The Hornless Dragon Appears, the Phoenix Resounds

The snowball rolled forward with unstoppable momentum.

Yuwen Ni leapt into the air to give chase, plunging right into the midst of it, but there was no sign of a human figure.

She only saw a multicolored pheasant flapping its wings within the snow, its tail feathers fully spread.

Instantly, anger flared within her. "Vile creature, you're courting death!"

The multicolored pheasant was equally bewildered. Having been swept into the chaos completely dazed, it had clearly seen a giant white snake just moments before, its cavernous maw wide enough to swallow it whole in a single gulp.

Yet now, the snake had vanished into thin air, and somehow it was the pheasant itself propelling the snowball?

The young woman before it had previously driven it into a corner and humiliated it deeply.

Charging in like this again, how could it possibly submit to such disgrace once more?

Yuwen Ni was incensed, but the multicolored pheasant was sent into an absolute rage. Did this human truly think it was not a five-star cyan-radiance demon soul?

A fierce battle erupted in an instant. True qi and demonic energy clashed violently, causing the snowball to grow larger and spin faster by the second.

From the tracks left behind by the rolling snowball, Ling Xuan and Ye Ziyan emerged.

The little white snake had resumed its normal form, coiling around Ling Xuan's arm.

Ye Ziyan fell into a momentary trance. To think that the little white snake possessed such miraculous abilities, capable of expanding and shrinking at will?

Even stranger was that not only was Ling Xuan unharmed, but his half-human, half-demon symptoms had completely vanished, and he had even successfully opened his sea of qi. "Did you find the yellow needle?"

"Do we need to find the green needle now?"

Ling Xuan replied with a grin, "Our combined strength is not enough; we need to enlist the help of others."

Panic nearly seized Ye Ziyan. Only by locating the true body of the dark water black serpent soul could they find the green needle.

The dark water black serpent soul was, after all, a seven-star demon soul.

Even Yang Xuangan, Chief Imperial Physician Chao, and Grand Astrologer Yuan had failed to kill its split soul of the same seven-star caliber, ultimately letting it escape.

Yet, despite realizing their strength was insufficient, Ling Xuan had no intention of returning to the Demon-Conquering Main Camp. Instead, he insisted on scouting ahead first.

With a swift wave of her delicate hand, Ye Ziyan grabbed his ear and snapped angrily, "Do you think your life is too long?"

"My wife, go easy. Sun Tianxin is currently recruiting a squad."

Ling Xuan quickly explained, "Even so, it won't be enough. We must leverage the might of the demon-conquering army."

"So we must locate its whereabouts first before we can mobilize the army?" Ye Ziyan was no fool and instantly grasped his intention.

The dark water black serpent soul was not hidden within the Three Thousand Mountains; to reach it, they had to cross the mountains and enter the territory of Goguryeo.

For a mission like this, having too many people would be a disadvantage and make them prone to exposure.

Most importantly, the little white snake's ability to alter its size could aid them in travel—a secret Ling Xuan was not yet ready to share with others.

Even once they crossed into Goguryeo, outsiders would only see a colossal white snake, which would actually help conceal their movements.

Without a moment's hesitation, she readily agreed.

Hearing this, the little white snake suddenly swelled in size, coiled its massive body around the two of them, and soared into the sky.

The military farming trial squads immediately noticed the anomaly.

"What is that?"

"A giant serpent?"

"Didn't you see that head? It's a dragon's head!"

"A jiao-dragon?"

"It must be a white chi-dragon."

...

The sudden appearance of the white chi-dragon within the Three Thousand Mountains spread through the Demon-Conquering Main Camp in an instant.

Prince Luoyi of Beiping stroked his beard and laughed heartily. "The emergence of a chi-dragon signifies the cradle of a true ruler."

Upon receiving the news, Yang Xuangan muttered to himself, "Could that brat have truly awakened the white chi-dragon bloodline within the little white snake?"

Although Yang Xuangan knew that Eagle Sorrow涧 held treasures capable of stimulating the white chi-dragon's bloodline, that was merely a legend with no historical verification.

Had he known that a chi-dragon pearl was hidden in Eagle Sorrow涧, he would have rushed there himself long ago.

Even upon hearing the news now, he remained skeptical that it was truly transformed from the little white snake, harboring deep doubts instead.

Yuwen Chengdu, however, was struck with utter shock.

Secrets unknown to Yang Xuangan, Prince Luoyi of Beiping, and the others were well known to him.

The white chi-dragon had played an indispensable role in destroying the Asura Palace in the past.

Yet now, just as the Asura Gate opened and his father and younger sister had returned from the Asura Palace, the white chi-dragon had manifested. Could they have discovered something?

His father, Yuwen Huaji, had already departed the Three Thousand Mountains and was currently on his way back to the Divine Capital.

He had left his younger sister, Yuwen Ni, behind in the Three Thousand Mountains, and she was supposed to join him at the Demon-Conquering Main Camp soon.

Yet now the white chi-dragon had appeared, and his sister was still nowhere to be seen. Could something have gone wrong?

Without delay, he summoned Yuwen Chengxiang, ordering him to immediately lead a team and form a trial squad to investigate the Three Thousand Mountains.

Little did he know that deep within the Three Thousand Mountains, Yuwen Ni was locked in fierce combat with the multicolored pheasant.

Without Ye Ziyan to distract it, the multicolored pheasant's ferocious nature had fully erupted. Since Yuwen Ni was holding back some of her strength, she inevitably found herself constrained.

Catching sight of the white chi-dragon soaring into the sky, she was momentarily distracted, allowing the multicolored pheasant to seize the opening and rake its sharp talons across her shoulder.

Finally, Yuwen Ni unleashed her ultimate technique—the Asura Palace's supreme secret art, the Thirteen Needles of the Ghost Gate.

Thirteen needles deployed simultaneously, instantly creating a vacuum in the surrounding air. Demonic malevolence surged, icy winds howled, and snowflakes scattered, condensing into a heavy curtain of snow.

Within the snow screen, the phantom of a giant cyan bird emerged—Yuwen Ni's shikigami, the Luan bird.

The multicolored pheasant trembled violently in terror. How could she summon such a terrifying entity?

Aside from its overwhelming aura, its bloodline alone exerted absolute suppression, crippling the multicolored pheasant's combat capacity.

In a moment of negligence, the shikigami Luan bird carried the thirteen silver needles—their tips dripping with dark, ink-like malevolence—straight into its body.

Demonic malevolence surged wildly. Before the multicolored pheasant could even close its eyes, all its vital essence was devoured in a single gulp by the Luan bird.

The shikigami Luan bird let out a piercing cry, its eyes instantly flashing with cyan starlight.

The various military farming trial squads heard the resounding cry echoing through the mountains. Though they could not see the source, the sound reached their ears clearly.

A fresh wave of astonishment erupted instantly. "Phoenix song!"

The chi-dragon appears, the phoenix sings.

The news spread with even greater velocity.

Such auspicious signs appearing in the Three Thousand Mountains heralded unprecedented prosperity in the wake of the avalanche.

The Demon-Conquering Main Camp had never been so bustling.

The Imperial Directorate of Heavenly Works was packed to absolute capacity.

Soldiers from every military farming unit eagerly formed trial squads, and even the Medical Valley—which rarely participated in such missions—had Physician Cui dispatch two trial squads of his own.

The gates of the Demon-Conquering Main Camp swung wide open.

Trial squads from all farming units marched out in succession.

Even soldiers from the Eastern and Western Demon-Hunting Camps, who theoretically had no need to venture forth, felt their blood boiling with competitive spirit, with a massive number of them joining the fray.

With such auspicious portents manifesting in the Three Thousand Mountains, the news spread as if it had grown wings.

At the Demon-Suppression Abyss aboard the Golden Dragon Divine Vessel, Divine Emperor Yang Guang laughed aloud.

He cast his gaze toward the grand hall and his assembled ministers. "My beloved ministers, tell me, what does this portend?"

"The chi-dragon appears and the phoenix sings—this is the omen of ultimate prosperity."

"Dragon and phoenix appearing together symbolize supreme auspiciousness."

"Heaven protects the Great Sui, and the Divine Dynasty shall endure eternally."

...

Yuwen Shu muttered inwardly: Was this not the perfect opportunity?

As long as the Divine Emperor delayed his return to the Divine Capital, affairs within the capital would remain unchecked—the ideal timing for Huaji's grand design.

He hurriedly kowtowed, his expression one of fervent excitement. "Divine Emperor, the expedition against Goguryeo lacks a definitive commander-in-chief. I beg Your Majesty to appoint one swiftly to boost troop morale. The appearance of the chi-dragon and the song of the phoenix are heavenly portents; it is clearly the will of Heaven that Your Majesty personally assume command as commander-in-chief."

Hearing this, the assembled ministers echoed his sentiments in unison, dropping to their knees and shouting together, "Heavenly portents bless the Great Sui! May our Divine Dynasty endure for ten thousand autumns and generations!"

"Very well!"

Divine Emperor Yang Guang clapped his hands and laughed. "Issue the decree: the fleet of Golden Dragon Divine Vessels shall immediately accompany Us to Zhuojun!"