Bright Devil Phoenix? Where Was the Brightness?

Above the couch, the phoenix phantom behind Ma Xiaotao gradually stopped struggling.

Large patches of black stripes, as if imbued with life, climbed and spread across the originally bright crimson wings.

Deep within that flame, the evil energy, originally a secondary attribute, seemed to awaken, its burning grammar rampant in its own way.

Feng Ling slowly withdrew her hand from Ma Xiaotao's forehead. She looked at the phoenix in mid-air, which had not yet completely changed color but already exuded a sinister aura, and nodded with great satisfaction.

Gu Mingyuan withdrew his Abyssal Magic Power, stood up straight, and asked:

"Is that all?"

"Still a little short." Feng Ling opened her palm, holding up a wisp of flame intertwined with black and red.

"Let her adapt for a few days first, and at most guide her twice more, and then the 'evolution' of this Martial Soul will be completely completed."

At this point, Feng Ling's lips curled into a mocking smile, and she suddenly laughed:

"Yan Shaozhe's Martial Soul is the Bright Phoenix, right?"

"Once her Evil Fire has fully evolved, she will be called the Bright Devil Phoenix."

Gu Mingyuan glanced at her but didn't reply.

Feng Ling bent down, reached out and brushed aside the red hair on Ma Xiaotao's forehead that was damp with cold sweat, her fingertips sliding down her cheek. It was unclear whether she was admiring a newly acquired trophy or examining a perfect work that was about to be completed.

"Yan Shaozhe has raised this precious disciple for so many years; from now on, I will personally teach him." Feng Ling stood up, making no attempt to hide her ambition.

"I'll show the mainland what a true Evil Fire Phoenix is! Oh no, I mean Bright Devil Phoenix."

On the bed, Ma Xiaotao was still unconscious, her brows furrowed tightly.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, Electrolux's voice rang out at the opportune moment:

"A few wisps of black energy have appeared around the girl's soul. However, they are only swirling on the outside and have not yet invaded her consciousness."

"Don't do anything for now," Gu Mingyuan thought to himself.

"Just keep observing; it'll probably take some time to investigate."

Feng Ling gently massaged Ma Xiaotao's turbulent meridians again, then turned and instructed, "You stay here and watch over her. Even after she wakes up, she's not allowed to leave this room. If anything unusual happens, contact me immediately."

Gu Mingyuan asked, "Is the Vice Cult Master going to Sunset Forest?"

"Yes, the Cult Master's situation isn't over yet. Zhang Peng and I will go and meet her." Feng Ling glanced at Ma Xiaotao on the bed again. "If she causes trouble, you handle it yourself, just don't damage her Martial Soul."

Gu Mingyuan hesitated for a moment, then said, "She is Soul Emperor."

Feng Ling continued walking away without turning her head.

Even Soul Emperor doesn't possess Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. With your current resources, she's not as strong as you at the moment.

"However, with my personal guidance from now on, things will be different."

Gu Mingyuan had no choice but to nod in agreement.

The dilapidated wooden door closed, and the presence of Feng Ling and Zhang Peng quickly faded away.

Gu Mingyuan walked back into the room, dragged a chair that was missing its crossbar, and sat down on the edge of the bed.

After a while, Ma Xiaotao's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. She subconsciously tried to sit up, but the pain all over her body and an indescribable discomfort made her groan and fall back down as soon as she moved.

She turned her head, her gaze gradually focusing, and she saw Gu Mingyuan sitting on the edge of the bed.

The confusion in her eyes was instantly ignited by anger. She gritted her teeth and was about to speak when she suddenly stopped, realizing something was wrong with her body.

Ma Xiaotao raised her hand, forcing herself to barely draw out a wisp of Phoenix Flame from her fingertips.

As soon as the crimson flames lit up, wisps of viscous black flames, like a leech, oozed out from within the flames, instantly enveloping the pure red glow.

Ma Xiaotao's expression changed drastically. Her mind, which had been somewhat sluggish due to unconsciousness, instantly became alert. She hurriedly used her Soul Power, just as she had done in the past ten years, to forcibly suppress this evil force.

But this time, the more the Soul Power circulated, the more active that black power became.

"What's going on...?"

Undeterred, she bit her tongue, using the stinging pain to activate her Martial Soul once more. The phantom of a phoenix appeared behind her, but the glaring black patterns on its wings and the uncontrollable evil aura made her freeze on the bed.

In the past, although she was tormented by the Evil Fire, Evil Fire was always just attached to her Martial Soul. As long as she got through the flare-up period, she could continue cultivating by finding Soul Master of the appropriate attribute to suppress it.

But now, that evil energy has taken root deep into the Martial Soul Origin like tree roots, and has even begun to devour and influence the Phoenix Flame.

Every time she activated her Martial Soul, she could clearly feel that Corrupt Power Sisi stronger in her meridians.

Ma Xiaotao clenched her Palm, looked up at Gu Mingyuan, her eyes bloodshot and her breathing labored.

"What... what did you just do to me?!"

Gu Mingyuan, sitting in his chair, was also observing Ma Xiaotao's changes. He said, "The Vice Cult Master is altering your Martial Soul. That bottle of medicine just now was the first time."

"First time?" Ma Xiaotao's voice was strained, her fingers gripping the corner of the blanket.

"Want to come again?"

Gu Mingyuan nodded. "Of course."

Ma Xiaotao stared blankly at her hand, which was stained with black flames.

A moment later, she clenched her fists tightly, extinguishing the flame in her palm, as if she didn't want to look at it again.

"The teacher said... as long as we reach Sunset Forest and find the Immortal Herb, there will be a way to wash away the Evil Fire..." she murmured softly, her eyes gradually reddening.

"We're almost there... Ming Capital there."

She endured so many years, suffering countless torments of the agonizing Evil Fire within her, finally hoping for a complete eradication. But she was so close, only to be intercepted and killed, leaving her in this inhuman, ghostly state.

Once that evil thought took root, she could never go back to Shrek.

Ma Xiaotao raised her head, wanting to yell and curse Gu Mingyuan, but the moment she opened her mouth, her throat tightened. All her pride and fierceness shattered in the face of reality, and she could only lower her head and clutch the rough bed sheet.

A few tears fell onto the back of her hand. She immediately raised her hand to wipe them away, but the more she wiped, the more the tears flowed.

Finally, this usually energetic and outgoing senior sister broke down, covered her face, and cried out in suppressed sobs.

Inside the dilapidated house, only muffled sobs remained.

Gu Mingyuan sat by the bed for a while, looking at the woman in front of him who was crying and trembling, and asked in confusion, "Are you still Ma Xiaotao?"

Ma Xiaotao shrugged, didn't look up, just covered her face and cried silently, not wanting to pay any attention to him.

Gu Mingyuan shook his head, seemingly bored by her current weakness and unwilling to watch her collapse any longer.

He turned and walked towards the door.

He paused before reaching the threshold:

If you can't change it, you can only accept it.

"If you can't accept it, a 'new Ma Xiaotao ' will naturally come along to accept it for you in the future."

After saying that, he stepped out of the door and closed it behind him.