98: Taigu Shenshan Changes Hands

The Phoenix Ancestor bowed respectfully toward the depths of the great hall.

"This unworthy descendant has disturbed the Ancient Ancestor; my crime is unpardonable!"

However, a soft, slightly weary voice once again resonated directly within everyone's Souls.

"Silly child, it is time, and it is fate."

The voice was calm and waveless, revealing neither joy nor anger, yet it carried an indifference akin to the rotation of the Heavenly Dao.

"The glory of the Phoenix Clan began with fortune, and today's predicament is also decreed by fate."

The Phoenix Ancestor's heart sank abruptly.

Jin Changge and Shen Wudao exchanged a glance, both seeing uncontrollable ecstasy in each other's eyes.

Did the Ancient Ancestor's words mean... they were to submit to the Heavenly Dao?

Indeed, the next sentence exploded in the Phoenix Ancestor's mind like a thunderclap from the Nine Heavens.

"From this day forth, my Phoenix Clan shall relinquish the position of Mountain Master of the Primordial Divine Mountain."

"Boom!"

The Phoenix Ancestor was as if struck by lightning; he staggered back a step, his face instantly turning as pale as paper.

Unable to believe his ears, he suddenly raised his head and cried out in a trembling voice:

"Ancient Ancestor! Why! My Phoenix Clan has governed the Divine Mountain for a million years; even if we are currently facing a setback, it is absolutely not to the point where..."

"Silence."

The ancient voice, carrying a hint of unquestionable majesty, interrupted him.

"I have already understood their background and the whole story. The momentum of the Jiang Family is unstoppable. Those who submit shall prosper; those who resist shall perish."

Hearing this verdict, Feng Ling'er, who was kneeling on the ground, felt her delicate body tremble violently. It was as if her last ounce of strength had been drained, and she collapsed completely to the ground.

Even the Ancient Ancestor had given up...

Shen Wudao suppressed the excitement in his heart and exchanged a triumphant look with Jin Changge. He then cleared his throat, preparing to step forward and offer himself to propose that their two Royal Clans jointly govern the Divine Mountain and open a new era.

However, that ancient voice sounded once again, and this time, the content of the words left everyone stunned.

"The Divine Mountain cannot go a single day without a master."

"The new Mountain Master shall be... temporarily replaced by the White Tiger Royal Clan."

"..."

"..."

Dead silence.

Inside the Wutong Divine Hall, there was an eerie, extreme silence.

Jin Changge's foot, which had just taken a half-step forward, remained stiffly suspended in mid-air. The smile on his face froze into an incredibly comical expression, as if he had been struck hard on the back of the head with a sledgehammer.

Shen Wudao's mouth hung open, and a "cluck-cluck" sound came from his throat; he could not utter a single word.

What? The White Tiger Royal Clan?!

That vassal who could only survive by relying on the charity of their three Royal Clans?

That down-and-out family whose entire clan only had one old geezer who had just broken through to the Saint Realm to hold up their reputation?

Letting them be the Mountain Master of the Primordial Divine Mountain?

How absurd!

This was ten thousand times harder for them to accept than letting the Phoenix Clan continue to be the Mountain Master!

The Phoenix Ancestor was also stunned on the spot; he completely failed to understand the Ancient Ancestor's decision.

He would rather fight to the death with Jin Changge and Shen Wudao than accept handing over the position of Mountain Master to the dust beneath his feet from the past.

"Ancient Ancestor! What virtue or ability does the White Tiger Royal Clan have..."

He couldn't help but speak again.

"They have the favor of the Jiang Family."

The Ancient Ancestor's voice was like a basin of ice water poured over his head, causing the Phoenix Ancestor to instantly sober up.

That's right.

What virtue or ability?

"The favor of the Jiang Family" — these few words were the greatest virtue and the strongest ability!

This move by the Ancient Ancestor was not a retreat at all; it was clearly advancing by retreating. She was sacrificing the vain face of the Phoenix Clan to bind the entire Primordial Divine Mountain to an indestructible, invincible warship!

Brilliant! Ruthless!

Jin Changge realized this.

"Ancient Ancestor, please reconsider! The White Tiger Royal Clan has a thin Bloodline and low strength; how can they convince the masses..." Shen Wudao spoke urgently, trying to make a final struggle.

"Are you questioning this Empress?"

The ancient voice carried a hint of icy coldness for the first time.

Shen Wudao instantly felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar; his whole body trembled, and he could not utter another word.

That pressure made him feel as if his Divine Soul was trembling; it felt as if with just a single thought from the Ancient Ancestor, he would be completely annihilated, body and Soul.

"If you have any objections to this Empress's decision, then have... the ancient emperors behind you awaken and come to discuss it with this Empress."

Could the ancient emperors behind them still awaken? I fear... it is difficult!

This Phoenix Ancient Ancestor... was simply too strong. Clearly, the time she attained the Dao was even longer than their own ancestors.

"Wudao / Changge, we respectfully obey the imperial decree."

No matter how much unwillingness the two had, facing an ancient emperor, they had to swallow it! Unless they also had an ancient emperor standing behind them.

And Feng Ling'er, who was collapsed on the ground, heard this decision in the midst of endless despair.

The White Tiger Royal Clan?

In her mind, the cold, aloof face of Bai Qingxue appeared.

That's right, it was all because of her!

A flame of unwillingness, from within her heart which had already turned to ashes, reignited a faint spark.

Why?

Why could she, Bai Qingxue, ascend to the heavens in one step?

The position of Mountain Master was lost, but she, Feng Ling'er, was still the Goddess of the Phoenix God Race!

She possessed the most noble Bloodline of the Primordial Royal Clans!

Bai Qingxue had merely had a stroke of good luck and climbed up the high branch that was Jiang Yuan!

What she could do, I, Feng Ling'er, might not be unable to do!

Yes, I still have a chance! As long as I Cultivate desperately, as long as I can become stronger than Bai Qingxue, I can prove to the Ancient Ancestor, to the entire Divine Mountain, to prove to Jiang Yuan... that they were all wrong!

I, Feng Ling'er, am the most dazzling existence of the Primordial Divine Mountain!

This paranoid thought, like a final straw to clutch at, allowed her to find support again.

Feng Ling'er struggled and slowly stood up from the ground. In her eyes, red and swollen from crying, a burst of near-manic stubbornness and Battle Intent erupted.

She must win!

She must win back everything that belonged to her!

However.

Just at the instant this unyielding will of Feng Ling'er had just risen.

"Boom — — !!!!!"

A sound, even more grand and terrifying than the previous one, came from above the Nine Heavens!

The entire Wutong Divine Hall, no, the entire Primordial Divine Mountain, was enveloped in an intensely rich golden divine light!

That scroll of the heavenly dao golden ranking list, which had shone not long ago due to the birth of the Yaochi Saint Body, actually... once again, erupted with unprecedentedly brilliant light!

This time the light was not a simple announcement, but carried a domineering air of ruling the world, an supreme majesty of dominating life and death.

"Again... again?"

"The commotion this time is more than ten times greater than before! What on earth has happened?!"

Feng Ling'er, who had just stood up again, also tilted her head back, staring fixedly at the golden scroll.

Her heart was beating violently; the Battle Intent that had just been ignited was now enveloped by an inexplicable fear.

She had a premonition that what was about to happen would completely shatter everything she had.

Under the gaze of billions of living beings, light gathered on the heavenly dao golden ranking list, and a new line of golden characters, as if cast from Geng Metal Divine Iron, slowly appeared.

That line of words appeared in a position that left everyone breathless.

At the very top of the ranking list, only below that legendary name!

【prodigy physique ranking 2nd Place: White Tiger Saint Body, Bai Qingxue!】

【Affiliated Faction: Jiang Family!】

The moment these words fully solidified. The entire world, at this moment, completely froze.

In front of the Wutong Divine Hall, the expressions on the faces of Jin Changge and Shen Wudao were extremely spectacular.

That Bai Qingxue had actually also achieved a Saint Body?!

And it was the 2nd ranked Supreme Sacred Body!

It directly pushed down the Wang Family's Imperial Daughter who possessed the bearing of a great emperor!

The down-and-out family they had just been mocking, the new Mountain Master they were prepared to manipulate at will, had actually suddenly birthed a peerless Prodigy ranked second on the Physique ranking?!

What kind of concept was this?!

Even without considering the Jiang Family behind the White Tiger Royal Clan, just this second place already destined her to become a Quasi-Emperor.

And one who was extremely proficient in combat among Peak Quasi-Emperors!

Even... an invincible existence below the Emperor level!

At this moment, they suddenly understood a bit of the Phoenix Ancient Ancestor's intentions...

Before the Jiang Family, this blazing sun, any existence that dared to act like a mantis trying to stop a chariot would be crushed into powder.

His gaze involuntarily fell upon Feng Ling'er.

Feng Ling'er stood there blankly, motionless.

Her pupils were fixedly reflecting that line of golden characters in the sky.

2nd... Place...

Bai... Qing... Xue...

Each word was like a red-hot branding iron, fiercely branded onto her Divine Soul, branding her until her Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

She had just told herself to Cultivate hard and surpass Bai Qingxue.

But reality, in the cruelest and most ruthless way, gave her an extremely resounding slap in the face.

Surpass?

With what would she surpass her?

That last trace of paranoia and pride that had been supporting her, at this moment, with a "crack," shattered.

"Pfft — —"

A large mouthful of bright red blood sprayed out. In that blood, strands of golden light were mixed in; that was her Origin Phoenix Essence Blood.

Her Dao Heart collapsed, her Origin was damaged, and her potential plummeted!

On the Heavenly Dao Physique Ranking, in the position that had been unobserved for a moment, the spot belonging to Feng Ling'er flickered slightly, then the characters rapidly faded and were completely erased from the heavenly dao golden ranking list.

"Sigh... Phoenix Prisoner."

Within the hall, a faint voice sounded,

"This descendant is here!"

The one answering was the Phoenix Ancestor.

"On behalf of this Empress, go and offer a humble apology to the Jiang Family. Tell them that when this Empress leaves seclusion, I will personally visit to apologize."