"Surrender now, or face annihilation!"
The voice of the grey-robed elder was calm and aged, yet the overwhelming force behind his words caused the surrounding space to tremble with invisible shockwaves.
"You decrepit old freak! Dream on! Hah! Even if I'm reduced to ashes, I—Master Feng—would never yield to the likes of you!"
From the depths of the crater came the voice of a youth—fierce and brimming with unrestrained fury. His fiery tone left no doubt as to the temper that burned within.
"Wretched beast, do you truly believe this old man would hesitate to end your miserable life?!"
The elder's voice sharpened with rage. Gu Qingli's expression shifted dramatically as a surge of oppressive force nearly made her cough blood. Even the sky around them darkened ominously.
Yet as the old man spoke, his face suddenly turned pale, and a fit of coughing escaped him.
"Even if you are a phoenix, if you defy me—then in my eyes, you're worth less than a dead chicken!"
Gu Qingli was stunned. A phoenix? Could it truly be... a real phoenix existed in this world?
"Hah! Master Feng would rather perish than ever recognize a filthy old scoundrel like you as my master! Pah! Just look at that wrinkled corpse of a face—how could it possibly be worthy of my peerless elegance?"
Gu Qingli was at a loss for words. Was this phoenix really still cracking jokes on the brink of death?
And yet—it had taken human form! That alone was astounding.
"Very well, then! Insolent beast, this day you shall be utterly annihilated!"
The grey-robed elder trembled with fury, his figure rising high into the sky. He loomed like a divine specter, suspended in the heavens, killing intent surging from every pore.
"Then I'll take you down with me!"
A roar of defiance burst from within the crater, followed by a blinding surge of ochre light.
The dazzling radiance shot heavenward, engulfing the entire valley. Gu Qingli couldn't even open her eyes, let alone see what transpired amid the brilliant explosion.
Then came the upheaval—earth-shaking and cataclysmic, as though the very fabric of the world had been torn asunder.
Just as she tried to lift her head for a glimpse, a crystal-like orb of light streaked through the air and pierced directly into her forehead. A searing pain erupted from the depths of her soul—and before she could react, consciousness fled.
When Gu Qingli awoke, dusk had settled upon the forest of the Demon Domain. The last golden hues of twilight cloaked the world in stillness. Aside from the sighing wind, not a sound could be heard. Alarmed, she bolted upright.
Had what she witnessed been nothing more than an illusion? But then her gaze fell upon the ruined landscape below the cliff.
The great valley had been utterly flattened. What once was a thriving forest had been reduced to a blackened, scorched wasteland—lifeless and barren.
So this… was the aftermath of a battle between Revered Stage titans?
Wiping cold sweat from her brow, Gu Qingli instinctively touched the center of her forehead. As memory surged back—of that strange crystal light—she sat down immediately and entered cultivation mode.
She plunged her consciousness inward, scanning her meridians and bloodline. Thankfully, everything remained intact.
At last, within her dantian, she discovered a flickering ember—a tiny flame, like a delicate totem, quietly clinging to her core.
Her heart tightened. This small wisp of fire brimmed with power she could not comprehend. A single misstep could destroy her inner core—and then she would truly become a cripple.
"Little girl, do not fear. I have only borrowed your body to shelter what remains of my soul."
A faint voice echoed in her mind—one that stirred uneasy familiarity.
Gu Qingli's eyes widened in terror. It was the voice of the phoenix—the Revered Beast from before!
"I am the Crimsonflame Phoenix, sovereign of the ancient magical beasts. Though I self-detonated, I managed to preserve my soul. Fortune was on my side—I sensed someone on this mountain with sufficient soul strength to host my essence. You."
"Though I am not your contracted beast, the path to recovery will be long and arduous. Still, we are bound by fate. This time, I shall forge a contract with you."
Gu Qingli was struck dumb, her mind reeling from the explosion of revelation. A Revered Stage magical beast—offering to contract with her?
"I'm not a Spirit Enchanter. I can't form contracts with beasts."
Tears of frustration welled in her eyes. Of course she wanted to—but how could she? A Revered Beast!
"Fear not. When a magical beast willingly chooses its master, the contract transcends bloodlines. Through me, you shall become a Spirit Enchanter."
Gu Qingli was utterly dazed. Magical beasts were proud to the core—unyielding even unto death.
For one to willingly submit to a human… it was like hearing a myth come to life.