Chapter 712: Immortal Flame Phoenix Great Demon King

"Indeed, the talent and abilities this child has shown us indicate that she has the potential to become an Emperor, and she may very well be the next Emperor of the Peacock Demon clan. But, at least for now, she is not yet an Emperor. Until she achieves that, anything is possible. Therefore, we need to see the certainty that she can become an Emperor before we can confidently hand over the position of city lord to her. Moreover, human blood also flows in her veins. This necessitates an even stricter evaluation.

"According to ancestral teachings, the challenge for those who are not yet Emperors must be a challenge above their level. They must at least defeat a first-tier bloodline opponent of a higher order. White Tiger Demon Emperor, the opponent she faces now is a Demon King from the phoenix race, a fellow avian demon. What’s the problem with that?"

The White Tiger Demon Emperor responded in a deep voice, "Cao Yuwei is a seasoned Demon King from the Immortal Flame Phoenix clan. Even if this is a challenge above her level, it shouldn't be this extreme. He is at least a mid-order Great Demon King, and he possesses the undying trait. This is a test she cannot possibly win."

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor smiled slightly and said, "Only those who can achieve what others think impossible are truly superior. If she cannot pass this test, how can she prove that she will certainly become an Emperor in the future?"

The White Tiger Demon Emperor was about to continue arguing when Mei Gongzi’s voice came from below, "Grandfather, I am willing to accept this trial. Thank you."

Hearing her call him grandfather, several of the Emperors present narrowed their eyes. Although Mei Gongzi had already shown her White Tiger Transformation during the Ancestral Court’s Elite Tournament, and with the White Tiger Demon Emperor now protecting her, the Emperors had naturally figured out their connection. After all, there were only so many White Tigers. But knowing it was one thing, and hearing it explicitly declared in public was something else altogether.

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The revelation brought by her words was that she not only had the White Tiger Demon Emperor’s support, but she was also acknowledged as an heir of his legacy. In other words... not only was she leading the Peacock Demon clan, but she also had a chance to lead the White Tiger clan once her grandfather was no more.

The White Tiger Demon Emperor took a deep breath, nodded slightly, and said, "Very well. If it becomes too much, you can concede."

This was his way of reminding Mei Gongzi that a phoenix would show no mercy against a Peacock Demon. And even though Tang San had told her to refrain from killing her opponents, just in case the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor used that as a pretext to suppress her, there was no actual rule to that effect. Unless she conceded, the Emperors could not intervene to stop the battle.

"Understood," Mei Gongzi replied, turning to face the seasoned Great Demon King of the Immortal Flame Phoenix lineage.

Cao Yuwei had an impressive appearance, exuding the unique aura of the phoenix race—noble, fierce, and fiery, capable of burning heaven and earth to ashes.

Whether it was the dragons or the phoenixes, it was extremely difficult for them to produce offspring. This was a challenge faced by all powerful bloodlines; otherwise, how would there be room for weaker ones to survive? The stronger the clan, the harder it was to continue their bloodline.

The dragons, the phoenixes, and the Behemoths faced the greatest challenges in that respect. The Immortal Fire Phoenix lineage, for instance, boasted fewer than a hundred members. While each one was a formidable being, their numbers were indeed scarce, far fewer than even the Peacock Demons.

Cao Yuwei had lived for five hundred years, yet he was considered to be in his prime. As a seasoned warrior, he had been a Great Demon King for over a century, possessing immense strength and a steady temperament. This was precisely why the Undying Demon Emperor had chosen him for this trial—to give Mei Gongzi as little chance as possible.

As he looked at the young girl before him, Cao Yuwei felt somewhat dismissive. He had been present earlier, hidden behind the Undying Demon Emperor, so he had watched Mei Gongzi’s previous two matches.

Although those were two overwhelming and swift victories, he didn’t think much of it. He could have easily achieved the same. A bloodline below the first-tier was simply not on the same level as a first-tier one, that was all. And the difference became particularly stark after undergoing the heavenly tribulation.

Although Mei Gongzi had shown impressive strength, the Immortal Fire Phoenixes’ power naturally suppressed the Peacock Demons. Against the powerful phoenix flames, spatial attributes were hard to utilize.

As for Mei Gongzi’s dual attributes, so what? There was a significant difference in their ranks; a Demon King and a Great Demon King were vastly different in terms of power. He didn’t even take into account his own undying attribute; he didn’t see how this little girl could force him to rely on it. From any perspective, this human-peacock girl stood no chance.

"Begin!" The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor’s voice echoed from above, announcing the official start of Mei Gongzi’s final battle.

A surge of powerful energy erupted almost instantly. Mei Gongzi felt as if a volcano had exploded before her, with scorching heat overwhelming everything. Everything before her eyes instantly turned into a sea of gold and red.

Phoenix True Fire! This was a powerful innate ability that every member of the Immortal Flame Phoenix clan would awaken. The Phoenix True Fire possessed an absolute burning characteristic; anything it touched would be incinerated, and it could not be extinguished.

The terrifying heat completely obscured Cao Yuwei's figure, making it impossible to see where he was. Everything below was instantly consumed by the scorching flames.

A loud phoenix cry echoed; a massive phoenix silhouette with a wingspan of a hundred meters appeared in the air, causing the entire space within a hundred-meter range to distort violently.

Upon reaching godhood, pretty much all strong demons and nymphs could awaken some kind of domain. This was one of the reasons a Demon King was invariably much more powerful than a ninth-order demon. Those of weaker races didn’t always awaken one, but for those with a first-tier bloodline, awakening a domain was a given. In fact, some of them would manage to awaken it even before the tenth order.

In the case of the Immortal Flame Phoenixes, the domain was the Phoenix True Fire Domain—a pretty straightforward domain that simply burned anything and everything within. Within this domain, the power of the Phoenix True Fire was greatly amplified; not only was it inextinguishable by any external means, but it was also self-sustaining, so it didn’t disappear just because there was nothing left to burn. It was extremely terrifying.

At the higher level of a Great Demon or Great Nymph King, the domain would evolve, gaining a second ability. In this case, the second ability acquired by an Immortal Flame Phoenix Great Demon King’s domain was that it could burn divine consciousness!

An Immortal Flame Phoenix Great Demon King’s Phoenix True Fire could not only burn bodies and weapons alike, but also incinerate divine consciousness. If one could not withstand this domain, they would face utter annihilation in both body and soul!

There was good reason the Undying Demon Emperor was ranked among the top three.

Even the Crystal Demon Emperor, if trying to suppress him, would need to mimic the Phoenix True Fire Domain to counteract the Undying Demon Emperor’s own, ensuring that neither side could burn the other.

Although Cao Yuwei was somewhat dismissive of Mei Gongzi, just as the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor had anticipated, this seasoned warrior did not slack off simply because his opponent was beneath him. An eagle would go all out when hunting a rabbit, and so would a phoenix!

Even if Mei Gongzi had some way to withstand the Phoenix True Fire Domain for a short period, the energy drain within such a powerful domain would be immense. Meanwhile, being a fire-attribute demon himself, Cao Yuwei would experience a tremendous boost within his own domain. The disparity between them would grow with every passing second and eventually leave her with no chance to fight back.

The White Tiger Demon Emperor watched with a dark expression, ready to intervene at any moment. Although the rules prohibited interference, the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor had already turned what should have been a single match into three. If he stepped in to save his granddaughter’s life, what was wrong with that?

It was precisely because he had anticipated the existence of the Phoenix True Fire Domain that he had spoken out earlier.

But just then, a single point of silver light appeared in the center of the Phoenix True Fire Domain. At first, the silver glow was just a small dot, but soon, it began to quietly expand outward.