Legend of Zixia

Chapter 252 Ultimate Immortal Flame
"It seems the ancient races are not entirely invincible in the Big Dipper!"

"Hmm! Even the Golden-Winged Roc King was defeated by the Holy Body after dozens of moves. The strength of the Holy Son of Yao Guang, the Central Emperor, and others must be far superior to that of Zi Tiandu and his ilk."

News of this battle quickly spread throughout the Five Regions, shaking all the human race's sects. Once, the ancient royal families held sway, regarding humans as mere prey, but now they suffered repeated defeats—even Zi Tian was instantly killed by Ye Fan in public. Though not an ancient prince, this victory greatly boosted the morale of the human race.

Countless young cultivators felt a surge of hope: We are not inferior after all! Our talents rival those of the ancient races, and our bloodlines can compete! Times have truly changed. Humans are no longer the prey to be hunted, but beings capable of defying fate and shattering the dignity of royalty! The humans of Beidou are even more eager for the upcoming Grand Assembly of All Races.

However, Zixia did not linger to watch the battle. She and An Miaoyi had already left the Northern Region through the domain gate, crossed the Big Dipper, and descended into the depths of the Southern Region.

This place is a strange and desolate place.

As far as the eye could see, the earth was scorched black, barren of vegetation, devoid of molten lava, and devoid of any wood or stone to burn. Yet, the flames burned ceaselessly. Crimson flames rose from the ground, transforming into fire dragons that coiled in the void, burning day and night, as if they had existed since the beginning of time, eternally unchanging, their origin unknown, and their end unknown.

"Is this the Fire Domain?" An Miaoyi stood at the edge, her brows furrowed slightly. Although she had never been here in person, she recognized the place at a glance—the Fire Domain, where immortals were said to have been burned to death, existing before the ancient times, and recorded in various ancient books.

Zixia stood beside her, her expression calm: "Mm!"

"Weapon forging?" An Miaoyi was taken aback.

"I will use the fire here to reforge the Divine Mark Purple Gold Pagoda." Zixia raised her hand and summoned a small purple pagoda, half a meter tall, which slowly appeared and lay quietly in her palm. The pagoda was crystal clear, as if it were carved from a purple diamond, flowing with a dreamlike radiance, ancient and majestic, with a mysterious aura permeating the surroundings.

"This is... Divine Mark Purple Gold!" An Miaoyi's voice trembled, her eyes filled with shock. This was the first time she had ever seen such a complete divine treasure, and such a large piece at that!
"You like it?" Zixia played with the small pagoda, a slight smile playing on her lips. "If you submit to me, I'll find you one too."

"Sell it to me right now!" An Miaoyi suddenly pounced on Zixia, wrapping her arms around her waist and pressing her back against hers. Her voice was a mix of shyness and seriousness as she said, "I'll pay back my debts!"

Zixia chuckled and pulled her into her arms: "Don't even think about it. Having more weapons is never a bad thing. I'm not following the path of using one weapon to overcome all other methods."

In the blink of an eye, the two had crossed the outer edge of the fire domain and entered the sixth level.

Flames rolled and roared like a crimson dragon, the heat distorting space. An Miaoyi was surrounded by Buddhist light, golden lotus shadows blooming on her body, protecting her mind and barely holding on. With each step she took, the bluestone beneath her feet turned to dust, and even the air seemed to burn.

Zixia, however, was completely unprotected, letting the flames lick her skin. Her clothes, far from being burned, became even more vibrant in the flames, as if tempered by the fire to reveal their original colors—red like blood-red clouds, purple like a galaxy—shining brilliantly in the firelight, like a goddess descending to earth. Her expression was relaxed, as if bathing in a hot spring, experiencing a sense of baptism from heaven and earth.

On the eighth floor, the temperature surged tenfold. Space cracked inch by inch, and the turbulent currents of laws tore through the void like blades. Even An Miaoyi, whose heart was as still as water and whose Buddha-nature was clear, had to stop at this moment. Fine sweat beaded on her forehead, evaporating instantly, her breathing became slightly rapid, and her Buddha-light began to waver.

"Can we go any deeper?" Zixia turned around and smiled, her long hair dancing wildly in the fire, her eyes shining brightly, as if burning with the light of the entire universe.

An Miaoyi didn't answer, but just stared at her intently—that woman continued to walk forward calmly, as if the raging fire was nothing more than a gentle breeze.

Suddenly, Zixia turned around, slowly unbuttoned her clothes, and opened her arms open. The flames outlined her perfect silhouette, and her snow-white skin shone with a crystal-clear luster in the nine-colored firelight, as smooth as jade, yet exuding an aura of divinity that was impossible to look directly at.

"Come here, hold me tight," she whispered, her voice gentle yet leaving no room for refusal. "I'll show you some other sights."

An Miaoyi bit her lip for a moment, then finally stepped forward and threw herself into her arms. Zixia hugged her tightly, one arm around her slender waist and the other stroking her back, her warm breath brushing against her ear: "Hold on tight, don't let go."

As soon as she finished speaking, she took a step forward and rushed into the ninth floor with An Miaoyi in her arms!

In an instant, a terrifyingly high temperature swept over, flames strong enough to make even a saint retreat, yet they failed to break through the barrier of the clothes transformed from the goddess furnace. They became even more wondrous amidst the nine-colored mist, with faint traces of Daoist energy permeating the air.

"This is already the ninth level. What are you looking for?" An Miaoyi pressed close to Zixia, her voice trembling slightly. "Are you looking for the flames that burned immortals to death? Don't be ridiculous! Whether immortals exist in this world is unknown, and if they do, they are beyond our reach!"

Before the words were finished, a rustling sound quietly arose, like withered branches rubbing together, or perhaps the crawling of creatures, sounding particularly eerie in this desolate, burning land. The two suddenly turned around, gazing through the surging nine-colored mist towards the end of the fiery domain—

It was a barren land, devoid of any vegetation, where even flames could not be kindled; the desolate earth seemed to be a corner forgotten by heaven and earth. Yet, in the very center of that deathly silence, a small tree, less than half a meter tall, was slowly moving, the rustling sound emanating from its twisted roots and branches.

Flames danced around it, but they were not ordinary flames; rather, they were fiery runes formed from the principles of the Dao. These runes were so ancient that they were unrecognizable, and each wisp of fire seemed capable of burning down the heavens, incinerating eternity, and even reducing space itself to nothingness beneath them.

"This is... the flame that burned immortals to death?" An Miaoyi's breath hitched, her voice almost trembling. "The ancient records are actually true?"

Zixia did not answer, her gaze fixed intently on the strange little tree. Her goddess robes trembled slightly in the nine-colored flames, as if sensing the aura of some supreme being.

"Choo Choo Choo--"

Suddenly, a clear, melodious cry pierced the silence. A small bird emerged from a branch of the sapling. Its wings were magnificent, its entire body woven from burning runes and Dao principles, like a living flame of law. Smaller than the palm of a hand, it resembled a phoenix, lifelike, its eyes like stars, moving amidst the flames. With each flap of its wings, the roar of the Great Dao echoed through the void.

"Celestial Phoenix!" An Miaoyi exclaimed in shock, her body radiating a burst of Buddhist light as she instinctively tried to retreat. Sensing extreme danger, she urged urgently, "Retreat! Don't come any closer!"

But in that instant, the dazzling bird gently flapped its wings, chirped twice more, and emitted a glimmer of light from its beak.

The light was as thin as a needle tip, and even before it got close, a terrifying heat was already overwhelming—as if the heat of the entire universe had been concentrated there, the air instantly vaporized, space collapsed, and even time itself was scorched and cracked. That ray of light seemed capable of burning away all worlds, sending chills down one's spine and making one's soul tremble.

"Don't panic." Zixia's eyes flashed, and she raised her hand to summon the Universe Blade.

"Qiang——!"

A deafening clang ripped through the sky! The faint light struck the blade and was abruptly blocked!
The Heavenly Will Blade stood horizontally in the air, its blade as red as blood, flowing with the unique Dao patterns of Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold, swirling and billowing with crimson light. The entire blade seemed to come alive, radiating intense divine brilliance, dyeing Zixia and An Miaoyi a translucent red, as if they were bathing in the bloodline of an ancient divine phoenix.

Even more astonishing is—

The blade resonated with that faint light!
The cry of a phoenix rang out from the blade, clear and resounding, as if it had transcended countless ages and echoed the celestial phoenix.

(End of this chapter)