The night in the Mist-Phoenix Immortal Garden arrived especially gently.
A bright moon hung high, silver light bathing pavilions and towers, flower shadows dancing. Xavier Xiao and Liora Liu walked side by side along the bluestone path toward a secluded "Phoenix Perch Pavilion"—a quiet cultivation spot the Yunlan Family prepared for those with unstable spirit roots. Miniature gathering arrays surrounded it; ordinary servants were not allowed near.
Since their first meeting in the pavilion, the two had tacitly avoided the front-hall bustle. Using the excuse of "accompanying the guest to view the night scenery," Xavier brought Liora here. Flora and Sunny followed at a distance but sensibly kept a hundred paces away to stand guard.
"Liora, do you still feel chest tightness tonight?" Xavier's voice was low and tender; his profile was handsome under the moonlight.
Liora shook her head lightly, yet secretly gripped the poetry manuscript in her sleeve. "Thanks to Young Master's Immortal Jade spiritual qi today, I already feel much better. However… the Phoenix Spirit Root has been backlash-plagued for years; the foundation remains unstable and cannot last long."
As she spoke, her steps suddenly faltered. Her face turned paper-white. A sweetness rose in her throat, and she could not hold back a mouthful of blood that sprayed onto her misty-rose skirt—striking and alarming.
"Liora!" Xavier was greatly alarmed. He swiftly supported her swaying figure. His palm pressed against her back, and the Immortal Jade shone with warm white light as pure spiritual qi surged in like a tide.
"Hold on. I'll help you suppress it right away!"
However, this time the Phoenix Spirit Root's awakening backlash was far fiercer than before. Under the spirit flame backlash, Liora's meridians burned like fire. She finally could not suppress a low groan and collapsed softly into Xavier's arms.
"Young Master… no need to panic… this is an old ailment. Whenever spiritual qi fluctuates, it will… cough cough…"
Before she finished, her vision darkened and she fainted completely.
Xavier's heart tightened. No longer caring about propriety, he lifted her in his arms and hurried into the Phoenix Perch Pavilion. The interior was elegantly furnished with a large cloud bed covered in plain brocade. Array patterns for calming the spirit and stabilizing qi were carved on the walls. He gently laid Liora on the bed and lit the night pearl beside it.
"Flora, quickly fetch the 'Jade Dew Heart-Clearing Powder' from my room!" he called lowly outward.
A light response came from outside. The spirit-fox-transformed maid turned into a white shadow and vanished instantly into the night.
Xavier sat at the bed's edge, holding Liora's icy wrist. His fingers rested on her pulse; he felt her Phoenix Spirit Root inside like a candle in the wind—flickering, on the verge of extinguishing. The backlash qi coiled around the foundation like a venomous snake. If not suppressed promptly, the consequences would be unthinkable.
"Liora, hold on." He murmured softly. The Immortal Jade at his waist trembled again. This time the hum was urgent, as if urging him to act quickly.
Xavier took a deep breath and pressed his palm to Liora's dantian position, transmitting spiritual qi steadily through the thin fabric.
"Using my Immortal Jade as bridge, guide the phoenix spirit flame back to position…"
He silently circulated the Yunlan Family's secret foundational dual cultivation art, Mist-Phoenix Dual Cultivation Manual. This was the entry-level method prepared for Immortal Jade bearers and those whose spirit roots resonated—building foundations, harmonizing yin and yang, stabilizing spirit veins, rather than the deeper dual cultivation of union.
As spiritual qi poured in, Liora's breathing gradually steadied. Her Phoenix Spirit Root, like a seedling long deprived of rain, greedily absorbed the pure power from the jade. The originally withered surface faintly showed a layer of faint crimson-gold firelight—the precursor to phoenix nirvana.
About the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Flora returned with a small jade bottle. She pushed open the door, saw her young master intimately transmitting qi to Miss Liu, her fox ears twitching slightly, yet she said nothing. She obediently handed over the bottle.
"Young Master, the Jade Dew Heart-Clearing Powder is here. The Matriarch personally refined it, specifically for spirit-qi backlash."
Xavier took it, opened the stopper with one hand, and a refreshing medicinal fragrance spread. He poured out a pigeon-egg-sized pill, dissolved it in warm water, and personally fed it to Liora's lips.
"Liora, open your mouth."
In her hazy consciousness, Liora felt a warm liquid carrying Xavier's aura slide down her throat. The medicine and Immortal Jade spiritual qi worked together; the backlash qi in her body was finally suppressed. The Phoenix Spirit Root ignited with a "boom," and a thread of crimson spirit flame flashed across her brow and vanished.
"Cough… Young Master…" She slowly opened her eyes and saw Xavier's face close at hand. Those usually carefree eyes were now filled with worry and tenderness.
"How do you feel?" Xavier's voice was hoarse; fine sweat beaded on his forehead. Transmitting qi with full strength had consumed him as well.
Liora tested her qi and was delighted to discover her dantian felt warm and full. The Phoenix Spirit Root had stabilized considerably and no longer threatened to collapse at any moment. She sat up, curtsying lightly. "Thank you, Young Master, for saving my life. Liora… has no way to repay you."
Xavier smiled, retreating slightly yet still holding her hand. "Saving a life is too serious. Your and my spirit roots resonate—this is a heaven-bestowed immortal destiny. If you truly wish to repay…"
He took out a stack of his own poems from his sleeve and handed them to her. "Then exchange poetry with me. Your phoenix poetic talent, I have long admired; my shallow works, I also wish for Miss to critique."
Liora accepted the manuscript and examined it carefully under the night pearl's light. Xavier's style was free and unrestrained yet hid immortal intent; each poem subtly contained methods of spiritual qi circulation. She read with fascination and unconsciously recited aloud:
"Jade pendant shines as phoenix shadow follows; a wisp of mist enters the heart. I envy not the繁华 of Chang'an dreams, only wish to share the nest with you."
Reading the final line, her cheeks flushed, yet she did not put it down.
"Young Master's poems… are far superior to Liora's." She spoke softly. "If Young Master does not mind, Liora is willing to share the Liu Family's secret Phoenix Spirit Chant with you. This method aids in harmonizing spiritual qi. Though not orthodox dual cultivation, it allows the Immortal Jade and Phoenix Spirit Root to nourish each other."
Xavier's eyes lit up. "Exactly what I intended."
The two smiled at each other and sat facing one another on the cloud bed. Liora first took out a yellowed silk scroll painted with a phoenix spreading its wings in vermilion—the Liu clan's secret conditioning method. She explained softly while Xavier used the Immortal Jade as medium, slowly transmitting his spiritual qi into her body.
This time, it was no longer mere healing but true foundational dual cultivation.
The Immortal Jade and Phoenix Spirit Root formed a tiny cycle between their meridians. Xavier's pure spiritual qi nourished Liora's weak foundation, while Liora's phoenix spirit flame fed back into the Immortal Jade, causing a layer of crimson-gold halo to faintly appear on the jade's surface. Their breathing gradually synchronized; even their heartbeats quietly overlapped.
Inside the small building, spiritual qi rose like mist. Outside the window, crabapple petals were drawn by spiritual force and drifted in, landing on their shoulders.
After about half an incense stick's time, both finished their cultivation.
Liora opened her eyes in pleasant surprise. Not only had her illness greatly receded, but her complexion had grown rosier. She tried circulating her spiritual power; a tiny phoenix spirit flame leaped from her fingertip—warm yet not scorching.
"It worked… the spirit root has truly stabilized!" She wept with joy, voice trembling slightly.
Xavier also breathed a long sigh of relief; the spiritual power inside the Immortal Jade had clearly grown fuller. Looking at Liora's tear-filled eyes, his heart softened. He could not help reaching out to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.
"Liora, from now on, every night at zi hour we shall dual cultivate the foundational method here. Once your foundation is completely stable, I will teach you the Yunlan Family's Mist Chant. Then you and I can truly walk the immortal path hand in hand."
Liora nodded, her eyes full of trust and attachment. "Liora will listen to everything Young Master says. It's just… if the family finds out we are privately…"
Xavier laughed lightly, a trace of unruliness flashing in his eyes. "Family matters, I will handle. The Matriarch and Father want me to marry Violet Lan for alliance. I have already refused once. If they force me again, I will publicly announce the resonance between the Immortal Jade and your phoenix spirit qi. Let us see who still dares obstruct our immortal destiny."
He gripped her hand tightly and said in a low voice, "Liora, remember this. In this life, I, Xavier Xiao, only wish to dual cultivate the great path with you who possess the Phoenix Spirit Root and admire the Mist together. No other woman, no matter how beautiful or virtuous, can enter my eyes."
Liora's heart warmed. She was about to speak when Sunny's lowered voice came from outside the door: "Miss, Miss Violet has arrived! The Matriarch asked her to check on your condition."
Both were startled and quickly straightened their clothes. Xavier stood, resuming his usual romantic young master demeanor, while Liora leaned against the bedhead, pretending she had just woken.
The door opened gently. A dignified young woman in a water-blue long skirt entered—Violet Lan, the merchant daughter of the Lan family from Jiangnan. She had a gentle and graceful appearance, her brows carrying the soft spiritual qi unique to the Water Spirit Root. She carried a delicate medicine box.
"Liora, sister, I heard you fell ill again. I specially brought some calming and qi-nourishing pills…" Violet's words halted midway upon seeing Xavier also present. She curtsied gracefully. "Young Master Xavier is here too."
Xavier smiled and cupped his hands. "Miss Violet is thoughtful. Liora's illness has already improved. Thank you for your concern."
Violet's gaze swept lightly between the two, seeming to sense something, yet she only smiled gently and did not point it out. She set down the medicine box, exchanged a few intimate words with Liora, then tactfully took her leave.
After she left, Liora sighed softly. "Sister Violet… is actually a very good person. If I had not inserted myself, she and Young Master would have been a perfect match…"
Xavier shook his head, his eyes full of determination. "Liora, you need not blame yourself. Immortal destiny is decreed by heaven and cannot be changed by human effort. My heart already belongs to you. Even if the family arranges anything else, it cannot change that."
He took out a newly written poem slip from his sleeve and handed it to Liora:
"Phoenix bathes in fire as spirit root awakens; immortal jade first forms, sharing one heart. Do not speak of the many storms ahead; I and Liora shall share longevity."
Liora accepted it, pressing it gently to her chest. Tears shimmered in her eyes, yet she smiled.
Outside the window, the night wind brushed past, crabapple petals scattering like snow.
Inside the Phoenix Perch Pavilion, the two figures drew extremely close. The resonance between the Spirit-Communing Immortal Jade and the Phoenix Spirit Root quietly deepened in the night.
Meanwhile, in the distant Yunlan main hall, the Matriarch and Patriarch Xiao Zhengxuan were discussing matters under the lamp. Xiao Zhengxuan said gravely, "That child Yichen skipped the marriage discussion banquet again today. It seems he has truly developed feelings for that Liu girl…"
Matriarch Yun tapped her cane, a sharp light flashing in her eyes. "Hmph, the Phoenix Spirit Root is good, but she is ultimately an outsider. That Violet girl has pure Water Spirit Root and excels at pills and arrays—perfectly suited for our Yunlan Family. Tomorrow, I shall personally visit the Phoenix Perch Pavilion."
The night deepened. An undercurrent of unease brewed in Chang'an.
No one knew that the first dual cultivation in the Mist-Phoenix Immortal Garden had quietly opened the prelude to the pair's lifelong immortal destiny.
(End of Chapter 2)