The silver-haired maiden had a slender figure. Even though her eyes seemed to spit fire, her movements were graceful—her lotus-like steps swayed with an innate noble elegance.
“Have we… met before?” Shi Hao slurred his greeting.
The silver-haired girl arched her delicate brows, her lively eyes shooting sharp beams of light. As her cherry lips parted, a row of snow-white teeth was revealed, grinding subtly in the dark.
Shi Hao tilted his head, stars dancing in his vision, too drunk to stand steadily. Staring blankly at the breathtakingly beautiful silver-haired girl, he mumbled, “Huh, it really is her. Except for that golden glyph on her forehead, everything else is the same.”
The peerless beauty, her silver hair fluttering, let out a phoenix cry. A dazzling radiance burst forth as a white flame shot from her small mouth, engulfing Shi Hao in an instant.
“Ouch!”
Shi Hao yelped in surprise. This was Phoenix Fire, originating from the lineage of the Snow Phoenix—something ordinary people couldn’t endure. Yet, runes automatically manifested around his body, and his sole Heavenly Passage emerged, shielding him.
“Yin Zi, is it really you? The one I raised?” Shi Hao sobered up halfway in an instant.
Hearing the name “Yin Zi,” the silver-haired girl was instantly provoked, gnashing her teeth. Dark lines surfaced on her jade-like forehead—she was utterly furious.
The memories from over two years ago made her want to vomit blood. As the pride of her clan, a prodigy with the potential to evolve into a Snow Phoenix, she had unexpectedly fallen into the hands of that demon. He had ruthlessly groomed her feathers, yanked her phoenix wings, and tugged at her plumes, squeezing and kneading them—it was unimaginable.
Even now, recalling it made her feel like suffocating. It was a dark era she couldn’t bear to look back on, a history of blood and tears. That experience… was too horrifying!
To make the strongest jewel in the Snow Phoenix lineage feel such misery and terror, Shi Hao was truly the first.
The silver-haired girl had never spoken of this ordeal to anyone, not even her clansmen. It was too humiliating. Yet, she never expected that upon meeting again, this guy would bring it up right in front of her, even boasting about it. Unbearable! Absolutely unbearable!
“Whoosh!”
Two silver beams shot from her eyes, like divine moons descending—brilliant and vast, distorting the void itself.
A wisp of immortal energy surfaced around Shi Hao, sacred and serene, swiftly neutralizing the divine runes. Unscathed, his sole Heavenly Passage enveloped him gently.
“You… cultivated an immortal aura?!” The silver-haired girl, despite her indignation, was stunned.
Clearly, she had been far from the Burial Realm and hadn’t heard of the battle’s outcome.
“Yin Zi, it really is you! How wonderful—destiny brings us together again.” The drunken Shi Hao, oblivious to how much the name “Yin Zi” stung the peerless beauty before him, rambled on.
Snapping out of her shock, the silver-haired girl gritted her teeth with a creaking sound. “I hate you!”
With a flash, she lunged forward, hands forming seals, her body glowing as she spun mid-air. A fair, slender leg swept out from beneath her long skirt, aiming for Shi Hao.
“Careful, don’t split your legs.” Still tipsy, Shi Hao blocked with his arm—*thud*—a soft impact.
The silver-haired girl’s expression changed. That kick carried her astonishing divine power, yet it was effortlessly deflected, leaving her leg throbbing in pain.
Amid phoenix cries, countless runes erupted as all her divine techniques surged toward Shi Hao—supreme arts of the Snow Phoenix lineage.
Yet, his sole Heavenly Passage intertwined with the immortal aura, *boom*, repelling even the most formidable runes.
“You force me to use forbidden arts!” The silver-haired girl gnashed her teeth as the golden mark on her forehead began to glow.
She was truly enraged. First, she had been captured, her pristine feathers sheared into disarray. Now, she was being mocked—unforgivable!
“Hey, Yin Zi, I saved your life. Why attack me?” Shi Hao exhaled alcohol fumes, looking utterly confused and innocent.
The silver-haired girl froze. As much as she loathed Shi Hao, she had to admit that escaping that region back then was thanks to him.
Thus, for two years, she hadn’t sought revenge. Today, his words had simply provoked her beyond endurance.
“One thing at a time. You humiliated me first—I demand… an explanation!” She landed gracefully, still seething but composed.
“That’s unfair. No matter what, I saved your life. If you want to repay kindness with enmity, come at me.” Shi Hao’s drunkenness faded, his mind clearing.
Hearing this, the silver-haired girl hesitated. Though resentment simmered in her heart, launching a full-scale assault on Shi Hao now felt unjustified.
She stood frozen, raising her hand several times to strike him but ultimately lowering it.
“Since we’re all friends, sit down and share a drink to cool off,” Cao Yusheng interjected.
“Sister, like me, you have beautiful silver hair. We’re kindred spirits!” The little rabbit giggled, pulling her arm.
Qing Yi smiled faintly, mediating to smooth things over.
Even the disloyal Divine Striking Stone made an appearance.
Back in the Five Elements Province, when the Silver Phoenix had awakened and transformed into this silver-haired girl, she had beaten it mercilessly, sending it fleeing hundreds of thousands of miles—a trauma it hadn’t forgotten.
“Sister is a Snow Phoenix? That’s incredible!” The little rabbit gasped, her tiny mouth agape upon learning part of the truth.
“Not yet, but I have the potential to evolve into one,” the silver-haired girl, Xue Lin, replied calmly, her peerless grace restored.
She was indeed formidable. Even when pursued by the likes of the Immortal Palace’s inheritor and other prodigies, she had only been wounded, never captured.
Now, Shi Hao noticed the golden mark on her forehead—a sign of further evolution, making her far stronger than before.
Through Qing Yi and the little rabbit’s probing, plus the Divine Striking Stone’s loose tongue, the group finally pieced together what had happened.
“Sis, can you really tolerate this?” The little rabbit’s eyes gleamed mischievously as she stirred the pot. “He cut off your gorgeous phoenix feathers—ruined your battle attire, stripped you bare, and—”
The silver-haired girl clamped a hand over her mouth. This was getting out of hand.
“This is unforgivable!” The little rabbit broke free, waving her tiny fist fiercely, fanning the flames.
*Thump!*
Shi Hao, now sober, swiftly knocked her on the forehead, making her yelp in pain, tears welling.
“Shi, I’ll fight you to the death!” The little rabbit flailed wildly.
“Little sister, I support you. How can you tolerate this?” Xue Lin smiled sweetly, rubbing her forehead—though a bit too hard, making the rabbit yelp again.
“You… ganged up on me!” The little rabbit huffed, turning away.
Qing Yi stifled a laugh, inviting everyone to enjoy the feast and divine wine.
The atmosphere soon warmed, though Xue Lin occasionally still itched to punch Shi Hao.
To ease tensions, Shi Hao fawned over her, offering wine and a golden, crispy divine wing. Absentmindedly, he quipped, “Here, eat this to replenish what you lost.”
Silence fell as everyone stared at him.
Xue Lin’s gaze could kill. Was he doing this on purpose?
“Hey, why don’t you summon those snow-white phoenix wings? With your human form and divine feathers, you’d be breathtaking. Back then, when I touched them…” Shi Hao, still tipsy, rambled before abruptly stopping.
*Definitely on purpose!* Xue Lin fumed, hurling her wine cup—*thud*—right at his forehead.
“Hey, what’s wrong? This is divine wine—don’t waste it,” Shi Hao said.
“Golden-Striped White Tiger?” Xue Lin gaped at the tiger meat in the cauldron, recognizing it as the sacred beast of the Divine Temple—now stewed?
“That’s nothing.” The little rabbit pointed proudly at the golden wing in her hand. “This is the Fallen God’s Child’s wing.”
*Pfft!*
Xue Lin spat out the tender meat in her mouth—a grave breach of etiquette for the dignified Snow Phoenix lineage.
She was utterly shocked.
The Fallen God’s Child—a being of immense power—had been stewed, roasted, and eaten? It was mind-blowing.
Even Xue Lin, with her heaven-defying bloodline and potential to evolve into a true Immortal Phoenix, was left speechless.
This was beyond absurd. An ancient freak reduced to a meal? Unthinkable!
“You… truly cultivated an immortal aura?” Much later, Xue Lin’s eyes gleamed with awe as she stared at Shi Hao.
“Working on the second one now,” Shi Hao said nonchalantly, playing the aloof sage.
“That’s incredible. Countless geniuses throughout history failed, and I’m only preparing to walk this path—yet you’ve already succeeded?” Xue Lin was floored.
Hailed as a peerless prodigy, one of the strongest of her generation, she now realized someone had already surpassed her on this path. It was a blow.
“I could offer some guidance to help you take that step,” Shi Hao said airily.
“You just want Sister Xue Lin to follow you, to—” The little rabbit chirped, exposing his charlatan act.
Xue Lin covered her mouth. This rabbit, though seemingly innocent, was a little troublemaker.
She also shot Shi Hao a glare.
*Ahem.* “Sister Xue Lin, I heard you once discovered clues about the Supreme Hall?” Shi Hao cut to the chase.
Xue Lin tensed, eyeing him warily.
“Tell me where the Supreme Hall is, and I’ll grant you a great opportunity—guaranteeing your evolution into a true Immortal Phoenix,” Shi Hao said.
Xue Lin scoffed, unconvinced.
“Is this enough?” Shi Hao carefully produced a jade cauldron. As he opened it, sacred energy flooded the area.
“What… is this?” Xue Lin gasped.
“Half an immortal body,” Shi Hao said, offering her a portion.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage