Chapter 174 Liu Mei

Liu Mei

So as Xue Bai looked at his old friend and companion, he felt odd, to say the least.

The last time Xue Bai saw his companion was right before he died. While he was undergoing his final Heavenly Tribulation to ascend to the Immortal World, he left the Heaven Chasing Eagle to guard him as he underwent it.

But that was almost 10 years ago, so seeing it once more, Xue Bai was feeling nostalgic.

Sadly his companion didn't share the same sentiments or feelings. After all, since Xue Bai was still in the void, it couldn't see him yet. However, even if it could see it, how could the Heaven Chasing Eagle know about Xue Bai's memories from a different life?

Shaking away the feelings, Xue Bai put on a serious face before deactivating his physique and appearing in the cave in front of the Heaven Chasing Eagle.

Instantly activating his bloodline and showing its sovereignty over the Heaven Chasing Eagle, Xue Bai hid all of his insecurities and put on a face of pure arrogance and confidence.

Yet even as he did so, unlike every other beast who couldn't even keep their foreheads off the ground, the Heaven Chasing Eagle barely raised an eyebrow at Xue Bai's bloodline aura.

"Boy, have you seen my majesty and come to deliver yourself to me?" The Heaven Chasing Eagle arrogantly spoke as it looked at Xue Bai.

Though Xue Bai's bloodline had a higher grade by almost 2 grades, Xue Bai's cultivation base was out in the open to the Heaven Chasing Eagle, making him only look like a delectable treat.

Ignoring the bird's arrogant response, Xue Bai started his own train of thought, "I assume you are a Heaven Chasing Eagle?"

"What if I am?"

"Because if you are, then I am the person who can help you accomplish your dreams." Xue Bai spoke calmly, ignoring the look on the eagle's face.

However, unlike most demonic beasts who would become angry after hearing Xue Bai's statement, the Heaven Chasing Eagle wasn't angry but rather intrigued. Xue Bai's confident look, coupled with his bloodline and the fact that he knew its bloodline, the Heaven Chasing Eagle, couldn't help but slightly believe him.

"Boy, do you know what you are talking about?" The Heaven Chasing Eagle amusedly responded.

"Though I don't know how detailed your bloodline memories are, surely you can see what my bloodline is and who my ancestor is, so you can trust my word."

"The Void Fox Emperor?" The Heaven Chasing Eagle probed. And Xue Bai nodded at its question.

"But even if you are his descendant, how does that make you qualified to make my dreams come true? My Ancestor's bloodline isn't much inferior to your own." The Heaven Chasing Eagle said.

The Heaven Chasing Eagle once lived in the Immortal World before it was banished, so how could it not know who Xue Bai's Ancestor was? And even if it didn't, the memories it inherited had told it.

So the second Xue Bai appeared, the Heaven Chasing Eagle knew what his bloodline was.

But while the Void Fox Emperor was a man at the peak of the God Great Realm, his Ancestor wasn't that much inferior, and unlike the Void Fox Emperor, the Heaven Chasing Eagle Clan ancestor left down his genes and created a lineage.

"Because your bloodline is diluted while my bloodline is perfectly retained and in the same grade as my Ancestor. Yours is so diluted it's barely in the Earth grade." Xue Bai replied with an indifferent expression.

"Well, look where your bloodline brought you!" the Heaven Chasing Eagle snorted in annoyance, "We are both in the same spot, and if anything, your situation is worse than mine. At least my cultivation is in the Spirit Expansion realm, and I can protect myself. You're meddling in the Bone Strengthening realm and would die if I took too deep a breath."

"That's the reason I am here. I need a guardian for a few years until I can cultivate to a secure enough level." Xue Bai said.

It was after that sentence that the Heaven Chasing Eagle started to become angry.

"I'm no fool, boy. Guardian is just a way to sugarcoat the word servant. I'll just have to watch you constantly and take care of any threats that would hurt you. And there isn't much that can't kill you in this world." The Heaven Chasing Eagle angrily said, not bothering to hide its emotions, "And boy though I was banished, I still have the pride of the Heaven Chasing Eagle Clan in me. I'd rather leave my dreams unfulfilled and die in this gorge than be a servant,"

Xue Bai's haughtiness and superiority were starting to annoy it.

'Does this twerp think I won't just eat him right here and now?'

"I never said you'd be a servant in this relationship. If anything, I would like to create a contract of equals during this time." Xue Bai spoke as he tried to calm down his old friend.

He knew its personality and also the fact that his current act would most likely anger it. However, this act was necessary in order for it to believe him.

While the Heaven Chasing Eagle in front of Xue Bai was born with a low bloodline purity and became the black sheep of the Heaven Chasing Eagle Clan, it was talented in every other aspect, including its perceptiveness. So the second that Xue Bai let his rouse down for a second, it would see through it.

"What do you mean equals? A guardian is just another word for lackey. How would I be your equal in such a relationship?" The Heaven Chasing Eagle said, not believing Xue Bai's words.

"I'm the descendant of a God Great Realm cultivator. I don't need your protection. How could I not have some form of protection of my own against weaklings like the ones of this continent? When I said guardian, I meant in the form of a totem, like an Empire would have. I don't need you to ever take action but instead to serve as a symbol to my name." Xue Bai spoke out his thoughts, confusing his old companion completely.

Since the entire reputation, name, and worth of the current Feng Imperial Family was almost nonexistent, Xue Bai needed to build it back up.

And what better way to do that than with a Heaven Chasing Eagle who was in the Spirit Expansion realm?

Having such a strong backer would entice any fence-sitters to join his faction, which would help his current situation while also making some of the Grand Duke's loyalists question their loyalty.

Coupled with Xue Bai's image of a child of the heavens who possessed a mysterious background and his title of "Prince Consort," the Feng Imperial Family would become a strong faction once again.

"So you want me to be a sort of advertisement for a force you're creating?" The Heaven Chasing Eagle spoke, not exactly sure what Xue Bai was saying. Thankfully its guess was correct as Xue Bai nodded in response.

"And what would I get in return?" The Heaven Chasing Eagle asked.

It didn't find the arrangements to be horrible, and it couldn't truly swallow the descendant of a person even his Ancestor looked up to. So instead of staying angry, it decided to start negotiations.

Seeing his old companion take the bait and indirectly agree, Xue Bai was excited. But he didn't show it on his face and continued his plan.

"I said it earlier. I can help you accomplish your dream." Xue Bai tempted, "Don't you want to purify your bloodline and ascend before going back home and slapping all of the faces of the people who doubted you and looked at you in disdain?"

"No, you're wrong. Or rather, only half wrong. While you were right about me wanting to purify my bloodline and ascend, I don't want to go back home. They banished me. Why should I go back looking for attention like a lost puppy? I wish for them to regret their actions, not rejoice for my return." The Heaven Chasing Eagle said with both sadness and determination in its tone.

Xue Bai, of course, knew this, but since he wanted to lower some of his companion's suspicions, he purposely got it wrong.

During this whole conversation, Xue Bai had yet to 'guess' something wrong, and a perfect record was suspicious. But if he sprinkled some wrong answers, then he'd be good for the foreseeable future.

"However, my dreams aside, how would you help me? While I haven't explored all of this plane yet, from what I have, there isn't anything to help me purify my bloodline. The only natural treasures that could do so are too low a grade to do anything to my bloodline." The Heaven Chasing Eagle continued.

"There is one…."

"Where!" The Heaven Chasing Eagle shouted out. Even going as far as to finally walk out of the dark corner it had been in before and show its true body.

Though the Heaven Chasing Eagle was in the Spirit Expansion realm, size didn't always mean higher strength. And being a demonic beast with the bloodline of a Divine Beast, it could freely change its size and could become smaller and larger at will.

However, since it was in its home, or rather hole, the Heaven Chasing Eagle stayed in its true size and form.

Standing at a monstrous height of over 100 meters and having a folded wingspan that stretched out more than twice its height, it was a behemoth that would instill fear into any cultivator.

But not Xue Bai. Instead of being fearful or pressured by its size, Xue Bai only felt nostalgic.

The Heaven Chasing Eagle race were a beautiful species of flying creatures with their signature pristine white feathers. And the Heaven Chasing Eagle that Xue Bai paired with was no different.

Each feather on the body of the Heaven Chasing Eagle was a beautiful white color that looked to be ripped straight from a painting. Yet even while being an artist's dream, each of the feathers was sharp and capable of tearing through any item below its cultivation base.

And at the top of the Heaven Chasing Eagle were the bright blue pair of eyes that had the same shade as the skies above. Paired with a simple but dangerous look black beak that contrasted with its feathers, the eagle in front of Xue Bai didn't look like a demonic beast at all but rather a divine one.

"Stop gawking at my majesty and answer my question, boy! Where is the thing that can purify my bloodline!" The Heaven Chasing Eagle shouted, getting Xue Bai out of his reminiscing thoughts.

Back to reality, Xue Bai said, "You shouldn't get so excited and anxious. The herb that can help you isn't on this continent, but the Central Continent."

"Then how the hell do I know you aren't fabricating nonsense to get me on your….!" The Heaven Chasing Eagle shouted. Of course, being tempted so far, just to be told off like that, would anger anybody, and the Heaven Chasing Eagle was no different.

"I can swear on my bloodline that I know for a fact it is there. Is that enough?" Xue Bai interrupted in retaliation, completely stopping his friend from blowing the cave up in anger.

Swearing on one's bloodline was something no one did unless they were completely confident in themselves. Since if you were lying, not only would you be punished, but also, in a chain effect, affect your own bloodline.

And in the cultivation world, one's bloodline was something more valuable than oneself. People would die in the protection of their own livelihood, but when it came to their bloodline and race, they would sacrifice everything, down to their very soul, to protect it.

So to knowingly curse your own bloodline to damnation was something no one would do willingly.

And this was something easily known to someone like the Heaven Chasing Eagle, a demonic beast who came from a clan of bloodline fanatics,

Completely convinced, the Heaven Chasing Eagle could only awkwardly respond, "That…. That would be more than enough." But it quickly realized something and continued, "However, do it now. I won't leave the cave until you do."

Xue Bai quickly swore the oath, and after it saw nothing happen to the boy, it was brought on board.

"Since we'll be working together for the time being, I'll also show my human form."

Then in a flash of white radiance, the once horrifyingly large behemoth of an eagle started to shrink.

And in only the span of a few seconds, it quickly went down from its mountain size height to a human size figure.

A tall figure that was only a few centimeters shorter than him.

Long cascading white hair that looked could memorize even a monk.

An arrogant facial expression paired with a pair of indifferent-looking sky-blue eyes that managed to only bring happy and joyful memories to Xue Bai

And a busty figure that could give lustful feelings to anyone, the once terrifying Heaven Chasing Eagle showed her true self. The one that Xue Bai couldn't forget even if he tried to.

"I'll introduce myself properly this time, boy."

'I already know.'

"Hear my name well, boy."

'How could I forget it?'

"My name is…."

'Liu Mei'