Chapter 693: The Power of the Phoenix

The vortex was immensely vast, nearly filling the entire sky; as it formed, a tremendous suction force surged wildly, and though the tormented souls thrashed desperately, they could not resist the pull, being steadily drawn in, while the sea of fire gradually extinguished.

The opponent had used this method to quench the other's Phoenix Rebirth—Luo En was stunned; even now, they did not understand the true extent of the opponent's realm. The man faced both their factions alone yet still moved with effortless ease.

Suddenly, Luo En charged forward, arriving before the giant.

"You must see the situation now—the opponent clearly came for both of us. I believe we should join forces to find him."

The man looked at Luo En; though he was only a spectral shadow, the fact that Luo En intended to strike him filled him with furious rage.

"I can agree to your demand. Our grudges can wait for now. That fellow is truly infuriating—he dared to launch a sneak attack."

Luo En had anticipated the man would immediately accept his proposal; after all, the opponent was hidden in the shadows, and if they fought each other, the hidden one would reap the benefits of their conflict. Anyone with normal judgment would never make such a foolish decision.

Yet even if they allied, true mutual trust was impossible—Luo En still had to guard against the man.

The man said.

"What are your plans?"

Luo En looked at the vortex in the sky and said.

"I believe this man's strength must be immense. Though we don't know where he is, perhaps we have a way to force him out."

The man stared at Luo En in surprise; though he trusted Luo En's strength, he knew the hidden opponent was far more terrifying, and he did not believe Luo En could lure him out completely.

Luo En had already begun his move: the strange creature possessed terrifying power and defense, so he would serve as the main force; the girl, who could control the creature, would remain in the most concealed position, with Taiyilang guarding her.

Nai Zi and Luo En searched together for the opponent's trail, while the giant released tormented spirits to create distractions. Though this method proceeded orderly, Luo En could not guarantee they would find the opponent.

But reality was often more complex than imagined; though they moved systematically, suddenly massive pillars of fire erupted from the ground—each radiating terrifying energy, and anyone struck by them would be gravely wounded in moments.

They were forced to dodge the fire pillars while searching everywhere, when suddenly the giant let out a furious roar—his arm had been cleanly severed by a wind blade. Though he swiftly regenerated his arm, he felt his energy slowly draining.

He felt fear—the opponent likely already knew his weakness, relentlessly draining his energy. Phoenix Rebirth could bring one back from death, achieving immortality, with each rebirth multiplying power exponentially—it was an almost divine technique.

But if the opponent refused to kill him, this technique's advantage could never be unleashed; yet the opponent was draining his energy, which would leave him utterly depleted.

The man had sensed the opponent's tenacity, so now he had to be utterly vigilant.

He said to Luo En.

"This fellow is no ordinary opponent—do not underestimate him."

At this moment, Luo En understood—the opponent had clearly studied them all thoroughly. He used the same tactics against Luo En's group, but against them, he was far simpler and more direct.

The opponent even bypassed the strange creature, focusing all his attacks on Luo En's direction, for Luo En was the core of their group—eliminate Luo En, and the rest were insignificant.

Besides Luo En, the girl was also a primary target of the opponent's attention.

Suddenly, a strange disturbance sounded beneath Luo En's feet—he immediately went alert, rapidly releasing energy downward; this energy possessed piercing power, reaching straight into the earth.

But Luo En suddenly felt the disturbance intensify—the thing inside was about to break free—so Luo En and the others quickly retreated, staring fixedly at that direction, while the giant strode forward abruptly.

Suddenly, the ground collapsed rapidly; a massive shape flickered into view. Luo En's expression changed slightly—he knew this thing was not their target, but it was certainly something the opponent had drawn here.

Boom—a massive arm burst from the soil, hurling Luo En away with the force; he crashed hard to the ground, regaining consciousness only after a long while, feeling his body grow heavy. He swiftly adjusted his breath and rose in a flash.

Then another arm erupted from the ground; both arms slammed onto the earth, and with a thunderous roar, deep cracks spread across the entire surface, followed by a colossal skull emerging from below.

It was a white skull, appearing as a vast, utterly decayed skeleton—over ten meters tall. When half its body emerged, Luo En was awestruck—he could feel the immense energy radiating from it.