Refining the Mountains and Rivers

After the initial panic, countless eyes angrily looked towards Radiance Temple. Although this was a group of beautiful and seductive women, no one cared about their appearances right now.

"This phoenix luan is a demonized beast. How could Radiance Temple not know?"

"Whenever a demonized being is discovered, no matter their status or identity they are to be executed where they stand. This is an iron law recognized by the entire world and yet you dare to openly and blatantly violate it!"

"If this phoenix luan creates a catastrophe, Radiance Temple will not be forgiven for their sins!"

The group of beautiful women paled. Even they didn't know that the phoenix luan would unexpectedly undergo demonization.

They looked at Bei Qing's tranquil expression and knew that she had to have been aware of all of this. They could no longer contain their anger.

"Sect Master, what is happening?"

"You have to give us an explanation!"

"If this matter isn't handled properly, the 100,000 year legacy of my Radiance Temple will be destroyed in a moment!"

The Radiance Temple Master lifted a hand, stopping them from asking any more questions. She stood up and swept her eyes over the entire audience. "Everyone, I ask you to rest assured that the phoenix luan isn't undergoing demonization right now. Rather, because the bloodline in its body originates from the abyss, it has initiated a heavenly tribulation similar to demon tribulation. Even if it successfully crosses tribulation, it will not devolve into a monster that only knows slaughter and madness. This I can guarantee, so I ask everyone here to not panic!"

The Moonkeep Tower Master faintly said, "It indeed isn't demon tribulation. Fellow daoists have no need to feel panicked."

With two Sect Masters guaranteeing the safety of the situation, the chaotic and noisy audience gradually calmed down.

But as they looked at the countless bolts of tribulation thunder that wildly rained down, they couldn't help but be afraid. Could this phoenix luan really survive? It seemed more likely that it would be struck to death where it was.

If this was true, then the Hidden Fog Sect had picked up a considerable advantage. Otherwise, looking at the momentum of the heavenly tribulation, once the phoenix luan crossed tribulation it would receive a massive boost in strength. At that time no one knew who the winner would be.

Hu Fu and the others all revealed joyful expressions. After all, no matter how they did it, the leader was the leader. Moreover, the dark star ice serpent had displayed enough strength to aspire to the position of Beast King. Even if they won like this, no one would ridicule them.

A bit more thunder, a bit more ruthlessness, strike it down!

At this time, every Hidden Fog Sect cultivator was cheering on the heavenly tribulation.

Atop the stone chair in the front, as the holy light supplemented his strength, Qin Yu was gradually restored to normal. When he looked at the phoenix luan that was submerged in a sea of thunder, he silently shook his head.

The Hidden Fog Sect was celebrating too early. He could vaguely sense the phoenix luan's aura. Even though it had been weakened by heavenly tribulation, it showed no signs of decline. Rather, it became ever more tenacious and tough, as if bordering on the edge of eruption.

Without accident, this horrifying heavenly tribulation would not be able to take the phoenix luan's life.

But in truth, Qin Yu was only half right. Not only would the heavenly tribulation not be able to kill this phoenix luan, but it would instead become a terrifying attack method it could use.

When heavenly tribulation arrived, the dark star ice serpent cautiously withdrew far away. Suddenly, its giant eyes flashed with shock. It opened its mouth and spat out cold air that froze the void.

In the next moment, another bolt of thunder arrived. With loud breaking sounds, cracks appeared in the frozen void.

Just a bit and it would have broken apart!

Then, before the dark star ice serpent could react, more tribulation thunder fell.

Dazzling lightning wrapped around the phoenix luan even as its body burned with black flames. Its feathers were broken in many areas and its flesh and blood had been scorched by the tribulation thunder. In some places, one could even see the shining white bones beneath.

The current phoenix luan no longer had its majesty and pride of before. It was like an undying specter that came from the yellow springs hell!

But its eyes were calm and there was no sign of pain in them. It locked onto the dark star ice serpent and flapped its wings.

It was unknown what method the phoenix luan used, but it was able to summon the aura of heavenly tribulation. The moment the heavenly tribulation came down, the phoenix luan forced it to change directions and crash into the dark star ice serpent.

This sight caused cries of alarm. Everyone's worries about the phoenix luan's demonization had thoroughly disappeared.

Demonized beings lost their sanity and only slaughter and destruction. How could they control tribulation thunder and direct it to bombard their opponents?

What followed was simply incredible to the point of disbelief.

Tribulation thunder was a test of heavenly tribulation. It targeted the person who was undergoing tribulation, and unless one was somehow swept into it, it wouldn't affect anyone else.

This phoenix luan was actually able to use tribulation thunder to attack its enemy. If the audience didn't see this with their own eyes, they simply wouldn't have believed it.

"This phoenix luan's abyssal bloodline is extraordinary!"

"I fear it is a Lord level, or even an Abyssal Master level bloodline. Otherwise it is impossible for it to possess such ability."

"From the look of things, this heavenly tribulation cannot affect it at all. Once it smoothly passes this phase, its strength will rise immensely."

"The Hidden Fog Sect rejoiced for no reason. The position of leader is up in the air; no one knows where it will land."

"I have a premonition that what follows will be a peak spirit beast battle! Even if I don't obtain the present from Dragon City, being able to witness such a battle will mean the trip here was not made in vain!"

Suddenly, the phoenix luan reared back its head and cried to the heavens. Its body that was wrapped in black flames grew over ten times larger. The pitch black tribulation clouds in the skies seemed to be stimulated. They grew at an astonishing speed, soon covering the entire martial field.

More and more tribulation thunder came, and it arrived even faster. And the most important point was that the tribulation clouds seemed to be including the dark star ice serpent as a target. Massive amounts of tribulation thunder covered it up.

Hou -

With a deep roar, the dark star ice serpent's silver-white horn began to shine. Cold ice formed from nothingness. It was pitch black in color, almost the same as the tribulation clouds in the sky.

Endless tribulation thunder collided with the cold black ice. The ice was like a black hole, easily swallowing up all the tribulation thunder that came. The moment the tribulation thunder fell in, it vanished without a trace.

Black flames burned wildly. Even the radiant lightning couldn't completely conceal it. It pierced through the barriers of thunder and spread out.

But even though these flames burned, no heat came from them. Rather, what one felt was a bone-chilling cold that pierced deep into the soul. This sort of cold air was different from the dark star ice serpent's strength. It directly acted upon the soul and consciousness, making one's thoughts stagnate and causing their mind to slow to a crawl.

"This is a power that acts upon the plane of consciousness!" A Radiance Temple Elder shouted. She looked at Bei Qing with a complex expression.

Thinking about it, the Temple Master must have known of the strength that the phoenix luan could erupt with, thus the reason for her confidence. If things continued like this and the phoenix luan emerged victorious and they seized the position of leader, then both inside and outside the sect, the Temple Master's reputation and prestige would reach an unprecedented peak. No one would ever be able to shake her status again.

Thinking about their previous attitudes, a light flashed in the eyes of the Elders. They began to consider what price they needed to pay in exchange for the Temple Master's forgiveness.

The reason for the Radiance Temple Elders' sudden change in mood was simple. A power of realization that targeted the level of the consciousness was a powerful ability that only those who had truly touched the Divine Dao could possess.

Although the phoenix luan's black flames were far from the legendary Divine Dao state of being able to 'freeze everything with a thought and imprison all strength with a glance', it was still sufficiently terrifying.

As for the dark star ice serpent, while it had displayed enough power, it seemed low-spirited and demoralized in contrast to the erupting condition of the phoenix luan.

Rumble rumble -

Seemingly infinite tribulation thunder fell. As it did, the phoenix luan's aura grew stronger and stronger. Finally, when its aura reached the peak, it flapped its wings. Black winds suddenly appeared. They spun around in a circular column, rising up into the skies and breaking directly into the tribulation clouds, scattering them.

The heavenly tribulation had been dispersed!

This was also another scene that only ever occurred in legends. As everyone sucked in breaths of cold air or shouted out in alarm, the raging thunder quietly dissipated beneath the black flames and the phoenix luan appeared in front of everyone.

A great number of its feathers had been burnt to ashes. It was covered in blood and bones were visible all over. But at this moment, the phoenix luan was strong to the point that everyone's heartbeat was quickened. No one thought that it looked distressed at all. The only things they saw were endless dignity and eyes full of disdain!

It was like a specter monarch that had broken free from its restraints and soared out from the depths of hell. If it weren't for the clear and bright eyes of the phoenix luan and it showing no sign that it had gone mad, most of the cultivators in the arena might have already started running away.

At the same time, the dark star ice serpent that had been hidden beneath the black cold ice also revealed itself. Compared to the actions of the phoenix luan that had just survived tribulation thunder and scattered the tribulation clouds up above, the dark star ice serpent's actions inevitably gave off a sense of weakness and fear.

Right now, even the Hidden Fog Sect cultivators's confidence in the dark star ice serpent started to waver. Their eyes filled with nervousness.