Ascension Day

"You are... the Juvenile Phoenix from that day?"

Xu Ying looked at the petite girl's face. He couldn't make out any phoenix features, but her eyes were like a phoenix's, just like the Juvenile Phoenix's eyes.

"Sir, you can call me Feng Xian'er. Little Fengxian is also fine." The petite girl tapped her toes lightly and started walking away, turning back to wave at him.

Xu Ying called out for Lord Zhong again, but Da Zhong still didn't respond. So, he leaped out of the window.

When his feet landed, he felt something soft underfoot, as if he had stepped on someone. Guo Xiaodie let out a groan, rolled over under the window, and fell back into a deep sleep.

Xu Ying jumped in fright, wondering, 'Why hasn't she gone back to sleep? Instead, she's intent on taking over my bed? Is my bed really that inviting?'

He shook his head and followed Little Fengxian.

The girl, with her bright eyes and pearly teeth, chuckled softly. "That girl has been given a sedative; she won't be waking up anytime soon. I came by a moment ago and saw someone lure away a large bell and a big snake. Then I saw another woman carry this girl in, strip her naked, put her in your bed, and even take her clothes with her. I didn't want to disturb you. But I hadn't gone far when I saw you throw the girl out. I figured you wouldn't be able to sleep, so I came to talk to you."

Xu Ying said, "I see. I thought maybe there weren't enough houses on the mountain."

Little Fengxian burst out laughing. "You're such a strange and interesting person! If I were you, I wouldn't have dressed her before throwing her out."

Xu Ying asked in confusion, "If I didn't dress her before throwing her out, what else was I supposed to do? Besides, it's cold on the mountain. If I threw her out naked, she might catch a cold."

A short while later, the beautiful woman Li Yingzhu quietly approached Xu Ying's window. 'By now, things should have happened,' she thought. 'If I burst in and catch them now, I can solidify the evidence of his actions, leaving him no room to argue. Then, he'll be the esteemed son-in-law of my Guo Family. Even if Zhou Qiyun wants to snatch him, he'll have to consider the combined weight of the Guo and Li Families!'

Suddenly, her foot landed on something soft. She had stepped on someone. She quickly looked down and couldn't help but be startled.

Guo Xiaodie, pained from being stepped on, cried out once before rolling over and falling asleep again.

Li Yingzhu was utterly astonished. She pushed open the window and saw that Xu Ying's room was empty. She quickly scooped up Guo Xiaodie and hurried away.

Just then, Guo Yue walked over, smiling. "I led that bell and that snake to another of the Jiuyi Mountains. These nine mountains all look identical, and they won't be able to tell the difference in the dead of night. Who knows how long it'll take them to find their way back here... Madam, why did you bring Xiaodie back?"

Li Yingzhu shook her head. "The scoundrel refused the easy life offered to him. He jumped out the window and ran."

Guo Yue's expression turned to one of solemn respect. "He's a man of principle! But... how did he resist?"

Li Yingzhu sneered, "If it were you, you wouldn't have been able to resist, would you?"

Guo Yue was meek and submissive, not daring to reply.

Li Yingzhu said, "Since he won't take the easy way, things have become more difficult..."

Guo Yue couldn't help but suggest, "Madam, why don't we just have Xiaodie take the Sword Control Technique to him tomorrow and ask him to explain it?"

Li Yingzhu sneered, "If it were that simple, why would Elder Zhou have needed to capture him in the first place? He doesn't like Xiaodie... could it be that he likes..."

Her face flushed red. 'How could that be possible?'

Little Fengxian led Xu Ying to the Phoenix Tree on the mountaintop. They spiraled upward and, before long, reached the crown of the tree.

She knocked lightly on the trunk—three long, two short—and the Phoenix Tree split open, revealing a passageway. At the end of the passage was a magnificent, golden palace.

Little Fengxian led the way, with Xu Ying following behind. He saw that the palace wasn't very large, but it was exquisitely beautiful. It was adorned with feathers of various colors, which decorated the ornate windows, creating a dazzling sight.

Little Fengxian walked to a latticed window and pushed it open with both hands. It was a window set into the Phoenix Tree, offering a view of Jiuyi Mountain at night.

The window faced east, where a white glow was gradually appearing on the horizon.

Little Fengxian said, "Sir, you have shown me a great kindness. I will never forget that you saved my life. The only way to repay you is..."

She glanced at Xu Ying's appearance, thought his skin was a bit dark, and finished, "...to repay you by working like a beast of burden for you in the next life."

Xu Ying smiled. "It was just a small effort, nothing worth mentioning."

To this day, he still didn't understand how he had managed to save this Little Fengxian. All he knew was that a Celestial God and a Celestial Demon had attacked at the same time, one from the sky and one from the ground. They were overwhelmingly aggressive, looking as if they would obliterate the Phoenix Tree and the Little Phoenix. However, it was all thunder and no rain; they arrived quickly and left just as fast. They had barely clashed before they both fled.

Little Fengxian said, "I had originally planned to rest for a few more days until my injuries healed and my Cultivation had improved a bit before I sought you out to repay your life-saving kindness. But I happened to glimpse you from afar last night, and I changed my mind."

Her expression turned grave as she said seriously, "Sir, do you know that you have been possessed by a Celestial Demon? Right now, the Celestial Demon has not yet taken over your body, but if this continues, it will erode your soul and seize your Flesh Body! This demon is a visitor from beyond the heavens, making it impossible to guard against. Even the most powerful Qi Refiners can fall victim if they are the slightest bit careless!"

Hearing this, Xu Ying couldn't help but laugh. "That Celestial Demon was eliminated long ago by Elder Zhou and the Holy God Emperor. How could it be inside me...?"

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp pain shot from between his eyebrows. His shadow suddenly grew wildly, sprawling out like dark tentacles that climbed all over the palace, sticking to the walls!

A burst of loud laughter came from between Xu Ying's eyebrows. The shadow tentacles exerted a bit of force, and Xu Ying floated into the air against his will!

Xu Ying was terrified. "I really am possessed?"

The Celestial Demon shouted from between his eyebrows, "Feng Xian'Er, I have no grievance with you! Although I intended to kill you, I retreated before I even got near you! This brat is different. This brat ruined my Flesh Body and locked me in the same hall with two top-tier masters. They beat me until ninety percent of my ten thousand years of Dao Practice was destroyed! If I hadn't been lucky enough to escape, I'm afraid both my body and soul would have been annihilated!"