The ancestral lands were never quiet. Beneath their beauty lay ancient grudges, buried ambitions, and beasts who still remembered when gods walked freely. For Feng Jiu, who had returned at the head of the Phoenix Clan, the weight of that history pressed upon her shoulders like chains. Though she bore the crown of flames and the recognition of her people, the surrounding tribes whispered.
"She is too young."
"She carries four bloodlines, but none awakened fully."
"She will lead them to ruin."
Feng Jiu heard these whispers not with her ears, but with her heart. They stung, yet she stood proud, for the dignity of her clan demanded nothing less.
Today, she had gone before the Beast Sanctum to negotiate with the Dragon King, and the outcome had nearly sparked disaster. Her flames had erupted uncontrollably, consuming his palace, leaving him shaken and absent. She didn't remember the details, but the fear she had seen in his eyes remained etched in her mind.
But her troubles did not end there.
Days after the incident, emissaries from the Fox Clan and White Tiger Clan arrived. They requested a trial of strength, invoking the old laws: "Any clan that reclaims its ancestral place must prove its worth in combat before the council of beasts."
It was a challenge Feng Jiu could not refuse.
On the day of the trial, the arena carved into the sacred mountains was filled with thousands of beastkin. The scent of blood, fur, and primal essence lingered in the air. Ancient totems glowed faintly, binding the battlefield so no one could intervene.
At the center, Feng Jiu stood in crimson robes, her golden eyes glowing faintly. Behind her, the phantom image of a phoenix spread its wings, though incomplete — two of the four wings were faint and blurred.
Opposite her stood the Fox Queen, dressed in silver, her nine tails flowing like rivers of moonlight. Beside her, the White Tiger Patriarch loomed, his aura heavy as a mountain, stripes glowing like molten steel.
"Phoenix Queen," the Fox Queen said, her voice soft but venomous, "do not think a crown makes you worthy. We will see if your flames can withstand the truth."
Feng Jiu's lips curved faintly. "Then let us test it."
Round One: The Thousand Illusions
The Fox Queen lifted a single finger. At once, the arena melted into a sea of illusions — a thousand mirrored landscapes, a thousand mirages of enemies. Feng Jiu found herself surrounded by copies of the Fox Queen, each radiating killing intent.
The crowd gasped. "The Thousand Illusions… one of the Fox Clan's supreme arts!"
Feng Jiu closed her eyes. Her heartbeat slowed. When she opened them again, her pupils glowed with scarlet flame — the Eyes of Nirvana Flame, an ability long thought lost. The flames pierced through the illusions, burning away falsehoods until only the real Fox Queen remained.
"Impossible…" the Fox Queen whispered as Feng Jiu struck.
Her hand formed a seal, and from her body burst forth the Crimson Lotus Flames, petals of fire that swirled and devoured illusions like paper. Screams echoed as the Fox Queen staggered backward, one of her tails burnt black.
Round Two: The White Tiger's Roar
But the trial was not over. The White Tiger Patriarch stepped forward, eyes glowing gold. He opened his maw, unleashing a roar so violent that the air itself shattered. The shockwave struck Feng Jiu, hurling her against the totem barrier, blood spraying from her lips.
Yet she rose.
She spread her arms wide, flames coating her body. "Phoenix Art — Blazing Rebirth."
The crowd gasped as her wounds healed instantly, her aura soaring higher. She charged forward, wings of flame erupting from her back. The White Tiger's claws descended like mountains, but Feng Jiu's flames met them head-on, burning even the unbreakable stripes of his fur.
Each exchange shook the ground. Flame and steel clashed, until finally Feng Jiu's strike carved across his chest, leaving molten wounds.
The White Tiger roared again, but staggered to one knee.
Round Three: Siege
The Fox Queen and White Tiger, humiliated, joined forces. Illusions filled the air again, while claws and roars struck from all sides.
This time, Feng Jiu's consciousness faltered. Visions surged in her mind — the battlefield of old, corpses piled high, and amidst it all, a silver-haired youth holding a sword, protecting something precious. A single word echoed in her mind:
Tie Ling.
Her chest tightened. She didn't understand, but her flames surged wildly, infused with sorrow and determination.
"Phoenix Ancestral Art — Eternal Flame Burial!"
A sea of fire erupted, forming an endless domain of phoenix flames. Illusions dissolved. The White Tiger collapsed. The Fox Queen fell to her knees, coughing blood.
Silence gripped the arena. Then the totems flared, declaring Feng Jiu the victor.
The Phoenix Clan had secured their place.
Yet Feng Jiu herself stood trembling, staring at her hand. Tie Ling… why does that name break my heart?
---
Far beneath the heavens, across the storming currents of the East Sea, Taiyi stood before the black lightning shore. It was said no man crossed this place alive.
He stepped forward.
Bolts of lightning rained down, tearing apart the ocean. From the abyss rose monstrous beasts, twisted by curses older than time. Their eyes glowed with violet light, their bodies covered in runes.
The first struck — a leviathan serpent, jaws wide.
"Sword Art — Flowing Tide Slash!"
Taiyi's blade curved like water, severing its jaw in a single stroke. Black blood hissed against the sea, but even as it fell, another beast rose, then another, until dozens surrounded him.
The curse burned in his veins, chains of darkness coiling around his heart. Pain lanced through his body, forcing him to his knees. But Taiyi gritted his teeth.
If I stop here, I will never see the truth. Never protect her…
He roared, his aura surging.
"Sword Domain — Ocean's Silent Burial!"
Waves of sword qi erupted, each blade forged from the sea itself. The beasts howled as they were torn apart. One by one they fell, their cursed runes shattering.
But victory came at a cost. His blood poured freely, his body failing. He staggered into the forbidden shore, collapsing amidst ancient ruins.
There, his eyes caught faint carvings on broken stones — a battlefield frozen in time. Illusions swirled around him. He saw a silver-haired man — himself — standing against gods and demons, wielding a sword that split heavens. He saw a woman with phoenix wings by his side. And a child, her small hand reaching toward him.
"Father…"
Taiyi's eyes snapped open. His body trembled. The curse flared, but instead of consuming him, it fused with his qi, pushing his cultivation higher.
Mid-rank Middle Immortal.
His sword pulsed with new power, his comprehension deepening. Yet his face hardened, cold as steel. He tied a blindfold around his eyes.
"To see with the sword, not with sight."
From that day, he fought blind, each battle sharpening his blade. Sea beasts fell, forbidden currents parted, and whispers of a blind swordsman spread across the East Sea.
But in his heart, only one name echoed — Tie Ling.
---
On that same night, beneath the moonlit ancestral mountains, Feng Jiu sat atop a peak, gazing at the stars. Her people celebrated, but she did not join them. Her hand traced the word she had written in flame: Tie Ling.
Far away, beneath the sea, Taiyi's blade cut through another cursed beast. Blood splattered the waves as he whispered the same name.
Two paths. Two storms.
One destiny drawing them together.
And above, the heavens trembled, for both phoenix flames and cursed sword would soon shatter the balance of worlds.