Spirit Platform Calamity-Crossing Fire · Heart Prison Phoenix Return

Long Jinyu cast a cold glance at Shadow Fiend, who lay on the floor like a pile of mud, then withdrew his hand and responded toward the door, "Understood. I know."

He hoisted the thoroughly crippled Shadow Fiend up and pushed open the heavy doors of the Heart-Questioning Pavilion.

"My Lord."

The Yanhuang Guard waiting outside immediately bowed.

"This person," Long Jinyu tossed Shadow Fiend aside like trash, "is yours now. You can treat him like a beast of burden; give him all the dirty, grueling work. Keep a close eye on him—don't let him die too easily."

"Yes! We shall obey your command, My Lord!"

The Yanhuang Guard accepted the order without hesitation, their eyes sharp as they hauled the limp Shadow Fiend away.

A nurse stepped forward then, speaking respectfully, "My Lord, Physician Luo Yun is waiting for you in her office regarding Miss Ma's condition..."

Long Jinyu's heart tightened, and he nodded immediately, "Good, lead the way."

Inside the office, a young woman in a white medical robe with a capable and calm demeanor was looking down at the test report in her hands.

Her features were delicate, her brow etched with focus and wisdom; she was Luo Yun, the Medical Pavilion's top expert in spirit-type healing and psychological counseling.

Hearing the movement, she looked up, and upon seeing Long Jinyu, she rose at once, "My Lord."

Long Jinyu waved a hand, having no heart for pleasantries, "Physician Luo, how is Sister Ma Xiaotao exactly?"

Luo Yun signaled for Long Jinyu to sit, pushing the report toward him with a clear, professional tone, "My Lord, please set your mind at ease. Miss Ma's body and soul origin are both very healthy, even more resilient than the average Spirit Emperor, all thanks to that pure life energy you channeled into her earlier."

Long Jinyu's brow remained furrowed, "Then why is she still unconscious?"

"The problem lies in her 'heart'."

Luo Yun's fingertip tapped a specific data point on the report.

"That mental shock was extremely insidious. It didn't cause direct damage; instead, it acted like a key, precisely unlocking and detonating all the trauma and memories of 'loss of control' and 'harming others' buried deep within her. To escape such immense psychological pressure, her primary consciousness chose to seal itself off, falling into a deep state of dormancy."

She looked at Long Jinyu with a grave expression, "Therefore, conventional treatment and energy infusion are ineffective. She doesn't need her 'injuries' repaired; she needs a 'guide' she trusts implicitly to wake her from this self-imposed maze and rebuild her courage to face her inner demons."

Long Jinyu's heart sank, "What exactly must be done?"

"The only way is 'Spiritual Resonance Guidance'," Luo Yun explained. "It requires someone with sufficiently powerful and stable mental strength to actively probe deep into her mental world, locate her dormant primary consciousness, and guide it back."

"But the prerequisite is that the guide must be someone she trusts or even relies upon absolutely. Otherwise, it may trigger even more intense subconscious resistance, leading to the opposite of the desired effect."

"Of course, this method carries risks. If the practitioner is struck by intense negative emotions within her mental world, their own consciousness could be damaged."

Hearing this, Long Jinyu's reaching hand faltered, the resolve in his eyes shifting into a complex hesitation. He slowly pulled his hand back, murmuring to himself:

"Absolute trust... Sister Ma Xiaotao and I have only known each other for a few short days. The mentors she respects, the friends who have accompanied her for years... no matter how I calculate it, they all rank ahead of me."

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He turned and said decisively, "This is too risky; I cannot gamble with her safety. Luo Yun, stay here and stabilize her condition. I will return to the Sea God Pavilion immediately and request Mu En and Dean Yan!"

"My Lord, please remain calm." Luo Yun hurriedly stopped him, a meaningful smile appearing on her face, "I was just about to report this. Earlier, when performing the spiritual resonance check for Miss Ma, when our healing spirit power simulated your unique life aura near her, her chaotic mental fluctuations instantly calmed significantly."

Long Jinyu was stunned, "What does that mean?"

Luo Yun smiled, "Furthermore, while in her coma, Miss Ma has been unconsciously repeating a name."

Long Jinyu immediately pressed, "Who? Is it Mu En? Or Dean Yan? Or perhaps her close friend Zhang Lexuan, or Han Ruoruo? It couldn't be Wu Ming, could it? Don't tell me... is it Dai Yueheng?!"

Watching her usually calculating Lord act this way, Luo Yun couldn't help but chuckle. She shook her head, looking at him with a gentle, affirmative gaze:

"My Lord, you've guessed wrong. That person... is far away yet right before your eyes."

Long Jinyu: "..."

"Is it... me?!"

Luo Yun nodded affirmatively, "It is you. Miss Ma has been muttering your name and... 'little brat'. Therefore, this 'guide' can be none other than you. I ask that you give it a try, My Lord."

In an instant, all hesitation and unease vanished, and a feeling both incredibly firm and tender filled Long Jinyu's chest. Without a moment's hesitation, he stood up abruptly, "What must I do?"

"Please, follow me."

Inside the ward, Ma Xiaotao lay quietly, her face pale, with only her faint breathing proving her vitality.

Long Jinyu walked to the bedside and sat on the edge of the bed with gentle movements. He carefully reached out to lift Ma Xiaotao's upper body, letting her cold cheek rest against his warm neck, cradling her in an embrace of total reliance and protection.

He adjusted his posture to make her more comfortable.

Then, he lowered his head, gently pressing his smooth forehead against her slightly furrowed brow.

Sister Ma Xiaotao, he whispered in his heart, his consciousness beginning to spread along that invisible bridge, don't be afraid. I am here.

The next moment, light and shadow swirled before his eyes, and his consciousness sank into a bizarre, shattered world.

Ma Xiaotao's mental world was permeated with dark red embers and the scent of scorching heat.

Long Jinyu's consciousness was like a tiny glimmer, searching through this desolate expanse. Finally, in the shadow of a corner built from charred bricks, he spotted his target.

It was a little girl who looked only seven or eight years old, curled up tight with her arms wrapped around her knees and her face buried deep. Her fiery red hair had lost its former luster, and her small body trembled slightly from suppressed sobbing.

Long Jinyu reined in all his presence, approached with slow steps, and crouched down before her so that his gaze was level with hers.

"Found you." He spoke softly, using the gentlest tone he had ever mustered in his life.

The little girl jerked her head up, startled. It was a face that looked remarkably like Ma Xiaotao's, yet it was full of childish innocence and terror, her eyes rimmed with red. The moment she saw Long Jinyu, she froze. A flicker of confusion crossed her large eyes, and she shrank back timidly, asking in a small voice:

"Who... who are you? Are you... are you a fairy sister?" She looked at Long Jinyu's overly exquisite features and his strange, captivating eyes, making an instinctive judgment.

Long Jinyu was slightly taken aback, but he did not refute the title. He smiled gently, a smile that seemed capable of dispelling all the gloom in the surroundings.

"Mm, I'm here to take you away from here to have some snacks. Do you like red bean cakes?"

"Snacks..."

Little Ma Xiaotao swallowed instinctively, but her eyes quickly dimmed. She shook her head vigorously and hugged herself even tighter. "No... I can't. I can't go out. I'm a monster... There's a dark, disobedient fire inside me. It will... it will burn things, and it will make everyone hate me and be afraid of me..."

Her voice grew smaller as she spoke, laced with a sob: "Sister, you should go quickly. Stay away from me, otherwise... otherwise your beautiful clothes and hair will be burned too."

Long Jinyu's heart was wrenched hard. He did not retreat; instead, he moved a little closer and extended his hand, palm upward, offering it to Little Ma Xiaotao—a silent invitation.

"A monster?" He tilted his head slightly, his eyes devoid of any fear, filled only with pure pity. "But all I see is a very frightened, very lonely, yet incredibly kind little girl who is still worried about accidentally hurting others."

Little Ma Xiaotao was stunned, staring blankly at him.

"The power inside you might be disobedient right now, like a mischievous little beast." Long Jinyu's voice was like the gentlest lullaby. "But it is not a monster. It is a part of you, a very, very powerful force. It's just too young right now, just like you, and doesn't know how to play with others properly."

A glimmer of extremely gentle emerald light swirled around his fingertips, carrying the breath of life, and he tapped it lightly onto Little Ma Xiaotao's forehead.

"See? I'm not afraid of you. Your fire won't hurt me either."

As the warm light merged into her, Little Ma Xiaotao felt the scorching heat that had always made her restless strangely subside a little, replaced by a sense of comfort as if she were wrapped in the spring sunshine.

Cautiously, and with a touch of disbelief, she extended her own small hand, trembling, and placed it bit by bit into Long Jinyu's palm.

Long Jinyu immediately grasped that small hand firmly and gently, pulling her up from the dark corner.

"It's not a monster, and neither are you." He led her toward the exit of the mental world, his voice filled with laughter and promise. "It just needs a friend to teach it how to be gentle. And you, too, need a friend to tell you... just how cute and brave you are."

He looked down at her, his gaze resolute.

"Let's go. We'll go have those red bean cakes first. Then, I'll stay with you and slowly teach that 'little beast' in your heart how to become the most beautiful, most powerful phoenix that protects everyone. How about that?"

Little Ma Xiaotao tilted her head up, looking at this "fairy sister" who was impossibly gentle, feeling a sense of peace and warmth from her palm that she had never experienced before.

The fear and confusion in her eyes melted away bit by bit. Finally, she nodded heavily and vigorously, letting out a nasal, yet incredibly clear syllable from her throat:

"Mm!"