Gao Wu: I became the minor villain that the protagonist was about to destroy.

Three days after the order was issued, the news swept through the entire China Military Region and the psionic world like a storm.

The "Special Task Force Recruitment Order" was issued directly from the highest level to major military regions, psionic colleges, and special operations departments. The number of recruits was limited and the selection criteria were extremely high, but the corresponding benefits and privileges were enough to tempt anyone. Selected candidates would receive direct national-level resource support, have priority access to high-level cultivation techniques, spiritual materials, and the right to explore secret realms, and could mobilize local garrisons and psionic forces to assist in mission execution when necessary.

The major military regions were in an uproar.

The Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Military Regions simultaneously launched their internal competitions. Commanders from each region were eager to compete, pushing their most elite talents to the forefront, hoping to win honor and recognition for their respective regions through this selection process.

On a training ground in the Northern Military Region, a burly young officer smashed a test energy stone with a punch, wiped the sweat from his face, and looked intently at the instructor: "Instructor, I must get a spot in the special task force!"

The instructor glanced at him and said in a flat tone, "Let's get into the top ten in the military region first."

Similar scenes were playing out simultaneously across the country. Outstanding students from major psychic academies were urgently recalled to participate in internal selections. Suddenly, the atmosphere throughout the Chinese psychic community became unprecedentedly tense and heated.

As for Ye Ming, the instigator of all this, he seemed to have vanished into thin air.

In the first few days after receiving the appointment letter, Long Zhenting tried to contact Ye Ming to discuss the special task force and formally inform him of his identity as a "special operations officer." However, he couldn't get through on the phone or reply to messages.

Standing in the Long family's council hall, Long Zhenting held the approved appointment document in his hand, his brows furrowed, and looked at Long Boyuan beside him: "Where did that kid... run off to?"

Long Boyuan shook his head: "The last time I heard from him was that he went to the secret realm near Luoxia City, and then I never heard from him again."

"A secret realm?" Long Zhenting's brows furrowed even deeper. "Which secret realm? How long has he been gone?"

"Including today, it's been a month and a half."

Long Zhenting remained silent for a moment, then slowly put down the documents in his hand, a hint of worry flashing in his eyes: "A month and a half... not a single word?"

"No." Long Boyuan's tone was also somewhat solemn. "I sent people to inquire at the entrance of the secret realm in Luoxia City. The gatekeeper did see him go in, but he hasn't come out since. I also tried sending people in to search, but we haven't found any trace of him in the secret realm."

Long Zhenting paced back and forth in the council hall a few times, then stopped and said in a deep voice, "Forget it, no news is good news. With his abilities, there won't be any problems."

Meanwhile, deep within the dormant volcano of the secret realm of Luoxia City, inside the Phoenix Clan's Yuan Court.

Ye Ming was sitting cross-legged on a flat wasteland, with two eggs floating in front of him—one was a crimson-gold phoenix egg left behind after the fire phoenix's rebirth, and the other was a dragon egg brought out from the dragon clan's treasure vault.

His hands rested on the shells of the two eggs, and the power of the Phoenix Flame Origin and the Dragon Bloodline that he had just acquired circulated within him, carefully nourishing the life within the two eggs.

For the past month, he has hardly left this place.

The phoenix egg that the fire phoenix transforms into after its rebirth needs continuous nurturing from the phoenix flames to ensure that the life inside can develop smoothly; and the dragon egg, after absorbing the aura of the phoenix flames, also underwent some subtle changes. The patterns on the surface of the eggshell began to become clearer, and one could vaguely feel the rhythm of life within.

Sui lay on a rock not far away, listlessly poking at a small pebble with its forelimbs, muttering to itself, "A month... a whole month... staring at two eggs every day... I, the mighty Candle Dragon Guardian Soul, have actually been reduced to being a babysitter..."

It looked up at Ye Ming's focused back, sighed, and continued to fiddle with the pebbles.

Just then, the crimson-gold phoenix egg in front of Ye Ming suddenly trembled slightly.

Ye Ming paused slightly, his gaze falling on the crimson-gold phoenix egg.

The crimson-gold light on the eggshell surface began to flow slowly, as if something was awakening inside. The fine lines became clearer under the light, vaguely outlining a small, curled-up shape.

Sui also sensed something amiss. He leaped from the rock and hopped a few steps to Ye Ming's side. His six slender legs were tense, and his compound eyes were fixed on the phoenix egg. His tone was filled with tension and anticipation: "Is there any movement?"

Ye Ming did not answer, but slowly poured more Phoenix Flame Essence into the eggshell, while carefully probing his spiritual sense into the inside of the eggshell to sense the changes.

Inside the eggshell, the tiny outline was slowly unfolding. Its heartbeat grew from faint to clear, from slow to strong, echoing like a drumbeat in Ye Ming's consciousness.

dong... dong... dong...

One sound after another, steady and powerful.

Ye Ming withdrew his spiritual sense, slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "It'll be soon."

Sui asked impatiently, "How soon is 'soon'? Today? Tomorrow? Or do we have to wait another month?"

"I don't know," Ye Ming answered honestly, "but it has already started actively absorbing spiritual energy from the outside world, which means it has entered the final stage of incubation. As for when it will hatch, that depends on itself."

Upon hearing this, Sui spun around twice on the spot, then plopped down on the ground, his tone complicated: "Fine, fine... I've already waited a month and a half, a few more days won't make a difference."

"But this dragon egg isn't reacting at all. Could it be a dead egg?"

Ye Ming didn't reply, but instead turned his gaze to the dragon egg next to him.

However, the dragon egg did not undergo any significant changes after being nurtured by phoenix flames for a month and a half.

"I don't know. We can ask about the dragon egg after the fire phoenix comes out."

Three more days passed.

On the evening of the third day, Ye Ming sat cross-legged in front of the two eggs as usual, closing his eyes to regulate his breathing. Suddenly, a crisp sound, like porcelain shattering, broke the tranquility of the secret realm.

Click.

Ye Ming suddenly opened his eyes.

The sound came from that crimson-gold phoenix egg.

On the surface of the eggshell, a tiny crack is slowly spreading.

Click.

Another sound.

Immediately afterwards, cracks spread rapidly outwards from the first fissure like a spider web, covering the entire surface of the phoenix egg's shell. Crimson-gold light shone through the cracks, growing brighter and more intense, casting a warm glow on Ye Ming and Sui's faces.

Ye Ming withdrew his hands and quietly watched the scene before him. He could feel that the life force inside the eggshell had become incredibly clear and active, like a flame about to burst forth, gathering its final strength.

Sui stood beside him, his six slender legs slightly raised on tiptoe. "So this is what a phoenix looks like when it's born. It's quite different from the dragon race."

The next moment—a fragment from the top of the eggshell was gently lifted from the inside and fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Immediately afterwards, a small, wet head peeked out from the hole.

That was a fledgling phoenix.

Its size is not much larger than an adult's fist, and its whole body is covered with a layer of fine, damp downy feathers, which have a warm reddish-gold color.