Chapter 179: He Can't Leave Me!
In the distant past, the phoenix clan had been arrogant and isolated, refusing to mingle with others. The Dragon God, however, welcomed many non-dragon divine beings into his realm, including five God Kings.
The Dragon God Domain alone had eighteen God Kings.
The dragon race mated with countless species, spreading its offspring across the multiverse.
Could it be that, after the phoenix clan's fall, the dragons had created yet another monstrosity?
The crimson eyes of the phoenix girl were full of confusion as she stared at Tang Wulin, though her attention soon shifted to Sima Jinchi.
He also carried the aura of dragons, but to her it didn't feel like the detestable scent of dragonkind—it was something very different.
After all, beneath the Dragon-Slaying Blade, the ones who had fallen most were not outsiders—but dragons themselves.
The blade of judgment meant to punish dragons naturally reeked the most of dragon blood.
Although the Fire Phoenix didn't fully understand, she could only trust the one who had saved her.
Her voice now lacked the majestic echo of her true form. As a human, it sounded delicate and lively.
"I… I want to follow him!"
At first, Qian Gu Zhangting thought she was going to refuse, already preparing to rack his brain on how to flatter and persuade her into joining the Spirit Pagoda for the sake of a major achievement.
After all, his grandfather and great-grandfather were both Limit Douluo—three Limits in one family. But he didn't want to inherit the Tower Master's seat just by the prestige of his lineage.
He wanted to be recognized as a true leader.
Bringing the world's only phoenix into the Spirit Pagoda would have been a monumental accomplishment.
Yet that one sentence—"I'll follow the instructor"—crushed all his prepared words, leaving him wide-eyed before forcing a smile.
"Well, that's perfect! The instructor is also part of our Spirit Pagoda—the personal disciple of the Deputy Tower Master himself, who is, in fact, a true dragon!"
The Fire Phoenix looked suspiciously at Sima Jinchi.
The smell of dragonkind on him was unmistakable—the scent of thousands, even tens of thousands of dragons who had died beneath his blade. And his master was supposed to be a true dragon?
The dragon world was a mess.
Still, with godhood beyond her reach and nowhere to go, she turned to Sima Jinchi and asked softly, "Is that true?"
Sima Jinchi nodded seriously. "Zhangting, this matter will depend on how the Federation decides. We must respect their judgment."
Qian Gu Zhangting blinked, confused—why wasn't his own man helping him?
The Fire Phoenix was still a soul beast; the Spirit Pagoda should be her best destination!
A ripping sound cut through the air as a formation of mechas descended from the sky—black leading, purple following.
Once again, it was Mo Zihong, their chief instructor.
Qian Gu Zhangting immediately fell silent.
"Congratulations, Brother Jinchi, on leading Class One to complete your mission first!"
He ordered the mecha squad to take away the remaining evil soul masters, then cast his gaze toward the small figure behind Sima Jinchi.
"On behalf of the Douluo Federation, I welcome the arrival of Her Excellency the Phoenix!"
Even without measuring her power, the title of "the world's only phoenix" was more than enough to grant her the respect given to a Titled Douluo.
"Mm."
At present, the Fire Phoenix didn't understand much. She simply observed in silence. These humans seemed much friendlier than the ones she'd encountered before.
Still, her vigilance remained.
Suddenly, her small body trembled violently—as if she had sensed a forbidden existence approaching.
"Oh? Mission complete already? Seems we arrived just in time."
Another tear in space appeared, and from it stepped a handsome man and woman.
Thanks to Gu Yue's presence, they saved themselves the trouble of airplanes and trains, arriving directly at the northern border of the Burning Plains.
The Fire Phoenix's gaze locked onto Gu Yue. This was it—the embodiment of heaven and earth itself—this was a true dragon!
But… why was she with a human?
No—he wasn't human either!
The moment Jiang Chen's feet touched the crimson ground, his body froze as if encased in ice.
He had barely appeared when Snow Empress silently came up behind him.
In a chilling tone, she said, "So you're back."
"Y-Yeah… I'm back…"
Why was she talking to him in that tone? Something was off.
He couldn't see her face, but he could tell she was angry.
Come on… they were handling serious matters, it wasn't like he could have brought her along everywhere. Didn't she believe in giving each other some space?
Though his body was frozen, his mind ran wild with thoughts.
Then a soft hand gently reached out for his, and the freezing cold instantly dissipated.
Gu Yue frowned slightly.
"Stop it."
Snow Empress tilted her head, stunned.
What was this?
She'd stood at Jiang Chen's side for so long, yet suddenly she felt like an outsider.
What had happened while she was gone?
Though her body thawed, Jiang Chen's heart grew colder.
He was so tired.
"You're back," Sima Jinchi said, nodding as he stepped aside, revealing the Fire Phoenix hiding behind him.
Whether he was showing her to Mo Zihong or Gu Yue, no one could tell.
The Fire Phoenix clung to his sleeve, following every small step he took, refusing to let go.
"Alright then, since the mission is complete, you may all leave Phoenix Mountain."
Mo Zihong, seeing the Fire Phoenix's attachment, didn't press further.
They had finished the mission a full month ahead of schedule—Class One was too monstrous.
With Sima Jinchi promoted to Titled Douluo, there was nothing to criticize.
He decided it was simplest to make it official immediately.
"Congratulations to the students of Douluo University's first batch, Class One Soul Masters, for completing the freshman examination."
"You have one month of rest. Rewards will be distributed soon. The first-place prize, however, will be officially presented at the freshman conference next month."
No one at Douluo University objected—not the principal, not the instructors.
As for the Fire Phoenix, since she insisted on staying by Sima Jinchi's side, he'd have to accompany her.
Class One's students, meanwhile, were escorted back to Douluo City by the mecha squad.
Feeling the cool breeze on his face, Xie Xie sighed. "We came here running, and now we're being flown back by mecha. Life's full of surprises."
Le Zhengyu sneered. "Country bumpkin—you've never even touched a mecha, have you?"
"Hey, what's your problem?"
Xu Xiaoyan watched Xie Xie and Le Zhengyu bickering, momentarily stunned.
What was going on between those two?
By all logic, Le Zhengyu's spot should have been hers!
They had split into teams for just a short while, and now the guy who usually bantered with her was bantering with someone else.
For some reason, it left her feeling uneasy.
"Damn it, Xu Xiaoyan, what's wrong with you!" she muttered.
"The farther that guy stays from me, the better!"
(END CHAPTER)
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