Volume 1, Chapter 20: The Four Spirits of Heaven, Vermilion Bird

A powerful pressure surged from behind Ao Lie.

"Oh no!" Ao Lie thought to himself. Without a moment's hesitation, a water wall several meters thick materialized behind him.

*Hiss...*

The sound of water vaporizing came from behind him. The next moment, Ao Lie was sent flying backward, landing straight outside the stone platform. The force was so immense that he flew dozens of miles before coming to a stop.

He slowly reached for his back. A piercing pain shot through him; his back had been scorched beyond recognition. He paused briefly, and after a moment of silence, he spoke:

"The Vermilion Bird is cloaked in flames that never extinguish throughout its life—one of the Four Symbols of Heaven!"

"Now that you see this King, why do you not kneel?"

A human figure slowly emerged from the spiritual pillar, her back adorned with two massive, fiery-red wings. When the Vermilion Bird appeared, the temperature throughout the entire "Taiming Yuwantian" heaven rose to an unbearable level. Clearly, this realm could not contain her power.

Chen Yan’s expression was grim. He had not expected that the seemingly weak Immortal Huanglong was actually an avatar of the Vermilion Bird. As one of the Four Symbols, the Vermilion Bird belonged neither to the mortal realm nor the celestial realm; she existed solely to maintain the balance of the four cardinal directions. If she chose to intervene, Ao Lie’s chances of survival would be slim.

Chen Yan looked up at the sky and scoffed, muttering to himself, "Heaven has quite the scheme. No wonder they despised Immortal Huanglong yet dared not strike him down, choosing instead to place him on this battlefield."

Since Immortal Huanglong was the vessel for the Vermilion Bird, it was only natural that she would use him to participate in the conflict. Ao Lie, now the target of the Vermilion Bird, found himself surrounded by terrifying heat—an agonizing ordeal for someone who had spent his life in the depths of the sea.

Yet, Ao Lie did not retreat. Enduring the searing heat, he walked back toward the platform and bowed to the Vermilion Bird. "Ao Lie, Third Prince of the East Sea Dragon Clan, pays his respects to Lady Vermilion Bird."

Even after speaking, he remained undeterred by the pressure she exuded. Instead, he channeled all his strength, summoned his Frost Sword, and took a combat stance, his gaze sharpening. A massive water dragon manifested behind him. The surrounding heat pressed relentlessly against the water dragon, and the air was filled with the constant hissing of evaporation.

Ao Lie swung his sword and said coldly, "I offer my apologies!"

The Vermilion Bird watched with disdain and gave a casual wave of her hand. A stream of scorching flame erupted from her palm, colliding with the Frost Sword.

*Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...*

Ao Lie was shocked. His Frost Sword, forged from ten-thousand-year-old glacial ice, began to melt rapidly. In an instant, only the hilt remained. The flames continued to surge toward him. He retreated continuously, managing to block the onslaught only by conjuring a dozen water walls before him.

Having overexerted his essence, Ao Lie was left gasping for air. He was simply too insignificant compared to this progenitor of life. The Vermilion Bird, radiating the aura of a superior being, stood her ground and looked down at him. "Why did you slay Huanglong?"

"I meant no offense, my Lady. In the game between Heaven and Man, death and injury are inevitable. I pray for your understanding."

"Oh?" The Vermilion Bird's gaze shifted slowly to Chen Yan, as if seeing through everything. "The game between Heaven and Man? So, it has finally begun, has it?"

Chen Yan nodded noncommittally, his tone flat. "It is our first meeting. How have you been, Vermilion Bird?"

The Vermilion Bird curled her lips and shook her head. "Though it is your first time seeing me, this is not my first time seeing you. You are more powerful now than you have ever been."

Chen Yan smiled faintly and said with a sigh, "Ao Lie is a living creature, and as such, he is a descendant of the Four Symbols. Could you perhaps yield in this battle?"

"That is only natural. Heaven has used me, and the resulting fury should not be borne by the likes of you. However, I am curious to see the true strength of the Human Emperor. Would you grant me this?" The Vermilion Bird paused, extending a hand tipped with three sharp talons. "I shall use only one-tenth of my power. You may use your own strength to augment his; I wish to see his potential."

Just then, a voice boomed from the sky: "The Human Emperor cannot intervene! Any interference will be deemed a violation!"

Before Chen Yan could respond, a burst of the Vermilion Bird's True Fire erupted. The pristine sky was instantly stained crimson, and the voice in the sky fell silent.

"Using me to your ends, and you dare set conditions? Be careful, or I shall lead the Four Symbols to raze the Celestial Palace to the ground!"

Chen Yan laughed heartily at the sight. Having just declared his wager, he hadn't expected it to be disrupted first by Chijingzi’s recklessness and then by the Vermilion Bird’s intimidation. He had only just arrived in Taiming Yuwantian, and the Lord of Heaven had already been humiliated twice. Clearly, the Lord of Heaven had underestimated the Four Symbols. As superior beings, they possessed their own pride, and anyone challenging their authority would usually be executed. Yet, the Vermilion Bird had acted in total defiance of such expectations, showing unexpected magnanimity.

Moreover, her attitude signaled that she had unilaterally declared the battle won. The Lord of Heaven must be furious.

Without further ado, the Vermilion Bird withdrew her pressure. The temperature returned to normal, and she looked at Ao Lie with newfound curiosity. "Come, let me see what you are capable of."

Chen Yan did not hesitate. A stream of pure Imperial Dragon Qi drifted toward Ao Lie.

The next moment, Ao Lie’s aura surged. In a mere instant, his strength became comparable to that of the Vermilion Bird.

"Not bad. Your sword is broken; I shall forge you a new one. It shall be called 'Fire-Feather'." The Vermilion Bird nodded in satisfaction, showing no lingering anger over his earlier attack. "Come. I do not have much time to waste. Be quick."

With a flick, a fiery-red feather flew out, landing directly in front of the hilt of Ao Lie’s melted Frost Sword. The feather began to transform, and a brand-new sword appeared in Ao Lie's hand. The blade seemed to be crafted from overlapping feathers, and the intense heat radiating from it warped the surrounding space, yet for Ao Lie, it felt remarkably comfortable.

Ao Lie bowed deeply to the Vermilion Bird. "Thank you, Lady Vermilion Bird. Since you wish to test my strength, I shall give my all. I hope you will forgive any transgressions."

With that, he lunged forward, the Fire-Feather sword thrusting out with incredible speed. Subtle ripples of water shimmered around the blade.

The Vermilion Bird watched the incoming attack with pleasant surprise, extending her clawed hand, which flickered with flame. In the blink of an eye, the two clashed, neither yielding an inch. They traded hundreds of blows within a single breath, the energy waves from each impact causing the space around them to tremble.

Ao Lie was filled with exhilaration. He had never expected that with the Human Emperor’s aid, he could hold his own against the Vermilion Bird. Even if she were using only a fraction of her power, the fact that he could fight her to a stalemate despite the elemental disadvantage proved that his strength now surpassed most of the Dragon Clan.

Just then, the Vermilion Bird's elegant voice reached his ears: "Watch out."

Ao Lie paused, and the next moment, a sensation of weightlessness washed over him. His body tipped to the side against his will. A fist wrapped in flames slammed into his chest. An unbearable pain surged through him, and he rolled several times across the ground before coming to a halt. The elemental suppression caused him to cough up blood.

As he struggled to stand, he realized the Vermilion Bird had already vanished. Only an ethereal voice drifted down from the sky: "Your strength is commendable. You have achieved the power of a clan heir."

"Thank you, Lady Vermilion Bird."

Hearing this, Ao Lie felt a surge of joy. He wiped the blood from his lips and bowed in gratitude.

Chen Yan nodded slightly, clearly satisfied with the outcome. Ao Lie, who was still in his growth phase, had displayed such potential with his assistance—it was clear that his limits were far higher than previously thought.

Ao Lie bowed to Chen Yan, and then as if bowing to the horizon itself, he said, "I have executed the traitor to the Dragon Clan."

With those words, he transformed into a streak of light and merged back into Chen Yan’s body. Chen Yan stood alone, looking down at the crater in the ground, and let out a long, weary sigh.