The Long Journey to Immortality

The humanoid phantom that split off from her body could take advantage of the thunderstorm to set up the "Nine Dragons Thunder Sword Formation" and repel the enemy using the method Han Lu was most skilled at.

They were in an unfamiliar place, and the Dragon Clan held a significant advantage over the Phoenix Clan in the East Sea.

In this battle, Han Lu did not expect to be able to kill the Azure Dragon, which was known for its tenacious vitality, under this thunderstorm.

She only hoped that she could defeat or severely injure the two azure dragons so that she could extricate herself and find Feng Zeng to continue her journey.

The attack wasn't exactly sudden, but it was still quite unexpected.

The two dragons never expected that Han Lu, who seemed to be at a disadvantage, would take the initiative to provoke a fight.

Before they could communicate telepathically, they engaged in combat with their respective opponents.

With favorable timing and location, plus the six additional pill patterns on the sword pellet, this time, the shadowy Han Lu only took three breaths to completely set up the Nine Dragons Thunder Array, isolating the space within a two-mile radius from the outside world.

It looked like a duel between two people, but in reality, the battle, under Han Lu's deliberate manipulation, was more like a coordinated effort between the phoenix and Han Lu in human form.

After several rounds, with the help of the "favorable timing," the sword formation unleashed nearly a thousand bolts of lightning in less than ten breaths. The lightning that missed its target was captured and recycled, serving as a continuous and inexhaustible supply to the formation.

If it were a heavy rain outside the sword formation...

The power and sound within that sword formation looked and sounded like a once-in-a-millennium thunderstorm.

With a variety of methods, Han Lu completely suppressed the two Azure Dragons that had ambushed her almost immediately after they began fighting.

Forced into close combat with Han Lu, Qinglong was overwhelmed and covered in wounds. In less than a hundred breaths, more than 70% of his spiritual energy was spent or burned away.

If it weren't for the fact that the Azure Dragon's recovery ability was superior to the Candle Dragon's, it would most likely have been unable to rise again after such a battle and would have no ability to resist.

The other Azure Dragon was in slightly better condition.

He only had some minor injuries.

His relatively rich combat experience allowed him to find some loopholes in the lightning formation and break through two key points of the formation.

It was fortunate that this happened; otherwise, the two azure dragons would probably have already been defeated.

This situation forced the two azure dragons to temporarily retreat and switch to defense, awaiting reinforcements.

With the change in strategy, the situation instantly turned into Han Lu pressing her advantage while Qinglong was forced to take the hits.

The two azure dragons struggled to hold on, their minds filled with a thousand questions. They couldn't understand why this seemingly hybrid phoenix, whose cultivation was the same as theirs, possessed so many strange and different supernatural abilities, and why its strength was so formidable.

Chapter 866 Hostages

They did not intend to end this unexpected battle by killing the other party on this spot.

Having already gained a clear advantage, Han Lu deliberately held back slightly and took the initiative to call out to the two blue dragons.

"You two," Han Lu said, her tone becoming much more polite as she placed her hopes on Zhi Ge, "do you know you were wrong? We haven't reached the point of no return yet. If you're willing to bow your heads, apologize, and admit your mistakes, I'll let you go. If we meet in the East China Sea in the future, we might even have a meal together, exchange some Taoist techniques, and become friends through this unexpected encounter. What do you think?"

Han Lu believed that the offer was quite generous, and apart from some grudges caused by the verbal battle, there was actually no major conflict between them.

As long as the other party is clear-headed and not the kind of fool who can't stand to suffer any loss, this matter can definitely be resolved smoothly and satisfactorily according to her wishes.

The Azure Dragon that had previously been the most vocal in its verbal sparring with Han Lu hesitated upon hearing this.

The other azure dragon, however, was "unyielding and stubborn," unwilling to bow its head.

Despite his injuries, the shorter azure dragon replied, "The Dragon and Phoenix clans have a deep-seated feud. How can a few words stop the fighting? You are powerful and can easily manipulate my two brothers, but that does not mean that my two brothers must submit to you and bow down to save their lives."

"Kill me or torture me as you please, but I must pluck your hair before I die."

“My older brother will be here soon, and he will avenge us, who have become martyrs.”

Upon hearing this, Han Lu didn't feel anything special. She just thought that the Azure Dragon had been electrocuted during the battle and was spouting nonsense.

His brother, however, was terrified, fearing that his brother might say something that would provoke Han Lu's anger and cause their two dragons to perish here for no reason.

Just as he was about to use his voice to explain the situation to his slow-witted younger brother, Han Lu spoke again.

She laughed and said, "You are indeed a dragon with blood in your veins, but I come from the wilderness and have no grudge against you. You have misplaced your strength. Going against me will not make you martyrs, but will only lead to your deaths in vain."

Upon hearing this, even the seemingly "unyielding" Qinglong hesitated after hearing Han Lu's words.

Sometimes, the affirmation of an opponent can enhance self-identity.

Han Lu's words clearly hit the sore spot of this azure dragon.

Seeing that Han Lu's attitude was clear and she obviously wanted to turn hostility into friendship, the other Azure Dragon, who had already considered backing down, did not hesitate to send a telepathic message, advising his brother to prioritize the overall situation.

Long-lived cultivators fear death, and naturally, even more life-spanning true spirits also fear death.

After a few moments of internal and external application, even Qinglong, who had just shown a "spirit of sacrifice," chose to back down, exchanging face for life.

“Alright, alright,” said the shorter of the two azure dragons. “Since you come from the wilderness, you have no enmity with my East Sea Dragon Clan.”

"My second brother and I launched a sneak attack; it was wrong of us, and I apologize."

Still harboring a sense of pride and self-respect, the azure dragon found a reason to deceive itself and obediently submitted.

The other azure dragon was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Third brother is right, it was indeed my oversight this time."

The wounds on his body throbbed with pain, and the tingling sensation from being struck by lightning made his speech, as a true spirit, not as fluent as usual. "We were in the wrong first, we apologize."

Just as he was about to reorganize his words and earnestly plead with Han Lu to let them off the hook and wipe the slate clean, an unexpected event occurred.

Suddenly, a green dragon flew in from afar.

Before it even arrived, the sound had already reached the ears of the three people in the sword formation.

"Second brother, third brother, I was only gone for a moment and you were both beaten into submission by this bald chicken?"

"Now that your elder brother has arrived, you must all pull yourselves together and not disgrace the Azure Dragon Clan."

Upon hearing his elder brother's voice, the second brother, Qinglong, who had just been about to apologize, immediately swallowed back the words he was about to say.

Han Lu looked in the direction from which the sound came, just as she was about to see who was coming to their death, she saw a scene that made her heart tighten.

At the end of the slender body of the azure dragon, a young phoenix was coiled. That young phoenix was none other than Feng Zeng, who had just fled under Han Lu's arrangement.

She knew without a doubt that if the elder brother of the two Azure Dragons found out that Feng Zeng, whom he had captured at will, was related to her, the current situation would change drastically.

Han Lu had no idea what it would look like, but it would definitely be detrimental to her.

A sense of foreboding washed over her. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind as Han Lu frantically searched for a solution.

In just three breaths, Han Lu had an idea.

"Since you have a hostage in your hands soon, I need to find one as soon as possible."

"Whether it's a standoff or some kind of hostage exchange, having leverage is essential for peaceful negotiations and preventing us from being led by the nose."

Thinking of this, Han Lu did not hesitate to shed her previous "pursuit of reconciliation" and launched another attack on the two azure dragons that were still trapped in the sword formation.

In comparison, the "third brother" of these two Azure Dragons is weaker but more stubborn, making him a better choice as a hostage.

The shadowy Han Lu and the phoenix Han Lu launched their attacks simultaneously, unleashing their magical treasures and true spiritual powers together.

In an instant, the two azure dragons, who had just lowered their guard, had no time to react. The third dragon was completely frozen and imprisoned in the magical artifact in Han Lu's pocket, becoming a "dragon substance" in Han Lu's hands.

The situation changed suddenly, and the second brother of the Azure Dragon was caught off guard. The eldest brother of the Azure Dragon, who was protecting his brother, was also somewhat bewildered as he rushed into the sword formation.

"You bald chicken, how could you go back on your word? We agreed to a truce first, how come..." Brother Qinglong cursed, then vaguely realized what was going on and said, "Oh, so this phoenix I caught at will is someone you know? Are you afraid I'll use it to threaten you, that's why you're in such a hurry to deal with Third Brother?"

This Azure Dragon, who had lived for over a thousand years and was already in the late Golden Core stage, was quick-witted and guessed Han Lu's purpose after only a cursory glance.

Now that she had the "Dragon's Essence" in hand, Han Lu naturally didn't mind making things clear.

“That’s right, my friend. How about this: you release the rock phoenix you captured, and I’ll release your third brother. Then we’ll go our separate ways and not interfere with each other. What do you think?” Han Lu confidently offered her terms.

To everyone's surprise, Brother Qinglong just laughed and said, "Offending the three of us brothers isn't something you can get away with just a few words."

"What?" Han Lu demanded, "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

“I’m scared, but I’ll tear up the ticket too. How about we see who can tear it up faster?” With that, the eldest brother, Qinglong, curled up the back half of his body, binding Feng Zeng even tighter.

Feng Zeng was in great pain due to his injuries, but he gritted his teeth and endured it without uttering a sound.

Hearing this, Han Lu was stunned for a moment, and immediately understood the reasoning behind it. Her original optimistic thoughts dissipated, and a layer of gloom filled her heart again.

Chapter 867 Unexpected Rescue

It must be said that Brother Qinglong is indeed quite shrewd.

As soon as the situation changed, he grasped the key point, figured out the similarities and differences between the two sides, and what his own advantages and disadvantages were.

Seeing his two younger brothers beaten so badly while Han Lu seemed unaffected, Qinglong, the eldest brother, naturally understood the difference in their strength. Even with his help, making it three against one, he only felt that he could barely manage to fight Han Lu to a standstill.

Now, his third brother has been captured by Han Lu with swift and decisive action, and judging solely from their apparent fighting strength, he is clearly at a disadvantage at this point.

Without reinforcements, hoping to subdue Han Lu by force and achieve victory for one's side is absolutely a pipe dream.

With this path blocked, he turned his attention to the hostages.

In this way, they immediately saw the advantages of their side in this matter.

He noticed the emotional changes in the phoenix that Han Lu had transformed into not far away, but he still managed to openly express his plans, putting everything on the table.

"No matter how powerful you are, you bald chicken, killing my third brother won't be a matter of a single move."

"And I can crush this little chick to death in the blink of an eye."

The difference in their cultivation levels was enormous. Even with Yan Feng's formidable physical strength, Feng Zeng was unable to withstand even a single move from Brother Qinglong.

Why should I reconcile with you?

"You are welcome to try and see if we can successfully tear each other apart and fight a painful battle."

"It is you who harmed your own clan, while my second brother and I can keep you occupied and prevent you from harming my third brother."

"Hehe," Brother Qinglong chuckled wickedly, "How about it, shouldn't you, you bald chicken, first withdraw your sword formation to show your sincerity, and then listen to my plan?"

The thunderstorms in this area of ​​the East China Sea had not yet ended, and it would only take a moment to set up the sword formation again. So after pondering for a moment, Han Lu did not hesitate to follow Brother Qinglong's instructions and disperse the sword formation, wanting to see what conditions the other party would offer to reconcile the matter.

As the sword formation dissipated, Brother Qinglong laughed heartily, and "slightly" loosened his grip, making Feng Zeng feel much better.

“Great,” said Brother Qinglong. “Since that’s the case, you bald chicken will have to follow my instructions.”

“In this way, we will release the hostages, and then you will surrender and return to your clan with us three brothers to be punished and atone for your sins.”

Feeling confident in his own authority, Brother Qinglong proposed a plan that was clearly unreasonable.

His goal was simple: to escalate the conflict so that his side could gain a greater advantage in the actual negotiations.