Ye Qingxian observed carefully.
She took in every detail of Lin Xiao's transformation, forming her own conclusions.
"Just now, you were perfectly fine. But the moment your spirit activated on its own, your appearance changed drastically. That must mean if you cancel the spirit possession, things should return to normal."
Only then did Lin Xiao realize that his spirit had possessed him automatically at some point.
As he canceled the possession, his appearance quickly reverted to normal. But when he attempted to possess his spirit again, he was startled to see… two options?
Wait, I can choose between different spirit forms now?
"Corrupted Flame Phoenix, possess!"
He spoke softly.
A crimson phoenix surged into his body. Red flames danced around him—just like before. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
He canceled the possession.
"Destruction Phoenix, possess!"
This time, the phoenix that appeared was no longer a pure red Corrupted Flame Phoenix. Half of its plumage glowed crimson, the other half pitch black. It radiated darkness and destruction—beautiful, but carrying a dangerous allure.
Ye Qingxian's eyes widened as she watched the two very different spirit manifestations. Her expression tightened—like someone who had just discovered a rare treasure.
Well, damn. You really do see everything in this lifetime…
Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan stood stunned, jaws practically on the floor.
"You can switch forms?!"
In the Soul Master world, it was accepted as law that once a spirit mutated, it could never return to its original form. And spirits were thought to have only one fixed manifestation.
But Lin Xiao—
He had just overturned everything they thought they knew!
Even Lin Xiao himself was taken aback.
He turned to Ye Qingxian, hoping for answers. But she merely shook her head.
"Don't look at me—I'm not omniscient."
"This is beyond anything I've ever heard of. Whatever's happening, it must come from inside your spirit. Only you can explore it and figure it out."
"But, if this second form is something born from your spirit's evolution, then perhaps it's part of the phoenix's path to rebirth."
The first time Lin Xiao's corrupted flame erupted, he suppressed it with the Heart of Ice Art. The flame became fiercer, more tyrannical.
The second time, he used the fire to temper his body—cleansing his marrow and transforming himself, even enhancing his already impressive talent.
The third time…
It gave birth to a second spirit form?
No one could truly explain how.
Only Lin Xiao—blessed by fate, place, and people—could possibly have walked this path as a Flame Phoenix spirit user.
Ye Qingxian was right. No one could give him the answer—he had to find it himself.
"Transformation… multiple forms…"
Lin Xiao muttered, eyes gleaming with thought.
"Maybe you should look to the nature of the phoenix for answers," Ye Qingxian offered.
Even if she didn't fully understand it, she could still hit the heart of the issue.
"The nature of the phoenix?"
Lin Xiao thought hard.
And suddenly—an idea struck.
While he didn't yet understand the full nature of the phoenix, he recalled another legendary creature associated with it.
—The dragon.
"A dragon can be vast or tiny, rising or hidden; vast, it summons clouds and mists, tiny, it hides in scales and shadows. It can fly through the cosmos, or lurk deep in waves."
True sacred beasts are not bound to one form. They adapt to the world, choose their appearances, and shift as needed.
Only a dragon—or something equally divine—could take on countless forms, defy classification, and wield unfathomable power!
This was how Huaxia culture understood sacred beasts.
Lin Xiao didn't know if such philosophy applied to Douluo Continent… but as a reference, it made perfect sense.
And if his hypothesis was correct…
Then the Dark and Destruction Phoenix was merely the first transformation. In the future, his Phoenix spirit might evolve into even more forms—forms he could freely switch between.
Just like a dragon: vast or small, ascending or hiding.
Could the phoenix outmatch the dragon in its transformations?
Lin Xiao couldn't wait to find out.
He shared his theory with Ye Qingxian.
Her eyes lit up, and she clapped her hands in delight.
"What a brilliant thought! But the dragon you're referring to—it's a true dragon, right? Not something like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon, a pseudo-dragon species."
"The path of sacred beast evolution must be one of endless transformations—ever changing, ever mysterious."
"And looking at it now, your Dark and Destruction Phoenix doesn't seem fully evolved yet, does it?"
Lin Xiao nodded.
"It's only halfway through its evolution."
"But this form came from a natural progression—not through blackening or mutation. Even if it's incomplete, the increase in power is massive."
With that, he pointed to a clearing in the distance.
"First Soul Skill: Phoenix Feather Formation!"
Black-and-red flames danced around his fingertips. A magnificent, twin-colored phoenix soared into the sky.
As it flapped its wings, feathers—half crimson, half obsidian—rained down like a hailstorm of arrows.
The flames were incredibly corrosive, far more potent than those of the Corrupted Flame Phoenix's standard form!
The flames on the ground connected with those in the sky. Black-and-red chains locked together, sealing the entire space in what looked like a cage forged from hellfire.
The corrupted flame chains writhed like living creatures, surging like water, sending chills down the spine.
Dark, eerie, and terrifying.
Dugu Yan's face went pale.
She remembered sparring with Lin Xiao three months ago—back when his flame chains had been just red. Back then, she had at least been brave enough to fight back.
But now, facing these dark-red chains filled with destruction and corruption, she didn't even dare to approach.
This would definitely kill someone!
At the very least… permanent disfigurement!
Lin Xiao snapped his fingers.
The terrifying black-and-red flames vanished in an instant.
All that remained was the scorched, ruined courtyard—proof that the nightmare had been real.
"How was that? Pretty cool, right? I—ow!"
Before Lin Xiao could finish his sentence, a sharp smack landed on his forehead.
He clutched his head and stared at Ye Qingxian in injured protest.
"Aunt Ye! What was that for?!"
"And why so hard?!"
Even if she was a support-type Soul Master, she was still a real Soul Emperor. That knock had hurt.
Ye Qingxian rolled her eyes and snapped:
"You seriously don't know? I've been running around cleaning up after you like a maid—at this point, the only thing I haven't done is wipe your butt. And this is how you repay me? By setting my home on fire?!"
Lin Xiao: "…"
He looked around at the devastated courtyard.
His handsome face flushed crimson.
He quickly looked away, guilty.
"Pffft…"
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling burst into schadenfreude-fueled laughter.
But they froze a second later.
"You three—fix the courtyard! No dinner until it's spotless!"
"Whaaat?!"
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling froze, dumbfounded.
Too much fun always ends in tragedy.