Stranger Danger

Yu Hongluan hesitated.

Yes, she hesitated.

Although Jewel Tree Prince killed her father, although she couldn't wait to be rid of him, the Stranger was right about one thing. If he surrendered, the secrets and intelligence he carried would greatly benefit humanity. Not only would they be able to reduce their losses and casualties effectively, they could create more effective and specific countermeasures against the Rakshasa Kingdom and deal it a heavy blow. They might even be able to exterminate the Rakshasa Kingdom once and for all.

Yu Hongluan's breathing grew heavier despite herself. Her expression was conflicted, and her heart was in disarray.

On one hand, as the daughter of her father, she wanted to slay Jewel Tree Prince and take revenge. On the other hand, she was a member of humanity. She could not disregard the greater good from her decisions no matter how much she wished for it.

For a time, she could not arrive at a decision.

She did not notice that a dark glow had appeared on the Five Jewel Tree of Wonder while she was struggling to make a decision. It was spreading from the roots of the Five Jewel Tree of Wonder and up toward the tree trunk.

As it spread, the penta-colored tree trunk began turning gray, the transparent, flawless leaves of jade and veluriyam became dyed in blue and black, and the colorful jades and pearls blackened like coal.

"What are you doing, Jewel Tree Prince?"

Finally, Yu Hongluan noticed something was going on with the Five Jewel Tree of Wonder and flew into shock and rage. The scarlet luan behind let out a long screech and engulfed the tree in flames.

Yu Hongluan did not look happy though. It was because she could clearly sense that Jewel Tree Prince was still alive.

As expected, the Five Jewel Tree of Wonder rumbled for a moment and began growing bigger once more.

Its thick, strong roots bored into the ground like dragons and serpents, stirring up the soil and splitting the surface.

Its massive trunk swelled in every direction and crushed all nearby buildings and houses.

Its branches and leaves kept growing until it formed an impenetrable canopy that blotted the entire sky.

Previously, the Five Jewel Tree of Wonder was only thirty or so meters tall. Its canopy was just enough to cover one corner of the Emerald Garden. Now, it was several kilometers tall, and its canopy spanned nearly one third of the entire Floating Island. Its roots bored hundreds of meters deep into the earth as well.

That wasn't all. The previous Five Jewel Tree of Wonder looked sacred, regal, noble, and inviolable. But now, it was surrounded by dark light and evil qi; overflowing with brutal and chaotic energies. It looked like a monster that could end the world itself.

"Kekeke..."

A strange cackle came from somewhere. It sounded evil and impure. A dark light rippled, and a yin wind howled. They forcefully scattered the sky of fire Yu Hongluan had summoned and even threatened the integrity of her scarlet luan.

Worse, the evil laughter, dark light and yin wind spread to the surroundings and corrupted the civilians. Their bodies began growing branches and tentacles, and their minds plummeted into confusion and madness. They started screaming, bit, tearing, and killing each other.

The entire Floating Island was in chaos.

"What did you do, Jewel Tree Prince?!"

Yu Hongluan shouted as she flew toward the giant tree Jewel Tree Prince had transformed into, scarlet hair flapping, sea of fire surging, and scarlet luan flying.

However, none of it could threaten the giant tree. They were either scattered by the dark light or the yin wind.

"What did I do? Keke... I simply gave you a taste of your own medicine."

As Jewel Tree Prince cackled, the giant tree cast rays of dark light that transformed into bloody rain and smelly wind that polluted the world. The withered leaves ignited deadly showers that plummeted toward the earth like meteors, and the breaking branches transformed into nether dragons and yin phoenixes that consumed the world.

"Jewel Tree Prince, you dare lie to me?!"

Yu Hongluan leaped into the sky and turned completely scarlet from head to toe. Lazurite-colored flames gushed out of her pores and turned into scarlet luans that took off in every direction.

As the scarlet luans danced, the restrictions and great arrays across Floating Island activated and formed a scarlet screen that encompassed the entire island. They blocked the downpour of rain, meteors, and blocked the descending nether dragons and yin phoenixes.

"Hahaha!"

Jewel Tree Prince's laughter was full of scorn and madness. "And you believed me? How naive, Fairy Hongluan."

"You humans are always so naive and foolish, arrogant and self-conceited. That is why you will never be a match for us; why you are destined to fall to the Rakshasa Kingdom. You will all become my lord's slaves and food for eternity!"

"Hahahaha!"

"I'm going to rip you to a million pieces, Jewel Tree Prince!" Yu Hongluan shouted with fury and hatred.

"No need. I'm going to disintegrate into ash and return to my lord's embrace very soon."

The giant tree Jewel Tree Prince had transformed into did not look saddened in the slightest despite having just declared his suicide. In fact, his voice was full of pride as he continued, "But before that, this entire island and all the living beings on it will come to the grave with me. They will all become sacrifices to my lord."

"I am honored. Truly, I am honored!"

"Keep dreaming!"

Yu Hongluan declared loudly and without fear, "So long as I, Yu Hongluan, am here, your conspiracy will never succeed!"

"It's too late, Fairy Hongluan."

Jewel Tree Prince said, "If you hadn't hesitated earlier and slew me where I stood, then you would have become the final victor."

"But you did, so I am the final victor. I have activated the ultimate secret art of the Rakshasa royal clan and ignited the holy blood bestowed upon me by my lord to transform into the Rakshasa Divine Tree, possessing unlimited power. Not even a human Sage would have been able to threaten me, much less the likes of you."

"A shameless boast!"

Yu Hongluan opened her mouth and spat out a fiery red palm-leaf fan. When it had swelled to the size of a millstone, she grabbed it with both hands and swung it across the air.

Inferno surged and merged with the light screen protecting the island. Fire and light immediately started burning on the light screen.

Slowly, the flames turned into a body, the red light transformed into flames, the fan took the form of a crown, and the mind became the core that joined it all. A lifelike phoenix was born from fire.

"Screeeeeee!"

The phoenix lifted its neck elegantly and let out a crisp, melodious cry. At the same time, a primeval aura and unparalleled power swept the sky and shook the earth.

The phoenix was the king of all avians and the sovereign of all creatures with feathers. It was a ancient sacred beast.

When the phoenix emerged, all must bow to its unrivaled power.

At the adept level, the Yu Clan's "Profound Chapter of Scarlet Luan Morphing Into a Phoenix" allowed the practitioner to morph into a phoenix and rekindle the ancient might of a sacred beast.

Of course, Yu Hongluan did not have the power to transform into a phoenix via her own strength right now. However, by aligning herself with the great arrays set up around Floating Island and activating the Disaster-class Strange Artifact that was passed down within her family, the Scarlet Luan Palm Leaf Fan, she could just barely manifest the ancient phoenix.

She could only maintain it for a few breaths, but during this time, nothing and no one could match her power. She could burn mountains, boil seas, and destroy heaven and earth almost like a true phoenix.

One might say that, for just a few breaths, a true phoenix had descended upon this world.

In the past, the Yu Clan founder once used this very power to slay an Ancient-class Stranger as a Half-Sage. Countless humans and Strangers cowered under his power for a time.

This was one of the main reasons the Yu Clan was able to stand tall in the Profound Alliance for centuries and firmly maintain their grip over Floating Island.