Chapter 96: Rebirth Through Fire

“Thank you, Lady Tantai!” Hua Wuhen said with utmost respect.

“No need for formalities,” Tantai Wushuang replied coolly, waving her hand. “Since you’ve earned the right to enter the Sanctuary, you’re already half a member of it.”

“I understand!” Hua Wuhen was beside himself with joy. Amazing—he’d managed to cling to the great tree that was the Sanctuary just like that. It felt like a dream, utterly unreal.

With the Sanctuary backing him, he could walk sideways through the thirty-six holy kingdoms of the Eastern Domain without a problem.

Then, Hua Wuhen slowly turned his gaze toward Chen Changsheng, who was seated on the steps of the black ice altar. A cold, faint smile appeared on his handsome face. “Young Master Chen, greetings!”

He had long harbored murderous intent toward Chen Changsheng. Now, with the Sanctuary at his back, he revealed his killing intent openly.

“He actually wants to kill Young Master Chen?”

Sensing Hua Wuhen’s murderous intent, Donggong Fu, the Holy Queen, and the others who had just been plunged into grief were now utterly dumbstruck.

They knew very well—Young Master Chen was a powerhouse from the Realm of the Gods!

Everyone present was stunned. Hua Wuhen was truly arrogant; now that he had the Sanctuary as his support, he dared to show open murderous intent toward an outsider.

“Hua Wuhen, what are you trying to do?”

High above, Tantai Wushuang’s delicate brows furrowed once more, and she spoke in a low voice. She had admired Chen Changsheng ever since he unraveled the mystery of the Flower of the Annular Rings. Now, Hua Wuhen actually wanted to kill Young Master Chen.

“Lady Tantai, I want to kill someone. When I fought Donggong Qianxue, I merely used the Flower of the Annular Rings to age her to death—I didn’t show my own true strength, so many here remain unconvinced. I know Lady Tantai, you too regret such an outcome.” Hua Wuhen respectfully addressed Tantai Wushuang. “So, it’s perfect—I’ll kill someone to display my true power, and convince everyone present.”

Tantai Wushuang frowned in silence, evidently displeased with Hua Wuhen’s display of arrogance.

“Are you sure you want to kill me?” Chen Changsheng looked at Hua Wuhen calmly and spoke in a tranquil tone.

Though Hua Wuhen had earned the right to enter the Sanctuary and was now half a member, Chen Changsheng had the Blood Demon Ancestor as his powerful guardian. Why should he be afraid?

Hua Wuhen had killed Donggong Qianxue, and Chen Changsheng was just looking for an excuse to have the Blood Demon Ancestor kill him to avenge her. Now, Hua Wuhen was delivering himself right into his hands.

What more could he wish for?

“Old Demon, kill this fool for me. Show no mercy,” Chen Changsheng secretly instructed the Blood Demon Ancestor.

“Young Master Chen, don’t worry. He’s nothing but an insignificant ant. I’ve already seen the word ‘death’ written on his face—in bold strokes,” the Blood Demon Ancestor replied gleefully.

“Young Master Chen, as you can see, everyone here doubts that I deserve the right to enter the Sanctuary.” The smile on Hua Wuhen’s face deepened, his killing intent now completely undisguised. “So, I have to pick someone to prove my strength. Don’t blame me—blame your own bad luck.”

As he finished speaking, he suddenly launched himself off the black ice altar, rushing violently at Chen Changsheng. A raging aura surged from him, distorting the air around him with its oppressive force.

“Hahaha! Young Master Chen, prepare to die!” Laughing madly, he charged at Chen Changsheng like a ferocious beast.

But in the next instant...

In his vision, Chen Changsheng suddenly erupted in a divine brilliance, radiant and dazzling like the sun.

A terrifying sound of the Grand Dao rang out, like a great bell, shaking the world. In that moment, it felt as if everything was about to explode, like a watermelon bursting apart.

“Ah!” Hua Wuhen cried out, blood spurting from his mouth, his face twisting grotesquely, like a vengeful spirit.

Snap!

The Flower of the Annular Rings in his hand, along with the long-necked white jade bottle, shattered instantly, reduced to powder.

Though the Flower of the Annular Rings possessed the dreadful power to age people to death, it was in reality extremely fragile, unable to withstand the terrifying Dao resonance emanating from Chen Changsheng.

“Ah!”

“Our Baidan Kingdom’s national treasure…”

The Many Flowers Pavilion and all the powerful figures from Baidan Kingdom gasped in shock, utterly stupefied.

At the moment the Flower of the Annular Rings shattered, the endless years it had stolen from Donggong Qianxue began to flow rapidly back into her body.

Her appearance swiftly grew younger.

In the blink of an eye, she had returned to her original form.

Her beautiful eyes snapped open, and her breathtaking face was filled with shock and confusion. “I clearly burned the Phoenix Blood Essence, but not only has the Phoenix bloodline not disappeared from my body, its purity has reached one hundred percent. Why?”

“I understand now—it was Young Master Chen’s Bathing Fire Immortal Phoenix that preserved my Phoenix bloodline. The Bathing Fire Divine Medicine is akin to a phoenix reborn from fire, so it must be connected to the Phoenix bloodline. Moreover, the meaning of this divine medicine is to be reborn through fire, which is exactly what has happened to me now.”

A piercing cry pierced the air.

She instantly transformed into a phoenix, her broad, multicolored wings beating fiercely as she shot toward Hua Wuhen.

“Hua Wuhen, you wretch, die!” Donggong Qianxue seized Hua Wuhen and let out a furious roar. Her massive phoenix claws clenched with force.

Boom!

Hua Wuhen’s body exploded, reduced to fragments of flesh.

“Ah…”

All around the black ice altar, including Chen Changsheng, everyone was dumbfounded, utterly stunned.

No one had expected the Flower of the Annular Rings to suddenly shatter, Donggong Qianxue to be revived, and then, in an instant, to crush Hua Wuhen to pieces.

It had all happened so fast—too sudden for anyone to react.

“Old Demon, what just happened?” Chen Changsheng murmured in astonishment.

“Young Master Chen, can’t you see? When Donggong Qianxue was aged to death, her lifespan didn’t dissipate into the world—it was sealed within the Flower of the Annular Rings,” the Blood Demon Ancestor replied, recovering his composure with a sigh. “I really thought that in a barren place like the Snow Chant Realm, there might actually be a treasure capable of directly stripping someone of their lifespan. Turns out, it only seals a person’s years within the flower.”

“So that’s how it is…” Chen Changsheng nodded in understanding, then asked, “Actually, what I really wanted to know wasn’t about the flower, but why it suddenly shattered, and why Hua Wuhen suddenly spat blood. How did you do it?”

Me? What did I do?

The Blood Demon Ancestor was both annoyed and amused. Clearly, it was Young Master Chen himself who did it, yet he was completely unaware.

Damn it, he’d caused the Old Demon to miss another opportunity to absorb blood essence!

“Ahem!” The Blood Demon Ancestor coughed twice, a touch arrogant. “Young Master Chen, making an insignificant ant spurt blood from his seven apertures—is that difficult? It’s nothing.”

Chen Changsheng didn’t know he was a superpowerful being, and the Blood Demon Ancestor certainly didn’t dare tell him the truth. If he learned the truth, who knew if he’d kick the Old Demon aside?