Chapter 351: The Tree of Desire, First Qilin: Hey, I

“Dragon clan, pay your ransom quickly.”

“Otherwise, we’ll throw a seafood feast.”

“This one becomes steamed emperor crab, this one is spicy giant shrimp, divine turtle soup, true dragon as liquor, clam shells as serving dishes.”

“Hey? There’s even a kelp spirit? Whatever, toss it in too.”

Under Xiang Xuanqing’s lead, the Phoenix clan’s sacred sons and daughters hid behind Qing Hong of the [Honghu Ancestor], acting as seafood vendors.

This enraged the Dragon clan’s divine ones to no end.

“Can your Phoenix clan be even a little serious? If you want to fight, fight; if you want to kill, kill—how can you do such a soul-destroying thing!”

Behind Xiang Xuanqing, the white crane youth Qing Bai shouted: “Look at what you’re saying—your Dragon clan’s divine arts aren’t any better.”

“If we don’t destroy your souls, we won’t even bother!”

Qing Hong laughed heartily, pointing at the Dragon gods in the void, calling out: “Cut the nonsense—give us an answer: will you pay the ransom or not?”

“Ga ga!! Ga ga ga!!”

Ao Guang, the Eastern Sea Dragon God turned into a duck, flapped his wings in agitation.

“Ze, what did he say?” Qing Bai turned his head.

Xiang Xuanqing said: “He says, threatening the Dragon clan? Impossible! In the boundless spacetime, all beings are like dragons. Even if we kill them all today, new true dragons with superior potential will emerge among them.”

Qing Bai grinned, unable to stop smiling: “Like them? So we’ll just capture and sell them again later, right?”

“Goo goo!” “Ga ga!” “Jiu jiu!”

The younger generation of Dragon clan, transformed into flying birds, glared angrily at Qing Bai.

At high altitude, the patriarch of the Time-Flowing Dragon clan sighed to the heavens: “My child, you sacrificed yourself for our clan—you are a Dragon martyr. I will avenge you!”

The Crab Ancestor spoke with solemn authority: “My clan’s descendants, do not fear. After your deaths, we will grant you a separate lineage scroll and compile your stories into the *Chronicles of Dragon Heroes*.”

“Your legends will spread throughout all worlds!”

The Dragon gods belonging to the Destiny Palace cried out: “Great Lord of Fate, depart in peace—we will burn the first incense for you at every memorial day in our temple!”

“Kill them!”

“Heaven is enraged—five thunderbolts strike from above!”

“Ocean, surge forth!”

“Desire, let the tide spread!”

One by one, Dragon clan elders unleashed their power.

Dark clouds surged like tidal waves, rapidly spreading across the sky, blotting out sun and moon, as if the entire world had been dragged into a dark abyss.

Deep within the clouds, faint glimmers flashed—power of thunder was being forged.

BOOM!!!

As thunder after thunder descended upon the world, endless time and space were drenched in torrential rain.

Countless streams of cosmic laws surged forward, unrestrained killing intent so terrifying it froze the soul.

The Phoenix clan’s sacred sons and daughters stared in shock: “Damn, your Dragon clan is even crueler than us Phoenixes.”

We Phoenixes enjoy self-destruction and sacrifice because we can be reborn through rebirth.

Can you Dragons do that too?

“Enough, children—fall back for now.”

[Honghu Ancestor] Qing Hong shook his sleeve, his vast wings blotting out the sky, blocking every attack.

“Phoenix printing technique?”

Yuan Huang’s spiritual eyes flickered—she hadn’t expected these youngsters to cause such a commotion.

Driven by curiosity, Yuan Huang studied the divine art Xiang Xuanqing had created, and smiled: “Excellent.”

Then, Yuan Huang further refined the technique and passed it on to the Phoenix clan’s elder generation.

The Phoenix elders’ spirits surged.

“Strip you of your Dragon lineage!”

Divine light erupted, dazzling brilliance enveloping the Dragon gods.

“Hue!”

One by one, Dragon gods transformed into Phoenix divine birds.

Even Ying Long was struck by Yuan Huang, turning into a Honghu.

“This body… isn’t bad.”

Ying Long retained her combat ability, soaring through the Zhou Tian in her Honghu form, elegant and free.

“Friend, your position as Ancestor can be mine—hahaha!” Then, Ying Long charged toward [Honghu Ancestor] Qing Hong.

“Strip you of your Dragon lineage!”

Yuan Huang extended a finger—a rainbow light instantly encased the Green Dragon.

The Green Dragon transformed into a Qing Luan.

“Yin-Yang Grand Joy Ode!” The Green Dragon unleashed his divine art, stripping away the “Luan” component while preserving his original essence, instantly breaking free.

“Strip you of your Dragon lineage!” Yuan Huang pointed at Zu Long.

Zu Long’s expression shifted slightly.

He felt a fire burning in his abdomen.

It was the Nirvana Divine Fire.

Yuan Huang sought to usurp Zu Long’s origin, altering it fundamentally to negate the very existence of Dragons.

“A mere divine art tries to rewrite my Dragon lineage? Ridiculous!”

Zu Long chuckled, “Don’t think only your Phoenix clan possesses strange arts—let me show you what our Dragon clan’s Qiantian Palace has developed!”

Saying this, Zu Long let out a piercing dragon roar, and his Dragon Emperor Edict flew forth.

As the scroll unfurled, ten thousand dragon patterns writhed like living things, each line flowing with the most primordial authority of Desire from the Honghu era.

At the center of the edict, an intensely blazing sun of desire erupted, its light warping spacetime into rippling distortions.

Upon the sun’s surface, illusions of countless beings across the ten thousand worlds immersed in ecstatic pleasure shimmered—brilliant to the point of blinding, yet impossible to look away from.

“Appear, Tree of Desire!”

No sooner had the words left his lips than a blazing sun rose from within the edict.

That sun was like the first ray of dawn at the universe’s birth—dazzling, radiant, its light instantly illuminating all ten directions.

Wherever the light reached, darkness was banished, coldness melted, each beam a thread of cosmic law, weaving a world saturated with the power of desire.

Beneath the blazing sun’s radiance, pure desire began to coalesce.

That force surged like a tidal wave, gathering from all directions, gradually forming a towering tree.

The Tree of Desire soared into the clouds, its branches lush and dense, each leaf pulsing like a soul brimming with desire.

Its roots plunged into the void, directly siphoning the seven emotions and six desires of all beings across the worlds; atop its crown, a nine-headed, tail-biting bird of bliss emitted decadent melodies.

“Ultimate bliss—is the true path of the world!”

Zu Long laughed loudly.

Di Jun’s face darkened.

Sun, divine tree, divine bird…

Who are you mocking?!

As the Tree of Desire emerged, it was like a great sun hanging in the sky, illuminating the world.

Wherever its radiance reached, deities were shaken.

They all felt their bodies polluted by the power of desire, every inch of them burning with lustful fire.

What they saw was desire, what they heard was desire, what they smelled was desire, what they tasted was desire, what they thought was desire, what they were was desire!

The Dragon clan’s beings roared with laughter, utterly exhilarated.

The Phoenix clan’s beings turned grim.

The pollution effect of Zu Long’s Tree of Desire was even stronger than the *Grand Joy Ode*.

It didn’t merely corrupt beings at the soul level—it transformed the Phoenix clan toward the Dragon path through the Dao of Desire.

Under Zu Long’s brilliant leadership, Dragon = Desire incarnate!

“What do you mean, ‘in boundless spacetime, all beings are dragons’?”

“All beings must reproduce and thrive—they cannot escape desire.”

“All beings seek advancement—they cannot do without desire.” “All beings crave abundance—they need desire as motivation!”

“Those who speak eloquently possess a strong desire to express; the strong seek to protect the weak—that is protective desire; pursuing the Dao relentlessly—that is the desire for knowledge; loving fine food—that is appetite.”

Zu Long opened his arms, and the Tree of Desire extended countless branches, blotting out the heavens.

“The Dragon clan’s desire—is love, is affection, is wealth, is fame, is ideals, is faith!”

“In boundless beings, who can escape the net of desire!”

BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!

Zu Long’s words echoed like the true words of the Dao, reverberating through the heavens.

The Phoenix clan’s elders sweated profusely.

The sacred sons and daughters struggled to resist.

Do you think “desire” is merely romantic love?

No no no—Zu Long tells you, romantic love is merely one of three thousand streams!

Power, food, fame, ideals—all are part of “desire.”

“If the Dao of Desire cannot encompass such vastness, how could it possibly match the Water Element Dao?” Zulong watched the Phoenix clan retreating steadily, laughing with great delight.

If the Dao of Desire were merely romantic love, could he have tirelessly searched the myriad worlds of the heavens for the Three Thousand Streams of Weak Water?

Is Zulong so shallow?

“Phoenix clan friends, it is time to join our Dragon clan!”

After Zulong took control of the Tree of Desire and provided an interpretation of “Desire,” he fully unleashed the power of the Dao of Desire.

The Dragon princes and princesses, as well as the shrimp soldiers and crab generals, captured by Xiang Xuanqing, were freed under the influence of the Tree of Desire and reverted to their original forms.

One by one, the Phoenixes transformed into True Dragons and flew toward the Tree of Desire.

“Quickly use the Phoenix Printing Technique on yourselves!” Xiang Xuanqing warned.

Only then did the Holy Sons and Holy Daughters awaken, applying buffs to themselves to resist the contamination of the Tree of Desire.

【Zulong has truly invented new ways to manipulate the “Water” and “Desire” Daos!】

【If the Dao of Desire is interpreted this way, I dare not imagine what the Dragon clan’s Dragon Transformation Pool is really made of.】

【The desires of countless beings? If so, then the Dragon clan has indeed found a path even more hardcore than the Phoenix clan’s!】

Xiang Xuanqing repeatedly used divine techniques to free his contaminated companions.

Qilin Sacred Cliff.

The Divine Lords sat in a circle within the Qilin Treehouse.

Before them, a precious mirror emitted seven-colored light, projecting a scene.

“What you are seeing now is the monumental battle between the Dragon clan and the Phoenix clan. After the Phoenix young ones took the early lead, Zulong turned the tide with his hardcore strength!”

“The battlefield is now at a stalemate—let’s see what hidden cards Yuan Huang holds to reverse the situation!”

A deity appeared in the center of the scene, providing live commentary to the Divine Lords.

Why could the Qilin clan watch the Dragon and Phoenix battle live?

Of course, because the Primordial Qilin’s Cosmic Immortal had a sudden whim while traveling outside and “accidentally” discovered the Great Peng clan attacking the Main Divine Palace, so he “casually” redirected the space-time stream and recorded everything.

The Qilin clan’s Divine Lords watched with great interest.

“I knew that Honghu wasn’t dead!” Yunlu Divine Lord stared at Qinghong, who had returned from death, grinding his teeth.

“To be fair, the Phoenix clan truly are all heroic!” Baihu Divine Lord acknowledged the Phoenix clan.

Bai Ze Divine Lord nodded: “Their young ones are impressive too—constantly deploying new tactics, even overpowering the Dragon clan’s younger generation.”

“The Dragon clan’s elders are ruthless—they don’t care about the lives of their young ones.”

“Not saving them is correct. Otherwise, everyone would threaten the Dragon clan—how could they possibly save them all?”

【Tongyou Divine Lord】Houtu watched Zulong unleash a grand technique relying on the Tree of Desire, nodding repeatedly: “Zulong’s move is formidable—hard to defend against. We must prepare early.”

“We’ll need to study divine techniques like severing emotion and eliminating desire—otherwise, anyone who steps forward will be contaminated,” said 【Changsheng Great Emperor】Shencang, the Demon God.

The Phoenix clan’s “Phoenix Printing Technique” had already opened their eyes.

Who would have thought Zulong’s Dao of Desire could be twisted so creatively?

He’d even created such a powerful contamination.

If the Phoenix clan hadn’t possessed the Phoenix Printing Technique, they’d have been in serious trouble.

“Should we intervene?”

【Wuji Divine Lord】Fuxi asked: “The Dragon clan is now dominant, and the Phoenix clan is at a disadvantage—this is the perfect moment for us to strike!”

“Are you suggesting we launch a surprise attack?”

【Baihu Divine Lord】Jianbing said hesitantly: “Our three primordial clans signed the Non-Aggression Pact—launching an unprovoked strike might not be wise.”

“Jianbing Daoist is right. The Phoenix clan launched this war under the pretext of the Five Fires and Seven Birds Fan—what justification do we, the Qilin clan, have?”

【Tongyou Divine Lord】Houtu said: “I’m not opposed to joining the fray.”

“But as a major clan of Honghuang with prestige, if we appear as traitors and openly break the pact, it will pose serious challenges to our public image.”

【Wuji Divine Lord】Fuxi looked at Houtu and asked: “Then what kind of justification would be most suitable for us to intervene?”

“Well…”

【Tongyou Divine Lord】Houtu lowered her head in thought.

“Our Primordial Qilin has gone missing—we’re sending the entire clan out to search for him. Doesn’t that make perfect sense?” Suddenly, the Primordial Qilin on the main seat spoke.

“Clan Leader?”

The Divine Lords turned to the Primordial Qilin.

The Primordial Qilin gazed at the live footage of the Cosmic Immortal and smiled: “Daoist, you’ve worked hard.”

“What’s the difficulty?” The Cosmic Immortal laughed.

This perfectly aligned with Hongjun’s intentions.

【Diaodao Daoist, cooperate.】

【Understood!】

Taking advantage of the Dragon-Phoenix battle, the Cosmic Immortal seized the opportunity and flew toward a Main Divine Palace where Diandao Immortal resided.

“Welcome, one who is destined,” the giant orb within the Main Divine Palace emitted a formulaic voice.

Yet before the orb could react, the Cosmic Immortal slammed headfirst into the palace and died.

The giant orb: “???”

Behind the orb, Diandao Immortal, who controlled the Main Divine Palace, stared blankly.

He twitched his mouth: “That’s a bit too extreme.”

Moments later, the Qilin Sacred Cliff trembled.

All the Divine Lords poured out en masse.

“Zulong, give back our clan members’ lives!”

The Divine Lords’ shouts shook the heavens.

They feared the gods of Honghuang wouldn’t hear.

“What’s going on?”

“What happened?”

The gods of heaven and earth, confused, extended their divine senses from their Immortal Realms.

Then they saw the grief-stricken Primordial Qilin.

“Zulong, you openly broke the pact and murdered our clan’s Primordial Ancestor! The Qilin clan will not let this rest!”

Chaos Void.

Zulong, engaged in battle with the Phoenix clan, heard the Primordial Qilin’s declaration.

He felt utterly baffled.

“What’s all this shouting? Who did I kill?”

————

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(End of Chapter)