(Bonus Chapter: Five New Revisions Achieved!)
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Illusory Demon Realm, Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.
Bang!
The golden-scarlet barrier that had been enveloping Ren Zu and the Little Demon Empress shattered suddenly at that moment. At the same time, nine points of golden light, so brilliant they couldn't be looked at directly, descended from the sky and landed on the Little Demon Empress's body. Before Ren Zu could even react, her body was already completely engulfed in golden flames and vanished before his eyes.
"Hahahaha…" The loud laughter of the Golden Crow's Soul echoed from the sky. "You truly are an extraordinary person. It took only thirty days. Much sooner than I expected; your body is indeed special. But this Demon Emperor girl has truly opened this noble one's eyes. Though she was a virgin, she was extremely wild. This noble one has suddenly become somewhat curious whether she was giving her all to gain power for revenge, or if that was her innate nature from the start… hahahaha!"
"Where did you take her?" Ren Zu asked indifferently, narrowing his black eyes. After thirty days by the Little Demon Empress's side, it could be said that their relationship had undergone a tremendous transformation. She was now, without a doubt, his wife…
"She has already lost her virginity, and her body has been properly nourished by your vital Yang. Be it her body or her vitality, they would not be burned or destroyed by the Golden Crow's flame power. Things went even smoother than this noble one had anticipated. Just now, this noble one has bestowed upon her nine drops of the most original Golden Crow blood in her bloodstream. Now she is within the Golden Crow's Secret Realm, formed by my powers, slowly drawing from the source of power within and, in the process, comprehending the unmatched Profound Art of my Golden Crow lineage, the *Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World*!"
"It takes only seven days to extract all the source of power, and then she will be able to reach the half-step Divine Profound Realm! But if she wants to leave the Secret Realm, she must at least comprehend the first three levels of the *Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World*. If she is too slow and foolish and cannot do so within three years, then she might as well die inside!"
"…" The temperament of this Golden Crow's Soul was as peculiar as he remembered from the original story. Not only was she violent, she often forcibly sealed others and didn't allow them to leave until her goal was achieved… all according to her own whims, completely ignoring the will of others. She was so domineering it was almost inhuman.
Ren Zu was thinking this in his heart… but of course, he didn't dare say it aloud. He was well aware of the consequences of the Little Demon Empress accepting the Golden Crow's power and everything else, but if he had the right items and time, he could heal and treat her.
"Ren Zu, do you know why I helped her?" The golden-scarlet eyes opened in the sky above, enveloping Ren Zu with an infinite, domineering gaze.
"She is the successor of the Golden Crow's lineage. Helping her… is only natural, isn't it?" Ren Zu said, shrugging.
"This noble one helping her is only natural? Hahahahaha, ridiculous! Her ancestors received the legacy of this noble one's lineage and used it to dominate the Illusory Demon Realm! This noble one's grace toward them is already boundless, and I never owed their clan anything. How can you say that this noble one helping her is only natural? The reason this noble one is helping her now has nothing to do with her race or lineage—it is solely because of you!"
"Because of… me?" Ren Zu pointed to himself, stunned for a moment.
Wait, had he become the protagonist here now? I mean, he had an entirely different plan to obtain the Golden Crow's Legacy that was supposed to start now, but apparently, he didn't need it…
As someone aware of and familiar with the original story, he knew what was coming based on the Golden Crow's Soul's conversation…
"You are merely an ordinary mortal, yet you possess the greatest talent this noble one has ever seen. Your body is divine, your profound veins are unique and extraordinary. Moreover, you possess a body completely immune to the Fire Element, to the point that this noble one mistook it for the Evil Fire Spirit Body granted by the Evil God's legacy! Thus, in this world, you are the most suitable living being to inherit the Golden Crow's lineage and wield the Golden Crow's flame! This noble one carries the will of the Golden Crow and has guarded this place for countless years. Now… I have finally found the most perfect successor!"
The Golden Crow's Soul's speech made Ren Zu even more certain of his reasoning. "What you're saying is… you want me to… inherit the Golden Crow's lineage?"
"Exactly! Your qualifications are ten thousand times better than those of the Demon Emperor Clan! In this world, it is impossible for there to be anyone more suitable than you to inherit the Golden Crow's lineage! In your hands, the Golden Crow's flame would burn with infinite heat! Ren Zu, do you accept this noble one bestowing upon you the Golden Crow's legacy?!"
Obviously, there was no reason for Ren Zu to refuse, and he immediately said, "Obtaining a divine power's legacy is naturally the dream of every profound practitioner. I thank the Divine Golden Crow God for fulfilling it."
"Very good!" For the first time, there was a hint of genuine delight in the Golden Crow's Soul's voice. "You truly haven't disappointed me. In that case, let me first erase the Vermilion Bird's lineage from your body!"
"Erase the Vermilion Bird's lineage?" Ren Zu narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
"The Golden Crow's lineage is a hundred times more honorable than the Vermilion Bird's or the Phoenix's, and the power of the Golden Crow's flames is far superior to both. If you inherit the Golden Crow's lineage, there is naturally no need for the Vermilion Bird's lineage to remain." The Golden Crow's Soul's voice was filled with arrogance.
Ren Zu simply said, "But you also know that I have immunity and absolute control over the Fire Element, which gives me control over all others at the same time. The Golden Crow's lineage and the Vermilion Bird's lineage should be able to coexist in my body…"
"Hmph, naive! You actually want my Golden Crow's lineage to coexist with that unworthy Vermilion Bird's lineage in the same body? What a joke. Where the Golden Crow stands, there is no room for the Phoenix or the Vermilion Bird! By receiving my Golden Crow's powers, your lineage will become even nobler, and the power of your flames will increase manifold! There is no reason for you to still need the Vermilion Bird's lineage! Coexisting with it is simply an insult to my Golden Crow's powers! This noble one will never allow that to happen."
"If you wish to receive the bestowal of this noble one's Golden Crow powers, the Vermilion Bird's lineage in your body must first be completely erased!"
The Golden Crow's Soul's voice was arrogant, resolute, indisputable, and carried an extreme disdain for the Vermilion Bird's lineage.
Ren Zu gave a somewhat sly smile; he knew exactly what to do now. Skipping the part about how to gain the Golden Crow's attention to consider him as an heir, he just needed to follow through with his plans.
He shook his head and feigned determination.
"No! I can inherit the Golden Crow's lineage, but I absolutely cannot allow my Vermilion Bird's lineage to be erased! If the prerequisite for inheriting the Golden Crow's lineage is erasing my Phoenix lineage… then the Golden Crow's power isn't worth having!"
"Presumptuous!" Ren Zu's words undoubtedly enraged the Golden Crow's Soul immensely. "In your eyes, my Golden Crow's power is not comparable to the mere Vermilion Bird's power?"
Ren Zu shook his head and said calmly, "I don't know whether the Vermilion Bird's flames are stronger or the Golden Crow's flames are stronger. But… the Vermilion Bird's legacy within me is now part of my own lineage and power! It is also part of my life, and only I can decide what to do with it! Even if you are the soul of a god, I won't allow you to interfere!"
"When the Vermilion Bird's Spirit bestowed the Vermilion Bird's lineage upon me, it was a sign of its approval of me and its grace. How could I throw that gift away completely for another lineage and power? If I did, it would not only disappoint the Vermilion Bird's Spirit that granted me its grace, but it would also be utterly disrespectful. If I had received the Golden Crow's legacy first and the Vermilion Bird's Spirit wanted to forcibly erase the Golden Crow's lineage in me before granting me the Vermilion Bird's legacy, I would reject it in the same way! This has nothing to do with whether the Golden Crow's power is stronger or the Vermilion Bird's power is stronger, but as a human… this is the most basic principle and foundation!"
"You cannot bear to coexist with the Vermilion Bird's lineage, and I cannot bear my own strength being forcibly erased. So… although I desire the Golden Crow's power, it seems it was not meant to be after all."
After saying all this, he wore a righteous and noble expression.
"Hahahahahaha!" The Golden Crow's Soul laughed loudly, shaking the sky, but there was no longer anger in her laughter. "What stubborn morals you have. Your obstinate temperament coincidentally suits my taste exactly and makes me unwilling to let you go, the most perfect successor!"
"Although you have a stubborn temperament, true stubbornness always relies on powerful strength! You have no right to choose in my presence! Rejecting my Golden Crow's inheritance just to keep that inferior Vermilion Bird's lineage… I won't allow it!"
The golden-scarlet eyes in the sky widened, and the burning golden light suddenly intensified several times over. It was so bright that Ren Zu couldn't look directly at it. At the same time, golden-scarlet flames fell from the sky like a storm, becoming an infinite sea of flames flooding into Ren Zu.
His body wouldn't be harmed even by flames far hotter, but he couldn't open his eyes because of the terrifying Golden Crow's flames, the most fearsome in the world. He instinctively raised his arms in front of his body and roared deeply, "What are you going to do…"
Just as he made a sound, his entire body suddenly trembled violently, a loud *bang* echoed in his brain, and his consciousness rapidly collapsed…
He saw an infinite sea of golden flames, but these golden flames were not in his vision—they were burning deep in his heart, his mind… Slowly, the golden flames spread infinitely and burned his profound veins. The flames' radiance changed the original colors of his profound veins to a pure golden hue and then spread to every tendon, every drop of his blood… until every cell in his body was burning.
Every part of his body and all his organs were burning, but he felt nothing… His consciousness could no longer sense the existence of his body!
These flames had begun to spread toward his soul, burning toward the depths of his soul…
"What… what… are you… doing…?"
The Golden Crow's flames burning throughout his body were not only about to completely destroy the existence of the Vermilion Bird's lineage, but the Golden Crow's flames spreading toward his soul… were clearly aiming to erase the Vermilion Bird's mark on his forehead and all his memories of the salvation flames, including the Vermilion Bird's Consoling Spirit Song! Fortunately, he came prepared…
The Golden Crow's Soul's voice sounded within the depths of his soul at that moment, and all his guesses became reality. "As a complete heir of the Vermilion Bird, erasing everything is a bit difficult for this noble one, but it will be worth it for you."
"Remarkable! You were able to cultivate to the Tenth Stage of the Vermilion Bird's Consoling Spirit Song! You are indeed this noble one's right choice! But the mere Vermilion Bird's Consoling Spirit Song cannot compare to the *Golden Crow's Record of the Burning World*! Just wait until this noble one has erased everything in your body and mind about the Vermilion Bird! Your unique body… is the only one worthy of carrying my Golden Crow's power!!"
*BOOM!!*
Ren Zu's heart and soul exploded as if a bolt from the nine heavens had struck him; infinite golden flames came crashing down like roaring waves under a storm and rushed fiercely into his mind. In an instant, there was only infinite flame left in his mind and nothing else. He quickly circulated his cultivation art and casually resisted it, while pretending. But apparently, his preparations were unnecessary; he had forgotten one fact…
The Vermilion Bird's Soul Origin he had received upon purifying his lineage through the *Marrow Tempering*.
Before erasing the Vermilion Bird's lineage in his body, it was necessary to erase the Vermilion Bird's mark in his soul first; that way, the Vermilion Bird's blood in his body would lose its roots and could thus be easily obliterated in a fraction of a second.
In the blink of an eye, the Vermilion Bird's mark within Ren Zu's soul domain appeared before the Golden Crow's Soul's consciousness. For her to destroy the simple Vermilion Bird's mark would be as easy as blinking.
"Hmph! This noble one unexpectedly had to take the initiative and go through great pains to pass on her lineage! This is all because of you, a monstrosity of that red chicken, who stole you first… get out of there!"
Following her thoughts, a column of golden flame shot from the sea of flames and rushed toward the Vermilion Bird's mark.
*Boom!!*
A dull booming sound echoed within Ren Zu's soul, and golden flames exploded violently… however, within the flames that illuminated the entire soul domain, the Vermilion Bird's mark was not destroyed; instead, it shone with an intense blood-red color… It was so intense, not at all weaker than the radiance of the Golden Crow's flames.
*Scree!!*
An extremely resonant and piercing cry of the Vermilion Bird sounded majestically, and a blood-red Vermilion Bird figure, trailing long fiery feathers, soared toward the sky. The Golden Crow's flames around it, as if swallowed by violent winds, were all forced into a corner of the soul, unable to approach.
"What!!"
"Vermilion Bird's… Soul Origin!!"
At that moment, the Golden Crow's flames no longer approached, and the Golden Crow's Soul's consciousness was in complete shock.
"The Vermilion Bird… gave its Soul Origin!"
"This human… what is going on…?"
"Why in the world!"
The Vermilion Bird's Soul figure floated in the middle of Ren Zu's soul, looking arrogantly at the Golden Crow's flames surrounding it. The two extremely radiant glows reflected off each other… and the Golden Crow's flames, which had previously sworn to exterminate the Vermilion Bird's mark, did not move forward for a long time. The Golden Crow's Soul's shock and confusion persisted for a long time. When her emotions stabilized, she did not choose to suppress the Vermilion Bird's Soul because she was incapable of it… but looked elsewhere and began sifting through all of Ren Zu's memories. She discovered that he was average just a year ago, before something mysterious happened, and his talent underwent a complete transformation. The past year, where he cultivated from the Elemental Profound Realm to the Sky Profound Realm, left her numb.
What was going on? Why did his fate change out of nowhere? Could it be… he was the chosen one to deal with that calamity? How did he know about her…? What were all these memories!? Was he a Seer?
In thirty short breaths, all of Ren Zu's memories surged into the Golden Crow's Soul's consciousness. His soul sea continued to be bombarded by the Golden Crow's flames, but the golden flames made no movement for a long time, and the Golden Crow's Soul made no sound for a long time…
It was as if, in the silence, she was making a difficult decision.
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