The Dark Sorceress

As they prepared to return the Phoenix's flame to its rightful place, a new threat emerged—a sorceress named Mingzhu, who had long been thought defeated after the fall of the dark forces. Mingzhu had survived, lurking in the shadows of the spiritual realm, feeding on its corruption and gaining power from the disruption of the Phoenix cycle.

Mingzhu's goal was to seize the Phoenix's flame for herself, using it to ascend to godhood and bend the balance of the realms to her will. She believed that by controlling both the Phoenix and the Well of Souls, she could reshape reality itself.

In a fierce battle, Mingzhu attacked Zhang Wei, Shen, and Xinyi, summoning dark spirits to overwhelm them. But as the battle raged, something extraordinary happened—Xinyi, the seemingly ordinary girl, unleashed a surge of spiritual energy so powerful that it stunned both allies and enemies alike. Her connection to the Phoenix's flame became clear, and Zhang Wei realized the truth: Xinyi was the reincarnation of Li Mei.

But her soul had been fragmented when she sacrificed herself, leaving her memories and powers locked away. The Phoenix had chosen her once again, but she was incomplete—until the Well of Souls could restore her fully, her power remained unstable.

Mingzhu, recognizing Xinyi's true identity, sought to exploit her fragmented soul, attempting to bind the Phoenix flame to her will. But Xinyi, with Zhang Wei and Shen by her side, resisted, fighting not only the dark sorceress but also the internal conflict of her fractured memories.