189: Divine Imprint

"Are you crazy!" Erina almost jumped off his back. "That's a legendary creature! And look at it—does it look like something you can just 'take a fancy to' and catch?!"

"Precisely because it's a legend, it's all the more valuable." Lin Luo's tone was relaxed, but his eyes were as sharp as knives. He began rapidly assessing the Radiant Phoenix's posture, speed, and the surrounding thundercloud environment. "Immune to lightning... that's a very interesting trait. Besides, its feathers—didn't you say they bring the blessing of eternal happiness?"

Erina was nearly fuming with anger. "That's a legend! A metaphor! It's not meant for you to actually go and pluck its feathers!"

"The metaphor is great too," Lin Luo said as if it were a matter of course. "Preparing a unique set of wedding dress Materials for a future bride—isn't that very meaningful?"

"Who... who wants to be your bride!" Erina's face instantly turned beet red, a mix of shame and annoyance, yet her heart skipped a beat at the hidden meaning in his words.

She punched his shoulder hard. "I won't let you go! It's too dangerous! And... and it's disrespectful to the divine bird!"

Just as the two were 'arguing' in low voices, the Radiant Phoenix seemed to notice these two 'uninvited guests' who had broken into the core of the thunderclouds.

Its eyes, brilliant like molten gold, swept over them indifferently. Its gaze held a condescending scrutiny and a hint of pure curiosity, like a god looking down at ants that had wandered into a divine kingdom.

But it showed no intent to attack, as if the presence of Lin Luo and Erina was not enough to trigger its vigilance or hostility.

It simply flapped its magnificent golden wings elegantly once more, stirring up a brighter and softer brilliant halo. It was like lighting a small sun within the dark thunderclouds, dispersing the darkness and turbulence over a larger area, even causing the violent lightning to recede slightly.

Then, it ignored the two of them, continuing to soar and circle leisurely within the death Domain woven from thousands of lightning bolts. Its posture was easy and composed, as if this 'cloud monster' that made countless experts tremble was merely its exclusive, albeit slightly noisy, playground.

This scene of complete disregard for danger and transcendental detachment further highlighted its unfathomable strength and mystery.

Watching its 'my Domain, my rules' attitude, the interest in Lin Luo's eyes grew even stronger, mixed with a hint of a desire for a challenge.

"See, it's not even afraid of us," Lin Luo said to Erina, his tone sounding like he was stating a fact, yet also like he was finding an excuse for his next move.

"That's because it doesn't even see us as a threat!" Erina said urgently. She understood the indifference in the divine bird's eyes; it was a natural neglect born from an absolute gap in strength.

"Good." Lin Luo licked his dry lips, Battle Intent beginning to rise in his eyes. "This way... it's more interesting, isn't it?"

At the moment the Radiant Phoenix turned elegantly, its brilliant golden wings slicing through the thunderclouds as it seemingly intended to depart and leave this brief encounter behind—

A sharp light exploded from Lin Luo's eyes!

"Now!"

He forcibly halted his upward momentum. His body, like a hunting falcon, charged in the opposite direction, lunging straight for that mass of golden light! His speed tore through the turbulence, trailing a piercing whistle.

"Lin Luo!" Erina's cry of alarm was drowned out by the sound of wind and thunder.

For the first time, a clear flash of anger appeared in the Radiant Phoenix's molten gold eyes.

Liiii—!!!

A warning screech transformed into a physical sonic wave, shaking the surrounding thunderclouds into a rolling collapse! Its magnificent wings flapped violently—no longer casual, but carrying the will of expulsion and punishment!

Boom!

It wasn't a direct attack, but a vast natural pressure originating from the thundercloud Origin, mixed with violent electromagnetic turbulence, slammed into them like an invisible wall of heaven and earth!

The five-colored halo around Lin Luo made a strained 'creak,' distorting violently and flickering unsteadily, as if it would shatter in the next second.

Within the halo, Erina felt a suffocating pressure, her purple eyes wide with shock.

Lin Luo let out a muffled groan. The five-colored core within his Dantian spun frantically, forcibly stabilizing the halo, though his face had turned a shade paler.

Instead of retreating, he advanced against the tide! Like a sharp arrow splitting a giant wave, he forced a crack through this tsunami of pressure!

"Take this!"

With a thunderous shout, Lin Luo threw a punch amidst the violent turbulence!

Upon his fist, five-colored light was highly condensed. It wasn't a long-range energy attack but a pure physical force capable of shattering mountains, pushed to the extreme. Carrying an indomitable Aura, it smashed heavily toward the Radiant Phoenix's proud and beautiful back!

This punch was too fast! Too cunning! It completely exceeded the divine bird's perception of an 'ant'!

Bang—!!!

A dull, heavy impact, like the collision of falling stars! A visible shockwave exploded outward, clearing a patch of the surrounding thunderclouds!

"Liiii—!!!"

The Radiant Phoenix let out a shrill cry, a mixture of pain and rage!

Its resilient body, which was immune to natural lightning, was actually knocked downward by this punch, its brilliant golden feathers flying in disarray! The pure physical force penetrated its feather defense, making it taste a long-forgotten agony!

Wounded by an ant! A supreme humiliation!

Rumble—!!!

The entire thundercloud seemed to be ignited by its fury!

A heaven-burning flame ignited in the Radiant Phoenix's molten gold eyes. Its wings spread in anger, no longer holding back!

Thundercloud Manipulation!

A terrifying thunderstorm vortex several kilometers in diameter instantly formed with it as the core! Countless bolts of destructive golden lightning, as thick as barrels and saturated with its furious will, poured down toward Lin Luo like a torrential rain!

Simultaneously, its wings vibrated at high frequency, sending out streaks of highly condensed, space-tearing translucent wind blades. Mixed within the lightning, they sliced in from all directions with cunning precision!

In an instant, the area around Lin Luo turned into a killing purgatory! Lightning crashed with immense force, and wind blades surged like a tide!

The five-colored halo bore unprecedented pressure, letting out a wail as its light dimmed rapidly.

Lin Luo's face was as pale as paper, veins bulging on his temples, yet his gaze remained as sharp as a wolf's. He no longer resisted head-on; his body moved eerily through the fatal gaps between the lightning and wind blades, like a petrel struggling in a storm, narrowly avoiding most of the lethal strikes.

For those he truly couldn't avoid, he used his limbs or the protective halo to take the hits at the minimum cost. Each collision made his blood churn, and blood continuously seeped from the corners of his mouth.

He was waiting—waiting for an opportunity to get close!

Finally, seizing the moment when the divine bird fully unleashed the thunderstorm and its power flow experienced a tiny lag—

A cold light flared in Lin Luo's eyes. He stomped hard against the Void Realm, his body turning into a blurred afterimage. Ignoring several residual lightning bolts that struck him, he closed in on the Radiant Phoenix once more like a shadow!

"Get... down!"

He growled, his fingers like iron hooks, death-gripping the roots of the relatively soft feathers beneath the divine bird's neck. His core strength and full-body true power erupted simultaneously. With a perfect throwing posture, he actually dragged this massive creature downward, smashing it into the thicker thunderclouds below!

Boom!

The divine bird's massive body struck the cloud layer, causing a violent upheaval.

"Liiii!!!"

The Radiant Phoenix went completely mad, rolling and struggling violently in the sea of clouds, trying to shake Lin Luo off. At the same time, more and denser lightning stopped aiming and instead directly covered its own surroundings in an indiscriminate bombardment! It was willing to endure some of the lightning backlash just to completely annihilate the desecrator!

Crack! Boom!

Bolts of golden furious lightning struck Lin Luo squarely, engulfing his entire body in blinding electrical light!

These terrifying bolts, capable of vaporizing steel, landed on the dim but exceptionally resilient five-colored halo on his body. They were like mud cows entering the sea; besides causing more violent ripples, they failed to cause any substantial damage!

Taking advantage of the divine bird's momentary stiffness from the frantic release of lightning—

Lin Luo, like a clever ape, rapidly climbed up its rolling back. In a few leaps, he stood firmly atop its high head, which symbolized holiness and majesty!

"So much for your pride!"

With a furious shout, Lin Luo gathered more than half of his remaining strength into his right fist. Wrapped in highly condensed five-colored light, it smashed like a warhammer directly onto the center of the Radiant Phoenix's head!

Dong—!!!

A dull sound, like the tolling of an ancient bell! The divine bird's massive body suddenly stiffened, the furious madness in its molten gold eyes instantly replaced by daze and dizziness! This punch didn't cause serious external injury, but the pure, savage vibration force penetrated the skull, severely shocking its brain region!

Now!

The light of Divine Sense in Lin Luo's eyes burned to the extreme, even drawing upon a sliver of his Soul Origin at any cost! The intense pain caused fine threads of blood to seep from his seven orifices simultaneously, giving him a gruesome appearance, but he did not hesitate!

"Suppress!!!"

A silent roar exploded on the Soul level!

A surge of Divine Sense power, condensing his vast Mental Energy, willpower, and that precious sliver of Soul Origin, transformed into an invisible but incredibly sharp 'Soul spike.' Seizing the opening when the divine bird's consciousness was dazed, it stabbed fiercely into its proud and pure Soul core!

Simultaneously, a complex and profound 'Soul brand,' filled with the intent of a forced contract and the Dominator, followed this opening, frantically engraving itself into the depths of its Soul!

"Liiii—!!!!!!"

The Radiant Phoenix let out an unprecedented, shrill wail that seemed to twist its very Soul! It was the ultimate pain and fear born from its Soul being violated and its freedom being stripped away!

The entire thunderstorm vortex shook and collapsed frantically! Its remaining consciousness began the most intense resistance! Its proud instincts as a legendary creature transformed into a golden Soul storm, frantically washing over and biting at Lin Luo's intruding Divine Sense and that 'brand'!

The tug-of-war on the Soul level was far more dangerous than physical combat!

In every instant, Lin Luo felt his Divine Sense being scorched by golden lightning and crushed by a divine will. His Soul Origin was draining away like a flood through an open gate.

Erina held him tightly, clearly feeling the violent tremors and coldness of his body. Her purple eyes were filled with heartache and dread for his crazy actions. She bit her lower lip, not daring to make a sound, only burying her face against his cold, wet neck, using her faint body heat and presence to give him his final support.

An unknown amount of time passed—it felt like a single instant, yet also like eternity.

The frantically struggling golden divine bird, shining with endless lightning and unyielding fury, suddenly jolted and went completely stiff.

In its molten gold eyes, all the anger, pride, pain, and struggle receded like a tide, eventually turning into a dazed void, and... a hint of a forced connection and submission that, although extremely reluctant and soaked in icy fury, could not be disobeyed, as it was rooted deep within its Soul.

The Soul brand was complete.

Lin Luo could no longer hold on. His vision went black, his body went limp, and he uncontrollably slid down from the divine bird's head.

Fortunately, although coldness and resentment still lingered deep within the Radiant Phoenix's eyes, the forced command of the Soul brand had already taken effect.

It let out a low cry, but its massive body tilted nimbly. Using its broad, soft back, it steadily caught its falling master and the human girl on his back.

A golden, divine-scented shimmer spontaneously emanated from its magnificent feathers, forming a warm and stable light shield that gently wrapped and lifted the two, isolating them from the still-lingering violent thunderclouds outside.