Previously, Nangong Qiongxiao had only noticed that a red cord was always hanging around the boy’s neck, but she had never paid much attention to it.
Today, however, for some unknown reason, she could suddenly sense the aura of the jade pendant clearly, and the spiritual energy within the boy’s body seemed to have connected with something as well.
Upon closer observation, one would discover that He Qiu’s entire presence had become unimaginably powerful.
It was very possible that He Qiu had possessed the primordial blood of the Undying Bird for a long time and had always worn it around his neck.
Today, after learning the Spirit Communication Art, he had successfully used that primordial blood jade as a medium to establish spirit communication with the mythological species known as the Undying Bird!
Was this really reasonable?
Spirit Beasts with ten-thousand-year cultivation were still quite numerous in the Spirit Cultivation Realm.
But the legendary Divine Feather Undying Bird was different.
Nangong Qiongxiao herself had only been fortunate enough to encounter one in the Eight Desolations Realm, and she had even hunted it once.
Unfortunately, that Undying Bird had later threatened to self-destruct, preferring death over submission.
Nangong Qiongxiao had not even had the chance to form a Contract with it.
In the end, she had left herself a karmic tie and released the Undying Bird back into the wild.
Spirit Beasts of that caliber were often born with innate pride, and very few would ever submit to humans.
Not even the Empress of the Spirit Cultivation Realm could force one to submit.
Taming one depended entirely on fate.
Yet He Qiu seemed to have already succeeded in spirit communication?
That Undying Bird had even refined the most important primordial blood of its life into a jade pendant and given it to He Qiu as a token of love.
Could it be that, just as the customs described in those books, he had truly contracted an Undying Bird Spirit Wife?
“…”
The more she thought about it, the more absurd it seemed.
Nangong Qiongxiao was once again shocked by He Qiu.
In truth, a ten-thousand-year Undying Bird alone was not enough to make the Empress feel fear.
In terms of cultivation alone, she could suppress it.
But capturing it was completely different from being able to Contract it.
What Nangong Qiongxiao was truly curious about was how He Qiu had managed to tame an Undying Bird.
Afterward, she tested him many times.
However, whenever the matter came up, He Qiu seemed unwilling to reveal too much to her.
That was only natural.
After all, it was a secret between him and the Undying Bird, and he certainly could not speak of it carelessly.
So Nangong Qiongxiao tactfully stopped asking.
She found several encyclopedias about mythological species for him and let He Qiu take them home to study slowly.
She could not help him much.
This was not a perfunctory gesture.
She truly could not help him much either.
She had never contracted an Undying Bird herself, so how could she know the specifics?
Besides, Nangong Qiongxiao herself wanted some quiet time alone.
She had told him to learn Spirit Arts, and he had learned them.
On the path of multiple simultaneous cultivation, he definitely possessed extraordinary talent.
The Spirit Communication Art—he had mastered it.
It was even possible that he had directly taken a ten-thousand-year Undying Bird as his Spirit Wife.
Even Can Xue, the Sword Spirit from the Abyss, obediently called him Master.
This starting configuration was no less impressive than Nangong Qiongxiao’s own when she had first emerged into the world!
Back then, Nangong Qiongxiao had wielded the Heaven-Dividing Divine Sword in her left hand and Heavenly Dao Reincarnation in her right, with the Heavenly Mandate crowning her head.
Her rise had been unstoppable, as if her entire life had been preordained.
She had cleaved through every obstacle and ascended the throne as the Empress of Nine Provinces.
According to a certain reclusive expert, people like this were called “Heaven-Mandated Protagonists.”
In every world, every era, and every realm, there would always be a few children of fortune.
For example, there was the Nangong Qiongxiao of the past, who had now claimed the throne and unified the world.
Another example was the one who rose immediately after her—the Twin Sheng Spirit Veins, Saintess An Lingran, who could freeze all things with a mere wave of her hand.
And another example was today’s He Qiu.
He had the Demon Sword Can Xue in his left hand, a ten-thousand-year divine bird in his right, and talent for multiple simultaneous cultivation paths.
These people all shared one trait.
The Heavenly Mandate was upon them, as if the entire world revolved around them.
Divine artifacts, fortuitous encounters—everything they could possibly need was always within their reach.
And the most absurd thing was that He Qiu, still in the early stages of his growth as a protagonist, seemed completely unaware of how powerful his own talent was.
He was even An Lingran’s Junior Brother and called Nangong Qiongxiao Master.
He maintained absolute respect toward both of them.
This could not help but make Nangong Qiongxiao sigh with emotion.
Truly, the Heavenly Dao was an endless cycle!
“Perhaps, this is not a coincidence.”
“Or perhaps, this is an opportunity the Heavenly Dao has granted us…”
“An opportunity that could defy the heavens?”
Gazing at the river of stars beyond the sky, a cultivation-raising plan for the Protagonist began to form in the mind of the black-skirted Empress.
“Young Master He, you’re back?”
When He Qiu arrived at the entrance of his home, Zi Menghan arrived as promised.
A smile adorned her face as she lifted her skirt and waited in the living room.
Tea had already been poured on the table inside, still steaming hot.
The furniture was spotless, clearly showing that the girl had taken diligent care of the place.
“Yeah, thank you for your hard work…”
He exchanged a few pleasantries before entering and sitting down.
She also sat across from him, just as she always did.
“Young Master seems to have something weighing on your mind. Shall we talk about how today’s cultivation progress went~”
The girl propped her small face up with both hands, leaning against the table as she gazed at the boy’s pleasingly handsome face.
At some point, asking about He Qiu’s cultivation progress every day had become a habit.
Her life alone at home was plain and dull, so caring about He Qiu’s daily cultivation every evening had become Zi Menghan’s greatest daily interest.
Who told her to like him?
He Qiu had grown accustomed to this as well.
After a brief pause and recollection, like someone summarizing his homework, he slowly began to speak.
“Today, quite a lot did happen…”
“Hm?”
Zi Menghan tilted her head as if listening to a story, eagerly waiting for the boy to continue.
However, He Qiu did not continue.
Instead, he drew a breath and brought up another topic.
“Meng’er, let me ask you—between gratitude and affection toward the opposite sex, how should the two be distinguished?”