Long Zining was about to retort but suddenly sensed something was wrong and immediately turned around.
Behind their group, several more figures had converged, and they were not entirely from the Divine Enlightenment small world.
"Yun family? People from Xunming Continent?" Long Zining said coldly, "Are you trying to be enemies with the Moon Star Middle World?"
"I'm not from the Yun family," Wen Buting quickly waved his hands, but in Long Zining's calming expression, he uttered another sentence that Long Zining disliked hearing, "I am a friend of fellow Daoist Bai. Fellow Daoist Bai is in trouble, how could I stand by and do nothing!"
Wen Buting, having been an information gatherer for so many years, originally thought that Bai Shengyi and Yun Shenzhou indeed had no relationship, and the relationship was with the newly recognized nineteenth young lady of Yun Shenzhou. He never expected that this nineteenth young lady was a fake. At this, Wen Buting's radar lit up.
He couldn't help but think further, so after Yun Buluo left, Wen Buting did not leave with them but stayed not far away. Now that Long Zining and her group wanted to make a move, regardless of Wen Buting's intentions, he naturally would not stand by and do nothing.
As for the people from Xunming Continent, all dressed in white, they were enveloped in a pervasive aura of death, as if they had crawled out of graves.
The leader of the Xunming Continent people said indifferently, "My Xunming Continent also urgently needs the Chongli Eye."
Long Zining didn't know if his words were true, but she realized that the people from Xunming Continent would not leave either.
The two sides were at a stalemate.
Meanwhile, Qin Si was still explaining the matter of the Huan Niao (Bird Tamers) to Bai Shengyi.
"Huan Niao, a race deeply despised by avian races in ancient times. They would steal the eggs of other races, but not to hatch them, but to steal their bloodlines. The Phoenix race's bloodline had already been sparse due to decline, yet many of their eggs were still stolen by Huan Niao."
"However, Huan Niao were born with the ability to conceal their tracks and were naturally meticulous and cautious, so the Phoenix race, even until their complete decline, never found the Huan Niao's whereabouts."
After Qin Si finished speaking, Bai Shengyi understood, "No wonder the Demon King and Senior Sister are so angry."
Since the fall of the ancient gods, the lives of divine beasts had become increasingly difficult. Many divine beasts had become extinct, such as the Xuanwu race. For Qian Ying and Lin Qingyu, both of the Phoenix race, to survive was entirely due to the Divine Enlightenment Heavenly Dao's favoritism and a twist of fate at the time.
As they were talking, the Huan Niao in the sky was swept to the ground by the massive wing of a phoenix, creating a deep crater!
"What is stolen is stolen, and you Huan Niao, with so many avian bloodlines piled onto yourselves, do you even know what you originally were?"
Lin Qingyu fanned her wings with disdain and spat out a stream of intense flames from her mouth.
Phoenix Nirvana Heart Fire!
Bai Shengyi felt the Reincarnation Brush stirring restlessly and quickly held it down. "Don't be rash, rashness is the devil!"
The Reincarnation Brush said with disappointment, "Phoenix Nirvana Heart Fire! The Nirvana fire of the Phoenix! Such a good opportunity, how can you bear to let it go!"
Bai Shengyi naturally could bear to let it go! She didn't want to be enemies with the only two remaining phoenixes in this world!
However, her intentions were good, but she didn't know that the Reincarnation Brush's desire for divine fire had far exceeded its self-control!
"Whoosh!"
In the blink of an eye, Bai Shengyi merely lost focus, and the Reincarnation Brush broke free from her restraint and lunged towards Lin Qingyu.
Then, its body transformed into a giant phantom, like a gaping maw, and swallowed Lin Qingyu's Nirvana Fire in one gulp!
"Hic!"
The Reincarnation Brush even let out a very human-like hiccup, its halo of light intensifying even further.
As of now, it had collected six divine fires: Blazing Sun Crimson Fire, Chongli Eye, Sui Xing Divine Fire, Long Zhu Star Fire, Phoenix Nirvana Heart Fire, and Ten Directions Nether Fire, bringing it closer to recovering its former glory.
The Reincarnation Brush spun around contentedly, exhaled a wisp of fire, and returned to Bai Shengyi's side, "Shengyi, Shengyi, look, doesn't my brush body look even more beautiful!"
Bai Shengyi: ...
With a stomach full of unspoken complaints, she could only awkwardly smile at Lin Qingyu, "Your Highness Demon King, this..."
Nirvana Fire was a divine fire that the Phoenix race had guarded for thousands of years. It was said that only adult phoenixes received a spark of this fire through inheritance, which was reserved for their Nirvana.
Bai Shengyi hadn't considered asking Qian Ying for help before, but she didn't realize that Qian Ying was not yet an adult, meaning Qian Ying did not possess Nirvana Fire.
As for Lin Qingyu, her relationship with Lin Qingyu had not reached that point.
Bai Shengyi was now so embarrassed that she felt like digging a three-bedroom apartment out of the ground with her feet. She wished she could slap the Reincarnation Brush down from mid-air.
Fortunately, Lin Qingyu did not dwell on it. She spat out another wisp of crimson flame. As soon as the flame appeared, as if fearing a repeat of the previous situation, it immediately rushed towards Yao Zhu.
"Ah!"
Nirvana Fire was capable of allowing a phoenix to undergo Nirvana. Yao Zhu, a Huan Niao like him, let out a scream of agony as the destructive power contained within the flame seared him the moment he touched it.
"Your Excellency! I beg you to spare Yao Zhu's life!" Long Zining could no longer remain still. Yao Zhu was not weak, and if he died here, they would lose a capable helper in the Universal Secret Realm.
The number of people she had brought out was already small, and losing even one was unacceptable.
Long Zining said, "As long as Your Excellency spares Yao Zhu, we are willing to leave on our own and will not seek the Chongli Eye."
Since she already knew the whereabouts of the Chongli Eye, it was not impossible to retrieve it after the Universal Secret Realm expedition concluded.
Long Zining had calmed down by now.
However, just as she wanted to stop, Lin Qingyu was unwilling. She smiled and said, "I'm afraid not, this King is unwilling."
A coldness flashed across her face, which was both righteous and evil. Lin Qingyu waved her hand again, and the roaring flames became even more intense, scorching Yao Zhu to the point where his screams weakened.
Sensing Yao Zhu's life force draining away, Long Zining could no longer hold back and leaped forward, intending to intervene by force.
Bai Shengyi, Qin Si, and Qian Ying simultaneously attacked, surrounding her, while Yue Bufan and Tianshu also surrounded the rest of the Moon Star Middle World people.
"She's one thing, but you two, having just gone through lightning tribulations, your spiritual energy must be depleted. You are no match for me. This is courting death," Long Zining threatened Bai Shengyi and Qin Si.
Bai Shengyi scoffed, "Then try me?"
Qin Si nodded slightly, his phoenix eyes cold and distant. He stood beside Bai Shengyi with an aura of understated yet immense pressure, saying, "Ayi is right."
"Little Junior Sister, don't waste your words with this woman. I see she has some spirit stones on her. We can snatch them to replenish your spiritual power. What do you two think?" Qian Ying said with a charming smile.
Upon hearing this, Bai Shengyi was delighted.
"Of course, I'm extremely willing!" Bai Shengyi clapped her hands and laughed heartily, raising her Heavenly Machine Sword and charging towards Long Zining.
"Chunhong First Sword, Blooming!"
"Chunhong Second Sword, Withering Prosperity!"