Even if I were to be reborn, I would walk this path again.

Ling Yun froze for a moment upon hearing the name "Black Demon's Peak." His thoughts tangled in confusion.

"How could mere mortals know about it?"

The Phoenix Legacy watched his reaction with a cryptic smile. "Then you must have come from there."

Spreading his wings, she soared into the sky. Sunlight danced upon her crimson robes, flickering like tongues of flame caught in the wind.

"Perhaps you're wondering how we, the inhabitants of this insignificant realm, came to know of the sacred domain."

She traced a slow arc through the sky before continuing.

"Thousands of years ago, humans first learned the rudiments of cultivation from a group that called themselves the 'Reincarnates.' They spoke of a realm built above the heavens—a land beyond mortal comprehension."

Ling Yun narrowed his eyes. "So they were the ones who told you about the mountain?"

The Phoenix Heir shook her head slowly. "Not exactly. In truth, their memories were riddled with gaps, as if some force prevented them from speaking of the sacred realm's secrets."

"But what truly changed the mortals was not the knowledge they gained of that world, but the fear that took root within them—the fear of death."

"And that fear is what drove them toward immortality."

Silence hung in the air. Ling Yun slipped a hand into his sleeve and listened.

"They pursued cultivation, and in time, the world gathered into one colossal city—a city that became the heart of existence. Empires and kingdoms lost their meaning. There was only one world and one city."

"And in that era, the greatest cultivator of all made a decision—to build a tower that would challenge the gods of the sacred realm."

The Phoenix Legacy paused. A glint flickered in her eyes, as if she were breathing life into an ancient legend.

"The tower rose, level by level, until it reached five hundred floors."

"But in that moment, the sky split apart."

"And from the rift, a colossal hand emerged..."

A cold wind swept through the valley, as if even nature itself recoiled at the memory.

"A hand that, in a single instant, obliterated the city."

"From that day on, such unity was never seen again. Humanity shattered, and its dreams crumbled into the tower's ashes."

Ling Yun gave her an indifferent look. "And what does any of this have to do with me?"

The Phoenix Legacy descended once more, as if closing the distance might help her glimpse the effect of her words.

"Though cultivation evolved over the centuries, what truly altered its course was the 'Centennial Calamity.'"

Her voice lowered slightly, as if even she remained in awe of that time.

"Fifty years of drought... fifty years of storms..."

"The world teetered on the brink of ruin."

"And then, suddenly, the gates of mercy opened."

"Seven hidden realms fell from the heavens, scattering their treasures across the earth."

Ling Yun remained silent.

"Among these scattered treasures, a sacred book was discovered."

"A book that spoke of a mountain—Black Demon's Peak."

The Phoenix Legacy's eyes gleamed. "And within its pages, only one name was recorded: The Venerable Heavenly Demon."

A heavy silence settled between them.

At last, Ling Yun smiled—a smile that was closer to a sneer. "And you know nothing about this 'ancient god'?"

The Phoenix Legacy hesitated briefly before answering. "No trace of him remains, as if his very existence was erased from history."

"But perhaps... somewhere within the seven hidden realms, fragments of his legacy still lie in wait."

Ling Yun gave a slight nod and turned away. "I suppose it's time for me to leave."

But before he could take a step, the Phoenix Legacy moved to block his path.

"Exalted one..."

His gaze was uncertain. "With this body, you will find no path forward."

"Why not use this reincarnation to cleanse your karma? You could live a simple and honorable life. You could help people, correct the course of your cultivation..."

Ling Yun's eyes turned cold.

"There is no redemption for demons."

"The Dao of Power is the ultimate goal of all demons."

"Even if I were to be reborn, I would walk this path again."

With a single step, he moved off the stone platform.

And in that instant, time resumed its flow.

The wind stirred once more, the river began to flow, and birds took flight from the trees, as if nothing had ever happened.

Ling Yun said nothing as he walked away.

The Phoenix Legacy remained where he stood, staring into the distance.

By the riverside, Huo Li was eating the meal Ling Yun had brought. The evening breeze rippled the water's surface, and the gentle murmur of the river filled the silence of the forest.

Then, suddenly, Huo Li choked.

His face turned green, then purple. His hands clawed at his throat, but the swelling there only grew worse with each passing second. His eyes widened in sheer terror.

Ling Yun stepped forward at a slow, measured pace. His gaze was empty, devoid of feeling, as if this were nothing more than a mundane spectacle.

As he watched that still, deathly calm in his master's eyes, Huo Li understood the truth.

With the last of his strength, he drew a dagger from his waist and lunged at Ling Yun with everything he had.

But before he could even get close—

The river stirred.

And suddenly, from its depths, flesh-eating fish burst forth.

In an instant, his body was torn apart. His scream drowned in the waves, and his blood stained the river crimson.

Ling Yun stood motionless, watching.

"That's right."

"A demon remains a demon, no matter what path he takes."

A bitter silence hung in the air.

"Just as my nature will never change... neither will the nature of a traitor."

A faint, wry smile touched his lips.

"And what fate suits a being who seeks my destruction better than destruction itself?"

Ling Yun stepped toward the riverbank—

And suddenly—

His body ignited.

A searing pain tore through him.

Flames, crimson and raging, erupted from his skin, spiraling skyward like a beacon atop the mountain.

Just like in the legends, the scarlet shadow of the Phoenix soared across the twilight sky.

The heat was so intense that the river evaporated in an instant. A surge of Qi burst from his body, fire roared in his eyes, and the world around him twisted into a burning wasteland.

In the distant heavens, celestial gods—vast and shrouded in radiant halos—gazed upon him through veils of light.

Ling Yun reached toward the sky.

But in the very next moment, his flesh incinerated. It peeled away from his bones, melting like water upon the scorched earth.

His skeleton, wreathed in a black aura, remained suspended in the air.

The Dao's curse—the brand seared into his very existence—began to seep from within his charred bones.

He tried to speak—

But no throat remained to form words.

Only his skeleton endured, wreathed in eternal flames.

---

The sentinels, witnessing this celestial anomaly from afar, immediately raced toward the mountain. The chaos did not go unnoticed in Feng Ming City either.

The Feng Clan, who had once glimpsed the shadow of the Phoenix long ago, beheld it again in the heavens.

And before the mountain, they fell to their knees.

But Shan Feng—

"Ling Yun is in the mountains!"

His face drained of all color. With urgency, he summoned his warriors.

"Do not let that man rise again!"

In the blink of an eye, flying swords streaked across the sky like meteors of pure light.

Shan Feng led them, moving faster than anyone else.

Yet just as he approached the mountain's threshold—

"KRAAAAAAAAAAH!"

A deafening cry split the heavens.

From the blood-stained dusk, the shadow of the Phoenix unfurled its wings.

Terror gripped them.

And as the crimson shade loomed over them, every cultivator of the Feng Clan turned and fled in fear.

---

Deep within Phoenix Valley, Ling Yun's skeletal form remained engulfed in flames.

Then—

The fire crackled, turning into streams of light that coursed through his bones.

And then—

Flesh began to take form.

Veins wove themselves through his body, and within moments, flawless, pale skin encased his once-charred frame.

The Phoenix's shadow slowly faded into the dusk.

And at that very instant, Ling Yun opened his eyes.

The sacred flame of the Phoenix still burned within them.

Qi, a river of molten fire, surged through his veins.

From the depths of his being, laughter erupted—

A laughter that shook the sky itself.

"Seventh Layer of Qi Refinement!"