Chapter 131: No Longer a Slave

The sounds rang out, shattering the heavens!

These were the sounds of hope, the sounds of freedom—a roar they had suppressed for over a thousand years, released now for the first time without reservation! Because of my return, they had nothing left to fear!

"The Phoenix Clan shall be slaves no more!"

With every shout, the firmament trembled. They wept, their tears flowing freely. They had waited so long, enduring such humiliation for this very moment.

The old matriarch watched her kin, her eyes once again brimming with tears. The Phoenix Clan of old had been so proud; among all bloodlines under heaven, save for the Dragon Clan, the Phoenix bloodline was the strongest. Yet, to preserve the last of their lineage, they had willingly submitted to slavery, enduring endless degradation at the hands of the Demon Clan—especially the Third Master of the Wutong Demon Palace. If not for her fading beauty and age, even the old matriarch would still be at the Wutong Demon Palace at this very moment, pouring wine and serving tea to that Third Master.

Even now, three thousand of their kin remained in the Wutong Ancient Land, suffering humiliation, working like beasts of burden for the demons just to secure a glimmer of survival for their people.

A thousand years is a long time, but they had held on.

Today, the Phoenix Clan would be slaves no more!

These roars were enough to make the entire Wutong Ancient Land tremble. Naturally, the demons on the other side of the valley would surely notice.

Yet, they were unwilling to stop. No one wanted to stop!

Inside the Wutong Demon Palace.

The roar that had just erupted filled the Wutong Ancient Land, its momentum so mighty that it shook the earth. Even this Wutong Demon Palace had shuddered just moments ago.

The First Master of the Wutong Demon Palace, Mokuai.

He held a wine cup in his hand, but because of that tremor, the wine spilled onto his hand.

A woman in red beside him hurried to wipe the wine from his hand and knelt to clean the floor, trembling in fear, terrified of making the slightest mistake.

However, Mokuai frowned and shoved her away. Never had such a strange occurrence happened since he became the First Master. He stood up immediately and demanded, "Who is causing this disturbance? Who dares to shake my Wutong Demon Palace?"

At that moment, a demon guard entered the hall, bowed, and said, "Reporting to the First Master, the sound comes from the Withered Wood Forest. It seems... it seems the demon slaves are rebelling!"

"What? The demon slaves? With what, pray tell, are they rebelling?" Mokuai was skeptical. After all, a thousand years had passed. In his heart, those descendants of the Phoenix Clan were nothing but spineless wretches; they had long since lost the pride of their ancestors. In the current Wutong Ancient Land, he saw them only as beasts of burden for the demon race, their slave mentality carved into their very marrow.

"Reporting to the First Master, I heard it clearly just now. There was a cry from the Withered Wood Forest. They were shouting, 'The Phoenix Clan...'" The guard hesitated, not daring to continue.

"The Phoenix Clan? Where is there any Phoenix Clan left today?" Mokuai's eyes turned fierce as he glared at the woman in red.

The woman immediately lowered her head, retreated, and knelt to beg for mercy.

Mokuai chuckled coldly and asked, "What are they shouting?"

"The Phoenix Clan... shall... shall be slaves no more!" The guard spoke with trepidation.

Mokuai laughed. He looked at the woman in red again, walked up to her, and said, "Did you hear that? The Phoenix Clan shall be slaves no more. Why are you still here, pouring my wine and serving my tea?"

"Great Master, I dare not. There must be a misunderstanding," the woman whispered.

"I should hope you dare not!"

After saying this, Mokuai turned to the guard and commanded, "Go to the Withered Wood Forest and slaughter every one of those useless creatures!"

Upon hearing this, the woman in red’s face turned deathly pale. She wanted to speak, but she knew that doing so would be futile and would only endanger her kin still serving as slaves in the palace. She gripped the wine pot so tightly she nearly crushed it, her heart filled with unbearable worry.

She could not understand why her people would choose to rebel.

The demon guard acknowledged the order.

He went out immediately, gathered a detachment of demon troops, and rushed toward the Withered Wood Forest.

At this moment, another figure, the Second Master Moxin, remarked, "Big brother, there is no need to let this matter ruin our mood. What could a bunch of slave-creatures possibly achieve?"

"Exactly. They are nothing but dogs; we can just kill them all!" The speaker was the Third Master of the Wutong Demon Palace, Moli.

"Third brother, your bloodlust is too strong. The slave clan produces beautiful women; those young and pretty ones should be kept," the Second Master Moxin said, casting a lecherous glance at the woman in red.

Moli laughed as well, adding, "True, keep the pretty ones. Besides, I hear there are many beautiful women in the human realm. Soon enough, we won't have to remain here."

At this, the Second Master Moxin nodded and asked, "By the way, brother, when will the messenger sent by the Demon Ancestor arrive?"

"Soon," Mokuai replied.

"Good. It seems the return of the Demon Clan is just around the corner!" Moli said with a grin.

Outside the Wutong Demon Palace.

The demon guards and their troops had assembled.

They were all clad in black armor, and the aura of malice and slaughter radiating from their ranks was intense and terrifying.

In the Withered Wood Forest.

The members of the Phoenix Clan, who had been dressed in slave rags just moments ago, were now all adorned in red martial attire.

Even the old matriarch had donned a red uniform. She held a phoenix-headed staff, and when she struck it against the ground, the earth shook. Her aura surged once more, her cape billowing behind her, giving her a heroic air.

Looking at them in their martial gear, I could almost imagine Weiyang dressed in the same red armor. I could not help but ask, "Old Matriarch, do you know of Weiyang?"

My question stunned her. A moment later, she asked, "Weiyang... where is she?"

Given her reaction, it was clear she knew Weiyang. So, Weiyang really was of the Phoenix Clan. I sighed softly and said, "She... she has already walked into the fire."

"What a tragedy," the old matriarch sighed.

"Old Matriarch, is it not possible for the Phoenix Clan to be reborn from the flames?" I asked.

"When the Wutong Forest still existed, the Phoenix Clan could indeed be reborn from the fire. But with the forest gone, the fortune of the Phoenix Clan has dissipated. To walk into the fire now is death; there is no nirvana, no rebirth."

She stopped there, looking at me with a complex expression.

"Is there no other way?" I asked.

The old matriarch thought for a while before saying, "There is!"

But before she could reveal the method, a clansman rushed in to report: "Reporting to the Old Matriarch, a demon army of about three thousand has gathered outside the Withered Wood Forest and has surrounded us!"

"Are the three Demon Masters here?" the old matriarch asked.

"No, only the demon commanders and their troops," the man replied.

It seemed the cheers of the clansmen had indeed alerted the demons.

"Old Matriarch, our kin at the palace have yet to escape. What should we do?" I asked. I had looked around the Withered Wood Forest and seen mostly elderly clansmen; the young ones must still be enslaved at the palace.

"Do not worry, Sect Master. They have their own ways of escaping," the old matriarch replied.

Hearing this, I felt reassured and nodded at her.

The six thousand members of the Phoenix Clan gathered in the forest. Though they were no longer young, the bloodline of the Phoenix Clan was potent enough that they were in no way inferior to the demon soldiers. As we led the six thousand clansmen out of the Withered Wood Forest, the three thousand demon soldiers closed in around us.

Just as the old matriarch was about to issue a command, I said to her, "Old Matriarch, we must save our strength to assault the Demon Palace later. Leave these demon soldiers to me alone."

"You... alone?" The old matriarch asked, though she did not seem surprised.

"Yes," I said.

The old matriarch smiled. "You are truly still yourself!"

Three thousand demon soldiers and one commander—the same guard who had received the order from the palace—faced us.

He was clad in dark black armor and shouted at us, "I have been ordered by the three Masters to execute you rebels! Why do you not kneel and accept your deaths?"

Behind me, the Phoenix clansmen shouted in unison: "The Phoenix Clan shall be slaves no more!"

The commander narrowed his eyes, roaring, "You court death!"

He signaled, and the demon soldiers charged, wielding ghost-head blades. Their bodies surged with malevolence, their eyes glowing blood-red.

I stepped forward alone and formed a finger seal, blocking their path.

The commander sneered at my attempt to face them alone. "A slave is just a slave. This brat doesn't know the immensity of—"

Before he could finish, lightning erupted from my palms, spreading in all directions.

To be honest, even I was surprised that my Five-Thunder Palm had reached such a terrifying level. Hundreds of charging demon soldiers were blasted away by a single strike, slamming into the ground. Their malevolent energy was shattered by the thunder, leaving nothing behind. For the demon race, once their malevolence was extinguished, they were no different from ordinary mortals, and the result was total annihilation.

Hundreds of demon soldiers lay dead, their bodies scorched by the cruel power of the thunder, turning them into charred husks.

I looked at my palms and sighed. The true energy within me was far more powerful than before. It seemed the Mountain Ghost's Ice Silkworm was no mere legend.

The Mountain Ghost had said that the Ice Silkworm's effect varied depending on one's innate potential. That had been merely a small test; I was now truly curious to see the full extent of the improvement the Ice Silkworm had granted me.

The earth-shaking Five-Thunder Palm shocked the commander and the remaining soldiers behind him.

Now, the commander dared not speak of slaves any longer. He drew a massive black-bladed sword and, with wind at his heels, charged directly at me.