Chapter 557: Teacher Chun Qiu, How Am I Supposed to Live Without You?
This past month of training has been nothing short of fantastic! Not only did Bai Feng break through to the Merging Stage, but Bai Yu Mo, Yun Yue Yao, Zuo Qiu, and the rest also made it through—well, except for Shui Miao Miao, who, due to slightly less talent, is still stuck in the Refinement Stage but is just a hair away from the Merging Stage.
As for Yu Yao, she didn’t just break through from the Transformation God Stage to the Refinement Stage; she even brushed the edges of the Merging Stage! Talk about dedication—she’s been practically glued to her training and came out of the formation still a bit wobbly.
But the biggest surprise? Su Lan Qian! She miraculously broke through to the Merging Stage just a day before the formation closed. Bai Feng and Chu Chu weren’t particularly shocked, though. Sure, hard work is essential, but catching up to a prodigy with just effort is like trying to outrun a cheetah on a tricycle! Another huge factor in Su Lan Qian’s breakthrough was a thoroughly transformed “stone” Celestial Eye.
After absorbing the power of one Celestial Eye, her spiritual eyes changed a bit, granting her some powers but unfortunately not the mind-reading ability. Bummer!
“Next up, it’s time to show the Divine Monarch’s people what we’re made of. I wonder if the Holy Land is ready,” Bai Feng mused while staring at his communicator, which hadn’t received any new messages. Not receiving info isn’t bad; he still needed time to process all he learned in the formation.
…
“Young Master Bai? You’re finally out of seclusion?” He Yi pushed the door open and practically bounced in with excitement.
“Yep, nothing major happened while I was away, right?” Bai Feng casually asked.
“Nope!” He Yi shook her head and hesitated for a moment before pulling out a fluffy white pillow. “So, I noticed you sometimes take a nap in the room next door, and I made you a pillow from some fluff.”
“Oh, thanks! You’re quite the observant one,” Bai Feng said, taking the pillow. It was super soft and gave off a faint, familiar scent—kind of like when he was riding in He Yi’s presence.
Feeling the soft fluff, he looked at He Yi and asked, “This fluff isn’t from you, is it?”
“Um, yes. I bought some other fluff, but it didn’t feel right. Since you seemed to like petting my feathers, I figured I’d use some of my own to make a pillow. I hope it can keep you company when I’m not around,” He Yi said with a serious expression.
“That sounds… a bit odd,” Bai Feng replied.
“Ah?” He Yi blinked, then realized how awkward that sounded. She quickly shook her head, nervously clarifying, “No, I meant as your mount…”
“I get what you mean,” Bai Feng waved his hand dismissively. “But, really, was it okay for you to take all that fluff?”
“Don’t worry, it’s fine! It’s just a little wasted spirit power. Those special meals you feed me will cover the loss,” He Yi assured him with a serious face.
“Good to know.” Bai Feng nodded, putting the pillow away. “I’d hate for you to end up featherless because of me! How would I rest on something soft and warm while out and about?”
“Ah… Thank you for your concern,” He Yi murmured, instinctively looking away, slightly embarrassed.
Just then, the door swung open again, revealing a little head peeking in.
“Bai Feng, you’re finally done with your seclusion!”
Hu Yi Yi bounded in excitedly when she saw Bai Feng.
“Yeah, what’s up? Did you eat all those meatballs I gave you?”
Bai Feng nodded and asked, though he remembered loading the feeding device with a month and a half’s worth of tiger food. He even rigged it so Hu Yi Yi could let herself feast. There’s no way she finished it.
“No, no! But I do have something else!” Hu Yi Yi hurried to Bai Feng, her expression suddenly serious. “I can’t just keep eating without contributing. Last time in Central Continent, I didn’t help much, so I want to do more! Even if it’s just helping you change clothes!”
“Oh, that’s not necessary,” Bai Feng said, amused by her adorable seriousness. “Trust me, having you help with wardrobe changes would probably leave me tangled up like a pretzel.”
“No way! That’s not good enough for me! I’m restless! Please, let me do anything!” Hu Yi Yi insisted.
“Anything?” Bai Feng stroked his chin, pondering. He couldn’t think of anything for her to do but, gazing into her eager eyes, didn’t want to crush her spirit either. Finally, he relented, “Alright, you can train with me since I’ve been getting into body toughening lately.”
“Yay! No problem!” Hu Yi Yi nodded vigorously, feeling a bit relieved.
During this month, she hadn’t managed to find any solid evidence, so she thought it was time to switch tactics. If stealth wasn’t working, then she’d be overt! As long as she stayed close to Bai Feng, she might stumble upon the evidence she overlooked earlier.
Now, as for her unwavering belief that Bai Feng was a tiger, well, that’s just as solid as her conviction that the tiger in her dreams was real. Hu Yi Yi’s thought process is quite extraordinary, but hey, her instincts are spot on!
……
“Is it just one copy? Teacher Chun Qiu’s updates are getting fewer and farther between…”
Lin Yan sighed, flipping through the book he had in his hands.
Along with the decrease in frequency, Teacher Chun Qiu added a bunch of drawing tutorials, which made the book twice as thick.
It looked like Teacher Chun Qiu was about to stop publishing altogether. If that happened, who knows when he’d see such amazing artwork again?
Chun Qiu, how am I supposed to live without you! Chun Qiu, take me away!
After a mental breakdown, he tucked Chun Qiu away and thanked Bai Feng, “Thanks, Bai Bro! I knew you’d help me buy it!”
“Well, you’ve asked me multiple times already. By the way, what have you been up to? You disappeared for over a month!” Bai Feng waved his hand and asked.
“I went to the Secret Realm to gather some materials, nearly got stuck in there!” Lin Yan sighed, “These new Secret Realms are getting increasingly dangerous!”
Bai Feng silently shot him a glance—was it the Secret Realm that was dangerous or just you? Every time Lin Yan ventured out, it seemed like the realm was either crumbling or dusting itself off!
“Speaking of which, where’s Senior Brother Luo? Didn’t he come with you?”
“I checked this morning; he said he has some things to take care of before coming,” Lin Yan replied just as Luo Chen entered the room, trailing behind a curious fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl.
Bai Feng looked at the little girl peeking out from behind Luo Chen, his mind filled with question marks—who in the world is she? She doesn’t look like Luo Chen’s daughter or anything… Is she an apprentice? A new junior sister? Bringing a little girl to pick up Chun Qiu seems a bit much, don’t you think?
