Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Ancestral Phoenix’s Recognition, Bone Sword Claims Its Master

The System’s flat electronic voice answered without mercy.

“Because the mission failed, her Phoenix Fortune returned with a soul that broke free of control. Reminder to host: our interference can no longer be hidden from this world’s Heavenly Dao. If you still can’t seize Lin Zhao’s last shred of Phoenix Fortune, then even if the System does not carry out a humane death, the Heavenly Dao will erase you.”

Chen Luo Luo’s lips trembled. “As long as Lin Zhao dies, I can get her Phoenix Fortune, right?”

“Yes.”

Hatred surged through Chen Luo Luo’s chest. A vicious light flashed in her eyes.

“System,” she said, teeth gritted, “open the side quest to win over the Demon Venerable. Her death alone isn’t enough. I want Lin Zhao to offer her bones and blood to me while she’s alive. After she dies, she must fall into the demonic path, be cursed by ten thousand people, and never be reborn!”

Lin Zhao did not know the full extent of Chen Luo Luo’s malice, but she had always assumed the worst of her.

Killing intent surged.

Lin Zhao’s sword rose. She did not hesitate.

She swung.

Chen Luo Luo’s slender neck parted cleanly. Her head hit the ground with a dull thud.

Lin Zhao wiped the blood that had splashed onto her cheek. Her breath came slow and steady, controlled by sheer will.

Then she looked up.

A Golden Phoenix phantom had appeared in the air before her, luminous and vast.

“Girl,” the phantom said, voice carrying a strange ancient weight, “your murderous aura is heavy.”

It circled Lin Zhao once, then sighed. “Your talent is ordinary, but your will has grit.”

Lin Zhao’s hand tightened around her sword. “Are you the Bone Sword’s Sword Spirit?”

The Golden Phoenix did not answer directly. “Do you want the Heavenly Phoenix Bone Sword?”

“If I can,” Lin Zhao said evenly, “of course I want it.”

The phantom’s gaze sharpened. “I have wandered across several continents and met suitable people. They all failed in the end. Do you know why?”

Lin Zhao guessed, “They couldn’t withstand the Bone Sword’s power?”

A faint amusement flickered through the Golden Phoenix’s eyes. “No. Those who could earn the Bone Sword’s recognition had extraordinary talent. They failed because of their character.”

Its wings folded slightly.

“The path of cultivation is never smooth. I can glimpse past and future, so I set up two trials for you.”

Lin Zhao steadied her breathing.

“The first tests courage. The second tests wisdom.” The phantom’s tone grew quieter. “The last is the hardest of all. Most heavenly prodigies fall there.”

It paused, then looked at her as if seeing through bone and soul.

“But you passed even before you came.”

Lin Zhao blinked, stunned. “Am I really that lucky?”

The Golden Phoenix shook its head. “Lucky? Do you call it luck to have your Phoenix Fortune stolen as a child, be humiliated at your wedding as a teenager, and be forced to commit suicide as a young adult?”

Lin Zhao went silent.

There was no need to dig the knife deeper.

“Yesterday’s cause, today’s effect,” the phantom said, voice like distant bells. “The brave fear nothing. The benevolent are invincible.”

Its gaze held Lin Zhao’s. “From the moment the Hong Hu accepted you, you passed half this trial.”

A White Phoenix descendant would not recognize a heart without merit.

“Heavenly prodigies often sail smoothly and never truly suffer,” the phantom continued. “They may have righteousness, yet never see the world’s pain. You were born extraordinary, yet met hardship again and again. Even after injustice, even after misfortune, you still sought the Dao.”

Its voice softened.

“Your will is tougher than most. From this day on, Lin Zhao, you are the Bone Sword’s master.”

The scene rippled.

When Lin Zhao’s vision cleared, a pale green longsword hovered before her. With a thought, she reached out.

The sword flew into her hand as obediently as if it had always belonged there.

Granny’s figure floated out nearby. When she saw the Bone Sword acknowledge its master so quickly, shock flickered across her face.

“What did you just see?” Granny demanded.

Lin Zhao recounted the trials briefly—carefully, smoothly, leaving out the truth of her rebirth.

When she finished, she met Granny’s expression and frowned. “Is something wrong?”

Granny sucked in a breath. “Is something wrong? The Heavenly Phoenix Bone Sword was forged from Ancestral Phoenix’s spine. Where would a Sword Spirit come from?”

Lin Zhao’s pupils shrank.

“What you saw,” Granny said, voice tight, “should have been Ancestral Phoenix’s Lingering Soul!”

No wonder it could see through her.

For a creator venerable divine lord, even a single wisp of Lingering Soul could do this with ease.

“This sword is filled with spirituality,” Granny said, forcing herself calmer. “Once bound to your soul, it will change with your cultivation. Your spiritual energy is green right now, so it turned green.”

She lifted her chin. “Now try using it under the first level of the Phoenix Pulse Art. See what special power it has.”

Lin Zhao focused.

She drove the Hong Hu Sword Art.

Sword light coursed through her body. Her eyes lit.

In the next instant, her movement blurred into afterimages. Her body grew light—too light. She pushed off the ground, and pale green wings of spiritual energy unfolded behind her.

One beat.

She shot into the air.

This speed and height far surpassed ordinary Sword Flight.

The only problem was the drain. With the Phoenix Pulse Art still only Fourth-grade, Lin Zhao couldn’t sustain it. In the end, she had to come down awkwardly with Sword Flight.

“A speed boost and aerial flight,” Granny said with satisfaction. “When your Phoenix Pulse Art rises in grade, the Heavenly Phoenix Bone Sword will break its seals layer by layer along with it. The abilities it unlocks will satisfy you.”

Lin Zhao’s eyes brightened. “It evolves with the Phoenix Pulse Art?”

“Of course.” Granny waved it off. “The Heavenly Phoenix Bone Sword evolves with its master’s power. The Phoenix Pulse Art has nine levels. You have a long road ahead.”

Lin Zhao looked down at the sword, then asked carefully, “In its current form… can others tell it’s the Heavenly Phoenix Bone Sword?”

A person is innocent; the treasure is the crime. Lin Zhao refused to invite another calamity like the one with Phoenix Fortune.

Granny snorted. “After it acknowledges its master, it disguises itself according to your strength until you can unleash its full power. At its current grade, it only looks like an upper-grade Treasure Artifact. Whether it advances into a Spirit Artifact depends on you.”

Lin Zhao exhaled, gaze sharpening with resolve.

Strength truly was urgent.

…

That afternoon, Su Bai knocked on Lin Zhao’s courtyard door.

He wore crimson robes today, neat and dazzling enough that Lin Zhao felt, for a moment, as if every strand of his hair had been refined. Compared to her own casual blue dao robe, she truly lived like a wild person.

“Sister,” Su Bai said, eyes bright, “you were looking for me?”

“Yes.” Lin Zhao smiled. “Didn’t I say I’d treat you to a meal? Come on. Sister has money now—you can pick anywhere.”

Su Bai’s eyes lit up. “Then I won’t be polite.”

If the news was right, Shen Yu Han had begged Immortal Maiden Ling Yao to let him come see Lin Zhao despite his injuries. By now, he should have arrived.

And he would probably be at the most luxurious restaurant in Lin Family City.

Even if Sister no longer cared about him, Su Bai didn’t mind nailing the coffin shut.