Discussing how a tiger could lay an egg that hatches into a little tiger with wings. Tigers are clearly mammals and theoretically shouldn't lay eggs.
But the fact had already happened. Li Tonghui just watched as the eggshell naturally shattered after absorbing a large amount of his fire elemental power. Inside was a winged tiger cub.
Entirely crimson, with only the belly covered in milky-white fluff. Dark red stripes covered its body. On its back was a pair of bright red wings that, upon closer look, resembled flowing flames.
It was very small and incredibly cute. Right now, it was struggling to open its eyes.
Soon, this little cutie opened its eyes, and the first thing it saw was Li Tonghui.
The cub walked with "cat steps" over to Li Tonghui's feet, gently rubbing its small head against his pant leg.
"Barely born and already walking. Little Yao, this little guy is healthier than you were when you were just born."
Li Tonghui teased.
Little Yao just looked at him and silently raised a tiger paw.
"Just kidding, just kidding." Li Tonghui quickly stopped Little Yao's dangerous behavior, then picked up the cub and asked: "So where did this little guy come from?"
Little Yao growled low, then realized the other couldn't understand tiger language, so he switched to gesturing.
After gesturing for a long time, he finally made Li Tonghui understand.
To put it simply: In a certain sense, this was Little Yao's biological younger sibling... No—Li Tonghui had just checked; this little one was female.
But that wasn't the point.
Ten years ago, Little Yao's parents suddenly wanted a second child and spent one night "working hard."
Then, at the critical moment, a streak of flame flew in and entered the mother's body.
A year later, the mother laid an egg—the precursor to this little one.
Fortunately, the father was experienced and educated. The instant he saw the mother lay an egg, he realized it was from that streak of flame a year ago.
That flame hadn't lodged in the mother's body but had entered the embryo, which at the time hadn't even begun to form properly.
The power of the flame altered the embryo's form, ultimately causing Little Yao's mother to give birth to an egg.
"So in other words, this little one is both the second child of our foster parents and that original streak of flame?"
Little Yao nodded, acknowledging Li Tonghui's words.
"So that's why the little one needed to absorb fire elemental power to hatch—because in essence, she's still a streak of flame." Li Tonghui held the cub, teasing it with his finger.
The cub acted like a little kitten, eyes wide, four paws flailing in the air trying to catch Li Tonghui's finger.
"So since the little one has already hatched, it's none of my business anymore?" Li Tonghui pretended to leave.
But Little Yao hoped Li Tonghui would take care of the cub.
"You want me to take care of her? But isn't she the foster parents'..."
Little Yao gave Li Tonghui a look.
Li Tonghui instantly understood.
It didn't matter what an adopted child looked like, but if a biological child grew up looking completely unlike the parents, it would inevitably cause some estrangement.
"Fine—I'll treat it like raising a pet."
Li Tonghui agreed readily.
He lifted the little one in his arms and looked at the spot on her forehead—where the mark of the king of beasts should have been—but instead there was a fire elemental symbol.
"Little Fire... No, Little Flame sounds better."
"Nice to meet you from now on, Little Flame."
"Roar~" Little Flame let out a milky cry, sounding very happy.
"A little guy like you—third brother will definitely like you a lot. Tomorrow I'll take you to meet him."
The next day.
When Li Tonghui excitedly arrived at the waterfall with Little Flame in his arms to find little Jun Bai, he only saw Jun Mo Li swinging his sword with grand, sweeping motions under the waterfall.
"Where's third brother?"
"He was researching how to reforge Crimson Shadow last night and didn't notice the time. He's still catching up on sleep now."
"Then I'll go to your house and wait for him to wake up."
"Do you have something urgent with third brother?"
Li Tonghui held Little Flame up in front of Jun Mo Li.
"Mm. Feels like the type third brother would like."
"Got it?"
"Understood."
Li Tonghui started running toward the Jun family home.
...
In the deepest part of the Abyss, scorching magma began to boil.
A crimson phoenix with a wingspan of about ten meters burst out of the magma and flew upward toward the surface of the Abyss.
The true phoenix emerged—one cry shook the nine heavens.
Specks of firelight fell, reviving all things around the Abyss.
The true phoenix rushed out of the Abyss and vanished into the blue sky.
A white-haired child who looked about four years old descended from the heavens, dressed in an ornate deep-red feathered robe. In his small hand he held a crimson long sword.
A flash of crimson light passed—the long sword transformed into a short sword, then was wrapped around the waist of the feathered robe like a belt.
Wings of flame identical to those of the true phoenix spread behind the child, dispelling the surrounding darkness.
Suddenly.
Streaks of pitch-black substance surged out from the Abyss, launching a sneak attack on the child.
Fortunately, the child's reaction was quick enough. He turned and dodged the attack, then released flames around his body in counterattack.
Under the assault of flames, the pitch-black substance gathered together and ultimately formed a hideous, massive demonic shadow.
The demonic shadow roared and attacked the child.
The child was no match for it. Under the demonic shadow's assault, he fought while retreating, fleeing in one direction.
In the end, the child was struck down and fell from the sky into a lake. Under the child's counterattack, the demonic shadow was on the verge of dissipating and could only retreat.
Before leaving, the demonic shadow left behind a nightmare-like murmur:
"I will take revenge on you, Phenex!"
...
Jun Bai woke up from the dream with a start. Cold sweat dripped from his brow, and his usually steady breathing became slightly hurried.
"That was... me?"
"That was... the past me?"
Recalling the scenes in the dream, the more Jun Bai thought about it, the more he felt that the child was himself.
He had never forgotten that he had lost his memories—he just didn't want to mention it, because he worried that once he remembered everything, he would have to leave Qingce Village.
Before, he didn't want to. Now, he was unwilling.
After recovering his memories, who would he be?
But even if Jun Bai refused to face the past, the past had already come looking for him on its own.
This dream was the best proof.
Jun Bai trembled as he forced himself not to think about that dream. Then he groped his way out of bed, planning to go to the forging room to calm himself down.
However, as he passed a mirror in the room, Jun Bai stopped in his tracks.
In the mirror, an identical reflection stared calmly back at him.
"You're afraid." The reflection said.
"Who wouldn't be afraid of possibly becoming someone completely different from themselves?" Jun Bai retorted, his gaze not falling on the mirror surface.
The reflection said calmly: "But fear won't change reality. That is you—it's not something you can change by running away."
"I know. But on that day, I want to delay it as much as possible—even if it's just one more day." Jun Bai took a deep breath.
"It's up to you. But He is coming back. You, who have lost your memories—can you still fight against Him?"
"Phenex..."
The reflection gradually faded from the mirror...