Chapter Fifty-Two: The Glacier Phoenix Battles Xiyan

After the Xiao Shadow Array was torn open by the Qilin, Ling Yan, who had been standing suspended in midair, was inevitably shaken by the overwhelming force and fell from the sky.

"Careful!"

Bai Mu cried out anxiously upon seeing this, pushing off the ground with all his might. His body soared like a yellow crane, and he reached out instantly, gathering Ling Yan into his broad arms as she plummeted.

Yet before the two could land, the Qilin, whose advantage had only grown, pressed its attack. Its giant hand swept toward them from a distance, the force so potent that, even separated by several meters, Bai Mu’s skin stung as if lashed by icy wind.

The killing intent carried by that wind rushed at them with unstoppable momentum—its power even surpassing the innate karmic fire of the Bi Fang bird.

Still airborne, Bai Mu and Ling Yan had no leverage to counterattack. Ling Yan, having suffered a severe shock from the breach of the Xiao Shadow Array, had not yet regained her composure.

In this moment of mortal peril, Bai Mu gritted his teeth and drew the Azure Dragon Sword, waving it desperately to unleash ancient power in a bid to block the Qilin’s assault.

Alas, the strike was hasty and Bai Mu’s cultivation couldn’t provide the necessary force; the blow from the Azure Dragon Sword was but a third of its usual strength. Against the Qilin’s earth-shattering attack, it paled in comparison.

The two forces collided in midair. The Qilin’s immense energy shattered the sword’s aura and struck Bai Mu heavily on the back.

He instantly tasted blood in his throat and, feeling as though his body had fallen apart, plummeted to the ground while clutching Ling Yan, landing less than a yard from the edge of Return-to-Immortal Cliff.

The mountain wind howled past his ears, carrying a damp chill from the valley that seeped into Bai Mu’s heart, rousing him from his dazed stupor.

He struggled to his feet, picked up the Azure Dragon Sword at his side, and looked around. Ling Yan had already recovered, brandishing the Jade Xiao and engaging in fierce combat with the Qilin in midair.

Glancing toward Fairy Xiyan, her situation seemed no better.

Just before the Xiao Shadow Array was broken, Ling Yan had released the sealed azure phoenix from the Jade Cold Xiao to deal with Xiyan.

Though the phoenix was only half the size of the Qilin, its power was undeniably extraordinary.

Bai Mu had witnessed its might outside the Dayong Market, where it single-handedly extinguished the raging fire that consumed the entire marketplace—a testament to its strength.

Of course, Fairy Xiyan was no pushover; Bai Mu had sparred with her in the ethereal illusion earlier, and even with the Azure Dragon Sword in hand, three Bai Mus would not have been enough to defeat her.

As the azure phoenix hovered above Xiyan, it immediately unleashed a breath of icy air from its mouth, sending tendrils of chill toward her.

Xiyan’s face darkened. She wielded the Frosted Snow Sword, its slender blade moving with the elegance of falling plum blossoms. Her graceful figure made her movements a delight to behold, like a dance of light and song.

Yet as she spun, the sword’s speed only quickened. When the icy breath reached her, she calmly swung her blade, sending forth a surge of astonishing cold. It condensed into a giant white sword that struck at the phoenix’s icy air.

The two cold forces met in midair. Despite both being powers of frost, the giant white sword carried an added masculine energy, and at the moment of collision, it shattered the phoenix’s breath. With a gentle mountain breeze, the fragments dispersed and vanished without a trace.

Seeing her sword triumph, Xiyan could not help but smile with pride. Noticing Ling Yan entangled with the Qilin in the sky, she felt a surge of impending victory.

It must be known that Ling Yan had oppressed her for nearly a thousand years.

As the daughter of the God of War, her status was among the highest in the wild realms.

Yet fate was unkind. Among the divine children born in her era, Ling Yan was a prodigy.

Not only was Ling Yan exceptionally gifted, surpassing her elder siblings, but as the youngest daughter of the Celestial Emperor, her standing among the gods was superior to Xiyan’s.

With the advantage of being the God of War’s daughter, Xiyan’s cultivation should have outstripped everyone, including the pampered youngest of the Celestial Emperor.

But the truth was otherwise. Their rivalry began at birth, and over the centuries, they had fought many times. To Xiyan’s chagrin, she had never won—not even once.

This wounded her pride. A hundred years ago, determined to finally defeat Ling Yan, Xiyan pleaded with her father to tame the Qilin, one of the four ancient beasts, and sealed it within the Frosted Snow Sword for her use.

A century spent honing her sword; this time, Xiyan was resolute in teaching Ling Yan a harsh lesson, to show the Celestial Emperor’s daughter the might of the God of War’s progeny.

As she basked in her triumphant reverie, the azure phoenix swooped down again, its chilling aura so intense that Xiyan shivered from afar.

Only when she heard its sharp cry did Xiyan snap out of her proud musings.

She looked up—just five meters above, the phoenix was already plunging toward her, its speed like an arrow released from its bow, near impossible to evade.

Phoenixes are creatures of the heavens; when it comes to speed, nothing can compare.

Furthermore, this phoenix had been confined within the Jade Cold Xiao for so long, endlessly cultivating and absorbing its spiritual energy. Its power had grown exponentially.

It moved so swiftly that only a fleeting azure streak was visible before it appeared before its target.

By the time Xiyan truly reacted, the phoenix’s sharp claws were about to touch her jet-black hair.

Stunned, Xiyan forgot to dodge, standing frozen in place, as if petrified, awaiting the phoenix’s deadly strike.