"What exactly is she waiting for?" Mo Tiange sat cross-legged in the cultivation chamber, meditating with her eyes closed.
She did not understand Fairy Fengqing's temperament, but she knew how Nascent Soul cultivators thought. Though they possessed a thousand years of lifespan, they yearned for the Great Dao of immortality and were unwilling to waste even a sliver of time. Fairy Fengqing had already led them on a long detour earlier; by all accounts, she should have finished her probing. For her to remain here, she must have some purpose.
Could she be waiting for someone? Probably not. This was already the Deep East Sea, and it was currently a period of war between humans and demons. Who would come to the depths of the East Sea for a meeting? Or perhaps she was waiting for a demon cultivator? Or maybe, waiting for an opportunity to appear?
From outside the cultivation chamber came Xiaofeng's voice. Xiaohuo and Xiaofan were playing. Those two, when they played, didn't know their own strength and often damaged the bamboo forest or the herb fields. Now that Xiaofeng was here, she would always stop them whenever this happened.
Among her three spirit beasts, Xiaohuo was mischievous, Xiaofan was naive, and Feifei was arrogant. None could help her manage the Void Heaven Realm. Xiaofeng's appearance perfectly filled this gap. Xiaofeng was steady, conducted herself with propriety and measure, and had a strong personality. Whether it was Xiaohuo or Xiaofan, she had them both completely under control. She was truly the ideal candidate for a steward.
Only, she wondered, when Feifei returned, who would end up subduing whom?
After letting her thoughts wander for a while, she shook her head, stood up, and called Xiaofeng over. "I'll leave this place to you."
Xiaofeng's double-pupiled eyes flashed with red light as she asked, "Is Madam going out?"
"That's right."
Xiaofeng bowed and said, "Madam, let me go out with you. This is the East Sea, where demon cultivators run rampant. If we encounter any, I can speak with them."
Mo Tiange thought for a moment. Xiaofeng's words made sense. "Alright."
Exiting the Void Heaven Realm, Qin Xi was sitting cross-legged in the Ten Thousand Li Solitary Boat, meditating and regulating his breath. Sensing their presence, he opened his eyes.
"How is it?" Mo Tiange asked while casting a spell to spy on Fairy Fengqing.
Qin Xi said, "Still no movement."
The small cottage was set up with a breath-concealing formation. They could only roughly sense Fairy Fengqing's aura, which was calm and stable—she was likely meditating and regulating her breath.
"I think she probably isn't studying clues. If she were studying clues, she should be hiding near the Bixuan Pavilion. Hiding here, she'd risk attracting demon cultivators. Besides, it's been some days since she left the Bixuan Pavilion and only now found this place. If she were studying something, she should have finished by now."
"You make a good point," Qin Xi nodded.
Mo Tiange continued, "She took some time to find this place, and has now stayed here for nearly ten days with no intention of leaving. She must be waiting for something."
"Correct," Qin Xi nodded, then shook his head. "But we have no choice but to wait."
The two fell silent for a moment when suddenly a voice came from behind them. "Master, Madam, why not let Xiaofeng go and test the waters?"
They turned to see Xiaofeng smiling, looking quite confident. Qin Xi asked, "How would you test?"
Xiaofeng said, "I'll disguise myself as an East Sea demon cultivator and strike up a conversation with her."
Mo Tiange's eyes lit up. "Ah, why didn't I think of that?" Then she frowned. "But she saw you during your tribulation. Could she recognize you?"
Qin Xi agreed. "That is indeed a method."
"Then shall Xiaofeng go?"
Qin Xi nodded. "You must be careful. That Fairy Fengqing has been at the Nascent Soul stage for several hundred years. You are no match for her."
"Yes, Xiaofeng understands."
Xiaofeng silently disembarked from the Ten Thousand Li Solitary Boat, traveled a thousand miles away, then revealed her form and flew back towards this place.
The powerful aura of an eighth-rank demon cultivator appeared. Finally, Fairy Fengqing in the thatched cottage could no longer sit still. The door curtain was lifted as she looked eastward, her face filled with worry.
Not long after, Xiaofeng arrived at this small island riding a mass of red clouds, her gaze sharp as she looked at Fairy Fengqing. "Who are you? Why have you come to the East Sea?"
One was eighth-rank, the other early Nascent Soul—their strength was comparable. However, this was the East Sea. As a demon cultivator, Xiaofeng could afford to be more aggressive.
Seeing that Xiaofeng had easily discovered her presence, Fairy Fengqing sighed inwardly. Her breath-concealing technique really wasn't up to par. It worked against lower-rank demon beasts, but it was hard to deceive demon cultivators of eighth-rank and above. In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Fairy Fengqing's mind. Finally, she politely cupped her hands in greeting. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist. I am a cultivator from Kunwu, my Dao title is Miaoyi. I have come to the East Sea seeking an opportunity."
Xiaofeng was slightly taken aback, then her face showed anger. "Come here seeking an opportunity? Don't tell me you're here to slaughter our East Sea demon cultivators!"
Fairy Fengqing said calmly, "Humans and demons have always been sworn enemies. Now is a time of war between our races. Why would I take the risk to come here just to kill demons?"
"That's hard to say," Xiaofeng said with a cold smile. "Perhaps you didn't expect to encounter a demon cultivator here, since this place isn't considered the deepest part of the East Sea yet."
After demon cultivators take human form, they refine a part of their body into a magical treasure, equivalent to a cultivator's lifebound treasure. Xiaofeng's lifebound treasure was her feather. This feather gathered all the Vermilion Bird's Breath within her body and had been tempered by heavenly lightning, making its power extraordinary.
Fairy Fengqing's expression changed slightly. She hadn't expected this demon cultivator to attack so readily. She wasn't afraid of fighting the other party, but the opponent's magical treasure didn't seem weak. If they fought, it might attract even more powerful demon cultivators... After a moment's consideration, she cupped her hands and said, "Fellow Daoist, you are too hasty. You and I are not low-level cultivators. What benefit is there in fighting?"
Xiaofeng remained expressionless. "What do you mean?"
Fairy Fengqing said, "Humans and demons are separate, but opportunities know no such division."
Xiaofeng looked at her suspiciously. "Are you saying you'd be willing to give up the opportunity?"
Fairy Fengqing said, "Naturally, giving it up is impossible. An opportunity for a human cultivator may not be useful for a demon cultivator. However, I can tell you some news that, for a demon cultivator, would also be an opportunity."
Xiaofeng, however, sneered. "I can't trust the words of a human cultivator." With that, she waved her hand. The tail feather floating in mid-air erupted with a dazzling radiance, wrapped in a ball of flame, and shot towards Fairy Fengqing.
Fairy Fengqing was shocked. With her several hundred years of cultivation at the Nascent Soul stage, she certainly wasn't afraid of Xiaofeng. What shocked her was the aura emanating from Xiaofeng's lifebound treasure.
This phoenix feather contained pure Vermilion Bird's Breath. After the heavenly tribulation, Xiaofeng had told them that the reason her Human Transformation Tribulation had a tenth tribulation was because her bloodline had undergone a change. The Chongming Bird was originally a descendant of the phoenix, of the same clan as the Vermilion Bird. However, after generations of reproduction, the phoenix bloodline had become very diluted. During her transformation, the Vermilion Bird's Breath had purified her bloodline, turning her into a true Divine Beast.
Divine Beasts should not exist in this world. And as one of the Five Spirits, the Divine Beast Vermilion Bird's aura was as vast and sacred as that of a flying immortal. In the present age where ancient techniques had been largely lost, the appearance of a Divine Beast disrupted the balance of the cultivation world and touched upon the laws of heaven and earth, hence the descent of the tenth tribulation.
At this moment, feeling the aura of the phoenix feather, Fairy Fengqing was even more astonished. This demon cultivator's cultivation was slightly lower than hers, yet her aura was so powerful, so sacred it almost made one want to bow in worship—what was going on? Could it be that deep in the East Sea, there were still remnants of Divine Beast clans? Such an aura was not something those so-called "descendants" with minuscule traces of Divine Beast blood could possess.
As these thoughts flashed through her mind, the phoenix feather was already before her eyes, shimmering with incomparably brilliant light.
Outside, Xiaofeng and Fairy Fengqing were engaged in a fierce battle. Inside the Ten Thousand Li Solitary Boat, Mo Tiange asked Qin Xi, "What does she mean? Why not report her real name?"
Qin Xi said, "Most likely the opportunity she seeks is quite significant, so she doesn't want people to know her true identity. Otherwise, once word gets out, her situation would be precarious."
"But she reported Senior Sister Miaoyi's name!" Mo Tiange said indignantly, clearly displeased.
Qin Xi shook his head helplessly. "This Fairy Fengqing is about the same age as Senior Sister Miaoyi. However, Senior Sister Miaoyi had outstanding aptitude, good relationships, and her cultivation advancement was much faster. Back then, her reputation far surpassed Fairy Fengqing's. In the past, Fairy Fengqing seemed not to care at all, but now it seems she likely harbored resentment in her heart."
If she didn't want to leave her name, she could have used an alias like Mo Tiange often did. But Fairy Fengqing did not. She deliberately reported Dao Lord Miaoyi's name. To say it was unintentional—neither of them believed that.
Outside the Ten Thousand Li Solitary Boat, Xiaofeng and Fairy Fengqing exchanged blows back and forth. The turbulent spiritual energy stirred up towering waves, with winds rising and clouds gathering.
Fairy Fengqing cultivated the Fire Lotus Technique, while Xiaofeng was a fire-attribute Divine Beast. Both of them fighting over the sea saw their strength somewhat diminished. Though Fairy Fengqing's techniques were sophisticated, Xiaofeng's Vermilion Bird Flames were of a higher grade. For the time being, Fairy Fengqing could not gain the upper hand.
However, the commotion here had already caused sea beasts to flee in all directions. If this dragged on a while longer, it was likely even higher-rank demon cultivators would come...
Thinking this, Fairy Fengqing blocked the phoenix feather with her red lotus and shouted, "Fellow Daoist, demon cultivation is not easy. Do you truly wish for mutual destruction?" Xiaofeng's figure paused, stopping. Seizing the chance, Fairy Fengqing said, "Fellow Daoist must have only recently advanced to the eighth rank, right? Though we are at the same realm, our strength differs. If I were determined, seriously injuring you would not be difficult."
Hearing this, Xiaofeng's face showed hesitation.
"Though we are not of the same race, we have no deep-seated hatred. Why fight to the death?" After a long moment, Xiaofeng finally waved her hand, recalling the phoenix feather. Fairy Fengqing breathed a sigh of relief and also recalled her red lotus.
"May I ask how Fellow Daoist is addressed?" Fairy Fengqing asked. Xiaofeng said, "I am a descendant of the phoenix. You may call me Phoenix Lord."
"...Fellow Daoist Phoenix Lord." Fairy Fengqing felt it was odd. Her name was Fengqing, yet this demon cultivator called herself Phoenix Lord. It sounded like she was trying to gain an advantage over her. Xiaofeng glanced at her sideways. "Fellow Daoist, if we continue fighting, though my strength may be inferior, escaping would not be difficult for me. But you, if you get surrounded by demon cultivators, not only will your plans come to nothing, you might even lose your life by accident."
She gave a thin, insincere smile. "What you mentioned earlier about benefits—does that still count?"
Fairy Fengqing had no choice but to say, "Naturally it counts..."