Chapter 18 – The Phoenix's Awakening
Pain lanced through Meilin's chest as she hit the stone floor of the Lotus Veil Sanctuary, breath knocked clean from her lungs. Spiritual energy still crackled in the air from Mistress Bai's unrelenting strike.
She coughed and slowly pushed herself upright, her arms trembling.
"Is this training or assassination?" she muttered under her breath.
Mistress Bai stood over her like a judge carved from ice. "You think power will be handed to you? The Celestial Marriage System is not a gift—it is a trial."
Li Yanzhou, standing silently at the edge of the courtyard, didn't intervene. He merely watched—arms crossed, face unreadable.
Meilin's mind screamed in protest, but something deeper—fierce and determined—rose within her. She had been through death. She had known betrayal. And this time, she would not break.
"I'm not here to beg for mercy," Meilin said, steadying her feet. "If you want to crush me, you'll have to do better."
Mistress Bai raised an eyebrow.
> [Celestial Marriage System Notification]
💠 System Alert: Emotional Resolve Achieved
🔥 Hidden Trait Unlocked: Inner Phoenix
▪ Effect: When faced with overwhelming pressure, your soul core will resist collapse. Mental resilience increased by 40%.
🎁 Reward: Minor Spiritual Awakening Initiated
A warm current surged through Meilin's veins. It wasn't visible power—no glowing lights, no floating sigils—but her senses sharpened. She could feel the pulse of the sanctuary beneath her feet. Hear the quiet exhale of wind behind the walls. Even Mistress Bai's spiritual current felt clearer, less like a mountain and more like a rhythm she could learn to dance with.
Mistress Bai's lips curved into the faintest smile. "Again."
—
Hours passed. Training was relentless. Strikes. Shields. Meditation under crushing pressure.
By sundown, Meilin's body was bruised, her clothes torn, her energy nearly gone. But she was standing.
Barely—but standing.
Yanzhou approached, finally breaking his silence.
"She didn't kill you," he said. "That's progress."
"She tried," Meilin grunted, wiping sweat from her brow. "I think I hallucinated my ancestors halfway through meditation."
"You're adapting fast." His eyes briefly softened. "I'm proud of you."
It caught her off guard. The words. The sincerity in them. A warmth bloomed in her chest—surprising and dangerous.
> [Celestial Marriage System Notification]
💖 Affection Level: 52%
✨ Bond Perk Unlocked: Shared Insight
▪ You can now sense Li Yanzhou's emotional state when within 10 meters.
Her breath hitched. The System's upgrades were coming faster now—each tied not just to her own growth, but to their deepening connection.
"Don't get used to compliments," Yanzhou added, smirking slightly. "I'll return to insulting your footwork tomorrow."
She rolled her eyes but smiled. For a moment, things felt almost normal.
Until Mistress Bai's voice echoed across the courtyard.
"Tomorrow's trial will not be physical," she said. "We're entering the Dreaming Mirror."
Yanzhou's face darkened instantly.
Meilin looked between them. "What's that?"
Mistress Bai answered. "A realm that shows your true self… and forces you to face it."
Yanzhou stepped forward. "Are you sure she's ready?"
"She must be," Mistress Bai said, turning away. "Time is running out."
—
That night, Meilin lay in a quiet guest chamber, exhausted yet unable to sleep. Her body ached, but her mind raced.
The Dreaming Mirror.
What would it show her?
The girl she used to be—naive and trusting?
Or the woman she became before her death—bitter and broken?
She stared at her open palm. The glow of the system had faded for the night, but she could still feel its presence. Watching. Waiting.
> "I won't flinch. I won't fail again."
The wind whispered through the cracks in the wooden walls. Somewhere beyond the courtyard, she heard distant chanting.
Sleep eventually came.
But peace did not.
—
Elsewhere…
Lin Haoxuan sat in the shadows of a candlelit chamber, his features twisted with fury.
"How did this leak?" he growled, slamming a jade teacup to the floor. "We were careful!"
Opposite him, Xue Tianlei—Meilin's father—stood in grim silence, sweat dotting his brow.
"There's… someone behind her now," Tianlei muttered. "Someone powerful."
Haoxuan's eyes gleamed with hate. "Li Yanzhou."
He stood abruptly, the ritual dagger at his waist glowing faintly with red sigils.
"She was supposed to die," he hissed. "She belonged to the offering."
Tianlei flinched. "If she fully awakens, she could expose everything."
"Then we can't let her," Haoxuan said coldly. "I'll send the Soul Reavers. Let's see if her new body can handle death twice."
The room chilled.
War was coming.
—
Back at the Sanctuary…
Meilin awoke with a gasp.
Something had changed.
She rushed to the window. In the night sky above the sanctuary, clouds shifted unnaturally—and a single burning feather drifted downward.
It landed at her feet.
> [System Alert: Bloodline Resonance Detected]
🔥 Phoenix Core Awakening in Progress...
▪ Dormant ancestry linked to the Vermilion Bird of the South.
▪ Status: Suppressed by Soul Seals.
▪ Mission: Break the first seal through the Dreaming Mirror Trial.
She stared at the feather, heart racing.
"I'm… not fully human either?"
Just then, a soft knock.
Yanzhou stood outside her door.
"You felt it too," he said quietly.
She nodded. "What does it mean?"
He stepped closer, his voice gentle but grave.
"It means you're not just the Celestial Bride anymore."
"You're becoming something much greater."
"Something that can't be killed twice."