Chapter 620: Winners Become Kings and Losers Criminals, The Weak Are Prey to the Strong

Tens of thousands of ancient phantom soldiers formed an array, perfectly uniform. Among these ghostly troops, many were the subjects of legends passed down through subsequent generations, possessing undeniable might.

Later, they all became vanquished foes beneath Zhu Tian's hands.

Had Zhu Tian possessed no true capability, he would not have dared to claim the title of Emperor.

The phoenix transformed from the Nirvana True Fire possessed a temperature comparable to the sun. Though the demon city was cast from solid metal, its metallic walls showed signs of melting under such terrifying heat, to say nothing of the cultivators below.

It was commonly said that cultivators were impervious to cold and heat, but when temperatures reached such extreme heights, they could only rely on their cultivation base to endure it through sheer force.

Those protected by elders fared reasonably well and could hold out; those who had traveled to the demon city alone, like Kong Hao, could only flee outside the city walls to watch the battle from the outer periphery.

"Go!" Zhu Tian commanded, and the ghostly soldiers marched into formation, blotting out the sky in a dark, oppressive mass, bearing a terrifying and chilling aura as they pressed down toward Jiang Lianyi.

"Explode." The Nirvana True Fire phoenix soared high, blazing like a scorching sun as it whistled through the air, swift as lightning.

The two forces collided and clashed, yin and mixed with yang, forming a massive Taiji diagram in the sky.

Immediately afterward, the Taiji diagram burst apart, and the Nirvana True Fire phoenix dissolved into sparks, scattering across the sky.

Yet, more than half of the ghostly soldiers remained.

Seeing this, Zhu Tian laughed uproariously.

"Condense!" Unmoved, Jiang Lianyi uttered a soft shout, utilizing the power of her embryonic Dao Fruit to control the Nirvana avatar and reform it.

The Nirvana avatar charged into the army of ghostly soldiers and exploded once more.

"Condense!"

Zhu Tian stood dumbfounded; he had never heard of anyone's avatar exploding, condensing, and then repeatedly exploding again!

Wait, this technique seemed somewhat familiar; he had encountered it during the ancient era, but who was it?

Witnessing this scene, Lu Yang's eye twitched. This technique was indeed familiar—was this not the Immortal Fairy's favorite method of combat?

Lacking the embryonic Immortal Dao Fruit, she made do by using the embryonic Law of the Jungle Dao Fruit to control it.

"It seems that although Lianyi has lost her memories, she has not forgotten this Immortal's teachings."

Boom—

The Nirvana avatar exploded right upon Zhu Tian, kicking up a cloud of dust and leaving him in a wretched state, his wings scorched black.

Zhu Tian sang the Song of Spring, restoring his condition just before the next wave of attack arrived.

"Condense!"

The Nirvana avatar reassembled, and Zhu Tian stood ready for the challenge. As the Nirvana avatar rushed before him, Zhu Tian manipulated space to form a barrier, blocking the next wave of explosion.

Suddenly, the space behind him fluctuated, and Jiang Lianyi traversed through space, appearing at his back.

"Not good!"

A colossal silhouette of a phoenix materialized behind Jiang Lianyi, surrounded by countless illusions of birds and beasts—the Vermilion Bird, the Qingluan, the Chongming, the Bifang...

"The Myriad Birds Homage! That is the legendary Myriad Birds Homage!" a great demon below cried out in terror.

"The Phoenix Ancestor subjugated all avian species, and the myriad birds revered the Phoenix Ancestor as their sovereign; only then did the later generations come to say that the phoenix is the king of birds!"

The massive phoenix silhouette spread its wings, and the myriad birds transformed into feathers, becoming a part of the phoenix.

The phoenix silhouette soared into the sky and then dove straight down. Zhu Tian looked up, feeling a chill in his heart as if a phoenix bathed in fire was bursting forth from the sun.

Zhu Tian wished to evade, but everything around him suddenly slowed down, including himself.

"A spatial lock... no, this is time suspension!"

Zhu Tian wore a face of utter disbelief, never expecting that Jiang Lianyi's embryonic Law of the Jungle Dao Fruit could even freeze time!

It turned out she had never used her full strength from the very beginning!

With time suspended, Zhu Tian lost his capacity to perceive the outside world. When time resumed its flow, the phoenix silhouette was already at an inescapable distance.

Boom—

The phoenix's beak pierced through Zhu Tian's torso, pinning him down onto the earth!

"What happened just now? Why did Zhu Tian suddenly stop moving?" Lu Yang wondered. From that distance, Zhu Tian could have avoided it, yet he acted as though a binding spell had been cast upon him, remaining motionless.

The Immortal Fairy saw through the mystery: "It is not that he didn't move, but that everyone remained motionless for the duration of a single breath. Lianyi controlled time, causing it to stop."

"Only because you have this Immortal with you can you see the entire process of the battle. To outsiders, it appeared as though the phoenix silhouette suddenly leaped before Zhu Tian, and he was struck before he could dodge."

"Time suspension, Senior Lianyi can even achieve such a feat?!" Lu Yang was greatly shocked.

"The Feign Death Technique seeks life through death, deceiving time; in a sense, it is a victory over time. Thus, she can halt time, though this alternative way of conquering time is ultimately not the orthodox path, so she can only stop it for a breath or two."

"If it were the Immortal of Eras, stopping it for a thousand or eight hundred years would pose no problem."

When half-immortals clash, a breath or two is more than enough to decide victory and defeat.

"As for why she didn't use it before, she was likely concealing her true capabilities; exposing one's hidden cards under the watchful eyes of the public is not a wise move. Aside from everything else, have you seen her use an immortal artifact from beginning to end?"

Lu Yang gave it a thought, and indeed it was so. Senior Lianyi certainly possessed an immortal artifact forged by the Immortal of Heaven's Response, yet she had not brought it out to use, which spoke volumes.

"The victor becomes king, the vanquished a bandit. Zhu Tian, do you accept defeat?" Jiang Lianyi transformed into her human form, looking down at the severely wounded Zhu Tian on the ground, her voice freezing cold.

Dejected, Zhu Tian also understood the crucial point. He lost this battle with absolute conviction; even if it happened all over again, the result would still be defeat.

"I concede."

Jiang Lianyi spoke no further words. Pressing her index and middle fingers together, she tapped her brow gently, activating her embryonic Dao Fruit to form a master-servant imprint, branding it onto Zhu Tian's body.

The law of the jungle, where the victor becomes king and the vanquished a bandit—this was the principle both of them believed in, which was why both had formed the embryonic Law of the Jungle Dao Fruit.

Jiang Lianyi had defeated Zhu Tian during the ancient era, but back then the Four Immortals ruled the world, so there was no need to control him.

Today was different. If Zhu Tian were left uncontrolled, there was no telling what schemes he might play.

Furthermore, Zhu Tian now knew she could stop time, and this matter could not be leaked out.

"The establishment of a demon nation is beneficial to the demon race; I shall not obstruct it, and the Phoenix Clan may also join the demon nation."

With the master-servant imprint in place, Zhu Tian was the ruler of the demon nation in name, while Jiang Lianyi was its true sovereign.

"You act ostentatiously, revealing your sharp edges too freely. If you continue in this manner, you will drag the demon race into a bottomless abyss."

If nothing else, Zhu Tian's desire to invade the Great Xia Empire was a certain path to death.

Jiang Lianyi had heard from the Immortal Fairy that Great Xia possessed immortals, and more than one.

Zhu Tian was clearly defiant, but as the loser, he had to obey whatever Jiang Lianyi commanded.

As the dust settled, what the crowd witnessed was Zhu Tian lying on the ground admitting defeat, and Jiang Lianyi, the victor, still bearing a cold expression.

Deterred by the intimidating aura of the two half-immortals, no one dared to draw near.

"Senior Brother."

Jiang Lianyi walked toward Lu Yang, respectfully calling him Senior Brother. The crowd voluntarily parted to form a path. Fortunately, Lu Yang was already mentally prepared; his face remained entirely unperturbed, and he gave a composed nod, fully displaying the demeanor of a young sect master.

Lu Yang even walked in front, while Jiang Lianyi followed half a step behind, the roles of master and subordinate clearly demarcated.

Lu Yang glanced sideways at Zhu Tian and said indifferently, "Let us leave. The demon nation amounts to nothing more than this."

The two walked out of the demon city. Amidst the reverent and fearful gazes of numerous powerful figures, they vanished into thin air, mysterious, unpredictable, and fathomless.