Blazing flames erupted from Wang Lan's body, the fire behind him even taking the shape of phoenix wings. The vibrant Phoenix Tail Flower shimmered on Wang Lan's forehead, and the bright red eyeshadow added a touch of androgynous, exotic charm.

Seeing Wang Lan in this state, Sang Guo's mocking gaze vanished, his expression instantly turning grave.

"Phoenix Form? What relation do you have to the Flame Emperor?"

Wang Lan gave a cold laugh but said nothing as the color of the Sword of Light in his hand turned red under the Phoenix Form.

With a flash, he vanished from Sang Guo's view.

Wang Lan's speed was like a streak of light, but to Sang Guo, it was merely adequate. Sang Guo's blade was instantly covered in a layer of thunder, and he too disappeared.

Echoes of slicing through the air filled the void, a moment of stillness marked by the clash of the two.

In Phoenix Form, Wang Lan believed his strength had reached the peak of the Star Sea Stage. He had thought this power, if not enough to defeat Sang Guo, should have at least narrowed the gap between them. Especially in close combat, Wang Lan's strength under the Phoenix Form had surged once again, and he should have been unrivaled. Yet Sang Guo was still able to effortlessly parry every attack from Wang Lan.

True, Wang Lan was incredibly fast, and Sang Guo's speed couldn't keep up. However, it was as if Sang Guo could predict his moves. No matter how many times Wang Lan changed his attack mid-course, Sang Guo could always precisely predict the point of attack, thus easily defusing it.

But Sang Guo's blade felt Unpredictable to Wang Lan.

BOOM—

A cold gleam from the blade swept past Wang Lan's throat. The Lurking Butterfly Dance was so graceful. As the Nether Butterfly flapped its wings and vanished, Wang Lan's Sword of Light transformed into a spear of thorns, thrusting towards Sang Guo.

Sang Guo's waist twisted slightly, and he disappeared in that instant of distortion.

A rumbling of thunder reached Wang Lan's ears, and he quickly dodged.

A brutal arc of electricity grazed Wang Lan's back as he vanished and reappeared in the distance near the Nether Butterfly.

A tingling sensation spread from his back, and another crack appeared on his bronze Saint Cloth.

Since he had offered up the Phoenix Saint Cloth, this was the first time he had been injured—and it wasn't just a single wound. With every brief exchange, Sang Guo managed to easily penetrate Wang Lan's defenses and leave a cut on his body.

By now, there were no fewer than a dozen sword injuries on the Saint Cloth. The Saint Cloth indeed had the power of Self-Repair, but that required time. If it were shattered in a single blow, only the Goddess's Blood could repair it.

In this world, where was Wang Lan to find a goddess? And one that was Athena?

"The Flame Emperor must be terrified of you dying, to have forged such sturdy armor for you. I've seen quite a few Star Palace Artifacts, and shattered more than a dozen of them with my own hands, but I've never seen one with such high defense as yours."

Sang Guo looked at Wang Lan with interest, the Thunderbolt Sword in his hand crackling with sparks.

"You live up to your reputation, having made it onto the Paradise Bird's hit list, to have fought me for so long. But it's getting late; time to end this game."

Sang Guo's presence grew heavy, his expression turning even more solemn. He bent slightly forward, holding the Thunderbolt Sword horizontally before him.

His momentum suddenly surged, Star Energy Fluctuation rippled out, and the entire underground cavern trembled.

Wang Lan's heart leaped to his throat. This terrifying momentum surpassed that of any enemy he had faced before. It was a feeling of despair similar to when he had refused the Qing Emperor's wild matchmaking proposals.

Sang Guo might not have reached the level of the Qing Emperor, but he had definitely glimpsed the view from the mountaintop.

"Lan Moon!" Sang Guo exclaimed, and a sense of alarm instantly rose in Wang Lan's heart.

A bright moon suddenly rose into Wang Lan's view. But this was no Illusion Technique; it was a sphere of energy Sang Guo had mustered with his hands crossed before him.

As Sang Guo initiated Lan Moon, he caught not just the bright moon but the entirety of the space around them. In that moment, Wang Lan felt as if the space around him were as solid as hardened earth.

BOOM—

An energy column blasted out instantly, crossing space to reach Wang Lan. Though his mind knew it might not hold, he stomped the ground in an instant.

"Gate of The Underworld!"

BOOM—

The Gate of The Underworld rose instantly, but it was shattered by that beam of light. The intense shockwave paused only momentarily before rushing at Wang Lan's face again.

"Dance of the Dark Butterfly—"

Just as his body began to disintegrate, in an instant, it was as if time reversed and everything reformed. Nothing had changed, as if nothing had happened. This sudden turn caused Wang Lan's heart to quake.

The Star Martial Skill had actually failed?

But in this dire moment, there was no time for shock. Wang Lan extended his arm, and a Holy Shield appeared in front of him.

BOOM—

Lan Moon struck the Holy Shield fiercely, shattering it on the spot. The residual force hammered into Wang Lan's chest, and he was flung backward like a cannonball.

BOOM—

He crashed deeply into the wall behind him, creating a human-shaped tunnel.

Ouch...

That was the only sensation Wang Lan received as feedback after a momentary lapse in focus.

Had it not been for the Phoenix Saint Cloth, that strike would have shattered Wang Lan's body to pieces; likely only a rebirth could have saved him.

But even though the Phoenix Saint Cloth blocked the terrifying attack, it was now covered in cracks and looked like it could fall apart at any moment.

At Wang Lan's lower abdomen, a massive through-and-through wound was dripping with fresh blood. For anyone else, such an injury would definitely mean being carried off in a coffin.

The instant he was injured, Wang Lan's Self Healing Star Martial Skill activated, and his passive ability of absolute rationality also triggered.

COUGH—

Wang Lan coughed, blood spraying from his mouth.

"Still not dead, huh... Could it again be because of this armor?" A mocking voice drew closer. Wang Lan's heart rose to his throat; he was still recovering. If Sang Guo hit him again, he would definitely be boxed up.

Although it was often said that among the top masters at the Star Sea Stage, a select group of supreme powerhouses were known as Titled Strongmen. Even though they too were at the Star Sea Stage, their power had already surpassed the Star Sea Stage.

Wang Lan had advanced to the Galaxy Stage and mastered three platinum Star Martial Skills and a large number of gold Star Martial Skills. He could also activate Phoenix Form. He had thought his strength could probably compete with a Titled Strongman.

Now, it seemed he had indeed overestimated himself.

Up until now, everything had gone smoothly for him. Even when facing powerful enemies, he might not be guaranteed victory in Phoenix Form, but he could remain undefeated. Had Wang Lan ever thought there were enemies he couldn't handle in Phoenix Form?

Now, Sang Guo had delivered a crisp slap to the face, telling Wang Lan: Yes, there are!

Titled Strongmen and the Star Sea Stage, as you understand it, are not on the same level. They seemed to have grasped some sort of Law. Even at the peak of the Star Sea Stage, one would be as helpless as a baby before a Titled Strongman.

Sang Guo, merely an unremarkable figure among the second-tier powerhouses, had managed to beat Wang Lan into submission effortlessly.

Did Wang Lan have any cards left to play? Of course, adding points. There were tens of thousands of skill points lying in the system, enough to develop one or two platinum-level skills. But... in the face of the current situation, the skills Wang Lan possessed weren't very useful. For example, platinum-level Star Martial Skills like Heavenly Fire Extinguishing World or Earth Fire Roar had no chance to be used. Skills like Sentient Beings or Weight Exchange were suitable for large-scale battlefields. In a one-on-one situation against the uncannily powerful Sang Guo, it didn't matter which skill Wang Lan chose to upgrade; none seemed appropriate.

Suddenly, a terrible Star Energy Fluctuation erupted not far away—a powerful sublimation of Star Power. Naturally, Wang Lan knew what that energy fluctuation was: Yu Ruoyun had activated Dragon Emperor Form.

But Sang Guo was unaware. Instead, he stopped in his tracks, his face serious as he sensed every movement in the distance.

Speaking of Yu Ruoyun, she really takes the cake. You wastrel woman, now you activate Dragon Emperor Form? Having a good time, aren't you! Trained by the Qing Emperor for a month, you've certainly gotten bolder. But could you have picked a better time? This is a life-and-death struggle, and you still have the mood to play with them? Were you not going to use your full power until you'd had your fun? Don't you realize I'm facing a Titled Strongman alone? Do you trust me that much, thinking I'm so incredible? I'm about to be beaten to death here!

BOOM—

Suddenly, with a loud noise, Sang Guo's view was engulfed in a terrifying cloud of smoke.

Sang Guo's face turned stern as he retreated hastily, even forgetting about taking Wang Lan's life. As the dust gradually settled, three figures slowly emerged from the dense smoke.

Well, that entrance was quite impactful. Add some heart-stirring BGM, and it's definitely the Ice Throne's king returning, with the Fire Shadow theme playing at full blast. But... couldn't you have come sooner?

"Where's Red Skull? None of you are hurt?" Sang Guo looked at the three slowly approaching, a twisted, perverse smile on his face.

Even though he knew the odds were stacked against his three men, he didn't care in the slightest. Who was he, Sang Guo? A Titled Strongman. Only a Five Emperors-level powerhouse could make him take things seriously.

"Those three pieces of trash were taken care of by Princess Yu in no time flat," Aier said, looking at Yu Ruoyun with an admiring expression. No wonder the Jade Country is legendary; they have such powerful secret techniques.

Especially the two Dragon Horns rising from Yu Ruoyun's forehead. Far from being horrifying, they gave Aier a sense of majesty and dominance.

"Where's Wang Lan?"

"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH... You could have come later; you'd still have been in time to collect my corpse!" Wang Lan climbed out from the human-shaped pit, his chest injury already healed, but his armor was covered in spider-web-like cracks.

"Ruoyun, I just want to ask you one thing right now: what were you thinking?"

Yu Ruoyun's cheeks turned red, and she didn't dare to look at Wang Lan. "I thought you could handle it."

These words, however, hurt Sang Guo the most, not Wang Lan. What do you mean, he could handle it? Are you treating me, a Titled Strongman, like a common cabbage?

"No more nonsense. We can't handle him one-on-one. His abilities are very strange," Wang Lan said, moving to Yu Ruoyun's side. "Dragon and Phoenix Auspicious!"

As soon as the words were spoken, Yu Ruoyun didn't hesitate. Instantly, Star Power erupted from both Wang Lan and Yu Ruoyun. A golden dragon coiled around one, while Phoenix Wing Sky Soaring appeared behind Wang Lan.

Beautiful and splendid like mythical creatures, the sight made Princess Aier's heart tremble.

And their combined Star Power Fusion put substantial pressure on Sang Guo. He moved instantly; this development had exceeded his control.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.