Desperation, anguish, regret, and all sorts of negative emotions swell inside his heart when death welcomes him with open arms as he drowns into darkness. Ash thought by becoming a bird he could attain the freedom that he always dreamt about. However, he overlooked the fact that living in wilderness was cruel, merciless, and perilous. He thought his second life had ended prematurely.
However, the warmth adhered from below when Ash opened his eyes. The misty scenery of a vast icy lake spread across the horizon before him as far as eyes could see, and was followed by playful chirps of birds from atop the wisteria tree.
Soon, Ash found himself nestled in a warm pillow by the side of the window. Feeling unsafe, Ash tried to flee yet he stopped his futile attempt when the excruciating pain shocked him.
"Damn it! Did I get caught by a human?"
As if it was cued, the delicate sounds of a woman's footsteps were heard from behind. Ash instinctively turned his head towards the voice and was fumbled by the otherworldly beauty that stood gracefully by the doorway.
He was utterly mesmerized by her peerless pale-white skin that looked like being coated with a thin layer of ice. Every movement she made created a swirl of snow dust in the air. Her long, silvery white hair cascaded down on her back like a waterfall. Two adorable eyebrows peeking from her precisely cut hair bangs as she moved.
The simple yet elegant white hanfu that she wore emphasized her tall and curvaceous figure perfectly, just enough to make any male turn their head over by showing a portion of her chest, neck and shoulders.
Ash almost dropped his lower beak by the time he saw a pair of fox-like ears atop her head and nine fox tails swaying playfully on her behind.
Everything seemed like it was moving slowly in his eyes until she raised her voice, and thus she spoke: "Oh my... you are awake, at last. I thought, I am going to lose you last night."
Still cautious of the woman's true nature, Ash opted to hold his mind from saying anything. He was concerned that she might be able to hear his voice which was quite rare for a fledgling bird like him.
"Right! You must be hungry! Wait, here, I'll gather some veggies and herbs from the mountain!"
Afterward, she disappeared into the mist with just a few steps, she even walked on the lake and took off with just a flick of an ankle.
"So, is she a Cultivator too?" Ash inquired himself. "No, her aura and presence are so pure unlike those bastards who killed uncle Tienxing in cold blood. Who is she? No, what is she? A goddess, perhaps?"
Not so long after, the vixen lady returned from her short gathering trip, bringing a basket full of veggies, herbs, and even some fishes as promised.
"Please wait, I will whip up some food for you." She said eloquently.
A few moments later, she returned from the kitchen, bringing a bowl of porridge topped with grilled fish. A humble yet warming dish that almost made him cry. Ash never experienced this level of kindness before.
However, he couldn't let his guard down. Not in this world where he has no one to rely on. And thus, Ash sniffed the bowl cautiously.
Seeing the fledgling phoenix's timid approach, the vixen lady took a spoonful from the bowl and stuffed it into her mouth.
"See? It's not poisoned, I assure you." She said, Her face beamed with a toothy smile. "Hurry, before it gets cold."
Ash wolfed the bowl in a minute, leaving nothing in the bowl which made the vixen lady very happy to see his big appetite.
"Fufufu, I am glad that you like it. But, eat slowly, I don't want you to choke." The vixen lady raised an index finger.
Thus, Ash had no choice but to accept her generosity for the time being even though he felt bad about being the receiving end, especially from a lady. Besides, his body was severely damaged and he couldn't move even a muscle.
During this short nursery period, the vixen lady told Ash all about herself occasionally whenever she had the time to visit his room.
"I don't know whether you would understand my tongue, but my name is Huxian. A Transcended Rank Immortal Beast. That should explain why I have this humanoid form."
Noticing the fledgling bird's curious eyes, Huxian continued her lectures.
"In the Immortal Beast Realm, every beast has their own characteristics and unique abilities that are native to their species and genes. Unlike humans who could defy the law of heavens and earth in order to attain godhood, we Immortal Beasts are categorized into nine different ranks. Namely: Earth, Sky, Star, Spirit, Mystical, Sovereign, Celestial, Transcended, and lastly, Divine Emperor."
"It's been eons ago since I ascended to this stage. And not long ago, I was entrusted by this lake to be its guardian. Well, that's a story for another day, I guess? Sleep well, little one."
Ash slowly drifted away with just her gentle touch. He couldn't help but to surrender himself into the warm embrace.
A week later, after eating and sleeping routine for days in and out, Ash finally levelled to Level 3. All of his wounds were miraculously healed. His feather grows more lustrous than before. He also grew significantly larger. As of now, he was almost as tall as a human teenager.
The vixen lady was utterly shocked upon witnessing his sudden growth spurt. Even without anybody telling her, she was immediately aware of the bird's true nature at that moment. A Heavenly Phoenix!
"Oh my, my... look at you, Xiao Huô. You've grown even bigger now!" Said the vixen lady in a motherly voice.
Ash couldn't remember exactly when she called him Xiao Huô. But, he quite likes it since the nickname has a rather peculiar meaning to it. Little Flame.
Feeling guilty for remaining silent for the whole time, Ash finally spoke with his mind.
"Thank you, Lady Huxian, for all of your kindness and generosity. I'll be forever in your debt."
"Fufufu. Please don't fret it." Huxian chuckled impishly. "It's my duty after all."
"But still..."
"Sssh..." Huxian put an index finger on her lips. "It's okay. If you happen to have a journey in mind, feel free to leave. But remember, I will always welcome you back in this humble abode of mine."