Chapter 85: Respect from Kunpeng

Kunpeng’s gaze was full of sorrow, and tears slowly overflowed from its eyes, dripping down one by one.

“What a waste!”

Xu Ziyan’s heart cried out painfully. In her heritage, there were records about Kunpeng. Kunpeng Tears were a treasure. Using them to wipe one’s eyes would give a cultivator’s eyes two special abilities: the ability to see someone’s cultivation level without any restrictions. Currently, cultivators could only see the realm of those with the same cultivation level or lower than themselves. But after using Kunpeng Tears, one could see the cultivation realm of those higher than themselves without limits.

The second ability was to see the subtleties of formations. And of course, talismans that concealed one’s presence would no longer be a problem.

Xu Ziyan looked down painfully at the teardrops falling to the ground, then suddenly felt a surge of joy. It turned out that because the weather was extremely cold, those teardrops froze into ice beads within a short breath, before they could even scatter. They lay on the ground, round and shiny, emitting a crystal-clear glow.

Xu Ziyan’s mood immediately improved. She thought to herself that once the Kunpeng breathed its last, she could collect those Kunpeng Tears. Looking at the frozen tears on the snowy ground, Xu Ziyan shouted inwardly:

“Cry a little more, cry a little more!”

After shouting a few times in her heart, she suddenly heard a few mournful cries from her hands. Xu Ziyan looked down into her arms and saw that the Little Kunpeng, sensing its mother’s sadness, had also become sad.

Feeling the sorrow of both the large and small Kunpeng, and recalling her own inner shouts moments ago, Xu Ziyan’s face suddenly flushed red. She was filled with guilt and flew closer to the Kunpeng in a placating manner, bringing the Little Kunpeng in her hands near its mouth.

The Kunpeng struggled to bring its mouth close to the Little Kunpeng, gently rubbing against the Little Kunpeng’s feathers. The Little Kunpeng chirped comfortably with a “cheep cheep” sound.

After a long moment, the Kunpeng reluctantly pulled its head back and lifted it to look at Xu Ziyan, signaling her to take the Little Kunpeng back into her arms. Xu Ziyan held the Little Kunpeng in her arms and looked back inquiringly at the Kunpeng opposite her.

“Do you recognize me?”

The Kunpeng suddenly spoke, startling Xu Ziyan so much that she nearly fell off her Flying Sword. She hurriedly steadied herself, her face filled with shock, and asked:

“You can talk?”

“Of course, as a super Divine Beast, I naturally can speak!” Kunpeng’s eyes showed a trace of disdain, yet it spoke with a tone of helplessness:

“Your realm is too low!”

Being looked down upon by a feathered creature made Xu Ziyan very uncomfortable. Even if it was some super Divine Beast, in Xu Ziyan’s eyes, it was just a larger bird. So Xu Ziyan felt very displeased and couldn’t help but say:

“I’ve only been practicing cultivation for less than a year. I don’t know how many years you’ve been cultivating?”

Kunpeng’s gaze clearly faltered for a moment, then filled with a hint of amusement. It gave a slight nod and said:

“In that case, your aptitude is quite good. Do you recognize me?”

Xu Ziyan curled her lips and said: “What’s so special? Aren’t you just a Kunpeng?”

“Huh? You really know me?” Kunpeng said in surprise: “Have you seen a Kunpeng before?”

“No, but I haven’t eaten…” Xu Ziyan almost blurted out “Haven’t I seen a pig run even if I haven’t eaten pork?” but caught herself in time and quickly changed her words:

“I’ve only read about your kind in books!”

“Huh? There are humans who have recorded information about us Kunpeng? Who was it?”

“It was a man named Zhuangzi!” Xu Ziyan said, feeling somewhat guilty.

“Zhuangzi? I’ve never heard of him!” Kunpeng gently shook its large head and then softly asked:

“How did he describe us Kunpeng?”

Xu Ziyan had to try hard to recall the “Free and Easy Wandering” by the venerable Zhuangzi that she had memorized in her previous life. As she thought, she recited it to the Kunpeng before her:

“In the Northern Ocean, there is a fish, its name is Kun. The Kun’s size, I know not how many thousand li it measures. It transforms into a bird, its name is Peng. The Peng’s back, I know not how many thousand li it measures; when it rouses itself and flies, its wings are like clouds hanging from the sky. This bird, when the seas are moved, prepares to journey to the Southern Ocean. The Southern Ocean is the Lake of Heaven…”

“This speaks of our Kunpeng ancestor!”

Hearing Xu Ziyan’s recitation, Kunpeng couldn’t help but sigh. Then it looked at Xu Ziyan before it, a trace of satisfaction appearing in its eyes as it said:

“Little girl, it seems your knowledge is extraordinary, and your aptitude is also good. I wonder, what are your ambitions?”

Xu Ziyan was stunned by the question. Since coming to this world, her initial thought was to live comfortably. After arriving in Zhongdu City and witnessing its prosperity, and learning that there were sects even more powerful than clans, she thought about leaving Zhongdu City to explore this continent. She didn’t have excessive ambition, but now, being asked by Kunpeng, Xu Ziyan suddenly realized that her true heart wasn’t what she originally thought.

In her previous life, Xu Ziyan was a proud person, and years of archeological work had filled her with fantasies about unsolved mysteries. Now that she had come to this magnificent world and was asked such a question by Kunpeng, the door to her heart suddenly swung open. Without realizing it, Xu Ziyan blurted out:

“I want to clearly see this world, stand at the peak of this world, let the heavens not dare to deceive me, let the earth not dare to insult me! Nothing can bind me! Let my heart leap freely, let my heart soar!”

Kunpeng’s eyes were completely filled with shock. It took a long while for it to come back to itself from Xu Ziyan’s declaration. When it looked at Xu Ziyan again, its gaze held respect. It slightly lowered its noble head, as if saluting Xu Ziyan, then raised its head and said in a respectful tone:

“Little girl, what is your name?”

“Xu Ziyan!”

“Your aptitude is good, your knowledge is extraordinary, and especially your spirit is so high and mighty. Xu Ziyan, This Venerable One would like to ask you for a favor.”

“Please speak!” Xu Ziyan gently stroked the Little Kunpeng in her hands, already guessing what Kunpeng was going to say.

Sure enough, the Kunpeng looked sincerely at Xu Ziyan, its eyes pleading, and softly said:

“I want to ask you to take care of my daughter, the Little Kunpeng in your hands!”

“Alright!” Xu Ziyan agreed immediately without the slightest hesitation. Her expression was serious, as if she had accepted a solemn mission, but in her heart, she was overjoyed:

“A future super Divine Beast! As long as I raise her, she’ll be a super fighter!”

Kunpeng gazed lovingly once more at the Little Kunpeng in Xu Ziyan’s arms. At that moment, the Little Kunpeng was still pecking incessantly at Xu Ziyan’s hands, trying to break free from Xu Ziyan’s hold and run to its mother’s side.

Xu Ziyan looked down at the Little Kunpeng in her arms and frowned slightly. She couldn’t help but worry: this Little Kunpeng clearly had no regard for her. If she grew up, would she end up eating her…