Chapter 97: I Only Play the Phoenix‑Raccoon Beauty!

At that moment, I clearly sensed Liu Junyan's bloodthirsty killing intent.

He gripped tightly, the girl's breath unsteady, yet she still smiled and said: "Āyàn, have you forgotten? I am Ālí."

I was born on Cangwu Mountain, I am the Holy Maiden of the Phoenix clan; only after Nirvana can I become the Holy Lord of the Phoenix clan. Our last parting on Cangwu Mountain was precisely when I was about to undergo Nirvana.

She spoke, tears filling her eyes, the feather mark on her brow growing ever more crimson: "Unfortunately my Nirvana failed; I struggled a hundred years in the karmic fire purgatory before being reborn, my spirit bones damaged, needing great accumulation of Merit to slowly recover, so I appear here today."

In just a few sentences, she revealed her identity, recalled the past, and explained why she appears here today.

She never mentions her grievances, yet every word and sentence drips with blood‑tears.

If Liu Junyan had even a shred of feeling for her, he would surely be heart‑broken at this moment.

But Liu Junyan's grip grew tighter, almost squeezing out two words from between his teeth: "Liar!"

The girl's face turned crimson‑purple, she could barely draw breath.

She grabbed Liu Junyan's arms with both hands, struggling desperately.

That scene was truly strange.

The girl had cultivation and self‑defense ability, yet she showed no intent to resist, merely struggling while staring at Liu Junyan with bloodshot eyes.

Liu Junyan could have killed her more directly, but he seemed to be testing something, merely relentlessly choking her neck.

At first I didn't understand, even doubting for a moment whether Liu Junyan and the girl had some past connection, preventing him from delivering a killing blow.

But soon I realized something was wrong.

As time passed, the feather mark on the girl's brow deepened in color—from bright red to dark purple, until it turned black…

At the instant the feather mark turned black, the villagers near the Qilin Temple suddenly cried out in alarm; next, I saw a surge of black aura pour from the temple, felling villagers wherever it reached.

That black aura headed straight for the girl, gradually coalescing behind her into a huge black bird shadow with a wingspan of two or three meters.

Seeing that black shadow, I immediately recalled the day I came for Feng Wu; I had glimpsed him in the Qilin Temple then, but only briefly, unsure, so I said nothing.

I never expected to see it again—this time forced out by Liu Junyan.

Everything Liu Junyan just did was to force out the person behind the girl.

He succeeded!

At the moment the black shadow appeared, it flapped its wings, kicking up sand and howling straight toward Liu Junyan.

Liu Junyan struck the girl with one palm while meeting the black shadow with the other.

At that instant I summoned Feng Wu, drew the bow to full, and with a swoosh a crimson flame shot straight at the black shadow.

The black shadow was fully engaged with Liu Junyan; off‑guard, by the time it noticed the flame it was already too late.

The flame instantly entered the black shadow's body.

Within the black body, the flame's red radiance burst forth, licking every inch like a prairie‑fire tongue.

I felt a surge of joy, never expecting it to go so smoothly, and opened my mouth to call Liu Junyan.

But just then, two male laughs burst from the black shadow, followed by a bang—it exploded before our eyes!

That tremendous roar silenced everyone.

The black shadow shattered into fragments.

Those fragments did not fall; instead they transformed into a great flock of red‑eyed, black‑feathered, three‑legged crows, cawing wildly.

The crows beat their wings, well‑drilled, gathering to either side, revealing the central flame that swooshed straight at my face.

That flame was unmistakably the one I had shot.

It had merely circled inside the black shadow, seeming to burn brighter and grow stronger.

I immediately drew the bow and shot another flame toward it.

"Xiao Jiu, lower the bow!"

Liu Junyan's voice suddenly rang out; I instinctively obeyed, retracting Feng Wu.

At that very moment, the flame I had just shot was already swallowed by the original one.

The two flames merged into one, arriving before my eyes in an instant.

Had I not withdrawn Feng Wu just now, this large flame would have struck it and set it ablaze.

Before I could react, Liu Junyan encircled my waist, turned sideways, his robe flaring, sending a powerful true qi surge toward the flame.

The flame was shattered, and Liu Junyan brought me safely to the ground.

I watched the flame burst into a sky‑full of sparks, then quickly die out, vanishing between heaven and earth, my heart still pounding.

Why?

Clearly it was my flame, yet the enemy turned it against me?

Just who is the opponent?

"Xiao Jiu, protect yourself."

The two masses of black crows swooped down on us, their scarlet eyes like nocturnal beasts hunting, greedy and terrifying.

Liu Junyan released me, instantly transforming into a white snake… uh, not, a white dragon?

Not really.

This is the first time I have seen Liu Junyan's true form in full; previously at Zhu Pan River I had only glimpsed his white tail.

His body is long and thick, entirely snow‑white, his scales flashing with silvery light.

He bears horns on his head, but the two are just bare, unforked prongs.

A dragon's horns are forked.

The more forks, the higher the rank.

Thus Liu Junyan's true form must lie somewhere between a flood dragon and a true dragon.

With a sweep of his white tail, the black crows died instantly, turning into puffs of black aura that vanished.

"Āyàn is truly amazing!" the girl, who had somehow appeared before me, exclaimed, "Such a fine man only matches someone of my exalted status—Xiao Jiu, what are you, daring to compete with me!"

I abruptly turned my head to look at her.

She looked disheveled, with bruises from being choked on her neck, blood at the corner of her mouth, and her complexion still not eased.

But this did nothing to conceal her arrogant aura.

In the instant our eyes met, I only saw a flash of red light in her eyes, and I felt a force seize all my nerves, leaving me unable to think at all.

I watched helplessly as she pulled out a dagger, yet I couldn't move an inch.

What is going on now?

My cultivation is simply too shallow; I can handle minor skirmishes, but when I encounter someone this formidable, I can't withstand even a few blows.

Just as I thought her dagger would lunge at me and stab down, she suddenly cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.

I don't know where she put that dagger.

She sat down on the ground, her eye sockets red, gently wiping the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, yet she could never touch that trace of blood.

And the bonds on my body were released at the same time.

"Ali!"

Just as I stood there dazed, a worried voice came from not far behind: the Fox Lord's.

The next moment, the Fox Lord rushed over, bending down to embrace the girl on the ground: "Ali, how are you? How did you sustain such serious injuries?"

But the girl shoved him away, crying and shouting: "Don't call me Ali! I'm not Ali!"

"I crawled out of that Sea of Karmic Depths, merely having damaged my spiritual root, yet nobody recognizes me anymore!"

"From now on, I will no longer be Ali; I will only be Fengli Shu!"