Divine Emperor of Death

There were two known ways to generate a beast flame inside one's dantian. 

One is to obtain a flame-attributed magical beast's blood essence and try to generate a beast flame with one's own capability or obtain the magical beast core of a flame-attributed magical beast like the Burning Phoenix or the Blue Flame Horned Tiger and try to refine it to obtain its beast flame.

Senior sister Shirley had passed the Burning Phoenix Ridge's disciple recruitment exam and became a top disciple with extraordinary results! She obtained a drop of blood essence of an Emperor Beast Stage Burning Phoenix, a Ninth Stage Magical Beast, and stimulated the blood essence to produce a beast flame in her dantian! 

She was an extraordinary genius!

However, on the other hand, Esvele had also invoked the Burning Phoenix Flame in her dantian after consuming a drop of blood essence, but compared to senior sister Shirley's Burning Phoenix Flame, the difference in the quality of their beast flames were enormous.

It wasn't as if the same beast flame would possess the same prowess. It would always differ depending upon the bloodline quality of the magical beast the blood essence, or the beast core was extracted from.

There were mostly two reasons for the difference in quality. 

One, the blood essence Esvele obtained was a diluted blood essence a core disciple with ordinary results can obtain. Second, the diluted blood essence belonged to a King Beast Stage Burning Phoenix, which is an Eighth Stage Magical Beast, making the diluted blood essence even lower in quality. 

The beast flame Esvele stimulated could only compare to a sixth stage flame in prowess. On the other hand, senior sister Shirley's Burning Phoenix Flame's prowess was at peak-level of the seventh stage!

In reality, the difficulty in stimulating the emergence of a beast flame of diluted blood essence of a King Beast Stage Burning Phoenix and the blood essence of an Emperor Beast Stage Burning Phoenix could not be compared at the same level. There were at least four levels of increase in difficulty, with each level getting harder than the last.

What Esvele accomplished was what other hundreds of ordinary core disciples accomplished, and she knew that if she were granted an opportunity to absorb the blood essence of an Emperor Beast Stage Burning Phoenix, she would likely and miserably fail to form a beast flame, wasting precious sect resources.

Hence, just feeding this Blue Flame Horned Tiger's Flame to her Burning Phoenix Flame was enough to raise her prowess to half a level. It would improve her chances to become a stronger core disciple among hundreds of core disciples. However, it still wouldn't let her compare with the prowess of top disciples, especially senior sister Shirley who is said to have already dominated the top disciples in her age group.

Although, Esvele was in reluctance, but was also in awe and respect over senior sister Shirley's strength! However, she didn't know that Shirley had hidden her true prowess under the Burning Phoenix Flames' guise!

At this time, a crimson feathered bird with white feathers under its neck flew towards them. It possessed a small crown-like protrusion on its forehead. Its wingspan was ten meters long as its crimson wings were spread majestically. Sparks of crimson fire hung on its beautiful and graceful tail feathers while its feet possessed talons capable of shredding sky grade materials to pieces!

With its head structure that resembled a Vermilion Bird, it let out a yearning screech before it landed beside Princess Shirley, gently shoving its head as it rubbed its feathers under her warm hands.

Princess Shirley caressed this magical beast's head in gentle strokes. This magical beast was none other than a Burning Phoenix that was recently born in this year. As an exceptional top disciple, she obtained one from the Burning Phoenix Ridge when it was nothing but a small chick that had yet to spread its wings! 

At first, she felt that it was unneeded, but gradually, she couldn't help but become attached to this juvenile Burning Phoenix.

"Good girl..." Princess Shirley patted the Burning Phoenix and noticed Esvele's envious gaze, but she didn't say anything.

'How submissive... Even being able to tame one is difficult but to be given a recently born Burning Phoenix...' 

"How lucky..." Esvele subconsciously uttered, but she soon realized that she said it with a tone of envy.

"Uh... Senior sister Shirley, I..." Esvele wanted to explain.

Princess Shirley raised her hand and interrupted, "Want to ride back on the back of my magical beast mount?"

Esvele became taken aback before her eyes lit up. She instantly nodded her head but then shook, causing Princess Shirley to let out a muffled giggle. The latter mounted the Burning Phoenix before gesturing for her to hop on.

To ride on a Burning Phoenix? What kind of honor was this?

Esvele didn't have her own mount to return as she had just recently become a core disciple, so after hesitating for a while, she flew and sat back on the Burning Phoenix. A sense of superiority instantly filled her heart, but when she looked at the true master smile back at her, the sense of superiority that had just arrived was instantly snuffed out of her heart like a candle flame.

She then cautiously looked at the Burning Phoenix that looked at her with wide eyes as if scrutinizing her.

The Burning Phoenix suddenly let out a screech, "Master, this woman has big bosoms!"

"Pfft!" Princess Shirley let out a peal of muffled laughter.

When this Burning Phoenix was a little chick, it liked to snuggle in her bosoms, but looking at it now, it seemed that it set its height on something bigger and plumper. 

Esvele's eyes twitched, but she refused to comment to not offend the Burning Phoenix. She knew that its temperament was aggressive. If the Burning Phoenix accidentally ate her while senior sister Shirley was not present, then she wouldn't even be able to get justice, not even in death.

After all, each and every Burning Phoenix was precious in the Burning Phoenix Ridge. 

However, their importance was also based on their bloodline quality. Some had low-quality bloodline, and some others possessed mid-quality and high-quality bloodlines, and obviously, high-quality bloodlines Burning Phoenixes were treated worlds apart when compared to mid-quality bloodline Burning Phoenixes.

This bloodline thinning problem starts to arise for every King Rank Species and Emperor Rank Species in this world. For the most part, magical beasts below King Rank hardly have their bloodline thinned out. Hence, Esvele couldn't help but feel curious over senior sister Shirley's Burning Phoenix's bloodline.

"Is senior sister Shirley's Burning Phoenix's limit the Eighth Stage?" Still, she cautiously asked.

She did not ask if the Burning Phoenix possessed a low-quality bloodline because that would be offensive.

By this time, the Burning Phoenix had already taken flight and flew in the skies, flapping its crimson wings over the skies that were painted dusky orange. The air around them was filled with fire attribute energy. This didn't make them feel uncomfortable, but they instead felt like fish in the water.

Esvele couldn't still believe that she was riding on a Burning Phoenix. Which top disciple would be magnanimous enough to let another person sully their magical beast mount? 

It was one thing the other party was someone with equal status, but she was just a mere core disciple. In front of a top disciple, she couldn't find any other word apt describe herself other than 'mere'.