That night, the moon hung bright and clear.
At the foot of the mountain, inside the small courtyard house, a petite, plump figure sat on the windowsill—it was the little parrot, sitting with its arms crossed.
Cat Master’s voice came from behind: “What’s wrong? Ever since you came back from playing outside today, you’ve been sulking.”
The little parrot glared angrily into the void, its face puffed up with rage, feathers bristling all over.
Wolong said: “My cat brother is talking to you! Answer him!”
Xi Ling turned in another direction, turning her back to Wolong.
Wolong cautiously moved closer to the windowsill. Having regained freedom after two days of confinement, he was unusually excited and chirped: “You already have Spiritual Consciousness, how come you still can’t speak? If you can’t talk, I’ll teach you!”
Seeing the little parrot remain silent, Wolong continued: “You little dumb bird, listen up. You have to be polite to the boss. When the boss pours you tea or makes you food, you should say thank you. When the boss grooms your feathers, you should act cute and say you like it…”
Xi Ling found him noisy. Her ears twitched—someone’s footsteps were approaching.
Xi Ling turned her face. When Wolong met her gaze, his back went numb. Suddenly, he felt as if an invisible force had clamped his beak shut. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but he couldn’t control it.
Wolong turned his head and saw Xie Xuan Yu walking out from the inner room. His eyes lit up, and he happily flapped his wings, flying into the air, shouting loudly—
“Bastard! Bastard!”
Wolong was horrified. He opened his mouth again: “No, boss—big bastard, listen to me explain…”
Xi Ling: “How rude of you.”
Cat Master, who was doing chores, stopped what he was doing. Wolong’s beak kept spewing: “Boss—big bastard, boss bastard, bastard boss, old big bastard…”
Wolong’s face flushed red, and he hurriedly hid in a corner.
As for Xi Ling, after casting her spell, she turned her back again. Her current Spiritual Power might not be enough to deal with others, but handling a little bird was more than sufficient.
Seeing the little parrot angry, Cat Master walked over to Xie Xuan Yu and said: “It must be Wolong who upset Fengchu again!”
Wolong felt extremely wronged but didn’t dare speak. If he opened his mouth, the “boss” that came out might turn into who knows what.
One person, one cat, and one bird stared at the little parrot’s back.
Cat Master said: “Boss, Fengchu is angry. Go and comfort her.”
Xie Xuan Yu: “How do I comfort her?”
Cat Master nimbly climbed onto Xie Xuan Yu’s shoulder. “Just go and comfort her, say some nice things. Little birds are like this—their moods go up and down, just like that Little Azure Luan. Maybe if you praise her, she’ll be happy.”
“What Little Azure Luan!” The little parrot turned around, furious.
Cat Master was confused: “I’m talking about your Fellow Student at the Academy, not you!”
The little parrot assumed an attacking posture, swooping over with its claws aimed at Cat Master: “Don’t say that either! Don’t say it!”
But that bit of force was like tickling to Cat Master. The little parrot was scooped into his embrace, and when she tried to resist, Cat Master only held her tighter.
Xi Ling poked her head out from between Cat Master’s claws and narrowed her eyes.
Clearly, the path of negotiating terms with Xie Xuan Yu was not going to work.
And yet, she had become her nemesis’s Spirit Pet. If a hundred people were in her position, a hundred would feel humiliated.
But it was undeniable that this was also a heaven-sent opportunity—
After all, what better chance could there be than now to observe Xie Xuan Yu?
As long as she found Xie Xuan Yu’s fatal weakness, she could turn the tables.
Xi Ling was quite pleased with her new plan: before entering the secret realm, she would observe Xie Xuan Yu’s every word and action to uncover his fatal weakness.
Xi Ling flew out of Cat Master’s claws and landed on a high perch. From this angle, Xie Xuan Yu’s every move could not escape the keen eyes of the little bird.
School had ended early today, yet he had not gone out. Instead, he had taken several ancient texts from the bookshelf.
Xi Ling snorted inwardly: Still pretending? Didn’t you say you never study after school?
The room was quiet, the immortal lamp burning dimly. Occasionally, the soft rustle of pages turning under fingertips could be heard, accompanied by the intermittent chirping of cicadas outside the window.
A surge of malicious thought rose in Xi Ling’s heart: No wonder you always scored so well on exams before. So, saying you never study after class was all an act, just to deceive those fellow students.
Full of lies, truly despicable.
Luckily, I also study secretly after class.
Xi Ling shook her feathers and dove down. Xie Xuan Yu looked up as the little bird flew toward him, kicking the book from his hand onto the table. “No reading, no reading!”
She turned her head, her expression haughty: “Talk to me!”
The little parrot swayed her body, inadvertently brushing her cheek against his knuckles, then froze completely, as if petrified.
The little parrot snapped back to attention: “No reading, talk to me.”
Xie Xuan Yu did not respond and continued to pick up the book. Xi Ling hopped onto his right shoulder, took a closer look at the contents, and her eyelids twitched violently.
What was recorded here were entries on forbidden text spells, banned across the Four Continents.
Xie Xuan Yu was secretly practicing forbidden arts.
Well, well, she had caught him red-handed.
Luckily, she herself often practiced forbidden arts in secret.
Xi Ling perched on his shoulder and began reading along with him.
Xie Xuan Yu’s fingertips rested on the table, tapping idly. The little dragon dozing by his wrist bone woke up and saw the little parrot had somehow landed on Xie Xuan Yu’s shoulder.
Instantly, the dragon’s possessiveness surged. It said to Xie Xuan Yu, “Pet me, pet me.”
Xi Ling tugged at Xie Xuan Yu’s collar with her beak: “No reading, play with me, play with me.”
Xie Xuan Yu remained unmoved by either bird. The dragon was about to mock the parrot.
But then it saw the little parrot nuzzle against Xie Xuan Yu’s neck, cooing, “Play with me, please. Stop reading.”
The dragon was stunned. How was this playing?
Sure enough, this time Xie Xuan Yu sighed, put down the book, and reached out to stroke the parrot’s head, eliciting cheerful chirps from the little bird.
Xie Xuan Yu stood up and placed the little parrot on the perch.
At the doorway, Cat Master heard the commotion, stretched lazily, and glanced at the moonlight outside. “Boss, are you planning to go out?”
Xi Ling couldn’t let this opportunity slip. “I want to go too!”
The dragon said, “What can a parrot do? The boss won’t take you.”
Xie Xuan Yu gently removed the little parrot from his collar and said casually, “Stay here and keep Cat Master company.”
Hearing this, a faint blush appeared around the little parrot’s eyes, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
She stretched out her wings and hugged Xie Xuan Yu’s neck again. “But boss, I really want to go with you.”
The dragon, who was drinking water at the time, spat it out in surprise. Cat Master, who had been licking its paw, abruptly stopped and looked up, only to see Xie Xuan Yu sigh helplessly and try to soothe the parrot.
The dragon felt a pang of bitterness. “When I asked the boss to take me out before, he didn’t even spare me a glance.”
Cat Master nodded in agreement. “Yes, it’s too dangerous.”
Xie Xuan Yu stroked the parrot’s head, his eyes glimmering with a soft light. “Feng Chu, come down.”
The little parrot’s jet-black, glass-like eyes were filled with grievance.
The room fell silent for a moment. In the next instant, a cold wind swirled, and the tall figure vanished, taking the little parrot with him without a trace.
Wo Long was stunned, exchanging wide-eyed glances with Cat Master.
Wasn’t it agreed that he wouldn’t go?
“…”
The sea was windy, with moonlight dancing on the waves, casting shimmering ripples.
Xi Ling clung to Xie Xuan Yu’s neck, flying with him on his sword over the sea to avoid being blown away by the sea breeze.
She gazed at the handsome face so close to hers. No wonder people at the Academy always said Xie Xuan Yu was favored by the heavens.
There wasn’t a single flaw in his appearance. Even the sparse moonlight falling on his face seemed exceptionally gentle, highlighting his jade-like skin that emitted a faint glow. His eyes were bright as stars, his nose high and his lips thin—every feature was breathtakingly perfect.
But Xi Ling harbored no romantic thoughts toward him.
Her earlier enthusiastic attempts to win his favor had been out of necessity, and she deeply resented it.
Yet enduring humiliation and biding her time were all for the future.
No one would ever know about this shameful experience.
The little parrot clenched her tiny claws.
As the two traveled over the sea, Xie Xuan Yu brushed his fingertip over the bounty notice. A map appeared on the paper, revealing a glowing dot that pointed the way.
It was only then that Xi Ling saw the details of the mission on the notice.
Winds whipped up waves that crashed against the island’s shore. As Xie Xuan Yu descended from the air, the little parrot tugged at his ear, chirping urgently, “Xie Xuan Yu, hurry, leave! You’re insane—how can you possibly defeat it?”
The notice read: “On Hushe Island in the Eastern Sea, traces of an Ancient Beast have been spotted. Kill it to obtain its golden core. Reward: 300,000 spirit stones.”
Even the Academy elders who had reached the late stages of the Immortal Rank would think twice before facing an Ancient Beast. Xie Xuan Yu was mad to take on a mission to kill three of them in a row.
Xie Xuan Yu raised his fingertip to her beak. “Quiet.”
The land beneath their feet extended into a dark expanse. An ancient forest towered thousands of feet high, its mountainous contours silhouetted against the starry sky like a slumbering giant beast.
Deep within that dark forest, several inky glows faintly appeared.
“Boom—”
Suddenly, the vertical pupils of the beasts turned blood-red, and the ground beneath them began to tremble.
Xie Xuan Yu pulled the little parrot from his collar, saying, “Stay here,” before vanishing in an instant teleportation.
Xi Ling flapped her wings frantically, trying to follow, but a spiritual power shield enveloped her, trapping her in place.
Outside the island, waves surged and seawater flooded inland repeatedly. The battle deep within the mountain peaks was exceptionally fierce.
When the final giant beast was pierced through by a sword and plummeted from mid-air, the sword’s white light shot across half the sky like a rainbow. Countless fireballs rained down, their power shaking the earth.
“Roar—” The roars of the beasts echoed from the mountain peaks, wave after wave, tearing at the eardrums. After what felt like an eternity, they finally ceased.
With a “pop,” the protective shield around Xi Ling shattered.
The little parrot’s heart tightened. She raised her wing, sensing the other through the spirit contract, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Xie Xuan Yu was still alive.
She flew toward where the beasts had fallen, and at that moment, a wave of genuine awe washed over her.
The strength he had displayed at the Academy was clearly restrained. Just how deep was Xie Xuan Yu’s cultivation? How much had he been hiding all along?
I said I wanted to find his fatal flaws, but does this man even have any?
Waves crashed against the shore. He stood by the coastline, buffeted by the sea breeze, his figure tall and upright, with jet-black hair lightly brushing his cheeks.
On the sandy ground beneath his feet lay three dying Ancient Beasts with bovine bodies. Their eyes glowed red, filled with overwhelming hatred.
Xie Xuan Yu slowly drew the long sword from his waist, his eyes showing no trace of emotion, and with a single stroke, he slit their throats.
A great spray of crimson-gold blood splattered out. Xie Xuan Yu instinctively avoided it, yet still ended up with some on him. The golden blood dripped down, sliding over his jade-white cheeks.
He furrowed his brow, raised his fingertip, and slowly wiped away the bloodstains.
The Ancient Beast had died, transforming into a golden core that fell into his palm.
Two had already been dealt with; only one remained.
Xie Xuan Yu held his sword and walked toward the last one. Blood dripped from the tip of the blade, splattering onto the ground, reflected in the eyes of the Ancient Beast. Its golden scales trembled all over, emitting a mournful sound.
Xi Ling asked, “It’s speaking. What is it saying?”
Unlike the first two Ancient Beasts, which lacked Spiritual Intelligence, this one had a glimmer of light in its eyes, filled with pleading.
Xie Xuan Yu knelt, lowering himself halfway before the beast. He placed his hand on one of its long tentacles, and a golden mark appeared on its forehead. Xi Ling rested his claws on Xie Xuan Yu’s shoulder, and together, they saw the Ancient Beast’s memories.
“It didn’t devour Spirit Cultivators, nor did it destroy the Spirit Domain or cause chaos everywhere,” the little Parrot said. “It was just following its two companions. It’s begging you to spare it.”
This Ancient Beast still harbored kindness in its heart, pleading with Xie Xuan Yu to let it live.
Xie Xuan Yu furrowed his brow slightly and raised his hand. A vast, blue ripple of energy emanated from his palm, flowing continuously into the Ancient Beast’s body.
Instantly, the black mist of malevolence surrounding the beast transformed into something pure and gentle.
Xi Ling gasped—this was the method of converting evil spirits.
In ancient times, the primordial immortals, to make the barren continents habitable, exhausted their Cultivation to convert evil spirits and purify the Spirit Domains.
Simply put, it was essentially giving away Spiritual Power for free.
Xi Ling’s father, in his early years, had converted too many evil spirits around the royal city, depleting his Spiritual Power prematurely and entering his decline earlier than other immortals.
“Go now, and do not return to disturb the Spirit Domain again,” Xie Xuan Yu said, rising after transferring his Spiritual Power.
The great beast struggled to its feet but did not leave. Instead, it whimpered and followed.
Xie Xuan Yu didn’t even glance at it. “I don’t have that many spirit stones to support another Ancient Beast.”
Xi Ling suddenly sensed something amiss and turned his head in confusion.
What did he mean by “another Ancient Beast”? Did he keep many Ancient Beasts?
The beast continued to whimper pitifully, following closely behind the two. Seeing that Xie Xuan Yu paid it no mind, it turned and roared furiously at Xi Ling.
Xi Ling’s ears rang. Why come to me just because Xie Xuan Yu ignores you? He really is popular with small animals.
Xie Xuan Yu finally stopped walking, and the Ancient Beast halted as well.
The vast sea churned, waves surging endlessly. Xie Xuan Yu turned around, his dark robes billowing like ripples in the wind.
“If you truly wish to repay me, there is a place in the Western Continent called the Weeping Spirit Sea.”
“Thirty thousand years ago, a great battle took place there. Your kind once lived there and holds memories of that time. Find it and tell me.”
Xi Ling’s heart trembled.
“The Abyssal Dragon Clan has a secret, buried deep within the Weeping Spirit Sea.”
This was the story of Xie Xuan Yu’s origins that her father had once told her.
“Thirty thousand years ago, when Xie Xuan Yu was still a child, his clan migrated to an island beyond the Four Great Spirit Continents.”
“The Abyssal Dragon Clan possessed immense power, patrolling the Abyssal Territory for the Divine Lord. They were born warriors, yet the entire clan met a tragic end, perishing at sea during their crossing. No one knows what happened in those waters thirty thousand years ago. Xie Xuan Yu should have sunk to the ocean depths along with his kin.”
Yet, he emerged into the world twenty thousand years later.
Of the entire Abyssal Dragon Clan, only he remained.
The wind on the sea surface calmed, and the Ancient Beast submerged into the depths.
Xi Ling gazed at Xie Xuan Yu’s profile, pulling her thoughts away from his origins.
She had come out this time to find this person’s fatal weakness, but who could have guessed that Xie Xuan Yu’s true strength had been concealed all along?
What was his purpose?
This man was like a figure shrouded in mist, always separated by a layer, impossible to fathom. Xi Ling couldn’t figure it out, nor did she have the energy to ponder it further.
Xie Xuan Yu raised his sword and rode the wind.
The little Parrot, exhausted, nestled in his sleeve to rest.
Xi Ling, her mind hazy and confused, felt as if she had accompanied Xie Xuan Yu to the Spirit Domain Night Market to collect payment, then wandered around the market for quite some time. He even went to a bookshop and bought books.
“Do you have any jade stones suitable for a girl here?”
The voice reached the little Parrot’s ears, rousing it from slumber as it peeked out from his sleeve.
What girl?
“Of course we do, esteemed customer. You’re a regular here. Are you selecting jade for yourself this time, or for the young lady of your household?”
The Little Fox tending the shop, its fluffy tail swaying, opened one box after another. The gleam of gold, jade, precious stones, and pearls leaped into Xi Ling’s eyes.
Birds, by nature, adore shiny things. Immediately captivated, she was utterly enchanted.
But which girl was Xie Xuan Yu buying this for?
Xi Ling gritted her teeth, glaring at him.
Xie Xuan Yu’s fingers lightly traced over the gems in the boxes. After a long deliberation, he finally picked up a pink gemstone forehead chain.
Xi Ling snorted inwardly: Not bad taste.
Then, Xi Ling felt a cool sensation on her forehead as something cold gently pressed against it.
“Do you like it?” his deep, mellow voice whispered by her ear.
Xi Ling’s ear was filled with his warm breath, tickling intensely, and her heart seemed to soak in that warmth.
The gemstone was like a shooting star, lighting up the little Parrot’s eyes. Xie Xuan Yu watched as it joyfully fluttered its wings, its claws dancing with excitement.
After a moment, it calmed itself: “It’s acceptable, I suppose.”
Xie Xuan Yu tapped the counter, signaling the Little Fox to settle the bill.
While he wasn’t looking, Xi Ling turned her forehead toward a mirror to admire it. It was indeed a top-quality gemstone, lending her scorched little face a myriad of dark, iridescent hues.
Xi Ling was quite pleased, but as she lowered her head, she noticed Xie Xuan Yu still holding a book in his hand, likely purchased earlier at the bookshop.
She paid it little mind at first, giving it a casual glance, but was instantly captivated.
For the book’s title was boldly written on its cover.
“What to Do When Your Birdie Is Hot and Cold? See the Bird-Raising Guide: How to Make Your Birdie Love You to Death, to the Point of No Return!”
Love you to death!
To the point of no return!