The first class had settled into a wide circle. Of the thirty-three students, five had already received the approval of spirit beasts. Though Liu Feng had gained the recognition of the Thorn Dragon, he chose to remain with the class until the end. That left twenty-nine of them.
Fan Yue sat beside Tang Yuge. For a moment he was silent, thinking of how to start.
"Tang Yuge, have you decided what type of spirit beast you need? If you release your Battle Soul, many beasts will react."
Tang Yuge answered calmly.
"Actually, I don't need a Spirit Soul."
Fan Yue raised his eyebrows. Her words surprised him — the chance to fuse with a Spirit Beast was extraordinarily valuable.
"I'm in the Soul King realm, but I've already fused with five spirit souls. Each spirit ring reinforces one of the five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Water, and Metal."
Tang Yuge raised her hand, and the five elements gathered on her palm instantly.
"The balance between them is perfect. That's precisely why I'm able to use the Divine Light of Five Elements."
Fan Yue understood the implication before she finished.
"So if that balance is disrupted, you lose the Divine Light of Five Elements."
Tang Yuge nodded.
"Exactly. And I've already developed my spirit souls at the Spirit Pagoda. There won't be any issue with rings going forward — they'll appear as my cultivation advances."
She closed her palm, dispersing the elements.
"So I'm simply here with the class."
Fan Yue looked at her and smiled.
"I see. You've already laid your path out clearly."
He thought for a moment, then asked.
"What about a spirit beast with a mental attribute? That could strengthen your control."
Tang Yuge shook her head.
"That would be difficult. The capacity of the Spiritual Sea is not unlimited. For Spirit Masters, regardless of the realm of Mental Power, five Spirit Souls is the limit."
She considered briefly.
"Theoretically I could accept a sixth using the interconnection of the five elements... but there's no point. Unless I encounter a truly exceptional beast."
Fan Yue gave a short nod.
"Thank you for explaining."
Across the circle, Lan Xuanyu was discussing the same question with Dun Qianqiu and Lan Mengqin.
"As I've already said," Dun Qianqiu said quietly, "I don't need a spirit soul. My Spirit Soul is very powerful — it will form its own spirit rings. For now that's enough."
"Well, I do need one," Lan Mengqin cut in. A lively gleam flickered in her eyes. "Not necessarily compatible with the Heavenly Snow Woman. Even the Jade Phoenix Zither would do."
She added dreamily:
"It would be amazing to encounter a Phoenix."
Lan Xuanyu rolled his eyes.
"A Phoenix? Spirit beasts of the Phoenix type have never existed in this world. Even among true dragons, the only one was the Beast God Di Tian."
"You're daydreaming," Fan Yue added, moving closer. "If a spirit beast had even a drop of Phoenix bloodline, that would already be a miracle."
Lan Mengqin gave an annoyed huff.
"You two can't even let a person dream properly."
In this world there existed countless spirit beasts — ancient, strange, terrifying.
But no Phoenixes.
And yet there were Spirit Masters whose Battle Soul was the Phoenix.
Fan Yue found himself thinking involuntarily.
They say all birds are descended from phoenixes. Then why has no spirit beast ever awakened a Phoenix bloodline?
The thought drifted deeper.
And where did Father manage to find a bloodline this pure?
He shook his head, pushing the thoughts away.
Lan Xuanyu rose to his feet.
"Let's continue searching. I'll remind everyone once more — the beast's strength doesn't matter. Compatibility is everything. A careless fusion will only weaken you."
The students nodded one by one. Each of them was a genius and understood perfectly the cost of a mistake.
They began to rise—
And the ground shook.
"What's happening?!"
"The ground — it's trembling!"
The earth beneath their feet heaved. Even the enormous trees around them swayed, leaves raining down from the canopy.
And then came the sound.
Low. Heavy. Rhythmic.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
"Is that—" Lan Mengqin went pale and instinctively grabbed Fan Yue's arm. "Are those Spirit Beasts?!"
The rumbling swelled with every second, building into the roar of a charging herd.
"Everyone into the trees!" Lan Xuanyu ordered sharply.
Fan Yue reacted instantly. He wrapped an arm around Lan Mengqin's waist, pushed off the ground, and launched them upward.
They landed on a thick branch. Lan Mengqin was still in his arms. The other first-years had already scattered through the trees, some higher, some lower. The entire class had taken position in the span of a few breaths.
Fan Yue smirked.
"Heh... didn't think I'd ever be carrying you like a princess."
No response came.
Lan Mengqin simply turned away, pretending to look at something in the distance. Fan Yue couldn't see her face. But he noticed something else clearly — the delicate curve of her ear, slowly flooding with red.
Embarrassed, he thought. But then why isn't she climbing down?
He held his gaze a moment longer, aware of the cold of her body and the faint tension in it — she was clearly conscious of the closeness, but showed no urgency to pull away.
Fan Yue snapped his gaze upward and sharpened his eyes.
From the depths of the forest, a herd of spirit beasts had burst free. There were many. Far too many. Massive silhouettes, rolling muscles, fangs, horns, scales.
But in that same moment a blinding nine-colored light erupted from Lan Xuanyu's chest. He leapt from the tree and stepped forward with complete confidence, moving directly toward the herd. When only a few steps separated them, he raised his head to the sky and roared.
"RAAAAAR!"
This was not simply a shout. It was a dragon's roar — carrying within it primordial force and absolute dominance.
More than a hundred spirit beasts stopped simultaneously. Instantly. As if by command, they lowered their heads.
Fan Yue, watching from above, went rigid.
Something lurched in his chest. The Phoenix bloodline reacted sharply and aggressively — his lungs felt as though they had filled with flame. A pure instinct ignited inside him: to answer the roar, to raise his own cry, unwilling to yield.
His mouth opened involuntarily. Heat surged rapidly up through his chest toward his throat, demanding release.
But in that moment he felt her.
The thin, cool breath against his hands. The tense — and yet unexpectedly relaxed — body of Lan Mengqin, completely settled in his arms.
Damn. If I give in to this now, it will hurt her.
Fan Yue clenched his jaw hard. The muscles in his neck tightened, veins rising beneath the skin. His chest heaved deeper than usual. The heat churned inside him, demanding to break free.
By sheer force of will he drove the impulse back down, locking the flame behind an iron wall. For one brief moment the world around him seemed to lose all sound.
And then it was gone. The roar, the pressure, the call — all of it vanished as if it had never existed.
Fan Yue exhaled slowly. But somewhere deep inside, he felt as though his pride had been scraped raw.
The spirit beasts raised their heads and looked calmly at Lan Xuanyu. At the front of the group stood the Thorn Dragon, in conversation with him.
Their exchange stretched for ten minutes.
Finally Lan Xuanyu turned and jogged back to the trees, calling out loudly.
"Come down! Everything's fine!"
One by one the students began dropping to the ground.
"Why did they stop?" the students wondered aloud.
Fan Yue descended smoothly.
"Princess," he said with a grin, "shall I keep carrying you, or will you condescend to climb down?"
Lan Mengqin shoved him in the chest, landed on her feet, and without looking back walked swiftly to the front of the group.
Fan Yue watched her go.
"Looks like you're not indifferent to her," Tang Yuge remarked quietly, stepping up beside him.
Fan Yue scratched the back of his head. His expression was remarkably calm.
"I already figured that out," he said. "But it's not love. Not yet. More like confusion and interest. A passing feeling."
"You seem to know quite a lot about matters of the heart," Tang Yuge said, walking forward.
Before the first-years, an enormous crowd of spirit beasts had assembled. More than a hundred ten-thousand-year spirit beasts looked at them. Their combined aura pressed down like mountains closing in. The largest stood over ten meters tall. All of them resembled small hills.
Many students instinctively took a step back.
"Xuanyu, what's going on?" Dun Qianqiu asked, not taking her eyes off the beasts.
Lan Xuanyu gave an awkward cough.
"It appears we made quite an impression. The Spirit Beasts of the Garden of Rest came here to choose a partner."
After his words, silence fell among the first-years.
The Thorn Dragon suddenly stepped forward, approached Liu Feng, gave a respectful nod, and lay down beside him, coiling its body into a ring.
Lan Xuanyu looked at his companions and said loudly:
"Everyone can choose a suitable beast soul. Communicate with them — feel whether you are compatible."
The silence shattered instantly into shock and excitement.
The students didn't bother with questions. They formed a line at lightning speed and released their Battle Souls. Auras blazed one after another.
The spirit beasts began moving forward, transmitting images and thoughts directly into their minds.
Fan Yue stood apart. He was planning to go to Lan Xuanyu and ask him about what had happened.
But the moment he took a step, a golden flash swallowed him whole.
The world inverted. His consciousness felt as though it had drowned in fire and light. His ears rang, his vision blurred. Only after several minutes did Fan Yue come back to himself.
He was lying on cold stone.
Rising slowly, he realized he was in a cave.
Wide, but not vast. The walls were covered in pale green crystals that gave off a soft, even light. They grew directly from the stone, like roots. The air was clean and refreshing.
Where am I? he thought, drawing several slow breaths.
"Ahem. Ahem."
A cough.
Fan Yue spun around.
A crow hovered in the air before him.
But calling it ordinary was impossible. Its feathers were cast in pure gold. Its body was sleek and graceful. Two eyes — scarlet as rubies. And on its forehead, a third eye, vertical, tightly shut.
A strange and mysterious aura drifted around it.
The crow's gaze was calm. But it watched Fan Yue as though waiting for him to speak first.
"Who are you? Was it you who brought me here?" Fan Yue asked.
He felt no threat from this bird. No bloodlust.
The crow smiled — and to his surprise, spoke in the human tongue.
"Yes. We have truly been brought together by fate, my lord."
It descended gently onto his shoulder, as though it had done so countless times before.
Fan Yue frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The crow immediately hopped down, landed on the stone, and bowed deeply.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Heavenly Crow. The right hand of the Phoenix God."
"The Phoenix God," Fan Yue repeated slowly.
"Yes. The Supreme God-King. In all the universe, only the Dragon God could stand beside him as an equal." The crow raised its head and looked directly into his eyes. "I felt it clearly — you wanted to release the Phoenix cry, but you held yourself back. Through that, I was able to sense a part of the Phoenix God's bloodline within you."
Fan Yue knew he carried a Phoenix bloodline. He had simply never thought it might belong to the Phoenix God himself.
"Are you certain?" His voice was calm, but doubt had appeared in his gaze. "How would you prove it?"
The crow spread its wings.
"Very simply. Release your bloodline. You will understand everything yourself."
Fan Yue considered briefly.
Spirit Beasts cannot harm Spirit Masters. And she doesn't appear hostile. I think I can hear her out.
He closed his eyes and allowed the bloodline vortex to spin faster. His blood surged in reverse.
His hair turned the color of flame instantly. A pair of fire wings unfurled behind his back. A crimson pattern emerged on his forehead.
The Heavenly Crow's eyes seemed to illuminate in that moment, and within them appeared boundless devotion.
Phoenix God...
Warmth spread through Fan Yue's body. He looked at the crow, and something like recognition stirred in him. For an instant it seemed as though the crow had become a human silhouette.
"You feel it, don't you? You cannot truly not know me. But your blood remembers. I am the Heavenly Crow. Though I bear a crow's name, in my essence I am a phoenix. The Phoenix God granted me a portion of his power, because I was the being closest to him."
Fan Yue exhaled deeply. His bloodline made it unmistakably clear that her words were true.
"All right," he said at last. "I believe you. What do you want?"
For a moment the Golden Crow's gaze grew deeper.
"You are the heir of the Phoenix God. But your bloodline is incomplete. To awaken it fully, you must absorb the Silver Demon Bird and the Golden Demon Bird. Only then will you be able to begin the process of inheriting the Divine Throne."
"And since you are the heir of the Phoenix God — I am bound to serve you. Though I have lost much of my former strength, I am not inferior to the Beast God Di Tian. Will you allow me to follow you."
Fan Yue was silent.
This is too much... too sudden. What if Lan Xuanyu is the Dragon God's heir? But that's too strange — why both of us at the same time?
Fan Yue shook his head and asked.
"Tell me more about the Phoenix God."
The Heavenly Crow slowly shook her head. Her golden feathers shimmered softly in the light of the cave, her gaze remaining calm, almost warm.
"My lord, forgive me — I cannot. I am bound by the will of the Phoenix God. Only when your Mental Power reaches the divine level will some answers be permitted to open. "
She tilted her head slightly.
"But do not doubt. You will come to know the full truth yourself. At the moment your complete bloodline awakens and you inherit the position of Phoenix God, you will meet with the lord."
Fan Yue was about to ask another question.
The space beside the Heavenly Crow suddenly warped.
The air twisted as though it were fabric, and from the tear a spirit beast burst through.
It was a strange spirit beast.
It resembled a bird, but unlike anything Fan Yue had ever seen. Its body was dark blue, covered in dense scales rather than feathers. Its wingspan was roughly a meter and a half. Beneath two wings was a second pair. At the crown of its head, a sharp blue horn radiated cold light.
And along its back ran nine silver stripes — despite its modest size, the creature radiated an absolute sense of danger.
But this magnificent creature's body was wrapped in black-gold symbols. They were deeply embedded in the scales, emanating a crushing pressure. It was they that held it here.
In the next moment the Silver Demon Bird screamed.
"KIIIII!"
Space shuddered. The cave walls split with cracks. The air began tearing as though it could not withstand the creature's presence. The floor beneath Fan Yue's feet trembled.
In that same instant the bloodline vortex inside Fan Yue exploded — as though it had gone mad. The blood in his veins boiled. His heart hammered as if trying to break free from his chest. His consciousness was flooded by a single feeling — not a thought, not a desire, but a command rising from the depths of his blood.
Absorb.
"Crow—" Fan Yue's voice came out low and heavy. There was no rage in it — only a burning, insatiable hunger to absorb the creature before him. "What's happening to me? What is that bird?!"
The Heavenly Crow watched calmly. Too calmly.
"My lord, this is the Silver Demon Bird. One of the Phoenix God's ancestors."
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"It is a messenger of space. The embodiment of the spatial law. To obtain the Phoenix God's power over space, you must absorb it. After that, I will help you find the Golden Demon Bird — the messenger of time."
Fan Yue didn't ask how it was done.
His body was already leading him. He took a step.
The Silver Demon Bird screamed again — furiously, desperately. The black-gold symbols blazed, intensifying the pressure but holding it in place. The space around its body began crumbling like glass.
But Fan Yue didn't flinch. He walked steadily through the chaos.
Every step was a struggle. His head pounded, his ears rang — but he didn't stop.
And when he raised his hand and placed his palm on its head.
The roar ceased. Space went still.
The Silver Demon Bird went motionless, as though all anger had suddenly left it. The black-gold symbols dimmed. Its body no longer radiated fury. Crystal-clear silver eyes rose slowly. They looked directly into Fan Yue's.
There was no hatred in them. No fear.
What appeared instead was understanding. And then something even more unexpected.
Warmth. And joy.
It looked at him as though it had found what it had been searching for across countless ages.
As though he were her child, standing before her.
Fan Yue came sharply back to himself. He shuddered and instinctively tried to pull his hand away.
What am I doing? Won't I kill her...
But the Silver Demon Bird lowered its head. This was not submission, and it was not compulsion. It was a conscious choice.
In its eyes blazed a soft, almost joyful resolve.
In the next instant the cave flooded with silver light.
Fan Yue felt clearly that stopping was impossible. If he pulled his hand away now, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Clenching his teeth, he closed his eyes and sat in the lotus position.
The Silver Demon Bird's body began to dissolve, breaking apart into countless silver sparks. They rose into the air like embers against a night sky, entering his body one by one.
Fan Yue could clearly feel the bloodline vortex beginning to change. At its very center a silver bead appeared, and silver threads began igniting throughout the vortex.
The Heavenly Crow watched in silence.
Why is it that this trusting child became my lord's successor? Phoenix God — I was faithful to you from beginning to end. But this time — you made a mistake. As one who can see fate, I tell you plainly. He will not be able to revive our clan.
In her gaze there was neither triumph nor malice. Only cold resolve.
The golden wings spread slowly.
This is the perfect moment.
"Heaven and Earth are one.The River of Time flows without rest.Fate is absolute."
The words seemed to resonate with the world itself.
The cave shook. Space warped, and from the void bolts of Heavenly Tribulation lightning poured through. One after another they struck the Heavenly Crow, splitting the silence with deafening thunder.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
The golden feathers blackened, soaked through with char. The skin beneath them scorched. But the Crow did not take a single step back. She didn't even flinch.
"Heaven and Earth — overturn.River of Time — reverse your flow.Fate — crack."
The third golden eye opened.
In that instant the lightning froze — and then vanished, as though it had never existed. The world stopped.
"Heavenly Theft."
Fan Yue shuddered. He tried to move — but his body would not respond. His Battle Soul seemed to freeze. The bloodline vortex went still.
What?... What is happening?!
Fear rose from the pit of his stomach, cold and viscous. He felt it with his mind and with his body both.
As though something had seized him by the chest.
In that instant he felt it — something being torn out of him.
N... No!
The bloodline began to disappear.
Spiritual power crumbled like sand through open fingers.
Even the sensation of I — began to be erased.
He screamed — but no sound came.
The Golden Crow watched clearly as thin red lines connected to Fan Yue's body began crossing over to her. His invisible golden aura tore free from him, settling over her head.
Her body began to change.
The feathers dissolved, the shape stretched, becoming human.
And Fan Yue's body — shrank in on itself, losing warmth, curling and withering.
The bloodline.
The Battle Soul.
The spiritual power.
Everything poured into the figure before him.
Fan Yue's consciousness was fading. His mind was nothing but chaos. But through the chaos one understanding broke through.
She... she is taking my power...
With enormous effort he managed to part his lips and ask in a rasping voice.
"Why?..."
Darkness covered his vision. In that darkness he made out the silhouette of a girl.
"Human." A quiet, composed woman's voice. "You may hate me. You may curse me."
A brief pause — then a cold voice.
"But a person like you would never have revived the Phoenix clan."
She knelt.
"This is more precious to me than anything — even if I must go against the will of the Phoenix God. From this moment your life and your fate are mine. I am Fan Yue."
Fan Yue heard every word clearly. His heart and mind recoiled — and in that instant an unimaginable, savage rage ignited within him, so fierce that blood ran from his eyes. Pouring every remaining fragment of his strength into a single motion, he seized her leg.
"Give it... back..." he said in a voice raw with bloodlust.
The girl paid no attention. She took his hand and silently removed the rings from his fingers. Then the soul communicator.
Fan Yue's body was suddenly surrounded by fire. His withered frame began turning black, burning.
But Fan Yue felt no pain, no savage heat. On the contrary — he was cold. Unbearably cold.
The girl stood. Without looking back, she left the cave.
From the side, another figure had been watching.
A woman with long green hair and emerald eyes. Her presence was like life itself — warmth, peace, maternal gentleness. She possessed extraordinary beauty; even the world around her seemed to dim in comparison.
"Son of Fate..." she said quietly. "I had placed too much hope in you."
A sigh.
"Who could have thought that on this planet there would exist a creature capable of seeing and stealing fate."
The woman turned her head toward the cave's exit, where the Heavenly Crow had disappeared.
"But even she does not understand the weight of fate. She will no longer remember herself — she is Fan Yue."
She walked toward the withered body.
"In this world there is no longer the son of Fan Hobin and Lan Yue. There is only a daughter. Fan Yue. That is how all will know her, and how all will remember. Even I."
The woman bent down.
"I cannot restore what has been lost. But tell me — do you wish to live?"
Her voice was soft, but inside Fan Yue's mind it rang with perfect clarity.
He could not form a single word.
But from the depths of his fading consciousness, one word sounded.
Yes.
She nodded.
"Then so it shall be. This is the last time I will help you."
Her palm touched the body.
A soft green light enveloped it, and flesh began to regenerate — but already different.
Fan Yue vanished in a flash of green.
"I hope I had enough strength to send you to the Mother Planet. I can only wish you the strength to accept everything."