Chapter 4Phoenix Unwritten

My heart bled as I gently took my daughter from Willow’s protective arms.

Phoebe’s tiny body was covered in marks of abuse.

Half of her golden-red fuzz had been brutally pulled out, revealing seeping, raw skin beneath.

Her back and wings were covered in charred scabs—the unforgiving scars of the Soul-Rending Brand.

What pained me most was the instability of her soul. Forcefully hatched, it was fragmented and liable to collapse at any moment.

I could barely breathe from the agony.

In a thousand years, I had never felt such rage. Not even against the most ferocious demonic horde did I feel this pure, visceral urge to grind someone to dust.

The intrusive text was flashing hysterically before my eyes.

[How did the Phoenix God get here? She was supposed to be at the Maelstrom!]

[According to the plot, she shouldn't appear now! Did the story break?]

[The Phoenix God is so selfish! What if she abandoned the Grand Formation and the darkness breaks loose?]

[We’re screwed. The MC is in danger. The Phoenix God’s power is equivalent to a Peak Ascended Elder!]

Master Gideon subconsciously recoiled when he saw me.

Sera, however, was still desperately trying to project calm, feigning ignorance.

“Who are you? How dare you trespass on the Aetherium Citadel and try to steal my familiar?”

I poured a small measure of spiritual energy into my daughter. When I looked up again, my eyes were molten with killing intent.

“You steal my child, and then pretend not to know me?

“Sera, you have a staggering nerve.”

Master Gideon’s face turned even paler. “Are you… the Phoenix Goddess?”

Sera’s eyes, however, were narrowed and viciously focused on me.

“Impossible! With the demonic energy rising, the Phoenix God would be busy at the Maelstrom Abyss. How could she be here?

“You must be a fake! Willow sent you to frighten me!”

She spun on Willow, her voice full of false indignation. “Willow, to try a cheap trick like impersonating a deity just to seize my familiar? I am utterly disappointed in you!”

The intrusive text immediately supported her.

[MC is so smart. She saw right through the False Saintess’s dirty trick!]

[This Willow is so annoying. She found an imposter to take the Phoenix!]

[Don’t be scared, Girl Boss. Expose their true colors and show them your power!]

I let the True Fire around me leap higher. The temperature of the air instantly became suffocating.

“My patience is limited. Sever the contract now, and I will spare your life.

“Continue this delusion, and I will drown the Aetherium Citadel in blood.”

Sera stood her ground, her neck stiff with defiance.

“This is my contracted familiar. No one has the right to take it! Even if you are the true Phoenix God, you cannot be so unreasonable!”

I scoffed, intending to use the raw power of my True Fire to subdue her. Unexpectedly, a dark, heavy light shone from her body.

The intrusive text roared with laughter.

[Didn't see that coming! The Girl Boss touched the Primordial Titan’s Tomb and ground its bones into defensive armor!]

[With the Titan Shell, the Phoenix God can't hurt her!]

[The Phoenix God is going to lose. The MC is the Chosen One. She cannot lose!]

When I read the content of the intrusive text, my anger reached a boiling point.

The Primordial Titan was a celestial beast born alongside me, our bond deeper than blood. It sacrificed its life and body to seal another great demonic chasm.

Its remains were revered by the human cultivators as a sacred relic.

Sera, far from showing reverence, had desecrated the Titan’s divine body, using its bones for a frivolous defense—an act worse than any demon’s.

Sera saw that her shield held and a smug, victorious smile spread across her face.

“You brought this upon yourself!” she declared, condensing a sword-like spiritual energy and lunging at me.

My Avatar, being only a feather, was struggling. It began to fade, becoming translucent.

“Mama!” Phoebe sensed the danger and cried out anxiously.

Sera’s smile widened, her triumph complete.

As my Avatar dissolved completely, the intrusive text erupted in a celebration.

[Girl Boss wins!]

[HAHAHA. The Phoenix God is nothing special after all!]

[Next up is the puppet refinement. Can’t wait to see the MC’s skills!]

My daughter saw the Avatar vanish and screamed, thrashing in a desperate attempt to lunge at Sera.

“I’ll kill you! I’ll avenge my mother!”

Sera grabbed her wing, her red robes snapping in the hot wind.

“You? You think you can stand against me?”

I watched it all unfold from the Maelstrom Abyss. The last sliver of my mercy for Sera vanished.

I had intended to spare her life. But now, she didn't deserve it.

Ignoring the panicked shouts of the cultivators behind me, I beat my massive wings and soared toward the Aetherium Citadel.

Did they say the strongest rules?

Then I would show them what true strength looked like.