NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 364- Leaving the Phoenix Order
364 Chapter 364- Leaving the Phoenix Order
"Really?" Ryuk moved at a steady pace while holding FengHuang's hand, recalling how her body language had affirmed his suspicion that she was hiding something inside her throne room, particularly near her throne.
It was a wild assumption based on his experience, but her body language and gestures confirmed that it was indeed the case. He glanced at her as she appeared more like a ragdoll, with enough hair on her head to cover most of her face, giving her the appearance of a ghost.
"I have no interest in that energy source, so rest easy," Ryuk said, already guessing that it could only be her energy rather than some weapons. Variables were possible, but he was just casually mentioning it without expecting anything crucial.
He wasn't sure what to call the reservoir where she had stored her energy, but he still tried to clarify, referring to the energy rumored to be at the level of Ascendancy—similar to Drishti Devereaux—in an attempt to loosen her defenses.
'!?'
"...Are you threatening me?" FengHuang stated. Her eyes were hollow but lit with a faint presence as she realized that not only had he seen through her identity, but he was also aware of the exact location and knew she had hidden her energy reservoir in that place, not some artifact.
Though it was true that only she could access it, the fact that he knew all this made it impossible for her to dismiss the possibility that he might have some way to use that energy for himself.
The way he mentioned it clearly seemed to carry a double meaning, as if he were subtly threatening her.
"I could kill you here and claim it myself. Use logic—why would I even try to bring you there?" Ryuk said, his words carefully crafted to extract more information from her. He wanted to know if there were any secret keys or obstacles that might hinder him if, in the worst-case scenario, he needed to claim that energy for himself.
Unlike Drishti Devereaux, whose death would only lead to her reappearing again and again with that enormous strength, FengHuang, on the other hand, even if she could be reborn, had a clear restriction: she would become weaker than an ant afterward and would always resurrect at a fixed respawn point.
So, in a situation where Ryuk had a slight change of plan—where he killed her and trapped her in a loop by arranging for a member of the Devereaux family in the lower town to kill her every time she resurrected—he could effectively trap her without giving her a chance to grow stronger, eliminating the hassle of her seeking revenge.
Of course, that was the worst-case scenario.
Naturally, he would prefer to either enslave her or win her loyalty and then enslave her to confirm that she always remains loyal.
"Because maybe you know that I am the key to that room?" FengHuang stated, adding a small lie to her words about it being a room rather than a hall, object, or something else, and glancing at him to gauge his reaction.
She wanted to know if he was truly aware of the truth or if she was inadvertently giving him information by falling for his wordplay.
"A room? So that's how you want to play," Ryuk said, latching onto the word "room," which was unnecessary given that she could have simply used "place" or something similar.
This clearly hinted that she was trying to cross-check his knowledge, giving him a subtle clue that she was testing whether he was aware or just guessing by mixing lies with truths.
Nor was it hard to find given that in the end, she was the monarch of this whole place.
However, from this entire conversation, Ryuk at least understood one thing: while she might be strong and politically sharp, her desperation to reclaim her strength was clearly leading her to make poor decisions—a weakness that was profitable for him but also something she needed to realize for herself.
'Why does he know so much?' Feng Huang couldn't help but wonder, her lips brushing against a hair strand, keeping her gaze lowered. She felt that he was aware of everything, even though they had never met.
16:06
This should have been lower, given that the foundation of the Jade Dominion relied on internal energy, and its soil had the property to convert mana into it.
Yet here, the enormous amount leaking from those individuals clearly indicated that foreign figures were currently on the land of the Jade Dominion, which she had protected until now.
Though she didn't want to accept it, it was humiliating for her to witness the state of the Celestial Phoenix's order and her own condition.
"Liege, we will head toward the main city whenever you command," Regina said, giving a slight bow as she informed them that the necessary preparations had already been made. Given the previous changes in plans due to the arrival of vampires, they were now advancing with the borders of Lower Town being protected by cultivators, while their aim was to move ahead.
"Fine then, let's move," Ryuk nodded before his body began to glow with an orange light as he prepared to leave. While turning to lift Feng Huang up, he knew that, considering her speed and condition, he needed to neutralize the recoil of the speed as well as any energy that might harm her during their journey to the capital city.
Thus, his gesture of lifting her up was meant for caution rather than what it appeared to others.
"An-another wife?!" Sam exclaimed as he saw Ryuk lifting another woman instead of his older sister. Previously, he had made the Yao Lian woman a ring, clearly making his big sister depressed, and only controlled her by giving another ring. Now he was lifting up another woman.
"Shhh—can't you see? Elder sister gave permission!" Mae stated, using her palm to coercively cover Sam's mouth, knowing he was about to create an issue that could lead to financial losses for her.
After all, if a fight were to occur and Elder Sister was separated from him, how was she going to meet Lady Drishti, who had promised to give her another platinum coin?
[ Host, if things go south, consider this: Sam is the 'tutorial casualty.' He's here to teach you the importance of tough decisions. Plus, he's got 'first-act death' written all over him. Just saying ʘ‿ʘ ]
"....I can move on my own," Esme first punched Sam's head before putting her hand over both twins' shoulders, looking towards Ryuk as she could see he was also hurt, thinking that she might again feel insecure due to him lifting another woman, as she saw before anyone else using her tiara to directly teleport from there.
"Let's leave then," Ryuk nodded before holding the empress in his hand. He also vanished, including all the devoid members and Regina, vanishing in thin air as their bodies shrouded in transparent auras while Ryuk's were shining amber, hurling directly towards the capital city.
".....Umm," Yao Lian stood all alone in the empty ground looking towards the light streaks that had already left before placing her hand on her heart, realizing that it was just her who felt that way after seeing him lifting another woman in a princess carry, not Esme's. 'Sigh, Yao Lian, shouldn't you be just happy with this ring! Who even wants to be hugged in his arms!'