Little Fire Phoenix
As the saying goes, many ants can kill an elephant. Although the branches of this Ascending Heaven Divine Tree are powerful, even reaching the level of Four-Star High-Grade Spirit Beast, the million Zombie are not so easy to deal with. More importantly, these Zombie are also not to be underestimated.
Countless Zombie climbed up the body of the Ascending Heaven Divine Tree. Looking around, the Hundred Zhang- tall Ascending Heaven Divine Tree, which was as tall as a mountain, was nowhere to be seen. It was completely buried by Zombie, a sight that sent chills down one's spine.
Zhuge Xiang could no longer be found. If he stayed in Zhao's camp any longer, he would die here. The Zombie's corpse poison had undergone a qualitative change from quantitative change. Even the Ascending Heaven Divine Tree's own terrifying regenerative ability could not maintain the recovery of its injuries. Helpless, despite being filled with unwillingness, the Ascending Heaven Divine Tree had no choice but to leave.
The divine tree spun like a hurricane, flinging off the densely packed Zombie one by one. Ripples appeared in the Void as the Zombie Army, led by Lian Po, fled in panic into the spatial ripples.
Kerala...
Having successfully used a borrowed knife to kill, Zhuge Xiang finally shook off the Ascending Heaven Divine Tree behind him. Finding a secluded valley, he stopped, holding the Phoenix Egg in his hands, carefully examining the cracks inside. Clearly, the Phoenix Egg inside was about to hatch.
Ying Shuang, too, stared wide-eyed at the Phoenix Egg, filled with anticipation and curiosity. She was naturally very interested in this legendary Phoenix, but she had no intention of snatching it.
The Phoenix Egg was as big as a water vat, covered with cracks, with some pieces bulging out here and there. This Ancient Divine Beast was troublesome; it took so long to hatch from the egg.
If it weren't for the fact that birds must work hard to ensure their health when hatching, Zhuge Xiang really wanted to crack the eggshell himself and pull out the Phoenix chick inside.
"Is this thing coming out or not? Should I just crack the shell?" Ying Shuang stared at the Phoenix Egg with expectant eyes, waiting for almost half an hour, but the little Phoenix inside still hadn't emerged. Ying Shuang was getting impatient. Although she spoke to Zhuge Xiang in a conciliatory tone, her eagerness clearly indicated that she was ready to take matters into her own hands.
Chirp...
Just as Zhuge Xiang was about to speak to stop them, a clear and sharp voice suddenly rang out. Then, the Phoenix Egg was finally broken open, and a small, bright red bird slowly emerged from the shell. It was covered in fiery red, fluffy downy feathers, chubby, and waddled out, looking rather chubby and robust.
"This... this is Phoenix? Did we steal the wrong one?" Ying Shuang asked Zhuge Xiang, her eyes wide with astonishment as she looked at the small, red bird with a tiger-like head and a head that resembled a chick.
Indeed, looking at the little creature emerging from the Phoenix Egg, Zhuge Xiang himself had a fleeting doubt: perhaps the wrong Phoenix Egg had been taken?
Phoenix Egg the size of a water vat should have given the Phoenix inside the egg the size of a pig or dog, if not a calf, right? But this Phoenix Egg, half a person's height in size, hatched a tiny creature only the size of a palm, with a chubby, tiger-like face—hardly the resemblance to the divine bird renowned throughout the Three Realms.
Fire Phoenix: Spirit Beast, First Layer. Description: Possesses the purest Phoenix Bloodline and is born Deity, but did not absorb enough Flame power at birth, resulting in Xiantian and a weak constitution.
The Data Eye revealed to Zhuge Xiang that the plump, palm-sized red bird was indeed Fire Phoenix. However, upon seeing the explanation behind it, Zhuge Xiang frowned slightly.
Thinking of that Phoenix Egg on the Wutong Wood, before all the Flame could be absorbed, Knockback. Judging from its appearance, it was indeed due to the lack of nourishment from the power of Flame that this Fire Phoenix was Xiantian.
After taking a few unsteady steps, the Little Fire Phoenix finally stood firm, its chubby face and adorable appearance causing it to glance sideways at Zhuge Xiang and Ying Shuang. Then, it suddenly spoke, its childish voice ringing out, "Father, Mother..."
When these oviparous birds open their eyes at birth, the first life they see will form a first impression, and they will instinctively think of it as a relative. However, the words spoken by this Little Fire Phoenix stunned Zhuge Xiang. He never expected that it would think of him as its father.
Ying Shuang, who had initially looked disgusted, clearly finding the silly bird clumsy and unattractive, felt an inexplicable surge of warmth in Ying Shuang heart when it called her "mother," though her face turned as red as if it could drip water.
"You bastard, look carefully! Don't call me 'mother,' and definitely don't call this guy 'father.' I'm not your mother."
Feigning a fierce expression, Ying Shuang blushed and felt she had to correct this guy's point of view. But holding the Little Fire Phoenix, she couldn't put it down. Although Ying Shuang looked only sixteen or seventeen years old, she radiated a maternal glow.
"It's said that women are born with a maternal glow, and their love is far stronger than men's; it's certainly true," Zhuge Xiang thought to himself, looking at Ying Shuang's expression.
As the Ninth Princess of the Great Qin Empire, she was of noble status and Cultivator. She had previously used the Jade Banana Fan to send countless Cultivator flying. However, when faced with this Little Fire Phoenix that called her "mother" and was very affectionate towards her, she, who had disliked it before, now seemed to love it as if it were her own child.
"Does Mother not like me anymore? What's wrong with me that makes Mother hate me?" Little Fire Phoenix asked, her eyes brimming with tears, after hearing Ying Shuang's righteous and stern words.
With its tender voice and chubby, adorable expression, even though this Little Fire Phoenix was newly born and as plump as a chick, not particularly pretty, its chubby and adorable appearance was undeniably cute.
Staring at the Little Fire Phoenix with its teary eyes, Ying Shuang's heart softened. She could no longer maintain her stern expression, and sighed inwardly. She lovingly embraced the Little Fire Phoenix, her fair fingers gently stroking its head, and said indulgently, "How could that be? You like to call me Mother, so go ahead and call me that. But could you please not call him Father?"
She was, after all, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl. Ying Shuang could accept that Huo Feng called her mother, but she also had a father. Thinking of this, Ying Shuang's face flushed.
"Does Mother not like Father? What did Father do wrong that made Mother dislike him?" Without directly answering Ying Shuang's question, Little Fire Phoenix looked at Ying Shuang with teary eyes and asked pitifully.
"...", Well, looking into the Little Fire Phoenix's eyes, its terrifying destructive power forced Ying Shuang to retreat once again, leaving her speechless.
Although it was only newly born, this Little Fire Phoenix was quite clever and mischievous. Seeing Ying Shuang's expression, it knew she had agreed. Fluttering its tiny wings, it struggled to take flight, wobbling as it flew towards Zhuge Xiang. In its childish voice, it called out to Zhuge Xiang, "Father, Father..."
Reaching out, Zhuge Xiang scooped up the Little Fire Phoenix that was flying crookedly towards him and held it in his arms, feeling a surge of affection in his heart.
"Hehe, Father, I helped you resolve the conflict between my mother and me. What reward will you give me?" However, just as Zhuge Xiang's heart was filled with doting affection, the Little Fire Phoenix in his arms quietly raised its head, its pair of black gem-like eyes exceptionally bright and mischievous as it looked at Zhuge Xiang and whispered.
"..." Looking at the Little Fire Phoenix, Zhuge Xiang was speechless for a moment, unsure how to respond.
Ying Shuang was a quirky and clever girl to begin with, but unexpectedly, this newborn Little Fire Phoenix was even more so, and even Ying Shuang was fooled by it. To be fair, Ying Shuang was indeed very suitable to be its mother.
"You little devil, how do you know all this?" Zhuge Xiang said, gently patting the Little Fire Phoenix's forehead. He was both amused and annoyed. It was really strange that the newborn knew so much.
"That's right. We Phoenix are the top Ancient Times divine beasts, born with divine wisdom. Our bloodline contains inherited Memory and knowledge, so what's so strange about us understanding these things?" The Little Fire Phoenix, no bigger than a palm, was chubby and plump, yet it tilted its head back and made a smug face, which added a touch of comicality to the overall impression.
"Can I say that it truly lives up to its reputation as Ancient Times divine bird, the Phoenix?" Zhuge Xiang was at a loss for words, unsure whether to be pleased or exasperated by the cleverness of this newly hatched fire phoenix.
"Alright, alright, stop fooling around, let's go quickly." Now that the Phoenix Egg has hatched, Zhuge Xiang has no intention of wasting any more time. He is eager to meet up with Qin Qing and the others. Holding the Little Fire Phoenix in his arms, he looked at Ying Shuang and said, "I certainly won't give the Fire Phoenix Zhuge Xiang with both hands. Whether Ying Shuang stays or leaves is up to her."
Ying Shuang naturally understood what Zhuge Xiang meant. She stretched out her hand and said, "I want to take this Little Fire Phoenix with me. I am its mother. Give it to me."
How could Zhuge Xiang let go? Putting aside the value of the Phoenix, just the fact that it called him "father" and showed him such affection was enough to make Zhuge Xiang unwilling to let go. Holding the Little Fire Phoenix, he firmly shook his head, indicating that he would not let go.
"One hundred high-grade Spirit Stone." Ying Shuang naturally understood Zhuge Xiang's meaning, gritted her teeth, and then spoke.
As expected of a princess, her methods were truly Human Heart. She could easily buy even a Treasure Artifact treasure with a single high-grade Spirit Stone, and she asked for a hundred of them right off the bat. Such wealth was Human Heart, but Zhuge Xiang remained unmoved and firmly shook his head.
"Two hundred?" Ying Shuang frowned slightly and continued to raise the price.
Unfortunately, Zhuge Xiang remained unmoved.
"Three hundred spirit stones? Plus a damaged Spirit Artifact?" Ying Shuang's tone rose considerably as she said, "This is the bottom line I can offer. You must believe me, the Phoenix in your hands is merely a case of possessing a treasure that invites trouble. Three hundred high-grade Spirit Stone and a damaged Spirit Artifact are definitely more valuable to you than a Little Fire Phoenix." (To be continued.)