Chapter 60 – Zhuzhao

All the fire, whether from Heavenly Fire, Firewings, or the flames burning across the marshes, was swallowed up. Not only that, even the scorching sun in the sky was obscured by this pristine blaze. Yet Yun Xiguang didn’t plummet; he was held aloft by a flame that resembled a pair of wings. Despite the conflagration below him that could consume heaven and earth, there was no heat at all — it felt soft when touched, without any sense of burning.

Yun Xiguang looked up to the sky, and all he saw was the divine phoenix capable of eclipsing the sun and moon, stretching beyond his sight.

It truly stretched beyond his sight. He could only see one wing, unable to make out the tip of it.

Human eyesight couldn’t measure the size of the Phoenix Venerable anymore.

Yun Xiguang couldn’t help but chuckle softly. He knew that ancient spirit beasts were massive, and he had imagined how magnificent the Phoenix Venerable in the nine heavens would be. But human imagination has its limits. His boldest imagination couldn’t capture the grandeur of Chi Qiong.

And just a moment ago, Little Spirit Bird was still a tiny yellow chick that could fit in the palm of his hand. This contrast was truly astounding, even for Yun Xiguang, who considered himself well-versed in the world’s wonders. He was left speechless by this sight.

What were things like Heaven or Earth grade Spiritbond Masters, or the ability to manipulate spatial domains? They were nothing but paper scraps in the face of such power, disintegrating with a gentle touch.

Yun Xiguang had wanted to tell Chi Qiong to spare Hai Ruobo’s life and to ask him why he had hurt Bai Ze and why he betrayed the Spiritbond World. But at this moment, Yun Xiguang had forgotten about it entirely.

He stared blankly at the sky, straining every fiber of his being to etch this scene into his memory.

After all, once Chi Qiong regained his strength, he would likely dissolve their contract.

This might be his last encounter with Chi Qiong.

Suddenly, Yun Xiguang remembered the mornings when Little Spirit Bird would groggily let him groom its feathers, and his expression turned sorrowful.

There would never be days like those again. He had lost his soul-bound spirit beast. Yun Xiguang lowered his gaze, unwilling to look upon Chi Qiong’s true form any longer.

The more powerful Chi Qiong became, the less reason Yun Xiguang had to keep him. After all, he was merely a fleeting presence in Little Spirit Bird’s long life.

Compared to billions of years, two and a half months were but a fleeting moment.

Chi Qiong circled at an altitude of three thousand kilometers, showcasing his body in various poses before Yun Xiguang.

He waited for Yun Xiguang to show him respect, to be captivated by his physique, and to praise his feathers.

Unfortunately, having only recovered four phoenix feathers, his body was still too small, less than half its usual size, unable to display his full glory. Chi Qiong felt a tinge of regret.

He tried several poses, but Yun Xiguang remained silent, not offering the admiration and compliments Chi Qiong had expected. Gradually, Chi Qiong grew restless.

Then, he noticed Yun Xiguang displaying a look of disappointment, lowering his head and avoiding looking at him!

Was he dissatisfied with my size? Am I not enough for you? Chi Qiong seethed internally, feeling that Yun Xiguang’s demands were excessive!

But then, Chi Qiong reconsidered. After all, he had only reclaimed four phoenix feathers. He hasn’t given his all yet. It was normal for Yun Xiguang to be unsatisfied.

After all, he hadn’t reached the level of the Phoenix Venerable that Yun Xiguang envisioned.

This meant that in Yun Xiguang’s heart, he should be a hundred times stronger than he was now.

In that case, Yun Xiguang was a human with quite discerning taste. Chi Qiong nodded inwardly.

With this thought, Chi Qiong felt cheerful again.

“Never mind, this puny human is merely worried about me. I’ll go comfort him,” Chi Qiong thought. “Such a troublesome spirit servant, needing me to comfort him. If it weren’t for…if it weren’t for…if it weren’t for…”

Chi Qiong repeated “if it weren’t for” in his mind but failed to find a reason to justify comforting Yun Xiguang. In the end, he settled on “because I want to,” contentedly descending and transforming into human form beside Yun Xiguang.

Yun Xiguang sensed the golden-orange color in the sky shrinking. He looked up, watching as Chi Qiong diminished, becoming as small as the sun in the sky, creating the illusion of two suns hanging overhead.

Then, one of the suns approached him, landing by his side.

Yun Xiguang saw a figure with perfect proportions standing before him, but the golden-orange flames on this person were so dazzling that simply looking at him caused Yun Xiguang’s eyes to ache as if staring directly into the sun. He had to turn away, unable to look at Chi Qiong.

Seeing that Yun Xiguang turned away even after he came to comfort him, Chi Qiong felt his face turn green.

Chi Qiong wanted to say, “Human, I can’t satisfy you even in this form? How insatiable are you?” “Human, am I not good enough for you?” “Human, what must I do to please you and make you happy?” These words swirled in his mind countless times, but none of them could be uttered. After all, they seemed incapable of demonstrating the might of the Phoenix Venerable.

Moreover, this was the first time he was speaking to Yun Xiguang as a human. He couldn’t waste these words on such trivial matters.

After much deliberation, Chi Qiong decided to discuss something very important, so he began, “That colorful golden outfit you saw online a few days ago, I really like it. You must buy it and wear it for me. If you don’t have enough money, you can ask Azure Dragon for it; his salary is higher than yours.”

Chi Qiong nodded afterward, convinced that it was indeed a matter of great importance.

Yun Xiguang: “…”

He rubbed his ears, suspecting that he had suffered severe damage from the Carnivorous Tree’s sonic attack, leading to auditory hallucinations.

A sun had landed next to him, with a clear and sunny voice. Just listening to his voice gave a refreshing sensation as bright as a summer morning. Then, from that pleasant voice came the demand to ask Azure Dragon for money to buy that hideous outfit — it had to be a hallucination.

“Word is that bleaching your hair damages it, and besides, your black roots grow back after just a few days, making the bleaching process futile. There’s no need to bleach it again in the future. However, I’ve heard that humans in modern times have invented a nail art technique. You can try getting a manicure,” Chi Qiong continued with his “very important” matters.

Yun Xiguang: “…”

Everything in these words, except for the term “I,” sounded fake.

Seeing that Yun Xiguang remained turned away, Chi Qiong floated over to him in irritation. But as soon as he appeared in front of Yun Xiguang, the latter turned away again, covering his eyes.

Chi Qiong’s displeasure had reached its peak. If he were still in his fledgling form, he would have pecked Yun Xiguang until he begged for mercy. But now that he had regained half his strength, one peck would likely kill Yun Xiguang.

Better to hold back some anger.

Chi Qiong said, “I know you’re in awe of me, not daring to look directly at me. But given your special identity, I grant you the privilege to look at me day and night, whenever you wish.”

Yun Xiguang: “…”

He was almost unable to suppress his laughter.

Although he hadn’t seen Chi Qiong’s appearance, combining these words with Little Spirit Bird’s daily proud demeanor, the two strangely meshed together.

The image of the Phoenix Venerable and Little Spirit Bird gradually merged in his mind, and Yun Xiguang calmed down slightly.

As his rationality returned, Yun Xiguang instantly realized the danger.

Given Little Spirit Bird’s character, he had already ignored its chirping three times without responding. According to past routines, Little Spirit Bird would be throwing a major tantrum.

Recalling the image of Little Spirit Bird puffing up its feathers in anger, fiercely pecking and flapping its wings at him, Yun Xiguang hurriedly explained, “It’s not that I don’t want to look, but human eyes have a limit to the amount of light they can withstand. Your radiance is too blinding. If I were to stare directly at you, I’d go blind.”

When Chi Qiong heard that his radiance had injured Yun Xiguang’s eyes, his displeasure vanished instantly, replaced by guilt and embarrassment. He quickly extinguished the flames, cleared his throat, and stubbornly said, “Hmph, weak human, incapable of even looking directly at me.”

Upon hearing these words, Yun Xiguang could envision Little Spirit Bird’s appearance, and the disappointment in his heart lessened somewhat.

He adjusted his mood, turned his head, and looked at Chi Qiong.

The man before him had sword-like brows and starry eyes, with striking features. Dressed in a bright golden robe, it wasn’t ostentatious but made him appear radiant, handsome, and noble.

Born noble, he shone brighter than gold.

Yun Xiguang gazed at his raven-black hair and eyebrows and asked curiously, “Your hair is black?”

He had expected it to be golden.

Chi Qiong’s face flushed slightly, and he coughed lightly. “I’m merely deigning to cater to human aesthetics.”

In truth, during their interactions, he had noticed that Yun Xiguang disliked foreign men with blonde hair. Instead, Yun Xiguang preferred watching period dramas, admiring men with jet-black hair. So, he subtly adjusted the color of his hair.

After all…after all…after all, Yun Xiguang had made many efforts for courtship. Adjusting his hair color was a reward for this little spirit servant.

Chi Qiong rapidly justified his actions.

Yun Xiguang opened his mouth, wanting to address Chi Qiong as Phoenix Venerable. He tried several times but ultimately refused to speak, so he omitted the title and said, “You are truly a man as handsome as a celestial god.”

Hearing this, Chi Qiong immediately lifted his head, his nose nearly reaching the heavens as he agreed with Yun Xiguang’s statement. “It should be the celestial gods who are compared in handsomeness to me.”

Yun Xiguang smiled. This was indeed something Little Spirit Bird would say.

It was a scene that should have been filled with joy, yet Yun Xiguang felt inexplicably melancholic. Thinking that Little Spirit Bird would leave him from now on, he felt he should take the initiative to propose dissolving the contract with Chi Qiong. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

He was usually self-aware and unwilling to trouble others, easily letting go of things he liked. But facing Chi Qiong, he couldn’t bring himself to speak the words.

Finally, Yun Xiguang asked indirectly, “Didn’t you say before that you needed all nine phoenix feathers to suppress the laws? Why can you restore your true form with only four feathers now?”

Speaking of serious matters, Chi Qiong ceased being prideful, bringing his nose back to its original position. After some thought, he said, “It should be temporary.”

Yun Xiguang’s eyes lit up, but then he guiltily lowered his head, hiding the delight in his eyes from Chi Qiong.

He wasn’t against Chi Qiong regaining his strength; he just hoped to spend more time with Little Spirit Bird.

“Why is it just temporary? How long can it last?” Yun Xiguang asked.

Chi Qiong replied, “I can temporarily utilize the power of the phoenix feathers because of this area. Leaving here, I’ll probably revert to my original state.”

“It’s not because you’ve collected enough phoenix feathers, but rather related to the location? What’s so special about this place?” Yun Xiguang wondered.

He recalled that the Weaver Ants and Carnivorous Tree were dead, so there should be new signals. He could use his phone to pinpoint their location.

Unexpectedly, when Yun Xiguang turned on his phone, there was still no signal.

He then took out the emergency contact button issued by the Special Affairs Bureau for employees. This button relied on satellite connections. Even if someone was underwater ten thousand meters deep on Earth, pressing this button would send a distress signal.

However, the emergency contact button also lacked a signal.

Some force still shielded this area.

Yun Xiguang quickly pondered and came up with a reason.

“The Carnivorous Tree is a demon beast. Azure Dragon once mentioned that demon beasts and spirit beasts have different origins. Demon beasts are nearly extinct in today’s world, but there’s one here. Is it related to the origin power of demon beasts?” Yun Xiguang analyzed.

This origin power was on par with Chi Qiong and possessed the power to overcome the Heavenly Laws. With it shielding the law’s forces, Chi Qiong could smoothly recover the power of the phoenix feathers.

“Origin power of demon beasts?” Chi Qiong tilted his head, a puzzled expression on his face. “What’s that?”

“Don’t you know?” Yun Xiguang asked in surprise.

Chi Qiong was an ancient divine beast, the origin of all spirit beasts. If Azure Dragon knew about it, how could he not?

“I…seem to…vaguely…” Chi Qiong frowned, trying to think but couldn’t piece together a coherent thought.

At that moment, he heard an auditory hallucination. A long, ethereal voice repeated two words in his ear, the same call he heard in his dreams.

This time, Chi Qiong clearly heard what the two words were.

They were saying: Zhuzhao.