Stone Village, Before the Charred Willow
A gentle breeze swept through, carrying an air of stillness.
The Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow, scourge of the realm, was dead—slain by a nine-year-old boy. The news was staggering, beyond belief!
Even the sparrow itself could never have imagined such an absurd end, its body reduced to nothing.
"Milk Hao, this feather's for you," Lin Fan said, producing a black plume that shimmered with dark light, sharp as a divine sword.
Swish!
Little Dot took it, his small wrist flicking lightly. With a gentle urge, the feather unleashed a torrent of sword energy, tougher than refined iron.
"What a treasure! Thanks, Fan Gege!" Little Dot beamed, utterly delighted. The plume outshone even his beast-tooth artifact.
"The Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow's primal true feather!" the little red bird gasped. As a fellow avian, it recognized the feather instantly—a unique plume tied to the sparrow's primal rune bone, one of a kind unless it reached True God status. Incredibly rare.
The villagers gaped, jaws dropping, unable to close.
"Such a mighty creature… just gone?!"
They vividly recalled the sparrow's terror, its wings piercing clouds and splitting skies, its roars cowing countless beasts. Alongside another ferocious creature, it had obliterated entire tribes across the Great Wilderness.
"You really killed the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow!"
The little red bird's eyes widened, now fully convinced. A flicker of fear crossed its face, urging it to flee this place—and this freakish kid—as fast as possible.
A boy wielding a forbidden artifact capable of slaying a Venerable was a rarity even in ancient times. His origins had to be staggering, beyond comprehension.
Deep down, the bird suspected Lin Fan wasn't from the Wilderness Domain but hailed from an immortal sect beyond the realm.
Just as the palm-sized Vermilion Bird soared into the air, Lin Fan called out, "Hold on, Little Red. I haven't finished healing your wounds."
"N-No… I'm fine. I'll recover on my own," the bird stammered, nearly tumbling from the sky in panic.
"You're not giving me face, Little Red," Lin Fan said, his smile warm and kind, but to the bird, it carried an unsettling edge.
The Vermilion Bird froze, slowly turning back, its large, adorable eyes brimming with resignation, as if on the verge of tears.
"Heehee, don't be scared, Little Red! We can play together!" Little Dot giggled, his cherubic face radiating innocence.
The villagers stifled laughter. To think a mighty being would fear a child!
"Hmph!" The bird let out a crisp huff, shooting Little Dot a sideways glare before reluctantly fluttering back.
It landed before Lin Fan, staring him down with a defiant air, as if declaring, I'll never yield.
Hum!
A green radiance descended, bathing the little red bird. It carried no hostility or force, only a gentle warmth that refreshed everyone in Stone Village.
The lingering scars on the bird's body healed completely. Its scarlet feathers gleamed vibrantly, crystalline and radiant, runes flickering ceaselessly.
"Wow, I'm fully healed!" The bird's mood lifted, chirping joyfully as it hopped about, brimming with energy, no trace of its former weakness.
A touch embarrassed, it shuffled awkwardly. "Sorry, I misjudged you. I owe you a big favor."
"You're a good bird, unlike that Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow. I'd never harm you," Lin Fan said with a grin, noting the bird's haughty demeanor. It's got that same proud streak as Chan'er.
Oh, right—Little Red's a female bird, even called itself a princess!
"Thanks!"
Clang!
A single scarlet feather detached from the bird, glowing with vibrant red light, floating before Lin Fan, imbued with divine charm.
"Take this. If you ever visit the Fire Nation, show it, and I'll help you out," the bird said, its voice melodious, like pearls cascading on a jade plate, clearly offering a token of trust.
But it instantly regretted it. This kid's got some grand backing—does he even need my help?
Lin Fan examined the feather, finding it rather ordinary. Typical Little Red, stingy as ever. Couldn't even part with the Vermilion Bird Technique?
The bird squirmed under his unimpressed gaze, mortified. It could practically claw out a nest with embarrassment—never had it been so scorned!
"Ahem… anything else you want?" it coughed, trying to salvage its pride.
"How about teaching me the Vermilion Bird Technique?" Lin Fan asked, testing the waters. He coveted the Vermilion Bird clan's inheritance.
Yue Chan's eyes gleamed nearby. The Heaven Mending Pavilion's True Phoenix Technique was incomplete; studying the Vermilion Bird's fire-based divine art, so closely related, could fill those gaps.
"No way. My clan's divine art is a guarded secret, forbidden by ancestral law," the bird refused flatly.
Lin Fan remained calm, unsurprised, and tried another angle. "Then how about you skip returning to the Fire Nation as a sacrificial spirit and follow me instead?"
"You…" The bird frowned, sizing him up. "Your talent's impressive—nine years old, Spirit Transformation Realm, a born Supreme. Rare even in the Wilderness Domain, unheard of in ancient times…"
Lin Fan nodded, pleased with the praise, winking playfully. You've got good taste—come join me!
But the bird's tone shifted, bristling with indignation. "You want me as your follower or mount? Dream on! This princess will never submit!"
Lin Fan: "…"
The villagers gawked. This kid's got guts, trying to recruit a mighty being as a mount!
"Pfft!" Yue Chan stifled a laugh, her flawless face alight with amusement, relishing Lin Fan's deflation.
But Lin Fan was no ordinary soul. His eyes twinkled with a new plan. "Little Red, I meant as a partner, fighting side by side—not a follower or mount."
"Don't try to sweet-talk me. I'm not falling for it," the bird said haughtily, clearly unconvinced.
As a sacrificial spirit of a nation, worshipped by millions, it basked in glory and comfort. Why risk adventures with him?
Unfazed, Lin Fan began to weave a grand vision. "Little Red, do you think the Lower Realm's Eight Domains are vast?"
"Of course! Boundless, immeasurable—a limitless great world," the bird replied.
Lin Fan shook his head. "What if I told you the Eight Domains combined are only as big as a single state in the Upper Realm?"
"What?!"
The bird's eyes widened, shock rippling through it, its gaze blazing with astonishment.
Catching his implication, it ventured, "So… you're not from the Lower Realm? You're from the Upper Realm?"
Lin Fan nodded slightly, pressing on. "And if I told you the Upper Realm has three thousand such states?"
"And that those three thousand states are just one land among the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths?"
"And beyond that, there are even greater worlds—Foreign Realm, Immortal Domain, the myriad heavens…"
The revelation stunned not only the little red bird but the entire village. Worlds beyond worlds, vast beyond imagination.
Little Dot's eyes sparkled, his ears perked, drinking in every word with rapt fascination.
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