"Brother, if we leave, we leave together. I will not abandon you!" the woman in the white dress stubbornly said.
"It's too late."
The burly man raised his head and looked at the sky. Large cracks had already appeared across the heavens, seemingly on the verge of collapse.
Through the cracks, faint figures of towering giants could be seen, constantly striking at the world's barrier, trying to break in.
"Go!"
The burly man suddenly roared, his entire body glowing brightly as he transformed into a fiery phoenix and shot towards the sky.
"Boom!"
The moment his body touched the sky, it exploded, turning into countless streams of radiant golden light, merging with the heavens.
The cracks in the sky began to heal rapidly, nourished by the energy, visible to the naked eye.
"Brother!!!"
The woman in the white dress let out a heart-wrenching scream, tears streaming down her face as she collapsed to the ground.
"Sigh, was it really worth it?"
"Like a mantis trying to stop a cart, what's the point?"
"Continue the attack!"
From beyond the sky, voices of sighs filled with mockery and regret could be heard—it was the giants.
Immediately, the deafening sounds of destruction resumed as they continued their assault on the world, determined to break the barrier.
The woman in the white dress cast a hateful glance at the sky, then bit her lip, forcing herself to stand and stagger forward.
She wanted revenge!
Her brother had told her that the Phoenix Clan's ancestor was a being who had surpassed the giant realm. If she could control the ancestor's corpse, there might still be hope for revenge.
Though countless ages had passed, and no one had been able to merge with the ancestor's remains, there was still a sliver of hope!
"Whoosh!"
Suppressing her internal injuries and enduring the searing pain, she flew as quickly as she could towards her goal.
The distance wasn't far—what would have taken mere moments now seemed impossibly distant for her weakened state.
At last, she saw the altar standing in the center of the world.
The massive altar, constructed from ancient black stones, emanated an aura of desolation and antiquity.
On top of the altar lay the petrified remains of a gigantic phoenix, its once vibrant feathers having long since faded to black, emitting a thick, decaying stench.
"Ancestor!"
A sense of connection stirred deep in her bloodline, bringing tears to her eyes. There was an inexplicable sense of closeness and sorrow.
She knelt on the ground, choking with emotion, and said, "Descendant of the Phoenix Clan pays respects to the ancestor! Today, our Phoenix Clan faces the disaster of extinction. Please, ancestor, lend me your body to protect the bloodline of our clan and avenge our fallen!"
After speaking, she respectfully kowtowed three times, then took a deep breath, her eyes showing determination.
"Buzz!"
Intense flames ignited on her body, and she began to melt away, even her soul melting.
She was offering up everything she had, fusing her entire being into a single will, to try and control the ancestor's remains. Success or death.
"Yi'er, are you still alive...?" she murmured softly, her eyes showing a hint of reluctance before her body turned into a beam of light, flying towards the blackened phoenix corpse.
"Plop."
A soft sound echoed, like a drop of water falling into a lake, without causing even a ripple. The phoenix's corpse remained unchanged.
"Boom!"
At that moment, a loud explosion resounded from the sky as the barrier shattered into pieces. The unstoppable might of the giants surged into the small world like a flood.
"Hahaha, we've finally broken through!"
"The ancestor's body is over there!"
Wild laughter echoed as the clouds over the altar churned, and figures began to appear in the sky above.
"As expected of the Ancestral Phoenix. Even after endless ages of death, its body still exudes an aura that sends chills down my spine."
"How could such a powerful existence have perished? What could have killed it?"
"Could it have died of old age? But that's impossible. We can live as long as the heavens and earth. How could it have aged to death?"
The giants looked at the Ancestral Phoenix's body in awe and amazement. Their eyes burned with greed, though they kept their excitement and desire in check.
"Enough talk. Let's divide the body. I know you've all been waiting long enough!"
One giant said bluntly.
"Agreed!!"
The other giants stopped pretending and simultaneously reached out, grabbing at the blackened phoenix corpse.
"Whoosh!"
The phoenix corpse slowly floated into the air, its surface being pulled by the powers of various grand principles, as if it were about to be torn apart.
"Hahaha! I thought I would never have the chance to advance in this life, but who knew I'd encounter such an opportunity!"
"Truly the heavens are on my side!"
"My luck knows no bounds!"
The giants laughed wildly, already envisioning themselves transcending the giant realm.
"Thud!"
But suddenly, a deep heartbeat echoed, silencing all their laughter.
"Hmm? What was that?"
All the giants tensed up, staring at the phoenix corpse in confusion and fear.
"Thud, thud, thud..."
The sound grew louder, causing the entire world to tremble.
"It's a heartbeat!"
"But it's clearly dead! How is this possible?! Everyone, suppress it together!"
The giants were horrified, and they all struck simultaneously, sending waves of immense power to crush the phoenix corpse.
They sought to stifle the rising life force, like preventing a plant from sprouting, stopping the resurrection.
However...
The life force was too immense, seemingly endless. Despite their efforts, they couldn't suppress it.
"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"
Brilliant golden light began to shine from within the phoenix's body, rippling outward and covering the entire corpse.
The blackened feathers of the phoenix rapidly transformed into vibrant colors, becoming dazzling and resplendent.
"It's no good! We can't hold it down! It's reviving! Run!"
Sensing the danger, the giants immediately made the decision to flee. In an instant, they rushed toward the exit.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
They moved quickly, their bodies becoming translucent as they prepared to merge into the space and escape.
But just then, a cold, emotionless voice echoed.
"After coming here, do you think you can just leave?"
It was the voice of the woman in the white dress.
At the same time, a radiant light swept across the heavens and earth. Everything it touched froze in place.
The giants' fleeing figures were suspended mid-air, even those who had begun to blur into the space were forcibly returned, their bodies solidifying.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Winds howled as an ancient, regal phoenix slowly unfurled its wings and began to float upwards.
As it rose, the heavens seemed to bow beneath it, and everything before it appeared insignificant.
"This… this is impossible!"
One of the giants, struggling like a wooden puppet, managed to utter four words.
"Die!!"
A cold gleam flashed in the phoenix's eyes. Without any noticeable movement, the giant's body exploded on the spot.
"Ah!"
With a scream, a glowing essence of the giant's core shot out of the bloody mist, fleeing into the distance.
"Trying to escape? Foolish dream!"
A mocking glint flashed in the phoenix's eyes. It opened its mouth, and a terrifying suction force pulled the giant's core back in, swallowing it whole.
The remaining giants, witnessing this, were terrified.
"Don't kill me!"
"I surrender!!"
Some of the giants began to plead for their lives, but the phoenix was merciless, crushing their bodies and devouring their cores.
"I am a giant! I should suppress all enemies in this world!"
"Fear not death! Kill!"
"I am invincible!"
The remaining giants, unwilling to beg for mercy, ignited their cores and launched a desperate assault on the phoenix, like moths to a flame. Even in death, they sought to preserve their dignity!
But the outcome was already certain.
Soon enough, all thirty-plus giants had fallen, their cores consumed by the phoenix, disappearing completely from the world.
At that moment.
The phoenix raised its head, its piercing gaze cutting through the endless void, seeming to reach as far as Xuanhuang Heaven.
"There's still a debt to settle!"