The leader of the Dead Warriors gave a single wave of her hand and issued a cold command.
"Kill her."
The Dead Warriors shot forward.
Before Scarlet could react, one of them appeared behind her.
A blade flashed.
Slash!
The sword ripped across her back.
Blood sprayed from the wound as Scarlet cried out in pain. Before she could regain her balance, another knight drove a powerful kick into her abdomen.
Bang!
She was sent flying across the cave and slammed into the stone wall.
Cracks spread across the rock before she collapsed to the ground.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, staining her white robes crimson.
She hadn’t even landed a single strike.
The fight had already become a one-sided slaughter.
The gap between the First and Fifth Stages of Qi Refining was simply too great.
Especially in the Eastern Desolate Land, where spiritual qi was scarce and cultivators were generally weak, such a difference was almost impossible to overcome.
One Dead Warriors looked down at Scarlet with contempt.
"So this is the former Young Miss of the Morvain Family?"
"I thought she’d last longer than a few moves."
Another warrior snorted.
"What a disappointment."
"The Morvain Family wasted countless resources raising her."
"And this is all she can do?"
"A piece of trash like her never deserved to be the Young Miss."
The leader raised her sword.
"Enough."
"Don’t waste any more time."
"Kill her."
"Take her head."
"We must report back to the Elder before sunset."
"As you command."
The Dead Warriors closed in.
Scarlet tried to stand, but her body refused to obey.
Blood continued to pour from the deep wound across her back.
Her vision blurred.
Every breath grew heavier.
"So..."
"This is how my life ends..."
She weakly clenched her fists.
"I haven’t inherited the Phoenix Empress’s legacy..."
"I haven’t reached the peak of cultivation..."
"I can’t die here..."
Her fingers dug into the ground as she desperately tried to force herself back onto her feet.
She had endured humiliation.
She had endured being abandoned by her family.
She had endured being called worthless.
She had endured three long years of waiting.
She couldn’t accept that everything would end here.
Suddenly.
The crimson pendant around her neck erupted with a dazzling scarlet light.
Boom!
A terrifying pressure burst from the pendant, instantly filling the entire cave.
The advancing Dead Warriors froze.
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
"What... what is this pressure?"
The space before Scarlet distorted.
Countless crimson flames gathered together, taking the form of a woman.
Her long scarlet hair flowed like living fire.
Golden phoenix eyes looked down upon everything with quiet indifference.
A phantom phoenix spread its wings behind her, filling the cave with divine flames.
The Dead Warriors instinctively retreated, terror filling their eyes.
The majestic woman glanced around and sighed.
"I’ve only just awakened..."
"And already I’m cleaning up someone else’s mess."
She casually raised one hand.
A small crimson flame appeared above her palm.
It looked harmless.
With a flick of her finger, she sent it drifting toward the Dead Warriors.
The leader’s face changed.
"Stop it!"
Before anyone could react...
Boom!
The tiny flame exploded into a sea of crimson fire.
The Dead Warriors didn’t even have time to scream.
Their bodies were instantly consumed by the divine flames.
Within a single breath, every one of them had been reduced to ashes.
Not even their weapons remained.
Silence returned to the cave.
Scarlet stared blankly at the woman.
Then her vision went dark.
She collapsed unconscious.
The majestic woman looked at Scarlet and rubbed her forehead.
"What a troublesome successor."
"My soul has only just awakened, and I’ve already exhausted nearly all of my remaining strength."
Her figure slowly became transparent.
"It seems..."
"I’ll have to sleep again."
With those final words, her soul dissolved into countless crimson particles that flowed back into the pendant.
The crimson light faded.
The cave fell silent once more.
After Scarlet lost consciousness, silence settled over the cave once more.
Then, footsteps echoed from outside.
A young man stepped into the cave.
It was Raeshan, who had just arrived after following the marker displayed by the system.
His gaze swept across the ruined surroundings, the scorched walls, the lingering crimson flames, and the piles of ash scattered across the ground.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"So... I was still a little too late."
His eyes then fell on the young woman lying unconscious against a shattered boulder.
At that moment.
[Ding...]
[Target Identified: Scarlet Morvain]
[Age: 16]
[Cultivation: First Stage of Qi Refining]
[Talent: Supreme Grade (Hidden)]
[Special Constitution: Phoenix Flame Body (Not Awakened)]
[Traits:]
[Master in the Ring: Possesses an ancient remnant soul as her mentor.]
[Favored by Flames: Innate affinity with all fire-based laws.]
[Fortune Through Adversity: Every calamity strengthens her foundation.]
[Description: Favored by the heavens. Though her path is filled with hardship, she is destined for greatness. She possesses the potential to dominate her era and stand at the pinnacle of the cultivation world.]
Raeshan’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Inside, however, he was dancing with happiness.
"So, I wasn’t too late. She’s still alive."
"I’ve finally found you, my first disciple."
***
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