Engagement with Huo Ling'er? Heading to the Outside World for Training!

The Vermilion Bird watched as Little Shi Hao, wielding the Qiongqi bone club, kept charging into the Great Wilderness to battle Fierce Beasts.

And after killing those Fierce Beasts, he brought them all back to the village to eat.

Too brutal!

This pair of big and little demons was practically the bane of Fierce Beasts!

She always felt that if there was ever a day with no meat to eat, Ye Xuan's gaze toward her would turn dangerously sharp.

That look seemed to say: braised or steamed?

"No way! I can't stay here!"

The Vermilion Bird shuddered, her beautiful red feathers all fluffed up.

"If I stay any longer, I'll end up as roast meat sooner or later!"

She glanced at Ye Xuan, who was communicating with the Willow Deity, and her little eyes rolled slyly.

Since she couldn't win by force, how about seduction?

No, wait—outsmarting him!

Taking advantage of Ye Xuan's good mood, the Vermilion Bird flapped her wings, cautiously flew over, and landed in front of him.

"Big shot..."

The Vermilion Bird suppressed all her divine flames, trying her best to look harmless, even rubbing her wings together in a fawning gesture.

"Hm?"

Ye Xuan looked down at the palm-sized red bird.

"What? You hungry? There's still some leftover Qiongqi meat in the pot."

"No, no, no! Not hungry!"

The Vermilion Bird shook her head frantically, not wanting to hear the word "pot" ever again.

She took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and said:

"Big shot, I've been in the village for three months now, and I haven't slacked off on guarding the place."

"Could you... maybe let me go back to visit my family?"

"Visit your family?" Ye Xuan raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, yes, yes! I miss home!"

The Vermilion Bird's eyes welled up with tears, her tone mournful.

"I'm the Sacrificial Spirit of the Fire Country. If I don't go back, things will fall into chaos there."

Seeing Ye Xun unmoved, the Vermilion Bird gritted her beak and decided to play her trump card.

She edged closer, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously:

"Big shot, if you let me go, I'll give you a big gift!"

"Oh? What big gift?" Ye Xuan perked up with interest.

"A wife! I'll give you a wife!"

The Vermilion Bird puffed out her chest, swearing solemnly.

"I'm tight with the Fire Emperor! As long as I speak up, I'll have him marry off his most beloved little princess to you!"

"That little princess is called Huo Ling'er. I watched her grow up."

The Vermilion Bird gestured with her wings as she spoke.

"That girl is so cute! Fair skin, big eyes, and..."

She seemed to search for the right word, then added seriously:

"And chubby! Really lucky-looking! Clearly built for bearing children!"

"So? Big shot? Good deal, right? She's a Fire Country princess—her dowry would pile up like a mountain!"

Pfft.

Little Shi Hao, who was drinking water nearby, spat it out.

Ye Xuan's mouth twitched as he looked at this red bird pimping itself out just to escape, caught between laughter and tears.

Chubby?

That adjective...

If the proud little princess Huo Ling'er ever heard that, she'd probably pluck this Sacrificial Spirit's feathers clean.

And besides, who wants your chubby girl anyway!

"So this is your honey trap?"

Ye Xuan reached out and flicked the Vermilion Bird's forehead without mercy.

"Thump!"

"Ouch!"

The Vermilion Bird clutched its head, looking at Ye Xuan with a pitiful, aggrieved expression.

"Big shot, you don't like chubby ones? There are slim ones too—the Fire Emperor has plenty of daughters..."

"Shut up."

Ye Xuan cut off its sales pitch.

He stood up and brushed off his robes.

"I'm not interested in your princesses."

"But..."

Ye Xuan's gaze swept over the Vermilion Bird, making its feathers stand on end.

"You can leave, if you want."

"But you'll have to leave behind a ransom fee."

"Hand over your Vermilion Bird Treasure Art, and then you can go."

Hearing this, the Vermilion Bird wasn't angry at all. Instead, it felt like a pardon from death, nearly jumping up in excitement.

Just the treasure art? Not her life?

This was way too generous!

A lost treasure art could be practiced again, but a lost life was gone for good.

Besides, facing a freak like Ye Xuan, it hadn't expected to keep the art secret anyway.

"Fine! This princess will give it to you now!"

Without any hesitation, the Vermilion Bird opened its mouth and spat out a crimson talisman bone.

It was a primal true bone, imprinted with the Vermilion Bird Treasure Art.

"Please accept it, big shot!"

The Vermilion Bird handed the bone over eagerly.

Ye Xuan took the talisman bone.

He activated his Chaos Heavy Pupils.

Hum!

Two beams of gray divine light swept across the bone's surface.

In an instant, the intricate, profound Vermilion Bird runes were dismantled in his eyes into the most fundamental laws of fire.

Fire control, shape-shifting, sky-burning...

In just a brief moment.

A pure crimson flame ignited in Ye Xuan's palm.

Within that flame, a divine bird could faintly be seen spreading its wings in flight.

The Vermilion Bird Treasure Art—mastered in an instant!

"Alright."

Ye Xuan extinguished the flame and casually tossed the talisman bone back to the Vermilion Bird.

"You can go now."

"R-Really?"

The Vermilion Bird caught the bone, still unable to believe happiness had come so suddenly.

"What? Want to stay for dinner?" Ye Xuan gave it a half-smile.

"No, no, no! No dinner! I'm on a diet lately!"

The Vermilion Bird shuddered in fright.

Whoosh!

A red light flashed over its body, and the seal was lifted.

Though its size didn't immediately return to normal, the aura of a Venerable finally began to flow again.

"The green hills remain, the streams flow on!"

"Big shot, thanks for sparing my life!"

The Vermilion Bird flapped its wings, turning into a streak of red light that shot into the sky at breakneck speed, terrified Ye Xuan might change his mind.

After flying far away, the Vermilion Bird's slightly smug voice echoed from the sky:

"Big shot! I was serious about the marriage proposal!"

"When I get back to the Fire Country, I'll tell the Fire Emperor!"

"The chubby girl's being saved for you! Wait for me—"

The Vermilion Bird's voice echoed through the valley.

Hearing this, Ye Xuan shook his head helplessly.

That little red bird sure had a loose tongue.

"Big brother, what's a chubby girl?"

Little Shi Hao sidled up, asking curiously.

"It's... well, the kind that eats a lot." Ye Xuan made it up on the spot.

"Wow! That must mean she's really strong!"

At that, Little Shi Hao's face lit up with awe.

In his simple worldview, being able to eat meant good fortune, and good fortune meant strength.

"Alright, stop thinking about the chubby girl."

Ye Xuan pulled his gaze back and looked toward the distant Great Wilderness.

That was the direction of the outside world.

"Little Dot."

"Here!"

"Right now, holed up in this Stone Village, it's hard for you to improve much more."

"A fledgling eagle must eventually spread its wings, a fierce tiger must return to the mountains."

Ye Xuan patted Little Shi Hao on the shoulder, his tone turning serious.

"Want to go see the outside world?"

After hearing this, Little Shi Hao was stunned for a moment.

He looked at the village he'd lived in for three years, then at the endless Great Wilderness.

A flicker of reluctance passed through his eyes, but it was outweighed by a thirst for the unknown.

"I do!"

"I want to see if the outside world is really as big as Grandpa Chief says."

"And I want to... find my parents."

By the end, the little guy's voice had dropped low.

Hearing this, Ye Xuan sighed inwardly.

This karmic thread—he'd have to face it eventually.