Black Phoenix

A powerful gust of wind was thrust in Xueyu's direction and she planted her feet trying to stay in place. The power of it was simply too strong and her feet were pushed back creating a path on the ground.

'Do you remember that? I guess the last time you went much farther than a few feet away though, don't you think?'

Xueyu glared at Bao Wei's pleasant expression. She found nothing particularly pleasant about being thrown into a tree.

The flames on her hand merged into watermelon sized orbs and she thrust them in rapid speed at Bao Wei.

He effortlessly twisted and flipped back and forth to evade every single one of them. With his back half turned to dodge, she sent a flame dagger flying towards him. He moved just in time and it only nicked his shoulder blade.

'I guess that wasn't such a happy memory for you,' he muttered under his breath.

He backed away before calling forth his spirit essence and launched into a series of attacks.

Black threadlike strands reached out from behind his body and rushed toward Xueyu. They were so fast that in less than a second they were in front of her. They stayed there floating in the ear before a jerk and it suddenly morphed into something.

A beast....

A black Phoenix emerged from the black strands and opened its mouth and let out a deafening scream. Xueyu glared at Bao Wei as her ears were ringing.

With a swipe, she tried to grab onto the Phoenix but found that her hand went right through. If the Phoenix was human it would have most likely been smirking just as Bao Wei was.

Essence Replication!

Everyone except Qui Yang was shocked. He had known long before that Bao Wei was powerful being a Celestial Beast.

Essence Replication was more than likely like a speck of dust to him.

'D-d-d...'

Jiao couldn't help but trail off but Xi Xi picked up for him with a concealed admiration in her eyes.

'He just did Essence Replication. So strong...'

Daiyu raised her eyes at Xi Xi. She found the girl's expression right now to be too incredulous.

It was in the middle of a battle and she suddenly started fawning. No matter how she tried to conceal it, everyone was aware of her line of thought.

'Xi Xi! Really?'

She merely looked at them with a questioning expression.

'I am a girl...a girl! I don't know what Daiyu and Xueyu are but I am female,' she said to them.

'....and shameless,' Jiao added with an eye roll.

Xi Xi sent him a vicious glare that would've been sure to chop him I to tiny little pieces if there were real daggers in her eyes.

She turned and ignored him, once again fawning over Bao Wei.

The Phoenix wrapped his wings around Xueyu, effectively pulling her into it and had her covered like she was a cocoon. She tried to think of anything to get out of the strong hold but her mind was blank. The hits and kicks weren't helping either. Fire wouldn't help...

Bao Wei had his hands behind his back and was idly paving the length of the area they were in. His hair was tossed back sand forth by the wind but his expression remained carefree.

He glanced in Xueyu's direction and the Phoenix slowly lowered a wing.

In that glance, his eyes seemed so much darker. The scarlet melded with a black tinge and it looked like such a godly sight.

'Hold me. I think I might faint,' Xi Xi exclaimed with a hand to her brow.

Jiao gave her a disgusted glance and scooted far away from her.

'Oh go away Jiao. It's not like I was asking you.'

She harrumphed and finally abandoned the theatrics.

•

'Have you had enough yet?'

Bao Wei looked at Xueyu from the corner of his eyes, noting the angry expression.

He sighed then the Phoenix simply disappeared as he reeled in his spirit essence.

Xueyu turned and walked away feeling defeated. She felt almost betrayed too.

Qui Yang looked after her before walking up behind Bao Wei and giving him a pat on the back.

'You did the right thing, boy,' he reassured him.

'Boy? Keeping up the façade in public I see,' Bao Wei smirked at Qui Yang.

'She's not going to like this at all. She won't talk to me but it sets all his plans in motion,' Bao Wei sighed regretfully.

Qui Yang bristled at the mention of 'him.' An ominous feeling came over him and he hastily nodded.

If this was apart of his plan how could it possibly be stopped?

There was no second guessing about it. No one would ever dare to wrong such a man who couldn't even be considered a man.

Just a monster....