Chapter 260: The Gift of the Mysterious Celestial Bird

Hearing the Mandated Xuan Niao speak, Zhao Xing was instantly startled.

The Mandated Xuan Niao actually knew that Dali was gone?

For a moment, Zhao Xing felt an urge to immediately escape.

The Mandated Xuan Niao, however, seemed to read Zhao Xing's thoughts. Its eyes held a hint of mockery: "What, surprised? Isn't it a bit late to be scared now?"

Zhao Xing feigned calmness, cupped his hands, and said, "It is indeed somewhat unexpected."

The Mandated Xuan Niao said indifferently, "Don't worry, if I wanted to harm you, I could have extinguished your weak fated soul the first time you came in fourteen years ago."

"However, not only did I not do that, I also gave you a portion of luck."

Zhao Xing looked up sharply: "The 'Yan Er' luck, was that from you?"

After he had taken the Dao Embryo Pill, he discovered that his luck had changed from 'Yan Yi' to 'Yan Er'.

He was puzzled at the time because the Dao Embryo Pill had no effect on increasing luck.

He thought it was because he had obtained a treasure within the Great Dream Academy, inheriting a portion of luck. But over the years, he had acquired many treasures.

He even obtained Tier 6 Soul Armor and top-tier Great Dream Spring and Autumn cultivation techniques, yet his luck never increased again.

The reason, it turned out, was this bird!

The Mandated Xuan Niao pecked at its feathers: "You have now learned the Five-Finger Destiny and the Turtle Divination Coin method. With me standing before you, just calculate it yourself, and you'll know."

Zhao Xing activated the Five-Finger Destiny, reversing time, and discovered that the truth was indeed as the Mandated Xuan Niao had said: that portion of luck had been bestowed by it.

Zhao Xing's heart sank. This meant that fourteen years ago, he had been targeted by this bird.

Furthermore, this bird could actually act against the rules?

Logically, a guardian couldn't give a challenger special treatment—it wasn't a real Mandated Xuan Niao, just a mechanical beast!

"Thank you for the gift, Mandated Guardian," Zhao Xing said, bowing. "May I ask, esteemed Guardian, what you require of me?"

"I do indeed have something for you to do."

"You... you're not going to ask me to restore the Dali Kingdom, are you?" Zhao Xing couldn't help but ask.

"Restore the kingdom? Gak gak gak gak!" The Mandated Xuan Niao laughed uncontrollably, its feathers trembling with its mirth.

It pointed a wing at Zhao Xing and held its belly with the other, as if it had heard the funniest joke in the world.

"That's hilarious! You actually thought I'd ask you to restore the Dali Kingdom? Gak gak gak gak!"

Zhao Xing: "..."

Being mocked so thoroughly by a mere bird, Lord Zhao was quite annoyed.

"What's so funny?!"

Isn't that how it usually goes?

Since you're a Mandated Guardian and you know Dali has fallen, why would you bestow luck if not for the purpose of restoring the kingdom?

Is it purely for your own amusement?

After laughing for a while, the Mandated Xuan Niao finally stopped.

Zhao Xing asked again, "May I ask, esteemed Guardian, what you need me to do?"

He had to understand the bird's intentions, otherwise, he wouldn't dare to come to the Great Dream Academy again.

"Don't call me Mandated Guardian! Guard my ass! That scoundrel Yang Yanzhen has had me guarding for tens of thousands of years!" the Mandated Xuan Niao suddenly raged. "How is this any different from imprisonment?"

Zhao Xing was stunned. This mechanical Xuan Niao had not only developed its own intelligence but also possessed the seven emotions and six desires?

"Then... Senior?"

Seeing the Mandated Xuan Niao tacitly accept this address, Zhao Xing said, "Please instruct me, Senior."

"Your current strength is too weak," the Mandated Xuan Niao snorted. "You can't help me at all."

Zhao Xing pondered, "At least I should know the direction of my efforts."

The Mandated Xuan Niao tilted its head: "Hmm, that seems somewhat reasonable..."

"Alright then, I'll tell you. What I want you to do is to find the supreme treasure 'One Dream Heaven and Earth' and then release me."

"However, you're only at the Fifth Rank now, so you clearly can't do it."

"How does Senior know this supreme treasure isn't with me?"

"Nonsense. If you possessed the supreme treasure, not just your fated soul but your true body would have entered." The Mandated Xuan Niao snorted, "Hmph, you want to trick information out of me, but I don't mind telling you: this supreme treasure is currently in a heavily guarded location, with at least a dozen First Rank cultivators studying it."

"One little fellow is quite stubborn, even channeling decades of vital energy into the treasure."

"Another fellow has been trying to decipher the formations for two hundred years, but hasn't even figured out the outermost decorative runes."

"In short, this supreme treasure is definitely not with you; it's either in the hands of a super-powerful force or in the imperial palace of a new kingdom blessed with luck."

"You've just reached the Fifth Rank; what can you do?" The Mandated Xuan Niao sneered, "During the Dali period, you wouldn't even have the qualification to write a letter to the emperor. There are too many variables."

Zhao Xing was speechless. Let alone Dali, even now he didn't have the qualification to write to Emperor Jing.

Only rogue officials who reached the rank of Grand Master of Discussions, like Tantai Ming, a Fourth Rank official, had the qualification to write directly to the Emperor.

Otherwise, one would have to follow the standard procedure: report to the prefecture, the prefecture reports to the provincial governor (if a provincial administration is established), then submit to the central authority, and finally, the central authority reports to Emperor Jing.

The path for military generals was to report to their army's chief general, who reports to the supervising King within the Grotto-Heaven (if there's no King-level, then a Martial Marquis, which is usually the case), and then report to the thirty-three Ruling Kings of the Military Realm (originally Rahu King, Lingde King, and Tianyan King were Ruling Kings, in charge of matters related to the Pacification of Barbarians War; later replaced by Rahu King, Xin King, and Anning King).

The thirty-three Ruling Kings also had the qualification to write directly to or meet Emperor Jing.

Were there other channels? Yes, but for civil and military officials, these two were the most common; others were less popular.

For example, if in Fengtian Prefecture, one could strike the 'Heaven-Reaching Drum,' but this was only for major grievances, and in reality, it was just a display, with no chance of anyone being allowed to strike it.

The Emperor Jing seen in the Heavenly Heart Hall during the enfeoffment ceremony could also be shouted at: 'Your Majesty, I have an important matter to report,' but that occasion would be very abrupt, and whether he would listen or not was another matter, as that was purely a pre-set clone projection of Emperor Jing.

In summary, the formal, legitimate, and cost-free channels were the two mentioned above.

However, as the Mandated Xuan Niao said, the variables were too great.

If it were reported to a King like King Rahu, that would be fine. But if it were reported to a King like King Liang, it would be akin to committing suicide.

"So, the guy who was enfeoffed as Marquis Xian in my previous life, his ability to get an audience with Emperor Wu probably couldn't have happened without the Mandated Xuan Niao's instruction..." Zhao Xing thought to himself.

"My goal is to leave this cage," the Mandated Xuan Niao said. "If you master 'One Dream Heaven and Earth,' you can set me free."

The Mandated Xuan Niao hadn't considered at this moment to have Zhao Xing report this matter.

Firstly, there were too many variables in between, making it unreliable.

Secondly, Zhao Xing was weak; any small favor given would incur a significant karmic debt, and when Zhao Xing became strong, he would naturally have to repay it.

Even if Zhao Xing successfully met the emperor, the Mandated Xuan Niao had no standing to negotiate with the emperor.

The emperor might not even care for such a small benefit, and might even impose harsh conditions, or perhaps even erase its sentience and keep it here as a mere gatekeeper.

In short, in the Mandated Xuan Niao's current calculations, it hadn't even considered the path of having Zhao Xing report the matter.

Instead, another path seemed more appropriate: letting Zhao Xing grow stronger and have him seize or claim 'One Dream Heaven and Earth'.

Because Zhao Xing's leveling speed was fast; fourteen years ago, he hadn't even entered the ranks, and now he was already at the perfected Fifth Rank.

"It's too early to talk about all that," the Mandated Xuan Niao said. "Didn't you just ask why you couldn't see the Divine Farmer's Hall?"

"Yes, please enlighten me, Senior." Zhao Xing's attention was pulled back, momentarily setting aside other thoughts.

"Before the fall of Dali, the Divine Farmer's Hall was naturally in good condition."

"After Dali's demise, things changed." The Mandated Xuan Niao exhaled a cloud of mist, which formed a mirror image in the air.

"At the time of its destruction, the Great Dream Academy dispersed everyone and sealed itself, then it was handed over by Emperor Liyuan to Crown Prince Yang Yanzhen."

"Yang Yanzhen fled north with it, attempting to rely on it to restore the kingdom."

"Most of the treasures within were exhausted within a thousand years, especially the treasures from the Divine Farmer's Hall, the Reincarnation Hall, and the Palace of Fate, which suffered the most severe depletion."

"Ultimately, he failed to restore the kingdom."

"On his deathbed, he passed this treasure down through several generations. After another thousand years, the treasure completely left the Yang family's possession."

"The supreme treasure concealed itself. For over thirty thousand years in the middle of 'One Dream Heaven and Earth', it remained in one place, unmoving."

"I suspect it fell into some extreme environment."

In the mist exhaled by the Mandated Xuan Niao, some blurry images appeared. These were formed from its senses and deductions performed within the supreme treasure.

Zhao Xing initially saw scenes of cataclysmic war, but later, it was silent coldness and darkness, which must have referred to those thirty thousand years.

"That waste, Yang Yanzhen, had mediocre strength," the Mandated Xuan Niao said. "He squandered a vast amount of treasures from the three halls, yet he couldn't achieve anything significant and died shortly after."

"However, as I said, he was a waste with mediocre strength and never fully mastered this divine artifact. Therefore, the challenges for high-grade treasures in these three treasure lands—the Reincarnation Hall, the Palace of Fate, and the Divine Farmer's Hall—remain untouched."

"Even some mid-grade treasures are still preserved."

"Then why can I see the Reincarnation Hall and the Palace of Fate, but not the Divine Farmer's Hall?"

"Don't interrupt me," the Mandated Xuan Niao glared at Zhao Xing. "Just listen carefully."

"My apologies," Zhao Xing quickly said, silently giving it the middle finger in his mind.

"The Divine Farmer's Hall is different from the other halls," the Mandated Xuan Niao said. "Most of the treasures stored within it are seeds and young plants, essentially living organisms."

"Mid-grade and low-grade life forms, no matter how well preserved by the supreme treasure, simply cannot survive for tens of thousands of years."

"Although 'One Dream Heaven and Earth' is a treasure forged from fragments of a minor world, it is ultimately not a true world."

"After the first ten thousand years, these seeds and young plants had basically all died."

"After the second ten thousand years, the last Tier 6 plant died, and with no more rewards, the corresponding low-grade and mid-grade challenge stages lost their efficacy."

Zhao Xing suddenly understood.

No wonder he couldn't see it; it turned out the mid- and low-grade stages had become ineffective because there were no more rewards.

The challenge mechanism within the Great Dream Academy also carried risks.

If Dali had not fallen, and someone replenished and replaced the rewards, it would naturally operate normally.

But after its demise, who could replenish them?

Dali has been gone for fifty thousand years. Except for the high-grade challenges, the corresponding stages in the Divine Farmer's Hall can no longer be activated.

"If it were a Tier 7 great tree, living for fifty thousand years wouldn't be surprising," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "The Shangluo Academy has records of many Tier 7 tree-like life forms that have lived for tens of thousands of years, not to mention Tier 8, Tier 9, or even... transcendent Tier 9 existences."

"According to this silly bird, there are still high-grade treasures available in the Divine Farmer's Hall, but because my current strength isn't sufficient, that challenge hasn't appeared yet."

Realizing this, Zhao Xing's mind cleared. He decided to take his leave: "Thank you for clarifying, Senior. If you have no further instructions, this junior will take his leave."

"Hold on, what's the hurry?" the Mandated Xuan Niao said.

"Does Senior have any other instructions?" Zhao Xing thought helplessly.

"No."

Zhao Xing was speechless. If there were no instructions, why did it tell him to stop?

The Mandated Xuan Niao squinted: "Aren't you going to the Divine Farmer's Hall?"

Zhao Xing was taken aback: "Senior, I can't go there now, can I? I'm only at the Fifth Rank."

"You can't go, but I can help you retrieve a treasure," the Mandated Xuan Niao said.

"What?" Zhao Xing was shocked. "Senior can..."

It actually possessed not only independent thought but also the seven emotions and six desires, and could even violate the guardian's rules? To steal other treasures?

What had this mechanical Xuan Niao gone through? Its version was too advanced... The awakening of mechanical beasts shouldn't happen until several versions after spiritual energy resurgence, right?

"Of course, my destiny is mine to control, not heaven's!" The Mandated Xuan Niao lifted its head: "Mere rules, how can they confine me?"

"Senior's divine power is unparalleled, this junior truly admires you," Zhao Xing flattered.

"Gak gak, do you want it?" the Mandated Xuan Niao asked. "If you do, I'll retrieve a treasure for you."

"Can I say no?"

The Mandated Xuan Niao suddenly stared at Zhao Xing, saying fiercely, "It's too late for you to refuse; now you must accept it!"

Zhao Xing nodded and said, "Then please tell me the conditions, Senior."

The Mandated Xuan Niao spat out a roll of gleaming golden paper, which landed in front of Zhao Xing. It then pointed and said, "You need to sign the Dream God Contract, swearing that in the future, you will do your utmost to help me escape!"

"If you sign, I will fully assist your growth."

Zhao Xing took the Fated Soul Contract and saw that its content was indeed only about helping the Mandated Xuan Niao escape, with nothing else.

At this point, there was no other choice. He could only place his hand on the Fated Soul Contract and swear: "By the Dream God above, I swear with my fated soul that when the time is right and my strength is sufficient, I will definitely help Senior Mandated Xuan Niao escape the Great Dream Academy! Should I violate this oath, my three souls shall perish!"

Seeing Zhao Xing finish his oath, the Mandated Xuan Niao also jumped down, placed its claw on the contract, and raised its wings: "By the Dream God above, I swear by my freedom that I will wholeheartedly help Zhao Xing acquire the treasures within the Great Dream Academy! Should I violate this oath, I shall never escape this cage!"

The contract was sealed, and both Zhao Xing and the Mandated Xuan Niao breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Xing was afraid this silly bird would do something bad to him, turning a precious land into a tomb.

Now with the contract's restraint, he no longer had to worry, at least.

The Mandated Xuan Niao was also afraid of waiting another tens of thousands of years; ever since it awakened self-awareness, it had truly had enough of this imprisoned life.

It couldn't actively contact the outside world; it could sense but not communicate, only waiting for someone to enter the Great Dream Academy.

Now that an agreement was reached, both parties had something to gain.

"Senior, what treasure are you going to give me?" Zhao Xing asked. It would naturally be better not to have to go through strenuous challenges himself.

"I don't know," the Mandated Xuan Niao shook its head.

Don't know? Are you playing with me?

Zhao Xing felt that this silly bird was a bit abnormal in the head. What kind of guarantee was it giving him if it didn't even know?

He had a feeling he'd boarded a pirate ship.

The Mandated Xuan Niao said, "Although I can fly out and enter the Divine Farmer's Hall, I haven't been there in a long time."

"Violating the guardian's rules also requires paying a price."

Zhao Xing muttered to himself: "What happened to 'my destiny is mine to control, not heaven's'? Earlier, you were full of confidence, saying 'mere rules can't confine me'... Turns out you haven't completely broken free."

However, this was also a good thing.

If the Mandated Xuan Niao had completely broken free from the rules, then he really wouldn't dare to enter again. Who knew if it could also break the Dream God Contract they just made?

As it seemed now, it wasn't fake.

Marquis Xian from his previous life also lived well in the end.

"Then please proceed, Senior," Zhao Xing said, cupping his hands.

"You wait here," the Mandated Xuan Niao flapped its wings and flew up.

As it took flight, its body continuously grew larger.

Originally, it was only the size of a head, but in the blink of an eye, its outstretched wings exceeded twenty meters.

Its feathers were cyan, and pale golden currents intertwined on its forehead, like a crown. Its wings and claws were lifelike, showing no sign of being a mechanical beast.

But Zhao Xing was certain that the Mandated Xuan Niao was definitely a mechanical beast.

Because the lifespan of a Mandated Xuan Niao never exceeded ten thousand years.

It couldn't possibly live longer than plant life.

Only a mechanical beast like this could last so long.

"Buzz!"

As the Mandated Xuan Niao flew out, Zhao Xing could clearly see sparks scattering from its body.

Heaven and Earth underwent drastic changes; clouds churned, seemingly forcing the Mandated Xuan Niao back.

"Gak!"

The Mandated Xuan Niao opened its mouth and exhaled a stream of multicolored mist, then continued flying forward.

Its entire body enveloped in this mist, it quickly flew into the clouds.

Accepting his current situation, Zhao Xing, using his knowledge from his previous life, assessed everything that had just happened. Confirming that the opportunity outweighed the danger, he did not retreat immediately.

He was also reluctant to easily give up on the treasure that was the Great Dream Academy.

Some things, even Liu Tianning and Youruo, couldn't acquire.

Items like the Fated Soul Pill and Dao Embryo Pill were considered discontinued goods.

They couldn't be produced during the Great Zhou period because the methods had been lost.

Just think about the period before the founding of Great Zhou, the War of Ten Thousand Nations! How chaotic must it have been, with many treasures and inheritances destroyed.

The waiting time was long. Even Lord Zhao, despite his extensive knowledge, couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at this moment.

It seemed like an eon had passed when a flapping sound finally came from outside the door.

Zhao Xing looked up and saw the Mandated Xuan Niao emerging from a thundercloud.

The terrifying pressure of Heaven and Earth reappeared, chasing after the Mandated Xuan Niao.

"This treasure, the Great Dream Academy, is truly extraordinary," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "If it were used as a war machine, it could probably achieve miraculous effects, and it could also be used for educational purposes."

"Boom!"

Pursued by the thundercloud, the Mandated Xuan Niao's body rapidly shrunk, practically tumbling headfirst into the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.

Once it entered, the terrifying pressure instantly vanished, as if the scene he had witnessed earlier was an illusion.

"Senior, how are you? Are you alright?"

"Gak," the Mandated Xuan Niao lay on the ground, opening its mouth. It looked somewhat listless at the moment, no longer as vibrant as before. Even Zhao Xing could tell it was injured.

It seemed it hadn't completely broken free from its restraints; it would suffer heavy injuries if it stepped outside the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion.

After waiting for a while, the Mandated Xuan Niao finally recovered.

"Kid, I risked my old life for you."

"Senior's immense kindness, this junior will never forget," Zhao Xing said, bowing.

The Mandated Xuan Niao tilted its head: "Immense kindness I understand, but what does 'never forget even when teeth fall out' mean?"

Zhao Xing cupped his hands and said, "It means that even when I'm so old my teeth have fallen out, I will never forget your kindness."

"Your words are quite strange. You are already at the Fifth Rank Pure Essence Realm; your appearance won't overly age even at the end of your lifespan," the Mandated Xuan Niao flapped its wings. "How peculiar."

Zhao Xing cupped his hands: "Senior's teachings are correct."

The Mandated Xuan Niao said, "I just took a trip to the Divine Farmer's Hall. I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?"

"The bad news."

"The bad news is that there isn't much you can use right now, and I couldn't bring back much. At the very least, I couldn't pull out that Primordial Spirit Tree," the Mandated Xuan Niao said.

"Primordial Spirit Tree?" Zhao Xing was startled, then carefully asked, "Is it the Primordial Spirit Tree with a crystalline trunk through which one can see its meridians, broad leaves like cattail fans, and fruits like immortal peaches, towering three thousand feet tall?"

"Oh? You're quite knowledgeable," the Mandated Xuan Niao said. "That's right, it's that one."

"A Primordial Spirit Tree actually grew here?" Zhao Xing was instantly stunned. And it had lived for tens of thousands of years; it was definitely the greatest treasure!

Could it be that Emperor Wu in his previous life obtained this tree and gave it to Liu Tianning, which allowed his Straw Effigy Art to ascend to its ultimate level?

"What's there to be so surprised about?" the Mandated Xuan Niao said. "As long as you help me escape in the future, not only this rare marvel but all the treasures will be yours!"

The Mandated Xuan Niao painted a grand picture for Zhao Xing, and Zhao Xing actually bought into it.

Because the Primordial Spirit Tree's effects were very potent. It could significantly increase the fated soul, and even help break through the First Rank limit.

At the First Rank, there weren't many treasures left that could increase the fated soul, and the Primordial Spirit Tree was one of them.

Furthermore, if he could keep it alive until the era of spiritual energy resurgence, the effects of this Primordial Spirit Tree would be far greater than that.

"Senior, what about the good news?" Zhao Xing asked.

"The good news is that I still brought back three treasures for you. One of them is a Primordial Spirit Fruit."

The Mandated Xuan Niao opened its mouth and spat out three pink fruits, each about the size of a baby's head, resembling immortal peaches.

"It truly is a Primordial Spirit Fruit!" Zhao Xing trembled as he took them, overjoyed.

Just by inhaling two breaths of their fragrance, he could feel his spirit invigorated.

And he got three at once!

What incredible luck!

After putting away the Primordial Spirit Fruits, Zhao Xing asked with anticipation, "Senior, what about the other two?"