The world turned red.
For a single heartbeat, everything around me disappeared into a sea of golden flames.
The snow-covered border road, the guards, the frozen trees, even the howling storm—everything was drowned beneath the terrifying heat radiating from the woman standing before me.
Feng Yuehuang.
The Phoenix Goddess.
Her crimson hair fluttered in the burning wind, and the divine flames around her danced like living spirits, illuminating the darkness of the night. Behind her, those magnificent flaming wings stretched wide, each feather glowing like molten gold.
I had seen beautiful women before.
In my previous life, as the CEO of Chen Group, I had met countless actresses, models, and business elites.
But this woman…
She was beyond mortal beauty.
She was a being that truly belonged to the heavens.
The captain's face had already turned pale.
He staggered backwards, his legs shaking so violently that he nearly fell.
"M-mercy, my lady!"
His voice trembled like a dying candle in the wind.
Feng Yuehuang's golden eyes narrowed slightly.
"Mercy?"
Her voice was soft.
Cold.
And somehow even more terrifying than a roar.
"You drew your sword against my master."
Her right hand slowly rose.
A tiny golden flame danced above her fingertips.
That tiny flame alone made the surrounding air distort.
I could feel the terrifying pressure in it.
The captain collapsed to his knees.
"Spare me! I was only following orders!"
The other guards hurriedly threw away their weapons and began kowtowing on the ground.
"Please spare us!"
"We are innocent!"
"We only obeyed the Third Prince's command!"
The Third Prince.
The moment those words entered my ears, the lingering resentment of this body surged again.
That bastard.
Even after exiling me, he still wanted me dead.
I clenched my fists tightly.
Feng Yuehuang turned her head slightly toward me.
Golden eyes met mine.
"Master."
Her voice softened by the slightest degree.
"Do you wish them to live?"
For a moment, I froze.
This was my first decision in this new world.
In my previous life, I had never taken a life.
But this world was different.
If I showed mercy today, they would return tomorrow with sharper blades.
I slowly stood up, suppressing the pain in my broken ribs.
The guards stared at me with desperate expressions.
I looked directly at the captain.
His face was still stained with the blood I had spat earlier.
I smiled coldly.
"No."
The captain's eyes widened.
Feng Yuehuang's lips curved into a faint smile.
"As you wish, Master."
The tiny flame on her fingertip suddenly expanded.
In the next instant—
BOOM!
A pillar of golden fire shot forward.
The captain didn't even have time to scream.
He vanished.
Not burnt.
Not charred.
Vanished.
Reduced to nothing but drifting ashes.
The remaining guards cried out in terror and tried to run.
Feng Yuehuang extended her hand.
"Phoenix Domain."
The world trembled.
A giant flaming formation spread across the snow-covered ground.
Golden runes lit up beneath the fleeing guards.
The flames rose like a wall from hell.
Their screams pierced the night.
Then silence.
When the fire faded, nothing remained.
Not even bones.
Only black ash scattered across the snow.
I stared in stunned silence.
This was the power of a Divine Monarch.
A single thought from her could erase dozens of lives.
A cold mechanical voice suddenly rang in my mind.
[Ding!]
[Enemies eliminated.]
[Kills by summon detected.]
[Experience awarded: 240 EXP]
[Reward obtained: 1 Low-Grade Summon Card]
[Host cultivation increased.]
Warmth suddenly surged through my body.
The pain in my meridians eased.
My bones cracked as spiritual energy rushed through me.
[Body Tempering Realm Level 2 → Level 3]
[Level 3 → Level 4]
I sucked in a sharp breath.
The shattered meridians of this body had begun to repair.
The Myth System truly was a cheat.
Feng Yuehuang turned toward me and slowly approached.
Every step she took left a small flame blooming in the snow.
When she finally stopped before me, she looked down at the blood on my forehead.
Her expression remained cold, but there was something else in her eyes.
Concern?
No.
Maybe curiosity.
"You are injured."
Her fingers gently touched my forehead.
A warm flame spread from her fingertips.
The pain vanished instantly.
The wound closed.
I blinked in shock.
"Healing flames?"
She nodded once.
"The Phoenix Clan's flames destroy enemies and restore allies."
Then she glanced at me with a hint of disdain.
"Master, with your current strength, even an ordinary border wolf could kill you."
I almost laughed.
Her words were sharp, but she wasn't wrong.
Body Tempering Level 4 in this world was still trash.
I crossed my arms and smirked.
"So the mighty Phoenix Goddess is worried about me?"
Her golden eyes narrowed.
"I am merely protecting my contractor."
"Oh?"
I leaned slightly closer.
"Then maybe you should stay by my side all the time."
A faint flicker passed through her eyes.
For the first time, the cold Phoenix Goddess looked slightly caught off guard.
She looked away.
"Hmph."
Cute.
I had to admit, teasing a divine beauty felt strangely satisfying.
The Myth System interface suddenly appeared again.
Myth System
Host: Chen ShengRealm: Body Tempering Level 4EXP: 40/300Summons: Feng YuehuangLoyalty: 40/100
Inventory:
1 Low-Grade Summon Card 1 Random Reward Token
Monthly Summon: 29 days remaining
Monthly summon?
Interesting.
So every month, according to this world's time, I would get another summon.
This was huge.
The Phoenix Goddess alone could overturn kingdoms.
What if the next summon was another divine being?
The thought alone made my blood race.
Feng Yuehuang looked toward the distant north.
Her expression became serious.
"There are more coming."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
She extended a finger toward the horizon.
Far in the darkness, dozens of torchlights flickered.
A mounted patrol.
Border soldiers.
At least fifty.
And from the aura I could faintly sense, their leader was much stronger than the guards.
This must be the captain's backup.
A smile slowly spread across my face.
Perfect.
More enemies meant more experience.
More rewards.
More power.
I turned to Feng Yuehuang.
"Can you handle them?"
She looked at me as if I had asked something ridiculous.
Then, with a graceful movement, her flaming wings unfurled.
The snowstorm was instantly blown away by a wave of divine heat.
Her crimson hair danced wildly in the night.
She looked back over her shoulder.
Golden eyes gleaming.
"For you, Master…"
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"I can burn an army."
The torches drew closer.
The enemy commander shouted from the darkness.
"Capture the criminal prince!"
I stepped forward, blood still staining my torn robes.
This time, I did not kneel.
This time, I smiled.
Let them come.
Tonight, the border would remember the name of the Fifth Prince.