Indeed, on Shi Wei's palm was the True Phoenix Sword!
Even without her Divine Sense, Qiao Tu could recognize all of its design from miles away.
This was the symbol of their Divine bloodline!
Why the hell is it in enemies hands?!
As Qiao Tu stared into Shi Wei's chillingly calm face, her Soul's Core suddenly quivered. At that moment, memories started to flood Qiao Tu's mind like a dam.
Far back into the past, a young Qiao Tu was kneeling towards an ordinary-looking middle-aged man.
This man's presence was utterly unremarkable, but within his hands was the same True Phoenix Sword.
He slowly caressed the curved blade, telling Qiao Tu, "Even with a treasure blade like this, I have no assurance about changing the situation with the Huang Dragons. All of them have unfathomable depths. Especially the Ancient Dragon Empress Shi Wei."
Young Qiao Tu understood her master words, but her gaze was still filled with determination. "If I may Ancestor, but should we really fear the Huang Dragons to this extent. Indeed, they're honestly terrifying, but I am not willing to stay under their thumb! Mainly, it is that their older generation is too powerful while their younger generation is only slightly lacking behind ours. We need to start gathering momentum before it's too late. And the True Phoenix Sword can be our great breakaway!"
The middle-aged man stayed silent for a moment. He couldn't deny a part of him was truly moved.
After all, what Holy Land doesn't hold lofty ambitions to stand at the absolute summit of the Martial World?
As inborn Divine beasts, the middle-aged man felt a natural calling to rule, to dominate, to control!
However, he only shook his head a moment later, saying, "Naturally, I have these desires as well. But we must learn to be patient and endure. Nothing is ever set in stone. Remember this Qiao Tu. For any perilous situation you might find yourself in, know it is better to be alive and enduring than dead with zero hope."
Young Qiao Tu thoughtfully regarded her Ancestor's words. But her loft ambitions still resigned in the deepest part of her subconscious.
As this memory faded away, perplexing emotions swirled within the current Qiao Tu's eyes.
The gaze she used to look upon both Shi Wei and Cain slightly changed.
Was this what her Ancestor was referring to?
Is this the true unfathomable depths of the Huang Dragons?
Qiao Tu's Martial Heart continually wavered.
And even as Qiao Tu tried to conceal her emotions, both Shi Wei and Cain subtly picked on the change within her gaze.
Shi Wei coldly smiles. The tone she spoke with could send shivers down one's soul. "It's good you recognize it. And from that look, you're becoming quite nostalgic, right? This is the True Spirit Master Grade blade your Sect holds so much value in. Admittedly, even I was a bit wary over this blade. However, now…"
As she trailed off, a talisman suddenly appeared in Shi Wei's palm. She promptly crashed it, causing a stream of grey Wisdom essence to release and flow directly into the True Phoenix Sword.
'This is?!'
Qiao Tu felt her mood somehow plummet to the depths even more. Her body was on the verge of convulsing as she watched this strange grey essence leak out.
But within an instant, she identifies the essence.
'Wi-wisdom essence?!' Qiao Tu's heart lurched to her throat.
The Wisdom essence engulfed the curved blade, rapidly changing its appearance.
Before Qiao Tu's shocked eyes, Wisdom Dao Marks appeared on the curved blade.
The Wisdom Dao Marks surged like a beating heart and exuded another stream of Wisdom essence, it forming into an essence projection.
On the essence projection, the Dao Marks converged into big, clear words.
It said, 'Feng Zhi Deceased.'
Those words struck Qiao Tu to her core.
Her Martial Heart continued to crack, pieces rapidly falling off, her mind suddenly started to suffer from a splitting headache.
The fact that her Supreme Ancestor was dead wasn't surprising. She knew it long ago.
But the whole rest of the Thunderous Collision World didn't know!
The significance behind this was immense.
Despairing thoughts streaked Qiao Tu's mind like lightning. A sensation almost foreign to her started to gradually crawl through her body.
It was suffocating and as gripping as pain.
Qiao Tu blinked her eyes, the light changing within her pupils; it was the sensation of fear.
When Cain witnessed Qiao Tu's intense reaction, he cast a gaze of admiration on Shi Wei.
"It is just like you said, grandmother. Their First Ancestor really was quite the figure. Still, wasn't he only one man? Just how could he put so much pressure on an entire God World?"
Shi Wei lightly chuckled, feeling no shame in admitting, "Oh, this was news a while before your time, little Cain. Truthfully, our Imperial Family wasn't exactly at the same equal standing as it is now. The Ancient Phoenixes were genuine threats that even the Radiance Luster World paid attention to. Feng Zhi was shrewd, crafty, and above all, extremely powerful. His combat prowess was enough to astound me all the time. With him, many lower-tier Holy Lands were willing to be subordinates of them. However…in the end, my patience to endure was enough to overturn the whole situation."
Indeed, dozens of years ago, there was an incredible expert that could install fear across the entire Thunderous Collision World.
This man had excellent political skills to perfectly control his Sect while also enormously empowering them.
He was incredibly shrewd to outwit even dangerous situations that were a direct threat to his life.
And as Shi Wei highlighted, his combat prowess was supreme among the Divine Ruler realm!
His reputation transcended to peak mid-tier Holy Lands that have unfathomable experts in the Holy King realm.
To gain the attention of a Holy King Holy Land is not easy at all.
Compared to the Holy King realm, it was hundreds of times more difficult to be recognized as a true genius in the Divine Ruler realm.
Many cultivators could only stop their journey once simply reaching Early Divine Ruler.
To be a genius among genius requires abilities that shine above practically millions of other geniuses!
And yet, First Ancestor Feng Zhi managed to achieve this reputation.
If things were to continue like this, perhaps the Ancient Phoenix Holy Land would be completely different in the current generation.
However, there would always be higher and hidden mountains lurking within the sea of stars.
Qiao Tu's pupils suddenly contracted. A memory flooded through her as she shrieked towards Shi Wei, "You-you! When Ancestor's life crystal shattered, none of us was able to decipher the scenery. It was as if Ancestor's soul were corroded by that mysterious person's Source Laws. The only thing we could make out after so many years is that the aura had a yin sensation, used a mysterious purple-colored power, and directly kept the True Phoenix Sword! You're the one who killed Ancestor!!"
Greif, fear, fury, and anguish all mixed within Qiao Tu's tone.
The reason that they were experiencing gradual greater pressure all came from the Ancient Dragon Empress!
"As they said, a dead genius is no genius." Shi Wei didn't deny. "Ah, if it wasn't for some difficulties back then, I could have perfectly struck down your Holy Land. Ah, what a shame, what a shame…"
Flashes of nostalgia dawned on Shi Wei's face. It was as if these were all amazingly fond memories to recall.
Even Cain felt affected by her serene mood.
But when he snapped his gaze over to Qiao Tu's absolute look of horror, complex emotions flickered within Cain's eyes.
'If this Feng Zhi was practically an expert among all their genius Divine Rulers, how did grandmother kill him? Unless she has a hidden injury? But even then, nobody in this entire world dare to doubt her prowess.'
A surge of curiosity arouses within Cain.
But before he could question it, Shi Wei dispelled the talisman and returned the True Phoenix Sword into her spatial ring.
She continued to say, "Alright, and now we come to the final moments. Qiao Tu, you still have those two options. Willingly submit to my Soul Alliance agreement or resist and have the potential to turn into a permanent idiot. Or maybe… I'll just reject both options, kill you and release the news of your Ancestor's death. The loss of two Divine Rulers, how dramatic is that? The reactions won't be small at all. Plus, you know Thunderous Sword Sect has close ties to us, right? I can only imagine how your Holy Land future would look on this route."
In that instant, Qiao Tu felt as if something had cracked in her mind and soul.
Her hand slowly clutched her right above her chest, her fingers ripping through her robes, ferociously digging into her skin until blood was drawn.
With great difficulty, she spoke with a twisted expression resembling a look of desolate despair. "Huang Dragons-you…you two…"
"What? What is it?" Shi Wei sharply interrupted her.
"Since we have the power to do it, of course, we will use everything to our advantage. That is the way of us Huang Dragons. That is how we served through the tyrant rule of those demons Spiritas, those envious humans, and you similar Divine Beasts. Now then, have you made your choice?"
For a moment, Qiao Tu went silent as her expression abruptly turned blank. In her mind, there was only one thought swirling around.
To endure and bide time no matter what may happen.
The words of her Ancestor echo out in her consciousness. 'No matter your pride. No matter your strength. No matter how great your Sect becomes, it all won't matter if you are dead. Endure, you must endure.'
Moments later, a glint emerged within Qiao Tu's eyes. It was only at this time did she simultaneously feel her Martial Heart crack to pieces but also reform piece by piece.
She had finally nodded, saying in a low tone of voice, "Give me the alliance agreement. I won't resist at all."
"A wise person knows when to submit to circumentstaces." Shi Wei thoughtfully nodded.
Her palm opened, gathering a clump of pure purple soul essence. If one looked closely, one would be able to see threads of soul Dao Marks.
Although Divine Boundless Heavens' inhabits can't cultivate their souls, they were able to cooperate with the rare soul attainment World Spirit Masters and create the Soul Alliance arts that can forcefully make soul Dao Marks.
Shi Wei flicked her palm, sending the Soul Alliance agreement into Qiao Tu's body, directly connecting towards her own Soul's Core.
In an instant, streams of information poured into Qiao Tu's mind.
'What-what kind of damn alliance is this?!' Qiao Tu furiously roared in her heart. She was giving up hundreds of times more!
The alliance agreement went as such, 'Qiao Tu will give up a Divine Star expert soul's core with at least Advanced Threshold Success Attainment levels. She will not pursue the matter of the geniuses' deaths or any more matters with Cain in the future, no matter what the crime he commits. Nor will she use any kind of means to suppress Cain, Kali, and Amber, no matter the crimes they all commit. She will also subtly help Cain, Kali, and Amber without catching attention, along with keeping everything said here a complete secret. Nothing since the start of the meeting with Shi Wei can be discussed with anyone else besides Cain, Kali, Amber, and Shi Wei. Failure to do any one of these rules will result in immediate soul detonation.. In exchange, Shi Wei will just give the Divine Fiery Rose.'