In Feng Xi's sea of consciousness came the little black ball's voice, "Unprovoked kindness hides ill intent! If it's not a lecher, then a thief!
It definitely means no good!
Don't go!"
Feng Xi had been a bit hesitant to begin with, but after hearing the little black ball say that, she instead decided to go take a look.
Because the little black ball's tone wasn't just the normal level of… sourness!
Also, Feng Xi felt like although this little chubby bird looked nothing like the little phoenix, its gaze was far too similar.
She couldn't help but overthink it.
Feng Xi stood up and said to Jiang Ji, "Eldest Senior Brother, I'll go take a look over there."
Jiang Ji didn't think much of it and only told her to be careful.
Jun Wen felt sour inside. Before, whenever little junior sister had something going on, she always talked to him about it. Now that eldest senior brother was back, he had been pushed aside!
Could it be that he'd done something wrong recently and made little junior sister unhappy?
While Jun Wen was reflecting on himself over there, Feng Xi had already followed the little chubby bird into the nearby woods.
The little chubby bird hopped down onto the ground and said in a soft, sticky voice, "Mom!"
Its little green beady eyes were full of affection.
Feng Xi: "..."
She couldn't help rubbing her forehead, "I'm not your mom. You've got the wrong person, no, you've got the wrong bird."
The little chubby bird softly spat out two words, "God… mother!"
Feng Xi: "..."
The little black ball jumped out, "Godmother? Even great-grand-godmother won't do! Get lost! Hurry up and get lost!"
The little chubby bird slanted its green beady eyes at the little black ball, then hugged Feng Xi's ankle with its chubby little wings, "Mother, no, go!"
Just as Feng Xi was hesitating, the little chubby bird said in its soft, sticky voice, "Mother, alchemy, fire!"
After thinking for a moment, Feng Xi immediately understood what it meant. Its phoenix fire could help her refine pills.
If that was the case, then it might actually be worth taking in.
The little black ball practically exploded with rage!
"Didn't you say all your countless affections were only for me? Didn't you say that amidst the vast waters, you would only take a sip?!
You heartless woman!
You scumbag woman!
I'm cutting all ties with you!"
Feng Xi calmly replied through divine sense, "Right now you're my only spirit pet. All the dirty work and hard labor are done by you alone. I just thought about taking in another one to help you out a bit.
You're a dignified Spirit of Chaos, having no subordinate to order around is kind of unfair to you.
Since you don't want it, then forget it. I didn't plan on taking in this little chubby bird anyway…"
Before she even finished speaking, the little black ball cut her off, "My wise, intelligent, and kind master! I was just joking with you!
This little chubby bird may be stupid, but it's still a phoenix, maybe it really can help you.
You should still take it in!"
Perfect!
As long as this stupid bird was taken in, all the dirty and exhausting work would be its responsibility in the future!
And I could put on airs and act like the big boss!
Simply wonderful!
A trace of a smile flashed through Feng Xi's eyes as she said to the little chubby bird, "I can take you in, but from now on you're not allowed to call me mom. Call me master, understand?"
The little chubby bird nodded, "Mas… ter!"
It's fine as long as mom is happy!
What you call her doesn't matter!
Anyway, once a mother, always a mother!
Feng Xi had no idea what was going on in its tiny head. She immediately formed a contract with it.
At that very moment, a bolt of tribulation lightning descended outside Turtleback Mountain!
The spectators outside instantly erupted in commotion.
"It must be Shen Zhilan contracting the phoenix! Her luck is way too strong!"
"She has a top-grade water spiritual root, of course the phoenix would choose her!"
"I used to think Feng Xi of Xuantian Sect had pretty good luck too, but now it seems she still can't compare to Shen Zhilan!"
"Exactly! Feng Xi didn't even make it into the secret realm, let alone contract a phoenix!"
"Yeah, Xuantian Sect didn't get a single person in. No one could've expected that."
...
After the contract was formed, Feng Xi could communicate with the little chubby bird through divine sense.
The little chubby bird said softly, "Master, we're finally together! I'm so happy! It was worth traveling tens of thousands of miles to find you!"
Feng Xi: "..."
Setting everything else aside, this secret realm is only a few hundred kilometers at most. Where did tens of thousands of miles come from?
Just as Feng Xi was about to ask about alchemy, a miserable scream from Jun Wen rang out in the distance.
Feng Xi's expression changed. She immediately grabbed her wooden sword and rushed back.
But, there wasn't a single person there.
Only a pile of burning campfire embers remained.
The thing she'd been worried about had finally happened!
There really was something wrong with this secret realm!
She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
Moments later, she asked the little chubby bird, "Is there anything special about this secret realm?"
When something abnormal happens, there must be something strange behind it, maybe she could find a breakthrough.
The little chubby bird said cautiously, "I-I just hatched. I-I'm not too familiar with this place either."
The little chubby bird was very afraid, it was afraid Feng Xi would blame it.
After all, it was the one who had lured Feng Xi away.
Feng Xi saw through its thoughts and said, "Don't worry, I'm not blaming you. Only incompetent people take their anger out on others.
Besides, if you hadn't called me away, I might've been taken too."
The little chubby bird was so moved it cried.
Mother is so good!
It really made the right choice not choosing that top-grade woman!
Top-grade water spiritual root female cultivator abbreviated as top-grade woman. No problem with that!
The little black ball glanced at the little chubby bird. It wanted to say something sarcastic but swallowed the words.
The damn brat was in a bad mood right now, it shouldn't poke the hornet's nest.
Feng Xi decided to go look for… the One-Horned Stone Salamanders.
They were local residents, maybe they knew some clues.
She had no choice, she had no acquaintances here, so she could only look for familiar bugs!
She arrived at the One-Horned Stone Salamanders' lair and shouted from the entrance, "Anyone breathing in there? Come out for a moment! Otherwise I'll smoke you to death!"
The One-Horned Stone Salamanders inside, busy rescuing the Scarlet Glow Fragrant Ganoderma: "..."
Heavens above!
That lunatic who could outrun their hundred-plus legs had chased them here?!
Feng Xi continued shouting, "Come out! I just want to ask you something. Once I'm done, I'll leave!"
The One-Horned Stone Salamanders struggled internally for a while, then finally crawled out.
They weren't actually afraid of smoke, but that female devil might have other nasty tricks, so it's better to come out and see!
Feng Xi went straight to the point, "Just now, my people disappeared in an instant. Do you know what kind of person or thing might've done it?"
Seeing the pure, empty stupidity in their compound eyes, Feng Xi had no choice but to change her question, "Is there anything special around here? Like places where spiritual qi is especially dense or especially thin? Or anywhere with demonic qi?"
After a long silence, finally one One-Horned Stone Salamander hissed twice.
Feng Xi was delighted, "Take me there!"
One-Horned Stone Salamander: Why should I?
Feng Xi released the little chubby bird, "You use reason and logic to persuade it!"
The little chubby bird spat a mouthful of fire at the salamander.
That salamander instantly moved all hundred-plus legs at once and sprinted forward like mad!
Even though the little chubby bird was just a phoenix chick, insects were born fearing birds, this was bloodline suppression.
Feng Xi followed closely behind.