Deep within the volcano, dragon blood bursts forth; dragon and phoenix spread their wings, vowing to follow each other.

The God-Defying Squad finished their rest and headed toward the depths of the volcano at the southern tip of the continent. Along the way, Zi Yan kept her brows furrowed, faint purple dragon pressure flashing from her fingertips from time to time—since being summoned, her Dragon Phoenix Bloodline had been stuck at a bottleneck. No matter how she cultivated, she could not break through to the true Dragon Phoenix Form, which left her competitive nature boiling with frustration.

"Su Chen, do you think there really is essence blood from dragon-type Spirit Beasts in the depths of the volcano?" Zi Yan leaned close to Su Chen, her purple dragon horns swaying slightly, her eyes full of urgency. "I feel like if I don't find a way to break through soon, my bloodline will fall completely dormant."

"Don't worry, the Earth Core Fire in the depths of the volcano nourishes countless powerful Spirit Beasts; there must be traces of ancient dragons there." Su Chen raised his hand to touch her dragon horns, his black-gold eyes filled with certainty. "The Dragon Phoenix Bloodline is a top-tier bloodline in the Myriad Realms. It just lacks an opportunity, and the essence blood of a dragon-type Spirit Beast is that opportunity."

Xiao Wu came hopping over, her pink rabbit ears twitching. "Sister Zi Yan, don't worry, Brother Su Chen never lies! Once you break through to the Dragon Phoenix Form, we can fight side by side and defeat even more enemies!"

Kushina also smiled. "This girl's temper is as fiery as mine. It's perfect; the hot blood of a Volcanic Giant Dragon is a match for her Dragon Phoenix Bloodline!"

After crossing mountains and ridges, when the group reached the depths of the volcano, the air temperature was already scorchingly unbearable. Dark red magma flowed through the valley, emitting billowing thick smoke, and the distant crater occasionally spewed hot sparks, illuminating the dim valley. Every inch of land here was baked by the Earth Core Fire; ordinary Spirit Masters couldn't even get close. Only powerful fire-attribute Spirit Beasts and beings with special bloodlines could survive here.

"Such strong fire-attribute energy!" Xiao Xun Er's eyes flashed with excitement as a colorful Heavenly Flame danced in her palm. "The environment here is perfect for my Heavenly Flame to be nourished."

Su Chen activated his God-Defying Power, forming a black barrier to block out part of the scorching heat. "Everyone be careful. The Spirit Beasts in the depths of the volcano are exceptionally violent, especially the dragon-type ones, which are highly alert."

Before he could finish his sentence, a deafening roar echoed from the depths of the valley, the ground shook violently, and the magma surged into waves several meters high. A massive Volcanic Giant Dragon burst out of the magma, its body covered in dark red scales. Its wings spread out like dark clouds covering the sky, and it spat out scorching Dragon Flame as it dived toward the group.

"It's the Volcanic Giant Dragon! It must have dragon blood essence in its body!" A dazzling light erupted in Zi Yan's eyes, and her purple dragon pressure instantly surged. Her body flickered as she transformed into a semi-dragon form dozens of meters long, with purple scales covering her body and dragon claws flashing with a sharp, cold light.

"Sisters, support Zi Yan!" At Su Chen's command, the Sisters immediately sprang into action.

Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda hovered above her head, and a golden glazed light instantly enveloped Zi Yan. "Strength boost, speed boost, defense boost..." With the nine major attribute boosts stacked, Zi Yan's aura instantly surged. Hinata activated her God-Defying Byakugan, locking onto the Volcanic Giant Dragon's weakness. "Zi Yan, the scales on its left ribs are weak; that's the vital spot!" Xiao Xun Er's colorful Heavenly Flame intertwined with Yun Yun's Wind Blade to form a wall of fire and wind, blocking the Volcanic Giant Dragon's Dragon Flame attack. Ah Yin's Blue Silver Grass spread wildly, entangling the Volcanic Giant Dragon's limbs and restricting its movement. Xiao Yi Xian released a pale green Poison Mist; although it couldn't cause fatal damage to the fire-attribute Volcanic Giant Dragon, it could still interfere with its spirit power circulation.

"Watch me!" Zi Yan roared. With Ning Rongrong's boosts, she leaped up, her purple dragon claws carrying the force of tearing through the air as she clawed toward the Volcanic Giant Dragon's left ribs.

With a crisp "clang," the dragon claws struck the scales, sending sparks flying, but failed to break the defense. The Volcanic Giant Dragon roared in pain, and its massive tail swept across, sending Zi Yan flying. She smashed heavily into the rocks and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Zi Yan!" Su Chen's pupils constricted, and his black-gold God-Defying Power surged instantly. The God-Defying Scepter condensed into a ten-thousand-foot blade of light. "God-Defying: Dragon-Breaking Slash!" The blade of light, carrying world-destroying power, cleaved toward the Volcanic Giant Dragon's head.

The Volcanic Giant Dragon hurriedly raised its head and spat out an even hotter Dragon Flame, which collided with the light blade. A violent explosion resounded through the valley, magma splashed everywhere, and the Volcanic Giant Dragon was knocked back repeatedly, its eyes filled with wariness.

Zi Yan wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and charged again. "Su Chen, I'll pin it down. You find a chance to extract its dragon blood essence!" She knew that with her strength alone, she couldn't break the Volcanic Giant Dragon's defense and had to rely on Su Chen's God-Defying Power.

Su Chen nodded, his body flickering as he turned into a black afterimage and circled behind the Volcanic Giant Dragon. Sensing danger, the Volcanic Giant Dragon tried to turn around but was held fast by Zi Yan. Zi Yan's dragon claws attacked continuously, her purple Dragon Flame clashing with the Volcanic Giant Dragon's Dragon Flame. Although she was at a disadvantage, she firmly stalled its movements.

"Now!" A sharp look flashed in Su Chen's eyes as the God-Defying Scepter pierced directly into the back of the Volcanic Giant Dragon's neck—one of the weaknesses of dragon-type Spirit Beasts. Black-gold God-Defying Power flooded in, instantly destroying the Volcanic Giant Dragon's spirit power core. The Volcanic Giant Dragon let out a shrill roar, and its massive body slowly collapsed, no longer moving.

Zi Yan looked at the fallen Volcanic Giant Dragon, her eyes full of excitement, and immediately rushed forward. Su Chen waved his hand, and his God-Defying Power condensed into a blade of light, slicing open the Volcanic Giant Dragon's neck. A stream of dark red dragon blood essence gushed out, carrying a dense dragon pressure and fire-attribute energy.

"Absorb it quickly!" Su Chen urged. "The energy of the dragon blood essence is very violent; it must be absorbed before it dissipates."

Zi Yan nodded and immediately sat cross-legged, opening her mouth as the dragon blood essence flowed into her body like a stream. The moment the dark red dragon blood essence entered her body, Zi Yan's body shook violently, and a dazzling light erupted from her eyes. The violent energy contained in the dragon blood essence merged with her Dragon Phoenix Bloodline, constantly battering the bloodline bottleneck.

In a close-up shot, Zi Yan's purple scales began to fall off, and new, more brilliant scales grew in their place. The scales were tinged with faint golden patterns, a sign of the Phoenix Bloodline's awakening. Her dragon horns became thicker, their tips shimmering with golden light, and a pair of massive wings slowly unfurled behind her. The wings were half purple dragon scales and half golden phoenix feathers. Dragon Phoenix Flame burned on the wings, emitting a heart-palpitating aura.

In a medium shot, the magma spewing from the crater intertwined with the Dragon Phoenix Fire, forming a brilliant screen of light. Zi Yan's aura continued to soar, breaking through from the Soul Emperor realm all the way up—Spirit Saint, Spirit Douluo, Titled Douluo... until it reached the peak of the Titled Douluo realm before gradually stabilizing. Her body slowly rose into the air, her Dragon Phoenix Form fully revealed. Her dozens-of-meters-long body was covered in purple-gold scales, and her wings spread out, covering the sky. The Dragon Phoenix Flame burned, illuminating the entire depths of the volcano.

"I broke through! I finally broke through to the Dragon Phoenix Form!" Zi Yan let out a deafening roar, her voice filled with wild joy. She flapped her dragon phoenix wings, circled once in the air, and then dived straight toward Su Chen.

In a close-up shot, Zi Yan's Dragon Phoenix Form slowly shrank in front of Su Chen, finally transforming into a human form, though she still retained a pair of small dragon phoenix wings on her back and her purple dragon horns remained. She excitedly threw herself into Su Chen's arms, hugging him tightly. The Dragon Phoenix Fire danced around her, but it didn't harm Su Chen in the slightest.

"Brother Su Chen! I did it! I broke through to the Dragon Phoenix Form!" Zi Yan's voice was choked with emotion, her eyes full of excitement and dependence. "Thank you. If you hadn't brought me here and helped me defeat the Volcanic Giant Dragon, I would never have been able to break through the bottleneck."

Su Chen gently patted her back, feeling the scorching Dragon Phoenix Flame and the dense bloodline aura on her body. His black-gold eyes were full of gratification. "This is the result of your own hard work. Your Dragon Phoenix Bloodline was already incredibly powerful; it just lacked an opportunity."

"No, it's because of you." Zi Yan looked up, her eyes full of determination. "Before, I cultivated alone in another world. No matter what difficulties I encountered, I had to bear them myself. No one was ever willing to help me, and no one believed I could break through to the Dragon Phoenix Form. It was you who gave me hope and strength, letting me know that I could become this strong."

Her dragon phoenix wings flapped gently, and the Dragon Phoenix Flame condensed into a ribbon of light that wrapped around Su Chen and her. "Brother Su Chen, from now on, I am your Dragon Phoenix God of War! No matter where you go, no matter how powerful the enemies you face, I will use my Dragon Phoenix Fire to clear all obstacles for you! Being with you, I can become stronger and protect the people I want to protect!"

In a panoramic shot, the magma in the depths of the volcano intertwined with the Dragon Phoenix Fire, and the purple-gold light complemented the black-gold God-Defying Power, forming a breathtaking screen of light. The Sisters looked at the embracing pair and smiled with relief. Ning Rongrong's Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda glowed with golden light, Xiao Xun Er's colorful Heavenly Flame danced, and Xiao Wu's pink rabbit ears twitched. Everyone was happy for Zi Yan's breakthrough.

Su Chen looked at the determined Zi Yan in his arms, and a warm current welled up in his heart. He raised his hand to stroke her dragon horns, his voice steady and powerful. "Good. From now on, you are my Dragon Phoenix God of War. We will brave the path of nishen together, and together we will stand at the peak of the Myriad Realms!"

Zi Yan nodded heavily and hugged Su Chen tightly, the Dragon Phoenix Fire becoming even hotter. She knew that she had finally found her true home. Following Su Chen, she could not only become stronger but also feel an unprecedented sense of warmth and security.

Just then, another disturbance came from the depths of the volcano. It seemed that more fire-attribute Spirit Beasts were being drawn by the Dragon Phoenix Fire. Zi Yan's gaze sharpened, and she let go of Su Chen, her dragon phoenix wings spreading out, her eyes full of fighting spirit. "Perfect, let these Spirit Beasts taste the power of my Dragon Phoenix Form!"

Su Chen looked at her eager expression, a smile playing on his lips. "Go ahead. Be safe; we'll help you from the side."

Zi Yan nodded and leaped up, her Dragon Phoenix Fire burning to the limit as she charged toward the incoming Spirit Beasts. Wherever the Dragon Phoenix Fire passed, the Spirit Beasts fell one after another, unable to withstand her attacks. The Sisters assisted from the side—Ning Rongrong's boosts, Hinata's insight, Xiao Xun Er's Heavenly Flame—and together with Zi Yan's attacks, they quickly cleared out the incoming Spirit Beasts.

After the battle ended, Zi Yan returned to Su Chen's side, her face full of excitement. "Brother Su Chen, I feel full of power now. Even if I encounter a God Realm Enforcer, I can fight him!"

Su Chen smiled and nodded. "I believe you. Now, it's time for us to head back. Next, we need to help Xiao Xun Er, Yun Yun, and Medusa complete their bond missions."

"Okay!" The Sisters responded in unison, following Su Chen as he turned to leave the depths of the volcano. The magma at the crater continued to erupt, and the lingering glow of the Dragon Phoenix Fire and God-Defying Power intertwined in the air, just like the bond between Zi Yan and Su Chen—fiery and steadfast.