Chapter Seventy-Seven: Coming of Age
“Caw! Caw! Caw!”
As an ancient and proud supernatural creature, the phoenix possessed a strong sense of shame. After being sharply rebuked by the black dragon teacher, it immediately flapped its wings in agitation, letting out a shrill cry.
Flames danced in its blood-red eyes, and even tears began to fall.
Sigh…
The black dragon felt a pang of sympathy—not out of pity, but because it noticed the tears shed by the phoenix quickly crystallized into fiery red gems, each shimmering with astonishing hues and rhythms. They were, in all likelihood, rare magical artifacts.
Phoenix Tears!
With such material and allure, they would surely rival traditional gemstones. If auctioned, even a single drop could fetch millions…
The black dragon secretly mused, torn between excitement and regret. It was thrilled to discover yet another lucrative prospect on the phoenix; if it could claim the creature, it wouldn’t have to make it do anything. Just a couple of punches every day to make it cry for a few minutes, and the profits would roll in.
Yet, given the moment, it was clearly inappropriate to collect those tears. Not only would it ruin the mood, but it would also expose the black dragon’s greedy nature. How could it ever establish the persona of a wise mentor or a conscientious capitalist?
So, the black dragon teacher could only endure the agony of losing a fortune, speaking earnestly to the phoenix,
“Don’t cry, don’t cry. What good will crying do? What matters most right now is that you feel shame, then rise with courage. Strive to learn knowledge and culture, improve yourself, transform yourself!”
“I know it may be difficult for a bird like you to study human knowledge and language…”
“But we have no choice! Why? Because only knowledge can change fate!”
The black dragon’s tone rose and fell, “Your world, your horizons in the past were far too small. You only guarded your own tiny territory, lacking experience in bird-life. Both your vision and your breadth of knowledge are sorely lacking!”
“So you must enrich yourself with more knowledge, arm yourself with superior ideas! Establish the correct worldview, values, and philosophy of bird-life!”
The black dragon looked steadfastly at the phoenix.
“Remember: learning isn’t just about changing your own destiny, it’s about changing the fate of your entire species!”
“You’re not only studying for yourself, but for the great revival of your kind!”
“Remember, this is the historic mission entrusted to you. You cannot shirk it, cannot slack off, and must not flee from it!”
…
The phoenix tilted its head, its eyes red and fixed upon the black dragon, its whole body trembling with excitement. Clearly, the teacher’s words had deeply moved it.
To restore the glory of our ancestors is our unshakable duty!
For the honor of the phoenix!
Countless voices of fury echoed within its soul, its blood boiling, and its usually restless thoughts became, for once, clear.
The curse lingering on the bloodline of the phoenix clan for tens of thousands of years began, at last, to loosen.
Not only did the phoenix undergo a transformation, but even the flaming tree beneath it suddenly erupted with powerful energy, continuously surging into the phoenix’s body.
The power of rhetoric… No, the art of language—could it truly be so potent?
The black dragon stared, dumbfounded. Never had it expected that its rambling nonsense would ignite the phoenix’s inner cosmos, directly stimulating its evolution towards adulthood.
“In that sense, being uneducated isn’t entirely a bad thing—it makes them easier to fool and indoctrinate…”
The black dragon pondered, momentarily wavering on whether to adjust the phoenix’s study plan. If it learned too well, became too intelligent, and started opposing the blessings of relentless work, wouldn’t the one who suffers in the end be itself?
No, wait… I am a socialist dragon, why do I keep thinking like a capitalist?
Although I am massive, there probably aren’t streetlights tall enough to hang me in this country… Still, I must remain self-aware, not be too greedy, not act too outrageously!
Though I’ve become a dragon, I must never turn into one that harms the nation or its people!
The black dragon reflected deeply, then noticed something amiss with the phoenix.
Power continued pouring into the phoenix, yet there was no qualitative change. Instead, the bird quickly became overwhelmed, struggling in agony!
It seemed an invisible curse was locking its body and bloodline, forcibly suppressing its growth and preventing its breakthrough.
“Serves you right for trying to evolve recklessly!”
The black dragon scolded, but was inwardly anxious. If it couldn’t find a way to relieve this bird’s burning energy soon, it might just explode!
But what could the black dragon do? For ordinary poultry, a bit of medicinal herb might help, but for a giant phoenix, such remedies were useless.
“Heart… what do you think?”
After much deliberation, the black dragon finally humbled itself to consult its mysterious heart.
“What? You’re suggesting I bite it, make a hole, and help draw out the energy?”
The idea surfaced in the dragon’s mind, and it immediately grew serious. “You mean you can absorb and digest… the raging annihilation energy within the phoenix?”
…
“Well, aren’t you something—you can absorb electricity, gold, and now even the primal force of other beings! Are you some sort of universal charger?”
…
“This solution is out of the question. You still haven’t explained your origins to the organization! The brain doesn’t trust you; come up with another idea!”
…
“You want a hundred grams of gold as a consultation fee… What greed! No way, ten grams at most, take it or leave it.”
…
“Twenty grams, for the sake of supplying blood to the brain.”
…
“Forty grams, not a gram more. If you ask for more, the brain will turn on you!”
…
“…Try igniting its totemic fire?”
The black dragon received the suggestion and mused, “You’re saying the phoenix’s bloodline totem has been tainted and cursed, and it can’t ignite, which is why it’s so miserable?”
“But the temperature in its body must be hundreds of thousands of degrees Celsius by now, and still its totemic fire won’t ignite. What can I possibly do… Wait, maybe there is a way.”
“Lightning!”
A sudden inspiration struck the black dragon. The phoenix’s change in attitude had always followed a jolt of electricity, suggesting that the high-energy lightning produced locally and refined by its own heart truly could break curses!