Urgh…

What the fuck just happened…?

My eyes open, but nothing seems to have changed. It’s still completely black. Well, there is a vague feeling of space around here. As I try to move my limbs, I realized that I can’t even blink. The only movement that I’ve been able to make is opening my eyes. I try looking around, and, thankfully, I can. So, what happened?

I remember starting to assimilate the Phoenix blood, but then I passed out? Why did that happen? Was there something hidden in the Phoenix blood I didn’t detect? Could there is still a remnant will from the former owner? If that’s the case…

I unconsciously gulp.

If that’s the case, then I could get my soul injured, or even destroyed. The power of this Phoenix is unimaginable to the current me. Most likely, it has an extremely high cultivation, enough to obliterate Nephila with just a single glance. If that Phoenix doesn’t take kindly to a human like me trying to assimilate it’s blood, then my life might just end here. There’s nothing I can do but wait for death, then. Since this is out of my control, I shall wait. Even my full power would be like an ant compared to it.

I wait for some time, exactly how long, I can’t tell. During that time, I reached out for the system, but it didn’t respond. Most likely, I’m trapped in this space until I’m set free by the remnant will. As I wait, frozen in mid-air, the dark space around me begins to light up with small dots of light appearing in front of me. Slowly, more are appearing and getting bigger. This… are they getting closer?

“Hurry… Hurry…!”

A voice speaks in my mind. It doesn’t seem to be speaking to me. “Hurry”… so I am moving. The bright lights get bigger and bigger, until the full size of one is shown right next to me.

A star?! It’s a star! Definitely a star! That… that means… whatever is going on, whoever is causing this, is making me go extremely fast. Fast enough for that gigantic star to quickly get smaller as I pass by. Then… where was I before? If I had been moving this entire time, what was that eternally dark place, where even the light of the stars could not reach. How unfathomably far away is it for stars that have been shining for probably millions of years not reach it?

“I have to make it! Faster! Faster! I need to go faster!”

The speed that I go seems to go even faster. The speaker referred to itself as “I”, so that must mean that the one flying is it. Am I experiencing a memory? This is the Phoenix’s memory?

“MOVE!!”

My train of thought stops abruptly as I hear the voice shouts. Even with my senses suppressed enough so that looking at a star up close doesn’t hurt my eyes, that shout still makes my ears ring. Up ahead, I see a black-robed old man with a long beard that resembles an old Chinese man stereotype. He’s holding a staff in front of him, right in the way of me. I can feel the anger and desperation from the Phoenix.

“Hmph. Wei Song, do not get involved. It is already too late for your wife and son.”

Wife? Son? Too late?

“Old Man Mo, it is not your place to tell me what I can and cannot do! Do not bar my way! It is out of respect for everything you’ve done for my clan that I have not already killed you!”

???

“Wei Song, do not force my hand. You know very that I’m looking out for your safety.”

The old man’s tone became frosty as he shouted to me/Phoenix.

“Old Man Mo, you know very well you are not my match! Do not waste your life needlessly!”

“Haah... Fine then. Wei Song, you have turned away from heaven only to barge into an unwelcoming hell!”

“YOU!!”

Me/Phoenix and the old man’s staff crashed into each other and an explosion erupted from the epicenter. The old man was sent flying back, while me/Phoenix strode forward and continued to unleash attacks on the old man. The old man did not take it sitting down, and counterattacked. With each collision of attacks, they created a massive explosion that destroyed even the stars around them. Me/Phoenix was obviously stronger, and beat back the old man with every move. However, me/Phoenix suffered injuries as well, showing that the old man was nearly on par with me/Phoenix.

“Why do you stop me, Old Man Mo?!”

Me/Phoenix demanded as he sent a powerful blow into the stomach of the old man. The old man tumbled back and coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“Wei Song, you are a prodigy of the Phoenix race, should you lose your life here, every since member of the Phoenix will feel it. Your race will not perish here, but it already too late for your family. Just give it up. Do not lose your life in a meaningless struggle.”

“SHUT UP!!”

Me/Phoenix delivered the final blow to the severely weakened old man. His body blasted apart, there was hardly anything left of him. Me/Phoenix turned away and sped off as fast as me/Phoenix could go. I could feel the sadness and guilt from the Phoenix. Those two had some close connection, but the old man wanted to protect me/Phoenix from some sort of danger that had already befallen his family. However, he refused to be stopped, and thus, killed the old man.

Haah… how sad.

Wei Song rocketed away at a speed surpassing light, but he was no longer as fast as he was before. The injuries he suffered from his battle with the old man slowed him down. They were healing, but it was too slow for him. Tears welled up in his eyes as he pushed himself, even burning some of his blood essence to go faster.

Soon, gruesome scene came into view. A veritable ocean of Phoenix, three-eyed giants, and animal corpses. Blood painted the dark around him red, but still was unable to cover the battle of gods in front of him. The Phoenix and other animals fought against the three-eyed giants. The stars and space around them had been destroyed completely. The only thing that existed in that area was their battle. Things like planets, asteroids and stars were simply paper-thin obstacles blasted through with ease. To Wei Song’s far right floated a planet larger than most stars, and glowed with a brilliant radiance. It’s aura was majestic, holy, transcendent. However, it was like an astronomical wolverine had clawed four deep gouges into the planet.

Even the smallest ripple could kill even Immortal Realm cultivators. A battle like this was something beyond what I could’ve imaged. However, Wei Song did not pay attention to the three-eyed giants, but looked among the Phoenixes. He spotted two Phoenixes near the left flank of the Phoenix army. I could hardly tell the difference, but it seemed that he could. Currently they were in battle with two three-eyed giants. Their wings were bloodied, and the Phoenix flames on them were very dim. Even I could tell that they were near death.

Wei Song immediately rocketed to them. He quickly reached the two three-eyed giants. Though those two were strong, he was even stronger, and gravely injured them both with a single blow. He sent Phoenix fire over the other two Phoenixes, bolstering their own fire. However, they faded quickly. The two Phoenixes looked at him, their eyes holding only a single question.

Why?

“Chen’er. Xu’er. Sit still, I’ll heal you!”

Wei Song bathed them in his Phoenix flames, but they were only able to keep their fire from going out.

“Father… why did you come?”

The smaller Phoenix asked weakly.

“Chen’er, how could you think I would leave you and your mother to die?!”

Wei Song said angrily, as he sent even more of his Phoenix flame over, his own growing dimmer and dimmer.

“Husband, it is already too late for us. Do not kill yourself just to prolong our death.”

“Xu’er...”

Tear flowed from Wei Song’s eyes. He embraced his family in his arms, holding them tight. The despair in his eyes grew thick, leaving nothing else.

“Father…?”

“What is it? Chen’er?”

“Why did you resist Old Man Mo? He was only looking out for you, so that you did not have to see us like this...”

“How could I do that? What kind of man would I be if I couldn’t be around to hold you tight when you’re like this?”

“Father...”

“Husband...”

The two’s Phoenix flame, without the support of Wei Song’s, faded away. The heartbeat of the two stopped. Their qi no longer flowed, and their souls that had already been cracked shattered. The two Phoenixes bodies went limp and cold. Though I couldn’t read the expressions of Phoenixes, I had a feeling that they were smiling.

Wei Song trembled, the tears completely breaking free from his eyes and flowed freely. He let out a heart-wrenching cry as the people he loved the most in the world died in his arms. The battlefield echoed with the heartfelt cry of pain and loss. Everyone, no matter how far, could feel the grief contained within.