It wasn’t just about willpower. Facing the Phoenix’s ultimate form required far more than determination—it demanded the most precise strategy imaginable. And for most mental cultivators, that kind of strategy might be entirely out of reach.In truth, Marc himself had been in the same position just moments ago. He had felt genuine concern when the Phoenix’s form suddenly doubled in size—towering and blazing with even greater intensity than before.For a fleeting second, Marc had lost hope. Even if he poured every ounce of his mental power into defense, the outcome would still fall short of his expectations.It wasn’t merely a matter of strength—the Phoenix was truly that formidable. It was as if the creature had become the embodiment of the mental realm itself.“What am I supposed to do?”Marc was on the verge of surrendering when he suddenly remembered something crucial—an insight from his encounter with Varom Elyndar, the highest-ranking master of the Temple of Divine Meditation. Var

“Damn it!!!”Miralda cursed furiously from within her Phoenix form. No matter how many attacks she launched, not a single one managed to land on its target.Forget taking Marc down—even getting within a meter of him seemed impossible. Her blazing fire attacks fizzled out the moment they struck the multi-elemental shield surrounding him, never once touching his skin.Frustration mounted alongside her fury. She was at a loss.“What kind of illusion is this? Why can’t I break through? Why can’t the Eternal Flame burn him?”In the Mental Realm, nothing was supposed to withstand the Eternal Flame. And yet, what Marc was doing left the duchess both baffled and shaken. The more she watched, the more convinced she became that what stood before her was an illusion conjured by the young man.After all, this was her first time ever using the Phoenix Mental Transformation technique. And unfortunately for her, it was also her first time facing someone who could resist it.If the Phoenix Assault wa

ROAR!!!The Phoenix's screech echoed like thunder across the entire mental realm, its voice reverberating in every direction as lava erupted from the earth below, engulfing and smothering its colossal body. It looked like a peanut dunked into scalding batter—thrashing wildly, struggling to break free.Being a creature of fire, one might assume the Phoenix would be immune to the searing heat of molten lava. But anyone witnessing the sheer agony in its voice and the panic in its movements would know immediately—that assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, the exact opposite was happening.Anyone watching now could clearly see the unbearable torment the Phoenix was going through.ROAR!!!!The giant bird thrashed violently, flapping its massive wings and flailing in every direction in a desperate attempt to escape the grip of the lava. Its eyes, wide with terror, made it look less like a majestic, immortal creature and more like a helpless bird about to be plunged into a g

The duchess tried to calm herself, convincing her mind that what she was seeing couldn’t possibly be real. And in truth, she was right.The Mental Realm was a space created by a mental cultivator—only accessible to themselves or to those they permitted. No creature, let alone a wild beast, should exist in this place.Sure, Miralda could summon someone—or something—into the Mental Realm if she wanted to. But there was no way she'd lost her mind enough to do something that reckless, especially not when her body was in such a fragile state.However, when the two glowing dots in the distance kept moving closer and closer toward her, a dreadful realization struck her.“C-could it be... that boy summoned it here?”Yes. That made sense.This realm was linked not only to her consciousness, but also to Marc’s. If she hadn’t brought the beast into this place, then it had to be him. There was no other explanation.“So this is how you plan to kill me? By siccing a wild animal on me?”A bitter fee

This was true agony.The pain tearing through Miralda’s shoulder was unlike anything she had ever experienced. It wasn’t just flesh and skin being pierced—she could feel the jaguar’s fangs digging deep, crushing straight into bone… maybe even through it.There was no time to blink. The sheer intensity of the pain kept her eyes wide open, her vision blurring as waves of dizziness hit her like crashing tides. She could pass out at any moment.But instead of releasing its grip, the jaguar bit down harder.It felt like her shoulder blade might shatter.She was barely hanging on, teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. The agony was too much. Her body couldn't take it anymore—it was beyond anything human endurance could handle.“A-Ah…”Miralda couldn't even lift her right hand to push the beast away. In fact, she couldn't move any part of her body at all.She was already badly injured. And now, blood gushed uncontrollably from her shoulder, draining her strength faster than she could fig