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The grand courtyard of the Blue Wind Imperial Palace was suddenly filled with people.
Jean had safely brought the entire Phoenix Village to their new home.
Princess Cang Yue walked out of the heavy palace doors, completely amazed by what she saw.
"They are incredible,"
Cang Yue whispered, looking at the men and women standing in the courtyard.
"Their energy is massive."
"Treat them with respect, and they will guard your throne forever."
Sam said.
The old Village Chief stepped forward and bowed to Cang Yue.
"We are ready to serve you, Princess,"
The old man said with a warm, honest smile.
"We will protect this home with our new fire."
Cang Yue bowed back to him, showing her own deep respect.
Then, Chu Yuechan, Chu Yueli, and Xia Qingyue walked up to Sam.
Their faces looked completely peaceful and enlightened.
"Welcome back,"
Sam smiled at the three women.
"Did you learn what you wanted to learn?"
"We learned more than we ever expected,"
Chu Yuechan answered softly.
"We always believed that fire was wild and destructive. We thought our ice was its natural enemy. But Senior Jean showed us the truth."
Xia Qingyue nodded in agreement.
"True fire does not destroy,"
Xia Qingyue added.
"It brings life. It brings warmth to the cold. We finally understand the perfect balance of the universe."
"Good,"
Sam chuckled.
"Understanding balance is the true key to ultimate strength."
Jean walked over to him.
She was holding the hand of a very small, shy little girl.
The child had bright, messy red hair and big, curious golden eyes.
Sam looked down at the child. He could instantly feel the ancient, cosmic spark hiding inside her tiny body.
"She is not just a remnant spirit anymore,"
Jean explained, looking down at the little girl with pure motherly love.
"I used the Phoenix Force to give her a real human body. She has a second chance to actually live, instead of just surviving in a dark cave."
Jean looked back up at Sam.
"I named her Sue Grey,"
Jean told him.
"I told her she could be our daughter. If you are okay with that."
Sam did not hesitate for a single second.
He crouched down so he was right at eye-level with the shy little girl.
"Hello, Sue,"
Sam said, offering her a warm smile.
"My name is Sam."
The little girl hid behind Jean's leg for a moment, but then she slowly peeked out.
"Are you... my father?"
Sue asked in a tiny, quiet voice.
"I would be deeply honored to be your father,"
Sam answered happily.
"We have a very big, strange family. But I promise you will never have to sit in the dark ever again."
Sue's golden eyes filled with happiness.
She let go of Jean's hand and suddenly threw her small arms around Sam's neck, hugging him tightly.
Sam laughed a bright, joyous laugh and hugged her back.
He looked up at Jean and gave his wife a completely loving nod.
"I don't have a problem with this at all,"
Sam smiled brightly.
"Welcome to the family, Sue."
Sam stood back up, holding little Sue's hand securely in his own.
He looked up at the clear sky.
Suddenly, a golden light flashed in his deep eyes.
The invisible, heavy pressure that had been pressing down on his chest completely vanished.
"The weight is gone,"
Sam said.
Jean walked up and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Your karma with this empire?"
Jean asked.
"Yes,"
Sam nodded, looking at his wife.
"I took the place of the original hero. I broke the natural flow of this world. But now, Cang Yue has her own strength. She has the Phoenix guards to protect her people. The scale is perfectly balanced again."
Cang Yue stepped closer. Her eyes looked a little sad, but she stood tall.
"Does this mean your job here is done, Senior Sam?"
Cang Yue asked quietly.
"Are you leaving us?"
"My time as your teacher in this palace is finished,"
Sam answered honestly.
"Your empire is safe in your hands."
Cang Yue bowed deeply.
"I will never forget what you gave me,"
She promised.
"I will rule with a just heart."
Jean looked at Sam.
"So, what is our next step?"
Jean asked.
"Are you ready for your Nascent Soul breakthrough?"
Sam shook his head slowly. His face became very serious.
"Not yet,"
Sam explained.
"Fixing the Blue Wind Empire was only the first part of the problem. If I try to break through now, the heavens will still find a flaw in my soul."
"Why?"
Jean asked, tilting her head.
"Because the true roots of the disease are still out there,"
Sam said, looking toward the distant horizon.
"The Divine Phoenix Empire and the Four Sacred Grounds."
Cang Yue gasped out loud.
Even Chu Yuechan and Xia Qingyue looked completely shocked.
"The Four Sacred Grounds?"
Cang Yue whispered, her voice full of awe.
"They are the absolute rulers of our entire world. They stay hidden in the shadows, but they control the fate of every single nation."
"Exactly,"
Sam said firmly.
"They think they own the destiny of this world. When they see your new power, Cang Yue, they will try to control you. They do not like things they cannot control."
Sam squeezed Sue's small hand gently.
"And the Divine Phoenix Empire is already terrified,"
Sam continued.
"They felt Jean's true fire today. Fear makes greedy men do very crazy, bloody things. It will create bad karma."
Jean smiled calmly. The green light in her eyes danced with warmth.
"Then we should go visit them,"
"We can teach them a lesson."
"We will,"
Sam agreed, a confident smile returning to his face.
"We are going to clear the path completely. No more greedy emperors making unfair wars. And no more fake gods."
Far away, deep inside the heavily guarded center of the Divine Phoenix Empire, there was a beautiful, quiet garden.
This was the private home of Princess Feng Xue'er.
She was the greatest treasure of the empire.
She possessed the purest Phoenix bloodline in their history.
Because of her pure heart, her father, the Emperor, always kept her safely hidden away from the world.
Right now, Feng Xue'er was standing barefoot in the soft grass.
She was looking up at the sky, her beautiful eyes shining with unshed tears.
Heavy footsteps echoed behind her. Emperor Feng Hengkong ran into the garden.
He looked completely panicked and out of breath.
"Xue'er!"
The Emperor shouted, rushing over to grab her shoulders.
"Are you safe? Did the terrible energy hurt you?"
Feng Xue'er slowly turned to look at her father. She had a soft, joyful smile on her face.
"Hurt me, Father?"
She asked, her voice as sweet as a ringing bell.
"No. I have never felt so wonderful in my entire life."
The Emperor stared at her in total confusion.
"Wonderful?"
He gasped, still sweating from fear.
"Xue'er, that energy forced our entire royal family to the ground! It crushed our profound veins and made our sacred flames hide in terror!"
"It did not force me to the ground, Father,"
Feng Xue'er answered simply.
She raised her small, pale hand. A tiny, bright spark of red fire danced happily on her fingertips. It did not look scared at all.
"It did not crush me,"
She explained, looking at her flame.
"It hugged me."
"Hugged you?"
The Emperor stepped back, shaking his head. He could not understand.
"Yes,"
Xue'er nodded, placing her hand over her heart.
"When the great energy washed over the world, I did not feel any anger. I did not feel a conqueror coming to destroy us. I felt a mother. She was calling out to her lost children, telling them it was time to come home."
The Emperor frowned deeply. His mind was racing.
"But why did it make me feel such terrifying fear?"
He asked quietly.
"Fire is very honest, Father,"
Xue'er told him gently.
"It reflects what is inside our own hearts. You felt fear because your heart is heavy with plans for war and conquest. The Mother Flame does not like greed. It pushes back against those who want to hurt others."
The Emperor looked down at the grass. For the first time in many years, he felt truly ashamed.
"I canceled the invasion of the Blue Wind Empire,"
The Emperor admitted to his daughter.
"I told the generals to stop everything. I thought a monster had woken up in the east. I thought they were going to come and burn us to ash."
"She is not a monster,"
Feng Xue'er smiled, her eyes filled with bright, innocent hope.
"And they will not burn us if we offer them a peaceful hand. Father, you must not treat them as enemies."
"What should I do then?"
The proud Emperor asked, genuinely seeking his young daughter's advice.
"Invite them here,"
Feng Xue'er said eagerly.
"Do not send spies. Do not send soldiers with hidden swords. Send a royal envoy with open gates and honest words. Invite them to our home as honored guests."
She looked back up at the eastern sky.
"Please, Father,"
She whispered.
"I really want to meet the one who holds the Mother Flame."