Chapter 324: Running Against the Light
At this moment, both girls felt an inexplicable sense of crisis rising in their hearts.
Lu Yuliu realized that Bai Xiaoyao was simply too good at this. In the short time since entering Qifeng City, that world-famous demoness had teased the guy beside her more than once. Moreover, her preparation was far more thorough—she even had a new outfit ready for him well in advance.
In comparison, all she had done was come to Qifeng City a day early to plan a sightseeing route. She had absolutely no advantage!
As expected of Bai Xiaoyao, she's terrifying!
On the other side, Bai Xiaoyao, who had gained a slight upper hand again, had a glint in her eyes.
To be honest, after reuniting with Yuliu and confirming some things in their conversation, she had stopped seriously treating that awkward little girl as a competitor.
This outing was initially just a chance for her to play along, teach her naive friend a lesson about not using such obvious little tricks, and take the opportunity to enjoy traveling with her senior brother.
However, after the earlier incident in the forest, she suddenly realized something was off.
Her senior brother trusted Yuliu far too much.
Though it was ultimately confirmed that the special spiritual chicken existed, before that, Senior Brother hadn't doubted its existence even slightly and had actively taken steps to verify it.
This made the perceptive Bai Xiaoyao spot something unusual.
There was a problem here.
Feeling the sense of crisis, Bai Xiaoyao subconsciously shifted her strategy.
It was already yielding some results.
Luo Wusheng glanced at his junior sister, who was holding his arm and leading the way half a step ahead with a look of eager anticipation. He fell into brief contemplation.
If he didn't know her true nature, just judging by her current behavior, he might mistake her for an innocent, lively, and adorable younger-sister type character.
The Demon Sect's Holy Saint, who had just been teased, felt quite gratified.
Still, he couldn't help but notice that Little Yuli had grown quieter. She had even stopped eating her snacks, though the grip on his hand had tightened considerably.
After some thought, Luo Wusheng suddenly halted his steps.
The two girls, who had been focused on him, quickly noticed and turned slightly puzzled gazes his way. Bai Xiaoyao even tilted her head and called out softly, "Senior Brother?"
Luo Wusheng responded with a mysterious smile.
"…I just remembered something I forgot to give you two."
He reached into his storage bag with his spiritual awareness, and in the next moment, two items appeared in his and the girls' linked hands.
Lu Yuliu and Bai Xiaoyao were momentarily stunned. They held the items up to the sunlight to examine them closely.
They were two identical, finely crafted wooden trinkets, carved into the shape of the legendary phoenix bird.
"I happened to see these at the Phoenix Perch Tower earlier… Since we're here, I thought it would be nice to take something as a souvenir."
Actually, they were a small token of appreciation from the shopkeeper, who had rarely seen such a wealthy customer.
As Luo Wusheng had expected, the Sword Fairy seemed to cheer up after receiving the small gift. Meanwhile, the mischievous demoness, who already appeared to be in a good mood, took half a step back from her earlier leading position.
Sensing that the subtle balance in the atmosphere had been restored, Luo Wusheng breathed a small sigh of relief.
…
With their spirits restored, the two girls resumed their earlier dynamic, walking leisurely and serving as tour guides for Luo Wusheng while pointing out shops and sights along the way.
"Ah, that's Qifeng City's Artifact Pavilion…"
"Heehee, that place over there called the Spring Phoenix Brothel has several girls watching Senior Brother~ But of course, Senior Brother would never visit places like that, right?"
Amid the clear and pleasant voices of the girls, Luo Wusheng nodded and made occasional comments, sometimes embarrassed, but his gaze kept scanning for any place that might make him feel 'The Ancient Phoenix Essence should definitely be planted here.'
Unfortunately, there was none.
'If even the Qifeng Wutong Tree doesn't work, I'll visit a few more ancient sites before heading to Xiaofeng Mountain…'
Raising his head slightly, he looked past the crowd and buildings. A massive withered tree came into view. Its branches bore only a sparse scattering of red and yellow leaves, yet it didn't seem desolate or lifeless.
This was because the branches were adorned with an uncountable number of red strings and various decorations, giving it a unique charm.
"Is that the Qifeng Wutong Tree…?"
"Yes, it is," Bai Xiaoyao confirmed with a nod. "Though it's my first time seeing it too. It doesn't seem particularly special apart from its size, but it's definitely the Wutong Tree from all the legends in Qifeng City."
Bai Xiaoyao was the first to respond to Luo Wusheng and continued, "But most of the legends aren't very credible... Even its appearance, apart from the shape of those few remaining withered leaves, doesn't bear much resemblance to ordinary Wutong Trees."
"Oh, by the way, the dish 'Phoenix Resting on a Wutong Tree' we had earlier at the Phoenix Perch Tower is named after this tree."
Listening to his junior sister's words, Luo Wusheng nodded slightly.
However, he noticed that even at this distance, his Ancient Phoenix Essence showed no reaction, causing him to sigh internally.
'At this rate, the chances that the strange spiritual chicken was a hint from the white-haired loli are growing stronger...'
His thoughts churned, but he asked aloud in a curious tone, "And what about those red strings tied to the branches? What's the story behind them?"
The two tour guide girls hadn't mentioned this earlier.
This time, it was the other girl, Lu Yuliu, who answered him.
"It's— it's one of the local customs— They say that tying a red string to the Qifeng Wutong Tree will grant divine protection…"
The Sword Fairy nodded earnestly as Luo Wusheng glanced her way.
Seeking protection from something left behind by an Ancient Phoenix Netherkin?
Luo Wusheng couldn't help but feel something odd about this.
"Hmm, that's certainly the belief. Senior Brother, do you want to give it a try later?"
With his junior sister backing up the explanation, Luo Wusheng didn't dwell on it further and slowly nodded.
"Alright."
Since it was the most phoenix-related thing around, it wouldn't hurt to try.
At that moment, an idea suddenly struck him, and he raised his head to look in a certain direction.
Because of the shift in his thoughts, he failed to notice the subtle glance exchanged between the two girls.
<+>
Following Luo Wusheng's gaze, far, far away…
Above the sea between Sword Province and Xuanyuan Province.
A massive figure, shrouded in black mist, strode across the waves, causing layer upon layer of giant surges to rise.
This figure carried a giant, pitch-black broken sword on its shoulder. Its bulky, heavy feet appeared clumsy and slow, yet it moved across the sea at astonishing speed, occasionally flashing forward across vast distances.
Behind this seemingly lumbering black mist giant, nearly twenty cultivators were pursuing, stepping through the void.
Flying leaves, crashing waves, blazing flames, rocks, and swirling winds…
A variety of spell projections flickered in the air around the group of cultivators.
Glancing back at the brilliant halos of spells behind it, brighter than sunlight, the black mist giant quickened its pace.