boyutpedia Chapter 162 The Phoenix Will Not Perch on Anything But the Wutong Tree
Chapter 162 The Phoenix Will Not Perch on Anything But the Wutong Tree
Six flying orcs soared through the summer sun, led by Blue, who carried no one on his back. None of the group had ever been to the Eagle Beast Tribe; Blue was the only orc who had, so he was responsible for leading the way and scouting. Flame brought up the rear, also serving as a lookout.
Yao's phoenix beast was enormous, with a wingspan of ten meters. Its feathers were golden-red, and its wings shimmered with golden light, as dazzling as burning flames. Only its tail was a shimmering, multicolored brilliance. Lin Ni lay on his warm back, feeling even more comfortable than on her expensive latex mattress at home.
Lin Ni looked back and saw Ye and the others riding on the backs of these black and brown eagle-like beasts, following behind the shimmering phoenix flying eastward. It looked a bit like four beat-up cars following a luxury car, and the thought made her chuckle. She had only ever ridden on Yan's back before, but that meant she could only sit or lie down. Yao's back was different; she could lie down, and when she got tired, she could lie on her side or lie down, or sit up—it was incredibly comfortable! Lin Ni rolled over and then touched his beautiful feathers again. As she rubbed against him, Yao turned to look at her several times, finally asking, "Little Ni, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Linni played with his feathers, which shimmered golden in the sunlight: "No!"
After speaking, she looked up at Yao again. When he spoke, it was as if he was holding her and whispering in her ear, which she found very novel.
Previously, Yan couldn't speak in his beast form, so he couldn't communicate with her while flying. Later, after he reached level eight, he could speak in his beast form, but his voice would be carried away by the wind while flying, and he would have to speak loudly to be heard clearly. Shouting and chatting high in the sky didn't seem like a good idea, so when Lin Ni was on Yan's back, they didn't chat together except for necessary communication.
Yao's beautiful phoenix eyes—truly phoenix eyes—were filled with joy and a hint of shyness: "So you want to...with me..."
Looking into his eyes and hearing his hesitant words, Lin Ni couldn't help but blush a little: "No, I just think your beast form is very beautiful. The phoenix truly lives up to its name as a divine bird, it's so beautiful!" After saying that, she felt a little embarrassed and buried her face in his soft, warm feathers.
Yao's voice sounded very pleasant: "Lin likes my beast form, so I will stay with you in my beast form tonight."
Lin Ni recalled the scene of Bai "accompanying" her in his beast form while she "rested," and her face flushed. She hugged Yao tightly and stammered, "I... I can't accept being with him in his beast form, that..."
Yao couldn't help but chuckle softly: "Okay, I understand!"
Linni patted his back: "What are you laughing at!"
Yao naturally couldn't tell her, "I didn't intend to be intimate with you in beast form; you're overthinking it." If he said that, Lin Ni probably wouldn't sleep with him that night. So, he tried to speak calmly, "The higher the male's rank, the larger their beast form, which is extremely incompatible with a female's physique. It's right that you don't accept it. No matter how much Bai and the others pester you, you absolutely must not agree, or you'll easily get hurt."
Hearing his serious words, Lin Ni realized she had misunderstood him. However, since he spoke so formally, she no longer felt that ambiguous shyness, so she nodded earnestly and said, "I understand."
Ye knew she was afraid of his beast form, so she wouldn't bother her. As for Bai, she absolutely couldn't agree to it. She seemed to remember that tigers had barbs in that area, and his tiger form was nearly four meters long. How big would that thing be? She absolutely couldn't accept it! Yan's beast form was a bit bigger than before, so sitting on his back should be more comfortable than before, but she really couldn't accept anything about humans and beasts.
After a while, Yao asked again, "Xiao Ni, you said this morning in the Eagle Beast Tribe that the phoenix is the king of all birds. Were you lying to them?"
Linni, tired of lying down, rolled over and lay on her side on Yao's back. Although lying on her back was more comfortable, it was almost noon, and she dared not face the sun. Luckily, she had worn a raincoat/sunscreen made from Night's snake slough before setting off, otherwise she feared she would have sunburned to death. Actually, with Yao's rapid flight and the wind blowing around her, she didn't feel too uncomfortable from the heat. It was about the fortieth day of summer, arguably the hottest time of the year on the Beastman Continent. Being exposed to the scorching sun could easily cause sunburn and peeling. However, although summer was hot and sunny, there were occasional showers, so everyone could generally get through it; the dry season, on the other hand, was a different story. Drought and extreme heat would kill many Beastmen with heat or thirst.
Lin Ni covered her face with the snake skin, recalling the legends about the phoenix in her memory, and slowly began to speak: "No, there are many ancient legends about the phoenix in our China. Since no one has ever really seen a phoenix, I don't know if they are true or not."
Yao said, "Then just say something."
Lin Ni said, "The legend of the phoenix, a mythical beast, is even older than that of the Four Symbols. Some say the phoenix's status is far lower than the Vermilion Bird's, because the Four Symbols guard their respective regions. However, others say the phoenix is superior to the Vermilion Bird, because the Vermilion Bird is also a bird, while the phoenix is the king of all birds. The legend of all birds paying homage to the phoenix has existed since ancient times. Furthermore, the phoenix is a symbol of good fortune and harmony; its appearance often signifies auspiciousness and the arrival of a peaceful and prosperous era. The phoenix and the dragon are two of the noblest mythical beasts, representing the highest power and status. The phoenix is also known as the 'immortal bird,' capable of rebirth through flames. It is said that 'the phoenix will not perch on anything but the parasol tree, will not eat anything but bamboo seeds, and will not drink anything but clear spring water.' It is an extremely noble and sacred being. There are actually many stories about the phoenix: such as 'the phoenix flies together,' 'the phoenix arrives in auspicious ceremonies,' 'as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns,' 'the dragon flies and the phoenix dances,' 'the dragon and the phoenix bring good fortune,' etc. In short, the phoenix is almost synonymous with the embodiment of beauty."
Yao said somewhat absentmindedly, "I'm not that wonderful."
Lin Ni leaned down and hugged him, saying, "You're just that good in my heart!" Then she suddenly thought of another legend about the phoenix and asked directly, "The legend says that the phoenix is male and the female is female, and together they are the phoenix. Do you think there might still exist a female human or beast that is a phoenix on the beastman continent?"
Yao froze for a moment upon hearing this. He said, "No, I am the only phoenix on the Beastman Continent. I am not a phoenix, I am a phoenix."
Linni asked, somewhat puzzled, "You didn't even know you had a beast form before, so how can you be so sure now that there aren't any other phoenixes or dragons?"
Yao: "I think there isn't. Even if there were, I would only be your partner, and I don't want any other female phoenixes."
Linni said firmly, "Of course, you are my Yao! No one can take you away from me."
Because her loved one could accompany her and chat along the way, Linni felt that the journey to the Beast Carving Tribe passed by especially quickly.