"It's a miracle! My powers are starting to return! Hahaha!" Madam Feng danced around like an excited little girl after seeing her golden eyes in the mirror.
Meanwhile, Yuan and the other two girls were staring at her with a dazed look on their faces.
What was she so excited about? What did she mean by 'her powers are back' when she's already at the Spirit Grandmaster realm?
"Umm… are you okay?" Yuan suddenly asked her.
"Hm?" Madam Feng immediately turned to look at Yuan, but her gaze towards him had changed significantly compared to previously, almost like she was seeing him in a new light!
She turned around and walked to him very quickly before stopping a meter away and lowering her body until both her knees were on the floor, and she proceeded to press her forehead onto the floor made of marble, kowtowing to Yuan.
"Esteemed guest… No, Young Master… Thank you very much for restoring my powers even if it's only slightly!" Madam Feng said to him.
"I… I don't really understand," Yuan said while scratching his head.
Madam Feng then said, "To tell you the truth, I am not exactly human. In fact, I am a Divine Beast— the Vermilion Phoenix."
"You're a phoenix?!" Yuan exclaimed in a shocked voice.
"No way…" Even Yu Rou and Xiao Hua were startled by this reveal by Madam Feng.
"Yes, however, due to some circumstances, my bloodline was cursed, and my powers have been sealed and I am forced to live my life as a human. I have been living such a life for over 10,000 years now." Madam Feng continued to reveal even more secrets about herself that she'd kept a secret for over 10,000 years.
"10,000 years!" Yuan cannot imagine living for so long and was greatly shocked to hear that Madam Feng had this much experience.
"So your powers have returned, huh? That's great to hear," Yuan said with a smile.
"Yes… But it's only a small amount, and I can still feel the curse restricting my body." Madam Feng sighed.
And then she lifted her head to look at Yuan with a hopeful gaze and continued, "However, Young Master… I believe your blood can help me remove this curse and allow me to be free once again."
"My blood?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a surprised manner.
"Yes. For some reason, I am attracted to your blood, and after drinking it, my curse weakened, so I can only assume that your blood has the ability to remove my curse." Madam Feng said.
"Therefore, I plead the Young Master for help! Please help get rid of this curse that has trapped me in this Lower Heavens for 10,000 years! I will do anything in return!"
After a moment of silence, Yuan spoke in a calm voice, "If my blood can really help you remove your curse, I would gladly help by giving you as much blood as you need. However, it requires time for my blood to recover, and I don't have the time to wait around, not to mention who knows how much blood you will need to fully remove that curse."
"That's right. Brother Yuan will soon climb the Stairway to Heaven until he reaches the peak. He doesn't have the time to linger in this small place," Xiao Hua also chimed in.
"Stairway to Heaven…?" Madam Feng looked at him with surprise, and she became silent.
"Are you okay?" Yuan asked her after she remained silent for a minute.
After blinking her eyes in a dazed manner a few times, Madam Feng suddenly said to Yuan, "Young Master… if you cannot stay here, then I will follow you until I am free of my curse! Of course, I won't selfishly request your help free of charge! Everything in this store— including myself— I shall bestow to the Young Master! As long as you let me follow you and consume your blood occasionally, you can do whatever you want with these treasures or my body!"
"Everything in this store?" Yuan looked at her with a gawking expression. He cannot imagine obtaining so many expensive treasures at once, and all he needed to do was share some of his blood.
"I won't ask you to give your treasures since I don't need so many treasures that I cannot use, and I don't want to feel greedy— like I'd taken advantage of you, who is currently in a bind because of a curse. I am satisfied with just the Phoenix Blood," Yuan said with a gentle smile on his face.
"..."
Seeing Yuan's blinding smile, Madam Feng narrowed her eyes before bowing to him again. "Thank you, Young Master!"
Madam Feng then said, "Young Master, may I have some of your blood again? Just a single drop will do."
Yuan nodded and extended his arm.
Madam Feng lifted her head and licked the wound on Yuan's palm.
A second later, the wound immediately disappeared, and a few more seconds later, a notification appeared before Yuan.
«Vermilion Phoenix has initiated a temporary servant contract with you!»
"Young Master, this one's full name is Feng Yuxiang or Feng Feng for short. Until my curse is lifted, I shall swear my allegiance to the Young Master and heed your every command without any complaints, and the Young Master can use my body as he pleases. Will the Young Master allow me to stay by your side?"
"Yes, I don't mind." Yuan nodded. It would benefit him to have another powerful ally by his side, anyway.
«You have accepted Vermilion Phoenix as your Servant!»
Name: Feng Yuxiang
Servant Grade: Divine
Master: Yuan
Cultivation: Ninth Level Spirit Grandmaster
Legacy: None
Bloodline: Ancient Phoenix Bloodline
Physique: Inextinguishable Immortal Fire
—
«Phoenix Fire»
«Rank: Heaven»
«Mastery Level: 5»
—
«Superior Sense»
«Rank: Heaven»
—
«Qi Manifestation»
«Rank: Earth»
—
«Fly»
«Rank: Earth»
—
«Undying Flames»
«Rank: Divine»
—
«Fire Immunity»
«Rank: Divine
—
«Cursed Bloodline»
«Rank: ???»
«Congratulations! Because you have obtained a Divine Beast as your Servant, you have been awarded the unique title 'Divine Beast Tamer'!»
After Yuan accepted Feng Yuxiang as his servant, an announcement appeared in the sky for every player to witness.
«Congratulations! Player Yuan has become the first player to obtain a Divine Beast Servant!»
The announcement immediately caused an uproar within the community, creating a wildfire on the internet shortly later.
"Divine Beast…?" Player White Lotus mumbled to herself as she stared at the announcement in the sky with a dazed expression on her face, and she turned to look at her Two-tailed Black Cat. As the first player to have obtained a Servant, she was naturally proud of herself. But after Player Yuan suddenly came out of the blue and obtained a Divine-grade Servant, her achievements were instantly overshadowed. Now that Player Yuan has obtained a Divine Beast, she might as well treat her achievement as though it'd never happened.
Meanwhile, back in Feng Yuxiang's room, Yu Rou and Xiao Hua were staring at Feng Yuxiang with a shocked expression on their faces.
"Brother… just obtained a phoenix as his Servant?" Yu Rou mumbled in a low voice. Although she couldn't help but be slightly envious of Yuan, she was also proud of him for yet another incredible achievement that will without doubt shake the entire world.
Xiao Hua, on the other hand, had an uncomfortable and indescribable feeling in her chest, almost like something important and special had been taken away from her.
"Thank you, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang said as she suddenly stood up and kissed Yuan on the cheeks.
"Ah!" Yu Rou shouted loudly after seeing this, her eyes wide with shock.
Sometime later, Yuan asked Feng Yuxiang, "I can call you Feng Feng, right? What are you going to do with this place if you are going to follow me?"
"Yes, the Young Master can address me as he pleases. As for the Phoenix Heaven, since I don't have anyone I trust enough to entrust them this place, I will simply close the store down since I won't have the time to manage it anymore," she responded.
"I see…" Yuan nodded, and he continued a moment later, "By the way… the Phoenix Blood…"
"Here is the Phoenix Blood, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang then handed him the jade slip that contained the Phoenix Blood.
"Oh yeah… since you are actually the Vermilion Phoenix, does this mean this blood is yours?" Yuan suddenly asked her.
"That's right, Young Master," Feng Yuxiang nodded, and she continued, "However, the blood within that jade slip was extracted from my body before I was cursed, so you can also say it's no longer my blood."
"How does the curse work, exactly?" Yuan then asked her.
"Well, it seals my cultivation base and suppresses it, not allowing me to ascend to the next realm no matter how much I cultivate, hence why I have been stuck in the Spirit Grandmaster realm for over 10,000 years now."
"Furthermore, it puts a restriction on my bloodline, forcing me to remain in my human form, and I cannot transform back into my phoenix form until the curse weakens enough."
"Does this mean you are actually much stronger than your current self?" Yuan continued to ask.
"That's right, Young Master. My real cultivation base is actually much higher because I was born in the higher realms. I am only stuck in this place now because if I would not survive in the higher realms with my current strength." Feng Yuxiang nodded.
"However, my powers should return as the curse weakens. So while I cannot assist the Young Master much in my current state, once my curse weakens and my powers slowly return, I will be of more use to the Young Master in the future," she said.