Sternritter Calendar

The Clan members let Jean pass while the mercenaries glared at him.

Mercenary 3: I'll make you pa- *BANG*

Without even letting them speak, Jean placed the Assault Kebab on his arms and started to shoot at them without mercy.

3 already died before everyone else attacked him, some fell down in a body covered in holes, while one reached Jean and raised his long sword, before a shadow covered him…

Everyone stopped moving towards him when they saw Jean's mouth enlarging and eating the mercenary whole, the mouth turned back to its original form, and so the mercenary stopped existing…

Captain: Retreat!!!

Mercenary 1: F.u.c.k!

Mercenary 2: The devil is here!!! RUNNN!!!!

However, Jean took out a Sky Tremor Bomb and threw it at them, he had 5 more of them, so it's alright to use them.

A single bomb took out 30 of them while Jean was following behind their back, either shooting them down, making them explode, or devour them. Soon, the only ones remaining were the Captain and 2 Vice-Captains.

Black Tiger: Boss! We three are the only ones remaining!

Black Demon: Wha-*CRUNCH*

Before the captain could finish to talk, his upper body was devoured from Jean, leaving only the Vice-Captains Black Tiger and Black Wolf, who got some bullets on their legs, making them fall in the ground.

Both of them turned around while crying and pissing themselves off when they saw Jean's sharp shark teeth reflecting their faces.

Black Wolf: P-Please spare us…

Jean: If you didn't come here today, you would have a better end…

His mouth came out from his head and got larger and larger until…

*CRUNCH*

The entire piece of land where Black Wolf and Black Tiger were was devoured, they included.

After taking care of every living mercenary, he turned back to the village while picking up the bodies of the other mercenaries, devouring some of them in the way.

When he reached the village, he saw that the villagers were many meters away from him, and the kids were hiding behind his back, Feng Baichuan was there too and said.

Feng Baichuan: You…

Jean quickly told an excuse.

Jean: Don't worry about me, this happens only 1 time each week, it's a curse of mine. I won't eat you. I am a righteous…

[Scene 1/Branch of Xiao Sect's bas.e.m.e.nt]

Jean: Oh nono, I really killed everyone with poison… And I am not going to leave witnesses either…

Old Man: W-What…?

[Back]

Jean: ...Gentle…

[Scene 2/Xiao Yulong's Courtyard]

Jean: It would be a shame if someone would enter here and find me before I prepared the gift…

Jean stopped choking Xiao Yulong and pulled out his tongue, before cutting it off with the dagger.

[Back]

Jean: ...Calm…

[Scene 3/Ten-Thousand Beast Mountain Range]

Jean summoned 30 black thorns aimed at two people who started to tremble just at the sight.

Jean: …*Deep Breath* I WILL F.U.C.K.I.N.G HANG YOU, YOU FILTHY BLOODY WHORES!!

[Back]

Jean: ...And a respectful man…

[Scene 4/New Moon Profound Palace]

?: My name is Fen Zihan!/ Fen Xingyu!/ Fen Mo!/ Fen Fan!

Feng Zihan: Since brother Dennell said that the number doesn't matter, then we all will come together!

Jean: *Ptoo*

Jean just spat at them.

[Back]

Feng Baichuan: ...What were those flashbacks?

Jean: Don't mind them.

Feng Baichuan hesitated a bit before he sighed and walked towards Jean with a smile.

Feng Baichuan: I'll trust you. Sir, I want to thank you for protecting my Clan, I want to repay your generosity, just ask, and if it isn't something exaggerated, then we will repay you as best as we can.

Jean: Then… Can I have a private talk with the Phoenix's Essence?

Feng Baichuan froze on the spot and looked at Jean with a surprised face.

Jean: I know that the curse must come from him, I will not inquire on the reason for him to curse you all, but since you all are fellow cursed men, I know how one will feel by having one, and I want to try to free you all.

Feng Baichuan: Y-You…

Jean: I promise that if it isn't possible for him to release you all, then I will come back immediately.

Feng Baichuan stood silent before he looked down and sighed.

Feng Baichuan: Normally I shouldn't let an outsider to talk with Lord Phoenix, but just because it's you, then I will let you pass.

Some villagers heard his words and voiced out their opinion.

Villager 1: But Clan Master, what if he intends to hurt the Lord Phoenix?

Villager 2: We don't know if he will be peaceful after the talk!

Feng Baichuan: Silence! I already gave him the permission to talk with the Lord Phoenix, and he already saved us once, maybe he could really free us from the curse.

At his words, the villagers stood silent, and Jean followed Feng Baichuan. After stepping into the rear mountain region, they were faced with tall cliffs. A huge sigil measuring several meters was embedded in the mountain wall in front of them.

A beautiful red color emerged from the entire sigil, glowing bright and dark at times, as a pattern of numerous scarlet flames that fiercely burned, lay at the center of the sigil.

Feng Baichuan: This is a sigil which seals the ruins the phoenix left behind. Only those with the bloodline of the phoenix can open it using fresh blood.

he bit his finger and dripped blood on the sigil, immediately, the faintly-glowing sigil suddenly glowed bright red before vanishing on the spot to reveal an entrance.

Feng Baichuan: Follow me.

Jean nodded and followed the Clan Master inside the entrance. The interior was a flat stone chamber, it was unnaturally spacious and measured at least a hundred meters long and wide.

Both sides of the stone chamber had very long stone stairs and it seemed as if there was another floor above. There was a long walkway to the front of the stone chamber which was approximately a few dozen meters in length.

At the end of the hall, there was a gently rotating red-colored seal formation that was identical to the seal outside.

Feng Baichuan: The phoenix had descended upon the Profound Sky Continent long ago before in order to leave its fire in the Profound Sky Continent, and has hence left many trial grounds.

Those who went through the trial could inherit its bloodline, and this bloodline was something that could be inherited by their future generations. Hence, the clan of the Phoenix was born. According to the recounting of our ancestors, the phoenix had left two trial grounds in the Profound Sky Continent.

One of them was at the far away Divine Phoenix Empire, and the other was right here.

The only difference was that the one in the Divine Phoenix Empire was known by all, and has formed the incomparably powerful 'Divine Phoenix Sect', whereas this ground in the Blue Wind Empire had gone unnoticed by all and was unintentionally discovered by our ancestors.

No one would have thought that this desolate and dangerous Ten Thousand Beast Mountain, actually had a ruin left by a primordial divine beast of the primordial era.

Jean: So this is one of those trial ground, and the bullshit of the treasure wasn't real?

Feng Baichuan: That's right. The trial ground left by the Phoenix is behind that seal formation, only those with the Phoenix bloodline are able to unseal it, as its purpose is to prevent outsiders from entering. And here we are, you will soon enter it to talk with the Lord Phoenix.

Jean: Funny, right? *Nom*

He ate another random thing from his Sky Poison Pearl.

Feng Baichuan: Heh, if you say it like that…

Feng Baichuan let the blood coming out from his bleeding finger to touch the other seal formation, the seal vanished, and a dark red colored bizarre entrance appeared.

Jean: Well, if I don't come out then it means I am doing the "Trial" you mentioned of.

Feng Baichuan: I understand, with your strange powers, I don't think my warning will be that useful, you seem a smart man so you must know how dangerous it is.

Jean: Yeah, see you later.

Jean stepped inside the entrance, and the next moment the scene before him suddenly distorted, he unconsciously closed his eyes. Only after a long time, he opened his eyes and saw only a pitch black darkness.

Suddenly, two lines of narrow golden light suddenly appeared in the pitch black darkness before him. Immediately after, the two narrow lines of golden luminance slowly opened like a pair of slightly narrowed eyes, revealing the eyes of the Phoenix.

Phoenix: Greetings, human. Welcome to the trial grounds. You are the first challenger without the phoenix bloodline in these past thousand years.

A dignified voice resounded within his mind; from the timbre of the voice, it was clearly a female voice, maybe he should really not judge one's gender before meeting them…

Jean: You are the spirit of the Phoenix?

Phoenix: That is correct. I am an immortal soul left here by the phoenix, yet I am also an existence independent of the phoenix. I preserve this trial ground and receive all challengers. Spirit of the Phoenix, is the most fitting title for me.

Jean: ...Why would you leave a trial ground here? There could be better places.

Phoenix: Long ago, the three major fire attribute divine beasts: the Phoenix, Golden Crow, and the Vermilion Bird fought for the Flame Progenitor position in the Divine Realm. The fierce battle lasted 36 days, and ended in the defeat and injury of all three.

The Phoenix fell down to this Profound Sky Continent after being gravely wounded, and completely recovered after 13 years in the Profound Sky Continent.

In these 13 years, the phoenix deeply felt that even though the Profound Sky Continent's humans were weak in strength, their hearts and nature were pure; thus it left 2 trial grounds in order to leave some opportunities for the humans of this continent.

However, the phoenix had left this message: If the humans of the Profound Sky Continent uses this Phoenix power to harm the world, all of their strength will be taken away and their bloodline would be given punishment!

What was very unfortunate, was that a person of one of the bloodlines committed a grave sin while using the phoenix's power; the power of the phoenix had been permanently stripped and their bloodline was cursed.

After that, no one else had passed this trial. As the first person without the phoenix bloodline in these thousand years, I hope that you can break this thousand years of silence… Then, are you ready?

Jean: Uhh… Sir? Miss? I just came here to ask if you can free the others from the curse…

Phoenix: No pain, no gain. If you want to lift their curses, you must work your a.s.s.

Jean: …*Sigh* Well, at least if I can do it I will get your flames… I'll do it.