Chapter 222 - The Birth of a Phoenix
The fusion of the Law of Death and the Law of Life, forming the Seal of Life and Death, erupted—a formidable trump card in Loong Chen's arsenal.
While the Law of Life had already attained the second grade, the efficacy of the fusion hinged on the corresponding advancement of the Law of Death.
Thus, Loong Chen needed to elevate the stature of the Law of Death accordingly.
Similarly, the Law of Fire served as the bedrock for activating the Phoenix Divine Fire, necessitating its enhancement.
“Expend 10 million empirical values to elevate the Law of Death to level 2.”
“Expend 10 million empirical values to elevate the Law of Fire to level 2.”
With the augmentation of these Laws, Loong Chen's comprehension deepened significantly.
“Although each level advancement demands 10 million empirical values, the ensuing augmentation is unequivocally worthwhile. Despite only ascending one level, the potency has more than doubled.”
Loong Chen mused inwardly.
Ordinary human Evolvers typically commenced their understanding of these Laws upon reaching the Emperor Level. While some exceptionally talented King Level individuals might also embark on this path, they were rare.
Upon attaining the Emperor Level, disparities in combat prowess transcended mere physical attributes to encompass comprehension and mastery of the Laws.
The latter constituted the primary differentiator among Emperor Level warriors.
Hence, even the most feeble Emperor Level combatant could easily overpower a Peak King Level Evolver—a testament to the potency of the Power of Law.
Some Emperor Level Mid-stage warriors might struggle to grasp a Second Grade Power of Law.
However, Loong Chen circumvented this necessity entirely.
Loong Chen opened his eyes, exhaling deeply.
Although only a day had elapsed in the external realm, within the fiery cavern, aided by the Law of Time, a hundred days had transpired.
Loong Chen redirected his gaze to the base of the Flaming Eagle Owl, where the phoenix egg remained inert.
“What manner of egg is this? A hundred days have passed—why hasn't it hatched?”
The Flaming Eagle Owl teetered on the verge of collapse, its desperation verging on imploring Loong Chen to end its suffering.
Loong Chen's brow furrowed. He couldn't afford to delay any longer.
Senior Divine Phoenix hadn't provided instructions on hatching the egg, leaving him to devise a solution.
“What type of egg is this?”
Observing Loong Chen's disregard, the Flaming Eagle Owl inquired once more.
Loong Chen's patience waned, and he blurted out abruptly,
“It's a phoenix egg!”
“What?!!”
Upon hearing these words, the Flaming Eagle Owl's feathers bristled, and it jolted upright.
“You claim this is a phoenix egg?”
Despite its astonishment, the Flaming Eagle Owl's voice remained peculiar, yet it seemed unfazed.
“I acquired it within the Divine Phoenix Ruins. Senior Divine Phoenix's residual spirit bestowed it upon me.”
Loong Chen disclosed the truth, harboring no concern over the Flaming Eagle Owl's potential intentions.
With his current prowess, dispatching the Flaming Eagle Owl would be effortless, offering it no opportunity to flee back to the magma.
The Flaming Eagle Owl remained in a state of shock, fixating on the phoenix egg with unwavering intensity.
Realizing that the egg it had been inadvertently pressing for a hundred days was a phoenix egg, the Flaming Eagle Owl was consumed with remorse.
These mutated creatures held great reverence for bloodlines. Despite the egg not yet hatching, its pure phoenix bloodline evoked a profound ancestral connection.
Contemplate the revelation of pressing one's ancestor beneath your body for a century—how would you feel?
“Ancestor, it was unintentional. This human is to blame for making me inadvertently press upon your noble eggshell.”
Hastily, the Flaming Eagle Owl prostrated before the phoenix egg, prompting a bemused reaction from Loong Chen.
“I haven't even hatched yet. How could I know what you've done?”
“Enough with the chatter. Focus on hatching it,” Loong Chen urged impatiently.
He gave a fearful tremble as Loong Chen impatiently kicked the Flaming Eagle Owl, prompting it to speak.
“Big Brother, if you had disclosed earlier that this was a phoenix egg, we wouldn't have wasted so much time,” the Flaming Eagle Owl muttered, tinged with complaint.
“What do you mean?” Loong Chen inquired.
Loong Chen questioned further.
“The hatching of a phoenix doesn't solely rely on incubation. It requires absorbing ample fire energy essence. In a sense, this isn't just an egg; it's a defensive shield utilized by a phoenix for protection,” the Flaming Eagle Owl elucidated.
The Flaming Eagle Owl regarded Loong Chen as if he were a naive rustic, finding his lack of understanding perplexing.
“The phoenix within the egg is still dormant; you need to use flames to awaken her,” it continued.
Loong Chen suddenly grasped the significance after the Flaming Eagle Owl's explanation.
Nonetheless, this marked his first acquaintance with the phoenix's true existence. How could he have known such details?
“Then, do you know where to hatch her?” Loong Chen inquired again. The Flaming Eagle Owl gestured toward the adjacent magma.
“Right there,” it indicated.
Loong Chen observed the magma.
Indeed, the magma's temperature surpassed that of ordinary magma manyfold. Moreover, being nestled within the Phoenix Ruins, this magma bore traces of the phoenix's aura.
It seemed ideal to utilize this magma to energize the phoenix egg.
With this realization, Loong Chen retrieved the phoenix egg and submerged it in the magma pool.
To his surprise, the phoenix egg didn't sink but instead floated on the surface.
Instantly, the magma began to seethe. Innumerable waves of ethereal energy surged into the phoenix egg.
The phoenix egg quivered violently.
“The magma's energy should suffice to birth a phoenix.”
The Flaming Eagle Owl regarded the phoenix egg with intense fervor. While it had only been a topic of hearsay before, this marked its first encounter with a phoenix descending into the mortal realm.
Dragon Chen, too, stared unwaveringly at the phoenix egg.
As energy cascaded into the phoenix egg akin to spring water, its tremors intensified.
The lava within the fire cave diminished at a noticeable pace.
After an indeterminate duration, the initial fissure emerged.
Gradually, the surface of the phoenix egg split open, until, with a resounding crack, the shell shattered.
A diminutive avian resembling a sparrow floated atop the lava's surface, motionless.
“Is this the phoenix?”
Loong Chen queried with curiosity. Why did it resemble a tiny sparrow?
“This is a fledgling phoenix, but its maturation hinges not on time but on energy.”
“Given sufficient energy, it can even undergo direct evolution to maturity.”
The Flaming Eagle Owl elucidated, prompting Loong Chen's attentive gaze.
“Could your energy essence aid its growth?”
A covetous gleam flickered in Loong Chen's eyes.
After all, the Flaming Eagle Owl was a Beast King. Despite being of Beginner Grade, its energy essence surpassed that of even a Peak beast king.