1508 Incomparably lonely, we’ll accompany you(Chapter preview)

They walked through the passageway and came to a wide cave. It was so clean that there wasn't a single stone, so just where was the thing that made Little Golden so afraid?

Suddenly, Little Golden's body stiffened in fear.

Sima You Yue pulled it away from her neck and hugged it. If this continued on, she would have to give up breathing.

"Little Golden, just what is making you so scared?" She stroked its back, getting it to calm down.

She wondered if she should place Little Golden back.

However, if she did this, she would miss out a lot of good things.

"It's just ahead." Little Golden curled in You Yue's embrace, "It's in that round shadow."

Sima You Yue increased the size of her flame, illuminating the entire cave. She only now noticed that there was a little hole as an entrance.

She carried Little Golden in her embrace and walked in and saw a stone statue inside. The stone statue was around two metres tall with a sharp head. She had no idea what it was.

At this point, there was activity stirring in the spirit pagoda. Sima You Yue gave a thought and Crimson Flame appeared in front of everyone.

"Crimson Flame, do you know what this is?"

Crimson Flame rarely took the opportunity to come out. The moment he did meant that something was happening.

"Ancestor." After Crimson Flame finished speaking, he turned into his beast form and prostrated.

Sima You Yue and Wu Lingyu were a little shocked. If the one in the stone statue was Crimson Flame's ancestor, didn't that mean that it was another Vermilion Bird?

Could there be two divine birds existing at the same time?

An Lei, who was standing at the back, was so shocked that her eyes were bulging wide. She was even thinking that, if anything surprising were to happen, she would already be able to accept that Sima You Yue always surprised others. If anything else happened, she believed that she would be able to accept it.

However, at this moment, she was looking at the divine Vermilion Bird with her own eyes. Her heart was beating so fast and she was breathing heavily, but it didn't seem to belong to her anymore.

Nobody in the cave dared to make a sound. They quietly watched as Crimson Flame paid his respects to the stone statue.

"Kacha-"

The soft sounds were exceptionally clear in the quietness of the cave, causing everyone to look at the stone statue.

"Kacha-"

"Kacha-"

After Crimson Flame worshipped it, the stone layer on the statue started to break apart. It was even more useful that the knives that stone cutting masters used.

Could a Vermilion Bird be appearing here?

Everyone was shocked by this thought. The ancient texts never said that two Vermilion Birds could exist at the same time, right?

"Kacha-"

The stone layer started to fall layer by layer as Crimson Flame prostrated on the ground. He didn't raise his head the entire time.

"Finally, I've managed to wait for you…"

A weak sigh carried with it the scent of an ancient desolation. That solemn and imposing manner made Sima You Yue and the others bow their heads.

"Greetings, Ancestor!" Crimson Flame lowered his head as well.

"It's good, you're here. Although you are beyond recognition, at least the bloodline managed to continue. In the future, this world… you have to protect it. You must not forget your responsibility." The Archaic Vermilion Bird instructed him. It was definitely a competent divine bird in the past."

"Your offspring cannot deny Ancestor's wishes."

"Today, I give you the inheritance to aid your healing of your wounds and to recover your strength." A gentle energy enveloped Crimson Flame, "Ah? You've been contracted?"

The voice was filled with puzzlement, as if he didn't know how a divine bird like Crimson Flame could have been contracted by a human.

Crimson Flame could sense his divine senses being swept, and he immediately heard a long sigh at his ear.

"Nevermind. I didn't think that this kind of twist would occur." The Archaic Vermilion Bird's voice was regretful, but he didn't force him to break the contract. "Even if you have formed a contract with someone, you cannot forget the responsibility on your shoulders."

"Understood."

"Since she's your contracted master, I will give her a portion of the destiny as well."

Sima You Yue felt a shock through her body as a bout of energy entered her. It actually caused her to feel the slight foreshadowing of a rank advancement.

"No way, I can't advance in rank here." Sima You Yue got Little Spirit to suppress the energy. It took a long time before her body recovered.

"Why do you not advance in rank?" The questioning voice was angry that his kind intentions had been rejected.

"I can't advance in rank right now." Sima You Yue raised her head, only then did she see what the Archaic Vermilion Bird looked like.

That wasn't right, she didn't clearly see how the Archaic Vermilion Bird was like because his body shone with a faint light. It was obviously not blinding, but it stopped her from seeing him clearly.

"Why not?"

"Every time I advance in rank, I trigger a lightning tribulation. If I advance in rank here, I'll cause a lot of trouble." Sima You Yue said.

The Archaic Vermilion Bird fell silent, not speaking again. However, Sima You Yue could sense that he looked at her a little differently.

"To resist the temptation and be clear of one's situation is not bad either." The Archaic Vermilion Bird said, "To have such a temperament will help him bear the responsibility in the future. I will leave his future to you."

"Ancestor…" Crimson Flame could sense his boundless sorrow, and he sounded like he was choking back a sob.

"I will accomplish what I have not been able to accomplish…"

The Archaic Vermilion Bird's voice was softer as the light that enveloped it was focused on Crimson Flame's body instead, giving Crimson Flame its energy.

Everyone could now clearly see the Archaic Vermilion Bird.

How could the present version of him be like what everyone thought he was like when he was alive. He, who was in front of everyone, was a body that was without a trace of vitality.

It was the body of the Vermilion Bird that had already passed on ten million to a hundred million years ago!

Because he had been sealed in the spirit stone, it seemed like he was not rotten yet. The words he said earlier on was probably left behind by the divine consciousness he had as he died.

Seeing Crimson Flame, it seemed like he knew it from the start.

"Crimson Flame…" Watching him continue to kneel on the ground suddenly made Sima You Yue's heart hurt for him.

The other spirit beasts had clansmen, but he didn't. The moment one appeared, another would die. He… would forever be alone.

Although a hundred birds would worship him, that kind of incomparable loneliness… who would understand?

The Archaic Vermilion Bird also knew that sort of loneliness right? That was why, when he knew that Crimson Flame had her to accompany him, he was not particularly angry.

From Crimson Flame's memory, he knew that Crimson Flame was not as lonely as he was. He had her as well as the company of so many spirit beasts, so he wouldn't suffer like he did.

Little Seven and the others could sense his pain as well, and they could not help but cry.

Crimson Flame stood up and turned back into his human form, saying, "I want to return to seclude myself and cultivate. Ancestor… gave me some inheritance that I never had before."

"Alright." Sima You Yue stepped forward to wrap him in a hug, saying, "No matter when, you will always have us. You're not alone."

Wu Lingyu glared at the two of them. That faint look was about to freeze all the water in the cave.

Don't get angry, don't get angry! But… it was so irksome!

"I know." Crimson Flame was not scared of Wu Lingyu's gaze, but he still let her go.

Although he had never said it, he was truly very lucky. With her accompanying him, he had slowly walked out from his low point of life.

When his life force was at its weakest, most powerless state, when he needed help the most, she appeared. Although he took the initiative to form the contract, without her, he would probably really have died by now. In a little dilapidated cave in the Yi Lin continent, lonely forever.

To have you around is really great...