Chapter 129: Why

“Why did you want to dissolve the contract back then?” Feng Jiu approached Feng Ke’er, ready to settle old scores.

Feng Ke’er looked innocent. “Huh? Wasn’t it you who brought it up first? You said that Hua Taiyi took your blood and went to Kunlun Mountain to capture the Phoenix Tail Bird, all to catch me.”

Feng Jiu raised an eyebrow and snorted lightly. “Did I ever say that?”

Feng Ke’er’s eyes flickered as she dodged the question. “Well, Hua Taiyi is a grand immortal. Why would he go through such trouble just to capture me?”

Feng Jiu persisted, staring unyieldingly. “Because he was afraid, so he took it upon himself to dissolve the contract?”

Feng Ke’er lowered her gaze, fiddling with her fingers and muttering, “It was just a temporary workaround...”

Feng Jiu laughed bitterly with anger. “So, in your heart, the divine beast contract is just a trivial matter!”

Feng Ke’er quickly raised her head. “No, that’s not what I meant. It’s just that Hua Taiyi has the cultivation of a Golden Immortal. Back then, you still needed my Breath-Sealing Talisman to transform, and my cultivation was even lower... We were no match for him. Safety first, haha, safety first.”

After their exchange, Feng Jiu’s expression finally cleared, and she sighed, “I never thought I, Feng Jiu, would have a day when saving my life came first. Sorry, I dragged you into this. Back then, that Hua Taiyi guy forced me to serve him but feared offending our Phoenix Clan, so he wanted to capture you as a hostage. Luckily, you were clever enough not to let him succeed.”

So that was the truth. Feng Ke’er understood and looked him over with concern. “The passage is closed. Does that mean you can’t return to the Divine Realm?”

Feng Jiu nodded. “Yes. Even if the passage were still open, I couldn’t return to the immortal world without reaching the seventh level of Great Perfection. In these years of secluded cultivation, when the passage opens again, I should be able to ascend.”

Feng Ke’er’s eyes lit up with joy. “So you’ve already reached the sixth level of Great Perfection?”

Feng Jiu shrugged indifferently, as if saying: Before my Nirvana, my cultivation was at the eighth level of Great Perfection, just one step from the Golden Immortal stage...

A flicker of sorrow passed through Feng Ke’er’s eyes, but it soon brightened again. “Congratulations!”

Feng Jiu raised her eyelids and glanced at her. “Great Perfection of Illusion... too late now.”

Feng Ke’er pouted. “It doesn’t matter. The passage only opens once every five hundred years; there will be plenty of chances.”

Feng Jiu’s eyes shifted, hesitating slightly before saying, “Hu San is a demon beast, and he can help you ascend; I can do even better.”

Unexpectedly, Feng Ke’er’s expression changed drastically, and she stepped back several paces. “I’m afraid of the calamity thunder!”

“So that’s why you’ve been refusing Hu San?” Feng Jiu raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing at her lips. “Haha, safety first, the girl truly is cautious.”

“Uh, that’s only part of it,” Feng Ke’er was embarrassed. This damned bird was clearly mocking her for being timid.

Feng Jiu suppressed her laughter and seriously said, “Actually, our Phoenix Clan has secret methods to resist calamity thunder.”

“No wonder last time at Qingyun Sect, you dealt with the calamity thunder so easily!” Feng Ke’er covered her mouth, cheering happily.

Feng Jiu did not deny it. She opened her right hand, revealing a tiny golden pill no larger than a fingernail. Mysteriously, she explained, “This is our Phoenix Clan’s secret elixir, the Calamity-Transcending Pill. As long as you take one before each bolt of calamity thunder and combine it with our unique clan meditation method, you can safely survive the thunderstorm.”

The Phoenix Clan is renowned throughout the Three Realms as a family of alchemists. Moreover, as divine beasts, every time they advance in cultivation, they must endure a calamity thunder trial. As the saying goes, ‘long illness breeds the best doctors.’ Thus, Feng Ke’er trusted the Calamity-Transcending Pill deeply.

“How many of these pills do you have?” She licked her lips excitedly. Wow, with these pills, she wouldn’t have to worry about being blasted into a human-shaped charcoal stick by the calamity thunder.

Feng Jiu withdrew her hand. “I don’t carry many; after several thunder trials, only this one remains.”

Just one! And you’re not even enough for yourself! Feng Ke’er’s thoughts raced, reluctant to accept it. “Can you make this pill?”

“Never tried,” Feng Jiu answered honestly.

What a disappointment! Feng Ke’er felt deflated.

“But I have the recipe. Over the years, I’ve gathered all the materials. If you help me as my protector, in less than ten years, I’m sure I can refine it,” Feng Jiu’s gaze was sharp and confident.

Feng Ke’er raised an eyebrow and asked deliberately, “Why do you want me to be your protector? My cultivation is only at the Great Perfection of Illusion, and I barely know anything about alchemy. If you want a protector, that fox demon you chased away earlier would be more suitable.”

“Fox demon?” Feng Jiu laughed lightly. “You disdain him?”

“Of course. How could I choose a demon beast as my main guardian!” Feng Ke’er snorted. “I only tolerated him because of the seed space. By the way, you haven’t answered why you want me as your protector?”

Feng Jiu looked at her softly, with eyes so gentle they seemed to squeeze out water: “Because I trust only you.”

There was no answer more perfect than that. Feng Ke’er took a deep breath, moved, and vowed, “Fine, just for that, I’ll be your protector!”

She glanced around and asked, “You chased away the demon fox, are you planning to refine pills in this small courtyard?”

Feng Jiu shook his head disdainfully. “There are beasts everywhere here. If it weren’t for finding you, I wouldn’t stay even a moment.”

She looked down on the floating courtyard openly.

Feng Ke’er gritted her teeth. “For refining pills, you need three things: abundant spiritual energy, tranquility, and a spiritual spring. Hmm, what about the seed space?”

Feng Jiu rolled his eyes. “That fox demon’s junk? Who cares! I’ve already selected a suitable place. Just pack your things and come with me.”

“All my things are in the storage pouch, no need to pack,” Feng Ke’er waved cheerfully. “No time to waste, let’s go now.”

Feng Jiu touched his nose and summoned his flying sword.

Feng Ke’er glanced at him strangely and casually asked, “What about Cotton Ball?”

Feng Jiu sighed. “Last time, when dueling Hua Taiyi, I was careless and fell into his trap…”

Feng Ke’er was shocked and worried. “Are you alright?”

“Hundreds of years ago. The wounds have long healed,” Feng Jiu said with a relaxed expression.

Feng Ke’er breathed a sigh of relief. “You’re different now. Why fight a Golden Immortal?”

Feng Jiu snorted through his nose. “Indeed, times have changed. Now, even if I tied two of him up, they wouldn’t be my match.” Then he revealed Hua Taiyi’s poisoning, mental turmoil, and forced reincarnation to rebuild his cultivation. “He’s currently in secluded cultivation, striving for Great Perfection to ascend smoothly this time. Hmph.”

At the same cultivation level, divine beasts’ power surpasses that of human cultivators. If a divine beast fights in its true form, even a hundred cultivators of the same rank together might not defeat it. So his words were not exaggerated.

What’s this called? Truly, fortune shifts like the turning of a wheel—thirty years east, forty years west. Considering their tangled history, Feng Ke’er was momentarily dazed.

“Stop daydreaming, let’s go!” Feng Jiu tugged her.

In less than fifteen minutes after their reunion, Feng Ke’er jumped onto a certain flying sword and hurriedly left the floating courtyard.

At noon the next day, Feng Jiu stopped above a secluded valley surrounded by mountains.

“Girl, look! Below is the spot I’ve chosen for refining pills.” He proudly pointed. “Not bad, right?”

Feng Ke’er looked down. Verdant mountains encircled the valley, filled with spiritual energy. At the valley’s bottom bubbled a spiritual spring—a perfect, heaven-made place for alchemy!

“Not bad,” she nodded repeatedly. “Your eye for this is always precise.”

“Your judgment isn’t bad either.” Feng Jiu chuckled proudly, spreading his arms and leaping off the flying sword first.

Feng Ke’er followed closely.

However, their agility was completely different. Feng Jiu moved lightly, sleeves fluttering like a crimson petal drifting down.

Feng Ke’er’s descent was more like diving from a ten-meter platform... so she quickly overtook Feng Jiu.

“You...” Feng Jiu hastily reached out to catch her. No way—she was in a completely awkward, upside-down pose! Which master taught her? A female cultivator at Great Perfection of Illusion but so clumsy in movement!

“No problem!” Feng Ke’er happily waved her hands, deftly evading his grasp without a trace, shouting joyfully, “I love this—the wind on my face, it’s exhilarating!”

In no time, Feng Jiu was over twenty meters behind her.

“That’s fine,” he smiled faintly, saving himself some trouble!

No sooner had he spoken than he swung his sleeves and shouted, “Sword, come!”

The flying sword appeared.

“Run!” With a stomp, he reversed direction, shooting out of the valley in a flash.

Feng Ke’er turned, startled, shouting, “Hey, ugly bird…” Something felt wrong!

Her heart stirred, and she quickly formed a hand seal before her chest: “Stop…”

She showed some cleverness! Trying to run? Hmph, too late! Feng Jiu clearly saw a golden sword energy shoot from his right hand: “Down you go!”

Feng Ke’er failed to dodge in time and was struck on her right arm by the sword energy. Instantly, blood gushed out.

“It hurts so much!” she cried out, dramatically fainting. Her body, like a kite with a broken string, plunged headlong into the valley.

Feng Jiu stood on the flying sword, his smile radiant. “Binding Immortal Formation, activate!”

“Bang!” Golden light rippled outward, weaving a vast net of golden threads over the valley.

Ha! Done!

Feng Ke’er was awakened by a kick. Blurry, she seemed to see golden spiritual energy wrapping her body layer upon layer, as if she were cocooned in a giant golden silkworm chrysalis.

What was happening? She stared at the red figure before her in shock.

Feng Jiu’s face was devoid of any smile, his cold gaze colder than the icy spiritual energy. “Awake?”

“Why?” Feng Ke’er soon understood her predicament. Tears welled up, but she bit her lip stubbornly, looking up at the sky, fighting back the tears.

Feng Jiu snorted lightly, producing a black wooden box in his right palm.

Opening the box, he held the empty box with one hand and pointed at her with the other, muttering incantations.

Feng Ke’er was horrified to find her body rapidly shrinking.

“No—” she struggled desperately, screaming, “Why, Feng Jiu!”

But soon she transformed into a streak of light and was sealed inside the box.

Lowering his gaze, the man looked at the tiny figure no larger than a soybean inside, curling one side of his mouth into a cold sneer. “Because I’m not really Feng Jiu.”

Very well, in Feng Jiu’s name, let you die with clarity.

The box snapped shut, and Feng Ke’er’s world turned pitch black.

A certain peak bowed in thanks for luofanfu’s generous pink votes. Thank you, dear readers. (To be continued)

The Celestial Tome Chapter 129—Why the Update Is Complete!