Apotheosis

As they stood there, challenging Zen in the confirmation test, the fire spirit flew around them with its golden, radiant body circling above as if it was a rainbow that fell upon them creating a beautiful sight to behold. Upon sensing antagonism in the atmosphere, the bird flew down and rested in the woman's palm. Tilting its head sideways, the bird watched Zen with its clean, golden eyes and chirped as if it could read its owner's mind and it too was terrorizing Zen.

Despite the test, the woman herself attracted Zen's attention all the more.

He never once expected to come across such a mysterious, powerful woman with a fire spirit in her possession in the Imperial Capital. 'Who could she possibly be? How has she hidden in Weapon Pavilion for so long without anyone ever noticing her capability and strength? Although she looks merely 20-year-old, but seeing the fire spirit acting so docile towards her, she could never be a common citizen. And moreover, how am I unable to detect her strength as I have always been able to with other people?

Such an extraordinary person who owns a fire spirit? I doubt even Cloud Sect would be able to raise such a capable person, ' Zen contemplated in his heart as he looked with an absorbed expression at the bird.

Nonetheless, Zen was exceedingly confident about his ability to display his fire in front of the mighty woman. He smiled vaguely and inquired, "So your proposal means that, if I could show you the fire, then you will give me the sword without any other strings attached?"

The woman smiled again and shook her head to express disapproval. "It wouldn't be that easy. You first need to prove yourself and that does not mean that you simply need to show me your fire. You know Chase, right? You don't really expect me to disappoint him, do you? If what you are going to display is just an ordinary fire, then I am sorry, you are not qualified and worthy, and I am not allowed to give the sword to you. Who knows what you will refine the sword into when you have no capability at all? Maybe a top grade spiritual weapon, or maybe your ability only allows you to refine it into a medium grade spiritual weapon. If that is the case, I will fail Chase and his entire life's hard work and effort will vanish into thin air. That is the last thing I want," she said, staring right into Zen's eyes.

A contemptuous smile came acro

was smart to know that as long as it lived in his body, Zen would provide food and shelter to look out for it. So after circling around in the air hesitantly for a short time, while lusting over the bird, it finally came down and disappeared into the middle of Zen's brows upon receiving the command.

After the test was completed, Zen turned to the woman who was still standing all frozen and numb with her mouth partially opened wide in shock as to what she had just witnessed. "I cannot say that it is a fire spirit. I am not certain myself either. But anyway, you saw the result. So I hope now you will fulfill our agreement that we decided upon," he reminded politely.

However, the woman remained silent. It was clear that she still needed some time to recover from the shock she received from witnessing the majestic black fire. So for a while, standing in a trance-like state, her mind was arrested by the thought about that black fire.

In the past, she had encountered a number of different fires and fire spirits. But nothing she had seen could even compare to this one and part of the shock came because she least expected to see it coming from this young man. According to her vast experience and knowledge about fires, it was not the disruptive strength and ability of releasing heat that defined their capability. On the contrary, it was the ability to introvert its heat inward that defined their power. The cooler, the stronger!

If a fire spirit had the ability to fly close over the wood without igniting it, then it was considered a strong and powerful fire.