The child was hidden away. The furious eyes of Long Jun were like raging waves, and his tightly clenched fists made a creaking noise. “Heh, come and get me if you dare!” Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at the giant sphere of light; she knew she was inside there. “I will make you regret this!” With that, she exerted all her strength and engaged in combat with Opium. Long Jun had already sustained some injuries during his earlier fight with Wang Xie. Although not severe, the wounds were inflicted by dark magic, and now facing Opium, who was exceptionally skilled in magic, he was clearly at a disadvantage.
Inside the huge sphere of light, Xiao Tu stared at the fire phoenix in front of her, mouth agape in astonishment. What a beautiful phoenix, so majestic, with its tail feathers burning like flames, so enchantingly unique. The piercing phoenix cries that split the sky were like the first thunderstorm of spring, awakening countless slumbering beings. The phoenix’s eyes, like two pieces of glass refined in a fiery hell, suddenly noticed the presence of someone nearby. It turned its head towards Xiao Tu, its sharp gaze making her heart skip a beat. Here she was, facing this colossal creature with no escape route. If she tried to flee, she didn’t even know how she got in, let alone how to get out. If she didn’t flee, she would only wait for death, to be swallowed by this enormous fire phoenix.
Another phoenix cry sounded, and the fire phoenix began to approach her slowly. What did it want? What did that cry signify? Why did the birds that had been trying to rush into the circle of fire around it suddenly calm down, landing and perching nearby? Why did she feel a thread of sorrow and sadness from the phoenix’s cry? Gradually, waves of melancholy enveloped her, and she felt increasingly oppressed. What was happening? Feeling her face wet, she touched it and realized she was already in tears. Looking into the eyes of the phoenix, why did she see traces of desolation, longing, and joy… such familiar eyes, so very familiar…
“Feng,” she said the name uncontrollably as she looked into those eyes. Another phoenix cry responded to hers. The fire phoenix looked at her, lowering its head. She raised her hand to touch it, but a searing heat met her hand even before she got close. Seeing this, a look of sadness appeared in the phoenix’s eyes, followed by another mournful cry. The birds around started to become agitated again, flapping their wings and repeatedly attempting to breach the fiery barrier, the smell of roasting meat filling the air. However, now, Xiao Tu felt no hunger, only watching as bird after bird perished in the sea of fire. The phoenix’s cries grew more and more mournful as it soared in the sky, yet it seemed not to soar, for its head kept shaking.
Suddenly, the fire phoenix lowered its head again, and Xiao Tu saw fresh blood on its crest. Where the blood touched, the scorching flames were extinguished. Xiao Tu understood that these flames were like the phoenix’s feathers, deeply rooted, and the act of pulling them out must be incredibly painful. She extended trembling hands; the heat had evidently lessened. The trembling wasn’t from fear but from compassion. What connection did this phoenix have with her? Pearl-like tears fell onto her delicate hands, and with tear-stained hands, she touched the phoenix’s head, the bleeding crest.
A miracle occurred; as her hand touched the crest, the bleeding stopped, and the injured area felt cool. Unbelieving, she moved her hand to other parts of the phoenix. Where its neck had been ablaze, there was no longer any heat, and when she touched the flames, it felt like the softest feathers imaginable, captivating. Another phoenix cry rang out, its fiery eyes lighting up, watching the person who was ‘eating tofu’ all over its body, and the phoenix seemed to jump in joy.
With the joyful cry, the raging fires within a hundred miles began to subside, and the towering fire walls slowly collapsed. As the walls fell, birds from all directions flew over, surrounding the phoenix, spreading their most beautiful wings…
Little by little, inch by inch, she touched the phoenix’s feathers. The silky smoothness passed through her fingers, evoking a familiar feeling, as if a memory long forgotten was about to return. The box of memories was slowly opening, memories were reviving, and a line of clear tears fell from her eyes, carrying the longing of millions of years…
On the Ninth Heaven, by the Milky Way, the scenery was so magnificent it intoxicated. A woman in silver stood at the edge of the Milky Way, gazing at its vastness, her golden eyes reflecting the river’s beauty, so calm and undisturbed, as if she were devoid of emotion or love. “What exactly are the emotions and love of the human world?” It was like a silent sigh, and a cherry blossom petal fell silently, sending ripples across the Milky Way. Between her tightly furrowed brows was a golden cherry blossom mark.
“You are Ai Xiao Tu, right?” The woman noticed someone behind her, turned around, and smiled at Xiao Tu.
Surprised, Xiao Tu looked at the face that was identical to hers, the same aura, but this woman had a coldness that she lacked, while she herself still carried an air of youthful innocence.
“Yes, you are the Goddess Ling Ying, aren’t you?” Xiao Tu responded with a smile, not overly surprised. But wasn’t she supposed to have reincarnated? And wasn’t she supposed to be me after reincarnation? How could she be here?
“Heh, you are indeed Goddess Ling Ying, but I am not Ai Xiao Tu. You are my reincarnation, and I am your past. You possess what I do not, like emotions… but you have everything that I have, like wisdom…”
Hearing these words, Xiao Tu couldn’t help but feel surprised. How could that be? Looking at herself, clumsy and unskilled, and then at her, naturally exuding an air of nobility, grace, and wisdom. It was as if she knew what Xiao Tu was thinking; she smiled knowingly and said, “That’s because you haven’t yet unearthed your potential, your wisdom, your abilities, including your magical powers.” The magical power within you has sealed itself off. Do you want to know why? It’s because of the poppy’s appearance, because you cannot control…” At her words, Xiaotu’s whole body trembled. The woman continued, “Because you cannot control your own magic, you cannot unleash it to its fullest. More importantly, you can’t even face yourself. Think about it, how much have you been avoiding? How long will you keep avoiding? Do you see the phoenix crying tears of blood? The phoenix’s blood is shed for you because you cannot master it. The phoenix is your mount, and it will be your most loyal friend.”
“Avoiding? What gives you the right to say I’m avoiding? Hundreds of years ago, you left the Wan Yue Dynasty, and since then, the dynasty has weakened, and the cherry blossoms no longer bloom throughout the Wang Yue Dynasty. Demons have run rampant! All of this is because of your departure! If it weren’t for your leaving, I wouldn’t even exist, Ai Xiaotu!” All the suppressed grievances poured out; she was the cherished daughter of her parents, the princess in everyone’s heart. Heaven knows how many flavors of bitterness, sweetness, sourness, and saltiness she had tasted to reach this point. Indeed, she hadn’t done well enough, but who was this person in front of her to call her an “avoider”?
“Is that so? How do you know it was me who was avoiding hundreds of years ago? The wheel of fate turns, and that’s something no one can change. If I could, I would also wish for everything to remain as it was!” The former Lingying Goddess stared at Xiaotu earnestly. This child had truly come far… A series of words left Xiaotu speechless. Could there have been another reason for the departure of the Lingying Goddess millions of years ago?
