Chapter Seventy-Five: The Titan's Lament (Part One)

Southern Wilderness, the Hundred-Thousand Mountains, Titan Hall.

The chieftain of the Titan clan and the ten high priests had all gathered in Titan Hall to discuss the future of their people.

“Your Majesty, the Gate of Heaven’s Veil has collapsed, the barrier between worlds is gone. The countless armies of fierce beasts from the Western Wilds will soon pour forth and threaten the entire world. Our Titan clan sits beside the southern ridges, guarding the gateway to the Southern Wilderness. If the beast horde advances south, they will surely target us first. With our current strength, we cannot withstand their invasion. What should we do?”

The Grand Priest of Mount Tai spoke gravely, his hands clasped in salute, gazing up at the Titan seated upon the throne.

The other priests, equally grim, looked to Titan, awaiting his command.

For a moment, the hall was utterly silent.

Only the divine throne radiated endless earthy light, like the weight of the land itself, suppressing all.

“Do not be troubled. I have already decided upon our course,” Titan said, his face calm yet full of authority.

“If the beast horde invades the Southern Wilderness, for the sake of this land and all within it, I will lead the Titan clan to fight them to the death.”

His resolute, unquestionable voice echoed through Titan Hall.

“What? Your Majesty, you must not!”

The priests’ faces changed instantly; they bowed deeply, protesting in unison.

“Without you, would the Titan clan still be the guardians of the Southern Wilderness? Please, Your Majesty, reconsider!”

The Grand Priest of Mount Tai frowned deeply, eyes wide with resolve, kneeling as he spoke.

“Please, Your Majesty, reconsider!” echoed all the other priests, kneeling as well, unwavering in their plea.

...

At the outermost edge of the Hundred-Thousand Mountains, among the Taihai peaks,

A fire phoenix, wreathed in golden immortal flames, raised its noble head, spreading wings nearly nine thousand feet wide. Though appearing slow, it crossed the sky in a blink, arriving over the mountains.

Within Titan Hall, the chieftain looked at the kneeling priests, offering a helpless smile. Just as he was about to persuade them to rise, he sensed a god-level fire phoenix entering the mountains.

“She’s here?!”

Titan lifted the barrier over the mountains, allowing Fenghuang and the other phoenixes to enter, while pondering her purpose.

“Rise, all of you! Fenghuang has arrived! Do not let the Phoenix clan look down on us Titans.”

Titan addressed the priests with authority.

“The Phoenix clan’s Grand Elder Fenghuang! What is her purpose here?”

The priests wondered about Fenghuang’s intentions, quickly rising to their feet.

They showed no embarrassment, openly using divine power to tidy their appearance and preserve their dignity—after all, the priests of the Titan clan could not lose face before their mortal enemy, the Phoenix clan.

Boom!

A burst of flame surged into Titan Hall, revealing Fenghuang and her ten female guards.

Fenghuang was beautiful, with long fiery hair, clad in phoenix armor, radiating the aura of a fire god, exuding the domain of a deity.

The ten guards behind her were also beautiful, in phoenix armor, each emanating the pressure of a divine king.

“Greetings, Chieftain Titan!” “We salute you, Chieftain Titan!”

Fenghuang’s sharp eyes first swept the hall’s priests with an air of disrespect. Then, leading her ten guards, she faced Titan upon the throne, bowing slightly, her expression calm.

Titan looked at Fenghuang’s rudeness, unmoved, unwilling to argue with her.

The priests feigned ignorance, eyes downcast, pretending to know nothing.

After all, the powerful Phoenix clan had always treated the weaker Titans with arrogance and disrespect.

Sadly, the Titan clan had grown accustomed to being humble before their rivals.

In this world, the strong command respect, the weak suffer humiliation—an eternal truth.

“What brings Grand Elder Fenghuang to our Titan clan?” Titan asked calmly.

Fenghuang smiled faintly, her eyes narrowing, “I dare not instruct. I merely wish to show the Titans a clear path forward.”

“Oh? Please speak plainly, Divine Fenghuang,” Titan’s eyes flashed gold, as if he had already guessed her intentions.

Fenghuang stepped forward, raising her flawless hand. With a wave, a screen of flame appeared in the hall.

Within it, above the southern ridges, a spatial tunnel stretched thousands of miles long and a million wide, radiating endless rainbow light.

An innumerable army of fierce beasts surged through the tunnel into the southern ridges, like an unstoppable tide.

Their terrifying presence formed a sea of blood and killing clouds, shrouding the entire region.

From afar, the land had become a crimson domain of slaughter.

Titan watched the fiery vision, his expression unchanged, as if he saw nothing.

In contrast, the priests’ faces were troubled, dark as water, clearly worried about the invasion.

Since the appearance of the flame screen, Fenghuang had watched Titan and the priests closely.

Though Titan’s calm demeanor disappointed her, the priests’ panic pleased her greatly.

“What is Chieftain Titan planning?” she wondered, her eyes glinting.

A sudden unease crept into her heart—a premonition that this steadfast Titan might disrupt her plans.

“Chieftain Titan, priests, as you see, the beast horde has invaded the Southern Wilderness. The Titan clan, beside the southern ridges, will be the first to suffer their attack. Perhaps, the invasion has already begun within your lands.”

Fenghuang’s icy smile flashed as she spoke calmly.

Titan remained unmoved, but the priests were restless, faces darkening.

“If Divine Fenghuang has something to say, speak plainly!” the Grand Priest of Mount Tai demanded coldly.

Fenghuang’s smile turned mysterious—a goal seemingly achieved. She declared loudly, “Faced with this invasion, the Titans cannot resist alone. To save the Southern Wilderness, my clan proposes an alliance, to stand together against the beast horde.”

“An alliance?!”

Her words stunned the priests, who could hardly believe the Phoenix clan would offer such help.

Should not the Phoenixes seize this moment to exploit the vulnerable Titans?

The priests looked up to Titan, awaiting his decision.

Titan, seated high, listened calmly, as if he had expected Fenghuang’s purpose.

Seeing the priests’ expectant gazes, Titan turned to Fenghuang, unleashing divine pressure, and spoke with solemn authority, “Any alliance between unequal powers is merely an excuse for the strong to devour the weak!”

“Just as expected!” The priests’ eyes flashed gold, instantly understanding the Phoenix clan’s sinister intent, staring coldly at Fenghuang.

Under Titan’s divine pressure, poor Fenghuang could not utter a word and could only endure the priests’ icy stares in silence...