Xi Ling and Xie Xuan Yu—a match made in heaven!
The little parrot froze completely, one outstretched claw stiff as a sculpture.
In this awkward situation, Xi Ling clearly felt a drop of cold sweat slide down her back.
The air around them seemed to solidify. The human and the parrot stared at each other, neither moving first.
Finally, the little parrot couldn’t hold still any longer and swayed slightly.
Seizing the opportunity, it spread its wings and flew toward the man by the door curtain.
“Boss, boss,” its voice sounded particularly obedient.
The little parrot landed on his shoulder, tilting its head to look at him. “When did you come out, boss?”
Xie Xuan Yu replied, “Right when you said, ‘Let them beat me to death.'”
Xi Ling: “…”
Xie Xuan Yu raised his hand and lifted the little parrot from his shoulder, prying open its claws with his fingertips. Unexpectedly, the little parrot clung to his finger instead, tilting its head to gently nuzzle his palm, its voice sweet as it spoke, “How perfectly timed!”
This was clearly an attempt to cover up its wrongdoing by acting cute.
A dark, inscrutable light flickered in Xie Xuan Yu’s black pupils.
Xi Ling buried her head in his palm, overwhelmed by a wave of humiliation.
Just you wait, Xie Xuan Yu. Once I endure this final stretch of time, I will never let you control me again.
Cat Master walked in, saw the scene, and asked, “What’s wrong, boss?”
Xie Xuan Yu said calmly, “The Phoenix Chick’s spiritual intelligence is developing too quickly.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it? It means the Phoenix Chick is clever.”
Cat Master jumped onto the table. “The Phoenix Chick used to be shy and timid, but now it even acts cute with the boss. Still, it doesn’t seem like a different soul has taken over—just a small animal whose personality changed after gaining spiritual intelligence. Boss, you don’t need to worry about it.”
Xi Ling thought to herself, Of course you wouldn’t notice anything unusual. This is a unique secret art passed down by the Phoenix Bird Clan.
But Xie Xuan Yu said, “Even so, it shouldn’t be this fast.”
Cat Master looked down at the little parrot, which seemed utterly foolish as it continued to nuzzle his palm, clearly still displaying its animalistic bird instincts.
Fortunately, at that moment, Xie Xuan Yu’s jade slip stirred again, saving Xi Ling just in time.
Cat Master answered it for him, and a clear, melodious female voice came through.
“Young Lord Xuanyu, it’s me.”
Cat Master’s fur bristled all over. Xi Ling paused her nuzzling of his palm. The woman’s voice was soft and gentle, extremely pleasant to the ear, and very familiar.
Xie Xuan Yu’s expression remained completely unchanged. He glanced at Cat Master, who immediately understood and tried to turn off the jade slip.
“Please hear me out first. I’m using my father’s jade slip to send you a message. For your entry into the secret realm tomorrow, have you chosen a suitable companion? Given my cultivation, I certainly won’t hold you back. Could I accompany you—”
“No need,” Xie Xuan Yu replied flatly.
Cat Master couldn’t wait to interject, “Stop bothering my master. Last time you sent someone to deliver a letter to him, he returned it—he already rejected you once. Don’t keep trying to find ways to get close to my master, meow. Out of respect for your father, my master has been very polite to you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the other side cut off the jade slip first.
Cat Master snorted, “Quite the proud personality, isn’t she?”
Xi Ling walked over to Cat Master and asked curiously, “Who was that?”
“Little birds shouldn’t ask about things they don’t need to know.”
A malicious glint flashed in Cat Master’s eyes. “There are too many spirit cultivators like this in the academy, always trying to get close to the boss. Most of them have ulterior motives—men and women alike. The boss doesn’t want anything to do with any of them.”
Xi Ling could understand this well, as she too had no shortage of people around her who sought to curry favor. Sometimes, figuring out how to politely decline was a real headache.
The woman’s voice sounded very familiar, yet no matter how hard Xi Ling racked her brain, she couldn’t match it to anyone.
It must have been some girl from the Academy she had met a few times but never gotten close to.
Xi Ling had no interest in prying into Xie Xuan Yu’s affairs in this regard.
Tomorrow, the secret realm would open, and today, the elders were gathering the disciples to explain the rules and details of the secret realm in detail.
Naturally, Xi Ling had to attend, but since Xie Xuan Yu wasn’t leaving, she couldn’t go first either.
Sure enough, by the hour of Si, Xie Xuan Yu got up and headed out, with Xi Ling following closely behind, flying after her.
Before leaving, she worried that Cat Master might be concerned, so she specifically went to tell him, “I’m going out to play for a while.”
Cat Master wouldn’t allow it, reaching out a paw to hold her back.
Xi Ling turned back and gently planted a kiss on the kitten’s forehead, immediately feeling the restraint loosen.
Cat Master wagged his tail and said, “If only all little birds were as adorable as you, especially that Little Azure Luan from your bird clan—she’s nothing but trouble.”
The little parrot, who had been in high spirits, suddenly kicked the kitten on the forehead upon hearing the latter part, then turned and flew away angrily, wings flapping.
Cat Master was puzzled: “Did I say something wrong?”
The little bird soared over the forest as light from the sky spilled down, covering the peaks of the mountains.
At this moment, in the farthest east of the Four Continents, where the morning sun rose, sunlight also bathed the territory of the Featherfolk Kingdom.
The princess’s palace of the Featherfolk Kingdom, bathed in the morning light, looked from the outside like a massive bird’s nest, woven from intertwined branches and leaves. Each branch was thick enough for dozens of people to embrace, entwined with golden feathers that shimmered with a golden glow, surrounded by swirling clouds.
This palace was modeled after the princess’s palace of the Phoenix Bird Clan.
Guards armed with halberds and swords now stood solemnly at the entrance of the palace, not daring to breathe too loudly.
“A-Qin, calm down.”
Inside the hall, Li Zhao placed a hand on the shoulder of the woman before him, looking at her seated before the dressing mirror.
“Sister, what are you worried about? If Xi Ling is still alive, then we’ll just kill her again. There’s nothing to fear.”
Li Zhao spoke lightly, but the face of the woman before him was tinged with unease and resentment, unable to maintain her usual composure, revealing a rare hint of panic.
Li Zhao pulled the long hairpin from her hand, noticing the blood from the puncture wound in her palm, and chuckled, “A-Qin, ever since you learned three days ago that Xi Ling didn’t perish in the Forbidden Land, you’ve been distracted, making mistakes even at the celebration Father King and Mother Queen held for you. What’s going on? Where has the always-calm Li Qin gone?”
Li Qin took a deep breath, staring at her pale reflection in the mirror.
“A-Qin, you need to calm down. You handled everything meticulously, casting a silencing spell on Xi Ling. No one will know what happened in the forest that day.”
“I am calm, brother.”
Yet in the mirror, her trembling fingertips betrayed her.
Seeing her like this, Li Zhao leaned in slightly and whispered in her ear, “A-Qin, you’ve been afraid to return to the Academy because you’re scared of seeing Xi Ling? But what is there to fear? Now that an unexpected twist has occurred—Xi Ling isn’t completely dead but is barely clinging to life—wouldn’t it be more fun for us to toy with her until she dies?”
Li Qin’s hand resting on the table was covered by the man’s hand.
Such an intimate gesture clearly crossed the boundaries between siblings.
Li Zhao leaned close to her ear, coaxing as if guiding her step by step: “Just like the Gu Diao tribe, before devouring humans, they always torment their captured prey thoroughly, watching it struggle until blood flows from all seven orifices before they are satisfied. Only then do they leisurely consume their prey. Isn’t that more interesting? You have always been overshadowed by Xi Ling since childhood. Now the opportunity for revenge is right before you—why be afraid?”
Upon hearing these words, Li Qin’s rapid breathing finally began to slow. “Yes, brother is right.”
A smile curled at the corner of Li Zhao’s lips as he reached out to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
“I have prepared such a grand ceremony for you with the Yumin Kingdom to celebrate. How do you plan to repay me, sister?”
Li Qin’s eyelashes trembled slightly. “As we agreed before, I will transfer half of Xi Ling’s Spiritual Power to you.”
“It’s good that you are so sensible. It hasn’t been in vain for the Yumin Kingdom to take you in and raise you.”
Indeed, Li Qin and Li Zhao were not biological siblings.
Li Qin’s father and mother were once two great generals under the Phoenix King’s throne, both descendants of the Gu Diao tribe.
However, the Gu Diao were inherently greedy and loved to devour human hearts. While they appeared to care for their subordinates and protect the people on the surface, in secret, they committed cruel acts such as swallowing Spirit Cultivators and harming their own tribesmen. After the Phoenix King discovered this, they were ordered to be executed.
At that time, their young daughter was already over a hundred years old and witnessed the tragic sight of her parents’ corpses exposed in the streets.
She was sent to the Yumin Kingdom by servants, and from that moment on, the seed of revenge was planted in Li Qin’s heart.
To completely change her appearance, she destroyed her original looks and even carved away her Gu Diao beast form, allowing her to maintain only a human True Form like the other people of the Yumin Kingdom. In this way, outsiders could no longer recognize her original appearance.
But after all these years of growing up alongside the children of her parents’ murderers, how could the hatred in her heart not be intense?
Li Zhao gazed at the pair of eyes reflected in the mirror and smiled. “I did propose eliminating Xi Ling, but the method you devised to swap fortunes and destroy Xi Ling’s heart—that is truly ruthless. Your determination to avenge your parents makes me feel ashamed in comparison.”
As the words “parents” were spoken, hatred instantly crystallized in Li Qin’s eyes.
Indeed, the fire had been ignited.
Her delicate hand grasped Li Zhao’s in return. “Brother is right. What do I have to fear? If Xi Ling escaped once, can she escape a second time? I will kill her with my own hands, right within the secret realm.”
Li Qin watched as her own eyes turned red.
Early the next morning, she and Li Zhao would return before the opening of the Shenxiao secret realm.
The man smiled and said “good,” then lowered his head to gently kiss the ends of her hair. Their figures stretched long, shrouded in shadows.
Under the blazing sun, the next morning, a Cloudsoar Golden Boat, led by immortal cranes, sailed out of the Yumin royal city and flew toward the direction of Mingze Immortal Palace.
Meanwhile, at Mingze Immortal Palace, although it was not yet time for the secret realm to open, the square in front of the Academy Halls was already crowded with disciples.
Everyone looked up to see a massive spherical object floating above the square, with purple lightning swirling inside—this was precisely the Shenxiao secret realm.
The secret realm cast a huge shadow, and wisps of mist drifted at its entrance, making it impossible to discern what lay within.
The square buzzed with lively discussions. Apart from speculating about the scenes inside the secret realm, everyone was talking about their chosen teammates for the expedition.
Before officially entering the secret realm, all team formations were kept confidential.
The elders had profound intentions behind this move—to prevent weaker teams from being targeted before even stepping into the secret realm, thereby becoming the focus of everyone’s attacks as soon as they entered.
Even so, some individuals inevitably became the juicy prey in everyone’s eyes.
As Xi Zhao walked up the steps, he felt countless fiery gazes fixed on him from all directions, like predators eyeing their prey.
He snapped angrily, “What are you looking at? Stop staring!”
A voice came through the jade slip—it was his teammate, who had deliberately distanced himself from Xi Zhao today to avoid drawing attention.
The disciple stammered, “Brother Xi Zhao, I have a feeling that as soon as we enter, we’ll be torn apart by this crowd.”
Xi Zhao sighed, “That’s not just a feeling—it’s a fact.”
“…”
Barring any surprises, Xi Zhao would likely be among the first few to be eliminated out of the thousands of participants.
The rules for victory in the secret realm were simple: disciples had to strive to survive until the end to win.
During this period, participants could attack one another. If one side was severely injured, they would be expelled from the secret realm, ending their trial. While inside, they would feel the pain of their injuries, but once expelled, no actual harm would remain.
Xi Zhao reminded his teammate once again of the strategy they needed to follow.
“Once we’re inside, we’ll find a place to hide.”
“I know. The secret realm drops many treasures. The longer we stay, the more points we earn, and the richer the rewards we can exchange for when we come out.”
Of course, the more people eliminated in the secret realm, the faster the points would accumulate.
Xi Zhao had a realistic understanding of his own abilities: “I’ve heard that over tens of thousands of years at the Academy, none of the predecessors have ever cleared the hidden stages. It’s better for us to just find a place to hide quietly. Once everyone else has fought it out, we can swoop in and reap the rewards.”
In short, the secret realm amplified the instinct of survival of the fittest, with everyone inside acting as either hunters or the hunted.
However, the secret realm had no time limit. It would only end when the disciples inside fought until only one team remained, or if someone triggered the hidden three-stage challenge, which would yield generous rewards.
This was clearly not something Xi Zhao, who ranked near the bottom, should be considering.
His top priority was to survive as long as possible and earn as many points as he could.
Xi Zhao wasn’t particularly skilled in anything, except for his mastery of earth escape techniques, which were perfectly suited for fleeing in such scenarios.
The surroundings buzzed with chatter as people speculated about who had teamed up with whom.
“Who do you think Xie Xuan Yu teamed up with this time?”
“Why is that even a question? Either he’s alone or with Zong Yuan or Cang Xingzhou. But most likely, he’s alone. He doesn’t like partnering up, so he’s probably going solo this time too.”
“Is that so? There are senior disciples in the Academy who have reached the Immortal Rank. If two of them face him, Xie Xuan Yu might not have the upper hand.”
“I’m more curious about Xi Ling. Yesterday, news leaked from the elders’ council that Xi Ling teamed up with a male cultivator.”
Xi Zhao hadn’t expected to hear gossip about his own family. His nerves tightened with a sudden jolt.
“A male cultivator?”
“Yes, a male cultivator.” The crowd turned to look at him. “You’re Xi Ling’s brother—don’t you know?”
Xi Zhao truly had no idea and immediately sent a message to Xi Ling via his jade slip.
The next moment, a commotion erupted across the square: “They’re here! They’re here!”
Xi Zhao asked, “Who’s here?”
He followed the crowd in looking up. At the horizon, a golden cloud-piercing ship appeared, swiftly navigating through the mist and clouds. It emitted a golden glow all around, like a sharp sword slicing through the fog.
Ahead of the golden ship, immortal cranes tread upon seven-colored divine light, leading the way. The grandeur of the arrival made the disciples gasp in awe.
“It’s Li Qin and Li Zhao!”
The cloud-piercing golden ship came to a halt, and Li Qin and Li Zhao descended from the sky.
The moment their feet touched the ground, eager onlookers swarmed around them.
Li Zhao moved through the crowd, hearing the flattery directed at Li Qin, and whispered with a smile in Li Qin’s ear, “You were always overshadowed by Xi Ling before. Aren’t you basking in glory today?”
The corners of Li Qin’s lips curled upward as she looked toward the high platform on one side of the square, where several divine elders and immortal masters were seated.
Everyone could observe the performance of all the disciples in the secret realm through the Heaven Mirror Stone at the center of the square.
When the time came, the outstanding ones would be admired by all and rewarded by their mentors, while those who made fools of themselves would naturally become laughingstocks, scorned by the cultivators.
Li Qin lowered her voice and said, “Brother, the reason those Spirit Cultivators clung to Xi Ling before was because she was young and had high Cultivation. But if she makes a fool of herself in the secret realm today and is stripped of her outer halo, how many would still shamelessly flatter her?”
Li Zhao replied, “Today, it’s your turn to shine.”
Li Qin tightened her grip on the Treasure Sword at her side and suddenly remembered something. “Brother, do you think Xi Ling will come looking for me? She’s so foolish. If I coax her a little, she might come crawling back eagerly. It’s perfect—I was worried before about not being able to enter her chamber to take her treasure artifacts. If I run into her later, I might be able to trick her into revealing a way.”
But treasure artifacts were secondary. The most important thing was to eliminate her. Although Spirit Cultivators in the secret realm wouldn’t suffer actual harm, Li Qin had plenty of ways to ensure Xi Ling wouldn’t return alive.
If her teammates interfered, they could be eliminated too.
With thousands entering the secret realm together, chaos was inevitable, and accidents were all too easy to arrange.
Where was she now? Could she see her?
However, Li Qin and Li Zhao had only taken a few steps when the atmosphere around them shifted abruptly. The crowd was suddenly drawn to the commotion outside.
Something seemed to be happening there—waves of noise rose and spread outward, as if someone of great importance had arrived, far surpassing the fanfare of Li Qin’s appearance.
The siblings exchanged a glance and were about to investigate when they keenly caught snippets of conversation from the chaotic noise.
“Is it true? Did you say Xi Ling came with whom? I didn’t hear wrong, did I?”
“Xie Xuan Yu! Those two came together!”
Everyone’s expressions shifted, eyebrows raised, and in an instant, dozens of possibilities were being discussed.
Xi Zhao stomped anxiously, trying to push through the crowd but was shoved back by the surging tide.
The color drained from Li Qin’s face as she listened to the people around her unabashedly discussing and praising Xi Ling.
“The Academy should balance things out. How can two people with such high Cultivation be paired together?”
“How did Xie Xuan Yu even convince Xi Ling to agree?”
“What kind of situation is this? If they team up, they’ll sweep all the treasure artifacts in the arena. Will we even get a few scraps?”
“These two have always despised each other. They might end up fighting in the secret realm. If tempers flare, they might even kick each other out.”
This remark drew widespread agreement. “That makes sense.”
But what everyone was most curious about was how these two had ended up together.
It was utterly bizarre.
Xi Ling, Xi Ling, Xi Ling.
Countless repetitions of “Xi Ling” pierced Li Qin’s eardrums like sharp needles. In this moment, her world was reduced to nothing but Xi Ling.
That day, she should have been even more ruthless—should have pierced her through with ten thousand arrows on the spot and devoured her heart!
Li Qin’s fingertips transformed into sharp, bird-like claws, but in the next instant, the crowd suddenly stirred, parting to make way.
“They’re here, they’re here!”
A man and a woman walked side by side through the crowd. The man was tall and upright, as elegant as a jade tree, dressed in a dark, gold-patterned martial robe, with a crystal-clear ice-like long sword hanging at his waist. His features were delicate, though his expression was cold and weary.
Beside him, the woman was bright and charming, her eyes sparkling. Today, she wore a light yellow, sleek and practical dress, her calves tucked into small boots. Her hair was braided with a string of colorful gemstones, the braid hanging in front of her, its end adorned with a green feather. As she moved, her robes shimmered with a faint golden light, and the jade ornaments and bells on her tinkled softly, making her appear as if she were bathed in golden radiance.
It had to be said—the two of them, with their figures and appearances side by side, looked exceptionally well-matched. Their arrival alone dimmed the brilliance of everyone around them.
When that familiar figure appeared, Li Qin instinctively retracted her claws.
“Long time no see, Princess Xi Ling,” Li Qin said with a smile.
The young woman turned her face, her gaze lightly settling on Li Qin’s. Their eyes met briefly.
“It has been a long time,” Xi Ling replied, her lips curving upward, her eyes bright and beautiful.
Li Qin had imagined many scenarios for their reunion—Xi Ling breaking down in tears, coldly questioning her, or pleading for an explanation. But it was nothing like this calm and composed demeanor.
Li Qin stepped forward, extending her arms as if for an embrace, and whispered close to Xi Ling’s ear, her red lips parting: “How does it feel to be bullied and unable to speak your grievances, Princess? Someone as proud as you must be grinding your teeth in frustration.”
Li Qin turned her gaze to meet Xi Ling’s eyes.
“I must tell you, Princess, I will surely win this trial. Even if you’ve sought out Xie Xuan Yu, you’ll only hold him back.”
“Is that so?” the young woman replied with a clever smile.
Li Qin looked down and only then noticed that the jade slip in Xi Ling’s hand was glowing with golden light.
Immediately after, the jade slips in the hands of everyone around them lit up as well.
In an instant, Li Qin realized what Xi Ling had done.
“Beep, beep, beep—”
Everyone received a voice transmission from Xi Ling’s jade slip, relaying Li Qin’s exact words:
“How does it feel to be bullied and unable to speak your grievances, Princess?”
“Someone as proud as you must be grinding your teeth in frustration.”
“Even if you’ve sought out Xie Xuan Yu, you’ll only hold him back.”
The man whose name was mentioned cast a casual, indifferent glance over Li Qin.
But the words didn’t end there—they came with an additional message from Xi Ling.
Only Li Qin and Li Zhao did not receive the transmission. Li Zhao’s face turned ashen as he snatched a jade slip from someone nearby and pressed it to his ear.
“Once inside the secret realm, feel free to teach Li Qin and Li Zhao a lesson—put it on my account.
Anyone who takes action, whether they injure the two or not, can exchange for a top-grade Magical Treasure from me after leaving the secret realm.
My treasure vault is open for all to enjoy.”
The treasures accumulated by the Phoenix Bird Clan’s little princess over the years were now laid bare for all to see. As everyone held their jade slips, lists of treasures flashed before their eyes one by one, eliciting gasps of astonishment.
The square erupted in a clamor of voices.
Brutal, simple, and generous.
The condition set by the Phoenix Bird Clan’s little princess: to let her mercilessly torment Li Qin and Li Zhao.
Just by taking action, one would receive a top-grade Magical Treasure.
Such a reward is far more generous than the treasures dropped in a secret realm.
Today, it was clearly Li Qin who provoked and bullied Xi Ling first.
Li Qin’s ears were ringing, her blood running cold, never having expected that she would treat her this way.
“Look, the secret realm is opening!” Everyone looked up.
Inside the secret realm, thunder roared, and a tear was ripped open in the void.
The wind howled, and one figure after another transformed into a streak of light, drawn into the secret realm.
Before Xi Ling and the man beside her entered the secret realm, she turned back, her skirt fluttering wildly in the wind, her smile enchanting and captivating.
Li Qin saw those lips part and close, silently mouthing words toward her.
“Li Qin, I will definitely kill you.”