Chapter 435: 435 Chapter 435: Stronger After Rebirth? Kill Anyway! The scarlet curse and the black fire of the Ancient Phoenix formed a stark contrast. A small scarlet sword with shackles appeared above the Ancient Phoenix’s head. The speed of the Ancient Phoenix immediately slowed down. Even a powerful being like it was affected by the curse. However, Lin Moyu noticed that within the raging black fire, the curse was rapidly disintegrating. It seemed that its black flames had the ability to burn away curses. But the curse was just the beginning. As the curse took effect, the Skeleton Mages and Skeleton Archers had already taken their positions and began attacking. They surrounded the Ancient Phoenix in a circle. Some were high, some were low, some were far, some were near, encircling the Ancient Phoenix from all angles. They were also sufficiently dispersed to avoid the Ancient Phoenix’s area-of-effect attacks. Violent explosions erupted on the Ancient Phoenix’s body, and the arrows of the Archers turned it into a pincushion in the blink of an eye. The curse played a powerful role, allowing the attacks of the Skeleton Mages and Archers to break through the Ancient Phoenix’s defenses. Elemental Liches appeared one after another, and a series of auras appeared under the feet of the skeletons. This time, except for the Flame Lich and the Light Lich, all the other Elemental Liches appeared. The Ice Aura caused the black fire on the Ancient Phoenix to pause, and its body was covered with a layer of ice. However, the ice was burned away by the black fire in less than half a second. But the effect of the aura continued, with the ice layer constantly forming and being burned away. The Storm Aura gave the skeletons even faster speed, and the Earth Aura greatly enhanced their defense. Countless bolts of lightning fell from the sky, and tens of thousands of lightning bolts struck the Ancient Phoenix, causing it to scream incessantly. It flapped its wings and spewed intense flames from its mouth, covering a large area of the sky. Skill: Flame Jet. The skeletons caught fire and burned fiercely. But the skeletons did not retreat a single step and continued to hold their ground. With a loud roar, numerous fireballs appeared in the sky and then exploded. Skill: Flame Explosion. The Ancient Phoenix used two skills simultaneously, but it still couldn’t do anything to the undead army. The flames that had once caused Lin Moyu heavy losses now only caused minor damage to the skeletons. Lin Moyu’s strength had increased tremendously compared to before. The undead army could even kill weakened Demon Kings head-on, so a mere level 67 lord-level boss was no longer a threat. "It seems the only thing to be cautious about is its innate ability," Lin Moyu thought. At present, the Ancient Phoenix was no longer a threat. Only its innate ability needed to be watched carefully. Lin Moyu now understood why his detection skill couldn’t find the Ancient Phoenix’s rebirth skill. It wasn’t a skill at all; it was the Ancient Phoenix’s innate ability. That’s why the detection skill couldn’t detect it. The outcome of the battle was already decided. The Ancient Phoenix continued to use its skills, filling the sky and the ground with flames. The area within a kilometer radius had become a sea of fire. But no matter how it struggled, the result was the same. The Skeleton Berserkers had already climbed all over its body, their axes glowing red. Under the relentless attacks of the skeletons, the Ancient Phoenix was severely injured in just one minute. Lin Moyu did not use the Skeletal Prison yet; it wasn’t the right time. He was waiting for the Ancient Phoenix to use its innate ability. Sure enough, after a dozen seconds, all the flames suddenly disappeared, and a terrifying energy surged out. A massive fireball, over a kilometer in diameter, appeared in the sky. The fireball burned fiercely, its temperature unimaginably high. The Skeleton Berserkers clinging to the Ancient Phoenix were all thrown off. The Ancient Phoenix’s rebirth ability was activated. The fireball hovered in the sky for a few seconds before falling to the ground. Whether by coincidence or design, it was heading straight for Mu Xianxian’s position. Lin Moyu’s expression changed, and he immediately flew down, grabbing Mu Xianxian and flying away. At the same time, all members of the undead army also flew high into the sky, away from the ground. With a loud roar, a mushroom cloud rose from the ground. A violent shockwave spread in all directions, and the skeletons that weren’t far enough away were all blown away. Lin Moyu was already over 2,000 meters away from the explosion, but he still felt the intense shockwave. The Skeletal Armor glowed, blocking all the attacks. From the reaction of the Skeletal Armor, Lin Moyu could judge the strength of the explosion. The rebirth ability not only allowed the Ancient Phoenix to be reborn but also had the power to take its enemies down with it. Fortunately, Lin Moyu had experienced it once before and was prepared. Perhaps the undead army could withstand it, but Mu Xianxian would have been doomed. The Skeletal Armor, with a defense equivalent to 300,000 constitution, couldn’t withstand this attack. After the explosion, a massive crater over a kilometer in diameter appeared on the ground, with flames still burning fiercely. [Ancient Phoenix (Lord-level Boss)] [Level: 67] [Status: Rebirth in progress, currently invincible.] Just like last time, the detection skill returned the same result. Now, all he could do was wait for the rebirth to finish. Mu Xianxian’s voice came from beside him, "Can you put me down now?" As she spoke, her warm breath brushed against Lin Moyu’s face, making it itch. Lin Moyu realized he was still holding her, and Mu Xianxian, to avoid falling, was also holding onto him. Mu Xianxian was tall, only half a head shorter than Lin Moyu. In this position, her face was very close to his. Mu Xianxian’s face was flushed, her ears red, and she felt a bit weak. Lin Moyu, being a straightforward person, didn’t feel anything unusual and directly landed, putting Mu Xianxian down. He then said, "Get ready with your collection skill. When I call you, you go." "If I don’t call you, don’t move." Mu Xianxian nodded with her head down, "Okay." She was extremely shy at this moment. It was the first time she had been held by a man like this. But strangely, she didn’t feel annoyed; instead, she felt a bit happy. Lin Moyu had the Lich General surround Mu Xianxian again, then flew high into the sky, keeping a close watch on the Ancient Phoenix. The flames burned fiercely, scorching the ground for a full five minutes. Then all the flames converged towards the center of the crater, and a powerful aura rose from the center. Lin Moyu frowned slightly; it seemed stronger than before. "Could it be that rebirth not only allows it to be reborn but also makes it stronger?" With a flick of his finger, the detection skill flew out. [Ancient Phoenix (Lord-level Boss)] [Level: 68] [Strength: 330,000] [Agility: 170,000] [Mental: 200,000] [Constitution: 200,000] [Skills: Flame Jet, Flame Explosion, Black Flame Sea] [Traits: Fire Element Damage Immunity, Elemental Damage Reduction 70%, Physical Damage Reduction 70%] "It really got stronger." Lin Moyu’s feeling was correct; it had indeed become stronger. It had leveled up from 67 to 68. Its total attributes had increased by 100,000, and it had gained a new skill. Both its elemental and physical damage reductions had increased, but it had lost the trait of fangs ignoring defense. This indicated that its flame attacks had become even more powerful, and it would no longer use bites. However, it hadn’t bitten any skeletons earlier either. Given its size, the skeletons were too small. But even at level 68, Lin Moyu didn’t care; he would kill it anyway. The Ancient Phoenix’s rebirth was complete, and it had become stronger. Before it could let out a cry, its body was suddenly covered in dense white bones. Its massive body was immobilized. Skill: Skeletal Prison. This time, Lin Moyu planned to end the battle quickly. The skeletons charged again, and the Skeleton Mages and Archers began their attacks. Lightning fell from the sky, continuously striking. Under the binding of the Skeletal Prison, the Ancient Phoenix had no way to fight back and could only take the hits. "Xianxian, come and set off the fireworks!" Hearing Lin Moyu’s call, Mu Xianxian responded and quickly ran over. Facing the terrifying black flames, Mu Xianxian didn’t hesitate and rushed in. She trusted Lin Moyu completely. Since he told her to go, she believed there would be no danger. The black flames burned continuously, but the Skeletal Armor glowed, blocking the flames. Lin Moyu hovered in the air, continuously replenishing the Skeletal Armor for Mu Xianxian. Mu Xianxian didn’t waste any time and quickly ran to the bound Ancient Phoenix, setting off a brilliant firework. Then she quickly ran out of the flames and shouted to Lin Moyu, "The fireworks are set!" Lin Moyu smiled slightly, but his expression suddenly changed. He rushed down, grabbed Mu Xianxian, and flew away without looking back.