Xi Ling hurried to the door and opened it, revealing the clear face of a young man. Seeing her, he paused his knocking motion.
The pomegranate tree cast shadows, half of his face hidden in darkness while the other half was revealed, gentle and refined as jade.
A smile graced Chao Jing’s lips, his expression tender: “Xi Ling.”
Xi Ling opened the door wide, gesturing for Chao Jing to enter.
The room was a chaotic mess, as if bandits had ransacked it.
Xi Ling felt somewhat embarrassed and said, “Father said you and A Zhao searched for me for two whole days. It must have been exhausting. Thank you both so much.”
Seeing Chao Jing lower his head to tidy the books on the floor, she quickly added, “Ah! There’s no need for you to clean up here. I’ll take care of it!”
But Chao Jing did not stop his actions, skillfully picking up the books from the floor and placing them on a nearby shelf.
“We grew up together. Haven’t I seen the nests of your bird clan before? Both yours and A Zhao’s chambers are always a mess. How many times have I helped you tidy up? As for searching for you, that’s a small matter. If A Zhao and I went missing, I’m sure you’d come looking for us too, wouldn’t you?”
He brushed the dust off a book: “Next time, even if you’re in seclusion, make sure to reply to your father’s messages. If you ever encounter any real danger, your brother and I can react in time.”
Xi Ling softly replied, “Alright.”
This single word made Chao Jing turn his gaze toward her, watching her for a long moment: “Xi Ling, something’s on your mind.”
Xi Ling looked up as Chao Jing approached her, stopping by her side and slightly lowering his head: “Since you were little, whenever something’s bothering you, your tone drops by two degrees. What’s wrong? Tell me.”
His gaze was gentle, the sunlight illuminating his face clearly, like a smooth, lustrous white porcelain.
“I was an orphan your father picked up. If it weren’t for his adoption, how could I have survived this long? Though we share no blood, we are closer than siblings. Don’t distance yourself from me just because I later moved away from the Chaoyun Royal City.”
He paused, “In my heart, your father is my true father. And you are my own sister.”
Chao Jing once lived with Xi Ling.
Back then, he wasn’t called Chao Jing but Xi Jing, a child her father had found in a patch of weeds beneath Liubo Mountain during an inspection of the sky territory.
For the first twenty thousand years, he grew up in the Phoenix Bird Clan, forming close bonds with her, Xi Zhao, and even Li Zhao and Li Qin. They lived and studied together.
Unlike Xi Ling, who focused solely on the cultivation of Talismans and Spells, his talents manifested in every aspect, with almost no weaknesses. As he grew older, the characteristics of a divine child became increasingly evident in him.
It was said that the Divine Lord once had a child who was lost, disappearing tens of thousands of years ago somewhere in the Eastern Continent. And the place where Chao Jing was found belonged to the Eastern Continent.
Thus, when Chao Jing turned twenty thousand years old, her father took him to meet the Divine Lord. It was then that Chao Jing met his true father, Chao Luo, one of the twelve ancient True Gods, born from chaos, having survived the ancient wars. Now, with gods either fallen, slumbering, or their Spiritual Power withered, only Chao Luo remained as powerful as ever.
Chao Luo ushered in a new era, governing the Four Spiritual Continents as the leader of the gods, revered as the “Divine Lord.”
In comparison, the status of the Phoenix Bird King paled significantly, and it was necessary to maintain a certain distance to avoid suspicion.
From then on, Chao Jing’s connections with the Phoenix Bird Clan gradually diminished.
It wasn’t until Xi Ling and her cousin Xi Zhao entered the Mingze Immortal Palace together and became fellow students with Chao Jing that their ties were rekindled. Chao Jing also maintained private correspondence with her father through her own efforts.
As for Xi Ling herself, Chao Jing had always been exceptionally tolerant since childhood, often cleaning up the messes left behind by her and Xi Zhao.
As for his cultivation, he had already endured the Thunder Tribulation and become an immortal.
Xi Ling gazed at him: “Chao Jing, I want to eliminate someone.”
Chao Jing asked, “Who bullied you?”
Bound by the Sealing Spell, Xi Ling couldn’t utter a single word about the cause or context.
Chao Jing inquired, “Those senior disciples at the academy who bullied the juniors and clashed with you?”
Xi Ling shook her head.
Chao Jing: “Then is it Xie Xuan Yu?”
Xi Ling shook her head vigorously.
Chao Jing’s expression grew serious as he asked one by one, finally hesitantly mentioning two names he himself found hard to believe: “Li Zhao, Li Qin.”
This time, Xi Ling did not shake her head.
Chao Jing frowned: “They bullied you? Weren’t you always closest with Li Qin? When you were absent yesterday, I went to ask Li Qin, and she said you were in seclusion cultivating, telling us not to disturb you. At the time, I felt something was off—how could she suddenly ascend?”
He pondered briefly: “You want to kill them—is it related to this?”
Seeing Xi Ling simply staring at him with her watery eyes, clear ripples gathering within them, yet repeatedly on the verge of speaking but holding back.
Chao Jing’s tone softened as he asked a few more questions, but Xi Ling gave no response.
Helpless, he could only say, “If you’re unwilling to speak, you must have your reasons. I won’t press further. I can think of ways to help you get back at them, but we can’t kill them without cause.”
Beneath her sleeves, Xi Ling clenched her fists. The Sealing Spell forbade her from revealing even the slightest hint. Even if she wanted to point at her throat to show she couldn’t speak, an invisible force heavily suppressed her wrist.
No matter what method she tried, as long as she intended to confide in this matter, the Sealing Spell would preemptively cut off all her actions.
Likely, Li Zhao and Li Qin in the Feather Folk Kingdom would soon receive news that she hadn’t perished. By then, they would undoubtedly exhaust every means to eliminate her for good.
With her current magical power, it was impossible for her to kill Li Qin in a short time, nor could she speak of the swapped fate to plead her innocence.
In the short term, this was a deadlock.
Chao Jing sighed lightly and smiled: “You used to be so close—this little conflict surely won’t escalate to the point of fighting or killing, right? Next time I see them, I’ll help you give them a beating, okay?”
Indeed, without concrete reasons, how could he arbitrarily kill anyone?
Chao Jing’s situation was difficult, surviving in the cracks. The Divine Lord had more than one child; he arrived the latest and still received little regard. Xi Ling didn’t want him to attract trouble because of her.
Chao Jing glanced outside the hall and said, “It’s getting late; I must leave now to prepare for entering the Shenxiao secret realm in a few days.”
“Shenxiao secret realm?”
“Yes, you didn’t know?” Chao Jing was puzzled. “The elders decided a few days ago to open the Shenxiao secret realm. The top performer in this trial will receive a divine-grade healing artifact. I thought you were in seclusion and didn’t plan to participate, but it seems Li Qin didn’t tell you?”
Li Qin indeed hadn’t told her.
But Chao Jing’s words suddenly lit up her eyes.
“Is it truly a divine-level healing treasure?”
Just as spirit cultivators are classified by their cultivation strength, treasures are also ranked: divine—immortal—ordinary magical treasures.
“Yes, it is a treasure left by ancient primordial gods. When used by the injured, it can heal meridians, and not only that—it can also strengthen bones, greatly enhancing cultivation on the existing foundation. This Shenxiao secret realm opens only once every few thousand years, so the rewards for those who clear it are naturally exceptionally generous.”
Her current meridian condition was like a leaking bowl, urgently in need of repair, but ordinary healing treasures, no matter how powerful, could never fill such a massive gap.
If Xi Ling were to rebuild her bones and meridians from scratch and cultivate anew, it would take tens of thousands of years. Xi Ling was not afraid of starting over.
But none of this was her fault in the first place—why should she bear the consequences?
And this divine-level treasure, imbued with primordial ancient power—if she could obtain it, the problem of repairing her necrotic meridians would be effortlessly resolved.
Chao Jing saw that after his words, Xi Ling’s expression immediately brightened.
The little bird’s worries came and went quickly, as if nothing in the world could affect their optimistic nature.
Chao Jing smiled and asked, “Do you want to go?”
Xi Ling nodded.
But given Xi Ling’s current condition, how to achieve first place in the trial remained a problem.
Seeing the slight furrow between her brows, Chao Jing said, “A divine-level treasure is, after all, just a treasure—it only serves an auxiliary role. In the future, I will find something better for you. The most precious and supreme treasure in this world is one that can grant the path to godhood. Xi Ling, have you heard of the secret manual left by the Phoenix Bird Clan’s founding goddess?”
Goddess Xi Yao was the founding goddess of the Phoenix Bird Clan.
Before her fall, she left behind a secret manual, recording all she had learned in her lifetime, infused with her last trace of spiritual consciousness, to select a suitable successor in the future. Only those who pass her trials will see the manual manifest. Its purpose was to save the Phoenix Bird Clan from peril in times of crisis.
“If you can obtain this manual and inherit the goddess’s legacy, becoming an immortal or a god will be within your grasp.”
“But the founding goddess’s manual has been lost for ten thousand years. Even my Father King has never had the chance to obtain it—perhaps it’s just a legend.”
“Legends may not be untrue. If such a manual truly exists, the goddess must have long noticed you in secret. Xi Ling, you should truly search for it carefully.”
Chao Jing’s tone was solemn.
Xi Ling looked at him and said, “Alright, I will carefully study the ancient texts.”
Chao Jing smiled. “I must attend class now. Today, you should rest well.”
Xi Ling saw him out.
After returning, Xi Ling gazed at the several treasures she had selected and placed on the floor. In the past, whenever she took on missions, she accepted any that involved healing magical treasures—not for herself, but for her Father King.
All those healing treasures were sent to the Phoenix Bird Clan, not a single one kept for herself.
If she were to ask her Father King for a healing treasure now, wouldn’t it reveal that she was injured? It would be futile and only cause unnecessary worry for her Father King and Mother Queen.
She would find a way to solve it herself. She had always been like this.
Xi Ling sat on the floor, hugging her knees, her long hair cascading behind her, a faint glow shimmering around her.
Having been out for so long today, the evening sun outside dyed the treetops, and her spiritual power was nearly depleted. Soon, she would revert to being a parrot again.
Xi Ling felt a warm current rise in her abdomen, as if an invisible rope were pulling her to her feet.
That’s right—she had cast a spell to possess the little parrot, and the little parrot had formed a contract with Xie Xuan Yu.
When the master calls, how could a spirit pet not return?
Xi Ling gritted her teeth, clinging to the hall pillar to keep from being dragged away, but the force was too powerful—she couldn’t resist it at all.
“Bastard!”
Before being taken away, she frantically rummaged through a pile of miscellaneous items and found several high-grade Spiritual Elixirs, hiding them in her sleeve.
“This way, even if I turn into a Parrot, I can revert to human form by taking the elixirs.”
With a soft “poof,” the girl transformed into a wisp of blue smoke.
Soon after, a small black bird flew out of the hall, still chattering and cursing incessantly.
“Everyone in the Academy will surely fight over this Magical Treasure. If I want to win first place in the trial, I can’t seize it by force—I must outsmart them.”
The Academy was filled with powerful individuals, and the strongest among them was Xie Xuan Yu.
Xi Ling was currently no match for him in a fight.
But nothing could solve her urgent needs better than that healing Magical Treasure. If she missed this chance, who knew when the next opportunity would come?
She was determined to seize the treasure, repair her meridians, restore her Spiritual Power, and expose the wicked deeds of Li Qin and Li Zhao.
Then, as described in the ancient texts, she would carve out their bones and tendons and kill them.
Summoned, Xi Ling followed a golden thread through the void, flying past rows of palaces. Ahead, among the hall buildings, a familiar figure appeared.
Xie Xuan Yu stood under the eaves of the Academy Halls, dressed in a green robe with a sword at his side, bright and clear like bamboo. The golden threads on the sleeves of his green robe shimmered with a dazzling golden light under the sun.
Opposite him stood several disciples under the Immortal Elders, also outstanding talents among their peers.
At the moment, they seemed to be blocking Xie Xuan Yu, wanting to say something.
“Young Lord, will you be entering the Shenxiao secret realm for the trial?”
“If the Young Lord enters the secret realm, first place will surely be a foregone conclusion. Surely the Young Lord lacks no Magical Treasures, and as the Chief Disciple under the Immortal Elder Mu Heng, why not yield this opportunity to us this time?”
Several others beside him chimed in with laughter: “Exactly, otherwise we won’t obtain even a few treasures in a year, which would be truly humiliating. Why not take a step back, Young Lord?”
Xie Xuan Yu glanced sideways, as if sensing Xi Ling’s arrival, and raised his hand.
The little Parrot folded its wings, stirring up a small breeze, and landed neatly on Xie Xuan Yu’s knuckles with one claw.
With his other hand, Xie Xuan Yu gently stroked the little Parrot’s head, while a faint, almost imperceptible whisper reached his ear.
“Bastard, I’m here!”
The disciples opposite him clasped their hands in salute. “We hope the Young Lord will grant us this favor.”
The figure brushed past them directly, as if he had been waiting for the little Parrot and was now ready to leave.
“Why is the Young Lord ignoring us?”
The disciples followed closely, blocking Xie Xuan Yu’s path.
Xie Xuan Yu fixed his gaze on the faces before him. “I have important use for the trial’s Magical Treasure.”
“If any of you have the skill, come and take it from me.”
Though he said to come and take it if they had the skill, his tone was excessively arrogant, as if he already regarded the treasure as his own.
Xi Ling and the other disciples glared at him with shared indignation.
Xie Xuan Yu paid no heed, simply lowering his head to speak to Xi Ling. “Cat Master said you escaped again?”
Xi Ling immediately buried her head low, hiding in the crook of his neck.
Seeing Xie Xuan Yu speaking to a sinister-looking dead bird and unwilling to engage with them, the others were about to speak up.
In the next moment, the figure in green transformed into a blue mist, dissipating before everyone’s eyes, with flashes of lightning flickering within the mist.
Even his method of departure was exceptionally arrogant.
Damn it, Xie Xuan Yu just pulled off another grand show.