Chapter 697: Chapter 363: The Divine Bird’s Broken Wing! Xuanming Loses His Boat, Daoist Jade Girl Rides the Dragon

The Jingyao Divine Bird soars through the Nine Heavens, overlooking the mortal realm. Yet the jade palaces and celestial towers are far grander than huts and thatched houses. Worldly prosperity is always more evident than hardship and sorrow. Entering the secular world for the first time, how would it know the myriad complexities? Without tasting suffering, how could it understand the toil and hardship, the bitterness of being forced? Even if others confide in her with endless grievances, she would still find it hard to comprehend even a fraction.

Li Xian’s arrow is imbued with murderous intent, full of resentment and anger.

He wants to make the Divine Bird fall, grounded like a chicken! In the instant the Heavy Pupils open, even as the Divine Bird soars high in the sky, its feathers bristle, stiff with fright. Its gaze harbors divinity and acuity, a mix of disdain and compassion. Its nature is pure, able to see what others cannot. With a glance, it can survey a city’s governance. Yet, at this moment, it senses a gaze exceeding its sight, gazing upward at it from below.

A great life-and-death crisis suddenly emerges, leaving the bird unable to discern where the threat comes from. Instinctively, it twists its body, escaping desperately, its wings flapping wildly, creating a fierce wind. Clouds and mist shatter as a wooden arrow shoots up from the ground in an instant.

The Divine Bird shrieks in anguish, plummeting from above. Li Xian immediately draws a second arrow. Suddenly he thinks: "A so-called Divine Bird, lofty and grand, under my arrow is merely prey. Yet Sister Liuli is in their hands. If I kill the Divine Bird and spoil her chance, and they retaliate against Sister Liuli, that is the last thing I want to see. My blood runs hot, free-flowing is a delight, but if it implicates friends and family, that is ill-advised."

"One day, if there’s a chance, I’ll repay this fully. If there’s no chance, killing only birds and beasts does not make a hero."

He turns and escapes into the thick fog.

...

Meanwhile on the other side.

Nangong Xuanming noticed Zhao Ranran seemed changed and asked, "Miss Zhao, what happened?" Zhao Ranran’s brows were furrowed, seemingly angry, seemingly furious. She remained silent, heading southwest, arriving at the edge of Water Altar, gazed over at the boundless lake, and coldly said, "Fetch the boat swiftly."

Nangong Xuanming felt uneasy in his heart. When overturning the Water Altar and eradicating the Flower Thief, Zhao Ranran was composed and indifferent. Now she was cold as ice, chilling like a deep valley, faint anger subtly revealing itself, truly a first sight. Despite being older, and having higher cultivation for now, he dared not defy her, obediently following her command, glancing around and seeing two fishing boats two miles away.

He gathered his breath in a leap, tread with Lightweight Skill, flying swiftly like a flitting dragonfly. In an instant, he crossed two miles, landing on a fisherman’s boat. He gently tapped, and the fisherman immediately fainted. He leaped into the air, kicked towards the stern with his foot.

The boat moved back towards the shore without need of paddling. Nangong Xuanming leveraged on water again, leaped to another vessel, knocking out the fisherman, sweeping his palm towards the lake. The boat moved toward the shore using the push of his palm.

The two fishing boats approached the shore, still dozens of yards away. Nangong Xuanming placed two silver coins in the chest pocket of the fisherman. Then with both hands, he lifted them, thrusting his palms toward the shore. Martial Arts evolved deeply, seeing both fishermen carried by thick White Cloud, gently floating back to the shore, hanging from a tree.

This was the "Cloud Pushing Palm." With a palm, clouds rolled, with great force yet lightness. He used it deftly, allowing the two fishermen to experience "Cloud Riding," and further displayed remarkable skill, profound method.

Zhao Ranran had no time to admire, leaped onto the boat, heading southwest. Her feet stood on the prow, without rowing, the vessel moved on its own. It cut through waves, moving swiftly. Nangong Xuanming, if he displayed "Cloaked Fist Technique," would view the lake as a garment, through his feet and the vessel would transmit Inner Qi into the lake. Waves would rise, pushing the vessel forward.

But it would still not be as fast. Hesitating for a moment, he sent several palms into the air, displaying "Cloud Dispelling Palm." With each palm the water surged, the vessel sped up sharply. Despite this, he barely kept up with Zhao Ranran.

Nangong Xuanming remarked in surprise: "What move is this? Standing still, yet the boat moves so fast. And both nearby waves and wind absent, how does the vessel break through the waves?"

Soon enveloped by dense fog, they saw an island. Inside the island, tangled roots, and dense weeds, nowhere to stand. Nangong Xuanming bewildered, but knew Zhao Ranran intended to land on the island. Hence he tread the boat, leaped into the air, delivering three palms consecutively. The first palm breaking branches and roots, the second killing birds and beasts, the third dispersing debris.

Zhao Ranran gracefully leaped. Her head adorned with a jade lotus pin, donned in a wide sleeve robe, ethereal and divine. Her toes light step, landing on the deserted island, hearing a "clear cry." Following the sound, she saw lying on a branch, a white bird beast, precisely the Jingyao Divine Bird.

Nangong Xuanming exclaimed: "Ah! It’s the Divine Bird!" Zhao Ranran cradled the Divine Bird, checking its injury. Left wing pierced by a wooden arrow, severely hurt, unable to fly temporarily. She thought: "Little Jing follows me, never has been humiliated like this." Feeling immense sorrow, she softly comforted the Divine Bird.

The Divine Bird trembled all over, scared beyond relief, emitted several distressing cries, body continued trembling. Zhao Ranran understood, intensely furious, resolutely said: "Rest assured, the one who hurt you, I absolutely won’t let go."

Nangong Xuanming stated: "Could it be the work of Li Xian?" Zhao Ranran nodded: "Indeed, it’s undoubtedly him." Inwardly puzzled: "The Jingyao Divine Bird favored by heaven, if not for this fortune, to glimpse or touch it is still unbearably difficult. How possibly shot down easily?"

She helped the Jingyao Divine Bird bandage the wound, found a quiet place to let it recuperate. Then took out a "compass," squinted her eyes, seeking Li Xian’s whereabouts.

This item is the "Sky-Peering Disk." Daoxuan Mountain knew she was hunting thieves, specially lent her this item to help her solve the predicament, peep into celestial mechanisms, perform divinations and calculations, adjust the five elements. Borrowing the Divine Bird’s power, this item struggled to avail. Now with the Divine Bird wounded, trapped by lake circumstances not to be underestimated, it finally served its purpose.