Futile Devices Scans

Wenren Li’s gaze returned to the little blue bird that was about to puff up its feathers. His fingertip gently stroked the back of the bird’s neck. With his overly practiced feather-smoothing technique, the fluffed-up feathers were finally calmed down.

“Chirp…” Chen Yixin narrowed his eyes in comfort from the petting.

The Roc Demon Emperor’s gaze also fell upon the little blue bird in Wenren Li’s palm. He narrowed his eyes slightly, clearly looking down on this carefully protected young creature. Its feathers weren’t even fully grown—how could it possibly be Wenren Li’s Dao companion?

Even if Wenren Li wanted to reject him, he shouldn’t use such a perfunctory excuse.

Provoked by the Roc Demon Emperor’s gaze, Chen Yixin’s feathers puffed up again. He spread his wings, suddenly bursting with strength, and flew up to land steadily on Wenren Li’s head. His tiny wings spread further, covering half of Wenren Li’s head.

At the same time, he stretched his neck and let out a chirp full of provocation.

“Chirp!”

Wenren Li belonged to him—this was what Chen Yixin’s chirp conveyed.

The Roc Demon Emperor was first startled by Wenren Li’s certainty and natural tone, then completely enraged by Chen Yixin’s actions and cry. His face flushed slightly, yet Chen Yixin, confronting him, showed no sign of backing down. The blue light around him grew stronger and stronger.

The human cultivators and demon cultivators present had yet to react, but the hatchlings scattered across the ground had already begun trembling. Whether this was due to the Roc Demon Emperor or Chen Yixin would require further thought.

Wenren Li tacitly allowed Chen Yixin to remain perched on his head, while his gaze shifted to the Roc Demon Emperor. If he made even the slightest move to harm Chen Yixin, Wenren Li would act before him.

The Roc Demon Emperor took a deep breath. The anger and unwillingness on his face were finally suppressed. Compared to Ze Fang, he knew Wenren Li better—and thus understood the gap in their strength. A battle that was certain to be lost held no appeal. No matter how unwilling he felt, he would not seek his own humiliation.

“What explanation does Lord Li require from me?”

The Roc Demon Emperor’s words nearly caused the onlookers—who had been expecting a great battle—to drop their jaws. At the same time, they felt relieved to avoid disaster. If two Soul Transformation cultivators fought, even the aftershock of their power could reduce half of Azure Feather Palace to ashes.

“Let’s talk this through properly. No—let’s find another place and talk slowly.”

Ze Fang stepped in at the right moment to smooth things over. As long as the Roc Demon Emperor did not continue provoking Wenren Li and could satisfy both Wenren Li and his Dao companion, a potentially devastating battle could be avoided.

Changing locations would also help preserve some of the Roc Demon Emperor’s dignity, which had already been undermined by both Wenren Li and Chen Yixin.

Watermoon Pavilion maintained a decent relationship with the Roc Clan. The three powers in this sea region kept each other in check. If anything happened to the Roc Demon Emperor, the Merfolk Clan might not remain passive, and Watermoon Pavilion, with its relatively shallow foundation, would also be affected.

The Roc Demon Emperor gave Wenren Li—and the proud, flamboyant little blue bird on his head—a deep look, then turned and walked toward the main hall of Azure Feather Palace.

“Lord Li and Lord Ze Fang, come inside. Let us catch up.”

“Chirp!” Chen Yixin let out a mocking cry upon hearing the Roc Demon Emperor’s words. Then, as his demon power ran out, his body tilted and he tumbled from Wenren Li’s head. He showed no concern, closing his eyes as Wenren Li caught him securely.

“Chirp chirp chirp…” Clinging to Wenren Li’s chest, his jealousy had yet to subside.

He felt as though he had swallowed an entire sea of jealousy. He had only known Wenren Li for just over a hundred years, and even then, they had been separated and forgotten for a long time. But this Roc demon had known his A-Li for over ten thousand years—and had clearly been thinking of him all that time.

“Chirp chirp!” The more Chen Yixin thought about it, the more unwilling he felt. He flapped his wings, and Wenren Li’s hands loosened slightly to accommodate him. In the next moment, Chen Yixin transformed from a little blue bird into a small child.

He wrapped his arms domineeringly around Wenren Li’s neck, clinging tightly to him.

“A-Li is mine!”

After declaring this, his small hands cupped Wenren Li’s face, and he planted a series of quick kisses all over it, as if marking his territory. Though childish, it was clearly more provocative than his earlier display atop Wenren Li’s head.

Wenren Li was still surprised by Chen Yixin’s transformed form, but after that brief surprise, his expression softened greatly.

“Yes, yours.”

He had always been able to soothe Chen Yixin easily—a single sentence, a few gentle strokes, and Chen Yixin would calm down.

Holding him, Wenren Li finally understood Chen Yixin’s past feelings. He didn’t want such a cute version of him to be seen by too many people. Moreover, he had things he needed to discuss with Chen Yixin, and the altar was clearly not the right place.

He stepped forward, following the Roc Demon Emperor and Ze Fang.

After they left, members of the Roc Clan finally came forward to clean up the frightened hatchlings who had lost control.

Once Wenren Li began walking, Chen Yixin still felt uneasy, but he stopped kissing him. Leaning against Wenren Li’s shoulder, his expression gradually calmed.

Having rivals in love wasn’t strange. What mattered was that he himself could not back down.

What Roc?

He was a phoenix.

He gradually reflected and felt that what he had done just now was still not good enough—he should have fought that roc instead, beaten him until he no longer dared to covet Wenren Li.

But the tragic part now was that, against the Roc Demon Emperor, he would definitely lose…

“A-Li, I’m hungry.”

As they took their seats, Chen Yixin, nestled in Wenren Li’s arms, spoke with a hint of grievance. Right now, he was only able to maintain his form by stubbornly holding on with sheer jealousy—otherwise, after consuming so much in the blood jade space, he shouldn’t have been able to transform back at all.

In fact, along the way, Wenren Li had already been checking Chen Yixin’s condition. This was not possession or anything of the sort—this was truly a newly born fledgling. This was Chen Yixin himself.

“The jade clasp you gave me won’t open…” The more Chen Yixin spoke, the more wronged he felt. He tugged at Wenren Li’s hair hanging over his chest, his tone carrying a hint of complaint. “Why did A-Li take so long to find me?”

Wenren Li didn’t respond. From his storage space, he took out a Duoduo fruit, carefully peeled it, and fed Chen Yixin. After three fruits in a row, Chen Yixin finally felt somewhat full.

Back then, Wenren Li had collected all the Duoduo fruits from the Ten Great Demon Lords of the Southern Domain, which had been a very deliberate move. Only this kind of fruit could be eaten by both Yinzi and Chen Yixin in his fledgling form.

Once Chen Yixin was full, he didn’t need Wenren Li to apologize—he forgave him first. He climbed up to stand, then, under the gazes of Ze Fang and the Roc Demon Emperor, took another bite at Wenren Li’s lips.

“I forgive A-Li now.”

“Alright,” Wenren Li replied, his expression softening slightly under Chen Yixin’s closeness.

“Are you still willing to accept my following?”

Though he called it “following,” the overly fervent gaze of the Roc Demon Emperor had already exposed everything. Chen Yixin didn’t know how he and Wenren Li had first met or interacted, but it was obvious this Roc Demon Emperor harbored improper intentions.

Chen Yixin turned around, his eyes narrowing slightly. “No!”

There was no way he could skip that fight with the Roc Demon Emperor. Even silently harboring thoughts about Wenren Li was unacceptable—let alone openly revealing them like this.

“No,” Wenren Li refused almost simultaneously with Chen Yixin. He continued smoothing little Chen Yixin’s feathers, then added, “When I saved you before, it was only because your blood carried a trace of phoenix lineage. It had nothing to do with you yourself.”

That inexplicable sense of goodwill had prevented him from standing by when the Roc Demon Emperor had been in trouble back then. But this tree of his had been “reserved” since his previous life—whether human or demon, no one else had any possibility with him.

Hearing this, the Roc Demon Emperor’s aura instantly turned violent—but just as quickly, he restrained it completely. He glanced at Wenren Li and the little blue bird in his arms, ultimately choosing to endure and compromise.

“Then go to my Roc Clan treasury and pick a few treasures as compensation. Will that satisfy you?”

Wenren Li lowered his gaze to Chen Yixin and nodded. There would definitely be more spirit materials here suitable for Chen Yixin’s current use, saving him much trouble searching—so this could barely be considered acceptable.

But if, in the future, he or Chen Yixin still felt things were unequal, they would surely come back to settle the matter again.

This was Wenren Li’s logic—and the entire Li Kui Demon Palace had been influenced by him into adopting the same bandit-like logic. After Chen Yixin arrived, it only became even more extreme.

Fortunately, the Roc Demon Emperor did not know what Wenren Li was thinking at this moment—otherwise, he would probably be coughing blood right now.

Wenren Li brought Chen Yixin along to the treasury, but before they arrived, drowsiness overtook him again. Chen Yixin tried to stay awake, but Wenren Li’s skill at coaxing him to sleep was just as refined—those gentle, rhythmic pats drew the overwhelming fatigue over him.

He blinked, then managed to say a few words, “I’m sleepy… but when I’m asleep, A-Li must not let that green roc look at you even once, or touch you at all.”

“Mm, sleep…” Wenren Li hadn’t expected the Roc Demon Emperor—someone he considered completely insignificant—to matter so much to Chen Yixin. But once he agreed, he would do exactly as promised.

A layer of mist rose around them, making even the Roc Demon Emperor and Ze Fang unable to clearly see their figures.

Satisfied, Chen Yixin curled his lips slightly, closed his eyes, and in less than two breaths reverted back into a small blue fledgling. “Chirp…” he called softly before falling completely into deep sleep.

After finding Chen Yixin, Wenren Li did not immediately continue toward the Northern Sea Water Palace. However, he also did not stay in the Azure Feather Palace, which Chen Yixin disliked. Instead, he followed Ze Fang back to Watermoon Pavilion, where he reunited with Nan Ke and the others.

Within a building to one side of Watermoon Pavilion, a cluster of blue light pulsed with each breath—expanding and contracting rhythmically. Even when Ze Fang passed nearby, he found it somewhat intriguing. Wenren Li’s Dao companion was certainly not ordinary—he had never seen such an aura on any talented young ones in the Azure Feather Palace.

Chen Yixin slept for a full month.

When he woke, he was in a warm embrace. He wanted to hug Wenren Li and act affectionately as before, but when he raised his hand, he first saw his blue-feathered wings.

“Chirp?” Chen Yixin still couldn’t get used to this demon body.

“Are you hungry again?” Wenren Li asked softly.

But he was not in his adult form either—truly, they were a pair of ill-fated lovers. Even in shrinking, they had to experience it together.

Wenren Li had, after all, lived for thirty thousand years—this kind of experience could not shake his state of mind. Even if he had turned into a little child, he was still adept at taking care of Chen Yixin. The dark jade pendant identical to Chen Yixin’s had also entered his sea of consciousness during one of his cultivation sessions.

He was currently trying to use all the restriction techniques he knew to break it open, and his progress was clearly better than Chen Yixin’s. The effect of this progress was that, when caring for Chen Yixin in his fledgling form, everything felt exceptionally familiar and natural.

Clearly, in the Upper Realm, he had done such things often—and he also had a feeling that the door to his past-life memories was about to open.

Chen Yixin nodded honestly, then was fed several more fruits—one Duoduo fruit paired with some spirit fruits obtained from Azure Feather Palace. Only after he had eaten his fill did they begin to talk.

“Your phoenix bloodline is awakening. When it fully awakens, that will be the day you recover your memories.”

This could be considered a shortcut, but within this world, energy sufficient to fully awaken Chen Yixin’s bloodline was difficult to find. Perhaps it could be found in the Northern Sea Water Palace, or perhaps not.

“At the same time, this form is beneficial for you to learn the Burning Heaven Six Arts. It can be considered a blessing in disguise.”

Chen Yixin’s human cultivation at the Golden Core stage had been completely suppressed by his phoenix bloodline, but it was not without benefits. Studying the Burning Heaven Six Arts in phoenix form would likely allow progress ten or even a hundred times faster than before—perhaps even more.

“Chirp,” Chen Yixin responded softly. His little head rubbed against Wenren Li’s chest in acknowledgment. But then he stopped rubbing and pecked twice at the same spot. “Chirp chirp!”

He was demanding an explanation from Wenren Li about the Roc Demon Emperor—did he think this matter would just be forgotten after one nap?

When outsiders were present, they naturally stood united against the world. But when it was just the two of them, he fully intended to “discipline” Wenren Li properly. Saving someone was one thing—but letting that person pine for him for ten thousand years? Just thinking about it made him angry!

“Ten thousand years ago, I had just reached Soul Transformation. I came to the sea to fulfill an old battle appointment. Passing through here, that green roc fell in front of me in its true form, so I saved it. I had to go to a life-and-death duel—it wanted to follow me, which was inconvenient, so I refused.”

If not for Chen Yixin’s jealousy, Wenren Li might never have realized that the Roc Demon Emperor had harbored such thoughts toward him. His reason for saving him was simple, and his reason for refusing was just as simple—he refused because it was inconvenient.

“On the return journey, I didn’t take this route, so I forgot about it.”

Thus, even when he later passed through this sea region again, he remembered the Spirit Sea Sect, but not the roc he had once saved.

Chen Yixin was still puffed up with jealousy, but since Wenren Li had explained everything, he couldn’t keep pressing the matter. “Chirp?”

“Of course A-Rong looks better.”

To be precise, Wenren Li had never paid much attention to the Roc Demon Emperor’s true form, but Chen Yixin’s little blue bird form only became more pleasing to him the more he looked at it. The roc and Chen Yixin were not even comparable—and in truth, there was no comparison to be made.

Chen Yixin was a pure-blooded phoenix from the Upper Realm, while the roc was merely a demon cultivator who had, by chance, obtained a trace of phoenix bloodline.

“Chirp!” Chen Yixin chirped in satisfaction, praising Wenren Li. He spread his wings and, this time without wobbling, flew steadily onto Wenren Li’s head. He seemed to have an innate fondness for that spot.

Wenren Li lifted a hand slightly, a clear smile appearing on his face, and then closed his eyes.

A little boy sat cross-legged, while a small blue bird hopped about on his head—one still, one moving, naturally harmonious.

They stayed in this residence beside Watermoon Pavilion for half a year. The reason for staying so long was to allow Chen Yixin to adapt to his phoenix body in a stable environment.

Chen Yixin’s phoenix form had not grown much, but over these six months, staying by Wenren Li’s side, he was no longer in a hurry to return to human form. Over time, he had already begun to adapt to this phoenix body.

His little wings flapped as he practiced the Burning Heaven Dance, and the breathtaking bearing of a phoenix had already begun to show—but such a sight was seen only by Wenren Li.

Ze Fang had provided this residence and had also been discreet with his spiritual sense, never sweeping this area over the past six months. Of course, part of the reason was that Wenren Li and Chen Yixin had been so well-behaved that he almost forgot such a significant figure was staying in his home.

At the same time, the spirit fruits Wenren Li had been feeding Chen Yixin were nearly depleted. It was time for them to leave and continue their journey.

Wenren Li stepped out of the courtyard holding a glossy, exceptionally beautiful little blue bird, intending to bid farewell to Ze Fang. After all, they had stayed here for half a year—it was only proper to say goodbye.

“Lord Li is leaving?”

Ze Fang sensed their movement the moment they stepped out and appeared on the small path outside the courtyard.

“Yes,” Wenren Li replied, then waited. Ze Fang had appeared so precisely—he clearly had something more to say. After staying at Watermoon Pavilion for so long, any reasonable request, Wenren Li was willing to consider.

“Lord Li and… Your Highness, please come this way.”

At this address, Chen Yixin instinctively tilted his head slightly.

A faint smile appeared in Ze Fang’s expression. “Please.”

They sat down in the waterside pavilion just outside the courtyard garden, and Ze Fang revealed the true reason he had stopped them.

“Beyond the Abysswind Territory lies the territory of the Merfolk Clan. A month ago, two of Watermoon Pavilion’s ships were attacked—crew and cargo alike. Only one person survived. The merfolk have never been friendly toward humans, but they have never been this ruthless. After further investigation, it turns out a rare treasure has appeared in that sea region. They are killing to silence all witnesses, preventing news from reaching the human side.”

Ze Fang’s expression grew more serious. “I have come to invite you to travel aboard a Watermoon Pavilion ship. If we encounter the Merfolk Clan, we will resist them together. Any gains made during the journey will belong entirely to you.”

Wenren Li fell silent for a moment. He was more familiar with the sea map—this merfolk territory bordered closely with the Northern Sea Water Palace. It was very likely they had discovered something there, but the scepter was still in Chen Yixin’s hands, so for now, the merfolk could not enter.

Ze Fang’s intentions were also obvious—he wanted to use Wenren Li’s strength to intimidate the Merfolk Clan.

“Agreed,” Wenren Li nodded.

To depart the Abysswind Territory aboard Watermoon Pavilion’s ship, they would need to delay a few more days while Ze Fang made arrangements. Wenren Li brought Chen Yixin back to their residence. This time, he did not continue closed-door cultivation but instead carried Chen Yixin around the island market of Watermoon Pavilion, mainly to buy fruits that Chen Yixin liked.

“This is called Coralwood Fruit, grown in the deep sea—extremely rare,” a vendor said. Seeing Wenren Li examining the unsellable fruits in front of him, he overcame his fear of Wenren Li’s aura and enthusiastically promoted them.

“When combined with certain pill formulas, it has a pleasant taste and can help improve cultivation…”

“All of it,” Wenren Li said, taking one piece first and handing it to Chen Yixin to play with. Nan Ke, who followed at their side, handled the bargaining and payment afterward.

After staying by Chen Yixin and Wenren Li’s side, Nan Ke had been thoroughly tempered. Though he still wore an expressionless face, his life skills were fully maxed out—cooking, gardening, shopping… he was practically the perfect domestic man.

It wasn’t unusual for Wenren Li to walk the streets with a small blue bird—cultivators kept all kinds of strange demon pets. But what was unusual was that he let the little blue bird nest on top of his head.

Calling it a “nest” was a bit exaggerated, but the little blue bird clung tightly there, looking around curiously, occasionally tugging at his hair. There weren’t many demon pets that dared behave like this toward their owner.

“A-Rong, do you like anything else?” Wenren Li had recently been communicating more with Chen Yixin through spiritual sense. In his current demon form, Chen Yixin could only make “chirp chirp” sounds. Though pleasant, they could only convey simple emotions—anger or affection—not anything more complex.

“Chirp!” Chen Yixin called again, rubbing his little head against Wenren Li’s hair. His meaning was anything but subtle: “I like A-Li the most!”

Wenren Li’s gaze softened as he continued strolling with him, casually buying various little trinkets to amuse him—bells, hand drums—things he had never liked as a child but now could play with endlessly.

During this time back by Wenren Li’s side, Chen Yixin had truly settled into being a phoenix fledgling. He was curious about everything, wanted to taste everything—greedy, lazy, and playful…

Of course, his favorite “toy” was still Wenren Li, especially his sapling-like spirit body. Other things he would play with for a while before tossing aside, but Wenren Li’s little sapling—he wished he could cling to it at all times.

“Chirp chirp… chirp…” It was truly a versatile sound—Chen Yixin even started humming a tune. As he hummed, the sound gradually softened, and only then did Wenren Li lift him down from his head—he had fallen asleep.

Wenren Li gently stroked Chen Yixin’s smooth, satin-like feathers. A small barrier formed around him, isolating all surrounding noise. Wenren Li then slowly carried the exhausted little bird back to Watermoon Pavilion.

As they passed down the street, the barrier around the teahouse where Ze Fang and the Roc Demon Emperor were seated finally dissipated. Their gazes both fell upon the street corner where Wenren Li had disappeared with Chen Yixin.

“What is the origin of that little blue bird?” Just the disturbance it had caused in Watermoon Pavilion was enough for Ze Fang to sense it was extraordinary. And for someone like Wenren Li to care for it so deeply—it could only be even more remarkable.

“Born in the Nineteenth Cave, sent from the Nine Residences. A newly born fledgling… yet within its bloodline there is a presence even I find intimidating.”

That day, when Chen Yixin stood atop Wenren Li’s head, he had indeed made a display. In that moment, Chen Yixin had appeared absolutely dangerous in his eyes.

Among the demon race, bloodline hierarchy was extremely strict. Even as a Soul Transformation demon cultivator, he was often powerless in the face of such a difference.

“What could it be? It can’t possibly be a phoenix…” Phoenixes were the undisputed supreme divine race among sky clans. Any bird possessing even a trace of phoenix bloodline would be extraordinary.

Ze Fang spoke casually, but the Roc Demon Emperor’s expression grew even more serious. Slightly surprised, Ze Fang added, “It really is a phoenix? Impossible—how could a phoenix be born in this world?”

“It’s impossible—but it may have encountered a fortune and obtained a phoenix bloodline even purer than mine.”

The Roc Demon Emperor turned and sat back down, his expression still contemplative, clearly thinking about Wenren Li and Chen Yixin. Seeing this, Ze Fang also resumed his seat and continued to advise him as a friend.

“Then its future is unpredictable. You absolutely must not make enemies of them.”

“I know.” A Roc Demon Emperor who had lived for ten thousand years could not be foolish. But matters of the heart were difficult to explain—especially for demon races, who, once they fell in love, often became stubbornly devoted.

“Ten thousand years have passed—what is there that cannot be let go? Didn’t the Merfolk Clan prophesy that this era would bring great change? That is what we should be focusing on.” Cultivators pursued longevity—but even beyond that, witnessing the world beyond this realm was itself worthwhile. Ze Fang was unusually clear-minded in this regard.

Hearing this, the Roc Demon Emperor lifted his teacup toward Ze Fang. “You’re right.”

But even knowing he was right did not make it easy to let go—so he only acknowledged the truth of it.

Ze Fang smiled faintly and said no more, raising his teacup in return.

Seven days later, Watermoon Pavilion’s ships were ready. Aside from Wenren Li, Chen Yixin, and their group, there were also Watermoon Pavilion cultivators led by Ze Fang. In addition to these two ships, there was a third prepared as a gift for Azure Feather Palace.

Ze Fang was quite cunning—he had said that any gains made aboard their ship would belong entirely to Wenren Li, but that applied only to their specific vessel. Whatever the cultivators on the other ships obtained was not within Wenren Li’s claim.

Wenren Li had naturally noticed Ze Fang’s intentions in deploying multiple ships. He gave a slight nod, then carried the small blue bird—now fascinated with gold and ornaments—into their cabin.

Ze Fang quietly swallowed his breath. He had been prepared to be questioned and to offer a lengthy explanation, but Wenren Li seemed far less concerned about such interests than he had expected. What Wenren Li cared about was very obvious—the small creature in his arms.

“Chirp!” Chen Yixin lightly pecked Wenren Li’s hand. Wenren Li might not care, but he certainly did.

“It’s fine. If A-Rong likes anything, I’ll get it for you.”

Wenren Li gently scratched Chen Yixin’s fluffy little head with a finger, soothing him completely. “Chirp…”

This soft chirp carried no particular meaning—just a small, contented sigh.

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