“Master… I can’t do this anymore… Waaaah… I don’t want to play anymore.”
Vermilion Bird had never imagined Shi Hao could be this relentless.
She was already regretting agreeing to this.
“Crying counts toward the time too, Little Bird,” Shi Hao said with a mischievous grin as he pulled her into his arms.
Ignoring her tears, he couldn’t resist teasing her when she looked so delicate and pitiful.
“Hang in there a little longer,” Liu Shen comforted her.
“If you want to awaken your ancestral bloodline, you’ll have to cultivate together with Shi Hao. His physique is extremely special. The more the two of you cultivate together, the purer your Vermilion Bird bloodline will become.”
Hearing Liu Shen’s reassurance, Vermilion Bird could only nod through her tears.
“I… I understand, Senior. I’ll persevere. For the sake of returning to my ancestors’ bloodline… I’ll do my best.”
Becoming a true Vermilion Bird was the dream of every creature carrying that bloodline.
After all, the Vermilion Bird was one of the Ten Vicious Beasts.
She longed to become that legendary existence herself.
Now she had a chance.
The price was simply becoming Shi Hao’s pet.
It’s just being a pet and making Master happy.
As a descendant of the Vermilion Bird bloodline, I can endure it for the sake of returning to my ancestors.
With that thought, her attitude changed completely.
She even became proactive, which both surprised and pleased Shi Hao.
It seemed his little bird had finally figured things out.
Thus, Shi Hao, Vermilion Bird, and Liu Shen spent an entire week inside the small world.
Only after Vermilion Bird finally admitted defeat did Shi Hao take her back outside.
Once they returned to the outside world, Vermilion Bird took several deep breaths.
“Finally… I’m out.”
She was simply grateful to still be alive.
“Enough standing around. Lead the way,” Shi Hao said, pinching her rosy cheeks.
“I didn’t bring you out just so you could sigh. Take me to your Fire Nation princess. Maybe if I become interested in her, I’ll give you a break.”
Hearing that, Vermilion Bird immediately nodded.
“Don’t worry, Master! I’m sure you’ll like her. She’s absolutely adorable—soft and delicate, exactly the kind of beauty humans admire.”
Her enthusiastic recommendation made Shi Hao chuckle.
“If that’s the case, then what are you waiting for?”
“Right away, Master!”
She slipped free from his hand and transformed back into her true form.
A crimson divine bird appeared overhead.
“Please get on, Master.”
Shi Hao leapt onto her back.
Once she confirmed he was seated securely, she spread her wings and flew toward the Fire Nation.
Throughout the journey, Vermilion Bird tirelessly praised Huo Ling’er, listing one virtue after another.
In truth, she barely knew the girl.
But that didn’t stop her from boasting.
After all, as the Fire Nation’s princess and someone carrying Vermilion Bird bloodline, she surely couldn’t be lacking.
Shi Hao simply smiled.
He already knew Huo Ling’er was an exceptionally lovely girl.
Closing his eyes to rest, he left the rest to her.
Seeing he wasn’t interested in listening anymore, Vermilion Bird accelerated.
After half a day’s flight, they finally returned to the Fire Nation.
Soon afterward, she landed within the imperial palace.
At that very moment, the man seated upon the imperial throne suddenly frowned.
“Why has our Guardian Spirit left… and why has she brought back a stranger?”
The Fire Emperor immediately stood and hurried toward the imperial garden.
The instant he stepped inside—
A figure suddenly appeared beside him.
A palm struck directly toward his abdomen.
Fortunately, the Fire Emperor reacted quickly, raising his own hand to block before retreating several steps.
“Not bad,” Shi Hao said as he withdrew his hand with a smile.
“Peak Venerable Realm. Unfortunately, in the Lower Realm, that’s as far as you’ll ever go.”
He smiled faintly.
“Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Shi Hao, from the Great Wilderness.”
The Fire Emperor glanced at his own reddened hand, his expression turning grave.
“May I ask why Senior has come to the Fire Nation?”
Although Shi Hao looked young, the Fire Emperor assumed he was some ancient monster in disguise.
Otherwise, how could he possess such terrifying strength?
To suppress him so easily, the man had to be at least at the peak of the Venerable Realm.
“I’m only twenty years old,” Shi Hao said helplessly.
“Can you stop making me sound so old? Is being young a crime?”
“Master, who told you to ignite your Divine Flame at such a young age?” Vermilion Bird laughed after returning to her human form.
“You’re far too extraordinary. It’s only natural he’d mistake you for an old monster.”
When the Fire Emperor saw the woman in the crimson dress, his eyes widened.
“Guardian Spirit…?”
He could scarcely believe it.
“If it weren’t for your familiar aura, I wouldn’t have recognized you.”
“It’s me,” Vermilion Bird replied.
“I’ve brought Master back because he wishes to meet your daughter. Go and bring her here.”
The Fire Emperor was stunned.
Guardian Spirit… you went out once, found yourself a master, and now you’ve come back asking to see Huo Ling’er?
Seeing his bewilderment, Vermilion Bird sighed.
“Forget it. I’ll do it myself.”
Closing her eyes, she spread out her divine sense to search for Huo Ling’er.
As the Fire Emperor’s daughter, she located her almost immediately.
“Found her.”
Stretching out one hand—
Moments later, a tall young woman appeared before them.
Though fully covered, her elegant curves remained unmistakable.
Her skin was smooth as ivory, her bright eyes glistened with moisture, and her long eyelashes trembled lightly.
She looked around in confusion.
She had just finished bathing and changed into fresh clothes before preparing to go out for a walk.
The next thing she knew, someone had grabbed her, and she suddenly appeared here.
“Ling’er, come here!”
The Fire Emperor hurried forward, pulling his daughter protectively behind him.
He had a bad feeling about the handsome young man standing opposite them.
“Father… what’s going on?”
Huo Ling’er looked between her anxious father, Vermilion Bird, and the handsome young man dressed in white, unable to understand the situation.
“It’s all right. I’m here.”
The Fire Emperor comforted her before turning toward Vermilion Bird.
“Guardian Spirit, who is this man? Why have you brought him here? And why have you acknowledged him as your master? Have you forgotten who you are?”
Vermilion Bird blinked.
“Of course I’m still the Fire Nation’s Guardian Spirit.”
“As for my master… all I can say is that someone stands behind him whom I absolutely cannot afford to offend.”
“He can also help me awaken my ancestral bloodline. I may truly become a genuine Vermilion Bird.”
“Your daughter possesses a trace of Vermilion Bird bloodline. That’s why Master has come. If she cultivates together with him and bears his descendants, her bloodline can awaken and even return to its ancestral state.”
“So don’t interfere. Even if I wanted to help you, I couldn’t defeat Master anyway.”
Huo Ling’er stood there completely dumbfounded.
The beautiful woman before me is actually our Guardian Spirit?
She goes out, finds herself a master, comes back… and now wants to hand me over as his wife?
She looked toward Shi Hao.
He really was incredibly handsome—exactly her type.
But she didn’t know him at all.
She didn’t even know what kind of person he was.
And yet, from the very beginning, he wanted her to bear his children.
Guardian Spirit… don’t you think this is a little abrupt?
Seeing the Fire Emperor’s wary expression, Shi Hao smiled and shook his head.
“What do you mean, ‘your daughter’?”
“She’s my wife.”
Before Huo Ling’er could even react, she suddenly found herself in Shi Hao’s embrace.
Looking at her astonished face, Shi Hao smiled warmly.
“As expected of my wife. You’re adorable.”
He lowered his head and kissed her.
The Fire Emperor’s eyes instantly blazed with fury.
Right in front of him, the young man had taken his daughter into his arms and stolen her first kiss.
“Let Ling’er go!”
With an angry roar, the Fire Emperor unleashed the full power of a peak Venerable Realm cultivator and charged straight at Shi Hao.