Xiao Ling'er did not answer Fu Chi Yao's question. Instead, she said, "My Phoenix Divine Blood and soul have now completely fused. Even if you take me back, it will be of no use."
Fu Chi Yao frowned deeply, clearly unconvinced.
She stepped forward, and in the blink of an eye, appeared directly before Xiao Ling'er. She grabbed Xiao Ling'er's wrist, instantly pouring mystic power into her body to sense the state of her bloodline's fusion.
After confirming that Xiao Ling'er had indeed completely fused with the source blood, she released her hand and said:
"No wonder... I was wondering how your cultivation had failed to improve at all for over ten years. So you had been using all that time to refine the source blood."
"But what you have done is no different from robbery. Do you think we have no way to deal with this?"
"Bai Ling'er, do you know that you are completely digging your own grave!" There was a faint trace of anger in her tone. Clearly, she had not expected this outcome.
Bai Ling'er replied, "I am the robber? You were the ones who acted like robbers first, yet now you're turning around and accusing me..."
Fu Chi Yao's thoughts had already been thrown into chaos by Bai Ling'er's complete fusion with the source blood. She did not argue further over who was right or wrong, but said:
"Come back to the Vermilion Bird Empire with me immediately. Once I understand your condition, I may be able to help you..."
"Alright."
Surprise flashed through Fu Chi Yao's eyes. Xiao Ling'er's immediate agreement was beyond her expectations.
It left the words she had prepared entirely unused.
But... that was naturally for the best.
At the top of the Star Gazing Tower, two figures were nestled closely together.
They were Xiao Feng and Qi Qingyun.
Xiao Feng breathed in the elegant fragrance drifting beneath his nose as he looked at the beauty in his arms. Even though they were merely leaning against one another, the pride in his heart had surged to its peak.
He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Qing Yun, I'm heading back to the Medical Clinic now. Later, I'll speak to Sister Ling'er about our engagement, alright?"
"Mm~" A rosy blush appeared on Qi Qingyun's cheeks. At this moment, she no longer possessed the coldness of a fairy from an icy palace. There was only the warmth born from deep affection...
He kissed the corner of her lips, released the arms around her, and instantly soared into the air.
He looked at Qi Qingyun and said, "Wait for me."
With that, he did not linger. He pushed Illusory Light Thunder Extremity to its limit and flew toward the Medical Clinic...
As she watched Xiao Feng gradually vanish from sight, Qi Qingyun's expression became dreamy.
But suddenly, her brows furrowed. A sharp pain flashed through her, followed by an incredibly intense sense of unease.
"Why do I have this feeling?" she murmured softly.
As they walked out of the Medical Clinic, Fu Chi Yao kept Xiao Ling'er at her side to prevent her from suddenly escaping.
But before they could leave, a voice suddenly rang out beside her ear.
"Sister Ling'er... what's going on?" Xiao Feng, who had just returned from the Qi Family, looked at the unfamiliar group before him with surprise in his eyes.
The auras of these outsiders were exceedingly profound. The invisible pressure each of them released made Xiao Feng's body feel stifled.
An inexplicable sense of unease instantly rose in his heart.
Xiao Ling'er turned around. When she saw Xiao Feng suddenly return, her expression changed slightly, but she swiftly concealed the uneasiness on her face.
She revealed a smile and said, "Xiao Feng, you're back?"
"These are my friends. They came to see me today, and since we haven't met in a long time, I want to take them around Flowing Wind City..."
As she spoke, Bai Ling'er even wrapped her arm around Fu Chi Yao's, putting on the appearance of intimate girlfriends.
After living together for decades, Xiao Feng knew Bai Ling'er better than anyone. Naturally, he caught the strange look in her eyes...
Seeing Xiao Ling'er smiling as she held her arm, Fu Chi Yao's eyes flashed with deep astonishment.
As the Vermilion Bird Empire's healing immortal, Bai Ling'er had a gentle temperament, yet she always carried an ethereal air that made others feel inferior.
Fu Chi Yao had never seen Bai Ling'er wear such an expression.
Thus, she could not help looking toward Xiao Feng.
He wore a white robe, with sword-like brows and starry eyes. His fair skin and handsome features carried an indescribable gentleness that was pleasing to the eye. His cultivation was at level ten of the God Tribulation Realm. It seemed he was about to undergo the Lightning Tribulation.
Level ten of the God Tribulation Realm, and she called him Xiao Feng... Could he be...
"Are you Xiao Feng?" Though phrased as a question, Fu Chi Yao had already basically confirmed that the person before her was Xiao Feng.
"That's right... I am." Xiao Feng nodded, then saluted her and asked, "May I ask where you plan to go sightseeing with Sister Ling'er later, miss?"
Fu Chi Yao was just about to speak when the red-robed man beside her, clearly growing impatient with Xiao Feng's questioning, said:
"Where we go is none of your business! I advise you to move aside right now and stop wasting our time!"
Xiao Feng ignored him. Rather than probing further, he turned to Xiao Ling'er and asked:
"Sister Ling'er, are you... hiding something from me? Didn't we agree that no matter what happened, we would face it together..."
Seeing that Xiao Feng not only ignored him outright but also paid no heed to his words, the red-robed man instantly shouted in anger:
"Can't you understand human speech? I'm telling you, she is Bai Ling'er, the healing immortal of our Vermilion Bird Empire, not your Sister Ling'er!"
A lowly person at the God Tribulation Realm should have considered it the greatest honor just to meet him. Yet this person dared to ignore him. If not for Fu Chi Yao's warning, he would have long wanted to slap him to death.
Xiao Feng's eyes went blank for a moment, but he quickly seemed to realize something. He asked Xiao Ling'er with difficulty, "Sister Ling'er, is what he said true?"
Bai Ling'er's expression shifted for an instant before she nodded. "That's right, Xiao Feng. All these years, I have been living under an assumed name. My real name is—Bai Ling'er."
"Sister Ling'er..." Xiao Feng slowly closed his eyes. "You aren't really going sightseeing around Flowing Wind City with your friends this time, are you?"
The sudden arrival of these people from outside the city told him that things were far from simple... Bai Ling'er had concealed her true surname from him. There had to be some unspeakable hardship behind it.
"I..." Xiao Ling'er had just begun to speak when Xiao Feng interrupted her.
"Are you going to say that you merely want to return to the Vermilion Bird Empire for a look, and that you'll come back after some time?"
Though there was doubt in his voice, he already had an answer in his heart. He merely wanted to hear her reply with his own ears.
"Yes..." Bai Ling'er slowly said. "The Vermilion Bird Empire is my hometown. I haven't returned for many years, so I want to go back and take a look... When the time comes, you'll have to take care of the Medical Clinic."
"Will you come back afterward?" Xiao Feng asked an incomprehensible question.
"I am only going back to visit my homeland. I'll return soon, so don't worry." Xiao Ling'er smiled.
"Sister Ling'er..." Xiao Feng asked in confusion, "Why are you lying to me? Is there some hardship you can't tell me about? Didn't we agree to bear everything together?"
Xiao Feng was not a fool. How could he fail to notice that something was wrong with the atmosphere?
Not to mention that if he had not happened to run into them, he would not even have known that Xiao Ling'er was leaving for the Vermilion Bird Empire.
Although the Vermilion Bird Empire bordered the Wind Cloud Empire, a round trip would take at least seven days.
After decades together, based on Xiao Feng's understanding of Bai Ling'er, there was no way she would leave for so many days without even saying goodbye to him!
This could only mean that she had encountered an unspeakable hardship, and all of this... had to be because of these people who had suddenly come from outside the city.
"Hmph! How we do things is none of your business. If you know what's good for you, get out of the way!"
Before Bai Ling'er could reply, the red-robed man could no longer endure being delayed for so long by a mere level ten God Tribulation Realm nobody!
Xiao Feng did not move in the slightest. His eyes remained fixed on Bai Ling'er, hoping to receive an answer from her.
Bai Ling'er shook her head and said softly, "Xiao Feng, I am not lying to you. I really am going to the Vermilion Bird Empire, and afterward... I will return."
"Move aside now. Otherwise, if you continue making trouble like this, I will get angry."
"What hardship is it? Why can't you tell me?" This time, Xiao Feng did not listen to her. Instead, he continued questioning her.
"Hmph! A mere level ten God Tribulation Realm dares to keep wasting our time. You don't know when to stop!"
Hearing Xiao Feng continue to prattle on with his questions, the red-robed man could no longer hold back. He circulated his mystic power and casually waved his right hand. Vast mystic power instantly swept toward Xiao Feng!
No one present had expected this sudden attack. Only Fu Chi Yao reacted the instant the red-robed man released his mystic power, hurriedly moving to block his casual strike...
But because she had acted in haste, and because the red-robed man was too close to Xiao Feng, even she could not completely stop his attack.
As a result, a trace of residual force leaked through and smashed viciously toward Xiao Feng.
As the terrifying shockwave descended, Xiao Feng was so heavily suppressed that he could not move at all. Only at that moment did he struggle to summon the Vermilion Bird Plume around himself...
Boom!
Though it was merely the red-robed man's residual force, Xiao Feng's entire body felt as though it had been struck by a heavenly hammer. He was blasted away like a cannonball, then slammed brutally into the ground, leaving a massive crater.
"Xiao Feng!" Seeing Xiao Feng sent flying, Bai Ling'er's expression was no longer calm. Disregarding everything else, she rushed past Fu Chi Yao and arrived at Xiao Feng's side.
Fu Chi Yao had been about to reach out and stop her, but after a moment of hesitation, she ultimately allowed Bai Ling'er to go.
She watched Bai Ling'er help Xiao Feng to his feet, her gaze gradually narrowing.
Everything had happened in an instant. Xiao Feng had been blasted away the very moment he used the Vermilion Bird Plume, so many had failed to see it.
But if she had not seen wrongly, the mystic skill Xiao Feng had just used was the Vermilion Bird Plume attached to the eighth realm of the Vermillion Bird Requiem!
As far as she knew, only the emperor of the Vermilion Bird Empire could currently use this mystic skill, and his mystic cultivation had already reached the demigod realm!
Yet this little fellow, who was only at the God Tribulation Realm... could actually... use it!
Before you continue