Chapter 62 – Adorable

“What kind of spirit beast is Youying?” Yun Xiguang asked.

Chi Qiong pondered seriously for a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t remember.”

In ancient mythology, the Sun Zhuzhao was a black sphere, while the Moon Youying was a white sphere. Neither were traditional spirit beasts; it would be more accurate to say they were conceptual beings rather than divine beasts.

Yun Xiguang suddenly realized that Zhuzhao and Youying might have originally been entities similar to the Heavenly Law. It wasn’t Youying that was special, but rather Zhuzhao.

He had his own personality and preferences, and transformed into whatever form he desired. He even acquired a name beyond Zhuzhao.

As for Youying, it might still be a conceptual representation of the Yin essence, acting purely on instinct.

“If I retrieve more Phoenix Feathers, will you regain more memories?” Yun Xiguang asked.

Originally, Chi Qiong couldn’t even hear the calls from his dreams; many of his memories were sealed away. But as the Phoenix Feathers were recovered, his memories gradually returned.

Yun Xiguang knew that this was a form of protection.

Some matters could only be faced with sufficient strength. Now that Chi Qiong’s power hadn’t been fully restored, he couldn’t bear too much, so he subconsciously forgot certain things to allow him to sleep better.

“It should be possible,” Chi Qiong said, staring at the center of Yun Xiguang’s brow.

Chi Qiong felt that he rather liked their previous method of communication. If he retrieved the root of their contract, he wouldn’t be able to communicate with Yun Xiguang in this way anymore. Given that, he would reluctantly tolerate that little red snake.

The Crimson Chi was unknowingly sentenced to death and then pardoned once again within Chi Qiong’s mind.

Chi Qiong’s true identity and Youying’s position worried Yun Xiguang. He frowned. “Now there are already two Phoenix Feathers related to the Youying Spiritbond Academy. I suspect there are more Phoenix Feathers in the Youying Spiritbond Academy. However, the Youying Academy is one of the top academies in the Spiritbond World. Without a sufficiently legitimate reason, no one from the Spiritbond World would dare search the Youying Academy, unless… I know why they wanted to kill Bai Ze!”

Yun Xiguang suddenly thought of the reason behind Bai Ze’s murder.

Bai Ze possessed prophetic abilities. From the beginning, it predicted the existence of the bookworms, but was unable to speak due to the backlash from the Heavenly Law. If a powerful force supported Bai Ze, allowing it to ignore the constraints of the law, then with Bai Ze’s abilities, it could accurately locate the whereabouts of all nine Phoenix Feathers.

Originally, Bai Ze would be limited by the law. Even if it could predict, it could never reveal the whereabouts of the Phoenix Feathers.

But Chi Qiong appeared. As he continuously recovered the Phoenix Feathers, if Bai Ze joined his ranks, the remaining few Phoenix Feathers would be easily attainable for them.

Therefore, Bai Ze could not join forces with Chi Qiong.

The law was a set of rules. It could only establish rules, and its rules didn’t specifically target any spirit beast. It couldn’t directly kill Bai Ze, which conformed to the existing rules, and creating new rules required a long time.

It wasn’t the law that wanted to kill Bai Ze, but another force that didn’t want Chi Qiong to find the Phoenix Feathers, and that was Youying.

Youying might not have known at first that Chi Qiong hadn’t fallen into a deep sleep. But after the battle against the bookworms, the first Phoenix Feather disappeared.

Yun Xiguang recalled that when he used the first Phoenix Feather to hide the Crimson Chi’s location, Hai Ruobo was also present.

If Hai Ruobo was part of the Youying Academy from the start, knowing the secret of spirit energy, he might not have been there to reinforce Li Zheng that day. Perhaps he was there to retrieve spirit energy.

However, when Hai Ruobo arrived at the confidential archive room, the spirit energy vanished into thin air.

At that time, Hai Ruobo might not have been able to figure out what happened, but after reporting back, Youying would certainly guess that Chi Qiong had recovered the Phoenix Feather.

Only then did they realize that Zhuzhao hadn’t sunk into slumber as expected, and was still searching for his own power.

Youying knew that Zhuzhao was unmanageable, so they decided to eliminate Bai Ze first.

After the bookworm incident, when the Spiritbond World convened a meeting, Qin Shu could still participate, proving that Bai Ze hadn’t been harmed at that time. It was precisely after that meeting that Bai Ze was murdered, and Qin Shu stopped attending various meetings of the Spiritbond World.

Everything was connected.

If Yun Xiguang hadn’t suddenly had the strange idea to visit Dean Qin Shu, Bai Ze and Qin Shu would have died silently. Until their deaths, people would only assume Bai Ze had died for revealing Heavenly secrets, unaware that it fell victim to the Weaver Ants’ ambush.

After piecing everything together, Yun Xiguang said to Chi Qiong, “We still don’t know how Bai Ze is doing. We should quickly go back to visit Bai Ze, but I wonder where we are now and how we can return.”

The location of the Weaver Ants was in Australia. Yun Xiguang suspected they were now across the ocean, possibly in the tropical rainforest. He really didn’t know how to leave this barren land with just his legs.

“Hmph!” Chi Qiong gave a heavy snort and proudly raised his head, his thoughts unknown.

Yun Xiguang didn’t notice Chi Qiong’s arrogance, continuing to worry. “If Hai Ruobo is still alive, he must have a way to leave. Unfortunately…”

“Hmph!!!” Chi Qiong snorted again, interrupting Yun Xiguang’s analysis.

Yun Xiguang finally noticed that Chi Qiong was angry.

When Chi Qiong was still a little spirit bird, Yun Xiguang understood his temperament well. Even if a single feather changed, Yun Xiguang could tell. When the little spirit bird was slightly unhappy, Yun Xiguang could immediately comfort him.

But now that Chi Qiong had transformed into a human taller than him, though young-looking, his overwhelming aura made it hard for Yun Xiguang to fully associate him with the little spirit bird, making it difficult to notice when he was throwing a tantrum like the little bird.

Not until Chi Qiong’s “hmph” sounded like thunder did Yun Xiguang belatedly realize he was angry.

But this put Yun Xiguang in a bind.

Little spirit bird was easy to appease.

When the little spirit bird was angry, Yun Xiguang just needed to pinch his beak, stroke his feathers, and hold him in his arms. He would stop being angry and make pleasant chirping sounds. If he couldn’t understand the little spirit bird’s meaning, Yun Xiguang could ask Azure Dragon.

Now that Chi Qiong was like this, Yun Xiguang couldn’t imagine how to pinch his mouth, stroke his hair, and hug him. This was too complicated!

“Are you angry? Why are you angry? What happened?” Yun Xiguang could only ask.

“I, Your Majesty, have a broad heart, capable of embracing the entire sky. How could I be angry, hmph!” Chi Qiong said.

Yun Xiguang: “…”

Wasn’t that anger?

He didn’t expect the Supreme Deity of Sun Zhuzhao to be such a contradictory deity.

This person clearly expressed his anger but refused to say why. Azure Dragon, his backup, wasn’t around…

Yun Xiguang thought about it helplessly for a moment. In the end, he decided to give it a try. “My talent is dull, and without a Spirit Contract, I can’t understand your intentions. Could you… reconnect the Spirit Contract like just now?”

Yun Xiguang tapped his forehead, somewhat embarrassed.

Chi Qiong spoke at nearly triple speed. “Since you sincerely pray, I shall fulfill your request.”

He couldn’t wait. Before finishing his sentence, his lips were already pressed against Yun Xiguang’s forehead.

Thus, Yun Xiguang heard Chi Qiong’s inner voice.

“Hmph! I’m not an undisciplined child, how could I kill a key witness like Hai Ruobo? You underestimate me too much, Yun Xiguang, hmph!”

“Hai Ruobo isn’t dead?” Yun Xiguang was delighted.

Chi Qiong waved his arm, and the flames dissipated. There lay Hai Ruobo, his forehead charred, lying on the ground, breathing slowly. He was only unconscious, not dead. His spirit beast, The Mirage, had transformed into a tightly closed large clam, also charred, lying beside Hai Ruobo, lifeless.

“That’s great!” Yun Xiguang’s thoughts flowed through the Spirit Contract into Chi Qiong’s mind. “Hai Ruobo is solid evidence. As long as we can get him to talk, even without Bai Ze, the Spiritbond World can send someone to investigate the Youying Academy!”

“How should I punish you for underestimating me?” Chi Qiong said in Yun Xiguang’s mind.

Yun Xiguang was too happy. He replied straightforwardly, “Leave it to the Phoenix Venerable to decide.”

“That’s what you said.” Chi Qiong said triumphantly.

Yun Xiguang assumed Chi Qiong was angry over this matter. After resolving this, there was no need to maintain this awkward posture. This position was indeed a bit embarrassing.

Just as he was about to move away, he heard Chi Qiong’s voice. “Hai Ruobo is a minor issue. More importantly, there’s Youying’s power here. This power temporarily neutralized the force of the law, allowing me to restore my human form. Yun Xiguang is so eager to leave this place. Does he think my human form isn’t majestic enough? Not handsome enough?”

Yun Xiguang: “…”

Could he be angry over something like this?

He opened his mouth to explain, but thoughts were faster than words. His thoughts entered Chi Qiong’s mind. “You are naturally handsome and majestic, but the little spirit bird is more adorable.”

As soon as this thought was transmitted, Yun Xiguang knew it wasn’t good. He thought Chi Qiong would be angry again.

But unexpectedly, Chi Qiong said, “You think my human form is handsome and majestic, and my original form is cute and refined. In your eyes, no matter what appearance I take, I am flawless. Since you adore me so much, I shall forgive you.”

Yun Xiguang: “…”

He wanted to refute Chi Qiong, but he couldn’t. Therefore, although Chi Qiong’s words were direct and made him somewhat embarrassed, this was indeed what he thought.

Receiving Yun Xiguang’s thoughts, Chi Qiong’s joyful emotions spread to Yun Xiguang’s heart, making his soul happy as well.

The Supreme Deity Zhuzhao, quick to anger and quick to calm down, was really easy to please… no, had a good temper.

Hearing Yun Xiguang’s words, Chi Qiong moved his lips, the corner of his mouth curling up. He happily said, “That’s natural. My heart can embrace the sky.”

With that, a flash of brilliance enveloped him, transforming him into a little yellow chick with four tail feathers, hopping onto Yun Xiguang’s palm. He looked at Yun Xiguang with expectant, small black eyes.

His whole body conveyed, “Aren’t I adorable?” “You’re itching to touch me,” “I permit you to be disrespectful to me, peep,” “But you have to pet me comfortably.”

Yun Xiguang said, “There are serious matters to attend to. We need to wake Hai Ruobo, force him to send us back, rescue Bai Ze, go to the Youying Academy to find your Phoenix Feather, and then…”

The little yellow chick spread its wings, and Yun Xiguang noticed that beautiful feathers had grown on them.

A fledgling’s wings were fleshy, covered only with down, not feathers. Now, golden feathers had sprouted on the little yellow chick, reflecting a lustrous color like glass under the firelight.

It was beautiful.

Yun Xiguang’s heart skipped a beat.

Just a touch.

He reached out, gently lifted the little spirit bird’s wing, caressing the feather.

The little spirit bird tilted its head, feeling as if this was akin to interlacing fingers with a human.

Instantly, Chi Qiong’s heartbeat leaped vigorously, as if it would burst from his small chest.