(Su Bai's POV)

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She let her muzzle fall back and gazed into the infinite blue sky. She let her thoughts surge looking at the magnificent nature before her, how she wish she were like the earth, fostering multiple colorful flowers and witnessing the beauty of birth and death. The tremendous redwood trees stood so innumerable, soaring above they locked the sky out with their thickly entwined branches. Molden golden light gushed from the gap in the trees slightly blinded she squinted her eyes. She had a goal coming here today, above her nestled in the trees was the nest of a certain bird.

There were many legends surrounding the phoenix, immortality, or granting one wish to those who caught it. Yet, she knew the rumors were false the phoenix was just a beast like any other, it could be killed. She came here to receive an egg if she did maybe just maybe she'd be able to give her child a better life.

「I cannot fail!?!?」

She assured herself, for many days she had been lying in wait. It wasn't as simple as confronting the phoenix, no she'd be shred apart for just daring a thing. The phoenix was a third stage, spirit emergent cultivator of the red level. She'd be dispatched with one sweep of its talons, she'd have to be cautious. It spread its blazing crimsons wings and took flight, perfect it was time for its hunt she'd strike now. She embedded her claws into the trunk of the tree and hauled her body upwards. When she reached the nest her face lit up in delight, success. In the nest laid a lone egg, black in color.

「Strange, it shouldn’t be this color!?!

She shook her head and gently grasped the egg in her maw. She had gotten what she came for, now she'd make her retreat.                             

✦

She inspected her young-year-old pup. He was covered in cuts and his fur was matted with blood. He had come running at her call arriving from deep within the forest. Her mouth curled down in a frown, couldn't this boy of hers behave for one day? She wanted to protect the young pup however she didn't want to coddle him.

「Explain.」

「I-I fought w-with the hedge fox trio..」

「And why was that?」

she questions her voice laced with her displeasure. The young black pup's ears flattened and his body seemed to cower.

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「I-I was protecting the Luln」

She sighed. There was nothing she could do about this little rascal in a way it reminded her of her mate when he was young.

「Run along and fetch me some wood.」

「Yes, mother!」

For dinner, she'd cook the underdeveloped bird for her child. She’d start a flame with her element, fire. Elemental wolves pelts would mimic the owner's element. Her pelt was a ruby red with streaks of white running through it, her elements were both fire and ice. She was a rare dual elemental wolf that would only appear every few centuries.

✦

She glared at the elder white wolf before her, behind him were three other wolves. They had arrived shortly at their humble cave after dinner was over. These four wolves were from her old pack, Nightstar Valley Pack. She felt her insides twist in rage, the elder white wolf that stood before her was her father. Gu Zhan was the proud alpha of the pack. She had scorned him, he had banned her and her mate to the furthest recess of Yol Forest.

She fell in love with her mate, Zi Zhong when she had met him one fateful day. He was an outsider a lone wolf without a pack, yet that wasn't what had made her father detest him. He was born without an element, his pelt a soft gray. As the alpha’s daughter and rare duel element wolf her father had been against them being mates. Zi Zhong came through the door with a frown on his face.

「What are you doing here?」

He growled out coming to stand next to me. He was a very protective mate and was irritated with the intrusion.

「Shut it, outsider!」

One wolf with a green pelt had growled back.

「Your boy is to attend the elemental affinity test next week.」

Gu Zhan said with an authoritative tone. Her stomach sunk, she knew her son was a elementless wolf just as his father was. At birth the pups pelt would shine for moment displaying their element, his pelt did not. Attending the test would just shame and embarrass him. Only when awakening would a wolf's true element show. After awakening, one would be an early stage, spirit initiate of the blue layer. She and her mate were only late fourth stage spirit initiate. Every layer had certain levels and thresholds, the first four layers were comprised of nine levels. They couldn't hold a candle to eighth stage peak blue layer that Gu Zhan had cultivated.

「If he does not arrive on time I will personally come to fetch him.」

His voice was threatening as he turned and left with the three other wolves.

「Zi Zhong, what are we to do?」

Zi Zhong frowned he himself was clueless. As the provider of his family her couldn't waste his time looking for a solution.

「I don't know...」

She suddenly had a thought but wouldn't share it with her mate if he knew he'd stop her. She'd take the egg of a phoenix, she knew where that particular bird roosted. With the egg of the phoenix, her child held a slim chance to gain the element of fire. She had begun her hunt.