Chapter 55

She could clearly sense that deep within that vast area still covered by darkness and cracks, as the spatial barrier slowly repaired, more faint yet familiar fluctuations that had been dormant for millennia were being touched by this newborn power, like seeds buried deep in the earth feeling the call of spring and striving to accumulate the power to break through the soil.

Her gaze fell on the tall figure in the kitchen, wearing an apron and awkwardly trying to feed Shuangling warm water with a spoon.

The afterglow of the setting sun stretched their shadows long, intertwining them together—ordinary, warm, yet brimming with a vibrant life force that moved even a deity who had once looked down upon eternity.

Just then, an extremely faint thought, seemingly about to vanish at any moment, resounded like a sigh in the core of the newly formed space deep within her sea of ​​consciousness:

【Owner……】

Zhuo Hua's divine sense suddenly focused!

[A spirit?]

She responded immediately. This was the spirit of the spatial artifact that had accompanied her through countless battles. When she perished alongside the demons, it was this artifact that exhausted its last bit of divine power to protect a remnant of her soul and bring her to this strange world.

Since she awoke, the spirit has fallen into the deepest slumber, remaining silent no matter how she calls out to it.

"...It's me..." The thought was fragmented and weak, yet it carried a sense of relief and comfort. "...You...are finally...starting to recover...Frostfeather...it's so good to be awake..."

What exactly happened back then?

Zhuohua asked urgently, for this was the biggest mystery that had troubled her since her awakening. Her last memory was of exhausting her divine power and falling into the void with the Demon Lord.

A violent fluctuation emanated from the spirit's mind, filled with deep-seated fear and sorrow: [The Demon Lord... cunning... before his death... self-destructed his demonic core... tore apart... the barrier of spacetime... that power... was terrifying... I exhausted... my very essence... just to protect a wisp of your true spirit from annihilation... and you fell... into this world... and were cast into the mortal realm...]

It paused, seemingly struggling to gather its strength: [At that time... the battle was fierce... not only Frostfeather... but also... Profound Flame... Azure Nether... they... fought to the death for you... their souls were on the verge of dissipation... I... I used the last bit of... spatial origin... to forcibly... absorb their... most core... true spirit fragments... into the deepest part of the space... to seal and nurture them...]

Zhuo Hua's mind was shaken! Xuan Yan (Fire Qilin) ​​and Qing Ming (Azure Phoenix)! They were once her strongest divine beast warriors! So... they hadn't been completely annihilated after all!

【They...are still here?!】 Zhuohua's thoughts were filled with unprecedented excitement.

[They are...but...too weak...more seriously injured than Frostfeather...] The spirit's voice grew weaker and weaker. [The space...repaired...the power...nourished...they...only then...had...a chance to awaken...Frostfeather...because it is...a spirit bird...its soul...is...more...lighter...and it received...the merit...of...purifying resentment...this time...it...was...the first...to...awaken...]

【Master…】The spirit’s voice was almost inaudible, filled with endless weariness and a hint of solemnity, 【The Demon Lord…self-destructed…I fear…it is not yet completely gone…His origin…Demonic energy…may…have…scattered…into…this world…or…other…time and space…You…must…be careful…I…am too tired…to…sleep…】

With its final thought, the spirit's aura completely subsided, like a candle flickering in the wind, finally extinguished. But the message it conveyed exploded in Zhuohua's heart like a thunderclap!

Are the demons not extinct? Could demonic energy have lingered in this realm?

Zhuohua stood by the window, a storm raging within her cool, clear eyes, only to vanish in an instant into an unfathomable, icy depth. The last rays of the setting sun disappeared below the horizon, and the city's neon lights gradually illuminated, casting flickering shadows on her face.

Lu Xiao emerged from the kitchen carrying two small bowls: one filled with fragrant pork rib soup, and the other with warmed millet porridge mixed with crushed egg yolk. A gentle smile graced his face: "Zhuohua, Shuangling, dinner's ready!"

Frostfeather immediately flew off his shoulder and happily pounced on the little bowl that belonged to it.

Lu Xiao placed the pork rib soup in front of Zhuo Hua, keenly noticing the momentary stagnation and unusual coldness in her aura. "What's wrong?" he asked with concern.

Zhuohua withdrew her gaze from the window, the storm in her eyes quietly disappearing, returning to her usual calm. She looked at the pure worry in Lu Xiao's eyes, at Shuangling happily eating with her head buried in her bowl, and then felt the faint yet hopeful fluctuations emanating from the newborn space deep within her sea of ​​consciousness.

"It's nothing." She picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of warm soup, her voice calm and even, yet carrying a kind of resoluteness that Lu Xiao couldn't yet understand, a resolve that could last for eternity. "I just feel that what's meant to come will come, and what needs to be done must be done."

She lowered her head and gently blew on the hot steam from the spoon.

Outside the window, night had completely enveloped the earth. Inside, under the warm light, a person, a god, and a bird (or beast) sat around the dining table. The aroma of pork rib soup filled the air, and Shuangling's satisfied chirping occasionally rang out as Lu Xiao chattered on about the interesting things that happened in class that day.

Zhuohua quietly sipped her soup, the warmth sliding down her throat and soothing her soul. She watched Lu Xiao trying to coax Shuangling's profile, saw the little one's innocent and affectionate response, and felt the familiar, dormant, and waiting-to-revive fluctuations deep within the space.

The road ahead may still be thorny, and even harbor the shadows of the past. But at this moment, the human lights, the warmth on her shoulder, and the bond that has been lost and regained have made her heart, which has been silent for ages, more resolute than ever before.

She is no longer that solitary deity suspended in the heavens. Her roots, her concerns, and everything she needs to protect have quietly taken root in this mortal world.

Shuangling's awakening was like a cheerful pebble thrown into Zhuohua and Lu Xiao's peaceful life, rippling out in circles of "liveliness".

Although this little fellow's soul was severely damaged and he could not regain his divine form from the God Realm, which had wingspans that covered the sky and frozen thousands of miles, his intelligence was recovering rapidly under the daily nourishment of Zhuohua's pure divine power and the nourishment of the few low-grade spiritual fruits that had newly formed in the space.

The tiny snowball, no bigger than a palm, has eyes that become more lively every day. Its fluffy, soft feathers seem to have a built-in soft-focus filter in the sunlight, pure and untouched by dust.

What surprised Lu Xiao the most was that, on a bright sunny morning, as he was carrying freshly baked pancakes to the table, Shuangling fluttered her wings and flew from Zhuohua's shoulder to the table in front of him. She tilted her little head, stared at the pancakes on his plate, and then said in a tone that was a little childish, a little clumsy, but incredibly clear:

"Lu Xiao! Xiang Xiang! Shuang Ling...I want her!"

Lu Xiao froze instantly, almost dropping the plate in his hand. His eyes widened, and he stammered, "You...you...you can talk?!" His expression was like he had seen a ghost (although a ghost might not be a match for Zhuo Hua).

Zhuohua was leisurely sipping her spiritual dew. Upon hearing this, she didn't even lift her eyelids, only giving a faint "hmm": "Your intelligence has recovered, and the transverse bone in your throat has dissolved. It's not surprising that you can speak." It was as if she were saying, "The weather is nice today."

Lu Xiao: "..."

Not surprising at all?! A talking bird (or beast)?! This is absolutely mind-blowing! He circled the little furry ball on the table twice, both curious and excited: "Shuangling, say it again? Call me brother?"

Frostfeather's obsidian-like eyes darted around, its little paws tapping the table, seemingly finding Lu Xiao's reaction amusing. It flapped its tiny wings and flew up, landing steadily on the small, soft, high-legged cushion Lu Xiao had specially prepared for it (hand-sewn by Lu Xiao, adorably ugly), then cleared its throat (though it sounded more like a few crisp "chirps"), and announced in a clear (relatively speaking) voice:

"Pancakes! Frostfeather's!"

Lu Xiao: "..." Well, not only is she good at talking, but she's also a foodie and understands the principle of "I'm in charge of my own territory".

From then on, the home was no longer peaceful. Shuangling was like a toddler who had just learned to speak and was full of curiosity about the world. With the spirituality of a mythical beast and a little bit of the remaining "little cub" mentality, cuteness and "bearishness" flew together.

"Master! The people inside that box (TV) are fighting! Shoot! Hit them!"

"Lu Xiao! You spilled the water! You idiot!"

"Xiangxiang! I want to eat that yellow (mango) Shuangling!"

"Outside! Birds! Ugly! Not as pretty as Frostfeather! Chirp chirp chirp!"

It especially liked to comment on Lu Xiao, from "Lu Xiao's hair sticks up like a bird's nest" to "Lu Xiao's cooking doesn't smell as good as the fruit his owner feeds him." It often left Lu Xiao speechless, both angry and amused. However, he couldn't get angry at that innocent and fluffy little face. He could only helplessly rub its little head, which would earn him a disdainful peck at his finger with its beak (very lightly).

This was the filming day for an important scene in the drama "The Lantern in the Dark." Zhuo Hua, playing the mysterious antique shop owner "Lantern," would reveal some of her superhuman abilities to Lu Xiao, the "Night Walker," for the first time, creating a tense and eerie atmosphere. Lu Xiao got up early to prepare, feeling both nervous and expectant.

"Shuangling, stay home obediently?" Lu Xiao said to Xue Tuanzi, who was squatting on Zhuohua's dressing table, curiously fiddling with a lipstick with her paw, while adjusting his collar.

Frostfeather immediately fluttered up and landed precisely on Zhuohua's newly combed, ink-black hair, using itself as a living hair ornament. Its little paws tightly gripped a few strands of hair, and its little head was held high: "No! With Master! Protect Master!"

It speaks much more fluently now, although it still occasionally makes a babyish "chirp" sound, but its desire to express itself is extremely strong.

Looking at the triumphant white cloud above her head in the mirror, and at Lu Xiao's bewildered expression, Zhuohua's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile. "It's alright, take it with you."

With a flick of her fingertip, a faint wisp of divine power enveloped Frost Feather, allowing it to remain more securely in her hair and preventing ordinary eyes from easily discerning its true nature. "Conceal your aura and refrain from making a sound."

"Frostfeather is the best!" The little guy immediately promised, rubbing his head against Zhuohua's hair, and happily curling into an even rounder snowball.