Brockman's Request

With the red-haired woman's voice vibrating the very air into ripples, a crimson inferno erupted around her, scorching the ghastly green lands of the Purple Blood Confederacy as far as the eye could see. Mountains, soil, rotting trees, The Undead's skeletal remains… everything was engulfed in a raging sea of flames! The fire simultaneously enveloped Constantine and Du Chen, who was still on him!

Constantine's brow furrowed. “This woman's power definitely surpasses mine… Do I really need to risk my life for Brockman? I'll just put up a token resistance, then report back to the Scarlet Army that the opponent was too strong, and I, your subordinate, simply lacked the ability to protect Brockman! What can the Scarlet Army do then? Would they really kill a newly Thirteenth-rank battle qi inheritor, a useful subordinate, for an irresistible force majeure? The fault for this battle won't lie with me, but with the Scarlet Army for failing to anticipate the opponent's might!”

With this thought, the Rebellious Dragon decided to flee. However, to guard against the Scarlet Army's omnipresent intelligence network, his slender eyes darted about. He soared into the sky to evade the flames, all while cursing, “Where did this madwoman come from, daring to create such a bloody massacre? You're asking for death!” The Rebellious Dragon acted just like a chivalrous hero encountering injustice. He took a deep breath of the heat-filled air, then opened his mouth and exhaled a Metallic Sonic Wave Kill Formation, which enveloped the red-haired woman from above!

The red-haired woman didn't even spare him a glance, continuing to search for Brockman with her head bowed. She simply waved a hand behind her back, unleashing two bursts of flame that shot skyward with a 'puff-puff'. One shattered the Metallic Sonic Wave Kill Formation, while the other flew directly at Constantine, brutally piercing the Rebellious Dragon's left wing, which he had barely managed to evade!

“Hmph, what a terrifying madwoman! Though I cannot save these poor souls today, I shall certainly avenge them tomorrow!” Constantine gritted his teeth, enduring the searing pain as he stumbled away, thinking, “Alright, the act is complete! Time to save my own hide. This woman's power, I fear, only those Nine Revered Ones could possibly contend with!”

But at that very moment, Constantine's heart hammered a mighty “thump-thump”. He was secretly alarmed. “Damn it, is deserting in battle also forbidden by the Deed of Ownership? Then… am I truly forced to fight this madwoman to the death for Brockman!? Heavens!” Constantine inwardly groaned in misery, yet he could only circle in the sky, continuously harassing the red-haired woman with sonic waves, not daring to retreat a single step, resolved to fight to the bitter end!

This red-haired woman was none other than the Fire Phoenix, commanded to slay Brockman. She initially had no mind to bother with this suddenly appearing minor dragon, but upon seeing his audacity, she instantly flared up in anger. “You ungrateful wretch!” she spat. With that, the Fire Phoenix crossed her arms over her chest. When Merlinta activated her Sea-Wielding, it formed a grand cross, whereas the Fire Phoenix's formed a diagonal cross. Both, however, were accompanied by a faint golden radiance. Immediately after, the flames on the ground surged upwards, swift as lightning, converging above Constantine's head. In an instant, an area within a hundred li radius was enveloped in a sea of fire by the Fire Phoenix!

With her power dispersed over a hundred li, its might naturally diminished. Constantine, with his Thirteenth-rank battle qi, wouldn't be burned to death by the spread-out flames, but he was still in dire straits, his body already beginning to char. As for Brockman, who had transformed into water and hidden in a mountain crevice… he was now teetering on the brink of death!

Du Chen was still on Constantine. The instant the fiery dome closed, he could have escaped, but just then, Beibei let out a small “ouch!” and tumbled down, throwing Du Chen's mind into disarray. Forgetting to evade the flames for a moment, he scooped up his daughter and anxiously called, “Beibei, Beibei!”

The little one lay motionless, eyes tightly shut, not uttering a sound. Du Chen suddenly remembered. Wasn't this exactly how Beibei looked when she drank that mysterious blood back then? How had he saved the little one that time? A flash of inspiration struck Du Chen, and he urgently cried, “Anya, quickly, fuse with your sister!”

Our great Master, unhurried, slowly stripped off his clothes, then tilted his head and curled his lips, stating, “Master sees through all truths – Sister has encountered a power of the same origin as herself. Her Aberrant Beast instincts have awakened, and her body has begun to automatically absorb this homologous power. However, the disparity between Sister and that power is simply too vast. She couldn’t withstand the immense power rushing into her all at once, which is why she fainted!”

Alex stripped completely, then, bare-assed, slipped into Beibei's body, saying, “Don't worry, Daddy! Back then, Sister evolved too quickly, and our bodies were unbalanced, which is why we 'died'. But now, Master has evolved to a higher degree than Sister, and can help her rebalance her body!”

Du Chen felt a slight sense of relief. Calming his mind, he sensed carefully. Indeed, a surge of power from the overwhelming flames was entering the Lotus and flowing into Beibei's body – this was a good sign, portending his daughter's imminent evolution into something even more powerful. But… same origin!

Du Chen's gaze snapped to the Fire Phoenix!

“Could this be my daughter's mother!?”

Just then, the Fire Phoenix, having trapped Constantine and confident the Rebellious Dragon couldn't escape, was focused on searching for Brockman. But suddenly, she felt something absorbing her fiery power. A thought struck the Fire Phoenix, and she abruptly looked up at the sky. She couldn't see Du Chen's hidden Lotus, nor could she sense its aura, but she could determine its location from the direction her flames were flowing – her fire was surging onto the dragon's back, then immediately entering something, yet she couldn't perceive the specific situation within that 'something'!

Beibei was inside the Lotus, able to receive external power through its aperture, but the Fire Phoenix couldn't sense the person within the Lotus, despite the power being of the same origin as her own!

Since she couldn't sense anything specific, and the one absorbing the flames could potentially be her own daughter, the Fire Phoenix subconsciously mused, “Strange, does this dragon possess some Secret Technique that allows it to absorb my power through its back!?” “Hmph, you certainly have many Secret Techniques!” The Fire Phoenix shot into the sky, positioning herself above Constantine's head. Aiming at the Rebellious Dragon's back, she suddenly conjured a long blade of flame and brought it down! “Dare to absorb my Golden Fire Dominion, and you shall die!” she roared furiously.

Constantine felt utterly wronged! “What did I absorb?!” he thought. The Fire Phoenix's thunderous, enraged strike left him unable to even muster the will to defend himself!

Du Chen, facing the blade of flame even before Constantine, had no time to explain anything in that flash of lightning. A Lotus swept up both children and Andy. He casually tossed out the Fire Lotus Lantern, and a dazzling crimson cloud-lotus emerged from the Rebellious Dragon's back, forcefully deflecting the Fire Phoenix's sharp blade!

Constantine was stunned. “Huh? Do I carry such a powerful flame Secret Technique on me?! Could the Scarlet Army have done something?” As he pondered, Du Chen already stood atop Constantine's head, gazing up at the Fire Phoenix and smiling, “Might you be one of the Imperial Divine Beasts, Esteemed Lady!?”

Instead of anger, surprise flickered in the Fire Phoenix's eyes. Someone in the world could actually contend with her in flames! She glanced at Du Chen, standing on the dragon's head, and immediately struck again. “So, you're a Fire-elemental Dragon Riding Battle God. Your mount is impressive, but you are even more so… Fire Domain Blade!” Strike the rider by shooting the horse first – this was an unshakeable truth of battle. The Fire Phoenix once again conjured a long blade, its edge sweeping from bottom to top, charging towards Constantine!

Constantine wanted to roar, “What does this have to do with me!?” But the Fire Phoenix was too fast, leaving him speechless and unfairly shouldering the blame! However, Du Chen's Wind and Thunder Dual Wings were even swifter. Disregarding Constantine's fate, he flung the Fire Lotus Lantern to ensnare the Fire Phoenix. Another Lotus, shrunken and invisible, appeared beneath the Fire Phoenix's feet. With a sudden roar, the two Lotuses attacked from above and below, forcibly locking the Fire Phoenix within a cage. Both the top and bottom were lotus pedestals, while interwoven lotus leaves formed the cage's bars!

Below, Constantine had been gutted by the Fire Phoenix's Fire Domain Blade. Though not dead, he plummeted from the sky. Meanwhile, within the cage trapping the Fire Phoenix, like an hourglass, yellow sand continuously surged both upwards and downwards, using its power to extinguish the blazing flames covering the Fire Phoenix!

Trapped, the Fire Phoenix sneered, “To sacrifice the life of a Divine Pet merely to ambush me – you are unworthy to be a beast-rider's master, utterly shameless!”

Du Chen shrugged, still wearing Chic's mask, and chuckled, “Your temper is a bit too fiery, Esteemed Lady. That dragon doesn't even know me; his life or death is none of my concern, is it? You still haven't answered my question, are you one of the Imperial Divine Beasts!?”

The Fire Phoenix paused, then snorted, “Fire Domain Crown, Dragon Vein Fire Phoenix! Who are you? A Master secretly invited by Philip to protect Brockman?”

Du Chen was also momentarily stunned. “The Fire Phoenix is Philip's enemy? Interesting.” He chuckled, “Esteemed Lady, could you speak a few words calmly and meet someone?” A sudden thought struck him. “If she truly is Beibei's biological mother, what if she demands to take Beibei away after they recognize each other? That's highly probable, no, it's practically a foregone conclusion!”

Du Chen regretted saying that, but then, on second thought, Beibei wasn't an ordinary child; she was more sensible than many adults. “Perhaps I should ask for the child's opinion. After all, a child's happiness is what both parties truly wish to see!” With this in mind, Du Chen, seeing the Fire Phoenix nod, summoned the Lotus and presented it before her. Inside, after their fusion, the two children lay peacefully on a lotus rhizome, cared for by Snow Wolf Andy.

The Fire Phoenix's eyes fixated on the fused child, unable to look away. Du Chen didn't retract the cage; instead, he moved the child outside it. “Do… you have anything you wish to say?”

The Fire Phoenix gazed at the child, trembling. She was no ordinary weakling to be easily deceived. She murmured, “This child possesses two auras, a fusion of two great Aberrant Beasts. One is a descendant of Ruilong… already evolved to Thirteenth-rank. The other is… blood. Drip my blood onto this child's forehead!” The Fire Phoenix suddenly bit her fingertip and flung a drop of blood to Du Chen. As the fresh blood reached the child's forehead, it was like a stream returning to the ocean, or black oil melting into raging fire, naturally permeating the child's body. Immediately after, the little one opened her eyes!

“Ah, there's no mistake! But Anya being a descendant of Ruilong, that's… fortunate!” Du Chen smiled, retracting the cage. “I am their foster father. We are not enemies, are we?!”

The Fire Phoenix cast a grateful look at Du Chen, no longer holding a grudge about being captured. In this vast world, as long as her child was well, what else could she not forget!?

The Fire Phoenix picked up the child, tears welling in her eyes, and suddenly clutched the child tightly to her bosom. “My child, my child, Mama has missed you so much…”

The little one's shoulders twitched, seemingly already weeping.

Tears streamed down the Fire Phoenix's face. “From this day forward, no one shall ever take you from my side again…”

The little one whimpered, letting out two “woo-woo” cries, weeping most sorrowfully!

The Fire Phoenix was now sobbing uncontrollably. “To see you, Mama would gladly endure a thousand years of imprisonment, suffer any hardship… it would all be worth it… Child, quickly, call me 'Mama'.”

The little one finally broke free from the Fire Phoenix's tight embrace, tears streaming down her face as she wailed loudly. A moment later, red-faced and embarrassed, she looked at the Fire Phoenix's chest, which was pressed close to her, and cried out, “Waaah, Papa, Sis, Master is being molested by a strange woman!”

…

“This fusion was led by Anya!” Everyone paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. Only then were Anya and Beibei separated. After the family reunion, the inevitable questions finally arose. The Fire Phoenix nodded to Du Chen. “Thank you for taking care of Beibei all these years. However, I must take her with me! You've seen it yourself; the child can evolve faster with me. And… after all, I am her biological mother!”

Du Chen rubbed his nose. Suddenly, Beibei blinked her big eyes at him. Du Chen immediately understood, and chuckled, “Esteemed Fire Phoenix, it's only right and proper for you to care for Beibei, and I naturally have no objections. However, the child's happiness is paramount. Should we… perhaps ask for her opinion?”

The Fire Phoenix's brow furrowed, displeased. “I am her biological mother. Can I not decide for her?”

Beibei's big eyes fluttered. She tugged Du Chen with one hand and the Fire Phoenix with the other. “Papa, Mama!” Both Du Chen and the Fire Phoenix furrowed their brows, but the child truly hadn't called out incorrectly! “Beibei wants to go home with Mama! Mama is the best; a child with a Mama is a treasure!”

These heartfelt words sent the Fire Phoenix into raptures. She hugged her daughter tightly, but the little one then tilted her head and asked, “But Mama, where is our home?”

The Fire Phoenix chuckled, “On the west coast of the Arcania Continent, there's a range of Flaming Mountains. That's our home, just for us mother and daughter!”

“Oh!” The little one nodded. “Does our home have Beibei's favorite Arctic Ice Bird's Nest? Does it have the Deep Sea Blood Diamonds Beibei loves to play with? And oh, Beibei likes to sleep on Ice Silkworm Silk blankets, and she also needs a Warm Jade Bone Bed…” The Fire Phoenix was stunned, her expression becoming very peculiar. The little one then “naively” asked, “Oh, that reminds me! Papa says children should read more and learn lots and lots of knowledge. Is that right, Mama?”

“That's only right and proper,” thought the Fire Phoenix, nodding without hesitation. But Beibei immediately said, “Then, Mama, will you please invite the continent's best mathematician, Chellis, the best artist, Abrelna, and the best scholar, Mitchell… to teach Beibei together, okay?”

The Fire Phoenix stiffened her neck, then suddenly, displeased, reprimanded Du Chen, “Can you really invite so many outstanding scholars and provide her with such rare treasures? If not, then don't tell the child these things! Otherwise, she'll grow accustomed to extravagance from a young age, and what will she do when she grows up!?”

Du Chen chuckled, reaching up to remove his mask. “Esteemed Fire Phoenix, I am Francis, the current Divine Emperor! And everything Beibei mentioned is stipulated by the Holy Church's laws as the fundamental entitlements for a Divine Princess!”

“…”

The little one then planted a kiss on the Fire Phoenix's cheek. “Mama is so pitiful! First, she was imprisoned by the Life Tree for a thousand years, then tricked by that big bad Bonis… Beibei, Beibei can't bear to be separated from Mama again!”

The Fire Phoenix's eyes reddened from her daughter's heartwarming words, but the little one immediately followed up with another question. “Oh, that's right, Mama used to follow Prince, fighting the big bad Bonis together, didn't you?”

A motherly smile blossomed on the Fire Phoenix's face as she recounted her heroic deeds from back then to Beibei. “That's right! Back then, we Imperial Divine Beasts primarily had grievances with the Five Great Primeval Forces. Since the Five Great Primeval Forces supported the Violet-Bloods, we united to support the Red-Bloods… In those days, Mama was enshrined by Prince in the Fire God Pavilion. Those treasures you mentioned just now? Mama wouldn't even deign to glance at them!”

The Fire Phoenix was busy trying to save face with her words, but unexpectedly, Beibei cheerfully asked, “Since Papa is the current Divine Emperor, will Mama help Papa fight Bonis, okay?”

The Fire Phoenix's brow furrowed. Truthfully, she had been through too much. At this moment, all she wanted was to hug her daughter and return home to enjoy familial bliss; everything else could wait! Francis? The Human-Fiendkind War? What did that have to do with her, the Fire Phoenix? She wasn't even human!

Beibei lowered her head and mumbled, “Bonis is so bad! Back then, he threw Beibei to Philip. If Papa hadn't rescued Beibei, Beibei…” The little one cried mournfully, “Beibei would have been dissected by Philip and made into an experimental subject!”

A trace of anger flickered across the Fire Phoenix's face. At that moment, Beibei shot Du Chen a glance. “Papa, I've got Mama cornered with extravagance on one side, and now I've stimulated her with hatred on the other… The time is ripe for you!”

Du Chen immediately chuckled, “Esteemed Fire Phoenix, the ruins of the former Fire God Pavilion are still located on the Holy Mountain of the Papal Curia. Francis, on behalf of humanity, humbly requests your aid to help us Red-Bloods defeat the Fiendkind!”

The Fire Phoenix rolled her eyes at Du Chen, paused, then rolled her eyes at her own biological daughter. “She certainly acts like your biological daughter!” she said, seething with a hint of anger.

The little one giggled, burrowing into the Fire Phoenix's embrace. “Yay! Papa and Mama won't be separated! We're all a family, and we'll always be together!”

What more could the Fire Phoenix say!? She picked up Anya again and asked, “Why is Ruilong's child with you?” After Du Chen finished explaining in detail, the Dragon Phoenix furrowed her brow. “Wrong, your analysis is wrong! Back then, we Imperial Divine Beasts, though not sworn brothers-in-arms, were at least comrades who faced life and death together – Ruilong, in seizing your Maternal Grandfather's Weeping Tear and charging into the Labyrinth of Life, wasn't actually going to kill me, but to save me!”

Du Chen asked, “Even Ruilong couldn't rescue you?”

The Fire Phoenix shook her head. “At that time, I was locked by Life Tree vines and could only watch as the Life Tree unleashed its primordial power to battle Ruilong! But just as Ruilong was about to claim victory, Bonis burst out from the side. You know the outcome – Beibei and Anya were taken by Bonis and eventually ended up in your hands, while The Weeping Tear is still with Bonis to this day! However, where Ruilong went after his injured escape… that is beyond my knowledge!”

Du Chen rubbed the tip of his nose, then patted Anya's forehead, chuckling, “I've heard Ruilong has quite a temper. If one day Ruilong comes seeking his son, I hope, Esteemed Lady…”

The Fire Phoenix shot Du Chen a cold glance. “You've named Alex as crown prince, haven't you? Then you needn't worry about Ruilong! Hmph, and there's no need to meticulously teach Anya to corner Ruilong during their reunion to help you win over a Master!”

Du Chen felt wronged. That whole scene had been Beibei's own doing; no one had taught her! But from the Fire Phoenix's words, it seemed Ruilong…

The two exchanged some information. Du Chen spoke of human affairs, and the Fire Phoenix learned that Bonis must have suspected Beibei long ago, yet never told her, thereby allowing her to blindly risk her life for him! Hmph, at this thought, the Fire Phoenix's gaze swept over the flame-swept earth – during the mother-daughter reunion, the Fire Phoenix's Fire Domain had not been dispelled; it had continually imprisoned Constantine and Brockman. She simply and concisely stated the purpose of her presence, then shouted, “Brockman, you've been trapped to death by me. Come out! I've broken ties with Bonis, and I have no interest in killing you anymore!”

Slowly, a mass of clear water emerged from the distant Mountain Hollow, solidifying into a human form – it was Brockman, covered in wounds. He gave a bitter smile. “Fire Phoenix, you may not kill me, but Francis by your side would love nothing more than to flay my skin, sever my tendons, and grind my bones to dust!”

The Fire Phoenix was taken aback. She didn't know that Brockman was one of the accomplices responsible for Old Foye's death. She sneered, “Then you still dare to come out? Being burned to death by me is surely better than being tortured to death by Francis, isn't it?”

Du Chen's expression also darkened. He stared intently at Brockman. “You came out hoping I'd spare you? Dream on!”

Thud! Brockman suddenly knelt before Du Chen, crying out, “Yes, Your Majesty, the Divine Emperor! I beg you, please spare my life!”

Everyone present glanced at him with disdain, turning their heads away in contempt. Different factions engaging in mutual slaughter was understandable, yet at the brink of death, for a grown man to weep and beg so pitifully – such a person wouldn't even earn the most basic respect from their enemies!

Brockman kowtowed with loud “thump-thump” sounds, clutching Du Chen's leg and pleading, “Your Majesty, the Divine Emperor, give me a chance! I beg you, give me a chance!”

Du Chen sneered coldly, “When you murdered my Uncle Orbach, did you ever give him a chance!?” He then kicked Brockman away!

Brockman scrambled up, crawling forward. “Your Majesty, I overheard your conversation just now; I know the purpose of your journey! You seek the Tear Source, don't you? I… I know all the secrets within the Scourge Citadel, most of the Fiendkind's confidential information, and I can even tell you the Supreme Council's entire military plan…” He again clutched Du Chen's leg, his face streaming with tears of terror and desperation. “I can be useful to you! Please, will you spare me?”

Du Chen impatiently raised the Fire Lotus Lantern. “This is not enough to buy your life!” The Fire Lotus Lantern slowly descended, but just then, Brockman shrieked, “If these can't buy my life, then can they buy me one more day before you kill me?”

Du Chen was taken aback, staring at Brockman with suspicion. Brockman lowered his head and cried, “I'll tell you everything, and then you give me one day! In that day, Spiritual Contracts, poisons, control spells… any vile restrictive method you can imagine, you can place upon me! Please, just give me one day! My death, Brockman's death, is insignificant, but Master Philip's life hangs by a thread! I must go save him!”