In the year Shao Yi was born, the winter in Qiongsang City rarely saw several heavy snowfalls. The old divine officials said this was an auspicious omen, probably meaning that the newly born Phoenix Lord would bring tremendous changes to Qiongsang City.

As for what kind of changes he would bring, Shao Yi, still just a tiny phoenix, didn’t care about such things for the time being. He only felt cold and instinctively sought a soft and warm embrace.

His mother drew him into her arms, wrapping him in the softest thousand-silk cloud gauze. To coax him to sleep, she picked up a leaf and played a gentle and pure melody.

That was the first tune he heard after being born, yet he never learned its name.

In that chaotic darkness and softness, he had the most wonderful period of time. His parents were exceptionally loving toward each other. When they had leisure time, they would always take him through the passages down to the mortal realm to play—sometimes to view the mountains and waters of the mortal world, sometimes to observe the joys and sorrows of mortals. When the tiny phoenix first spread his wings and flew toward the sky, he was greeted with countless praises and exclamations.

The Phoenix Lord had peerless natural talent, rarely seen in generations. The entire Qingyang Clan was shocked by it. Everyone hoped he would become the most perfect and glorious Dijun in Qingyang Clan history. The gentle doting and care vanished overnight, replaced by extremely strict demands from his parents.

That gentle and pure melody—he never heard his mother play it again either. She would often hold his hand and say with deep feeling: “Our relationship with the Zhuyin Clan is not as good as before. I heard that their generation gave birth to a little Dragon Lord with excellent talent, no less than yours. The matter of a marriage alliance is probably difficult for now. You must work hard and not let the Zhuyin Clan tower over the Qingyang Clan anymore.”

The five-thousand-year-old Phoenix Lord couldn’t figure out the relationship between the Zhuyin Clan and the Qingyang Clan, nor did he want to figure it out for the time being. His only wish in his heart at that time was to descend to the mortal realm again with his parents to travel and play, but it was never fulfilled.

The wonderful times were gone forever. Shao Yi thought that they probably didn’t love him anymore.

But that was fine—he could find his own fun. Through a hundred twists and a thousand turns, he would never shortchange himself. This was his innate nature.

On a silent night, Shao Yi secretly slipped out of Qiongsang City and went through the passage to the lower realm alone to play. However, in the past when he went to the lower realm, he had always followed his parents. They knew so many places, but he didn’t know any of them. After wandering around the mortal realm for three days, Shao Yi tragically discovered that he was lost.

He was trapped in reed marshes that filled the sky and earth and could no longer fly. All around was misty water, and except for the occasional sound of startled waterfowl, it seemed like he was the only one left between heaven and earth. The Phoenix Lord, who was only five thousand years old, was ultimately just a half-grown child. He carefully used his sleeve to wipe away his uncooperative tears.

In that boundless misty water full of reeds, Shao Yi met the Zhuyin Clan for the first time.

A pitch-black carriage came overhead like dark clouds, stopping abruptly amid the misty water. The Zhuyin Clan’s divine officials in black and white divine robes exclaimed in surprise: “There’s a little one from the Qingyang Clan here! Could it be the Phoenix Lord?”

Shao Yi raised his head and saw a child’s face, about the same age as himself, lean out from the window of the magnificent carriage. His complexion was unusually pale, as if sculpted from ice and snow, and he glanced at him with proud and cold eyes.

Shao Yi felt he rather disliked this kind of attitude, so he looked away and stopped watching him.

Zhongshan Dijun in the carriage and his newly wed second wife also leaned out to look at him. The young wife covered her mouth with her sleeve and laughed softly: “How did the Phoenix Lord end up in such a wretched state?”

Zhongshan Dijun said flatly: “The two clans haven’t had contact for quite some time. Who would have thought the Qingyang Clan would be so irresponsible as to let the Phoenix Lord fall alone in the lower realm. Bring the Phoenix Lord onto the carriage. We’ll send him back to Qiongsang City.”

The divine officials jumped down from the carriage to carry him. Shao Yi took two steps back and slowly shook his head. He also seemed to rather dislike this couple from the Zhuyin Clan who spoke in such a strange and mocking manner.

Zhongshan Dijun said: “Chang Yu, you’re about the same age as the Phoenix Lord. Go and invite him onto the carriage.”

Although the two clans had very little contact, they had still heard about the Qingyang Clan producing a Phoenix Lord with peerless talent. Since both sides had Dragon Lords and Phoenix Lords of similar ages, they inevitably had some comparative thoughts.

That little Dragon Lord called Chang Yu lightly descended from the carriage. Seeing that he was about the same age as himself but could travel to the lower realm with his parents like this, Shao Yi inevitably felt some envy in his heart, which probably showed in his eyes as well. Chang Yu took it as a sign of weakness and happily broke into a smile, proudly raising his chin: “Why aren’t you hurrying up?”

With that, he reached out to grab his clothes. Shao Yi nimbly pushed away his hand. His expression darkened, and he reached out to grab again. The two children pushed and shoved each other for a few exchanges. The sky suddenly darkened. Chang Yu lost his temper, and Zhuyin snow began to fall in flurries. Shao Yi gradually felt his body unable to move, while the Zhuyin Clan couple in the carriage watched with smiling eyes.

Chang Yu grabbed his shoulder and said coldly: “Inviting you onto the carriage is giving you face. Don’t fail to appreciate it.”

Shao Yi was instantly infuriated. From somewhere, a surge of divine power arose. Bright flames swept across his entire body, and he forcefully pushed him away. Suddenly he heard his father’s voice behind him: “Shao Yi!”

He hurriedly turned around and saw the Qingyang Clan’s carriage landing behind him. His anxious parents and divine officials had already searched their way here.

His mother’s love for her son was fervent. Without regard for the two children’s entanglement, she rushed forward and embraced him: “Are you alright? How could you secretly run down to the lower realm?”

Shao Yi suddenly felt an extreme sense of grievance. The little Dragon Lord across from him was about the same age, yet he could come out to play with his parents, while he himself was subjected to such strict demands and couldn’t even get a smile from them on ordinary days. He didn’t want to show weakness in front of Chang Yu, so instead he widened his eyes and stared at him coldly.

This little Dragon Lord looked at him being held in his mother’s arms, and a trace of the same envy instantly showed on his face, but he immediately suppressed it as well.

Zhongshan Dijun got out of the carriage and called him: “Chang Yu, come back.”

He snorted, turned around and walked back, pushed away his stepmother’s hand, and got onto the carriage alone.

Zhongshan Dijun paid him no mind and only looked toward the Qingyang Clan’s carriage opposite, his tone still flat: “Qingyang Dijun, although the lower realm is peaceful, it’s still not quite appropriate to let a young Phoenix Lord descend to the lower realm alone.”

Shao Yi watched as his father, who had always been highly respected and high above others, could only show a bitter smile and nod his head: “Thank you, Zhongshan Dijun, for looking after my son.”

Zhongshan Dijun also got onto the carriage, saying as he did: “As for the marriage alliance of this generation, it will trouble Qingyang Dijun. The Earth Fire Cloud Realm of Zhongshan awaits the arrival of the Qingyang Clan princess.”

The cloud-like carriage roared away into the distance. Shao Yi quietly watched as his father withdrew his farewell salute, then turned around and gripped his shoulder heavily, his voice very low and very helpless: “You saw it too. Even if the little Dragon Lord had injured you today, Father couldn’t have done anything for you.”

After saying this, he patted his shoulder heavily again: “Let’s go back. Don’t secretly descend to the lower realm again.”

Shao Yi quietly got onto the carriage and let his mother lovingly stroke his hair. After a long while, he said softly: “He couldn’t have injured me.”

If those wonderful times couldn’t come back, then so be it. It didn’t matter anymore.