53: I have met the Phoenix Lord

After his Breakthrough, Qing Wu entered a long period of secluded cultivation.

On one hand, it was to stabilize his current Realm and use the insights from his recent Breakthrough to further elevate his cultivation.

On the other hand, it was to comprehend a certain Divine Ability.

This was a state he had achieved during his Breakthrough; it was truly mysterious and wondrous.

After tens of thousands of years in seclusion, Qing Wu finally opened his eyes, which reflected the scene of Pangu creating the heavens.

Qing Wu stood up and slowly stepped forward; with every step he took, his figure surged by ten thousand feet.

By the seventh step, his hair had transformed into a green waterfall hanging from the sky, with every strand entwined with the power of the galaxy. The Azure Wood Dao Seal on his forehead expanded into the mark of a world, within which mountains and rivers were clearly visible.

Upon his arms, Earth Vein Dragon Qi flowed between the textures of his muscles; a gentle wave caused this world to tremble slightly.

As he breathed, the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi flowed incessantly.

When the Divine Ability was fully deployed, the entire Immortal Volcano was shrouded beneath his shadow.

This was no longer an ordinary art of size transformation, but a true union with the Dao in every sense.

At this moment, Qing Wu was the walking Law of this world.

Qing Wu did not allow this shocking state to persist for long.

As he withdrew the Divine Ability, with every inch his body shrank, Great Dao runes peeled off from his skin and merged back into the world.

Finally returning to his normal size, Qing Wu then continued his secluded meditation... Heaven and Earth Manifestation—it was complete!

This was worlds apart from the Heaven and Earth Manifestation that Yang Jian would later comprehend from the Eight-Nine Arcane Art.

The Eight-Nine Arcane Art was a Cultivation Technique later adapted by Yuanshi Tianzun using Saintly methods from the Wu Clan's Nine Revolutions of Profound Art to suit his disciples' cultivation.

Having undergone numerous deletions and revisions, the effects of its cultivation were naturally greatly diminished.

However, what Qing Wu had comprehended was the most direct insight gained from observing the heroic bearing of the Pangu Great God in the Pangu Shrine.

That towering figure, head like a mountain, eyes like the sun and moon, breath turning into wind and thunder, and a single step crossing rivers.

Dao patterns surrounded his body, triggering the resonance of the Laws.

Standing there, one would know who the supreme being of this world was.

This was—Heaven and Earth Manifestation!

Back then, he had yearned for this majestic posture that could hold the sun and moon in its palms and pluck the stars with its hands.

And the more he meditated on it, the more he discovered the extraordinary nature of this Divine Ability.

It was not as simple as making one's body as large as the heavens and earth.

Rather, it was to emulate the world, blessing oneself with numerous Laws, remaining immortal through ten thousand techniques, and viewing all living beings as insignificant.

Absolute supremacy, surpassed by none.

In short, once the Divine Ability was unleashed, all beings were equal; no matter how you changed, I would be an existence you could only look up to.

Meanwhile, standing above the Void Realm, Yuan Feng sighed softly and then withdrew her various Divine Abilities and Magic Treasures.

Seeing this heroic bearing, which seemed like a reappearance of the Pangu Great God, truly gave her a shock.

Back then, she had entered the Pangu Shrine with him to witness the Pangu Great God's world-creating posture, and she was filled with admiration.

But honestly, she herself would never have had the slightest thought of emulating the appearance of the Pangu Great God.

She hadn't expected that Qing Wu would actually be able to master such a Divine Ability.

However, it was truly not easy to completely conceal such an anomaly.

The wisps of aura that leaked out still caused a commotion within the Immortal Volcano.

"I hope he doesn't suddenly spring any more surprises..." Beyond the layers of the Immortal Volcano, the two figures who had just arrived also paused.

With Ling Ming's cultivation, he could naturally capture the faint aura leaking between heaven and earth.

However, as a half-step Hunyuan Golden Immortal, he had ultimately overestimated his own strength.

That overwhelming and majestic figure made his heart skip a beat, and he couldn't help but want to kneel in submission.

Fortunately, this pressure only lasted for a moment before it was withdrawn.

But Ling Ming's heart remained unsettled for a long time.

"Could it be that person calculated I would come here and gave me this show of strength as a warning!"

Thinking of this, Ling Ming couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

He believed he had no grievances with that person.

Even toward Yuan Feng, he only harbored thoughts of pursuit and had never considered becoming her enemy.

But why would that person give him such a warning?

He turned to look at the small figure beside him; the young girl was currently tilting her head, looking at him with slight confusion.

Having just completed her transformation, the girl only had the cultivation of a Golden Immortal and naturally hadn't noticed the wisp of aura that had dissipated between heaven and earth just now.

In her eyes, her Old Ancestor suddenly bristling was very perplexing.

"Old Ancestor, have we arrived?"

Hearing the girl's question, Ling Ming composed himself slightly and nodded, "This is where the Phoenix Lord resides. She is an extremely noble existence; you must behave well when you see her."

Hearing this, the girl blinked and asked, "Is she even more noble than Old Ancestor?"

In her eyes, as the lord of many birds, the Old Ancestor was undoubtedly the most noble existence.

From what the Old Ancestor said, since this Phoenix Lord was also of the bird species, she shouldn't be able to compare to her own Old Ancestor, right?

However, seeing the Old Ancestor's extremely respectful attitude toward her made it a bit confusing for the girl.

Ling Ming was somewhat at a loss for words; he couldn't very well admit to her face that he was inferior to her.

He reached out and stroked her head, "You will see for yourself when you meet her."

The girl frowned slightly; for some reason, she felt her Old Ancestor was a bit guilty, but she had no proof.

"Ling Ming has come to visit the two Fellow Daoists; please show yourselves for a meeting."

Ling Ming sent a voice transmission, and before long, two figures appeared, but they were not Qing Wu and Yuan Feng. Behind them followed a... spiritual pet.

Tiangou hadn't been out for a long time and was currently a bit excited.

It did a somersault and landed in front of the girl, seemingly very curious about her, its eyes scanning her up and down.

The girl was also very curious when she saw this little winged thing. She reached out to touch its head, but a bit of leaking lightning power numbed its whole body.

Tiangou jumped back and started barking and grumbling, which amused the girl.

"Xiao Bai, how can you be so rude when guests have arrived?"

Jin Feng caught up and punched Tiangou on the head, making it quiet down.

"Senior, the Daoist Venerable has matters to attend to and cannot leave, so she sent us to welcome you."

Ling Ming breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this; as long as they weren't being avoided, it was fine.

"Please follow us inside, Senior." Qing Luan was already leading the way.

Jin Feng also took a liking to the girl and, like a caring older sister, began to chat with her.

Before long, they were led to the outside of a palace.

Following behind Jin Feng, the girl curiously examined this simple palace.

She had thought that the residence of an existence her Old Ancestor feared so much would surely be magnificent, but she didn't expect it to be so unadorned and natural.

However, the moment the palace doors slowly opened, all the thoughts in her heart were crushed to pieces, leaving only sincerity.

There were no lavish decorations inside the hall, only a single figure sitting upright on a throne carved from Wutong wood.

The moment she saw her, the girl felt her whole body stiffen.

This wasn't just nobility; it was a king-like majesty that made her heart yearn in admiration.

Thump—

She just knelt down like that!

"Ling Ling greets the Phoenix Lord!"