Behold that white flame, easily three zhang high, and feel the intense heat erupting from the Li Fire; besides a gasp of astonishment, Ye Jingyu found himself utterly speechless...
"Daddy said this is a little something left for me by Mommy. He said that when I come of age, absorbing this flame will allow me to break through to the Venerable Realm you all speak of..." Seeing the shock on Ye Jingyu's face, Xi He spoke up to explain.
But her explanation did nothing to ease his mind; in fact, it completely confirmed the suspicion growing in Ye Jingyu's heart. The thought that her mother was the legendary Vermilion Bird—the Primordial Divine Beast, Zhuque—made his heart tremble involuntarily. It wasn't fear, nor excitement, but a profound, deep shock...
The Vermilion Bird was born from the very first wisp of flame between Heaven and Earth; it possessed a true Innate Body. This was different from those so-called Innate Spirit Bodies. Any Innate Spirit Body of a specific attribute merely allowed one to cultivate the corresponding mental techniques many times faster than others, but without cultivation, they were no different from ordinary people.
But an Innate Body like the Vermilion Bird was entirely different. They were born as spirits of fire; even without conscious effort, they could control any flame in the world and absorb all fires to convert into their own strength.
The Samadhi True Fire of immortals, the Netherworld Fire, the Solar True Fire—these were all the finest nourishment for them. Put another way, they were the very source of fire.
Even divine birds such as the Phoenix or the Golden Crow could not compare to the Vermilion Bird...
Looking at the stunningly beautiful and fiery woman before him, gazing into her flame-like eyes, Ye Jingyu truly didn't know what to say anymore...
"Brother Ye, come, this is the Red Dust Drunk Mommy left for me. I haven't had it in ages..." Xi Yang seemed entirely oblivious to Ye Jingyu's expression. With a casual wave of her hand, she summoned the wine flask held aloft by the Li Fire, then pulled Ye Jingyu toward the lotus-petal seats nearby...
She gently pressed Ye Jingyu into a seat, meticulously sprinkling some fine pink powder into a wine cup before personally pouring drinks for both Ye Jingyu and herself...
"Come, Brother Ye, let us toast to our connection!" Xi Yang sat right beside Ye Jingyu, handing him a cup while holding her own.
Ye Jingyu mechanically took the cup, his mind still hazy, and lightly tapped it against hers before instinctively raising it toward his lips...
Seeing Ye Jingyu about to drink his Red Dust Drunk, a surge of triumph coursed through Xi Yang. Once he drank this, he would be completely under her control. Daddy said this was a potent liquor capable of intoxicating even Venerable Realm experts! As for the powerful aphrodisiac within... Heh heh...
The thought of immediately seducing Ye Jingyu made her heart race with excitement...
However, the wine cup in Ye Jingyu's hand paused just as it reached his lips...
"What's wrong, Brother Ye...?" Seeing that he hadn't drunk, Xi Yang felt a rush of impatience, though she maintained a sweet smile, asking with genuine curiosity.
"That’s strange. Your mother should be a Vermilion Bird, so why is your physical form entirely human?" Ye Jingyu voiced the doubt lingering in his mind. He found it hard to believe his Eye of Reincarnation couldn't pierce her true origin...
"Oh, Daddy told me that Mommy was a Vermilion Bird who cultivated for untold myriads of years and eventually achieved the ability to transform into human form. After meeting Daddy, I was born. I was human from birth. In Daddy's words, aside from the innate talent for controlling fire inherited from the Vermilion Bird, I'm no different from anyone else!" Xi Yang was too focused on getting Ye Jingyu to quickly drink the Red Dust Drunk to offer a prompt explanation.
"Oh..." Ye Jingyu nodded, about to down the Red Dust Drunk in one gulp, but suddenly stopped again, making Xi Yang’s heart leap with anxiety...
"What now?"
"I recall some myths where divine beasts like the Vermilion Bird find it increasingly difficult to assume human form the higher their level, facing far greater tribulations. Is that true?" Ye Jingyu asked, recalling things he had read in old mythological novels...
"Yes!" Xi Yang nodded again...
Ye Jingyu was startled once more. The Vermilion Bird is the highest-ranking fire-attribute divine beast. Once it transforms into a human, how high must its cultivation level be? It must surpass even the ordinary Immortals or perhaps some Immortal Lords described in legends! Yet, from Fang Jiuyou's memories, he knew the Immortals of the Primordial Immortal Realm seemed to have vanished. How could such powerful entities remain behind, still lingering in the mortal world?
Still, he understood that asking such questions was likely futile...
He nodded lightly and started to bring the wine cup toward his lips again, causing Xi Yang’s heart to tighten immediately...
But when he raised it to his mouth, Ye Jingyu stopped yet again...
"Brother Ye, is there something else?" Xi Yang managed to suppress her anxiety, forcing a calm smile as she spoke.
"I heard that Vermilion Birds rely on instinct to raise their cultivation and don't typically practice active cultivation. They only begin to train after transforming into human form to rapidly increase their strength. Is that true?" Ye Jingyu posed his doubt once more...
"Yes!" Xi Yang confirmed.
"Then if you appeared fully formed as a human, possessing the innate nature of a Vermilion Bird, shouldn't your cultivation speed be much faster? What realm have you reached now?" As he said this, Ye Jingyu stared directly at Xi Yang...
The original form of the Vermilion Bird is immensely powerful, but Heavenly Dao is fair. While granting them tremendous innate bodies, it also restricts them from cultivating various mental techniques like humans do to rapidly boost their strength. Only when transformed into human form can a Vermilion Bird cultivate quickly, yet the transformation into human form is often exceedingly difficult. This is why, despite their power, Vermilion Birds rarely produce those supreme beings capable of dominating the Three Realms...
But Xi Yang’s appearance seemed to shatter that rule. She possessed the Vermilion Bird's immense talent alongside human sentience. Given her aptitude, her strength should be considerable...
When Ye Jingyu finished speaking, Xi Yang’s face flushed—a soft, shy crimson...
"I... I... I never liked practicing martial arts. For most of these years, I’ve mostly been sleeping. So my strength is only equivalent to the Seventh Heaven Realm..." Xi Yang murmured this last part so quietly it was barely audible.