The Phoenix’s Escape

Late into the night, as the silver moon had shifted and the constellations revolved, a considerable amount of time had passed since Feiluo had departed from home.

Currently, Feiluo was concealed behind a dense, towering tree, its colossal trunk, wide enough for ten people to embrace, easily enveloping her petite form. Peeking out from behind the tree, Feiluo’s sparkling golden eyes blinked repeatedly as she surveyed the situation at the Blazing Spirit Sect’s main gate, not far off.

Situated near the gate, a rocking chair, the familiar kind often used by elders for sunbathing, stood waiting. Reclining in that rocking chair was an elderly woman dressed in a plain white gown. The elderly woman wore a benevolent expression and a serene demeanor, seemingly savoring this tranquil moment (Feiluo thought: ‘Could this be the legendary “moonbathing”?’).

To anyone unaware of her true identity, they would undoubtedly perceive this old woman as nothing more than an ordinary, unassuming elder. Had Feiluo not been privy to her true identity, she herself would likely have been deceived by the old woman’s benevolent appearance.

Indeed, this affable-looking elderly woman was none other than Elder Qiu Shuang, an elder of the Law Enforcement Hall. As an Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, Qiu Shuang was tasked with guarding the Blazing Spirit Sect’s main gate, while the patrol duties within the sect were carried out by the disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall.

Despite Elder Qiu’s seemingly decrepit appearance, her age barely approached five hundred years. While Feiluo did not know her exact age, she was certain she hadn’t yet surpassed five centuries.

One might consider five hundred years ancient, but it was crucial to remember that Elder Qiu was an Integration Realm cultivator, capable of establishing a cultivation sect even in a remote region. Considering the Integration Realm’s average lifespan of over a thousand years, five hundred was truly not old. Compared to the other elders of the Blazing Spirit Sect, she was a mere youth; those elders had lived for at least a millennium, and Sect Master Moxi had already surpassed three thousand years. Beside these ancient hags, Qiu Shuang was excessively young.

Her current appearance could not possibly be her true form. Yet, why did she choose to present herself as an elder?

Feiluo couldn’t help but recall an earlier encounter with Qiu Shuang, when, overcome by curiosity, she had once posed this very question to her. Although she regretted it almost immediately; after all, if someone presented themselves in such a manner, they undoubtedly had private reasons, and directly inquiring about them would be tantamount to prying into old wounds.

She intended to apologize and tell her not to answer, but Qiu Shuang, at that time, waved her hand with a smile and interrupted her. “There’s nothing to hide.”

Qiu Shuang gazed up at the sun, and while the blinding sunlight pierced her eyes, her gaze remained unwavering. “It’s merely a consequence of some past romantic entanglements.”

This was a woman with a story. Feiluo had mused to herself at the time.

Now, Feiluo faced the gate guarded by this woman of many tales. Observing Qiu Shuang’s utterly content and comfortable posture as she lay in the rocking chair, Feiluo found herself in a predicament. She couldn’t conceive of a method to slip past the gate without alerting Qiu Shuang.

To depart from the Blazing Spirit Sect, to descend the mountain, this main gate was Feiluo’s sole pathway. As a hegemonic power, the Blazing Spirit Sect undoubtedly possessed a sect-protecting grand array. This grand array was like a colossal, invisible bowl, firmly enveloping the entire Blazing Spirit Sect, leaving only a single opening at the main gate for entry and exit. Everywhere else, an invisible, transparent membrane covered the sect’s periphery, commonly known as an ‘air wall’. It not only prevented outsiders from entering but also prevented those within from leaving.

However, the Blazing Spirit Sect disciples harbored no resentment towards this ‘air wall’ that blocked them, as one could simply exit through the main gate; surely no one would forsake the proper gate to traverse a treacherous shaded path.

Indeed, who would ever wish to take such a difficult path?

At this moment, Feiluo, who desperately wished the ‘air wall’ would open a breach for her on the shaded path, let out a sigh of helplessness.

‘What am I to do? I can’t get out!’ Daybreak would soon arrive, and if Moxi discovered her disappearance, she would surely pursue her. Observing the moon’s gradual descent towards the west, Feiluo’s heart grew anxious.

Suddenly, a flash of lightning seemed to strike Feiluo’s mind, and a solution emerged.

‘Right, I’m a phoenix!’

‘I can just fly directly over it, can’t I? Qiu Shuang wouldn’t randomly look up into the sky for no reason.’

‘As long as I conceal my aura and flap my wings subtly, I should go unnoticed.’

Acting on her thought, Feiluo’s mind stirred. In the blink of an eye, the red-haired, golden-eyed loli who had been hiding behind the tree vanished, replaced by a great crimson bird—a phoenix! Its body was covered in fiery red feathers, its form elegant, and its demeanor noble. Though this phoenix appeared rather petite, being just over 1.5 meters tall, it exuded a charming, adorable quality.

Feiluo flexed her left wing, then lifted her right leg, as if warming up for flight. With a beat of her wings, her feet lifted from the ground, and the currents she generated stirred the blades of grass below.

In mere moments, Feiluo had soared high into the sky, her beating wings creating sweeping currents that propelled her onward. Enveloped by the wind, with the boundless sky hers to roam, a profound sense of exhilaration welled within Feiluo. It was as if shackles that had bound her body were all removed, and the sensation of her entire body feeling light and unfettered intoxicated her.

An inexplicable urge arose within her to emit a long cry towards the heavens, to proclaim to the entire world that the king of the skies had appeared. Yet Feiluo suppressed this impulse; she hadn’t forgotten her objective. Once she left the Blazing Spirit Sect, she could cry out as she pleased, no longer needing to worry about being discovered.

With a powerful beat of her wings, the phoenix instantly covered a considerable distance, and in less than a moment, she was soaring above the main gate.

‘Yes! Finally out!’ Joy surged within Feiluo’s heart, and she accelerated her flight, continuing her descent towards the foot of the mountain.

Unbeknownst to her, just as she flew past the airspace above the gate, Qiu Shuang’s perpetually squinted eyes opened fully, her gaze fixed on Feiluo’s position.

“This is… a phoenix? I recall there being only one phoenix within the sect. Could it be Sect Master’s Feiluo?” Qiu Shuang murmured. “Why would she leave the sect so late? And not use the main entrance, but insist on flying over the gate?”

Doubt arose in Qiu Shuang’s heart, and she pulled out her communication jade slip, preparing to report the matter to Moxi. After all, Feiluo leaving the sect so late, and in such a sneaky manner, struck her as highly suspicious. Moreover, as Feiluo was the Sect Master’s disciple, both out of reason and propriety, she ought to report it to Moxi first and let her decide.

Just as she was about to send the message to Moxi, a divine sense message from Moxi entered her ears.

“No need to report; I already know about this.”

‘Already knew?’ Qiu Shuang’s expression froze, and she returned the communication jade slip to her spatial artifact, asking in confusion, “Sect Master, are you and your disciple—”

She hadn’t used a divine sense message when speaking, but Qiu Shuang knew Moxi would certainly hear her words.

As expected, after a brief pause, Moxi’s divine sense message once again entered Qiu Shuang’s ears. “Nothing much, just playing a game with my dear disciple.”

“A game? What kind of game?” Qiu Shuang was startled. She had just imagined hundreds of thousands of romantic scenarios involving ‘She flees, she pursues, she cannot escape even with wings,’ yet she never expected such an answer.

However, Moxi did not continue to answer her questions, seemingly having already departed.