"Phoenix Chrysanthemum, do you have anything else to say?" Xian Lin'er asked.
"Hmph!" Phoenix Chrysanthemum, looking wilted, still tried to sound tough. "Better to shatter like jade than survive as clay! If you want me to become your spirit ring and spirit bone, that's impossible!"
"Why so decisive?" Zhu Ziyang said with a smile. "Are you so sure we'll simply kill you?"
"What else? You want my ring and my bone—that means killing me! I'll never bow to you humans!"
"Heh… actually, we have another method—one that can give us your ring and bone while letting you keep your mind and soul intact, so you can leave the Icefire Yin Yang Well alive. How about it—want to see for yourself?" Zhu Ziyang's voice carried a deep, tempting tone.
"What? What did you say?" Phoenix Chrysanthemum's suspicion flared. She felt certain he was lying.
"Is that true?" Even Moonlit Tea Tree and Fiery Apricot Jiao Shu turned toward Zhu Ziyang, their voices tinged with shock.
"Real or fake, we'll know once we try," Zhu Ziyang replied with a grin, offering no further explanation.
"Kuikui, agree to it!" Fiery Apricot Jiao Shu ordered immediately. "If you do, I'll forget about you trying to sell me out earlier. How about that?"
"R–Really?" Phoenix Chrysanthemum's spirit lifted instantly, her voice trembling with a mix of joy and uncertainty.
"Of course it's true!" Fiery Apricot Jiao Shu said seriously. She wasn't lying—compared to the prospect of leaving the Icefire Yin Yang Well and gaining freedom, her grudge against Phoenix Chrysanthemum was insignificant.
From what this human said, perhaps they truly did have a way to let a soul beast offer its ring and bone without dying. And if not? Well, the only one to lose would be Phoenix Chrysanthemum herself. For them, it made little difference—they could always regrow her using the Yang Spring's power, as long as her roots remained. The new blossom wouldn't be exactly her, but in essence, she could be reproduced infinitely.
"In that case, I agree!" Phoenix Chrysanthemum was simple-minded—she didn't realize that, whether she agreed or not, her fate was already sealed. The only difference was whether it happened willingly or by force. Turning toward Zhu Ziyang and Ma Xiaotao, she said, "Alright, you two humans—come on! I'm ready!"
"You'll be glad you agreed," Zhu Ziyang told her. He and Ma Xiaotao exchanged a smile before he added, "Now, just relax. Don't resist, don't reject—leave everything else to me."
Zhu Ziyang and Ma Xiaotao approached Phoenix Chrysanthemum. Cai Mei'er and Xian Lin'er followed close behind, guarding the three of them. Around the spring's edge, a few immortal herbs peeked out of hiding, their gazes fixed on what was about to happen.
"Sister Tao, do as I told you," Zhu Ziyang instructed, ignoring the outside stares. "Offer a drop of your essence blood into Phoenix Chrysanthemum's stamen, then sit cross-legged before her."
"Alright." Ma Xiaotao nodded, lightly patting her chest before parting her lips. A drop of bright red blood shot forth, landing perfectly in the stamen. She then sat cross-legged, facing Phoenix Chrysanthemum.
"Phoenix Chrysanthemum, no resisting—understand?" Zhu Ziyang reminded.
"Mhm, mhm!" She nodded quickly, a flicker of fear in her eyes.
Zhu Ziyang began chanting the Soul Spirit Contract. A radiant light formed from countless rune-like symbols, splitting into two beams—one enveloping Ma Xiaotao, the other Phoenix Chrysanthemum. Scarlet light blossomed from them both, mingling perfectly after only a few seconds.
In the end, the two were cocooned in a large red chrysalis, radiating a peaceful yet searing aura.
Zhu Ziyang smiled. "Perfect. Now we just wait for Sister Tao to finish fusing with Phoenix Chrysanthemum's spirit bone and ring."
"That's wonderful!" Xian Lin'er and Cai Mei'er beamed.
Around them, the awakened immortal herbs—Fiery Apricot Jiao Shu, Moonlit Tea Tree, Eight-Petal Ice Grass, and others—watched intently. They had a strange feeling Phoenix Chrysanthemum had stumbled into incredible fortune, perhaps becoming the first of them to leave this place.
Time slipped by. About an hour later, the chrysalis dissolved. A clear, commanding phoenix cry echoed through the valley as a golden-red phoenix soared into the sky. It circled gracefully before landing by the Yang Spring, dissolving into the form of a tall, beautiful red-haired woman—Ma Xiaotao herself.
She now bore two yellow, two purple, two black, and one red spirit ring. Perched on her shoulder was a tiny figure—a red-haired flower fairy in a petal-shaped dress, her delicate features resembling Ma Xiaotao's, with two pairs of translucent wings.
It was Phoenix Chrysanthemum, now in her soul spirit form.
Zhu Ziyang was surprised. He hadn't expected a plant-type soul beast's spirit form to be that of a flower fairy. Was this a trait of all plant beasts, or just immortal herbs? It was a question worth studying later. For now, his focus was on Ma Xiaotao.
"Sister Tao, how do you feel?" he asked with a smile.
"I feel amazing—better than ever!" Ma Xiaotao's face glowed with excitement. She glanced from Phoenix Chrysanthemum to Zhu Ziyang as she answered.
"Looks like you fused well," Zhu Ziyang said, nodding toward the flower fairy. "What bone did she give you?"
"A torso bone!" Ma Xiaotao's eyes sparkled. "And two incredible spirit abilities!"
"A torso bone, huh?" Zhu Ziyang was a little surprised, but didn't dwell on it. Instead, he turned to Phoenix Chrysanthemum. "Well? Did I lie to you?"
"I… I feel wonderful!" Phoenix Chrysanthemum gushed, still reveling in her new body. She flew up to Zhu Ziyang, hugging his face and planting a big kiss on his cheek.
Zhu Ziyang froze. Ma Xiaotao's expression darkened instantly—she hadn't even kissed him yet, and this little thing beat her to it.
"You, back here!" Ma Xiaotao barked. But Phoenix Chrysanthemum, bolder now, ignored her and zipped toward Fiery Apricot Jiao Shu, calling out gleefully, "Jiao Jiao! Look at me—I've never been happier!"
The immortal herbs stared in shock.
"Kuikui? That's really you? How is this possible?" Fiery Apricot Jiao Shu exclaimed.
"Yeah! How can she lose her ring and bone, yet live—and even gain a body?" Eight-Petal Ice Grass added.
"Do humans have such a power now?"
"I'm so jealous…"
"Hey, boy! Can you do this with me and the silver-haired girl too?" Moonlit Tea Tree shouted, catching on quickly to the source of it all.
"Of course," Zhu Ziyang replied with an easy smile—one Moonlit Tea Tree found impossibly charming.
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