Chapter 628 - 627: The First Step to Becoming a Saint Emperor, Fire Phoenix

Refining an entire heaven and earth would not be a swift process, of course.

But from the moment Li Jing governed the entirety of the rift space, everything followed his command.

All the individuals who were present in the rift space, including the treasure hunters from Nightly City, were immediately "escorted" out.

Concurrently,

Due to the absorption of the rift space into the Little Universe, its external exits also disappeared.

No one would disturb Li Jing’s refining process.

Chen Yuran could pass his tribulation without worry.

There was plenty of time.

...

As time passed,

The rift space was gradually consumed and refined, progressively showing signs of an amalgamation with the Little Universe.

In the end,

It transformed from an immeasurable flat line horizon into a grey planet, taking the form of a satellite that was slowly rotating around its parent planet - the blue planet that evolved from the Little Universe.

In the midst of this,

The blue planet and the grey planet resonated with each other.

The vigorous vitality emitted by the four Life Trees influenced the grey planet, which was almost barren due to the perpetual darkness caused by the Candle Dragon’s slumber.

The surface of the planet quickly turned verdant green.

Many weak lifeforms evolved and appeared, becoming the first batch of native living beings of the grey planet after its incorporation into the Little Universe.

The lifeforms that originated from the rift space also showed transformation under the influence of their mother planet.

Some evolved into Spiritual Beasts, and others into monsters or beasts.

With an additional "satellite", the blue planet transformed from the Little Universe also underwent a significant transformation.

First, tidal laws that previously didn’t exist started to manifest, followed by the manifestation of many other relevant rules. Many indigenous species of the Little Universe underwent evolution through this.

The most miraculous thing was,

After the blue planet and grey planet resonated and caused numerous changes, a fiery red hue appeared in the depths of the starry sky.

With the appearance of this fiery red hue,

A real sun was present in the Little Universe, where previously, the rise and fall of the sun were just illusions.

There were now sunrises and sunsets.

The appearance of this sun once again instigated earth-shattering changes in the Little Universe.

The boundless starry sky quietly expanded, showing a trend towards developing into a vast universe.

The lifeforms on the blue and grey planets that had just undergone a transformation welcomed new changes again.

For day and night,

Lifeforms evolved to have phototaxis.

Active during the day,

Resting during the night,

Lifeforms evolved to have a preference for darkness.

Moving around at dusk,

Sleeping during dawn,

Correspondingly, significant changes appeared in plant species.

These modifications seemed to make everything look naturally more reasonable, providing a larger growth space for many living creatures and vegetation.

A small portion of these lifeforms and vegetation even metamorphosed into new species through these changes.

Observing all of this, Li Jing gained enlightenment.

His unexpected steps forward, prompted by his own habits, were the necessary path to becoming a God Emperor.

His journey however,

Was different from others’

Li Jing did not know what conditions were needed to become a legitimate God Emperor.

But he knew,

That apart from him, there was likely no other existence that has both the Chaos Qi and the clear qi birthed from the Shangqing Longevity Method, which he received from the Yaochi inheritance.

To want to refine an external heaven and earth,

Both were indispensable.

Therefore,

He was the first and only entity to reach the status of God Emperor in this way.

Feeling the numerous changes within the Little Universe, Li Jing chose to end his meditation and recall his senses.

He did not know how much time had passed.

But he thought it must have been quite a long period.

It was time he woke up.

He could not continue any longer.

Opening his eyes,

Chen Yuran, who originally was in the middle of his tribulation, was no longer present.

The next moment,

Li Jing sensed something and involuntarily furrowed his brows.

Moving slightly, he instantly traveled from the grey planet to a high-class apartment in Sky City, located on the blue mother planet.

Just at that moment,

There was a loud bang from the kitchen, and the kitchen’s sliding door was ejected due to a pressure it shouldn’t have had to withstand.

Seeing the situation, Li Jing’s lips twitched slightly, and with a movement of his mind, he halted the sliding door that was flying directly towards his face.

At the same time,

Chen Yuran was coughing and quickly walking out of the just "exploded" kitchen, holding a little girl in a cloud of black smoke.

Upon seeing Li Jing, she paused briefly before breaking into a smile.

"Have you finished?" she asked.

"Hmm,"

Li Jing replied with a smile, then turned his gaze onto the girl in her arms.

At first glance,

This girl’s features were 60% similar to his own...

Seeing this situation, Li Jing was more than just a little stunned.

Not only did the girl resemble him,

Just by making eye contact, Li Jing felt a familial bond that was much stronger than any other.

His intuition told him,

That this was his own daughter.

So the question was...

When did he have this daughter?

Looking at the Health Bar with 4217 on it above the girl’s head, Li Jing could not help but think of Yulian.

She has a Health Bar.

So it couldn’t have been birthed by Chen Yuran, who had been studying diligently and practicing every day.

And it couldn’t have possibly been Liu Sisi’s.

It could only be Yulian’s...

But the problem was, if Yulian had given birth to her, would she have let Chen Yuran, who was capable of blowing up a kitchen anytime, take care of her?

While Li Jing looked at the girl, she looked back at him.

All of a sudden, the girl stretched out both of her hands, giggling.

"Daddy, hug," she said.

"..."

Li Jing,

Well...

He just couldn’t refuse.

Seeing the girl and father’s eyes meet, and the girl calling out for a hug, Chen Yuran came over with a smile and handed the girl to him.

Seeing this, Li Jing subconsciously reached out and took the girl.

Then, he turned his gaze towards Chen Yuran.

Just as he was about to ask, she gave a playful smile.

"Don’t look at me, you’re the one who gave birth to her."

?

Li Jing.

What the heck?

He birthed her?

Don’t talk about him not having this function.

He has always been in deep meditation in order to refine the rift space.

When did he have the free time to spawn a child?

While he was completely baffled, Li Jing suddenly stiffened.

The Fire Phoenix egg in his sea of consciousness was gone.

Looking down in disbelief, Li Jing made eye contact with the little girl in his arms.

When she noticed his gaze, the girl blinked her big eyes, which were akin to gems, and tilted her head with a cute expression.

Following this action.

Li Jing noticed a mark similar to that of a Blue Phoenix embedded in the girl’s forehead beneath her bangs.

Holy crap!

So, this brat is a Fire Phoenix!?

That scared the hell out of him.

Li Jing, torn between laughter and tears, looked at Chen Yuran.

"When did this little chap emerge?"

"Around half a month ago."

Chen Yuran replied, then looked out of the window and added.

"To be precise, she was not born from you, but emerged from a newly born sun within the Little Universe."

?

Li Jing.

Oh boy.

Is it really this complicated?

If the Fire Phoenix ran out of a newly-born sun, then perhaps the appearance of this sun was essentially related to this little one.

Looking at the little girl in his arms who had innocently blackened her face with an explosion, Li Jing unconsciously held her tighter and asked Chen Yuran.

"How long did I stay in meditation this time?"

"About six months."

Chen Yuran responded.

"Half a year!?"

Li Jing was dumbfounded. "Has it really been that long?"

"Indeed. There are several matters waiting for your attention outside."

Chen Yuran chuckled and continued.

"Two months ago, we received news from the Southern Monster Realm. They found many key materials that could be used in the Blue Star industries. Jin Ling and Jin Yue led a team there for mining and refining."

Li Jing raised his eyebrows upon hearing this.

Just when he was about to say something, Chen Yuran spoke again.

"However, you don’t need to worry about this. Sister Ayu has already completed her tribulation early and is outside. The deputy sect leader you appointed, Li Lingyin, has also assumed her duties. They are in charge of everything, and Ji Qing is also helping."

After saying this, she gave a teasing smile.

"What you should be worried about is Sister Blue Phoenix."

?

Li Jing was confused, then frowned.

That’s right.

The Fire Phoenix has been reborn.

Where did Blue Phoenix go, who had been eagerly waiting for this day?

He tried to sense the Little Universe subconsciously.

Li Jing could not detect Blue Phoenix’s presence.

Taken aback, Li Jing looked at Chen Yuran and asked.

"Where... where did Blue Phoenix go?"

"She’s heartbroken and drowning her sorrows outside."

Chen Yuran shrugged her shoulders.

?

Li Jing.

Before he could ask anything, Chen Yuran laughed and softly tapped the baby Fire Phoenix’s tender face.

"Fire Phoenix does not have memories from her past lives. You should know that birds instinctively recognize the first person they see when they are born as their parents. As her father, you’re definitely not mistaken. As for her mother... it so happened that I was the one beside you at that time."

"..."

Li Jing.

The explanation was reasonable.

So.

Blue Phoenix is upset now?

But, Li Jing thought for a bit.

After the Fire Phoenix "settled" in his consciousness, Blue Phoenix never left the Little Universe for even a moment.

That was likely for the Fire Phoenix’s arrival, wasn’t it?

She...

Must have known from the beginning that the reborn Fire Phoenix would have no past life memories, and would regard the first person they see as their parents...

Isn’t that going to be a bit awkward?

The moment there were signs of the Fire Phoenix about to be born, Li Jing should have immediately informed Blue Phoenix. They had agreed on this beforehand.

But when the little one ran out, he was in deep meditation.

Looking at Li Jing’s stiff face, Chen Yuran giggled and said.

"Why don’t you go outside and find Blue Phoenix with the little one? I will clean up this kitchen, and will come find you later."

Li Jing absentmindedly agreed.

But, upon glancing at the still smoke-filled kitchen, he silently decided to give the Fire Phoenix to Chen Yuran.

"I’ll do it myself. Just sit quietly, don’t create another explosion."

At his words, Chen Yuran blinked and replied with an "oh", while carrying the Fire Phoenix towards the bathroom, leaving behind only a sentence.

"Then I’ll take the little one to wash her face."

Li Jing turned and watched her leave, then rubbed his temples and walked into the kitchen.

As soon as he stepped in.

He was stunned.

The Spirit Qi stove was reduced to a mere frame.

The Spirit Qi bottle next to it was ripped open...

All around the kitchen, various cooking utensils had been fragmented due to the explosion, leaving behind shattered pieces.

This...

How did this happen?

Li Jing pondered, then shrugged it off.

Chen Yuran’s infamous title, "Kitchen Killer," was gained during their time on Blue Star.

The main reason she never stepped into the kitchen.

Instead of using the world power of the Little Universe to clean up this explosion site, Li Jing chose to do it himself.

He was omnipotent within the Little Universe.

But using such convenient powers for every little thing was not a good sign.

...

After a thorough clean-up, Li Jing left the Little Universe with Chen Yuran and the Fire Phoenix, who were waiting in the living room, and returned to Chen Tang City.

There had been a lot of changes in Chen Tang City over these six months.

The first notable change was the increase in population.

Coming and going, it was no longer just the people from the Immortal Music Palace and Ta Xue Trading Company.

On the road.

There are many new faces in uniform.

Most of them are in school uniform.

The badges on their uniform bear the words "Star God" or "Qingyuan".

It’s clear.

These new faces are the new disciples recruited by the Star God Temple and the Qingyuan Fairy Palace respectively.

It’s obvious.

In the half a year of his absence, Sikong Lu and Longxu have worked hard to rebuild their own houses.

At a glance.

Although these new faces have varying cultivation levels, many of them are beginners with a cultivation level of only the One Realm.

But there are really a lot of them.

With people.

What else is there to say?

Given time, they will grow.

Apart from people.

Chen Tang City has undergone a lot of expansion and renovation.

Many modern buildings are being built and there are visible changes in the Sky City floating above the clouds.

It’s worth mentioning that.

The descendants of the Ancient God seem to have had good growth in the past half a year.

Originally, they all turned into tiny figures due to their entrance into the Eighth Realm, but they have now reached the Ninth and Tenth Realm respectively, their bodies returning to their normal size after reaching the corresponding cultivation level.

Now.

They really look much better to the naked eye.

Gazing at the visible changes, Li Jing couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

"The changes in Chen Tang City during my absence are really not small."

Chen Yuran couldn’t disagree with this and nodded her head, she glanced over and didn’t spare any words.

"With Ayu and Lingyin running around outside, there’s no difference whether you’re here or not."

Li Jing was speechless.

Although it’s the truth, isn’t he the master after all?

Give him some respect!

He glanced at Chen Yuran walking by his side and hesitated to speak.

"Yuran, did I offend you anywhere when I just finished my retreat?"

Chen Yuran paused and unexpectedly pouted.

"You think it’s reasonable to let your Taoist companion live alone for half a year?"

"..."

Li Jing.

Yes, he was wrong.

Seeing a face with mixed laughter and tears, Chen Yuran chuckles.

"Alright, I won’t tease you anymore."

While speaking, she stopped and handed over the Fire Phoenix who was sleeping in her arms.

"Take this little one to Blue Phoenix to solve the issue, and then come back to the Little Universe to find me. Sisi and the others are still in seclusion. It’s been almost a hundred years of their hard cultivation. I’ve wasted half a year, I have to work hard too."

"..."

Li Jing.

Truth be told.

He was impressed with how Chen Yuran could say such things without her face blushing or her heart beating.

Not mentioning the slap in his face.

She, who used to blush and be shy for a while when they held hands, her face was indeed thicker now.

Liu Sisi and the others have been in seclusion for nearly a hundred years, so she needs to work hard too.

How could she say such things?

Was she addicted or what?

Seeing the serene expression on Chen Yuran’s face, Li Jing didn’t know what to say for a moment.

Considering that there’s a child present, Li Jing coughed lightly.

"I just came back, and I have to go around to understand the development situation. Besides, I’m sure I’ll visit Ayu and Lingyin. How about waiting a little later?"

Chen Yuran heard this and was somewhat displeased. She pouted a little, but finally agreed reluctantly. She very naturally gave him a sweet kiss, then turned and walked away.

Li Jing watched her leave, exhaled slightly and went into a liquor bar nearby.

Blue Phoenix is in there.

With his primordial spirit perception, he could easily sense it.

However, as soon as he walked in the door, a server walked over to stop him.

"Sir, you cannot come in."

???

Li Jing.

Who is he?

The lord of Chen Tang City.

Not allowed to enter a bar on his own territory?

Just when he was about to say, "you don’t know who I am?", the server pointed to a sign next to him.

Li Jing reflexively turned his head.

"Minors are not allowed in."

Seeing this sign, Li Jing’s mouth twitched, and he looked down at the Fire Phoenix who was already sucking her thumb and sleeping in his arms.

What to do?

My heart is so tired!

He sighed heavily and shoved the Fire Phoenix into the Little Universe, and then he smiled.

"Can I go in now?"

Seeing this, the server recognized that Li Jing is an Emperor and stepped aside.

He stepped aside.

Not because of the presence of an Emperor.

In today’s Chen Tang City.

Seeing Emperors was nothing special.

A rare sight in other places, Chen Tang City had several Emperors.

And they were all exceptionally approachable.

Some of them even liked to join the populace in entertainment venues.

Without realizing it.

Some things were fading away in Chen Tang City.

Normally, when encountering an Emperor outside, everyone would keep at a distance for fear of causing a deadly offence.

There was none of that in Chen Tang City.

Firstly, it was only the people from Chen Tang City in there.

It’s a big family.

In here.

Whilst the strong ones still require respect, too much fear is not necessary.

Li Jing noticed the server’s indifference and nodded with a smile.

This situation was exactly what he hoped for.

Although the idea of equality is unrealistic, he hoped that at least in Chen Tang City there would be less power constraints.

Proceeding hand in hand in a relaxed environment.

Not because you’re strong, I have to go around or lick your face, right?

...

Entering the bar.

Li Jing quickly found Blue Phoenix, who was playing video games in a private room at the back.

Just as Li Jing enters, he sees someone engrossed in a handheld gaming device. The corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily at the sight.

This scene...

Didn’t seem to match what Chen Yuran described to him?

On the other side...

Blue Phoenix froze up upon seeing Li Jing’s entrance, subtly putting the game device on the table, and then somewhat nervously asked:

"Wh...when did you wake up?"

"I’ve just left my meditation not too long ago."

Li Jing replied, took a seat and grabbed the game handle that was damp from sweat. He looked at it, chuckling and shaking his head.

"I heard you were upset about the Fire Phoenix situation, so I came to see you. But it seems my worries were unnecessary..."

He didn’t get to finish his sentence as Blue Phoenix interrupted him with a cough.

"At first, I was indeed a bit upset but I’m not a child anymore. How could I endlessly hold a grudge over such a thing? Furthermore, Fire Phoenix’s memory loss is only temporary. She will remember everything eventually. After some time, she will remember me too."

After rambling on, she looked at him.

"What concerns me more is how the Fire Phoenix managed to emerge from the sun in the Little Universe realm? She is the Phoenix, not the golden crow. Will this affect her?"

"Well..."

Li Jing hesitated, scratching his head in the process.

"Honestly, I’m not too sure either. But from what I can guess, the sun’s appearance is intimately connected with our little guy’s rebirth, so it must have met certain conditions during this time."

After hearing what he had said, Blue Phoenix sighed in resignation.

"Your guess seems plausible, but there is no similar explanation in my bloodline memory."

"Discussing this is meaningless, what we could do now is just observe closely."

Li Jing shook his head while speaking.

"Perhaps, just like you said, once Fire Phoenix recovers her memory, the truth will be apparent."

Halfway through his speech, Li Jing took out the sleeping Fire Phoenix.

Seeing this, Blue Phoenix’s eyes lit up. She longed to reach out and hold her, but felt too bashful to do so.

Li Jing frowned.

At this moment, Blue Phoenix let out a wry smile.

"To be honest, I’m not sure if the little one still has her past-life memories. I tried getting her to recognize me as her godmother, but she absolutely refused. It’s possible she remembers a little and is unhappy I’m trying to take advantage of her. Unfortunately, I have no evidence."

As she spoke, she sounded somewhat coy.

"After a round of intimidation and coercion, the little one seems a bit distrustful of me."

"..."

Li Jing.

Well, would you look at that.

Even intimidation and temptation were tried?

Just how much did Blue Phoenix want to win the Fire Phoenix over?

To be honest...

If it weren’t for Blue Phoenix’s confession, Li Jing would never have imagined that the normally serious Blue Phoenix could behave this way.

Laughing and sighing, Li Jing placed Fire Phoenix into Blue Phoenix’s arms.

"In the end, you will be the one who has to take care of her. Yuran needs to focus on her cultivation right now and I can’t possibly spend my entire day carrying around a child this small. Moreover, the reborn Fire Phoenix needs to cultivate as well, and the methods of cultivation we use are not suitable for her. It can only be you, a fellow phoenix."

Upon hearing his words, Blue Phoenix smiled.

"I understand your reasoning, but I’ve already upset this little girl. She may be sleeping peacefully now, but once she wakes up, she’s bound to start throwing a tantrum."

"If she throws a tantrum, don’t you know how to soothe her?"

Li Jing was exasperated.

Blue Phoenix played the victim, then immediately asked in a tone full of curiosity:

"How do I soothe her?"

"Tsk."

Li Jing clicked his tongue.

He was equally stumped on how to soothe a child.

After a moment of thought, Li Jing spoke seriously.

"Appeal to her feelings and reason with her. If she still doesn’t listen, then giving the child a spanking should do the trick."

"..."

Blue Phoenix.

Is Li Jing really brushing her off like this?

Just as she was at a loss for words, a weak childlike voice sounded.

"Um... Blue Phoenix, you... you wouldn’t really hit me, would you?"

Blue Phoenix’s words came to a halt and she looked down in disbelief.

Li Jing was also stunned.

So, Fire Phoenix was already awake?

Then had she pretended to sleep all this while?

Both of them had strange expressions on their faces in an instant.

Pretending to sleep.

That was not the issue.

The key was that Fire Phoenix called ’Blue Phoenix’ directly.

This...

Implied that this little creature did remember Blue Phoenix, but deliberately refused to acknowledge her.

At that moment, Li Jing was like good heavens.

Blue Phoenix, however, was stunned for a short while. Her brows furrowed and she pinched Fire Phoenix’s tiny bottom.

"You little devil, Fire Phoenix! You kept me deceived for so long! You remember me, so why won’t you acknowledge me?"

"Ay, stop pinching!"

Fire Phoenix winced in pain, her childlike voice ringing out.

"I just thought it would be entertaining, so I wanted to tease you, okay?"

"Entertaining?"

With her teeth gritted, Blue Phoenix twisted Fire Phoenix’s bottom a full 180 degrees.

"Are you entertained now?"

At this point, Fire Phoenix only had the power level of a Late Three Realm cultivator, how could she withstand a ’rough’ treatment by a divine beast at the emperor level like Blue Phoenix?

The little one instantly winced in pain and quickly turned to Li Jing with a distressing look.

But then...

She suddenly froze.

In front of her...

Where was Li Jing?

Her father...

Had stealthily slipped away.

Blue Phoenix quickly realized that Li Jing had absconded; unconsciously she let go of Fire Phoenix’s tiny bottom. She softly sighed.

"That guy...he’s becoming more and more inscrutable."

"Isn’t that a good thing?"

Fire Phoenix responded, her voice as soft as a baby’s.

"You have a partner contract with him, so the stronger he gets, the bigger the benefits you’ll receive once you two proceed to the next step."

After saying that, she grumbled again.

"It’s just that our relationships will be messed up by then. I will really have to call you my aunt, and it’s going to be rather awkward, won’t it?"

Upon hearing her words, Blue Phoenix rolled her eyes and retorted indifferently.

"I don’t recall ever saying that I plan to proceed to the next step with him?"

As she spoke, she gritted her teeth and pinched Fire Phoenix’s bottom again.

"As for you, even you know about our partner contract. It seems like you’ve been conscious since the moment we found you?"

"Uh, about that..."

Fire Phoenix looked awkward, and suddenly turned towards the door.

"Daddy! Save me!"

...