the fury of an Eight-Star Mystic Saint, Yan Zhen remained unmoved.
“I’m just speaking my mind. Now, let’s get to the point. The Demon Domain Lord was once a Deity. To evade the rejection of the Heavenly Mandate, he severed part of himself and descended to the Mystic Heaven Continent as a Nine Star Great Saint. He founded the Demon Domain to seize the Divine Authority from every clan. Once he claims a God Artifact or Divine Authority, he’ll have a way to restore his Deity cultivation. At that point, no one will be his match.”
“Nonsense!” The Demon Phoenix King refused to buy it. “Why should this King believe a word you say?”
Yan Zhen sneered. His gaze held no respect whatsoever—he was looking at a foolhardy bird.
“Believe it or not, that’s up to you. I’ve done my duty… Just like I said, the Phoenix God Clan could vanish tomorrow, and I wouldn’t shed a tear. Farewell. Safe travels—no need to see you out.”
The Demon Phoenix King didn’t leave. She just stared coldly at Yan Zhen, her phoenix eyes flashing with sharp light. After a long moment, she turned to the Myriad Dragon King and Scarlet Python King.
“You two actually believe the ravings of this greenhorn?”
But everyone in the hall looked at her like the foolhardy bird she was. No one bothered to explain. Long Ying, Qing Ling, and Cai Lian were all reincarnators.
This was the consequence of her usual arrogance—no one treated her like a potential ally and simply shut her out.
The Demon Phoenix King realized it too. Her face flushed with embarrassment.
“Fine, form your alliance if you want. As long as the peace treaty holds, you can’t touch my Phoenix God Clan. We’ll see what happens in a hundred years!”
With that, she flicked her sleeve forcefully and turned to leave. A space portal even shimmered into existence.
But Yan Zhen spoke up again.
“The Phoenix God Clan’s God Artifact has a problem, right?”
The Demon Phoenix King’s steps halted abruptly. She stood with her back to the group, utterly still.
The leaders of the Dragon and Snake Clans perked up with interest. Though Long Ying and Qing Ling had already mentioned it, they didn’t know the details.
Yan Zhen fell silent, waiting patiently.
After a long while, the Demon Phoenix King slowly turned around. Her gaze was calm as she looked at Yan Zhen.
“It seems you really do intend to target the Phoenix God Clan. Otherwise, you wouldn’t probe like this. Very well, come at us then. My Phoenix God Clan doesn’t start trouble, but we don’t fear it either!”
How familiar—that tough talk.
Yan Zhen nearly laughed. He said leisurely, “Your God Artifact has an issue. To be precise, its Artifact Spirit has fallen asleep. You can barely operate it, bringing out only half its power. The thing to awaken the Artifact Spirit, the Holy Soul Treasure Jade, belongs to the Dragon God Clan. That’s why you sent people to bully them and use Long Ying as leverage. Am I right, Demon Phoenix King?”
Waves of shock crashed through the Demon Phoenix King’s heart. She had the eerie feeling that this youth had seen right through her. Even her face paled involuntarily. She forced herself to retort, “Are the people of the Seven Continents Holy Lands only capable of spouting lies?”
“The God Clans’ greatest reliance is their God Artifacts and Divine Authority. Usually, it’s the artifacts, since Divine Authority is incredibly hard to wield—it requires a God-level bloodline or multiple Saint-level bloodlines working together.” Yan Zhen spoke as if to himself. “If I recall, the Phoenix God Clan has no God-level bloodline, and only three Saint-level ones: you, Demon Phoenix King; the Resplendent Phoenix Saint Lord; and the Phoenix Goddess. The other five Phoenix Saint Lords are just shy, with eighty or ninety percent of a Heaven-Grade bloodline. Activating the Phoenix Divine Authority would cost you dearly. And now, with the Phoenix God Artifact at half strength, if you clash with other God Clans… there’s only one possible outcome—”
Yan Zhen paused deliberately here, savoring the Demon Phoenix King’s stiff expression.
“You’ll be utterly crushed.”
Silence.
The hall fell deathly quiet.
The Myriad Dragon King, Jade Dragon Consort, Scarlet Python King, and Flower Snake Saint Lord all shot Yan Zhen surprised looks. This kid seemed harmless, but he was deviously cunning.
And how did he know so much about the Phoenix God Clan?
He wasn’t even a reincarnator.
Qing Ling and Cai Lian were surprised too. Some details even they didn’t know—how was Yan Zhen so well-informed? Did his three masters tell him?
Only Long Ying thought, Yan Zhen is so handsome! She gazed at her beloved with starry eyes.
After a long moment, the Demon Phoenix King’s tense body finally relaxed. Her earlier arrogance was gone.
“This King agrees. We’ll join the alliance.”
But Yan Zhen hesitated. “On second thought, maybe not. I’m afraid of getting stabbed in the back by a liability teammate.”
Liability teammate… The Demon Phoenix King wanted to skin Yan Zhen alive right then.
“This King keeps her word and never goes back on it. If you don’t believe me, I can swear a Great Dao oath.”
Swearing an oath would actually benefit her.
Yan Zhen shook his head. This little fairy’s boss was clueless about the ways of the world.
“No need for oaths. Just pay the joining fee: ten Nirvana Fruits, plus the Thousand Feathers Phoenix Immortal Fire.”
The Demon Phoenix King’s phoenix eyes bulged. She never expected him to say that. Regaining her composure, she exploded in fury.
“Why not just go rob someone?”
Yan Zhen scratched his cheek sheepishly at her words. “I am robbing you. Don’t tell me you think otherwise, Demon Phoenix King?”
The Demon Phoenix King had lived for centuries, but no one had ever infuriated her like this. Her Mystic Saint cultivation nearly erupted, but she held it back.
“This King will give three Nirvana Fruits. The Thousand Feathers Phoenix Immortal Fire is our clan’s sacred treasure—don’t even dream of it!”
Heh, the little fairy still couldn’t read the room. Both the person and the fire were still with the Dragon God Clan. Who was she to negotiate?
If not for the Phoenix God Artifact and Divine Authority, he really wouldn’t want to team up with these birdbrains.
Yan Zhen said flatly, “Don’t push your luck. Ten Nirvana Fruits plus the Thousand Feathers Phoenix Immortal Fire—no less. Hand them over, and we’ll release your people. We won’t spread word of the artifact’s malfunction either. As for the alliance, do what you want. I won’t force you.”
