Remembering You For Eternity

2.15 Ao Xiang The Beastmaster

The gossip was imparted onto YuLan, Xiao Zi, and Zhen Zhu by Cao Lu herself. After the initial introduction towards the other two sects, the four women distanced themselves from the rest of the group at the courtyard.

Although Cao Lu did not know Qing Lian too much, she had interacted with the latter during past missions along with Zuo BingTan and Ao Xiang as well.

As a straightforward and righteous female cultivator with a lot of pride, Qing Lian was a type that Cao Lu disliked. Nevertheless, one glance at Qing Lian, Cao Lu could understand Zuo BingTan's favoured treatment towards this shimei of his. Qing Lian was somehow similar to their late Empress mother, especially when she smiled a little - there was a trace of mysteriousness in the smile that was not quite a genuine smile.

After Cao Lu finished her passionate storytelling, she sighed heavily, lamenting the three siblings' obvious mother-complex. Her three shimeis could only look at each other while also glancing towards the gossiped materials.

Shen Wei had asked Ao Xiang to summon the Fire Phoenix - it was an elemental manifestation that Shen Wei liked the most. The beast-master happily obliged. Soon, from the palm of his outstretched hand, heat gathered and tiny sparks began to form into a condensed, fiery flaming sphere. The air around it was sucked into a vacuum at the ball's core.

A couple of breaths later, a vermilion bird erupted from within the ball of fire, its pitch black eyes stared unblinkingly towards the wide-eyed spectators. For Ding Shun and Yu Mei, it was their first time to see such a vivid spirit beast. Their eyes were wide in wonder.

Qing Lian visibly withdrew herself from Ao Xiang's side, her lips pursed in contempt towards the fire bird.

The fire bird frolicked around Ao Xiang's figure, but its long three feathered tails with tips of fire did not harm him or burn his green robe in the slightest. It evidently showed the relationship between the summoned and summoner.

It was not the first time for Zuo JinHai to see the fire spirit beast as well. But he noticed that the flames emitting from the phoenix were more lively and hot than what he remembered.

"Ao Xiang xiong (1), now that you are an Enlightened, are you able to summon multiple spirit beasts at once?" He also recalled that as a Martial-Artist, Ao Xiang used to only be able to summon one at a time.

Ao Xiang merely smiled, a hint of pride evident on his facial expression. He extended his right hand in front of the expectant eyes – sans Qing Lian who was now standing alone under a shaded, young camphor tree. She clenched her fists under her sleeves, dissatisfaction clearly showing on her beautiful face.

Soon, the earth and dirt from the ground surrounding them gathered on top of his outstretched palm, and a corporeal manifestation of the Earth element began to take form.