467 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

Chapter 467: The Fickle Feng Di The journey from the Bai Li family to Phoenix Valley took over half a month, and only then did Ye Ling Long arrive at the gates of the Valley. As soon as she entered, Ye Ling Long felt numerous eyes on her. The gazes held no malice, just pure curiosity, as if she were some rare creature. This attention didn't make her uncomfortable; instead, it was somewhat familiar. It reminded her of how she was stared at when she first entered the lower realm's Phoenix Valley. "Are all the phoenixes in Phoenix Valley this gossipy?" she wondered. Perhaps due to the importance of the lower realm's Phoenix Valley, it didn't take long before Ye Ling Long met Feng Di. The moment she walked into the room, Feng Di's eyes fixed on her, his phoenix-like eyes full of scrutiny. Ye Ling Long, unfazed, glanced around but found no trace of Feng Li, her brows involuntarily furrowing. Given that he should know she was coming, Feng Li ought to be here. Was he imprisoned by Feng Di? Pondering this, she attempted to use the power of their contract to locate Feng Li. “Hmph!” A cold snort suddenly echoed, and Ye Ling Long instantly felt an overwhelming pressure descend upon her. Bai Li Ming stepped forward without hesitation, positioning himself protectively in front of Ye Ling Long, "What is Feng Di planning to do to a junior?" Seeing Bai Li Ming's broad shoulders in front of her, Ye Ling Long couldn't help but smile. Though she felt she didn't need protection, this gesture was quite pleasing. "A member of the Bai Li family?" Feng Di retracted his pressure as though it was nothing, his voice smooth and pleasant to the ear. Bai Li Ming nodded, sweat beading on his forehead. Though he was nearly an Immortal Emperor in strength, there was still a difference between him and a true one. Moreover, Feng Di's progression to Immortal Emperor was long-established, making his power unfathomable, unlike any ordinary Immortal Emperor. Ye Ling Long noticed Bai Li Ming's slight tremor and quickly took a heavenly pill from her space, passing it to his mouth. It was a Heavenly Origin Pill she had recently concocted, not the Golden Dragon Bone Refinement Pill, but another early heavenly-grade pill capable of rapidly replenishing lost energy, an indispensable asset for any cultivator in battle. With the pill ingested, Bai Li Ming's previously pale complexion quickly recovered its color. "You needn't waste it so. My injury is not severe enough for heavenly-grade medicine," Bai Li Ming chided Ye Ling Long, though his heart was full of delight. Truly, daughters were more considerate than those roughneck friends of his. "It’s fine; I have more. Pills are meant to be used," Ye Ling Long replied, handing a small jade bottle with two more pills to Bai Li Ming. "Here, keep these with you. I'll make more for you later." Bai Li Ming's grin was impossible to suppress as he gladly accepted the medicine. "Are you a heavenly-grade alchemist?" Feng Di's eyes widened slightly in surprise as he observed Ye Ling Long's casual retrieval of three heavenly-grade pills and her conversation with Bai Li Ming. His expression turned somewhat peculiar. The young girl couldn't be a thousand years old, yet she was already a heavenly-grade alchemist. Ye Ling Long turned and nodded, "That's correct." She continued, "I have explained this before: the contract between Feng Li and me was an accident. I've never taken advantage of the situation, nor have I treated him as a mere familiar. If you cannot accept this, I am willing to dissolve the contract with Feng Li." Ye Ling Long's words were sincere. To her, Feng Li had long been a companion and friend she could fight alongside. At that moment, Mo Lao, now known as Feng Mo due to achieving a breakthrough that rejuvenated his appearance to a middle-aged but handsome man, interjected. "Feng Di, I can vouch that the contract between Feng Li and Ye Ling Long was an accident, and she has never treated Feng Li as a pet." Feng Di remained silent, weighing his thoughts. Initially, he intended to intimidate Ye Ling Long into willingly dissolving the contract, given Feng Li's exceptional bloodline and potential to be the next Feng Di. However, upon learning that Ye Ling Long was a heavenly-grade alchemist, he hesitated. A heavenly-grade alchemist. Such individuals were the pinnacle among alchemists in the immortal realm. As for the legendary divine-grade pills, he had never seen one. Among the phoenixes, they had never lagged behind in cultivation speed or combat, but when it came to alchemy, that was another matter entirely. Despite their formidable bodies and nearly insurmountable cultivation barriers, they had never produced even a single earth-grade alchemist. But there was an old grudge with the Dan Pavilion master; having beaten him senseless once, whom he deemed fragile, the old master pettily vowed not to sell a single pill to the phoenix clan. Though they could still purchase common pills elsewhere, heavenly-grade pills remained elusive. Fortunately, the phoenix's robust bodies faced few hindrances in cultivation, lest the situation grew dire. However, a twist of fate now brought him a heavenly-grade alchemist, bonded to one of their own young phoenixes. This meant she was practically part of Phoenix Valley. With these thoughts, Feng Di regarded Ye Ling Long with unprecedented warmth. Ye Ling Long, feeling a shiver from the gentleness, sidled up to Bai Li Ming and whispered, "Is Feng Di perhaps a bit…" She tapped her temple, leaving the rest unsaid. Bai Li Ming glanced at Feng Di and shook his head, indicating he had never heard such a rumor. "Ahem." Feng Di cleared his throat, his demeanor much more affable than before. "Feng Li has been in seclusion. I'll send for him immediately." After giving the order, Feng Li was soon brought in, full of energy and vitality, his cultivation noticeably increased to the Celestial Monarch level. The first person Feng Li saw was Ye Ling Long at the forefront; however, he did not recognize Feng Mo behind her, given the drastic change in appearance. The moment Feng Li appeared, he exclaimed, "Old man, what is the meaning of this? You’ve captured Ling Long?! Let me tell you, abandon this thought. I will never dissolve our contract unless you kill both of us!" Ye Ling Long, though touched, felt compelled to reassure him that the situation hadn’t escalated that far. Feng Di, unperturbed, replied gently, "You've misunderstood me. I would never force you to break the contract. Since you are willing partners, Ye Ling Long is now akin to one of us in Phoenix Valley." Feng Li froze at this, then stared incredulously at Feng Di, blurting out, "Did something possess you? Or did you take the wrong pills, or perhaps you had a cultivation mishap?" Feng Di: "..."