Chapter 1 The Palace

The gate seemed to be integrated with the palace, seamlessly sealed, impossible to open.

Chen Xiao tried various methods, even resorting to brute force, but all to no avail.

"Ziqing, why don't you give it a try?"

Finally, in desperation, Chen Xiao turned his pleading gaze to Li Ziqing.

"You can't do it, what can I do?"

Li Ziqing rolled her eyes and muttered.

"Just try. Since the Yin-Yang Jade sucked you in, it must have a use for you."

Chen Xiao said very seriously.

"Okay, so in your eyes, your newlywed wife is just a tool."

Li Ziqing rolled her eyes even more.

Despite what she said, Li Ziqing did as Chen Xiao asked.

She pushed the door, but there was no reaction.

"Looks like I've disappointed you this time."

Li Ziqing shrugged and said helplessly.

Chen Xiao frowned slightly. Although reaching the palace gate was a huge step forward, how could he get inside?

What necessary step was missing?

Just as Chen Xiao was racking his brains, he suddenly heard a creaking sound, and the palace gate opened by itself.

"Oh, you're here!"

A melodious female voice came from inside.

Then, Li Ziqing saw a stunning beauty with a slender waist, full breasts, and a shapely bottom, smiling at Chen Xiao.

The stunning beauty had long, slender legs, and was both thin and tall, her height comparable to Chen Xiao's.

"Husband, who is this?"

Li Ziqing asked coldly.

Chen Xiao scratched his head awkwardly, wondering how to introduce her, when he heard the stunning beauty say with a straight face, "He is my master, I am his pet, Auntie!"

Master? Pet? Auntie?

Li Ziqing was on the verge of erupting like a volcano, glaring fiercely at Chen Xiao and gritting her teeth as she said, "Chen Xiao, I think I need a reasonable explanation."

"Actually, she's a bird..."

Chen Xiao explained awkwardly, "You don't need to be angry with a bird, right?"

"A bird?"

Li Ziqing looked bewildered, instinctively thinking that Chen Xiao was making things up.

But then she thought, even if Chen Xiao wanted to make things up, there was no need to make her out to be a bird!

"Tch, I'm not just a bird!"

The stunning beauty immediately retorted, "I'm a phoenix, a fire phoenix!"

After saying that, the stunning beauty transformed into a phoenix bathed in flames and flew into the sky.

It turned out that this was the fire phoenix that Chen Xiao had encountered in the Abyss of Nine Doubts. Since entering the Yin-Yang Jade, she had flown into the palace.

Since then, this was the first time Chen Xiao had seen her again.

After soaring around once, the fire phoenix returned to the two of them and transformed back into human form.

"You, you really are a bird..."

Li Ziqing swallowed and stammered.

Although Chen Xiao had told her many magical things that normal people would never encounter, this was the first time she had seen it with her own eyes.

"I told you, it's a phoenix, not a bird. Can you get it right, Auntie!"

The fire phoenix rolled her eyes and said.

"Auntie? I'm not your auntie. Why are you so rude? Since Chen Xiao is your master, then I'll be your master from now on!"

Li Ziqing said domineeringly.

After all, she was a female president who managed thousands of people, and she had to maintain her style.

Chen Xiao also said, "Little Fire, call Ziqing *jiejie* (older sister) from now on. Don't call her 'Auntie' randomly!"

"Eh?"

The fire phoenix tilted her head, looking curious. "But it was Auntie who told me to call her that! I used to call her 'Auntie' before!"

"I told you to call me that? Before?"

Li Ziqing looked bewildered, not knowing what this silly bird was talking about.

Wasn't this the first time the two of them had met?

However, Chen Xiao's heart stirred, and he quickly asked, "Who is your auntie? What's her name?"

"Auntie is just Auntie, isn't it this one right here~~~"

The fire phoenix said as a matter of course, and then continued, "And isn't this palace Auntie's?"

"Eh? No, no, no, Auntie has already fallen. You're not Auntie. Who are you? Why are you pretending to be Auntie!"

The fire phoenix suddenly glared at Li Ziqing, looking as if she was about to burn Li Ziqing to ashes.

Chen Xiao and Li Ziqing exchanged a glance, and he said, "I already know who Auntie is, and I also know who the owner of this palace is. Let's go in. We've come to the right place!"

After saying that, Chen Xiao strode inside.

Of course, he was holding Li Ziqing's hand. Otherwise, with the fire phoenix's attitude just now, it would have been impossible for Li Ziqing to enter.

The main hall was very spacious, perfectly blending the seemingly unrelated 'elements' of grandeur and elegance.

At the innermost part of the hall, there was an elaborately crafted bamboo couch.

On the wall behind the bamboo couch hung a painting more than two meters high.

In the painting was a refined Daoist nun with an immortal demeanor and picturesque features.

The moment she saw the Daoist nun in the painting, Li Ziqing's eyes widened.

Who is this? Why does she look exactly like me?

That's right, the Daoist nun in the painting had facial features and appearance almost identical to Li Ziqing's.

The only difference was her temperament. Compared to Li Ziqing, the Daoist nun in the painting had a bit more transcendence.

And she was even more domineering.

"Husband, she, who is she? She can't be..."

With Li Ziqing's intelligence, she had naturally guessed who the woman in the painting was.

However, she still wanted to hear a definite answer.

"That's right, she is your ancestor, the Eternal Immortal Emperor!"

Chen Xiao confirmed Li Ziqing's guess.

Li Ziqing stared blankly at the painting on the wall.

Her mood at this moment was even more difficult to express in words.

Logically speaking, the two of them were people separated by thousands of years. Although they had some blood relationship, it might have long been diluted.

But for some reason, when Li Ziqing knew that the person in the painting was her ancestor, she suddenly felt a strange connection with her.

That feeling was like... she is me, and I am her.

Just as Li Ziqing was in a daze, the fire phoenix, the 'know-it-all,' suddenly slapped her thigh and exclaimed, "Oh, I understand! You're Auntie's descendant, right? In that case, you have to call me Great-Grandmother, no, Ancestral Grandmother, no, let's just go with Ancestral Great-Grandmother! It's just a title, I don't really mind."

"Shut your bird mouth!"

Chen Xiao said speechlessly, "What have you been doing here lately? Also, Zhujiuyin and Zhujiuyang have flown in too. Where are they now?"

"You're asking about those two guys!"

The fire phoenix curled her lips and said disdainfully, "What else could they be doing? Guarding the tomb!"