Chapter 163 - 162: Phoenix Nirvana, Reborn from the Flames

The tiny Thunder Spirit looked exactly like Chu Liangyu. It lay in her palm, clutching its belly and rolling around nonstop. It was clearly in great discomfort, overstuffed with a tremendous amount of energy.

Though Chu Liangyu was at a loss for words, she still placed her hand on it to help sort out the excess energy.

"Little Sis!"

Perhaps because of the commotion they’d made, a crowd had gathered to watch the spectacle, and among them was Feng Qingqing’s older brother, Feng Su.

Seeing Feng Qingqing completely engulfed in flames, he grew worried. Without a second thought, he flew directly up the mountain, wanting to help her.

Ever since he had promised Feng Qingqing he would stay, he truly hadn’t tried to leave again, so she had dismissed the guards watching him.

When he heard that his sister was undergoing Beastification, he had rushed over immediately.

Chu Liangyu had been expecting this the moment she heard his voice, so she intercepted him before he could get close to Feng Qingqing.

"This is a necessary part of her Beastification. Rest assured, I won’t let anything happen to her."

Chu Liangyu’s reassurance calmed Feng Su down a bit, but the worry on his face didn’t lessen in the slightest. "Will she really be okay like this?"

"She’ll be fine."

Chu Liangyu patted his shoulder reassuringly before turning her gaze back to Feng Qingqing.

The flames had consumed her down to her chest. To the onlookers, the sight of only half her body remaining was particularly terrifying.

No one had ever seen a female Phoenix’s Beastification before, but they could all tell it was a risky process. Thus, no one dared to speak loudly, afraid that even the smallest disturbance could ruin everything for Feng Qingqing.

Finally, the flames melted Feng Qingqing’s entire body, making her one with the fire.

Before the eyes of the crowd, the mass of fire slowly began to take the shape of a Phoenix. Starting from the head, the coalescing flames gradually solidified. As time passed, the Phoenix’s form became fully complete!

KREEEEE—

With a clear Phoenix Cry, the fiery red Phoenix shot straight toward the heavens. Its wings seemed vast enough to blot out the sky, and its long tail feathers trailed behind, painting a streak of rainbow-colored light across its flight path.

The Phoenix circled above the tribe for a long time. Only when sunset arrived did it finally descend.

"Brother, I did it!"

Feng Qingqing excitedly hugged Feng Su, tears of joy shimmering in her eyes.

"Yes, you did." Feng Su hugged her back tightly, his voice filled with sympathy for the ordeal she had just endured.

"Little Sis, what are your plans now?"

Feng Qingqing’s excitement gradually subsided. Hearing his question, she pulled away from his embrace and looked at him seriously. "I made an agreement with Leader Chu. If I succeeded in my Beastification, I would persuade our Phoenix Clan to join the Xihe Tribe."

"So, I’m going to go back now and fulfill my promise."

Feng Su hadn’t heard her mention this before, and his gaze involuntarily shifted toward Chu Liangyu.

"In exchange for her Beastification, she does indeed need to fulfill her promise now." Chu Liangyu met his gaze and explained truthfully.

"In that case, we shouldn’t delay. Let’s return to our clan."

’Beast Father and Beast Mother have already urged me to return many times. If we don’t go back now, the clan will probably send someone to fetch us personally.’

Feng Qingqing glanced at him, finding it a bit strange that he seemed even more anxious to leave than she was, but she didn’t say anything.

"Well, Leader Chu, we’ll be taking our leave. You just wait for my good news."

"Alright." Chu Liangyu nodded, watching them leave.

With the main figures of the event gone, the crowd of onlookers below dispersed on their own, no prompting needed from Chu Liangyu. Their conversations, however, were filled with nothing but awe for the spectacle they had just witnessed.

"Sister Liangyu, do you think Feng Qingqing can really persuade her clan?"

Xiong Jiaojiao glanced in the direction the siblings had disappeared, her tone filled with distrust. "I heard her brother came to find her to arrange a marriage alliance."

"I’d say there’s an eighty percent chance of success. The remaining twenty percent will depend on how effective Feng Qingqing can be." Chu Liangyu appeared relaxed, seemingly unworried about the matter.

Instead, her gaze fell upon the medicinal field that had been destroyed by the Thunder. "You all advanced as well," she asked Xiong Jiaojiao. "Can you fix this?"

Following her pointing finger, Xiong Jiaojiao and the four others nodded in unison.

"That’s a small matter." Xiong Jiaojiao lifted her chin proudly, eager to show off.

Before her advancement, the energy Xiong Jiaojiao could wield only covered a small area. Now, a vast amount of green light spread out from her body.

Almost instantly, the land that had been scorched black by the Thunder was restored to life. Tiny green shoots began to sprout, growing to full maturity in just a few moments.

Once the ravaged medicinal field was restored, it became even more lush than before. The rich aroma of the herbs drifted on the breeze, carrying far beyond the tribe’s borders.

"Not bad." Chu Liangyu glanced at the sky, then turned back to the group. "It’s getting dark. You’ve all had a long day, so go home and get some rest."

Before they could say anything, Chu Liangyu turned and walked away. From her retreating figure, it was clear she had other matters to attend to.

And there was indeed something else. As for how important it was, she would have to find out more first.

Chu Liangyu had waited until the very end of Feng Qingqing’s Beastification to ensure nothing went wrong. Partway through, a tribe member had found her to say that her "cub," Hu Qiuliang, was waiting for her in her courtyard.

When asked what it was about, Hu Qiuliang refused to say, insisting he had to wait for Chu Liangyu herself to return.

Only when she noticed the sky darkening did Chu Liangyu remember this. That was why she had ended the conversation so abruptly and was now hurrying to her courtyard.

"What’s going on?"

When Chu Liangyu saw Hu Qiuliang, he was slumped over the stone table in the courtyard, his head turned toward the gate. His eyes were vacant, and it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

"Beast... Beast Mother, you’re finally back!" Hu Qiuliang’s reaction was a beat slow. He jumped down from the stone stool and ran over to Chu Liangyu on his short legs.

Chu Liangyu saw that something was wrong with the expression on his face. Her own relaxed expression faded, but she softened her tone as she asked again, "You’ve been waiting for a long time, haven’t you? Tell me what has you so worked up."

Hu Qiuliang hesitated for a moment. But then, thinking of his Beast Father’s increasingly pale face, he couldn’t hold it in any longer. "It’s Beast Father," he blurted out. "I think he’s sick, but he keeps hiding it and told me not to tell you."

"Sister Jiaojiao told us that after our Body Refining in three days, we have to leave the tribe for training. I’m worried that after we’re gone, Beast Father’s illness will get worse, so..."