Inside a small spirit world, filled with legendary and mythical creatures.
Anyone would be surprised, because it consisted beast like legendary lightning qilin that has disappeared from the world long ago.
Bai Lifen was conducting her daily lessons along with her daughter.
As Bai Lifen conducted her daily lessons with her daughter, the lightning qilin watched over them with its piercing gaze.
The creature's purple fur glinted in the sunlight, and its long, curved horns gleamed in the light. The air around it crackled with electricity, and its hooves left small sparks on the ground as it paced back and forth, clearly intrigued by the lessons being taught. Despite the creature's imposing presence, Bai Lifen and her daughter continued their lessons unfazed, knowing that the lightning qilin meant them no harm.
This place is home to dozens of lightning qilin, but the most prominent figures here are Bai Lifen and her daughter, standing tall in their humanoid form.
As one might expect, Bai Lifen used to be the leader of their clan until one fateful day when their realm was suddenly engulfed by a gigantic black void. Many tried to resist, but they were quickly sucked inside the void and disappeared forever.
The black spiral void is formed due to occasional cracks between the void and space, a phenomenon that is both rare and dangerous.
But just when all hope seemed lost, a woman appeared to rescue their race, and she saved only the female members of their race. It was a strange condition, but the qilin do not need male members to lay eggs.
Most divine beasts like them are born by the presence of elements in the air, like the original fire Phoenix which was born out of nirvana flames. Phoenixes can pass on their legacy through their blessings and blood, but qilin have the unique ability to give birth and carry forward their race.
When Bai Lifen arrived in this small world, she was struck by the stunning scenery filled with lost and legendary beasts. This world was nestled within one of the ancient rings on Xia Tian's hand, glowing with blue linings. Irene had created this world as a small sanctuary for herself. Of course, Xia Tian wouldn't allow any male beasts to live in his possession, so Irene kept only females here. Besides beasts, the world was abundant in spiritual herbs and rare minerals, making it an ideal place for Bai Lifen and her race to live.
The Lightning Qilin race had been rescued by Irene during the Great Desolate Era. Bai Lifen had already experienced the horror of her unruly master, not Irene, but Xia Tian himself, or whoever he was called at the time.
(Author's note: Xia Tian had different names before, but to avoid confusion, the same name is used by me. I also mentioned once that, the people around Xia Tian are familiar to his ever changing names so they don't get surprising knowing there master has changed his name again.)
Bai Lifen couldn't help but think of the horror of her true master as she glanced at her daughter, Bai Xue.
Bai Xue had recently hatched from her egg a little over four thousand years ago. For other races, this much time was a lot, but for the Lightning Qilin, she was hardly considered a teen yet. It takes around ten thousand years for a Lightning Qilin to become an adult, coincidentally the same time it takes for a dragon to mature.
Bai Xue barely looked like she was ten to eleven years old by human standards.
Bai Xue's appearance was striking, her long purple hair flowed like a river, contrasting beautifully against her pale skin. Her eyes were a mesmerizing shade of purple, as if containing a universe of knowledge within them. Despite her youthful appearance, she exuded an aura of ancient wisdom and grace that could only be acquired through the passage of time.
As she stood there, observing her surroundings with a calm demeanor, seeing her child like satire, it was hard to believe that she had lived for over four thousand years. Her maturity was evident in the way she carried herself, with a regal poise and a deep understanding of the world around her. It was as if she had seen and experienced everything that life had to offer, and had come out the other side with a profound sense of purpose and knowledge.
Bai Xue, the lightning qilin, was extremely talented among her peers.
She may have been a respected sage and an accomplished being in the eyes of others, but when she was with her mother, Bai Lifen, she always seemed to revert to behaving like a small child.
Despite her impressive age and her vast knowledge, she couldn't help but feel like a little girl again whenever she was in her mother's presence. Her mother's wise and comforting words had always had a magical effect on her, calming her anxieties and melting away her fears.
To others, Bai Xue was a symbol of power and wisdom, but to Bai Lifen, she was simply her beloved daughter. And no matter how much Bai Xue accomplished in her life, she knew that she could always turn to her mother for love, guidance, and support.
"We are going outside for our next lesson, right mother?" asked Bai Xue.
"Yes," Bai Lifen nodded with a smile.
Bai Xue immediately jumped up in excitement, "A new adventure! I can't wait to see what's out there!"
Bai Lifen put a paw on her daughter's shoulder, "Hold your horses, young one. We can't just go out willy-nilly. We have to wait for Irene to give us permission."
Bai Xue rolled her eyes, "Why do we always have to wait for someone else? Can't we just take matters into our own hooves?"
Bai Lifen sighed, "You don't understand, my dear. If we anger master, he'll make us regret it. Trust me, I've been through it before."
As they talked, a dark vortex opened up in the sky, and a massive hand reached down towards them.
Bai Lifen groaned, "Not this again. Who's the unlucky one this time?"
She followed the trajectory of the hand and recognized its owner immediately. "Of course, it's him. Who else it can be?... The devil in human clothing himself."
Today was another day, Xia Tian was going to randomly select a beast, and everyone was on edge. They all knew it could be their turn to be sacrificed to appease the beast.
Bai Lifen has already gone though this before, she spent a small time with Xia Tian, but it was enough time for her to recognize her true master.
As Bai Lifen watched the hand getting closer, memories of her own encounter with Xia Tian flooded back. She remembered the terror of being chosen by him, the overwhelming power he held over her, and the sheer helplessness she felt in his presence. It was an experience that had forever changed her.
Suddenly Bai Lifen eyes opened wide, as the hand was approaching in their direction.
She sighed deeply, being in such a tough spot.
The hand was coming for them, and someone had to go. She looked at her daughter Bai Xue, who was looking at her with a mix of confusion and terror.
Bai Lifen cleared her throat dramatically. "My dear daughter," she said, "it's time for you to save your mother."
Bai Xue's eyes widened. "What? Mother, I don't understand."
Bai Lifen sighed. "Look, Master is going to ask me all sorts of questions about my life. And once he finds out I have a daughter, he'll definitely pull you out too. So it's better if you just go now and avoid all that hassle."
Bai Xue looked at her mother with disbelief. "You want me to take your place? Mother, that's insane!"
Bai Lifen shrugged. "Well, it's either you or me, dear. And honestly, I don't feel like dealing with him today. So, bye-bye!"
And with that, she pushed Bai Xue towards the hand, leaving her daughter to deal with whatever fate awaited her.
Bai Xue watched in horror as her mother abandoned her to save herself. "Mother!" she yelled. "You're a terrible person!"
Bai Lifen shrugged again. "What can I say? Motherhood is tough."
The hand closed around Bai Xue, and she was lifted out of the spirit world. Bai Lifen watched her daughter disappear, feeling a pang of guilt mixed with relief.
"Ah, motherhood," she said to herself, "it's not for the faint of heart."
The other creatures were bewildered by sudden turn of events, they couldn't help but chuckle at the ridiculous situation.