Davis floated in mid-air as the image of the light red Vermilion Bird appeared to be protecting him with its magnificent wings. However, that majestic image conjured from his soul force disappeared the next second as the vague aura receded, causing Sect Master Lea Weiss and Ancestor Cornelia to come out of their trance.
However, they still had their eyes wide, looking at Davis in incredulity.
“You… What is that…?”
Ancestor Cornelia still sounded shocked. It was as if she couldn’t believe what this Chu Feng had just shown them.
Anyone could form the image of a Vermilion Bird, but for the aura to feel vaguely like it, it was impossible!
She had never seen a Vermilion Bird or even sensed their aura in her two hundred and three thousand long years of life, but her instincts as a Burning Phoenix born between the union of a Fire Phoenix and Vermilion Bird could differentiate, slightly feeling a bit of familiarity from the aura he emitted.
Sect Master Lea Weiss was not able to speak a word as she didn’t know what to make of this as the Burning Phoenix Flames slightly reacted to this aura before it no longer reacted. It was as if it craved this aura, making her doubt what this actually signified.
Could it be that his cultivation manual for Soul Forging Cultivation was something that derived from the Vermilion Bird!?
“Is that what I think it is…?”
Ancestor Cornelia didn’t seem to wait for Davis’s reply as she once again asked, her crimson pupils trembling in deep excitement as well as confusion.
“Indeed, a Soul Forging Cultivation Manual that belongs to the Vermilion Bird, especially aiding those who possess the Vermilion Bird’s blood. It’s a pity that I don’t have the Vermilion Bird’s blood. Otherwise, I muse that it can significantly help me increase my soul force’s prowess.”
Davis smiled, looking smug as he explained. Their reactions served to increase his confidence in making this transaction succeed.
“Is… Is its name Incandescent Vermilion Soul Mantra…?” Ancestor Cornelia blinked, seemingly holding her breath with expectations gleaming in her crimson eyes.
Her old face was now bright like a young lady’s that Davis couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly, but her question made his mind reel.
She knew about it…?
‘Could it be that she is going to claim that this manual is theirs shamelessly…?’
Davis’s expression became confounded before he raised his brows.
“Ancestor Cornelia knows about the Incandescent Vermilion Soul Mantra?”
Ancestor Cornelia gasped while Sect Master Lea Weiss looked confused.
“Is it the true Incandescent Vermilion Soul Mantra!?”
The former’s eyes glowed in crimson light, making Davis feel that she was overreacting, but then, thinking that it was probably a big matter to them, the Burning Phoenix Ridge, he heavily nodded.
“It is indeed the original Incandescent Vermilion Soul Mantra. If you want to know more, answer my question.”
Ancestor Cornelia blinked, looking at Davis in wonder. She wondered how this Chu Feng was able to obtain something like this as she chose to answer his question subconsciously to know more.
“It’s one of the Ten Lost Manuals of the Four Grand Skyfire Magical Beasts, Fire Phoenix, Blazing Thunderlight Kirin, Fire Dragon, and the Vermilion Bird. It was said that they were burned by cultivators of time immemorial, afraid that it might give supremacy to the descendants of these superior magical beasts. Where under the heavens did you unearth it from…?”
‘Oh, something like that happened…’ Davis’s eyes lit up.
However… Ten lost manuals…? He couldn’t understand, but if he added three cultivation manuals each for the four magical beasts’ inheritance, each manual symbolizing the three cultivation systems of humans, it added up to twelve.
That meant two of these manuals weren’t lost.
He felt that the legacy of the Fire Dragon should still be with one of the Four Dragon Families, or perhaps the hidden dragon families. Conceivably, they only lost one or two of their manuals concerning any two of the cultivation systems.
‘Does this mean that the Earth Dragon Immortal also has other manuals that support Essence Gathering Cultivation and Soul Forging Cultivation…?’
‘Could it be that these other two manuals are only rewarded after completely inheriting the Immortal Inheritance…? It makes sense, but it also doesn’t. What if the essence and soul aren’t compatible with the inheritance anymore? They couldn’t simply tell the true inheritor to re-cultivate, could they…?’
Davis felt confused, but he felt that Isabella might have the answer. As soon as he could get back, he felt like this mystery might be revealed.
Furthermore, he even got some unexpected information about the Blazing Thunderlight Kirin.
‘So it was called one of the Four Grand Skyfire Magical Beasts in time immemorial. But is this allowed? Doesn’t the Blazing Thunderlight Kirin also have the lightning element to command?’
Davis felt that it was rather unfair to the other three magical beasts as it was fated that they would struggle against a magical beast like Blazing Thunderlight Kirin. Or was it that its prowess was undermined because it had two elements that it could control?
Were the heavens this fair? Or was there something else to it?
Nevertheless…
“That’s the name engraved on an old jade slip that I found in some tomb that I can’t mention. However, after I read the contents and understood a lot while still upholding memories of the verses, it broke. So…”
Davis pointed at his head, “It’s all in here, and you can’t obtain it unless you soulscour my memories or agree to one of my conditions.”
Ancestor Cornelia came back to herself, her eyes looking annoyed.
“What is the condition?”
“Simple, acknowledge a Blood Soul Contract that says that you are willing to protect Shirley until you die. As her master, I just lacked a powerful protector for her until I become a Soul Emperor, and look at you; you’re perfect.”
Shirley became stunned while the others also displayed similar reactions, especially Sect Master Lea Weiss, whose eyes were wide in incredulity.
What exactly was this Chu Feng taking their Ancestor as? A nanny!?
Ancestor Cornelia’s brows twitched.
She realized that ever since he displayed the Incandescent Vermilion Soul Mantra, he had become overly arrogant as if he truly had control over the situation. She didn’t like it one bit, but looking at the Soul Forging Cultivation that would help the sect, she digested her anger and spat it out.
“What does the contract entail?”
“I give your sect the Incandescent Vermilion Soul Mantra till the Mid-Level Emperor Grade part. For the remaining part that touches the Ninth Stage, prove to me that you can protect Shirley until you die, and then, I can give it to you.”
“Fine, I’ll do as you say…”
“Hehe, I thought so- Uh…?”
Davis became stupefied at this moment, looking at Ancestor Cornelia in incredulity.
“Are you kidding me…?” He couldn’t help but ask.
“Little Lea, bring me a Peak-Level Emperor Grade Blood Soul Contract from the Ancient Treasury…”
Ancestor Cornelia answered, causing Davis’s mind to reel while Sect Master Lea Weiss became stunned once again. She couldn’t follow their conversation, but being shot a look by Ancestor Cornelia, she turned around and left, leaving them in the hall as she absentmindedly looked down at the surface, the luxurious, heaven and earth energy-filled tiles not even entering her mind.
While the hall became silent, Davis looked at this Ancestor in confusion.
The way he imagined, it was supposed to go like ‘how dare you to ask me to be a protector’ to, ‘fine, you win…’ after he had dictated and made her understand that Ancestor Magnus Rein’s life, nor her life wasn’t anywhere valuable as this manual.
However, she looked like she reluctantly acquiesced even before he made her understand all these things, looking like she understood it herself.
“You’re more level-headed than I thought…”
He couldn’t help but praise as he commented.
“Hmph, this manual! If I can obtain it, it would be my life’s greatest achievement! On the other hand, protecting a little girl isn’t going to stop me from obtaining the Incandescent Vermilion Soul Mantra! After all, it’s just a few years…!”
Ancestor Cornelia narrowed her eyes and declared with intensity.
Davis stared at her, but he couldn’t see any greed. A magical beast didn’t need this manual. She was stronger than a human practicing with that, so the only reason she was doing this could be none other than for the betterment of the sect.
However, Davis’s eyes widened, feeling like he understood something about his own thoughts. Her not being evil or acting as an enemy to him left a bitter taste in his mind. She was choosing to compromise while he was still thinking about how to make her suffer, humiliate her while also standing to gain from her because if it weren’t for her, he would not feel threatened.
At this moment, Sect Master Lea Weiss returned quickly as her figure left a trail of burning phoenix flames. She cast a complex look at Davis, feeling that he actually asked the same thing from Ancestor Cornelia as she had promised Shirley before she reached out her hand, a Blood Soul Contract appearing in front of all of them.
Ancestor Cornelia raised her hands, extended her finger, and actually used her soul for engraving words on the Peak-Level Emperor Grade Blood Soul Contract. Soon, she finished writing without delay and pushed it towards Davis without imbuing her blood.
“State your conditions…”
Davis saw the space on the right side of the Blood Soul Contract before he, too, raised his hand and began to write his conditions at the same time he checked her writing. Feeling that nothing was wrong and it was just as he asked, her complying to protect Shirley until she dies without any deceit as she required him to be made him nod in satisfaction.
It was concise and well written, not allowing for little to no deceit to happen in their exchange.
Nevertheless, he hesitated a second before engraving a few extra words and an extra line as a clause before sending it back towards her.
Ancestor Cornelia made the Blood Soul Contract stop in mid-air before she read the conditions he added before her brows furrowed.
“You want me to protect this Esvele and Little Freya as well? Furthermore, why would I kill myself just so I could get the manual sooner?”
Ancestor Cornelia looked at Davis with narrowed eyes while he smiled, intentionally trying to test her limits.
