Chapter 921: with translation of chapter title

This was Shan Shan's first time sobbing loudly in front of Ao Jing, crying so hard she could barely breathe, with tears and snot all smeared onto Ao Jing's expensive dragon-patterned robe.

Ao Jing had a bit of a cleanliness obsession, yet he didn't dislike Shan Shan at all.

He simply stood by her patiently, letting her vent her emotions in his embrace.

After a long while, Shan Shan gradually stopped crying, but she still clung to Ao Jing's cuff to shield her swollen eyes from view.

Only then did Ao Jing softly ask, 'Shan Shan, what happened? Do you need my help?'

'It's useless, I can't be helped.' Shan Shan choked out, 'They're dead, all of them, not a single one left.'

Ao Jing furrowed his brows, keenly sensing the gravity: 'Who died?'

Shan Shan couldn't hold back her sobs: 'The first batch of confidants I cultivated were meant to go out for training, but I never imagined they'd all be hit with poison arts at first contact; I didn't even have time to save them, I could only watch them die one by one in agony—it's all my fault; if I hadn't taken them out for training, this wouldn't have happened, and they'd still be alive and well right now…'

Upon hearing this, Ao Jing was also greatly shocked.

The first batch of confidants Shan Shan cultivated were also the first batch of spirit birds selected from within the Feng Clan after she took over the Feng Clan; they were young, having followed Shan Shan since hatching, and could be said to be a squad of devoted warriors she poured all her heart into and placed high hopes upon.

Ao Jing knew all too well Shan Shan's feelings toward them.

No wonder Shan Shan hid here to cry.

Anyone encountering such a thing would find it hard to accept at first.

But while grief is permissible, one must not sink into it, wasting days in panic amidst sorrow and self-blame.

'Shan Shan, you're not at fault,' Ao Jing said earnestly. 'They were your confidants, destined to become your loyal warriors; taking them out for training is a required course, you did nothing wrong—it was just bad luck that you encountered uncontrollable factors on your first drill. No one wants this to happen, but since it has, we can only draw lessons from it; otherwise, their sacrifice would be in vain.'

'I didn't want this,' Shan Shan said, eyes red, looking earnestly at Ao Jing. 'This was an excellent training opportunity; my parents were there, my aunt and uncle, and the people from the Nether Realm were present, even with yin soldiers guarding the formation. I thought that even if we couldn't defeat the enemy, we could at least retreat safely under the elders' protection.'

But as soon as we charged above the Nine Abyssal Deep, we were hit with poison arts, giving me no chance to react, and they all… they all…

Shan Shan lacked the courage to recall that scene, yet the horrific image played like a movie in her mind, looping incessantly, impossible to shake.

She appeared strong before her parents and relatives, but in secret she hid in a concealed corner, crying untold numbers of times.

'Sudden events are hard to control unless we ourselves are strong enough,' Ao Jing guided gently. 'Your batch of confidants are still young; they've only trained in the Feng Clan, lacking real combat experience. By bringing them out this time, you aimed to broaden their horizons so they can cultivate and grow better later—this is the price of growth, an inevitable path.'

How could Shan Shan not understand this principle?

To soothe her emotions, her aunt and uncle took turns talking with Shan Shan, fearing she might leave behind psychological trauma that would incapacitate her forever.

'But…'

Shan Shan still couldn't convince herself.

Ao Jing, however, asked her: 'Shan Shan, will you continue to cultivate your own confidants in the future, and not just one or two batches, right?'

Shan Shan hesitated, nodding slightly: 'As the Phoenix Lord, I must cultivate my own confidants, and to prevent a repeat of this total annihilation, I also need to train reserves—but just thinking about…'

The thought that no matter how many confidants I train, they must each undergo drills and likely follow this batch's fate, Shan Shan felt the urge to retire.

Although reason told her she must press forward.

But emotionally and psychologically, she still couldn't control her worry… her fear.

Ao Jing understood Shan Shan and then said: 'Shan Shan, have you ever considered that, given your own growth speed, these newcomers you cultivate simply can't keep up with your pace?'

Shan Shan was left speechless by the question.

She stared at Ao Jing, dazed, before hesitantly saying: 'But confidants must be cultivated from a young age; only then can the bond be strong enough, right?'

Her aunt and uncle thought the same, which is why Shan Shan's first batch of confidants were selected from newly hatched spirit birds.

Unexpectedly, Ao Jing smiled, reaching up to wipe the tear hanging at Shan Shan's eye corner, and said: 'Who told you that confidants cultivated from childhood are necessarily reliable?'

Shan Shan shook her head; no one had ever told her that, yet the fact seemed to be that it should be so.

'This world has an underlying law of survival,' Ao Jing said. 'The strong devour the weak, interests reign supreme—these are timeless truths. As long as you are strong enough, you hold the right to choose and decide; as long as you give sufficient benefits, you can make followers utterly devoted.'

'Likewise, if your enemy is strong enough, even confidants raised from childhood will betray you; if the opponent offers temptingly great benefits, those who once swore to follow you to the death will also stab you in the back…'

Life's road is long; for cultivators like us, we will encounter countless events and deal with all sorts of people. Over time, you'll realize that human relationships are not static—they require both maintenance and deterrence.

'Shan Shan, do you understand what I'm saying?'

Shan Shan blinked her red, swollen eyes from crying, as if seeing Ao Jing for the first time, and kept staring at him.

She had always admired her older cousin Ao Jing, for though he wasn't much older than her, he managed the Linghai Dragon Clan with impeccable order, and he had always been her role model.

Yet even so, she had never seen such… an insightful older cousin.

It must be said, Ao Jing's words struck straight at the depths of Shan Shan's soul.

These words sound harsh, yet they can bring instant growth and enlightenment.

Shan Shan couldn't help but wonder: do her parents not grasp these grand principles? Don't her aunt and uncle understand them either?

But none of them would ever lay out human nature and the world's survival laws, among other cruel matters, in such detail and vividness before her, laying the bloody reality before her eyes and forcing her to confront it.

They always thought she was still young, needing protection, unable to bear these things… even though this incident was so major, they merely kept comforting her.

Only Ao Jing treated her as a true Phoenix Lord, a genuine adult, to guide her…