After finding out that this place was a spiritual pulse, Zhu Yao immediately decided to stay here. The frog's house which could destroy the scenic view of the place, had already been smashed into a pile of golden smithereens. Though a few spots were burnt here and there, it was still a place with a considerably wonderful scenery.

Thus, a certain master, with his especially good tastes, constructed a few straw cottages! After Zhu Yao instructed the little tyrant to tidy up the place, the sky was already dark. Only then did she pull out the Soul Beckoning Banner. After casting a few arts, the Soul Beckoning Banner instantly emitted out a golden light. White illusory figures floated out one after another, numbering several hundreds.

Those ghosts all had confused looks on their faces, as though they had no clue where they were. They blankly floated in the air.

One of the ghosts suddenly shouted. "Look, a person's over there!"

In an instant, as though something was broken, several hundreds of green lights came looking in her direction. The corner of Zhu Yao's lips twitched.

"It's really a person, and she's alive!"

"This is great, I found a person. Time to scare her, time to scare her!"

Among the several hundreds of ghosts, some took down their heads, some pulled out their bones, while some light up ghastly flames. The place was bustling, as they excitedly made the preparations to scare her.

Zhu Yao's expression back then was like this: o(╯□╰)o

Sighing, she immediately circulated her spiritual energy and chanted the Afterlife Incantation. In an instant, a large Afterlife Formation appeared in the skies above, s.h.i.+ning with a bright white light. The formation immediately sent the bunch of ready-made ghosts back to the Gate to the Netherworld.

The only one who remained was a male ghost with his limbs scattered all over.

The male ghost glanced left and right. Though he did not understand why his little companions had gone missing, he still professionally continued set up b.a.l.l.s of ghastly flames, and floated over with his legs, head, and body separately. In an ominous tone, he said. "Little miss, I'm a ghost… Are you afraid?"

Zhu Yao's face darkened. "Chen Zhen!"

"Eh!? You know me?" He was startled.

"You don't remember me?"

"You…" He circled around her. Suddenly, his eyes shone, and he excitedly said. "Huo Yuanjia! It's actually you? You have actually reincarnated, and this quickly as well?"

"Uh… Right!" She could only nod to that question.

"It's really you!" With a poof, he extinguished the two b.a.l.l.s of ghastly flames, and sighed. "Nevermind. Seeing that we know each other, I won't scare you. Let me tell you this, I'm really incredible at scaring people now!"

"…"

"Oh right, didn't you become a ghost officer?" Chen Zhen said with slight disappointment. "Why did you go ahead and reincarnate? Being a ghost officer is great, you know? It's a job with an incredible future ahead of it!"

What future?

Whatever! "Chen Zhen, your soul has been scattered apart by the Soul Beckoning Banner. Let me help you reattach them?"

"Don't want to!" She never expected that Chen Zhen would reject is so strongly, as he instantly leapt a few steps back. "I managed to turn into several pieces after so long, if I were to reattach my parts, my scaring prospects would reduce. I look rather handsome like this, you know?"

Alright, it seemed like she was being bothersome. She had even kept him back here on purpose.

Since he was unwilling, Zhu Yao did not force it upon him either. In any case, as long as he were to return to the Netherworld, his scattered souls would naturally reattach themselves. Thus, she chatted with a little more, before sending him back to the Netherworld with the Afterlife Incantation.

Chen Zhen waved his hands at her while flying towards that Afterlife Formation. He even occasionally rubbed off the little beads of tears at the corners of his eyes, looking really sad and everything. Mn, if he wasn't crying tears of blood, it would have been even more touching.

"Huo Yuanjia, remember to come see me often."

"…" Who would go to the Netherworld to see you!?

Zhu Yao wondered just what that frog had buried underground, as the flowers above this spiritual pulse grew especially quickly. In but a single night, the land that was once burnt, had turned back into a sea of flowers.

Probably because her words from back then had incited him, little tyrant became even more diligent in his cultivation. He was already meditating in the early hours of the morning. In just two days, he rose from the first level to the third level of Essence.

"Not bad, little tyrant." A good teacher would never refrain from praising his or her students. "You're already at the third level. It seems like you can return to your former cultivation level really soon."

Little tyrant smiled as he scratched his head. "That's but the first three levels of Essence. I had experience before, so it's natural for me to spend less time cultivating in them. However… Penta spirit veins require five types of spiritual energy. It's really time-consuming to guide in one of them at a time. I'm afraid after the third level, it will be…"

"Guide in one at a time?" Zhu Yao grasped onto this key phrase. "What do you mean?"

"Grandma, I'm have the penta spirit veins." Little Bai's expression sank. "Spiritual energy can't be guided in while mixed. When I had duo spirit veins back then, I merely had to take in one type of spiritual energy, and then another type, in order to make a breakthrough in my cultivation. Now that I have penta spirit veins, a longer time is naturally needed."

"Wait a minute." Zhu Yao frowned, as she realized a key problem. "You're saying, you can only take in one type of spiritual energy at a time, and only after one type has reached its critical point, will you then guide in another type. Only after five types of spiritual energy are filled, can you then finally make a breakthrough?"

"That's right?"

"Right, my a.s.s! Who told you that?"

"The cultivation method has always been like this though!?" Little Bai was confused. "Strange… Is it wrong?"

"Wrong, of course it's wrong!" Zhu Yao had always wondered why various sects revered the heavenly spirit vein holders. In the beginning, she had thought that it was because of the amount of spiritual energy needed. Indeed, penta spirit veins would require more spiritual energy than the heavenly spirit vein, so she had never pondered deeply about it. Now that she thought about it, this difference wouldn't influence one's cultivation speed. She possessed many different types of spirit veins with her various avatars, and though her cultivation speed was indeed faster when she had the lightning spirit vein, when she possessed the penta spirit veins or even the harmony spirit veins, her cultivation speeds did not drop that much though? Of course, putting aside her death-seeking actions of starting spiritual energy storms to rapidly raise her cultivation, even with her regular speed, it was not that much slower either.

But, within the cultivation world, why did disciples with penta spirit veins find it hard to establish their Foundations in their entire lifetimes, while those with heavenly spirit veins could do it in at most thirty years, and at the earliest, in ten odd years? The difference here was a little too huge.

Now that she heard little tyrant's explanation, she suddenly realized that this was most likely unrelated to the amount of spiritual energy needed. Rather, it's the difference in the paths of cultivation.

"Little tyrant, why do you have to take them in one at a time, and not take all five types of spiritual energy at the same time?"

"Eh? Is that possible?" He was stunned.

"How is it impossible?" That's how she did it all the time!

"But…" Little tyrant frowned "The spiritual energy in the air is mixed, and the five types of spiritual energy are in conflict with one another. Not to mention there are the three mutated spiritual energy – wind, lightning and ice, to consider as well. If I don't have the corresponding spiritual energy, I will definitely die from taking in spiritual energy that isn't compatible with me."

What he said was true as well, as little tyrant did not have the harmony spirit veins. "Then what if you only have to take in five types of spiritual energy at the same time? Use the method you're using to take in spiritual energy, but just exclude the three mutated spiritual energy!"

Little tyrant's eyes instantly shone, excitement filled his face. "Grandma, you're saying… If I take in five types of spiritual energy together at the same time, my cultivation speed will be…"

"The same as someone who has the heavenly spirit vein."

If a spirit vein is compared to the path towards the Dao, then the heavenly vein was a single driving lane, while the penta spirit veins were five driving lanes. While both followed the same traffic rules, the only difference was the amount of traffic. The driving speed of the vehicles should not be affected at all.

Bai Zhiyuan blanked for a moment, light of hope filled his face. A moment later, he suppressed the excitement in the depths of his heart, took in a few breaths, and said. "Grandma, let me try!"

"Mn!" Zhu Yao nodded, as she then sat down at the side to watch over him.

Bai Zhiyuan meditated for two entire days since then, and when the surrounding flowers had bloomed twice, he finally slowly opened his eyes. However, there wasn't the slightest bit of increase in his spiritual energy, as he shook his head in slight disappointment. "Grandma, Little Bai… can't do it. Distinguis.h.i.+ng one type of spiritual energy is already depleting all of my concentration. I really can't… sense five types of spiritual energy at once." Let alone taking them into his body. "I can't distinguish them."

Can't distinguish them? Zhu Yao was startled. That can't be?

"Aren't the colours of spiritual energy different?" Little tyrant couldn't be colour blind, right?

"Colours?" He was startled. "What colours?"

"The colours of spiritual energy!" Zhu Yao grasped the air, and pointed at the center of her palm. "Look carefully, this green one here is wood spiritual energy, the golden one here is metal spiritual energy. Water spiritual energy is blue, the yellow one is earth spiritual energy, and the fire spiritual energy is the same red as Little Eighth's feathers. And then this pointiest one that carries a tail and likes to tangle around my fingers is lightning spiritual energy."

Little Bai opened his eyes wide, his face looked completely blanked.

"Grandma…"

"Mn?"

"I don't see anything at all." There was clearly nothing in her hand.

"…"

Zhu Yao felt that something was really amiss, very amiss. The spiritual energy in this world was clearly floating everywhere like air. As long as she focused, she would be able to see them. She had thought that this was a necessary basic skill that everyone should have in order to take in spiritual energy into their bodies. She had believed that even as Essence disciple would be able to see them.

However, little tyrant was telling her that he didn't know what colours spiritual energy had. He had even never heard that spiritual energy had colours.

Could it be that the various colours of spiritual energy that was fluttering in the air, were something only she could see!?

This wasn't logical!

Thus, she spoke of this problem to the cultivation professional – her master.

The answer she received was actually the same as little tyrant's, her master was not aware that spiritual energy had their own respective colours either.

"But master, when you taught me how to take in spiritual energy into my body, you spoke of sensing spiritual energy. Didn't you mean seeing the colours of spiritual energy?"

Yu Yan nodded. "Do you still remember how I guided lightning spiritual energy into your body and circulate them in a single revolution around your body?"

"I remember."

"My goal back then was in order to have you familiarize yourself with the aura of lightning spiritual energy, so you could guide the same spiritual energy into your body." He explained. "What is meant by sensing spiritual energy, is but a type of senses. I have never heard of spiritual energy possessing their own shapes and colours as well."

Then what was she seeing? A colour palette?

"Master, don't move!" Zhu Yao stuffed her head towards his chest, circled around his neck, and then lowered his forehead to touch hers. Then, she used her divine sense to look into his body, only to see a bunch of white gaseous bodies.

Gah, she had forgotten that her master was a High Deity. His body naturally would not have spiritual energy, but divine energy.

Just as she was about to turn around and look for little tyrant, Yu Yan had understood her intentions and pulled her back in. With a twist of his palm, various coloured spiritual energy instantly gathered on his palm. "If you are thinking of checking if the spiritual energy in others' bodies have colours, here." You can touch your master's forehead, but not others'.

Zhu Yao was a little suspicious. Was being able to see the colours of spiritual energy a specialized skill which Realmspirit had given her? This was why she could raise her cultivation so quickly every single time. However, with something like Realmspirit's personality, he couldn't have given her a cheat without informing her. Even something as heaven-defying as the World Favourable Impression was openly hanging above her head, let alone something like this. Not filling up her vision with screens would have already been pretty nice of him, there wasn't a reason for him not to inform her of such a setting!

Furthermore, the things Realmspirit gave her were always different for each avatar, and they would disappear along with the avatar. This was the same for World Favourable Impression as well. Though it seemed like its effect was still active, the b.u.t.ton above her head to toggle it was indeed gone. Yet, this setting where she could see the colours of spiritual energy, had persisted till now since she officially began cultivating.

Then there was only a single possibility…

The colours had always been there, while the difference was being able to see them. Back then, she had after all spent five years before being able to see them. Since she was able to see them, then others should be able to too. This was most likely related to a person's IQ.

Zhu Yao felt that such an important cultivation method should not be wasted, as she carefully recalled the feeling she had when she first saw spiritual energy. She gave little tyrant a rough explanation, before seeking out a place where the five types of spiritual energy were the most concentrated and letting go into closed-door training.

"Little tyrant, you can try sensing the five types of spiritual energy while taking them into your body. Use your heart to feel them. I can't guarantee that you will be able to see them like me, but I hope you won't give up easily."

"Mn!" He heavily nodded.

Zhu Yao stroked his head satisfyingly. "No matter the outcome, I hope that you can establish your Foundation in five years, can you do it?"

His expression sank, yet his eyes slowly turned determined. "Grandma, I will work hard!"

"Good, grandma shall await the day you're out of closed-door training!"

Only then did Zhu Yao walk out of his cottage and place down formations in the surroundings. She blankly stared at the cottage that shrouded with spiritual energy.

Suddenly, a slightly chilly hand landed on her head, stroking her hair. "Worried?"

"Mn." Zhu Yao turned around and closed in, her head buried in his chest. "Master… Tell me. What should I do if he won't be able to see spiritual energy no matter what?"

Yu Yan was silent for a short while, before he reached for her waist and said in a solemn voice. "If he can't see it, will you give up on him?"

"Of course not!" Zhu Yao raised her head. "Am I someone that irresponsible? Since I have already decided on little tyrant, naturally, I will take responsibility till the end. If he really can't do it, then there's really no way to solve the bug in this world. Of course, even if it's not for the bug, I will definitely cover for little tyrant."

"Then what's there to worry?" He stroked her hair and asked back.

Zhu Yao was startled as she raised her head to look at her own master. The dispiritness in the depths of her heart was swept away in an instant. She tightly hugged him back, and nodded heavily. "Mn, I'm not worried. With master here, I have nothing to worry."

When he heard this, his face which was as cold as ice, gradually loosened. He lightly raised the corners of his lips, and at that moment, it was as if spring had returned to the lands, revealing beauty that was beyond compare. "Stupid."

A moment later…

"Master."

"Mn?"

"When are you going to make me a monkey?"

"…"

"Ah… I really want to get pregnant."

"Nonsensical!"

Little tyrant was in closed-door training, the frog was chased towards the forest to watch over the place, and her master was pulled into the room. Zhu Yao who felt relaxed all over, believed that she should do some unique exercises in this dark, windy, and lonely night, in order to progress their master and disciple relations.h.i.+p.

"Yu w.a.n.g, what are you?" A certain master looked at his stupid disciple's hand which was grasping onto his waist belt, frowning disapprovingly.

Zhu Yao chuckled. "You're already calling me 'Desire', so I should live up to the name. Otherwise, I would be disgracing the name, you know?" Clothes, strip, strip!

"Your master is now but a strand of divine sense."

"I don't mind!"

"…"

"I don't care. You said that you wanted to make a monkey with me." Ever since they returned from the modern era, they hadn't been doing anything embarra.s.sing. This was her fighting for regular welfare.

"Yu… Yao."

"Shut up!" Zhu Yao pulled apart his outer garments. "Even if you cry your lungs out today… Ah pui, in any case, I won't let you go! No matter who comes, it won't happen! So why don't you obediently obey me…"

"Seventh elder sister! Seventh elder sister! Hurry and open the door!" Suddenly, bangs resounded from the door.

Zhu Yao: "…"

Feng Xiaoba, you're dead meat!

Zhu Yao's fury instantly surged, her teeth grinding. Yet that stupid bird outside which could not read the situation was still knocking the door to no end. It felt as if he wouldn't relent till the door was open. She had to take a few deep breaths before she could stop her thoughts of eating his fat and juicy meat.

She walked over with heavy steps, strongly pulled the door open, and freaked out. "Little! Eighth!"

"Seventh elder sister…" A red fur ball came charging towards her chest like a cannonball. Before Zhu Yao could even react, Little Eighth had already begun crying out loud. "Seventh elder sister… Seventh elder sister, what should I do? Wuuaaahh… I don't want to live anymore."

Zhu Yao's heart sank, her fury instantly dissipated. "What happened?" She had watched him grow for such a long time, yet she had never seen him cry like this. "Don't cry, don't cry. Tell your seventh elder sister what's wrong?"

When she asked, Little Eighth began to cry even sadder than earlier. "I'm going to be as ugly as seventh elder sister now, I might as well die."

"…" Stinky brat. He was already this saddened, yet he still did not forget to step her in the foot. This thing was definitely not related to her.

"What's wrong? Did the beasties in the forest bully you?"

"Wuu…" He shook his head.

"You fancied one of the beasties, but was rejected?"

He continued to shake his head. "I wouldn't court a beast."

"Your auntie's husband came?"

He still shook his head?

"Then what's wrong?"

He nudged a little while, before finally stopping his wails. After a while, under her concerned gaze, he weakly stretched out one of his wings and pitifully said. "Look…"

Zhu Yao curiously closed in, only to see it was entirely covered in red feathers, and nothing else. "Look at what?"

"This… This!" He anxiously used his other wing to point at it.

Zhu Yao carefully looked at it once more. "Nothing's there at all!"

Little Eighth instantly grew anxious. "Look carefully, at the top! Top!"

"Nothing!"

Left without a choice, he strongly waved his wing and did a throwing action. What she saw next was a fluff, the size of a fingernail, fluttering down from the air. Before it even landed on the ground, Little Eighth immediately grabbed it as if it was treasure, and then carefully held it with his wings. "See that?"

"Feathers?"

"Mn." He nodded. In an instant, dispiritedness began to surface again. "Feathers. I'm shedding feathers. Seventh elder sister… I'm actually beginning to shed feathers. Wuaah… What should I do? Becoming a ball is already pitiful enough. If I were to shed feathers as well, I will become as ugly as seventh elder sister. I don't want to become a phoenix with naked b.u.t.tocks…"

"…" She really wished to cut off ties with him!

Zhu Yao took a deep breath and managed to suppress her fist. She picked up a certain bird which was still crying, flung him out, and then closed the door with a bang.

"Scram!" Go get someone prettier as your elder sister.

In the next moment, the desperate knocking sounds resounded again.

"Seventh elder sister, seventh elder sister! Come out, seventh elder sister!"

"I'm your only little brother, seventh elder sister!"

"You can't just toss me aside, seventh elder sister!"

"I don't want to die ugly!"

"I promise that I won't despise you for being ugly anymore! Please help me think of something!"

"What if people don't acknowledge me as a Phoenix after all of my feathers are gone?"

"Seventh elder sister… Seventh elder sister…"

"Being ugly is death itself!"

The corner of Zhu Yao's lips were twitching to the point where it could even break out of a certain net novel author's computer. Only after a long while did she finally manage to suppress the impulse to kill her biological younger brother. "Scram! You're just freaking molting, the h.e.l.l you're crying for?"

"Molting?" That certain Phoenix who had long forgotten memories of his faraway youth, was startled for a moment. After a short while, even louder knocks resounded from the door.

"Seventh elder sister, what's molting? Is it really fine for me to shed feathers right now?"

"Will they grow again? Seventh elder sister!"

"When will they grow back? Seventh elder sister!"

"Will the newly grown feathers look even more beautiful than now? Seventh elder sister!"

"Am I still the most beautiful Phoenix? Seventh elder sister!"

"Do all Phoenixes go through the same thing? Seventh elder sister!"

"Will I still be able to return to my past form? Seventh elder sister!"

"Shut up!" Are you treating me as Zhao Zongxiang¹? Someone who's specialized in explaining the world of animals? And a Xianxia version at that!

Only then did the knocking finally stop. Zhu Yao heaved a sigh of relief. When she thought that this worry-filled little brother had finally walked off, his faint voice sounded once more.

"Seventh elder sister, I can't sleep. Why don't you accompany me on a talk about feathers?"

"How do you think my new feathers will look like?"

"Will they look the same as before? But I'm not really satisfied at the sixty-fifth feather at the third row of my left wing."

"Do you think they will look better after they are regrown?"

"What if I end up growing up to look like some other Phoenixes?"

"Mn. If it happens, I want to become like second elder brother, or third elder brother, or even fourth elder brother…"

"As long as it's not seventh elder sister."

The h.e.l.l, don't stop me. I'm going to pull out all of his bird feathers!

Ever since he found out that his feathers would regrow, and discovered that new and completely clean feathers would appear on his own wings every few days, Little Eighth had stopped worrying about shedding feathers. However, his feather shedding problem grew even worse, and the process seemed to be pretty long. In order to conceal this uglifying process, he no longer caused problems for the demonic beasts that filled Peaceful Spiritual Forest. Before this, every day, he would s.n.a.t.c.h away the spiritual herbs that demonic beasts were protecting, or burn away the treasures that belonged to them. Yet, those demonic beasts that were being harra.s.sed all looked as though it was their honour for such acts to have occured on them. She had to be the one feeling embarra.s.sed in her little brother's stead.  

And so, Little Eighth made a nest…

That's right, he knew how to make a nest. Inside it was filled with various soft spiritual herbs. That's right, they were all s.n.a.t.c.hed away from those demonic beasts as well. The nest wasn't huge, and it was placed in the courtyard of her home. He had even added in a lid, shutting himself inside like an egg sh.e.l.l. He had even swore that before his feathers were completely changed, he definitely would not disgrace himself by showing himself to others.

He wouldn't even budge when Zhu Yao used melon seeds to lure him out, swearing that even if he were to die, he would die beautifully.

1. Zhao Zhongxiang (趙忠祥): He was the host of the show ‘Animal World(動物世界)’, that talks about animal wildlife.