"This... This is impossible! How do you know my Murong Clan’s Secret Skill!" Murong Wanqing stared at the pitch-black Vermilion Bird behind Shen Haoran, her face draining of all color.

The phantom of the pitch-black Vermilion Bird behind Shen Haoran assaulted Murong Wanqing’s senses. Its aura was identical to that of the crimson Vermilion Bird behind her—in fact, it was even purer!

"What in the world is going on? Did that Shen kid steal the Murong Family’s Secret Skill?" the crowd speculated.

Murong Wanqing, however, knew Shen Haoran hadn’t stolen it. It was impossible for him to have done so. To unleash the Vermilion Bird’s Heaven-Burning Flame, one had to possess the Vermilion Bird Bloodline. Without the bloodline, it was completely impossible to use the Martial Skill, even if one managed to obtain it.

But across the entire continent, only the Murong Family possessed the Vermilion Bird’s heritage. ’Could Shen Haoran be a member of the Murong Family too?’ But Murong Wanqing had never heard of anyone like him. ’Besides, someone who can unleash such a pure Vermilion Bird’s Heaven-Burning Flame can’t possibly be a complete unknown!’

At that moment, a sliver of doubt about Shen Haoran’s identity appeared in Murong Wanqing’s mind. Simultaneously, a thought took root: she had to bring Shen Haoran back to the Murong Clan. It didn’t matter if he was a member or not. The mere fact that he could use the Vermilion Bird’s Heaven-Burning Flame meant he had to be brought back, because the Murong Clan would not allow its Secret Skill to remain in the possession of someone with an unknown background!

"Let me ask you, where did you get this Martial Skill?" Murong Wanqing demanded coldly.

"No comment," Shen Haoran replied flatly.

"Then I’ll just have to take you back to the Murong Clan for interrogation!" Murong Wanqing’s gaze turned chilling. She began to form a Seal Technique with her hands, and the Vermilion Bird phantom behind her stirred, looking as if it had just come to life.

"SCREEE!" With a phoenix-like cry, the crimson Vermilion Bird behind Murong Wanqing circled above her head. Streaks of crimson flame shot out and landed on the Martial Arts Arena, instantly incinerating the hard bluestone slabs into molten slag. This was the Divine Fire of the Divine Beast, the Vermilion Bird Flame! 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Hmph. Showing off in front of a master," Shen Haoran scoffed, watching the now-animated crimson Vermilion Bird. With a shudder of his Vermilion Bird Wings, countless black flames rose and converged within the phantom above his head. A moment later, a Black Flame Vermilion Bird shot straight toward the heavens.

"Vermilion Bird’s Heaven-Burning Flame!"

At the same instant, two thunderous roars rang out. The Vermilion Birds behind Shen Haoran and Murong Wanqing shot toward each other, and in that moment, the black and red flame-wreathed birds collided head-on.

"BOOM..."

With a deafening explosion, the red and black Vermilion Birds locked in a stalemate above the center of the Martial Arts Arena. A terrifying sea of fire instantly erupted, enveloping the entire stage.

As the two-colored flames poured down, the arena floor melted away before the crowd’s shocked eyes. White steam billowed up, instantly blanketing the entire stage.

In that instant, the world seemed to spin as a scorching wave of heat washed over the crowd. The air became instantly arid. If they hadn’t shielded themselves with their Spiritual Power, their clothes would have likely burst into flames.

The crowd stared in terror at the two-colored sea of fire in the air, their very spirits trembling. ’The power these two are displaying could truly burn the heavens and boil the seas! Is this the might of a Divine Beast, the flame of the Vermilion Bird? It’s horrifying!’

"SCREEE!"

"SCREEE!"

In mid-air, both Vermilion Birds let out a piercing shriek, each trying to devour the other.

"WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH..."

The flames on both Vermilion Birds grew increasingly violent, causing the very space around them to warp. Arcs of electricity began to flash, accompanied by an incessant sizzling sound.

Only now did Murong Wanqing truly understand how terrifying Shen Haoran’s Vermilion Bird’s Heaven-Burning Flame was. Her Vermilion Bird Bloodline was already the purest within her clan, yet she could still feel a deep, soul-level suppression coming from him. This was the pressure of a superior bloodline Level, which meant the Vermilion Bird heritage within Shen Haoran was even purer than her own!

Sweat was now beading on Murong Wanqing’s forehead. The strange rune between her eyebrows flickered with crimson light as streams of a peculiar power continuously poured into the red Vermilion Bird, allowing her to barely hold on.

Shen Haoran glanced at the defiant Murong Wanqing in the distance and scoffed. The light from his Vermilion Bird Wings flared, and he transformed into a black streak of light, shooting into the body of the Black Flame Vermilion Bird.

"SCREEE!"

As his Vermilion Bird Wings merged into the Black Flame Vermilion Bird, another phoenix cry tore through the air. The black flames on the creature surged with mad intensity, pressing down on the crimson Vermilion Bird. In the blink of an eye, it completely enveloped its red counterpart.

As the crimson Vermilion Bird was devoured by the black flames, the stalemate in the sky broke, and the two-colored sea of fire turned completely, terrifyingly black.

"PUFF..."

With her crimson Vermilion Bird devoured, Murong Wanqing’s face instantly turned deathly pale. She couldn’t stop herself from spitting out a mouthful of blood. The pair of red wings on her back flickered in and out of existence before, a moment later, she plummeted from the sky.

Seeing Murong Wanqing fall from the sky as her crimson Vermilion Bird was consumed by the black one, the crowd was left completely stunned. Shen Haoran had actually used the Murong Clan’s own Secret Technique to defeat their clan’s most prized daughter. No one could believe their eyes. But the facts were laid bare before them, and they had no choice but to accept the truth.