Seeing the pleased smile on the old man's kind face, Phoenix was suddenly reminded of her deceased parents, and her eyes began to well up again.
The old man consoled her, "Child, don't be so sad. One day, you will have your revenge!"
"Thank you, Teacher." Phoenix suppressed her grief and bowed to the old man.
"I don't have much time left. Now, I will give you two final gifts." As the old man spoke, a blood-red sword suddenly flew out from the thatched hut, hovering in the air before him.
The Long Sword was three fingers wide and about two and a half feet long. It emanated a magnificent, fiery aura. Countless complex inscriptions were engraved upon its blade. The hilt and guard resembled a phoenix spreading its wings to take flight, its entire form a visceral blood-red, as if liquid blood were flowing across its surface.
The Long Sword seemed to possess a spirit. As it hovered before the old man, its magnificent, fiery aura slowly subsided, replaced by an air of reluctance and longing.
In a daze, Phoenix could have sworn she saw a five-colored phoenix hovering before the old man. It was so incomparably noble that no worldly words could possibly describe its beauty.
Phoenix rubbed her eyes in disbelief. When she looked again, the five-colored phoenix had resolved back into the blood-red sword.
"This sword is a supreme treasure of the Phoenix Race. Sealed within is the soul of a Five-Colored Golden Phoenix, making it a Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact." The old man's eyes, filled with memories, gazed at the blood-red sword. "Its name is Cai Feng. It has been gathering dust here for far too long. It's time for it to be brought into the world once more!"
"Teacher... this... this is too valuable. I can't accept it." Though she had fallen in love with the blood-red sword at first sight, Phoenix hesitated to accept such a gift.
'A Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact!'
'It's too precious. Besides, if word got out that I have a weapon of this caliber, it would cause a massive uproar. It would definitely bring disaster upon all of Merak.'
As if reading her mind, the old man smiled faintly. "You are a descendant of the Phoenix Bloodline. Your coming here, your meeting meâit is destiny. This sword can only unleash its most dazzling brilliance in the hands of one with the Phoenix Bloodline. Take it, child. You have inherited my legacy; how could you not have a weapon worthy of you?"
"But..." Phoenix started to protest.
The old man smiled and shook his head. "Don't worry about being unable to protect it. I am about to give you your second gift. With it, I assure you, it will not be easy for anyone to take Cai Feng from you. As long as you cultivate diligently, it won't be long before you become a true expert!"
As he spoke, the old man addressed Cai Feng, which was hovering before him. "Go on. From now on, she is your master. You must protect her until her strength reaches the supreme realm, do you understand?"
To Phoenix's astonishment, the blood-red sword named Cai Feng actually let out the high, clear cry of a phoenix. It also radiated a deep sense of reluctance to part!
'Heavens... Are all Spirit-Connected Magical Artifacts... sentient?' Phoenix watched, dumbfounded.
Cai Feng seemed very reluctant to leave the old man. It circled him three times before slowly flying over to Phoenix, shrinking as it went.
"Teacher, this..." Phoenix was at a loss.
"It has acknowledged you," the old man said, a wide smile on his face as he watched. A flicker of satisfaction crossed his ancient eyes, which were as deep as a starry sky.
Then, Cai Feng transformed into a phoenix hairpin and gently floated down into Phoenix's palm.
In its hairpin form, Cai Feng looked as if it were carved from a single piece of red jade, emitting a soft, lustrous glow. It depicted an exquisitely beautiful phoenix, wings spread as if about to take flight. Anyone else would simply assume it was a valuable piece of jewelry, never suspecting it was actually a swordâa precious sword at the Spiritual Artifact Level!
"This is the power of a Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact. On a normal day, you can simply wear it in your hair. In battle, you can catch your opponent completely by surprise..." The old man trailed off with a smile.
Phoenix understood the old man's meaning, and she understood even more clearly the value of this Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact. Even though the old man had told her she was a descendant of the Phoenix Bloodline, everything still felt surreal, as if she were in a dream she couldn't quite believe.
"Thank you, Teacher!" Phoenix thanked the old man again, her heart filled with gratitude.
"Child, remember this. You are a descendant of the Phoenix Bloodline. Perhaps you've fallen behind others because your time had not yet come, but from this day forward, you *will* be stronger than all your peers!" The old man's expression suddenly grew serious as he looked at Phoenix intently.
"Therefore, you must remember my words. The proud blood of the Phoenix Race flows in the very bones of its people! You don't need to be so deferential to everyone. Always remember: you are of the noble Phoenix Bloodline! You are this world's supreme Princess!"
The old man smiled faintly. "And now, for your second gift!"
As he spoke, a vast and magnificent aura erupted from his body. It was scorching hot, like the blazing flames of the sun, and it instantly enveloped Phoenix.
Phoenix had no chance to resist before she lost consciousness. In that final moment, she vaguely heard the hairpin in her hand let out a sorrowful cry as the old man's last words echoed in her ears.
"Always remember: you are of the noble Phoenix Bloodline! You are this world's... supreme Princess!"
An unknown amount of time passedâperhaps an instant, perhaps an eternity. Phoenix awoke in a daze, a single tear clinging to the corner of her eye.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. Looking around in confusion, she realized she was back in the Illusion Array that had trapped her. She murmured, 'So it was all just a dream? But it felt so real... In my dream, I saw my parents' faces. I saw them murdered by wicked men. I even met a kind old man who became my teacher and taught me...'
Her words trailed off as she froze. Her gaze fell upon the blood-red phoenix hairpin resting in her palm. Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief.
"My dream... was real?" Phoenix muttered. Just then, she felt a vast and boundless power emanating from her Dantian.
'It's all real... I... My power... I've broken through to the Transformation Realm! Heavens, I really learned the Nirvana Skill... I even learned the Phoenix Dharma Aspect, which only someone at the Fifth-Rank Transformation Realm should be able to use?' Phoenix gasped in disbelief.
As she spoke, Phoenix slowly rose to her feet and instinctively unleashed the Phoenix Dharma Aspectâa skill supposedly exclusive to the Fifth Tier of Transformation Realm.
With the appearance of the Dharma Heaven and Earth, the spectral image of a Seven-Colored Phoenix erupted from behind her. Its body blazed with furious flames as it let out a piercing cry. The massive apparition was so large it seemed to threaten to shatter the very walls of the Earth Palace.
The pressure made the incredibly solid walls creak and groan. The seemingly illusory flames scorched the surroundings, turning the entire chamber into a crimson furnace!
Phoenix herself, however, was completely unaffected.
The hairpin in her palm, as if influenced by the Phoenix Dharma Aspect, also let out a high, clear cry. It transformed back into the blood-red sword, unleashing a heaven-shaking aura!
'Did... Did I really do this?' Phoenix's eyes filled with joyful surprise as she murmured, 'I... I broke through to the Fifth Tier of Transformation Realm all at once? And I can use Dharma Heaven and Earth?'
Then, Phoenix retracted the Dharma Heaven and Earth. Cai Feng once again transformed back into a hairpin, lying quietly in her palm.
Phoenix finally believed it. She had truly received an immense stroke of fortune beyond what any ordinary person could imagine, effortlessly obtaining the legacy of the Phoenix Race!
'To think that the final gift from that kind old man, my teacher, was this incomparably immense power!'
"But... if that's the case, does that mean Teacher is..." Phoenix's heart sank.
'Even though I only knew him for such a short time, he gave me so, so much.'
'I want to repay him, but there's no way I can.'
"Teacher, how can I ever repay your immense kindness?" Phoenix whispered to herself, her eyes turning red.
"Do not live with hatred. While hatred can make you strong, it will also become a shackle that prevents you from soaring. Find the root of your hatred, take your revenge, and then... let it go. Remember my words. Perhaps one day, we will meet again in another world."
The old man's aged yet kind voice suddenly echoed in her mind.
"Teacher, is that you? Where are you? Please, come out and see me!"
"Teacher! Don't ignore me..."
"You said we might meet again! Where?!"
But no matter how she called, the voice did not answer. It all felt like a fantastical dream, caught between illusion and reality.
Yet the legacy of the Phoenix Race she had received, the sword Cai Feng she now possessed, and the explosive surge in her powerâall of that was real.
Phoenix reached into her robes and pulled out a piece of jade she had carried since childhood. A memory surfacedâa scene from her youth when she had asked her master about her parents.
"Master, were my mom and dad killed by very bad people?"
"Yes, Phoenix. By the time I arrived, that group of villains had already gone. I was on my own back then, and not powerful enough to be their match. All I could do was take you and leave."
"Then why is my name Phoenix? Did you name me?"
"Heh, no, that wasn't me. When I found you, you were wearing this jade around your neck. Look. The front is carved with a phoenix. And the characters on the back, don't they read 'Huang'Er of the Feng Family'?"
"So that means my mom and dad gave me my name?"
"That's right. Alas, back then I was just a sect disciple. I wasn't strong enough to avenge them for you."
"Then Master, do you know who did it?"
"The ancient city where you were born is in the northern part of the Cangqiong region, bordering Da Han. Perhaps they were people from Da Han."
"I have to train hard. One day, I will avenge my parents!"
The image of that young, innocent little girl, crying silently and making a vow while nestled in the arms of a master who was only a dozen-odd years her seniorâthat scene was etched so deeply into Phoenix's soul that it could never be forgotten.