“Tell you what?”

Looking at the brothers’ cheerful faces all around her, Feng Jiu’er was in equally fine spirits.

“I do not know exactly what happened either. Ninth Imperial Uncle said the two of us could break the formation, so I followed him.”

Feng Jiu’er was genuinely delighted. Not only had everyone come through unscathed, things appeared to be going even better than expected.

Just a short while ago, after she and Ninth Imperial Uncle had broken the formation, they had simply cultivated together at will for a time — and yet somehow it had benefited everyone else as well.

She glanced back at the man who had already disappeared into the crowd, and her voice rang out again.

“I am going to check on Ninth Imperial Uncle. I will come chat with everyone later.”

With that single parting remark, she stepped off toward the ship’s cabin.

Zhan Qingcheng returned to his own cabin and shut the door behind him.

He walked to the mirror and, with a casual motion, loosened his robe and bared his lower back.

He turned his head to look at his reflection — at the marking at the small of his back — and in that instant, the air around him shifted entirely.

He swept his large palm over the searing mark at his lower back, and the dragon’s ascent pattern etched there grew clearer before his eyes.

Staring at this totem that had never before appeared on his body, the depth in Zhan Qingcheng’s eyes grew heavier and heavier.

Knock knock knock. The sound of a knock came at the door.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, may I come in?”

Feng Jiu’er’s voice drifted through from outside.

“Enter.”

Zhan Qingcheng gave his robe a single toss, and the dragon’s ascent pattern was hidden at once beneath the fabric.

When Feng Jiu’er pushed open the door and stepped in, the corners of her mouth still curved with a faint smile.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, all the brothers who fell into the water have been rescued.”

The cheerful girl came to Zhan Qingcheng’s side as he sat on the bed and took his arm in hers.

“You and I combined our powers — not only did we break the Black Dragon Weeping Phoenix Formation, we also helped heal everyone as well.”

She looked up at Zhan Qingcheng, satisfaction dancing in her blinking eyes.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, do you think that if we keep cultivating together from now on, there will come a day when we are truly invincible under heaven?”

When she saw that the man who had seemed perfectly fine just a moment ago now had a slight darkness about his gaze, Feng Jiu’er released his arm and stood up.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Just as she was about to take his large hand to check his pulse, Zhan Qingcheng drew back from her touch.

Seeing the pallor on his face, Feng Jiu’er grew more worried still.

“I was joking earlier — being invincible under heaven is hardly something that comes easily.”

Feigning ease, Feng Jiu’er took hold of his arm and gently guided him back against the bed.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, lie down and let me take a look at you.”

“A moment ago I was channeling phoenix clan energy into you — did that injure you?”

“Let me examine you.”

Dragon and phoenix united — invincible under heaven.

Feng Jiu’er was a phoenix woman. She bore the phoenix mark upon her. Zhan Qingcheng’s suspicion that she was a phoenix seemed correct — but who, then, was the dragon?

No one knew.

In that critical moment, his only option had been to act decisively and stake everything on drawing upon even a thread of phoenix clan energy to unite with Feng Jiu’er and break the formation.

They had won, without question — but something had happened that Zhan Qingcheng had never anticipated.

The dragon’s ascent had appeared at the small of his back.

“There is no need.”

Zhan Qingcheng pushed away Feng Jiu’er’s small hand.

“Ninth Imperial Uncle, what is wrong with you exactly? You must know — the more you try to hide something, the more worried I become.”

Feng Jiu’er looked at him, her delicate brows drawing together.

Zhan Qingcheng met her gaze. He reached out his large hand and gave the top of her head a gentle rub.

“I am merely a little weary. Have some congee prepared for me — I will rest for a while and I shall be fine.”

The moment the words left his lips, he swung his long legs up and lay down on the bed.

Feng Jiu’er studied his complexion carefully for a long moment. Still not entirely at ease, she had no choice but to give a small nod.

“Very well. You rest — I will go out now.”

Knowing full well that Ninth Imperial Uncle had no intention of saying anything, no one could pry a word from him. And yet — to get her to leave, he had actually said quite a lot, which was already no small thing.

With a quiet sigh, Feng Jiu’er quickly reached out her small hand and pressed it briefly against Zhan Qingcheng’s forehead.

Confirming there was no fever, she withdrew her hand, turned, and walked out.

Just as she was about to push open the door, the man’s magnetic voice drifted to her from behind.

“My body is fine. Rest easy.”

Feng Jiu’er glanced back at the figure on the bed, pressed her lips together, and gave a small nod.

She turned and pushed open the cabin door, stepping out.

“Rest well.”

She left those two words behind, then eased the door shut with careful hands.

His body was fine. It was something in his heart.

Even so, Ninth Imperial Uncle knew she was worried, and had been willing to say one more thing — that was something, at least.

Very well — whatever was weighing on his heart, he would not speak of it, and she would not ask.

She had barely turned to leave when Feng Jiu’er spotted a tall figure in the corridor.

A soft smile spread across her face. She broke into a light run, and wrapped her arms around Feng Li’s waist, tucking herself against his chest.

“Father, I made you worry. Your child has been unfilial.”

Feng Li gently stroked her back, then released her and took her small hand in his.

“Come — let Xue Gu take a look at your condition.”

Feng Li had transferred the entirety of his divine arts to Feng Jiu’er, yet Feng Jiu’er could still not make use of even a tenth of it.

That was precisely what troubled Feng Li. If his own power could become fully hers to command, he might be able to set his mind at ease.

Now that Feng Li had lost his own cultivation, he no longer even possessed the ability to check on Feng Jiu’er’s condition himself. He could only leave that matter in Xue Gu’s hands.

“Very well.”

Feng Jiu’er took Feng Li’s arm in hers and nodded.

The two figures vanished in an instant around the bend in the corridor.

Qiao Mu had been waiting for the better part of the afternoon. By the time everyone began sitting down for the midday meal, Feng Jiu’er had still not appeared, and Qiao Mu could wait no longer. She headed off toward the cabin.

Just as Feng Jiu’er was stepping out from Feng Li’s cabin, she spotted Qiao Mu walking past in the corridor.

“Miss Qiao, where are you off to?”

Feng Jiu’er called out to her softly.

Qiao Mu spun around, her eyes half-narrowed.

“To find you — I thought you were still with the Ninth Prince.”

Before she had even finished her sentence, Qiao Mu turned and reached back to grab hold of Feng Jiu’er’s sleeve.

“You promised to come out and explain everything to us properly, and then you went and hid away for an entire morning. Were you planning on never showing your face again?”

And just like that, the moment Feng Jiu’er had pulled the cabin door shut, Qiao Mu had already whisked her away.

Having passed through a formation that felt like hell itself, they had emerged to find clear skies, a gentle breeze, and the sea melding seamlessly with the sky above. Everyone had finally let themselves relax.

The air on the deck was alive with cheerful ease, and the mood instantly swept Feng Jiu’er up along with it.

“Miss Jiu’er.”

“Miss Jiu’er.”

The brothers who saw her emerge from inside all greeted her with expressions of unmistakable respect.

Feng Jiu’er offered everyone a soft, quiet smile in return but said nothing.

“My lady, I saved some beef for you.”

Zhao Yusheng rose to his feet and came toward her.

Feng Jiu’er gave him a dismissive glance and walked straight over to Jian Yi.

Jian Yi handed her a bowl of congee without a word, then picked up a strip of dried meat and chewed on it himself.

Feng Jiu’er took the congee and sat down beside Qiao Mu.

“Jian Yi, where is Mu Mu?”

“No idea.”

Jian Yi shook his head.

“Miss Jiu’er, would you tell us what happened today?”

A nearby brother could not hold back any longer.

“Yes, Miss Jiu’er, please tell us.”

“Come on, let us hear it.”

With the Ninth Prince absent, everyone could relax a little, and in an instant, nearly every pair of eyes was on Feng Jiu’er.

Facing the crowd’s unanimous curious stares, Feng Jiu’er found it impossible to keep her silence.

With a gentle smile, she gave everyone a brief account of how they had broken the formation.