Chapter 243 Law Enforcement Elder Guards the World (57)

The girl’s attire indicated she was likely neglected by her family.

Suddenly, a dense fog enveloped the area. Zhong Jin held the girl tightly, fearing that the Red Luan Star might disappear if he wasn’t careful.

Mountains trembled and a new peak emerged from nowhere, while the surroundings remained shrouded in confusion. Zhong Jin tried to contact his fellow disciples but found he couldn’t send any messages.

“Cave residence, the cave of the predecessors has opened!”

“Could the phoenix be inside the cave?”

“The cave of the predecessors might hold a legacy. Even if we can’t contract the phoenix, obtaining the legacy wouldn’t be a bad outcome!”

…

Some had chosen to test their luck with the cave, while Zhong Jin, Shen Zhuo, Sheng Tingfeng, and others had no interest in it, given Bai Tang’s earlier advice. Su Wen, Fang Xingyun, Kong Qing, and Sheng Mingchu, however, still decided to try their luck with the cave.

The fog spread rapidly before suddenly vanishing. The people who had been there were nowhere to be seen.

Shen Zhuo, Zhong Jin, and the girl he was holding had disappeared.

When the fog cleared, Zhong Jin found himself and the girl in a desolate place—so barren that even birds wouldn’t defecate there. The landscape was filled with dead trees and withered plants.

“Cough, cough… cough!”

The girl spat out a mouthful of blood and shakily opened her eyes, filled with intense hatred.

Zhong Jin: “…”

Was she going to be as difficult as the Junior Brother?

Zhong Jin spoke, “Hey, wake up. I’m not your enemy, though you could consider me a half-hearted savior.”

The girl, wracked with pain, finally turned her attention towards Zhong Jin upon hearing his voice.

She paused, taking in the sight of the man before her. He had a striking appearance, with sword-like brows and starry eyes, exuding an aura of celestial grace without seeming distant.

“Who… who are you?” she asked, her voice hoarse.

Moments later, a voice echoed in her mind, “Master, he is a bad person. He threatened me.”

The girl was startled and asked sharply, “Who? Who is speaking in my head?”

Zhong Jin silently retrieved the little phoenix and placed it in the girl’s hands. “Your contracted spirit beast, the phoenix.”

Looking at the black crow in her hands, the girl felt a surge of frustration. She flung the small phoenix away with a dismissive gesture.

“I’ve heard of chickens turning into phoenixes, but never of crows turning into phoenixes. Who are you trying to fool? Get lost, and stay far away!”

Zhong Jin: “…”

Little Phoenix: “…”

The little phoenix, feeling aggrieved, cried out in the girl’s mind, “Master, I really am a phoenix! Someone has made me look like a crow. Ask that man if you don’t believe me. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have been revived.”

The little phoenix scurried back, while the girl wore an expression of severe annoyance.

Turning her face sideways with an indescribable expression, she said, “Hello, it claims to have saved me? Oh, my name is Tang Ran.”

Zhong Jin seized the little phoenix and explained, “Young Lady Tang, you needn’t be so disdainful. It is indeed a phoenix. You have not yet cultivated, so you cannot protect it. The phoenix is still weak in its nascent form and cannot protect you. Therefore, I specifically asked my master to cast a disguise on the phoenix. When it will revert to its true form depends on whether your cultivation and strength meet my master’s standards.”

The little phoenix spoke in her mind, “Master, this man isn’t so bad. He brought you down from the tree and gave you a spiritual pill to heal your wounds.”

Tang Ran asked again, “You’ve done me a great favor. May I ask your name?”

Zhong Jin traced his fingers through the air, and his spiritual power coalesced into the characters “Zhong Jin.”

“I am Zhong Jin, Young Lady Tang. While healing you, I discovered that you have no spiritual root.”

Tang Ran’s face turned pale. Yes, she had no spiritual root—how could she improve her cultivation? How could she seek revenge?

——