Night Lingyuan turned back, looked at Shangguan Yulin's confident expression, nodded, and retracted the energy from the Yiqi Potian Zhushen Whip.
He knew that since Shangguan Yulin said so, it meant that the Phoenix True Fire within the phoenix wood had been successfully communicated with.
And he also needed to conserve some strength to deal with unexpected situations.
Xuanyuan Xun and Rong Guang said nothing.
They knew that Night Lingyuan never did things he wasn't sure of, and while Shangguan Yulin might not always think things through, it didn't mean he was brainless.
On the contrary, when it came to serious matters, he was never perfunctory or arrogant.
Shen Liuxing was fully focused on controlling the dugout canoe and said nothing.
Based on his understanding of Night Lingyuan, since Night Lingyuan dared to let Shangguan Yulin take the lead, it meant that Shangguan Yulin was absolutely capable of the task.
Seeing Night Lingyuan's agreement, Shangguan Yulin nodded solemnly and closed his eyes.
In an instant, the Vermilion Bird Feather Fan grew larger again, and a Vermilion Bird phantom coiled out, emitting a cry, "Chiu~~~"
Immediately, the dugout canoe made of phoenix wood trembled and also let out a cry, "Chiu~~~"
Then, a phantom of a five-colored phoenix emerged from the dugout canoe and flew to the side of the Vermilion Bird.
The Vermilion Bird phantom and the phoenix phantom stood side by side, and both simultaneously spat out two radiant pearls.
In an instant, the two pearls collided, resembling a scorching sun.
The Vermilion Bird phantom and the phoenix phantom nuzzled each other affectionately with their heads and then plunged into the pearls.
"Twin Phoenixes Facing the Sun!"
Seeing the scene before him, even the usually calm Night Lingyuan couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"What is 'Twin Phoenixes Facing the Sun'?"
Xuanyuan Xun, Rong Guang, and Shen Liuxing asked simultaneously.
Night Lingyuan said, "Twin Phoenixes Facing the Sun is a secret technique of the Phoenix Clan, considered a fusion art of the Phoenix Clan."
"This fusion art doesn't just stack their powers; it multiplies them several times over. It is said that this multiplication can reach up to nine times."
"Nine times!"
Xuanyuan Xun and Rong Guang exclaimed in unison.
But Shen Liuxing frowned and said, "That's not right! Didn't you just say that Twin Phoenixes Facing the Sun is a secret technique of the Phoenix Clan? But now it's clearly one phoenix and one Vermilion Bird!"
Night Lingyuan pondered for a moment and said, "Ancestor God once said that the Vermilion Bird is the divine bird of another realm, and the phoenix is its descendant, born from its essence blood. Therefore, the Vermilion Bird is called the Fire God, while the phoenix can only be called a divine beast."
"Ancestor God also said that once the Phoenix Clan's innate talent awakens, a phenomenon of ancestral reversion will occur, allowing them to summon the true form of the Vermilion Bird. Thus, it is not surprising that the Vermilion Bird can execute the fusion art of the Phoenix Clan!"
Upon hearing this, a flash of inspiration suddenly crossed Shen Liuxing's mind. But the inspiration came and went quickly, causing Shen Liuxing to sigh with regret.
As they spoke, the pearls, which had merged with the Vermilion Bird phantom and the phoenix phantom, shone even brighter, and raging flames erupted from within.
In just a moment, the pearls became like a burning sun and plunged towards the ancient imperial crocodile swarm ahead.
The surface of the Death Marsh's upper layer was quickly ignited, transforming into a sea of fire.
The sea of fire continued to spread until all the ancient imperial crocodiles within a radius of a hundred zhang were cooked. Only then did it revert to the form of pearls.
The pearls returned to the air, and the surrounding flames quickly receded.
Then, the pearls split into two, transforming back into the Vermilion Bird phantom and the phoenix phantom, and returned to the Vermilion Bird Feather Fan and the dugout canoe made of phoenix wood, respectively.
"Puff!"
Shangguan Yulin opened his eyes, spat out a mouthful of blood, and smiled weakly, "I did it!"
Then, his eyes closed, and he completely fainted.
Night Lingyuan quickly examined him and found that he had merely exhausted his soul power and was not seriously injured. He then pushed Shangguan Yulin towards Rong Guang and said, "His soul power is excessively depleted. You take care of him; he'll wake up in three days!"
His words instantly jolted the three stunned individuals.
"Alright!"
Rong Guang responded and took out a Binding Immortal Rope, tying Shangguan Yulin to his back.
Night Lingyuan had already taken over from Shen Liuxing and was now controlling the dugout canoe himself.
After this incident, the ancient imperial crocodiles that had been pursuing them were finally shaken off.
Therefore, Night Lingyuan slowed down and said to Shen Liuxing, Xuanyuan Xun, and Rong Guang, "Seize this time to recover!"
Then, while controlling the dugout canoe, he also recovered his strength with divided attention.
Half an hour later, they finally saw the opposite shore a thousand zhang away.
Xuanyuan Xun, Rong Guang, and Shen Liuxing let out long sighs of relief and showed signs of joy.
Xuanyuan Xun gazed at the distant shore and said with a smile, "We're finally getting out of here!"
Shen Liuxing nodded and said, "For the time being, we won't have to be so anxious!"
Rong Guang looked at Shangguan Yulin on his back and said, "After we get out, let's find a place to rest first, shall we?"
Night Lingyuan was about to say something when his expression suddenly changed drastically. "Prepare for battle!"
As the four words left his mouth, the three immediately entered a state of alert, their hearts, which had just settled, leaped back into their throats.
Because, less than ten zhang in front of them, a colossal creature suddenly appeared.
"What is that thing?"
Xuanyuan Xun, Rong Guang, and Shen Liuxing stared at the colossal creature with their mouths agape in shock.
Night Lingyuan stopped the dugout canoe, his brow furrowed. "A dragon's head, a tortoise's body, and a snake's tail. If I'm not mistaken, this should be the divine beast Xuanwu!"
His words reached the ears of the three, making them utterly shocked.
How could the divine beast Xuanwu appear here?
Was their luck really that "good"?
The colossal creature said, "I didn't expect anyone to recognize this venerable one. Indeed, indeed!"
Its words, without a doubt, confirmed its identity as Xuanwu.
Night Lingyuan frowned and asked, "May I ask why Senior is blocking our path?"
The Xuanwu shook its dragon head and said, "This venerable one feels the aura of the Vermilion Bird on you! Uh... and also the auras of the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger."
Night Lingyuan calmly asked, "What exactly does Senior want?"
The Xuanwu's gaze swept over Night Lingyuan and the others, then paused on Shangguan Yulin. It exclaimed, "Oh, this little fellow actually has a feather from the Vermilion Bird on him. What good fortune!"
As its voice fell, Shangguan Yulin's Vermilion Bird Feather Fan flew out.
The Xuanwu sniffed and said, "It is indeed a Vermilion Bird feather, but this little fellow is not the person this venerable one is looking for."
Then, without any apparent movement, the Vermilion Bird Feather Fan returned to Shangguan Yulin's body.