“We are willing to lay down our lives for the Great Empress!”
Even though An Lin and the others were prepared for a response like this, they were still shocked by what they saw.
An Lin used his divine sense to make a tally and discovered that all of the Vermilion Birds present, of which there were over three hundred thousand, were all pledging their loyalty to their Great Empress Vermilion Bird.
This was quite a shocking notion. Weren’t there at least one or two cowards among them?
Little Xiaolan was momentarily dazed before she came to her senses, and her bloodline stirred as she looked at the frenetic Vermilion Birds before her, as if something within her had awakened.
The tiny Great Empress Vermilion Bird stood up with a peculiar flush on her tender features. She put her palms together, and the unique aura of a Holy Berth proliferated through the air.
“All of you have treated me with the utmost sincerity, so I will return the favor.”
She separated her palms, and a dazzling ball of crimson light appeared.
Chaotic, eternal, exclusive, ethereal.
This was the unique aura of the Holy Berth, and the Vermilion Birds were even more frenetic now.
This was the power of the Vermilion Bird Heart Essence!
The Vermilion Bird Heart Essence had reappeared, and many of the Vermilion Birds were doubled over in worship.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh…
Six streaks of light suddenly shot forth from within the Vermilion Bird Heart Essence before merging with the six Vermilion Bird Sages.
The six Vermilion Bird Sages howled with anguish as the holy flames around their bodies suddenly exploded, and their extremely diminished auras began to soar, becoming richer and purer.
Great Empress Vermilion Bird had burned their bloodlines, and their cultivation bases had plummeted along with their life expectancies, leaving them with not long to live.
However, under the light of Xu Xiaolan’s Vermilion Bird Heart Essence, their bloodlines regained their former vitalities and were quickly recovering to their former glory…
“This…” Vermilion Bird You Luo’s expression went blank as it experienced the newfound vitality surging through its body.
Vermilion Bird Bing Xin kowtowed as it sobbed. “Thank you for your kindness, Great Empress Vermilion Bird!”
“Thank you, Great Empress Vermilion Bird!”
“Thank you…”
The six Vermilion Bird Sages sprawled to the ground again as their bodies trembled.
The former Great Empress Vermilion Bird had burned their bloodlines, and their vitalities and cultivation bases were all quickly funneling away. They had thought that this would be how they died. The Vermilion Birds held their bloodlines in higher regard than anything else. Dying from bloodline failure was the most dishonorable way to die for them.
However, Little Xiaolan had used the Vermilion Bird Heart Essence to revitalize their bloodlines. Just the power of the Vermilion Bird Heart Essence alone would not have been enough to do this. This power was also imbued with the Azure Dragon’s signature power of rebirth and vitality!
They knew that as long as they worked hard and regularly consumed pills, they would be able to reach their former peak and even advance further than that.
Their cultivation bases weren’t important, nor were their lives.
Little Xiaolan had given them the most important thing, and that was honor!
A low groan sounded.
Blood trickled down from the corner of Little Xiaolan’s lips. It was quite clear that doing this was overexerting her power.
“Xiaolan, you…” An Lin didn’t know Xu Xiaolan was going to do something like this, and his expression shifted drastically at the sight of the backlash she was suffering. “Stop!”
The other Vermilion Bird Tribe living beings also saw what was happening to her.
“Great Empress Vermilion Bird, please stop! Your wellbeing is more important than anything else!”
“Don’t do this to yourself! It’s not worth it!”
“Great Empress, please! Please stop using that power!”
All of the Vermilion Bird powerful beings, including the six Vermilion Bird Sages, were sobbing as they pleaded for her to stop.
One had to realize that back when their bloodlines had been burned, they were facing Little Xiaolan in battle and had almost killed her. But now, Little Xiaolan was using her Vermilion Bird essential power to repair their bloodlines even at the expense of suffering backlash.
Was this love? Was this responsibility?
No! This was light!
This was the only light in this world that was worth following!
The situation threatened to spiral out of control.
If it weren’t for the fact that An Lin was using his Divine Might Technique to maintain order, the Vermilion Birds would have most likely swamped Little Xiaolan in order to get her to stop what she was doing.
In the end, Little Xiaolan ended up revitalizing the bloodlines of the six Vermilion Bird Sages and stabilized their conditions.
She stood upon her throne and appeared so frail and vulnerable.
Little Xiaolan absorbed her Vermilion Bird Heart Essence again and wiped the blood from the corners of her lips before looking at all of the Vermilion Bird Tribe powerful beings before her.
All of the Vermilion Birds knelt to the ground once again.
All of them were completely silent this time.
However, the silence was somehow even more deafening.
Their frenetic will had culminated to an all-time high.
An Lin knew that even if Xu Xiaolan asked them to take their own lives here, all of them would do so without any hesitation.
Little Xiaolan held a paramount position in their hearts; one that could not be shaken nor surpassed.
“I have seen your hearts… However, this time, I can only take nine Vermilion Birds with me to the Tai Chu Continent. Who would like to accompany me?” Little Xiaolan asked.
The twenty-five Dao Integration Stage Vermilion Birds present immediately put their names forward.
All of the other Vermilion Birds had self-awareness and knew that they wouldn’t be able to compete with the Dao Integration Stage Vermilion Birds. At the same time, they were confused with regard to why their Great Empress didn’t take more Vermilion Birds with her.
In reality, Xu Xiaolan would love to take more with her.
If it were possible, she would take all of the Vermilion Birds to the Tai Chu Continent.
The problem was that it was simply not possible…
The black dragon had only given them ten Dao Integration Stage slots.
The Tai Chu Continent wasn’t an easily accessible place. Even with his power, he could only allow ten Dao Integration Stage super mighty figures to travel into the Tai Chu Continent, and it would incur a heavy cost for him to do so.
Bai Xiaohu was at the Dao Integration Intermediate Stage, so she could only take nine Dao Integration Stage Vermilion Birds.
Xu Xiaolan looked at the Dao Integration Stage super mighty figures before her, all of which were extremely renowned across the entire Realm of Stars. “Nan Li, You Li, Bing Xin, Tian Jin, Tai Jing, Huan Jin, Fei Hua, Long, Xue Ya, are you willing to come with me and face the most terrifying enemies?”
“We would be more than happy to do so!”
“We will follow the Great Empress to the edges of the universe!”
The Dao Integration Stage Vermilion Birds that had been named were extremely frenetic.
The six Vermilion Bird Sages were all at the Dao Integration Pinnacle Stage, while Fei Hua, Long, and Xue Ya were Dao Integration Intermediate Stage super mighty figures who had endured countless battles. They were the most powerful beings that she could choose for now.
High Priest Hong Wu was at the Dao Integration Pinnacle Stage, but she had to remain behind to take care of business here at the Vermilion Bird Tribe. There were also Dao Integration Stage super mighty figures who weren’t present as they were undertaking roles elsewhere or traveling, as vermilions so loved to do. Hence, these nine were the most powerful beings available!
Furthermore, all of them possessed the purest Vermilion Bird bloodlines. The combined power of these nine super mighty figures could probably even take on a weaker God of Creation in the Realm of Stars. Even on the Tai Chu Continent, this was an extremely formidable force!
Thus, Little Xiaolan rode on her steed, Little An, and traveled toward the Azure Dragon territory with nine Dao Integration Stage Vermilion Birds in accompaniment.
There were countless dragons waiting for An Lin and the others at the Azure Dragon territory.
Little Xiaolan was not just Great Empress Vermilion Bird, but she was also a guardian deity of the Azure Dragon Tribe!
Patriarch Azure Dragon came out of seclusion and had a long chat with Little Xiaolan and the others before opening up a teleportation spell formation that would take Little Xiaolan and the others back to the Tai Chu Continent!
An Lin was extremely excited.
Tai Chu Continent, I’m back!
