Li Xue naturally remained unaware of Dongfang Jing’s inner turmoil. After she and Li Lin’s group returned to Dongyang Palace, she sighed and summarized the day's events with great feeling: "Daoist Mingyuan versus Daoist Yuhong: a narrow victory. Daoist Mingyuan versus Daoist Yuqing: a crushing defeat!"
"Pfft!" Yun Mingxuan burst into laughter upon hearing this. Li Lin smiled faintly, and Yu Ming’s face also split into a wide grin.
"Sister Li, I feel exactly the same way. Your summary is incisive!" Yun Mingxuan praised.
Li Xue continued with a look of admiration, "I really didn't expect Martial Uncle Yuqing to be so scheming. Daoist Mingyuan wanted a fight so badly, yet he simply wouldn't let him have it. I truly admire that!"
"Grand-Martial Uncle Yuqing has presided over Zhengyang Peak for thousands of years, and the Yunjin Sect’s strength hasn't waned under his watch. How could he be compared to a mere brute?" Li Lin remarked.
"Lin’er is right. As the Head Elder, Grand-Martial Uncle Yuqing naturally possesses extraordinary means," Yu Ming echoed.
Yun Mingxuan added with a touch of pride, "Indeed. My Grandmaster’s methods are peerless; he can turn his hand to gather clouds and reverse it to bring rain!"
"Hold on. Are you praising him or insulting him?" Yu Ming said crossly.
"I’m praising him, of course! Which part of that sounded like an insult?" Yun Mingxuan shouted back at her.
Li Xue and Li Lin were speechless. These two always loved to bicker, yet their constant sparring felt oddly warm and familiar.
"Is this how you lot gossip about your elders?" a familiar voice suddenly rang out.
"Senior Brother!" "Master!" "Martial Uncle!"
It turned out that Perfected Jingyuan had emerged from seclusion. He had already reached the late Core Formation stage, a development that brought immense joy to Li Lin and Yu Ming. Perfected Jingyuan was also very gratified to see his two disciples; one was nearing the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage, while the other was close to reaching the late stage himself. Naturally, Perfected Jingyuan’s return sparked a lively celebration.
In the days that followed, Li Xue and Li Lin prepared to refine Green Pills. The dashing sight of Ji Rufeng riding his Purple Oriole had left everyone envious. Moreover, during his fight with the late Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Wuling Sect, Ji Rufeng had held his own without falling into a disadvantage, thanks to the bird's assistance. The Purple Oriole was a high-grade spirit beast with powerful innate fire-attribute attack spells, which was why the Bai family of East Beast Mountain had always maintained a high status in the Mangyun Mountains.
When Zifeng and Zihuang saw the high-grade Green Pills, their four eyes sparkled with light. They clutched the jade bottles tightly, refusing to let go. Since the intelligence of high-grade spirit beasts was comparable to that of human cultivators, Li Xue simply let them be.
Half a year later, Zifeng was the first to begin his advancement. Purple radiance swirled around him, creating a breathtaking sight. Upon closer inspection, Li Xue and Li Lin saw that the now third-rank Zifeng had grown an extra tail feather; the plumage of a Purple Oriole increased with its rank. Zifeng lifted his head as his body slowly expanded until he was half as tall as a person. He let out a cry, and an excited wave of divine sense reached them: *“Master, Zifeng will take you for a flight!”* Since both Li Xue and Li Lin possessed secret techniques to communicate with the Purple Orioles, they understood him perfectly.
"Wonderful!" Li Xue happily leaped onto Zifeng’s back. Ha! It really felt a bit like the phoenix mounts in the online games she had played in her previous life, though those phoenixes usually had three long, magnificent tail feathers.
Not to be outdone, Zihuang also successfully advanced amidst a flash of purple light. However, her tail feathers were shorter than Zifeng’s. *Do the males have more beautiful plumage than the females?* Li Xue wondered, puzzled.
Seeing Li Xue’s scrutinizing and doubtful gaze, Zihuang hurried to her side and rubbed her head against Li Xue’s arm. She said flatteringly, *"Mistress, Mistress, my gentle and virtuous Lady Mistress! Brother Zifeng is a boy, so of course his feathers are longer than mine!"*
At this, even Li Lin’s mouth fell open in shock. Where had Zihuang learned to be such a sycophant?
Zihuang then trotted over to Li Lin and said in a wheedling tone, *"Master, Master, my wise and divine Master, Zihuang will fly even higher than Brother Zifeng!"*
Zifeng turned his head away, pretending not to hear her, while Li Xue had already burst into laughter. Zihuang blinked her beautiful phoenix eyes, looking quite innocent as she stared eagerly at Li Lin. She added, *"Master, Master, Zihuang can also sing and dance! Zihuang knows so many, many things!"*
Li Lin felt a massive headache coming on. It seemed his spirit beast’s personality was far too lively. Li Xue, however, felt that Zihuang’s behavior was far too human-like. *Could she be a transmigrator too?*
Li Xue crouched down, her eyes sparkling with a sharp light as she stared intently at Zihuang. The bird felt a chill run down her spine and subconsciously retreated several steps.
Li Xue thought about how people recognized their own in transmigration novels. Right, a code phrase! "The Heavenly King covers the Earth Tiger!"
Zihuang looked utterly bewildered.
"Comrades, you've worked hard!"
Zihuang looked even more confused.
Zifeng nudged up to Li Lin and whispered, *"Little Master, is Master... frightened by Zihuang?"*
Li Lin replied helplessly, "She'll be fine in a moment. This is probably just a periodic fit of madness!"
