Lu Ya? That name rings a bell. Being in a bird’s body had dulled Li Fan’s thinking, and he could only hazily remember hearing it somewhere before.
He mulled it over for a long time, but no matter how hard he tried, he still couldn’t recall.
Irritated, he raked his claws through the little boy’s hair again. When the boy still didn’t respond, Li Fan jabbed down with a sharp, forceful peck of his long beak.
“Ow! That hurts!” Only then did the boy finally tear his eyes away from Lu Ya’s retreating figure.
But he misunderstood, assuming Li Fan was urging him to look for food, and quickly placated him. “Alright, alright, I get that you’re hungry. I’ll go find something for you to eat right now.”
“Little Hong, let’s go!” He patted the wing of the red-crowned crane beneath him.
The crane obediently beat its wings, surging forward and cutting swiftly through the clouds.
In the roaring wind, Li Fan faintly caught the boy’s regretful murmurs: “Senior Brother Lu Ya is handsome and kind, and now he’s become so strong too. He’s practically perfect. If everyone in Ningyuan City knew, they’d be thrilled. It’s just a shame Senior Brother suddenly hates Mister Bai so much for some reason. He won’t let me go back, and he won’t even let me send a flying message...”
The boy’s brows knit tightly, wearing a worry far beyond his years.
Li Fan, however, went rigid.
Ningyuan City, Mister Bai—the two names instantly stirred long-buried memories.
A thin, sickly figure with sallow blond hair surfaced in his mind. It’s him? So this Beast Taming Sect arc is a direct continuation of what happened in Ningyuan City?
That beggar kid from back then can actually command an exotic beast this powerful now. From its aura earlier, that tiger-headed, human-bodied creature is at least at the Nascent Soul realm, maybe higher. How long has it been?
Still, the Beast Taming Sect’s arts have been lost for ages. It's entirely possible that there once existed techniques where spirit beasts surpassed their masters in strength.
Mister Bai... that enigmatic person again.
Why is it that every time I experience something in the Fallen Immortal Realm, it ties back to him? Once could be a matter chance, but twice, three times... it’s hard not to be suspicious.
Thoughts poured in like a flood. The emotional surge agitated Li Fan, and the tiny bit of energy he’d just built up was quickly depleted again.
His eyelids grew unbearably heavy. Just before slipping into sleep, he seemed to glimpse that indistinct figure once more.
Li Fan woke to the taste of sweet fruit being pushed into his beak.
The moment it reached his stomach, warm currents spread through his body, quickly washing away his exhaustion.
When he opened his eyes, he found the little boy crouched stealthily on the ground, hiding behind spirit plants taller than himself.
Every so often, the boy would pluck a fat, ripe red fruit and pass it to Li Fan. Li Fan accepted without hesitation, gulping it down whole.
His strength seemed to increase a little. He scratched at the boy with his claws again, signaling for more.
The boy darted around the spirit fields, choosing only the finest-looking fruits and bringing them over for Li Fan.
As Li Fan ate his fill, his impression of the child improved.
“Alright, that’s enough. If we take more, it will be too obvious and someone will notice. Heh heh, let’s switch to another place.”
He steadied Li Fan, who was so stuffed he was wobbling sideways on his perch. This time he didn’t summon a crane; instead, he rode the wind under his feet and sped straight to the next field.
After looting several spots like this, they unexpectedly ran into a fellow disciple.
“Xu Ke, what are you doing here?!” A voice rang out behind the boy, making him jump.
But once he turned and recognized the speaker, he relaxed.
Xu Ke sized him up, pressed a finger to his lips, and lowered his voice. “Same as you, obviously. Getting a little extra for my companion spirit beast.”
Annoyed at having his meal disturbed, Li Fan shot a hostile look at the person called Song Yang.
Song Yang was skinny and taut, with a sinister, hawk-like stare that screamed trouble. Coiled around his neck was a black, two-headed snake. One head had its eyes shut tight; the other locked onto Li Fan, its forked tongue flickering nonstop. Instinctively, Xu Ke quickly gathered his hair to conceal Li Fan from view.
Song Yang looked at Xu Ke as though he’d heard the funniest joke imaginable, his face dripping with contempt. “Same as me? You think you’re worthy of comparison?
“My companion beast carries the blood of the Blackwater Serpent Deity, Zhulong.[1] Its potential is boundless, and reaching Spirit Transformation is just a matter of time. If it’s hungry, of course I should get it extra.
“As for that freak bird of yours, what even is it? One glance is enough to tell that it doesn’t have a strong bloodline.”
“Dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes to phoenixes. A rat’s offspring can only dig holes. Xu Ke, you don’t seriously think you can turn your fortunes around with some random mongrel bird, do you?”
Xu Ke was still a child after all, and hearing his companion spirit beast insulted made him blurt back, “My bird isn’t bad! Everyone says it descended from a divine bird. In the future—”
Song Yang cut him off rudely. “Descended from a divine bird? Which one? Phoenix? Vermilion Bird? That thing doesn’t resemble either in the slightest!
“You didn’t actually believe those empty words people used to comfort you, did you? How pathetic.”
Song Yang continued to jeer and mock him relentlessly, and even the two-headed snake seemed to join in, wearing a disdainful look.
“That’s not true!” Xu Ke’s face flushed bright red, his voice shooting up several pitches.
Song Yang, as if deliberately trying to needle him, only mocked him harder.
Perched atop Xu Ke’s head, the already impatient Li Fan felt a sudden, inexplicable rage at being slandered by this scrawny beanpole. Just as he was about to strike, Xu Ke pressed down on his head.
“Easy, little guy. You can’t beat that snake. And sect rules forbid disciples from fighting each other. If you get caught, the punishment is severe, especially for whoever starts it.
“Let’s just ignore him,” Xu Ke’s voice echoed in Li Fan’s mind.
Having lived through hundreds of lifetimes, Li Fan could plainly see that Song Yang was provoking them on purpose. Yet trapped in this strange bird’s body, his temperament was naturally hot-blooded and quick to flare.
Xu Ke had to use both hands and every bit of strength he had just to keep Li Fan pinned. Otherwise, Li Fan would have rushed out already.
Ignoring Song Yang’s continued barbs, Xu Ke kept his head down and walked away without looking back. Song Yang watched him go, a cold glint flashing briefly in his eyes before fading.
To soothe Li Fan, Xu Ke took him on another round through the spirit fields. Only after Li Fan had stuffed himself with all kinds of spirit plants did he slowly settle down.
And so Li Fan spent his days eating, drinking, and steadily growing stronger.
1. Here, the author uses the descriptive title, Torch-Dragon of the Nine Yins, identifying it as "the luminous dragon who rules over the ultimate realm of darkness." Zhulong is its proper name. More info about this entity:
Zhulong is not a typical dragon. It is a primordial, cosmic entity from the 《山海经》 (Classic of Mountains and Seas).
Its Core Mythology:
Appearance: A giant, crimson serpent-dragon with a human face.
Domain: It dwells beyond the North Sea, in the region of Zhangwei (章尾), which is synonymous with the "Nine Yins"—the land of perpetual darkness.
Power - Control over Light/Darkness and the Seasons: Zhulong does not need to eat, sleep, or breathe. Its very existence regulates the cosmos:
When it opens its eyes, it becomes daytime across the world.
When it closes its eyes, night falls.
When it exhales, it becomes winter.
When it inhales, it becomes summer.
In essence, Zhulong is the cosmic engine of time and light for the ancient Chinese worldview. It is the reason day follows night and the seasons turn. ☜