Chapter 59 Household Matters

In the hall, Second Uncle Yi Zhibin was presiding over the idle chatter, so no one could stir up any trouble.

Jiang Xiao was arranged to live nearby. The huge training ground was surrounded by courtyard houses. Jiang Xiao didn't find it particularly novel, having already grown accustomed to this style during his time in the alien sphere.

It's worth mentioning that Jiang Xiao asked Yi Qingchen for a set of Tai Chi clothing. He planned to dress more formally tomorrow, or rather, he planned to immerse himself in the atmosphere of the Yi Family Martial Hall.

After settling into a secluded courtyard, Jiang Xiao kept Chen Lingtao behind to cram on information about the Yi family.

The Yi family was indeed a large, branching family.

Yi Qingchen's father, Yi Zhizhong, was the eldest son, a Star Sea Pinnacle, Agility-type, Combat-type Star Warrior. He was the Deputy Commander with the rank of Major General of the 77th Army of the China Central Plains Shattered Mountain Army. He had one daughter, Yi Qingchen.

Second Uncle Yi Zhixiao, a Star Sea Pinnacle, Agility-type, Combat-type Star Warrior, had not joined the army. Instead, he had opened more than a dozen martial arts halls, scattered throughout Central Plains Province, and could be considered to have "disciples all over the world."

However, because he had married late, his two sons were only thirteen years old.

Third in line was Aunt Yi Zhiying, an ordinary person who had not awakened a Star Map and was involved in business.

Chen Lingtao didn't know what kind of business Yi Zhiying was in, only that she was very wealthy. According to Chen Lingtao, after kowtowing to his aunt during the New Year, he had enough pocket money for the whole year...

As for Fourth Uncle Yi Zhijie, Chen Lingtao only knew that he was a member of the Central Plains Night Watch Army, the Light Chasing Group. Chen Lingtao knew nothing about his specific position or even his personal strength.

According to Chen Lingtao, he only remembered seeing his fourth uncle a few times when he was a child, and he hadn't seen him come home for at least a decade.

And this was just Yi Qingchen's father's generation. Yi Qingchen's grandmother had three older brothers and one younger sister.

This dense family tree, starting with these five elders, branched out and formed a massive network...

When Chen Lingtao took his leave, he also mentioned that he had fought his way to the top among the 17 awakened people of his generation to earn the right to drive Jiang Xiao to the station...

Jiang Xiao understood Chen Lingtao's meaning. Saying he was qualified to pick him up was, in essence, giving him an opportunity to see if he could team up with Yi Qingchen and become disciples together.

Jiang Xiao found it a bit troublesome. Chen Lingtao's father wasn't in the military, but he was a high-ranking official in Shang City, Central Plains Province.

Jiang Xiao frowned, realizing the issue wasn't simple.

With his father in such a position, could this family's son come to pick him up and act as a driver on his own?

Putting aside the playboy image for the moment, even if Chen Lingtao was a humble and low-key kid, in the current somewhat dangerous environment, wouldn't Chen Lingtao have bodyguards around him? Jiang Xiao didn't believe it.

So now the question was, from the station all the way to the county town and then to this suburban martial arts ground, Jiang Xiao hadn't noticed any trace of bodyguards.

Was Jiang Xiao himself too careless, or were the other party's strength levels too high?

"Pi Pi." Accompanied by a knock on the door, Jiang Xiao heard that familiar voice outside.

Jiang Xiao got up and walked out of the bedroom, went to the front of the hall, and opened the wooden door. In the small courtyard, Yi Qingchen stood prettily.

The buildings around this training ground were indeed ancient and charming enough. This world was too magical. He wondered what the planning department of this county town was doing.

Why not tear down these bungalows, build high-rise buildings, and sell them like crazy?

Leaving so many bungalows just sitting here... Well, maybe they couldn't be torn down...

Yi Qingchen held a white Tai Chi uniform in both hands and said, "The clothes you wanted."

"Come on in, sit down." Jiang Xiao let Yi Qingchen into the house. The two sat in the main room, and Jiang Xiao smiled, "You really know how to keep things from me. Your mother is the principal of Yan Zhao Star Warrior University?"

"Uh..." Yi Qingchen scratched her head and said softly, "You didn't ask me. Did Xiao Tao tell you?"

"Ah, I crammed a bit on your family tree." Jiang Xiao said casually, "But why isn't she the principal of Central Plains Star Warrior University? Why did she go to Yan Zhao Star Warrior University instead?"

Yi Qingchen said, "I still prefer training and fighting. Strength can be earned with every slash and thrust, it can be developed with effort. As for other things, they're too complicated."

"Oh..." Jiang Xiao understood Yi Qingchen's meaning and didn't continue on that topic.

"By the way, shall I take you to see the gift for the master apprenticeship tomorrow?" Yi Qingchen suddenly stood up, her face full of excitement.

"Hmm? Isn't that bad?" Jiang Xiao thought for a moment and said, "What will people think of me if they find out?"

"Oh, who cares what others think? Let's go, let's go." Yi Qingchen grabbed Jiang Xiao's hand and led him towards the courtyard, seemingly more relaxed in her own home.

The two stood in the courtyard, and Yi Qingchen waved her right hand, and a space portal slowly opened.

Jiang Xiao recognized the space portal too well. Obviously, it was the Land of Buried Evil.

Yi Qingchen stepped inside, half her body disappearing into the portal, and turned her head to beckon to Jiang Xiao, saying, "Come on."

Jiang Xiao curiously walked inside and saw a real training space.

Fitness equipment, weapon racks, a ring, a shooting range... What was that? Plum blossom piles?

Jiang Xiao was dumbfounded, following Yi Qingchen all the way to the end, arriving in front of a simple stable.

"Rulu..." With a few snorts, the creature lying on its side on the ground sensed someone coming and then used its limbs to stand up.

It turned out to be a foal?

But this was too unruly, right? Why was it sleeping on its side?

Yi Qingchen stepped forward, opened the gate, her eyes filled with deep affection, and said, "Black Ridge Fire Feather, a unique color, do you like it?"

Jiang Xiao frowned slightly and said, "That's from the border between the Northern Territory Autonomous Region and Da Meng Province..."

Yi Qingchen half-knelt down, gently stroking the crimson foal's head, and said, "That's right, you have a good eye."

Of course, Jiang Xiao had a good eye. Even with the frequent openings of other-dimensional spaces today, this kind of thing was rare.

Because the Black Fire Ridge other-dimensional space only opened at the northernmost border between the Northern Territory and Da Meng Province, and the topography of its opening area was outrageously demanding.

Once, the Snow Mountain Territory other-dimensional space, which produced White Mountain Snow Feathers, was on par with Black Fire Ridge, both being incredibly precious and rare other-dimensional spaces.

But as other-dimensional spaces opened more and more frequently, the Snow Mountain Territory in Da Jiang Province was still rare, but not as much as before, while this "Black Fire Ridge" other-dimensional space still maintained its original rarity.

To put it simply, Jiang Xiao wouldn't be able to enter this other-dimensional space even with his Night Watch Army officer's ID.

Seeing Jiang Xiao not saying anything for a long time, Yi Qingchen seemed to realize that Jiang Xiao had only heard of it but had never seen what a real Black Ridge Fire Feather looked like. It wasn't in textbooks, and there weren't even pictures online.

Yi Qingchen took two steps back and waved her hand casually.

"Hsilulu~" A neigh resounded beneath the night sky.

Jiang Xiao turned his head and saw a behemoth with a shoulder height of over three and a half meters and a head height of at least four meters, spreading its jet-black wings, raising its front hooves, and neighing towards the sky.

It was jet-black all over, without a single stray hair, and its huge eyes burned with crimson flames. Its hooves were also entwined with flames, majestic and domineering.

"Look, this one is the normal color." Yi Qingchen stepped forward and patted the Black Ridge Fire Feather's body.

As its hooves landed, a layer of flames spread out, and the crimson flames entwined around its hooves burned even more intensely.

"Lulu!!!" The foal on the side was unhappy, also spreading its small crimson wings. Although it was small, it had a lot of momentum. It wasn't just provoking with sound, it was also charging over!

So! Damn! Brutal!

Were you Xia Yan?

A cub going head-to-head with an adult?

Yi Qingchen was startled and hurriedly retracted her Black Ridge Fire Feather, while the foal missed the charge and kicked its limbs randomly on the ground, turning around, its eyes burning with black flames, staring at Yi Qingchen with dissatisfaction.

"Alright, alright." Yi Qingchen stepped forward, it was obvious that she got along well with this little guy.

Jiang Xiao silently watched this scene. This was simply a flipped version of the White Mountain Snow Feather.

The two-tailed White Mountain Snow Feather was snow-white all over, from head to tail, from mane to wings, all were white, only its eyes were sea-blue, and its entire body was sprinkled with frost.

Noble and holy.

Yi Qingchen's Black Ridge Fire Feather, however, was jet-black all over, with flames burning in its eyes and on its hooves, majestic and domineering!

And the gift Yi Qingchen prepared was red, as red as the fiery clouds scorched by the sun on the horizon, or like red-hot coals, so hot, so dazzling.

Its eyes and hooves, however, were burning with black flames, stunningly beautiful.

Yi Qingchen said, "Most Black Ridge Fire Feathers are jet-black, gray, brown, and tan also exist, but they are relatively rare, but this is the first time I've seen one that's fiery red like the sun."

Jiang Xiao was secretly tongue-tied.

You've never seen this dazzling charcoal red color before?

I've never seen a Black Ridge Fire Feather at all, okay!

Yi Qingchen continued, "It's a Platinum-level creature with three Star Techniques.

The first Star Technique is Fiery Wind, which can emit scorching fire and heat waves by flapping its wings, burning enemies.

The second Star Technique is Fire Storm, which can create a rapidly rotating giant flame vortex to incinerate and tear enemies apart.

The third Star Technique is Heart of Nature, which increases resistance to all nature-based Star Techniques."

Jiang Xiao nodded. This was basically the White Mountain Snow Feather's cousin, one taking the ice route, the other taking the fire route.

It's just that once upon a time, both brothers were very rare, but at this moment, the fire-type was much more precious than the ice-type. Things were valued for their scarcity.

"Pi Pi, do you like it?" Yi Qingchen's beautiful eyes were full of anticipation, looking at Jiang Xiao prettily.

From her previous actions and expressions, Jiang Xiao could tell that Yi Qingchen especially liked this Black Ridge Fire Feather. It seemed that the Yi family was reluctantly parting with this rare Star Pet to give it to him as a master apprenticeship gift.

Jiang Xiao certainly wouldn't spoil the mood, nodding repeatedly and saying, "I like it, I especially like it!"

Saying that, Jiang Xiao sighed in his heart. He wasn't sure whether he should accept this Star Pet or not.

Normally, he should be a dragon rider. Of course, most dragons were proud. Jiang Xiao had also analyzed last time that in the Dragon's Lair, only the Crystal Dragon could barely be relied on as a small candle. As for the other solitary dragons...

Jiang Xiao couldn't risk the life of the Little Candle to forcibly rely on dragon creatures.

Failing to steal a chicken and losing rice should never happen to him.

Once the Little Candle was gone, then all the other Star Beasts in his Star Chart—the Yinyin Bear, the Wengweng Whale, and the Sea Devouring Garment—would be gone!

This was not a joke!

The current situation facing Jiang Xiao was... he had the Sea Devouring Garment, which was enough to take him to the sky and sea, so he didn't really need this flying Black Ridge Fire Feather.

Other people's treasures were useless to Jiang Xiao, which was quite helpless to think about.

Jiang Xiao also squatted down, carefully stroking the Black Ridge Fire Feather's head. A message also came from his Star Chart:

"Black Ridge Fire Feather Foal (Mutated, Charcoal Red, Diamond Level)..."

Jiang Xiao: !!!

Diamond level?

Shouldn't it be Platinum?

No wonder you've only seen black, gray, and brown ones, and never charcoal red, because this is a mutated one!!!

Jiang Xiao's Adam's apple bobbed, and he said in a trembling voice, "Qingchen... where did you guys catch this little guy?"

Yi Qingchen said, "In the Sacred Ruins. It wasn't bred and naturally produced. It jumped out of the Sacred Ruins. If the Night Watch Army hadn't discovered it in time, this little guy would have been torn apart by adult Fire Feathers."