Free Web NovelChapter 11: The Eternal Phoenix Warbody
The Eternal Phoenix Warbody
The mysterious phenomenon filling the hall had been caused merely by the fragrance of the pill.
Just its scent alone had produced such miraculous effects.
The hall seemed to exist within a different world. Countless phantoms drifted through the air, each carrying traces of profound mysteries. Some sat in meditation beneath invisible stars. Others practiced ancient martial arts that seemed capable of shaking mountains and splitting seas. Faint golden light flowed through the room like a river of destiny.
Even Nux, standing nearby, felt his mind becoming unusually clear.
"Second Brother, you’ve suffered enough over these years."
"This pill will completely restore your body."
"Not only that—it may even grant you a special physique."
Using his True Essence, Victor wrapped the pill and suppressed its aura.
The countless visions throughout the hall immediately faded away.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he handed the pill to Max.
[Divine Titan Tempering Pill: Peak Heaven-Grade medicinal pill. Capable of repairing any damaged physical body and awakening the user’s latent potential, granting them a special physique.]
"Big Brother, absolutely not!"
At first, Max had only been astonished by the extraordinary nature of the pill.
But the moment he learned that Victor intended for him to consume it, he immediately began waving his hands in refusal.
"My extraordinary meridians have long since been destroyed."
"Even if I’m completely restored, my cultivation would only return to the Arcane Meridian Realm."
"Even Nux’s cultivation is already higher than mine."
"This pill causes such a phenomenon merely by appearing."
"It must be unimaginably precious."
"Why waste it on a cripple like me?"
Max laughed bitterly.
Once upon a time, he had stood proudly above countless peers.
The title of the Three Heroes of the Salvatore Family had once echoed throughout Aurelia City.
But after his cultivation had been crippled, something inside him had broken as well.
"I heard that the eldest son of the Prefect of Silvermoon Province also had his meridians shattered."
"Since this pill can repair the body, instead of using it on a useless man like me, perhaps we should use it to build a relationship with the Prefect’s family—"
Before he could finish speaking, Victor raised a hand.
The entire hall fell silent.
"I said eat it."
"So you will eat it."
"But Big Brother—"
Max became anxious.
Victor’s expression suddenly hardened.
"Tell me."
"Who am I?"
Max froze.
Then he lowered his head.
"Patriarch."
At that moment, he was no longer speaking to his elder brother.
He was speaking to the Patriarch of the Salvatore Family.
The sky above the clan.
"You once served as Acting Patriarch of the Salvatore Family."
"Once that position is held, the responsibility remains forever."
"If the former Acting Patriarch of the Salvatore Family possesses such miserable cultivation, what will outsiders think of our clan?"
Victor knew his younger brother too well.
Max appeared gentle.
Reasonable.
Easygoing.
Yet beneath that calm exterior hid an iron will.
When he made up his mind, almost nobody could change it.
Unfortunately for Max—
Victor was the one person who could.
"If guilt still remains in your heart, then repay the family tenfold in the future."
"And don’t forget."
"Big Brother is still waiting for your help."
Victor placed a hand on his shoulder.
Those simple words shattered the last wall in Max’s heart.
"Y-Yes... Patriarch."
Tears immediately appeared in his eyes.
An old memory surfaced.
Three boys standing beneath a blue sky.
A young Victor frowned while staring at a stack of clan documents.
"Being Patriarch sounds like a lot of work."
Young Max wrapped an arm around his brother’s shoulder.
"It’s okay, Big Brother."
"I’ll help you."
Nearby, Shawn lay on the grass, snoring loudly while mumbling nonsense in his sleep.
The memory faded.
Max swallowed the pill without hesitation.
Boom!
The medicinal force erupted inside his body like a sleeping dragon awakening.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Pain exploded through every inch of his flesh.
His damaged meridians shattered completely—
Then instantly regenerated.
His ruined foundation was rebuilt.
His broken dantian recovered.
The wounds that had tormented him for years vanished one after another.
Victor watched quietly.
His golden eyes remained calm.
Then the Eternal Legacy System’s voice sounded.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! You have changed the fate of a clan member.]
[Obtained Purple-Grade Clan Member.]
[Reward Acquired: Peak Earth-Grade Cultivation Technique — Phoenix Rebirth Sovereign Scripture.]
[Family Fortune +100.]
Victor immediately looked toward Max.
A new status panel appeared.
Name: Max Salvatore
Destiny: Purple
Comprehension: High
Bone Talent: Heavenly Genius
Cultivation: First Layer Arcane Meridian Realm
Talent: Eternal Phoenix Warbody
Eternal Phoenix Warbody: A physique born from destruction and rebirth. Every hardship becomes nourishment. Every defeat becomes fuel. Every fall creates a stronger rise. The more adversity its owner experiences, the stronger both body and spirit become.
Victor’s eyes brightened.
This physique suited Max perfectly.
No.
It was as though fate itself had created this physique specifically for him.
At that moment, golden flames appeared across Max’s body.
The flames carried no heat.
Instead, they radiated life.
Endless life.
His aura rose rapidly.
Second Layer Arcane Meridian Realm.
Third Layer.
Fourth Layer.
The hall trembled slightly.
As his body transformed, so did his mentality.
The despair that had haunted him for years vanished.
The guilt disappeared.
The weakness disappeared.
His eyes became firm.
Steady.
Unyielding.
Victor suddenly stepped forward.
"Second Brother."
Max looked up.
Victor spoke calmly.
"This is the Eternal Phoenix Warbody."
"It is not a physique that fears hardship."
"It is a physique that feeds upon hardship." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
"The more you suffer, the stronger you become."
"The more you fall, the higher you rise."
"One day, everyone who once stood above you will only see your back."
Max stared silently.
Golden flames continued dancing around him.
Then a smile slowly appeared on his face.
"So that’s how it is."
His voice became increasingly steady.
Victor nodded.
"This physique is not meant for those who live comfortable lives."
"It belongs to those who refuse to stay down."
For a moment, the brothers looked at each other.
Then Max suddenly laughed.
A genuine laugh.
The first genuine laugh in years.
"Big Brother."
"If one day the Salvatore Family needs a pillar..."
He slowly stood.
His aura continued climbing.
"I may not become the sky like you."
His eyes became resolute.
"But if you need a foundation beneath your feet..."
"I’ll gladly become it."
"If you need someone to endure storms for the clan..."
"I’ll stand at the front."
"If I cannot become the pillar that supports heaven..."
"Then I’ll become the foundation stone beneath it."
"And ensure the Salvatore Family stands for a hundred generations."
Victor smiled.
It wasn’t the smile of a Patriarch.
It was the smile of an elder brother.
The aura around Max continued rising.
Fifth Layer Arcane Meridian Realm.
Sixth Layer.
Seventh Layer.
Eighth Layer.
Ninth Layer.
Then—
The bottleneck shattered.
His cultivation surged all the way back into the Celestial Gate Realm.
The once-glorious member of the Three Heroes of the Salvatore Family had returned.
Watching his younger brother recover, Victor felt genuine happiness.
But the next moment, another System notification appeared.
And this one delighted him even more.
[Ding! The System has detected that the Salvatore Family has officially resumed normal operation.]
[New Function Unlocked: Patriarch of the Clan!]
[As the Patriarch who shelters the entire clan, you are entitled to receive the clan’s feedback.]
[The combined cultivation of all clan members will be added to the Host.]
[Note: The death or loss of clan members will not negatively affect the Host. The Host’s cultivation will not decrease if clan members die.]
Victor’s eyes immediately lit up.
This new ability was far more valuable than it appeared on the surface.
A Patriarch carried the burden of an entire clan.
And now—
The entire clan would become his foundation.
