Evan Chu stood quietly in the pit, watching the charred body of the Violet Thunder Fox. An inexplicable wave of emotion surged in his heart. At that moment, arcs of electricity began to crackle over the fox's body, making sharp snapping sounds. Evan knew she was enduring unbearable pain, but there was nothing he could do to help.
After a long while, the lightning gradually faded. Subtle changes appeared on the Violet Thunder Fox’s body—Evan saw one of her tails slowly shrink and vanish. Witnessing this, he understood: she had willingly dropped a whole cultivation realm, all for the chance to stay with him.
As her tail disappeared, a dazzling violet light suddenly flashed from her body. A monster‑beast egg, about the size of a washbasin, quietly lay in the sand pit, its surface still flickering with traces of lightning.
Evan wanted to place the Violet Thunder Fox’s egg directly into the Timewheel Bracelet, but with his cultivation suppressed, he couldn’t access it for now. He’d have to wait until after ascending to the Immortal Realm. For the moment, he could only store the egg in his storage ring.
After finishing everything, Evan flew out of the sand pit and said to Tom Chu, “Tom, send me out. I’ve spent so many days in here—my ascension is getting closer. It’s time to say goodbye to everyone.”
“Big Brother, that Violet Thunder Fox really loves you. She’d rather lower her cultivation just to be with you—it’s honestly moving.” Tom Chu said.
“Yeah, and this is the second time. Back when I asked her to form a soul contract, she refused—she truly wants to be my woman. There aren’t many women so devoted; I won’t let her down.” Evan said.
A flash of yellow light, and Evan appeared inside Frostbane Sect. It was already deep into the night, and everyone was asleep. As he headed to his room, he noticed fire‑red light flickering from Roxanne Lin’s chamber. Curious, he quietly used Earthshift to slip into her room.
Inside, he saw Roxanne Lin suspended in midair, her entire body wreathed in flames as if she was on the verge of a breakthrough. Just as he was about to leave, Roxanne suddenly said, “Lin Feng, help me—pour fire element into me.”
Those few simple words made Evan pause. He was hidden within the earth, yet she’d sensed him—how strange. He surfaced and asked, “Do you really need fire element?”
“I’ve succeeded in my Nirvana! In a moment, I’ll turn into a Phoenix egg. After forty-nine days—seven times seven—I’ll be restored to my true self, and then I can go to the Immortal Realm with you!” Roxanne exclaimed, her voice bursting with joy.
“No way—you went through all that torture just so you could go to the Immortal Realm with me? Do you realize how dangerous this is? How can you attempt Nirvana without Divine Parasol Tree Wood?” Evan blurted out, his shock and worry written all over his face.
“That’s what I learned in my inheritance memory during these last few days of seclusion,” Roxanne explained, her eyes shining. “If a phoenix tries their first Nirvana without Divine Parasol Tree Wood, they have to burn themselves with their own flames for three days and three nights. If they endure, and if there’s enough fire-element energy or a powerful external fire, they can pull it off. If not, their own flames might incinerate them completely.
I knew you’d be back soon, so I dared to gamble everything—and I actually made it! I’m so happy!” Roxanne said, her joy overflowing.
“Yeah, you really did succeed. But if I hadn’t come back in time, you could’ve been burned to ashes! Roxanne, you’re usually so calm and rational—how could you be so reckless now? If anything happened to you, what would I do? Honestly, I don’t even know what to say to you…” Evan sighed, helpless and worried.
“Don’t worry about me. My inheritance memory says that any Scarlet Phoenix with Phoenix blood will never be destroyed by their own flames. I’m a true Phoenix—so I knew I could risk it. Soon, I’ll turn into a Phoenix egg. When the time comes, just take me out from your storage ring,” Roxanne reassured him.
Just as Evan was about to say more, Roxanne flared with fiery scarlet light once again. In the next instant, a monster-beast egg, about the same size as the Violet Thunder Fox’s, quietly appeared in his hands…
He stared at the egg in his palms, still feeling the residual warmth and the faint traces of phoenix fire lingering on its shell. Just moments ago, Roxanne Lin had been blazing through the sky as a majestic Scarlet Phoenix—now, she was quietly resting in his hands, transformed into a Phoenix egg. The contrast was so surreal that Evan could hardly believe it.
Everyone stared in awe, not daring to speak. Evan gently tucked the Phoenix egg into his storage ring, his heart pounding with worry and anticipation. He knew that in forty-nine days, Roxanne would break out of her shell, reborn and even stronger than before.
He took a deep breath, glancing at the night sky where the echoes of the phoenix cry still lingered. This night, everything had changed—Roxanne Lin had risked her life for Nirvana, just to follow him to the Immortal Realm. The weight of her sacrifice pressed heavily on his heart.
Selena Yale and the others slowly gathered around, their faces a mix of shock and admiration. The disciples whispered among themselves, marveling at the legendary Phoenix Nirvana they’d just witnessed. Tonight, the Frostbane Sect had seen a miracle.
Evan lingered for a long moment, clutching the storage ring tightly. This was the price his companions were willing to pay—risking everything, even their lives, just to walk the same path as him. His heart surged with both pride and guilt.
He looked up at the stars, silently vowing that when the day of ascension came, he would bring everyone with him—no matter the cost. The Immortal Realm was waiting, and so were the people who had staked their futures on him.
As the crowd slowly dispersed, Evan remained alone beneath the moonlight, the Phoenix egg and Violet Thunder Fox’s egg weighing heavily in his storage ring. Two lives, two destinies—both entrusted to him for the journey ahead.
He closed his eyes, feeling the pulse of star power and dragon force in his veins. No matter how bitter, how humiliating, or how hopeless the road ahead seemed, he would fight on. For himself, for his companions, for the hope of reunion in the Immortal Realm.
Tonight, the Frostbane Sect was silent, but Evan’s heart burned hotter than ever. He would not let anyone down. Not Roxanne Lin, not the Violet Thunder Fox, not a single person who had chosen to follow him.
As the first rays of dawn crept over the horizon, Evan Chu stood alone, ready to face whatever trials the heavens would throw at him next.