Phoenix Perching Valley was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the remaining southern side was the three-thousand-meter Absolute Phoenix Cliff. This place seemed to gather all the spiritual energy from the whole of Divine Phoenix Mountain; at a glance, it was all pure, clean green, unlike other places that were dried and wilted crimson. Even the wind seemed exceptionally clean and gentle. In the middle of Phoenix Perching Valley was a calm and clear lake.
"There is a barrier around this area, and only those of the Phoenix bloodline are allowed to enter," Xichen explained as he stood with Yuechan in the sky. "To enter, Fairy Chu must come close to me so I can envelop her in my aura and allow her to pass."
"..."
Hearing Xichen's words, Yuechan did not answer for a while, scrutinizing him for any hidden motives but found nothing. "Alright."
In the end, she flew closer to Xichen but maintained a proper distance between them—neither too close nor too far.
Xichen said nothing and extended his hand toward her, stopping just a few centimeters away. A golden halo shimmered around him, flowing from his palm and gently enveloping Yuechan.
"Let's go," Xichen said, charging toward the barrier without hesitation, carrying Yuechan within his aura.
As they approached the barrier, the air rippled before them as if they were piercing the surface of still water. No sound or resistance was felt—only the momentary disappearance of their surroundings before a new scene opened before their eyes.
Inside, Phoenix Perching Valley resembled a world unto itself… towering shimmering trees, flowers pulsating with spiritual energy, and the ground covered in emerald-green grass that emitted a faint warmth. In the sky, rare birds with fiery colors drifted calmly, as if they did not belong to this world.
"The energy here…" Yuechan murmured, gazing around with thoughtful eyes, "…is so pure it is almost hard to breathe from its intensity."
"That is because this place is the center of the Phoenix inheritance," Xichen replied, descending gently toward the shore of the shimmering lake. "Even within the Divine Phoenix Empire, very few were permitted to enter this part."
Fairy Chu slowly descended beside him, carefully observing the lake. The water was perfectly still, yet its surface reflected faint tongues of flame, as if hiding a secret within.
"Is this where Princess Snow lives?" she asked in a low voice, her eyes still fixed on the lake's surface.
"Yes," Xichen said, stepping a few paces toward a faint light emanating from the center of the lake. "She is the most talented among the current emperor's children, in addition to being the number one beauty of the continent and this empire's most precious treasure."
"Xue'er, your thirteenth brother has come to see you," Xichen called out as he approached a wooden cabin where Xue'er was said to reside.
He did not need to wait long—his senses caught the sound of hurried footsteps, and soon the cabin door was flung open as a bundle of white hair with red ends leaped onto him.
"Brother Xichen!! Xue'er missed you so much," Xue'er smiled, hugging Xichen tightly while burying her small face in his chest.
"Xue'er, your elder brother missed you too," Xichen smiled gently, patting Xue'er's head. "But you should not jump on others like that. If I weren't strong, your strength would have crushed me."
Xue'er giggled softly, lifting her face to look at Xichen with her bright ruby eyes. There was a rare innocence in them that contrasted sharply with the pure fiery aura flowing unconsciously around her small body.
"..."
Yuechan observed the intimate reunion between the siblings and could not help but feel ashamed when she saw Xue'er's beauty. She realized she had been conceited about her own looks before, even wearing a veil to hide her face, yet she was merely an ordinary girl compared to Xue'er's splendor.
"By the way, how did Brother Xichen manage to get here?" Xue'er asked with concern, scanning her surroundings. "If the royal father finds out you entered without permission, you will be punished by him."
"Do not worry, Xue'er. I was asked by Hengkong to bring him here, and Hengkong would not dare to punish him." A noble, familiar voice echoed in Xichen's ears as a pair of golden eyes, like Xichen's own, appeared in the air. "Besides, Hengkong neither has the power nor the qualifications to touch a single hair of your brother here."
"Phoenix God…" the siblings spoke in unison, staring at the floating golden eyes, while Yuechan froze in fear and awe. The presence of the Phoenix God was not something an ordinary mortal could bear, even if it were merely a fragment of his soul.
"Xichen, I wish to speak with you privately," the soul fragment of the Phoenix God said. "I will be waiting for you at the bottom of the lake."
With that, the pressure and the pair of eyes vanished from the air, leaving the three alone once more.
"Well, Xue'er, your elder brother will go talk with the Phoenix God for a while," Xichen said with a faint smile, patting Xue'er's head again. "In the meantime, could you play with this beautiful sister? She can make the snow you love so much."
"Yes!" Xue'er nodded enthusiastically, her face glowing like a small sun. "Xue'er loves snow! Sister, can you make it snow so I can build lots of snowmen?"
Hearing Xue'er's words, Yuechan snapped out of her daze, her face slightly flushed. She felt both embarrassed and pleased to hear Xichen describe her as a beautiful sister. Although he had been kind to her, he had never paid her much attention, and she had even begun to doubt her own beauty. Now, hearing him call her beautiful made her somewhat happy.
Women are truly contradictory. Yuechan had never liked how others approached and praised her beauty, yet now that this quality was being overlooked, she felt conflicted and found herself wanting her beauty to be noticed and complimented. One could only say—as expected of women.
"Alright, this sister will help you build a snowman," Yuechan said, a faint smile appearing on her beautiful face. It seemed Xue'er's mood and smile had rubbed off on her.
Xichen smiled quietly at the scene, then slowly turned and began walking toward the edge of the shimmering lake.
With each step he took, a golden mist began to condense around him, as if the lake sensed his approach and responded. Before his feet even touched the water's surface, the waters parted gently, forming a circular passage of light leading him straight into the depths.
...
To get more chapters please visit my p@treon :
[email protected]/Akasaki_Ryujin
For support :
https://ko-fi.com/akasaki_ryujin
_
Note: A new chapter will be released every 300 Power Stones.