My Beast Is the 12-Winged Angel Chapter 431 - 432: You... Know Me?

Deep within the Void.

Feng Ni, the Phoenix of the Spiritual Beast Race, was currently navigating the most perilous crossroads of her eternal existence.

She was attempting to break through to the Pseudo-God Realm!

Inside the Void, the phoenix’s crimson-gold Divine Fire surged and churned, resembling a thick, flowing liquid. Feng Ni’s colossal form remained suspended at the heart of an energy vortex. Her magnificent plumage was fully unfurled, emitting a pressure that grew more terrifying by the second.

With her eyes tightly shut, she focused her entire consciousness inward, launching relentless waves of power against the barrier of the highest Realm. Success or failure rested upon this single endeavor!

If she succeeded, she would shed her mortal limitations and crystallize a godhead, ascending as a true Pseudo-God being who stood above all living things. This is the Domain that every creature yearns for but almost none ever reach!

Yet, during this most vital and unforgiving transition...

A stream of black energy, carrying a sense of extreme erosion and corruption, silently pierced through her vast flood of divine power!

"Huh?!"

Feng Ni’s eyes, resembling two miniature burning suns, snapped open! A flash of shocked disbelief and fury ignited within her gaze.

Demonic Qi!? And it was a high-grade Demonic Qi originating from the Demon God itself!

A chilling sense of dread immediately seized her heart. She instantly attempted to divert a portion of her Divine Thought and Divine Power to purge and cleanse this sinister intruder.

However, she was currently at the most intense stage of shattering her bottleneck. Her power was like an arrow already released from a bow; there was no room for distraction or retreat.

To forcefully interrupt the process or scatter her power could lead to a minor failure at best, or a catastrophic backlash that destroyed her foundation at worst. In the most extreme case, it could mean the total annihilation of both her form and spirit!

"Damn it!"

Feng Ni cursed internally, evaluating her options in the blink of an eye. She finally reached a difficult conclusion.

She would ignore the Demonic Qi for the moment and concentrate all her strength on shattering the barrier in one final push! Once she ascended to the Pseudo-God Realm, purifying this corruption would be a simple task.

Forcing down the anxiety in her soul, she closed her eyes once more and redirected her full mental capacity toward the breakthrough. She even tripled the intensity of her assault on the barrier!

She was locked in a race against time.

"Boom——!"

The Void boiled under the sheer violence of her power as a massive pillar of light shot toward the heavens. Under her frantic hammering, the realm barrier finally began to emit a strained "crack" sound!

Victory was nearly hers!

However, Feng Ni had underestimated the unique and terrifying nature of this Demonic Qi. It functioned as if it possessed a will of its own; after entering her body, it did not immediately cause chaos. Instead, like a cunning parasite, it hid itself and began to replicate at an impossible speed.

It greedily consumed Feng Ni’s own power as fuel, transforming it into even more concentrated Demonic Qi!

Initially, Feng Ni could manage the influence. But as the corruption spread exponentially, she was horrified to realize her control over her own energy was beginning to falter.

The once-perfect flow of her power was no longer seamless. Especially during the most critical moments of the breakthrough, a cold, destructive force would interfere from the shadows, causing her to exert twice the effort for half the result.

"Poof——!"

During a vital strike, the interference of the Demonic Qi caused a minor misalignment. A violent energy backlash followed, churning Feng Ni’s internal blood and bringing a metallic sweetness to her throat. Faint but undeniable threads of dull black began to mar her glorious feathers.

"How... could it spread this quickly?!"

Feng Ni was stunned. The speed and bizarre nature of this Demonic Qi’s corruption far surpassed her knowledge. At this rate, she would be completely consumed by the darkness before she could ever break the barrier.

She attempted to summon her lifeblood Divine Fire for a purification. But the Demonic Qi was incredibly elusive; the moment it sensed the Divine Fire, it would blend into her own power, becoming impossible to track.

She was stuck in a true stalemate!

If she continued the breakthrough, the Demonic Qi’s erosion would worsen, making failure inevitable. If she stopped, the attempt would fail, and the resulting backlash would allow the Demonic Qi to take over completely. Feng Ni found herself in the most life-threatening crisis she had faced since birth.

As the minutes passed, her situation became increasingly dire. The crimson-gold Divine Light she radiated was no longer untainted; it was now streaked with a foul dark red and a murky black. Her once sacred and majestic Phoenix aura was becoming polluted with a cold, chaotic, and frenzied breath.

The rhythm of her strikes against the barrier slowed down significantly, with every attempt becoming an agonizing struggle.

"No... I cannot give up!"

Feng Ni’s spirit roared with pride. She refused to allow herself to fall in such a pathetic manner. She began to burn her very origin, seeking a temporary Power Burst through the most desperate means possible.

"Nirvana!"

Boom—!!!

An even more fearsome crimson-gold Divine Fire exploded from her core, wrapping her in flames. This was her final gambit, her last stand!

However, at the moment of her greatest output—when her defenses were at their lowest—the dormant Demonic Qi finally struck like a bursting dam. It stopped hiding and transformed into countless dark tentacles that lunged toward Feng Ni’s developing Pseudo-God godhead!

The demonic erosion reached its absolute peak. The divine light surrounding her was nearly smothered by the filthy black and red energy. Her consciousness began to fade, hovering on the edge of life and death.

...

In the mortal world.

Long Qingyan drifted through the Void, a look of uncertainty on her beautiful face. With Dragon Island gone, she lacked a destination. She began to travel without a clear goal, yet an instinctive feeling urged her to head south.

The sights along her journey were grim. The Demonic Qi was spreading like a sickness. Lands that were once full of life had turned to ash, and many weaker races were suffering and dying under the demonic onslaught. The entire Alternate Space was slowly turning into a living hell.

Only the territory of the Human Race remained a relatively secure sanctuary. Although Feng Ni did not personally intervene against the demons below the Pseudo-God level, Long Zhenguo—guided by the clever strategies of Tushan Yueli—had managed to keep the human lands safe.

Eventually, the Angel Race, Ghost Race, and other allies of humanity began to struggle as well. These races started migrating toward the human borders. Long Zhenguo did not turn them away, using the full strength of the Human Race to provide refuge.

Long Qingyan continued her journey south until she arrived at this location. Her powerful presence immediately drew Feng Ni’s attention. In an instant, the air rippled, and Feng Ni appeared before Long Qingyan without warning.

Upon seeing Long Qingyan, a look of surprise crossed Feng Ni’s face.

"It is you?"

Hearing those words, Long Qingyan came to a halt. She looked at the woman before her, who possessed a profound and overwhelming aura even more intense than her own. She felt a strange sense of familiarity from the stranger.

She had a strong feeling that they had met before, a suspicion confirmed by the woman's words.

"You... do you know me?"

... ...