The Long Journey to Immortality

As expected, Han Lu was furious upon hearing this. If there had been nothing around, she would have slammed her fist on the table to express her dissatisfaction.

"You're being delusional, thinking I'm brainless," Han Lu said in a deep voice. "Indeed, what you said makes some sense, and it seems you've taken the initiative..."

"But do you really think that you and your brother, whom I easily defeated, can defeat me in my extreme rage?"

"Moreover..." Han Lu hesitated for a moment, and after noticing Feng Zeng's resolute gaze, she still said some harsh words with a determined heart, "The young phoenix you captured only knew me for one day. I simply sent him home out of kindness."

“You can’t use him to threaten me, but that won’t make me give up everything and make that stupidest decision imaginable.”

Han Lu spread her wings, displaying the form of a four-winged phoenix, clearly telling the other party that she was different from ordinary phoenixes.

Having made his point clear, Brother Qinglong naturally understood that what he said made a lot of sense.

The situation is both complex and simple.

If negotiations proceed amicably, Qinglong will still have a slight advantage, while Hanlu will still be at a slight disadvantage.

But if it really comes down to a fight to the death, a full-blown brawl...

Han Lu will at most suffer minor injuries and Feng Zeng will die, but the three Qinglong brothers will most likely perish here.

As a result, the situation reached a complete stalemate.

Han Lu had intended to open the bag a little so that Qinglong's third brother, whom she had captured, could plead a few words to demoralize the enemy. However, the stubborn Qinglong started talking about "martyrdom" again, as if he was already prepared to die a heroic death.

This small oversight made the atmosphere even more tense, as if the two sides would start fighting at any moment.

Han Lu and Brother Qinglong remained silent, pondering how to properly resolve the matter.

Just then, another unexpected event occurred.

A dragon flew by in the distance and, seeing the two sides facing each other in the thunderstorm, it couldn't help but come over out of curiosity.

Upon seeing this fellow clansman from a different race, Brother Qinglong immediately had an idea.

"Brother, wait a minute, please help me out."

Zhulong, who had been staring at the shadowy Han Lu for a long time, took this opportunity to move closer.

A voice that Han Lu recognized quite well came from Zhulong's mouth. Hearing this voice, Han Lu was overjoyed and almost excitedly shouted out the other person's name.

Zhulong asked, "What's going on? Why are we so tense, like this?"

This Candle Dragon is also at the mid-stage of the Transformation Realm, and its arrival at this time can indeed be a force to break the deadlock.

Qinglong briefly explained the general situation.

Of course, in order to trick a complete stranger into helping him, Brother Qinglong distorted the facts and even promised benefits.

“Brother, with your help, you’ll get a share of the spirit stones we earn after capturing this phoenix and selling it to the Yundong Chamber of Commerce,” Brother Qinglong had already planned out Han Lu’s way of “atonement.” “At least 50,000 spirit stones. Would you be willing to help?”

Zhulong glanced at Fengzeng, who was being restrained by Qinglong, and hesitated before saying, “Brother, I don’t like to bully the weak with the many. How about this, I’ll take care of the hostage for you, so you can free up your hands and fight with less burden.”

"And she, fearing I'll kill her, will definitely be unable to concentrate on the battle of wits."

"In that case, with your late-stage Transformation Realm cultivation, you will surely be able to defeat this impure-blooded phoenix."

"When the time comes, you can give me three or four thousand spirit stones as a token of your gratitude, and I will be more than satisfied."

Upon hearing this, Brother Qinglong pondered for a moment, his gaze shifting between Han Lu and Zhulong several times before he finally made up his mind and said, "Alright, brother, then this hostage is yours."

Tail to tail, carefully and cautiously, Feng Zeng, a fledgling phoenix at the Foundation Establishment stage, fell into the hands of Zhulong.

Zhulong carried Fengzeng a little further away, slowly moving away from the main battlefield where the battle was about to break out.

Seeing the changing situation and hearing about Han Lu's possible tragic fate, Feng Zeng became anxious.

Having already resigned himself to death, he boldly spoke up, shouting, "Sister, don't worry about me, be bold and beat all these bad guys down!"

Brother Qinglong had intended to make a few sarcastic remarks, but Han Lu responded, "Okay, I'll definitely listen to you and beat these three audacious cement eels to a pulp."

"But don't worry, you won't die. Not only will you not die, you'll also be able to go home safely with your sister."

Upon hearing this, Brother Qinglong was puzzled. "What? Why are you suddenly so confident? Did I miscalculate something?"

Han Lu then called out to Zhulong, "Mo Zhehan, please take good care of Feng Zeng for me. I'll come back to catch up with you after I've resolved this matter."

Chapter 868 A Twist of Fate

Hearing Han Lu recognize him and call out his name, Mo Zhehan, who hadn't seen or spoken to Han Lu for nearly thirty years, felt a surge of emotion.

It felt like he had returned to the night when he was still in the False Core Realm, standing with Han Lu on a small boat on the lake, his heart surging with emotion.

With a swift and decisive transformation, he returned to human form. Mo Zhehan's eyes softened as he slowly said, "Okay, I'll wait for you."

Hearing Han Lu and Mo Zhehan's conversation, Feng Zeng vaguely understood the relationship between the suddenly arriving Zhulong and the strange phoenix sister.

Realizing he had most likely escaped death, Feng Zeng couldn't help but shed a few tears. He reflected on the hardships of his sneaky trip and secretly vowed never to sneak out to play again.

"The outside world is too dangerous, I want to go home."

Feng Zeng understood. Upon seeing Mo Zhehan, who had deliberately transformed into human form, Qinglong, who was opposing Han Lu, also understood.

“So he’s a bastard,” Brother Qinglong cursed, his gaze lingering on the shadowy figure of Han Lu for a moment before he said, “What a pair of adulterers, I’ve been caught this time.”

"I agree to your request. Release my third brother and I will apologize to you right away."

He is flexible and adaptable; not only is his IQ high, but his EQ is also quite good.

However, now that she has absolute control, how could Han Lu continue to act according to the rules set a few minutes ago?

First, she explained that she and Mo Zhehan had no "illicit relationship" and were just ordinary friends.

Han Lu continued, speaking with conviction.

"That won't do."

"I have hostages now, and you have nothing. How can you still use the same method as before?"

"In this way... you not only have to apologize, but also compensate me with 30,000 spirit stones for emotional distress. Only then can this matter be considered closed."

Although she was still unwilling to have a serious falling out with the other party, Han Lu was not willing to let go of the three Azure Dragons who wanted to tame and sell her for spirit stones.

Even if it's just a minor grudge, Han Lu, who comes from the Central Plains, will have to draw some blood and skin to vent her anger.

Upon hearing this, the Azure Dragon, who was in the late stage of the Transformation Realm, hesitated.

It wasn't that he couldn't afford the 30,000 spirit stones, but simply that he didn't want to lose face in that way.

If it were Han Lu, a phoenix at the Nascent Soul stage, it would be fine, but it's normal that she couldn't defeat her.

However, Han Lu's current level is not as high as his, not to mention that this time the Three Dragons suffered a loss in front of the One Phoenix.

If word gets out, unless he seeks revenge, he will never be able to hold his head high in the clan again.

Forcing himself to recall the common sense that a difference in realm meant a difference in strength, Brother Qinglong braced himself and replied, "That won't do. You and I haven't even fought yet. I can admit defeat, but I'm not willing to pay to admit defeat."

Han Lu found it troublesome and didn't really need the spirit stones, so she casually said, "Alright, since you have some courage and strength, apologize and I'll let you go."

This attempt to appease Han Lu was interpreted by Brother Qinglong as a lack of confidence, and he immediately took advantage of the situation.

"That won't do. I won't accept it if I haven't beaten them."

“You phoenix, I don’t know what kind you are. If you release my brother, I will fight you one-on-one. If you win, I will pay you spirit stones to settle the matter.”

Not being a merchant, Han Lu, though skilled at it, did not enjoy haggling.

"Alright, alright, let's have a fight first, and I'll let your brother leave no matter what."

Han Lu simply changed her mind and now only wanted to have a real fight with Brother Qinglong, a True Spirit with some strength, to see if she could take this opportunity to successfully master the "Stab Technique" which she was just a hair's breadth away from breaking through.

With this back-and-forth approach, Brother Qinglong felt he had secured the best terms for his three brothers, and thus agreed to Han Lu's request without hesitation.

"Okay, it's settled, but it's a one-on-one fight, and your lover can't interfere."

Upon hearing this rather vulgar term, Han Lu frowned and emphasized again, "Mo Zhehan and I are just ordinary friends."

Brother Qinglong has a partner, so he naturally understands the relationship between men and women quite well.

He scoffed, "Who are you trying to fool? Do you think I can't see that the traitor Zhulong loves you to death?"

Then he murmured, "Could it be that the customs of the wilderness are so open that dragons and phoenixes can come together openly? I'd like to go there and take a look if I have the chance."

There was no point in saying more, and Han Lu was too lazy to waste her breath arguing with Qinglong, whom she would only meet once in her life.

Without offering any further explanation, she decisively withdrew her clone and transformed back into human form.

Looking at Han Lu, who had transformed back into human form and had snow-white skin, Qinglong teased, "No wonder that Zhulong boy took a liking to you; you really are quite good-looking."

Ignoring her words, Han Lu held the sword pellet spirit sword and pointed it at Brother Qinglong, saying, "Alright, it's about to start. Tell your brother to step back. If he gets hurt while he's so close, it won't be my fault for breaking the rules."

Upon hearing this, the second brother of the Azure Dragon hurriedly fled far away, distancing himself from Han Lu, fearing that another attack from this powerful phoenix would worsen his already 80% recovered injuries, making it difficult to heal and resolve them through his innate supernatural powers.

After clearing the area, Han Lu activated her spiritual sword with her spiritual power and initiated the battle without waiting for Qinglong to make any further preparations.

Han Lu had already figured out how to teach this foul-mouthed Azure Dragon a lesson.

A spiritual sword, comparable to a magical treasure, transformed into a rainbow of light and flew out from Han Lu's right hand, piercing towards the Azure Dragon.

Although she used the "Stab Technique" according to her own understanding, Han Lu did not feel the same exhilaration she had when she tested her sword with Lü Zhi a while ago.

"No, no, no..."

Using the same technique, she activated the spirit sword ten times in a row. Before he could even react, Brother Qinglong, who had initially been on the defensive, was suppressed by Han Lu's spirit sword in a short period of time. He could only dodge and defend, and was unable to organize an effective counterattack.

Although he hadn't fought human cultivators many times, Brother Qinglong was, after all, a True Spirit in the late stage of the Transformation Realm. He was able to judge Han Lu's approximate strength after just one exchange, and couldn't help but secretly lament his predicament.

Feeling the power of the spirit sword, Brother Qinglong sighed inwardly, "What kind of magic weapon is this? It's almost as powerful as a spirit treasure."

"This sword technique is strange. It makes me unable to resist or counterattack. It's as if the slightest carelessness will cause the spirit sword to pierce through my body."

Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly. Even Brother Qinglong could see the situation clearly, so Brother Qinglong and Mo Zhehan, who were watching the battle from the sidelines, naturally knew even better who was stronger between Han Lu and Brother Qinglong, who was a level higher than her.

The second brother of the Azure Dragon immediately let go of his and the third brother's resentment at being no match for Han Lu. After all, if even the eldest brother couldn't beat him, it was perfectly normal for him and the third brother to be no match for Han Lu together.

Mo Zhehan couldn't help but recall the scene from over forty years ago when he faced Han Lu in the ring.

He discovered that although he and Han Lu were still at the same cultivation level, their strength seemed to have diverged even further.

Chapter 869 Reconciliation, the Tribe's Mission

Recalling the relatively short time he spent with Han Lu, Mo Zhehan clenched his fists, silently telling himself not to miss this opportunity that came by chance, lest he regret it for the rest of his life.

Even if Mo Zhehan hadn't met Han Lu on this trip, he would still have gone to the Central Plains again to see how Han Lu was doing.