Chapter 986: The Truth Behind the Ancient Battle Between the Heavenly Phoenix and the Ancient Dragon

If it can succeed, then all those subsequent matters will cease to exist.

If she hadn't been so arrogant back then, how could the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan have seized the chance to kill the selfish, self‑serving pig Tianyin and severely cripple the Heavenly Phoenix Clan.

Later, her Heavenly Phoenix Clan could never have ended up in the present situation.

Having heard the former's words, even the already shocked and somewhat numb Lin Feng and Feng Qinger felt a surge of turbulent waves in their hearts at this moment.

Especially Lin Feng, whose throat involuntarily twitched a few times, exclaimed in horror: "From this description, the Heavenly Phoenix Clan leader's power in life must have already surpassed the breakthrough of Xiao Xuan. After all, the original Xiao Xuan never reached that level!"

Now Lin Feng even doubts that the Heavenly Phoenix Clan leader might be on par with that imperial‑grade embryonic pill.

"I truly don't know how the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan managed to kill that Heavenly Phoenix Clan leader back then."

Thinking of the former, now reduced to a single lingering soul, Lin Feng couldn't help but silently gasp.

However, when he saw the Heavenly Phoenix Clan leader's current state, he and Feng Qinger exchanged a glance and then each gave a wry smile.

The other side's entire clan has been annihilated, with only the Tianyao Phoenix sub‑clan remaining.

And the one who wiped out that race happens to be the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan, which has a considerable connection with them.

In this situation, they don't know how to console each other.

Especially Lin Feng, he can't just say, "Senior, you needn't worry; once I become strong enough, I'll personally eradicate the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan and avenge your Heavenly Phoenix Clan."

Thinking of that, Lin Feng immediately turned his gaze toward Feng Qinger beside him.

His expression seemed to say, "Now, only you can offer comfort here."

Seeing this, Feng Qinger let out a helpless sigh, then stepped forward, bowed and said, "Senior, you need not blame yourself too much. In my lifetime, I will spare no effort to have the Heavenly Phoenix Clan reappear on the Dou Qi Continent and lead them to revival."

"Swish!"

Upon hearing the former's words, the Heavenly Phoenix Clan leader instantly halted her chanting and turned her gaze toward Feng Qinger.

But soon, she shifted her eyes to Lin Feng and then shook her head in disappointment.

Feng Qinger, seeing the scene, felt her pink lips twitch a few times.

From the former's expression, it seemed she wasn't interested in her, but rather in her man!

As for the final shake of the head, it was likely a sigh over Lin Feng's considerable connection with the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan.

However, after Feng Qinger said that, she successfully pulled the former out of that obsession.

Seeing this, Lin Feng immediately seized the opportunity, saying, "Senior, you said you had already broken through to Half‑Emperor, so how could you be defeated by the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan? Also, what is the principle by which source Qi lets a Dou Saint break through to Dou Emperor? Who is the person named Tianyin? It seems you don't like that person at all."

He hadn't intended to ask now, but his curiosity got the better of him, and he finally voiced it.

"Hmph~"

Hearing the former mention those things that displeased her, the Heavenly Phoenix Clan leader let out a light snort.

But thinking that her only junior was looking at her with curious eyes, she sighed helplessly and began to speak softly.

"Back then, I did successfully break through to Half‑Emperor, but I also suffered severe injuries due to a failed surge."

At this point, the former's golden eyes narrowed slightly as she continued her explanation to the two.

"However, those injuries weren't the worst; after my breakthrough failed, the wounds inflicted earlier by the Tuo She Gu Di had not been fully cleared by that Golden Core, and they resurfaced."

"Thus, helplessly, I had to retreat into seclusion again and try to heal my injuries."

At the same time, a hint of recollection flickered across her face.

"Because I successfully broke through to Half‑Emperor, the entire Heavenly Phoenix Clan was ecstatic. My people were convinced that once I emerged, I would lead them to annihilate the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan, then subdue all the continent's races, making the Heavenly Phoenix Clan the continent's foremost tribe."

But as she spoke, her tone shifted: "However, just when things were heading in a good direction, an unexpected incident occurred."

"At that time, Zhukun, using some unknown method, managed to locate the Tuo She Gu Di's cave dwelling; it is said that inside lay the embryonic pill and inheritance that the former Tuo She Gu Di had not yet refined. Perhaps fearing that my emergence would leave the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan no chance to turn the tide, Zhukun gathered many of their clan's strongmen and headed to the Northwest Continent to explore the ancient emperor's cave."

At this point, she clenched her hands uncontrollably and continued, "However, for some reason this information reached our Heavenly Phoenix Clan's Grand Elder Tianyin. She is a generation older than me, a Nine‑Star Dou Saint‑ranked powerhouse."

"Perhaps because of me, she saw that her junior, now even stronger than herself, and selfishly thought of leading troops to repel Zhukun and his party, then entering the Tuo She Gu Di cave to seize the inheritance inside, and become the first to break through the barrier after Tuo She Gu Di, achieving Dou Emperor status before anyone else."

"Thus, she claimed that, as the only person in the clan capable of leading the Heavenly Phoenix Clan to its pinnacle, I must not be disturbed while gravely injured, to prevent the wounds from worsening and to avoid being easily besieged by other races. She strictly prohibited other strongmen from informing me, and then, under the pretense of normalcy, led nearly ninety percent of the clan's Dou Saint elites to the Northwest Continent to intercept Zhukun and his group."

Lin Feng listened, his mouth twitching a few times, and he subconsciously cursed the Heavenly Phoenix Clan's Grand Elder for her foolishness.

Such behavior undeniably used the entire Heavenly Phoenix Clan's fate as a stepping stone for her own empowerment.

However, perhaps blinded by jealousy and greed, she, being the sole Nine‑Star Dou Saint pinnacle, dared to lead troops out to confront the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon army commanded by the Zhukun couple.

"Creak~"

As the Heavenly Phoenix Clan leader spoke, she clenched her silver teeth, her tone filled with resentment toward the Grand Elder.

"Although Tianyin is a Dou Saint pinnacle and brings many strong ones, our Heavenly Phoenix Clan's Dou Saints, both in number and average level, are far weaker than those of the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan. Therefore, she couldn't win against them. The outcome needs no elaboration; when she realized she couldn't hold out, she hurried to send someone to inform the wounded me."

"But by then it was too late. When I arrived here, Tianyin, that pig, and the other Dou Saints of our clan had already perished."

"As for the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan, they clearly anticipated my rescue, and since they couldn't confront me, they had already entangled other leaders who also feared me, the world's foremost Half‑Emperor, setting a massive formation here to await my arrival."

Upon reaching this point, the former let out a heavy sigh.

"Because the other side had long prepared, they not only killed Tianyin and the Dou Saints who followed her out, but also pre‑arranged numerous tactics, gathering other foreign strongmen. Among the Nine‑Star Dou Saints alone were the Nine‑Star Dou Saint pinnacle Zhukun couple, three other Nine‑Star Dou Saints from the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan at the early stage, and the pinnacle clan heads of two Dou Emperor families who were usually friendly with the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan."

"Consequently, although I eventually killed those meddlesome Dou Emperor family clan heads, three Nine‑Star Dou Saint Tai Xu Ancient Dragon elders, and nearly a hundred ninth‑rank Tai Xu Ancient Dragons, I forced Zhukun's wife to rip out the child in her womb for Zhukun, and she self‑detonated to wound me, who was already gravely injured, pushing me to the brink of exhaustion."

"As for Zhukun, although I struck him a few times and injured him, the energy storm generated by his wife's self‑detonation blocked me, allowing him to flee the scene quickly. Hence I only just now learned of his condition from you."

At this point, the former's voice changed again, taking on a tone of regret.

She seemed to blame herself, wondering why she had been so impatient when she first heard that Tianyin was surrounded by the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan.

If she had been clearer‑headed back then and not rushed to rescue Tianyin, she wouldn't have ended up surrounded by the Tai Xu Ancient Dragon Clan later.