Chapter 252: The Gift of the Destiny Myriad Bird! (Begging for Guaranteed Monthly Votes)

Hearing the Destiny Myriad Bird speak thus, Zhao Xing was instantly startled in his heart.

The Destiny Myriad Bird actually knows that Great Li has fallen?

In an instant, Zhao Xing felt an impulse to escape immediately.

The Destiny Myriad Bird seemed to have seen through Zhao Xing's thoughts; a hint of mockery appeared in its eyes: "What, surprised? Then isn't your fear a bit late now?"

Zhao Xing forced calmness, clasped his hands, and said, "Indeed, it is somewhat unexpected."

The Destiny Myriad Bird said indifferently, "Rest assured, if I wished to harm you, I could have extinguished your faint life soul the first time you entered fourteen years ago."

"Yet I not only did not do so, but also bestowed a portion of fortune."

Zhao Xing suddenly raised his head: "The fortune of Yan Er was given by you?"

Back then, after he finished consuming the Dao Embryo Pill, he discovered his fortune had changed from Yan One to Yan Two.

At that time, he was puzzled, because the Dao Embryo Pill had no effect of increasing fortune.

He had thought he had obtained a treasure within the Great Dream Academy and inherited part of its fortune, but over these years, he had obtained treasures many times.

There were even sixth-grade Soul Armors and top-tier Great Dream Spring and Autumn cultivation techniques, yet he never saw any increase again.

The reason actually lay with this bird!

The Destiny Myriad Bird pecked at its own feathers: "You have now also learned the Five Fingers of Destiny and the Turtle Divination Coin Method; I stand before you. Calculate it yourself, and you will know."

Zhao Xing activated the Five Fingers of Destiny, reversed the past, and found that the truth was indeed as the Destiny Myriad Bird had said; that fortune was a gift from it.

Zhao Xing's heart sank; this meant that fourteen years ago, he had already been targeted by this bird.

Furthermore, this bird could actually act against the rules?

Logically, a Guardian should not give a challenger a backdoor—it is not a real Destiny Myriad Bird, merely a mechanical beast!

"Thank you, Destiny Guardian, for your gift." Zhao Xing bowed deeply and said, "I wonder what the Guardian my lord requires me to do."

"I indeed have something for you to do."

"You, you don't mean you want me to restore the Great Li state, do you?" Zhao Xing couldn't help but ask.

"Restore the state? Gack gack gack gack~" The Destiny Myriad Bird laughed so hard it couldn't close its mouth, its feathers trembling with the sound.

It pointed one wing at Zhao Xing while covering its belly with the other, as if it had heard the greatest joke in the world.

"Laughing to death! You actually think I would let you restore the Great Li? Gack gack gack gack~"

Zhao Xing: "..."

Being mocked so by a broken bird, Old Master Zhao was also very angry.

Laugh at your grandfather!

Isn't the normal process always like this?

Since you are the Destiny Guardian and know the Great Li has already fallen, if you bestow fortune, isn't it for restoration? What else could it be for?

Could it be purely for amusement?

After laughing for quite a while, the Destiny Myriad Bird finally stopped.

Zhao Xing asked again, "I wonder what the Guardian my lord requires me to do."

He had to figure out this bird's intentions; otherwise, he truly would not dare to come to the Great Dream Academy again.

"Do not call me Destiny Guardian! Guard what the hell! That bastard Yang Yanzhen made me guard for tens of thousands of years!" The Destiny Myriad Bird suddenly roared in anger. "Is this any different from imprisonment?"

Zhao Xing was stunned; this mechanical Myriad Bird had not only developed its own spiritual intelligence but also generated the seven emotions and six desires?

"Then... Senior?"

Seeing the Destiny Myriad Bird tacitly approve this title, Zhao Xing said, "Please instruct this junior, Senior."

"Your current strength is too weak." The Destiny Myriad Bird snorted, "You can't help me at all."

Zhao Xing pondered, "At the very least, I should know the direction of my efforts."

The Destiny Myriad Bird tilted its head: "Hmm, that actually makes some sense..."

"Very well, then I shall tell you. What I require you to do is find the supreme treasure 'One Dream Heaven and Earth' and then release me."

"However, you are only at the Fifth Grade now; obviously, you cannot do it at all."

"How does Senior know this supreme treasure is not in my possession?"

"Nonsense. If you possessed the supreme treasure, it would not be just my life soul entering, but my true body." The Destiny Myriad Bird snorted, "Hmph, you want to trick me into speaking? I'll tell you anyway; this supreme treasure is currently in a heavily guarded place, with at least a dozen First Grades studying it."

"There is a little fellow who is very stubborn, even pumping decades of primal energy into the supreme treasure."

"And another fellow who unraveled a two-hundred-year formation, yet hasn't even understood the most superficial decorative runes."

"..."

"In short, this supreme treasure is definitely not in your hands, but in the possession of a super-powerful faction or within the palace of a new fortune dynasty."

"You just reached the Fifth Grade; what can you do?" The Destiny Myriad Bird sneered, "Even during the Great Li period, you wouldn't even have the qualification to write a letter to the Emperor; the variables are too great."

Zhao Xing was speechless; let alone the Great Li, even now he did not have the qualification to write a letter to Emperor Jing for a report.

Only non-commissioned officials who reached the level of Guangyi Physician, such as the Fourth Grade Tantai Ming, had the qualification to write directly to the Emperor himself.

Otherwise, one must follow the proper procedure: first report to the Prefecture, the Prefecture reports to the Prefect (if a Prefecture is established), then submit to the Central Government, which reports to Emperor Jing.

The military path is to report to a Division Commander, who reports to the Regent King within the Cave Heaven (if there is no Regent King, then it is the Wu Hou, which is usually the case), and then report to the thirty-three Ruling Kings of the Martial Realm (the former Luo Hou Wang, Ling De Wang, and Tian Yan Wang were Ruling Kings, handling administrative affairs related to the Pingman Great War, later replaced by Luo Hou Wang, Xin Wang, and Anning Wang).

The thirty-three Ruling Kings all have the qualification to write directly to Emperor Jing or meet him face-to-face.

Are there other channels? Yes, but the two most common for civil and military officials are these; the others are relatively niche.

If in Fengtian Prefecture, one could strike the 'Sky-Piercing Drum', but this is only for major grievances; in reality, it is merely a prop, and there is no possibility of letting you strike it.

When meeting Emperor Jing in the Tianxin Hall during the ennoblement ceremony, one could shout 'Your Majesty, I have a major matter to report', but that occasion would be very Tang Tu; whether he listens is another matter, because that is purely a pre-set projection of Emperor Jing.

In short, the only legitimate, reasonable, and cost-free channels are the two mentioned above.

However, as the Destiny Myriad Bird said, the variables are too great.

If the report reaches a Regent King like Luo Hou Wang, that would be fine; but if it reaches a Regent King like Liang Wang, it is equivalent to using one's ultimate move to deliver oneself.

"So it seems the fellow who was enfeoffed as Marquis Xian in his past life could find an opportunity to meet Wu Di, likely thanks to the will of the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird..." Zhao Xing thought silently.

"My purpose is to leave this cage," the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird said. "You possess the One Dream World, which can set me free."

The Heavenly Mandate Black Bird had not yet considered having Zhao Xing report this choice.

First, because the variables in between were too great and unreliable.

Second, Zhao Xing was weak; even giving him a small favor would create a great karmic debt, and once Zhao Xing grew strong, he would naturally have to repay it.

Even if Zhao Xing successfully met the Emperor, the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird had no qualification to make a deal with the Emperor.

Such small benefits might not even catch the Emperor's eye; he might instead impose harsh conditions, or even erase its spiritual intelligence and keep it here as a gatekeeper.

In short, in the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird's current calculations, it had never considered the path of having Zhao Xing report this.

Instead, it was the other path: let Zhao Xing grow strong, and seize or demand the One Dream World, which would be more secure.

Because Zhao Xing's cultivation speed was fast; fourteen years ago he was not yet entered the ranked realm, and now he was already at the peak of the Fifth Rank.

"Speaking of this now is too far off," the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird said. "Didn't you just ask why you cannot see the Shennong Hall?"

"Yes, please enlighten this senior," Zhao Xing said, pulling his attention back and temporarily setting aside other thoughts.

"Before the Great Li was destroyed, the Shennong Hall was naturally intact."

"After the Great Li was destroyed, the situation changed." The Heavenly Mandate Black Bird exhaled a mouthful of mist, which formed a mirror image in the air.

"At the moment of destruction, the Great Dream Academy dispersed everyone and performed a sealing, after which it was handed over by Emperor Li Yuan to Crown Prince Yang Yanzhen."

"Yang Yanzhen fled north with it, attempting to use it to restore the kingdom."

"Among them, the vast majority of treasures were consumed within a thousand years, especially the treasures in the Shennong Hall, the Samsara Hall, and the Fate Palace, which were depleted most severely."

"In the end, he failed to restore the kingdom."

"At the moment of his death, he passed this treasure down for several generations; another thousand years passed, and this treasure completely left the Yang family's hands."

"The supreme treasure hid itself; for over thirty thousand years, the One Dream World remained in one location, motionless."

"I guess it must have fallen into some extreme environment."

The Heavenly Mandate Black Bird exhaled mist, presenting some blurry images; these were formed by combining certain perceptions and calculations it had made inside the supreme treasure.

Zhao Xing initially saw scenes of war that destroyed heaven and earth, but later there was only silent coldness and darkness; this period must refer to those thirty thousand years.

"Yang Yanzhen, this waste, had average strength," the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird said. "He consumed a vast amount of the treasures from the three halls, yet could not make anything of it, and died not long after."

"However, as I said, he was a waste with average strength and did not fully master this divine artifact, so the checkpoints storing high-rank treasures in the Samsara Hall, the Fate Palace, and the Shennong Hall remained completely untouched."

"Even some middle three ranks treasures remain."

"Then why can I see the Samsara Hall and the Fate Palace, but not the Shennong Hall?"

"Do not interrupt me," the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird glared at Zhao Xing. "Just listen properly."

"Sorry," Zhao Xing quickly apologized, while silently flipping the bird the middle finger in his heart.

"The Shennong Hall is different from the other halls," the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird said. "The treasures stored inside are mostly seeds and seedlings; they are basically living beings."

"Living beings of the middle three ranks and low three ranks, even if the supreme treasure is preserved perfectly, simply cannot survive for tens of thousands of years."

"Although the One Dream World is a treasure crafted from fragments of a small world, it is ultimately not a true world."

"After the first ten thousand years, these seeds and seedlings were basically all dead."

"After the second ten thousand years, the last sixth-rank plant died; there were no rewards left, and the corresponding lower-rank and middle-rank challenge checkpoints lost their effect."

Zhao Xing suddenly understood.

No wonder I couldn't see them; it turns out the middle and lower three ranks checkpoints became inactive because the rewards were gone.

The challenge mechanism within the Great Dream Academy also carried danger.

If the Great Li had not been destroyed, someone could replenish or replace the prizes, and it would naturally operate normally.

But after the destruction, who could replenish them?

The Great Li has existed for fifty thousand years now; except for the high-rank treasures, the corresponding checkpoints in the Shennong Hall cannot be activated.

"If it were a seventh-rank great tree, living for fifty thousand years would not be strange," Zhao Xing thought silently. "The records in Shangluo Academy mention many seventh-rank tree-type lives that have lived over ten thousand years, let alone eighth-rank, ninth-rank, or even... super-ninth-rank existences."

"According to this stupid bird's words, there are still high-rank treasures to be taken inside the Shennong Hall; it's just that my current strength is insufficient, so this checkpoint has not appeared."

Thinking of this, Zhao Xing suddenly saw the light and decided to take his leave: "Thank you, senior, for enlightening me. If the senior has no other instructions, this junior will take his leave first."

"Stop, what are you in such a hurry for?" the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird said.

"What other instructions does the senior have?" Zhao Xing thought helplessly.

"None."

"..."

Zhao Xing was speechless; if there were none, why did you tell me to stop?

The Heavenly Mandate Black Bird looked sideways and said, "Aren't you going to the Shennong Hall?"

Zhao Xing was stunned: "Senior, I can't go there now, can I? I am only Fifth Rank now."

"You cannot go, but I can help you snatch a treasure," the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird said.

"What?" Zhao Xing was shocked. "Senior can..."

It actually possessed not only independent thinking ability but also the seven emotions and six desires, and could even violate the guardian's rules? To steal other treasures?

What had this mechanical black bird experienced? The version was too advanced... Mechanical beasts awakening should be a phenomenon appearing several versions after the revival of spiritual energy, shouldn't it?

"Of course, my fate is determined by me, not by heaven!" The Heavenly Mandate Black Bird raised its head: "How can mere rules trap me?"

"Senior's divine skill covers the world; this junior admires you," Zhao Xing flattered.

"Gaga, do you want it?" the Heavenly Mandate Black Bird asked. "If you want it, I will fetch a treasure for you."

"Can I not want it?"

The Heavenly Mandate Black Bird suddenly stared at Zhao Xing and said viciously, "It is too late even if you don't want it; now you must!"

Zhao Xing nodded and said, "Then please, senior, state the conditions."

The Destiny Black Bird spat out a roll of golden paper, which fell before Zhao Xing, then pointed and said, "You must sign the Dream God Contract and swear that in the future you will do your utmost to help me break free!"

"If you sign, this Seat will do everything possible to help you grow."

Zhao Xing took the Fate Soul Contract and looked; he found that the contents indeed only involved helping the Destiny Black Bird break free, with nothing else.

With no other choice at this moment, he could only place his hand on the Fate Soul Contract and swear, "Before the Dream God, I swear by my Fate Soul: when the time is right and my strength is sufficient, I will certainly help the senior Destiny Black Bird escape the Great Dream Academy! If I break this oath, my three souls shall be annihilated!"

Seeing Zhao Xing finish his oath, the Destiny Black Bird also jumped down, placed its claw on the contract, and raised its wing: "Before the Dream God, I swear by my freedom: I will do my utmost to help Zhao Xing obtain the treasures within the Great Dream Academy. If I break this oath, I shall never escape the cage!"

The contract was sealed; both Zhao Xing and the Destiny Black Bird breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Xing had been afraid this foolish bird would do something terrible to him, turning a fine treasure ground into a graveyard.

Now, with the contract binding them, there was at least no need to worry.

The Destiny Black Bird was also afraid of waiting another few tens of thousands of years; since awakening self-awareness, it had truly grown tired of this imprisoned life.

It could not actively contact the outside world; it could sense, but not communicate, and could only wait for someone to enter the Great Dream Academy.

Now that an agreement was reached, both sides had gained benefits.

"Senior, what treasure will you give me?" Zhao Xing asked. Not having to struggle and work hard to break through trials was naturally even better.

"I don't know." The Destiny Black Bird shook its head.

"..."

You don't know? Are you playing with me?

Zhao Xing felt this foolish bird's brain was a bit abnormal; if you don't know, what guarantee are you giving me?

He had the feeling of having boarded a bandit's ship.

The Destiny Black Bird said, "Although I can fly out and enter the Shennong Hall, I have not been there for a very long time."

"Defying the Guardian's rules also requires paying a price."

Zhao Xing inwardly scoffed: What happened to "my fate is determined by me, not by heaven"? Up until now, you were full of confidence, saying things like "mere rules, how could they affect me"... so it turns out you haven't completely broken free from the constraints either.

However, this was also a good thing.

If the Destiny Black Bird had completely broken the rule constraints, then he truly would not dare to enter again afterward. Who knew whether it could break the Dream God Contract just now?

Now it seemed it was not fake.

The Marquis of Sacrifice from his previous life had also lived well in the end.

"Then please, senior, cast your spell." Zhao Xing said, clasping his hands.

"Wait here." The Destiny Black Bird flapped its wings and took flight.

As it took off, its form continuously grew larger.

Originally only the size of a head, in the blink of an eye, its spread wings exceeded twenty meters.

Its feathers were cyan, with pale golden energy streams interwoven on its forehead, like wearing Wang Guan; its wings and claws were lifelike, showing no sign at all of being an automaton beast.

But Zhao Xing could be certain the Destiny Black Bird was definitely an automaton beast.

Because the lifespan of the Destiny Black Bird did not exceed ten thousand years.

It could not live longer than plant life.

Only such an automaton beast could endure so long.

"Vmm~"

When the Destiny Black Bird flew out, Zhao Xing could clearly see sparks splashing up from its body.

Heaven and Earth changed violently; clouds and mist churned, as if pressing the Destiny Black Bird back.

"Gah!"

The Destiny Black Bird opened its mouth, spat out a stream of seven-colored mist, then continued flying forward.

This mist wrapped around its entire body, and it quickly flew into the clouds and mist.

Since I am here, I must be at peace; using the knowledge from his previous life, Zhao Xing examined everything that had just happened, confirming that the opportunity outweighed the danger, which was why he did not immediately retreat.

He could not bear to easily let go of this treasure, the Great Dream Academy.

Some things were unobtainable by Liu Tianning, Princess Youruo, and the others.

Items like the Fate Soul Pill and the Dao Embryo Pill belonged to the category of out-of-print goods.

They could not be made during the Great Zhou period because the method had been lost.

Just think of the period before the founding of Great Zhou; the War of Ten Thousand States! How chaotic must it have been? Many treasures and inheritances were destroyed in the fighting.

The waiting time was long; even Old Master Zhao, who had seen much and known much, could not help feeling somewhat uneasy at this moment.

It seemed as if an epoch had passed before a sound of flapping wings finally came from outside the door.

Zhao Xing looked up and saw the Destiny Black Bird emerge from a mass of thunderclouds.

The terrifying pressure of Heaven and Earth that had existed before appeared once more, and it chased after the Destiny Black Bird.

"This treasure, the Great Dream Academy, is truly extraordinary," Zhao Xing thought inwardly. "If used as a war machine, it could probably produce extraordinary effects, and it could also be applied to education."

"Boom~"

Amidst the pursuit of the thunderclouds, the Destiny Black Bird's body rapidly shrank, and it nearly fell headfirst into the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion.

After it entered, that terrifying pressure instantly vanished, as if the scene previously seen had been an illusion.

"Senior, how are you? Are you alright?"

"Gah~" The Destiny Black Bird lay on the ground, opened its mouth slightly; at this moment, its demeanor was somewhat listless, no longer radiant as before. Even Zhao Xing could see it had been injured.

It seemed it indeed had not completely broken free from the constraints; once it stepped out of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, it would suffer severe injury.

After waiting quite a while, the Destiny Black Bird finally recovered its strength.

"Young one, this Seat risked my very life for you."

"Senior's great kindness and virtue, this junior will never forget in my lifetime," Zhao Xing said, clasping his hands.

The Destiny Black Bird tilted its head: "I understand great gratitude, but what does 'never forget even when teeth fall out' mean?"

"..."

Zhao Xing clasped his hands and said: "It means even when I am old and my teeth have all fallen out, I will not forget your kindness."

"Your words are very strange. You are already in the Fifth Rank Pure Origin Realm; when you die of old age, your appearance will not be too withered." The Destiny Black Bird patted its wings. "Truly strange and peculiar."

Zhao Xing clasped his hands: "The senior is right to reprimand me."

The Destiny Black Bird said: "I just went to the Shennong Hall. There is good news and bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

"The bad news."

"The bad news is that there is not much you can use now, and I cannot bring back much either. At the very least, I cannot pull up that Primordial Spirit Tree." The Destiny Black Bird said.

"Primordial Spirit Tree?" Zhao Xing was stunned, then asked cautiously: "Is it the tree with a crystal-clear trunk where veins are visible, broad leaves like fans, fruits like peaches, and three thousand feet tall?"

"Hmm? You know quite a lot." The Destiny Black Bird said: "Correct, it is indeed that one."

"There is actually a Primordial Spirit Tree growing here?" Zhao Xing was utterly stunned. Moreover, having lived for tens of thousands of years, it is absolutely the greatest treasure.

Could it be that the Wu Di of the previous life obtained this tree and used it for Liu Tianning, which is why his Straw Man Technique could rise to the ultimate level?

"What is there to be so surprised about?" The Destiny Black Bird said: "As long as you help me escape my confinement in the future, not only this rare treasure, but all the treasures will be yours!"

The Destiny Black Bird painted a big pie for Zhao Xing, but Zhao Xing actually swallowed it.

Because the effect of the Primordial Spirit Tree is very strong; it can greatly increase the Fate Soul and even help break through the First Rank Realm boundary.

Once in the First Rank Realm, treasures that can increase the Fate Soul are already rare, and the Primordial Spirit Tree is one of them.

Furthermore, if one can carry it alive until the era of Spiritual Qi Resurgence, the effects of this Primordial Spirit Tree go far beyond this.

"Senior, what about the good news?" Zhao Xing asked.

"The good news is that this Seat has still brought back three treasures for you, one of which is the Primordial Spirit Fruit."

The Destiny Black Bird opened its mouth and spat out three pink fruits the size of an infant's head, resembling peaches.

"It really is the Primordial Spirit Fruit!" Zhao Xing trembled as he took them, overjoyed.

Just smelling the fragrance twice at this moment, he could feel his spirit refreshed.

And he got three at once!

It was simply great luck!

After accepting the Primordial Spirit Fruit, Zhao Xing asked with full expectation: "Senior, what about the other two kinds?"