To question a woman’s gender, especially a woman who was so beautiful it seemed as though she came out of a painting, was extremely disrespectful. In fact, these thoughts would have appeared in a sane person’s mind in the first place.
But Margrethe was technically still eight, and a child’s imagination is something truly impressive… so impressive it had guessed something either Julia, nor the owner, nor Cai Hua, nor Glafx, or anything else had. Margrethe, through her belief that man was shameless creatures, had come to a truly amazing conclusion.
If the person hearing this was anyone else, they would assuredly lose their mind and release a barrage of attacks, or they would have assumed this was an attempt to divert their attention, choosing to completely ignore these words in the face place.
But the person receiving these words were Ovid and these words that were akin to reaching down into the ocean and trying to pull out a needle was actually true.
Ovid had no reservation about his identity from the very beginning. He answered, “Yes.”
Hearing this, Margrethe was silent for a moment, then asked, “And my blood, have you consumed it?”
Ovid recalled that he had indeed swallowed that vial of true phoenix blood after channelling through the mana of Tanin through his body. It was only through the powerful fire suppressing nature of the blood that he had prevented the overflown mana completely incinerating his body, dying a horrifying death and reduced to ashes.
Ovid replied with the same word, thought his voice now contain a sense of gratitude in his voice, “Yes.”
A perplexed expression appeared on Margreth’s face, appearing extremely unsightly. Her eyes began to glow red, and as the surrounding temperature around her rose, the scarlet hair that flowed off her shoulders had begun to float with the air.
Phoenix blood was one of the most precious things in the world while the first blood of a phoenix could content for the most precious thing in the world, along with the dragon’s horn and fragments of the natural world’s will.
To have her purest first blood be wrongfully taken in a sneak attack was already a tragedy, but for it to be consumed by a man…
Ovid had no idea that his actions had such an issue regarding it. Perhaps it was because he still held the worldview coming from his old world that blood was simply plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. If he had known that it was so taboo, he would have at least not so straightforwardly drank it. As for the deeper meaning behind consuming a phoenix’s first blood, he was completely unaware of it, even speaking out with feelings of gratitude for Margrethe had indirectly saved his life.
Only when he saw Margrethe’s burning eyes and floating red hair did he realise he had made a mistake. But he didn’t know what was wrong in the first place, and could only ask, “If I have done anything wrong, please tell me. As long as you are not asking for my life, I will definitely comply.”
Ovid was somewhat of an introvert, but he had grown more social under Anna’s influence. Yet in this situation, it was really better if he had not talked at all.
Margrethe’s expression grew uglier and uglier, her hair began to dance around her widely while her breathing hastened.
There were several harsh cries.
Without any warning, she coughed up a mouthful of blood. The blood began to burn under the torrent rain, showing no sign of extinguishing.
This blood was also a phoenix’s true blood cultivated through hundreds of incarnations, carrying a blazing heat that could even rival the sun.
Thought it wasn’t her first blood, it was still extremely precious. Even in a life and death battle, it would only be used in the most critical of moments. For her to use it at this moment meant that she had truly gone crazy with anger. The only thought in her mind was to kill this man infront of her.
The flame continued to sway in the wind, becoming more concentrated as Margrethe’s body trembled slightly. When it was about to materialise, the edges vaguely moved up and down, forming a needle-like object.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
With a whoosh, the flame that seemed about to extinguish at any time pierced through the curtains of heavy rain and shot toward Ovid.
Fire is a truly strange concept, one cannot touch flames, only it’s fuel. But the fuel was made of Margrethe’s valuable true blood, so it was impossible to extinguish. Ovid could not use the sword in his hand to chop the flames into pieces. In the blink of an eye, Ovid thought of countless ways to extinguish that blaze, from using his mana to trap the true blood or some other means, but he discovered no method could stop it.
Suddenly, he recalled something he had neglected for a long time. Fortunately, his memory was quite good, and he recalled it at this moment.
The ‘thing’ Ovid recalled at this moment was that strange pearl Julia had placed in him. It carried with it a sliver of a god’s essence that was far less in quantity than Cai Hua’s essence but was perfect in this situation.
Cai Hua had described that pearl as extremely ‘cold’ in property, even able to suppress the rampage of his mana the first time he had channelled Tanin’s essence. Since Margrethe’s trye blood rivals Tanin’s mana in ferocity, that pearl should be able to also suppress the flames of Margrethe.
This thought process was very simple, but it also made the most sense. Right when he channelled his mana into his heart, where the pearl lay, an extremely cold and pure feeling spread throughout his body. The blood in his body slowed its flow and seemed extremely lazy and tired. The mist surrounding him began to condense into ice, spreading out and freezing the rain surrounding him into shards of ice.
An extremely frigid sword intent diffused into the sword he was holding and subsequently the frozen aura surrounding him disappeared.
As one becomes more proficient at manipulating mana, the wasted mana from their actions will gradually decrease before sainthood, where every drop of mana is used with complete efficiency. The frigid sword intent seemed to have disappeared but had in truth, been completely contained within Cai Hua’s sword, fusing with its original sword intent. Now the sword gives off a faint, aloof feeling, causing the warmth of the world to disappear.
It was the effect Ovid want.
He tightens the grip on the cheap pig steel sword and proceeds to swing it at the incoming flame.
Only an angry cry of a phoenix could be heard from the violent flames. Afterwards, without a sound, the blazing true blood at the core of the intense flame turned solid. The impossibly hot true blood was immediately frozen by the bleak sword intent that was emitted by the sword.
Shock. Absolute Shock. Margrethe’s small face grew paler than imaginable. Even Ulrika watching Julia widen her eyes in disbelief. Ulrika’s expression then turned solemn as she sent a message to Margrethe.
Rain pelted Margrethe’s face, turning into mist as it flowed down.
Her face took on a white, snow-like hue akin to perfect marble. The flames in her eyes were slowly extinguished, and a conflicted feeling took its’ place. Between her disdain for Ovid and helplessness from all the trump cards Ovid had in his hand, she really had one option left. To use this option would be extremely humiliating since Ovid was not yet a saint, it was akin to admitting defeat.
Of course, Ovid had admitted defeat since the moment he had beseeched Cai Hua for his sword intent.
Margrethe did not act for a while before she said to Ovid, “You really are a shameless bastard.”
Ovid received the insult and said nothing.
Margrethe raised her hand to the sky and was engulfed by flames. The flame grew larger and larger, swallowing entire sections of the city.
The world trembled, volcanos in the Afiloxenos Ocean erupted in response and the monsters sealed beneath the Straton confluence grew restless.
As a phoenix descends, its’ presence was made known to this world.
---
The closest part of the world to Margrethe was Julia’s palace.
“Sister, the enemy of your enemy is your friend. Since the natural world wants to kill you, it’s in your interest to raise another tiger to help you. If Ovid dies early, it is only beneficial to the natural world.”
Anna calmly made a gesture of courtesy as she calmly concluded, “Saving Ovid’s life will also make her (him) indebted to you. Only good will come of it.”
A well worn armest made of some unknown material was slowly fondled under a pair of delicate hands. Both the hand and the object were so smooth just like a marble statue, perfect, everlasting, silent and indifferent.
Julia gazed at Anna standing before her, revealing a faint smile that seemed to contain a great affection. Despite this affection, she said nothing.
Anna’s curtsy was without fault, everything was in the right place, everything except her heart.
Julia was a little satisfied that Anna was smart enough to know that she would never save Ovid just based on sentimental reasons.
It seemed that Anna had truly matured over the time she had spent with Ovid. But unfortunately, it had also made the girl sentimental.
Attachment is a poison, and Anna had her entire being soaked in the attachment.
Anna could not accept Ovid’s death, she was even willing to beg like a dog if it meant saving his life. That alone was enough for Ovid to die in Julia’s eyes.
Anna, of course, wasn’t aware of the chilling thoughts behind Julia’s smile.
“If sister, you agree, I will make sure she (he) never disobey you.”
Julia’s smile faded, leaving behind an expression of apathy and laziness. “If she (he) really is a part of an outsider’s plot, then not just the natural world will be affected.”
Anna replied, “Sister, you are without peer in this world. Even if it is destroyed, you will still be alive.”
“That what will I rule over? An endless stretch of space that freezes anything it touches? Alexander’s greatest mistake was ascending to godhood - if he had not, perhaps I would not be sitting on this throne today. But now he is a self-exile and I rule over a rich land my previous self would envy.”
When Julia mentioned Alexander, there was nothing except hatred and mockery. She hated him for humiliating her, and she mocked him for being a disgrace who ascended into the celestials.
“When you and Ovid reached my ravine one hundred thousand years back, I just happened to notice his body and soul was unusual. At that time, Cai Hua had expended every bit of his power to prevent me from finding out your companion’s origin. Even when he was made aware of his disciple’s danger, he still acted foolishly.”
Julia’s voice was gradually growing colder.
Anna was keenly aware that before the plot was in motion, Julia would have to make a move.