After a long night of preparing the needed talismans and pills for Tang Ruowei, Bai Qiuran took her to the main peak of the Qinming Sword Sect early the next morning. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, saying, "After raising her for a couple of hundred years, her feathers turned greener and her crown bluer. I wondered if that chicken had ingested some medicinal herbs and mutated..."
"Damn you! Watch my new move!" Qing Danying shouted angrily at Bai Qiuran. "This move is a stance I've comprehended from my clan's supreme technique. It’s like a phoenix perching on a paulownia tree, possessing the power to slay gods and demons alike! You’ll definitely be impressed!"
At this moment, Bai Qiuran finally spotted another disciple who had entered with Tang Ruowei, one who was accepted as a direct disciple by Jue Yunzi. While Tang Ruowei had to join her exploration team, Bai Qiuran didn’t mention that he would also follow them into the cave; instead, he was ostensibly leading the Qinming Sword Sect’s team to maintain order.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Bai Qiuran scratched his face. Just as Qing Danying was about to kick at him, he swiftly recognized her attack's trajectory. Although the girl was quick, he effortlessly caught her ankle and lifted her up. Naturally, since he was going in, the sect leader Jue Yunzi would accompany him as well, so when Bai Qiuran entered, the one maintaining order would change to Jue Yunzi.
Tang Ruowei sighed helplessly. Seizing the opportunity, she approached Bai Qiuran and whispered, “Master, do you have a grudge with her?”
Tang Ruowei exclaimed in surprise, “But I heard that Sister Qing Danying is actually a bird of auspicious omen, a phoenix, right?”
Bai Qiuran glanced over and noticed the young man was of the heavenly spiritual root level, possessing a golden spiritual root, which aligned perfectly with Jue Yunzi’s favored sharp gold sword attribute. His cultivation level was around the late Foundation Establishment stage, slightly weaker than Tang Ruowei, who had reached the peak. However, Tang Ruowei was also distracted by other matters. The sword energy from this boy seemed solidifying, hinting he might soon form a sword soul. If Tang Ruowei actually fought him, the outcome was still uncertain.
“Master, that’s one of the protecting spirit beasts of the Qinming Sword Sect, Sister Qing Danying,” Tang Ruowei explained.
“It’s quite embarrassing to have my disciple fly me up to the main peak on a sword,” Bai Qiuran said sheepishly. He had just landed when a shadow lunged at him.
“Even if she's a phoenix or a conscious beast of good fortune, I didn’t treat her poorly. I fed her well and just asked for her to lay an egg daily to enhance my meals—what’s wrong with that?” Bai Qiuran remarked lightly, “You’re just a chicken; why learn how to be a phoenix?”
Tang Ruowei advised, “Give up, you can’t defeat him.”
While Qing Danying lunged toward him, Bai Qiuran again sensed her intent. Even though she moved quickly, he easily caught her foot and held her up again.
“Ah, what?” Qing Danying lamented, rolling into a nearby thicket after being tossed aside. She got up, pulling weeds from her hair, and exclaimed, “Damn old man, watch your feet!”
Before that, Qing Danying had stomped in next to Jue Yunzi, awkwardly confident, and when she caught sight of Bai Qiuran, she snorted and turned away.
“You want to defeat me? Go and eat rice for another two to three thousand years,” Bai Qiuran said while scratching his face, feeling more than a little embarrassed.
A little black shadow cried out loudly and leapt into the air, kicking at his face.
“Wait, what?” Bai Qiuran muttered, bewildered at the encounter with this ordinary-looking boy who seemed dazed, dressed in a direct disciple's outfit.
“Damn you! Watch my new move!” Qing Danying shouted again, her silhouette twirling in emerald flames as she attempted another high kick toward Bai Qiuran's face.
Bai Qiuran ignored her and continued forward, walking alongside Jue Yunzi, while Tang Ruowei mingled with other direct disciples, positioning herself at the back of the group.
With a satisfied nod, Bai Qiuran exchanged glances with Jue Yunzi, who seemed to take pride in his composure. However, it was unfortunate for Qing Danying that her target was Bai Qiuran, a three-thousand-year-old monster.
“This... when you first joined, didn’t that brat Jue Yunzi tell you I kept a transformed chicken?” Bai Qiuran recalled.
“She is that chicken,” he added.
The small figure let out a pained groan as she rolled on the ground, then got up, glaring defiantly at Bai Qiuran.
“I know,” Bai Qiuran replied, stroking his head as he tried to remember.
“Even if she’s a phoenix—an auspicious creature with awareness—I didn’t treat her poorly. I just needed her to lay eggs for dinner,” he continued.
Watching Qing Danying pluck at the weeds sticking to her head and witnessing her rage building, Bai Qiuran maintained a calm expression.
While the atmosphere lightened, Bai Qiuran began announcing the details of the exploration for the disciples at the main peak. Just as he was getting into it, Qing Danying erupted in anger, “Dead old man, watch your feet!”
With everything set, both Bai Qiuran and Tang Ruowei prepared to enter the void of the cave, leaving behind the echoes of their banter.