Ning Ning followed the map and hurried deeper into the dense forest. As the morning sun gradually tore through the lingering darkness of the night, the scenery in front of her gradually became clearer and broader.

She passed through the thickly packed forest and arrived at the edge of a cliff.

Changyue Peak was at the end of Xiaochongshan. Beyond the rugged rocks around, there was a towering and steep cliff. At the bottom of the cliff, the vast and boundless sea stretched out, with white waves crashing against the rocky walls, resembling fleeting flashes of sword light.

Those who entered the secret realm of Xiaochongshan were all Golden Core stage cultivators. Such cultivation couldn’t compete with the Black Bird, let alone come here under its fierce attacks to see the true appearance of the Silver Silk herb.

Even the origin of the rumor “Silver Silk Herb Grows on Changyue Peak” came from a disciple who happened to hear it when entering the secret realm a few years ago and saw the legendary spirit herb.

As for how he managed to escape while crying for help, that’s another thrilling and perilous story.

Now, Ning Ning stood at the edge of the cliff, squinting her eyes against the howling wind. After seeing the scene in front of her, she couldn’t help but smile slightly.

On the flat ground at the end of the cliff, there was a spirit plant emitting a faint radiance. Unlike ordinary plants, it had only one long and slender leaf, which shone with a bright, silvery color like the Milky Way, especially enchanting in the gentle morning light.

Despite the fierce wind and flying sand and rocks on the cliff, it stood still in the deepest corner of the entire secret realm, without the slightest movement. Both the light of the sky and the shadow of the earth converged here, truly deserving of being nourished by the essence of the sun and moon.

Even Ning Ning could feel the gentle aura emanating from this spirit plant, which should be the legendary silver silk herb.

He Zhizhou didn’t know how long he could hold the Black Bird, and she couldn’t afford to worry about other things. She immediately took a step forward and picked up the spirit plant.

Just like the Sky Heart herb, these sacred-grade spirit plants often took hundreds of years to form a single one. Therefore, Ning Ning was especially careful when picking it so as not to damage the roots and stems, allowing them to regrow quickly. ( T/N: I’m sorry I made a mistake about the sky heart herb grade before…it is not a precious grade but a sacred grade,which means the highest grade.)

However, when she finished picking and looked up, her vision flickered, and she was left stunned.

The vegetation on the edge of the cliff was sparse, surrounded by layers of rocks. In a corner hidden by the rocks, there was a glaring crimson sight.

It was an oval-shaped egg.

Round and plump, it’s approximately more than a meter in height, displaying a vivid red color that is no different from the Xuan Niao feathers. When looked at from a distance, it appears like a burning flame.

The location it occupies is extremely hidden, and due to Ning Ning’s single-minded focus on obtaining the spirit plant, she didn’t notice this shadow before. Now, seeing it by chance, her heart thumped forcefully.

Is this the Black Bird’s egg?

So… that’s it.

The reason the Black Bird was desperately protecting the Silver Silk Herb was for its own child.

Previously, when she was talking with Su Qinghan in the ancient wood forest, they had discussed why the Black Bird was so determined to guard the Silver Silk Herb.

“In fact, the primary purpose of the silver silk herb is to detoxify and suppress demonic energy. But because sacred-grade spirit plants all have pure and concentrated spiritual energy, most people believe that the Black Bird is using it to absorb the essence of heaven and earth to enhance its own cultivation.”

Su Qinghan continued, “But some people think that maybe it’s because the Black Bird laid an egg and wants to use it to nourish its young.”

Seeing Ning Ning’s puzzled expression, she patiently added, “The Black Bird clan is extremely rare, and although they become extremely powerful in adulthood, they are very fragile during their youth. Not only does hatching the egg take a hundred years, but the hatchlings are also very weak. Without cherishing a spirit plant to maintain their vitality, they are likely to die shortly after birth.”

Ning Ning nodded. “Sister Su, you mentioned that the Sky Heart Grass is the one that nourishes living beings. If the Black Bird wants to cultivate or hatch an egg, why doesn’t it go directly for the Sky Heart Grass?”

Su Qinghan shook her head with a smile. “Not to mention that the Sky Heart Grass is hard to find. It’s said that someone once saw one and tried to forcefully snatch it, but they were nearly killed by the guardian spirit in the vicinity, the Stone Spirit. According to his account, the Stone Spirit had absorbed so much spiritual energy from the Sky Heart Grass that it had become the most powerful semi-immortal in this secret realm. I’m afraid even the Black Bird would have a hard time taking the Sky Heart Grass from her.”

At that time, Ning Ning was so surprised that her mouth slightly opened. She hadn’t expected that the seemingly unremarkable, even somewhat bookish, sister would turn out to be a boss-level figure in this secret realm.

“The sweeping monks are indeed everywhere.”

(T/N: The sweeping monk is a character in Jin Yong’s martial arts novel “The Eight Parts of the Dragon “. The nameless old monk who cleans the Sutra Pavilion when he appears has not given much description of his origins. He hides in the Sutra Pavilion and is unknown. He is mysterious and has unfathomable martial arts. He has great wisdom and extremely high skills, but he hides them deeply.

“The Black Bird is actually for the sake of reproducing offspring.”

Outside the Mystic Mirror, a cultivator muttered to himself, “No wonder it was willing to risk its life to protect the Silver Silk herb… I was wondering before, given its current strength, if it shouldn’t need to rely on spirit plants to enhance its cultivation.”

Someone exclaimed, “I’ve heard that the color of the Black Bird’s egg changes from white to red during the incubation process. Judging from its appearance, it’s about to hatch.”

The red-robed female cultivator from the Wanjian Sect also became interested. “However, compared to the Sky Heart Grass, the hatching ability of the Silver Silk herb is only a second-best option. When the Black Bird returns later, even if it encounters Ning Ning, can’t it be used for a peaceful trade with the Sky Heart herb to avoid harm?”

“That wouldn’t be appropriate.”

On the side, Qu Feiqing chuckled softly. “If the Black Bird is greedy by nature and kills Ning Ning directly to seize the Sky Heart Grass, what can she do? There would be nowhere to complain.”

“No wonder when the Black Bird was talking to He Zhizhou earlier, it said, ‘I like children and want one.'”

Tian Xianzi grinned, as if recalling something, and the amusement in his eyes deepened. “Don’t forget, we made a bet to see which disciple could first obtain the Silver Silk herb, and now the results are out. Remember to pay up.”

“Wait! Everyone, look quickly!”

An elder from the Haoran Sect furrowed his eyebrows and stared intently at the Mystic Mirror. “That shadow… could it be that the Black Bird has returned?!”

The image in the mirror shifted, and indeed, a bundle of fiery red light appeared on the horizon.

The Black Bird moved like the wind, and when it landed on the ground, it caused the stones to roll. Perhaps because its original body was too large, it transformed into the appearance of a red-clad woman after landing. However, after just a few steps, its expression suddenly froze.

The place where the Silver Silk herb should have been was now completely empty.

Yet, it had never sensed anyone approaching this place, and there was not a trace of human presence in the vicinity. Could it be that the Silver Silk herb had grown legs and run away out of thin air?

The more it thought about it, the more agitated it became. It paced back and forth in place, and a fierce and ominous glint gradually seeped out from its orange-hued eyes, like blood.

“Strange, where did Ning Ning hide?”

He Xiaochen, outside the mystic mirror, searched all around but didn’t see the familiar figure of the young girl. They had switched the view to the Black Bird and when they returned, Ning Ning had disappeared without a trace.

Qu Feiqing furrowed her brows, and the smile finally vanished from her lips. “This place is flat and open, and the only place to hide is beside the eggs.”

Clearly, Black Bird and she had thought of the same place.

The alluring woman in the red dress had a sinister expression and moved silently, step by step, toward the pile of rocks.

To ensure the birth of this child, she had waited here for a full hundred years. If she were to fail now…

She would make that thief regret being born.

The flame-like red color, filled with chilling intent, gradually tore through the deep brown earth.

The Black Bird arrived at the pile of rugged rocks.

Outside the mirror, many people held their breath simultaneously, and the soft-hearted female cultivators even averted their eyes.

Everyone saw it slowly lower its head and, with a determined expression, reach behind the rocks. A cold breeze passed by, rustling the leaves in the distance like the countdown of a clock.

The black bird’s pupils suddenly contracted.

Behind the rocks… there was actually nothing there.

“No, no?”

Outside the mirror, an elder took in a sharp breath and asked, “Could she have escaped?”

The thief must have escaped.

The woman in red’s eyes flashed coldly, but as soon as she raised her hand, she transformed into a giant bird, flapped her wings, and soared into the sky.

In terms of flying, the thief was undoubtedly no match for it.

“Ning Ning couldn’t possibly be faster than the Black Bird; she will definitely be caught up by it.”

He Xiaochen furrowed his brows. “Could it be that she cleverly maneuvered around in the Black Bird’s blind spot and left on a flying sword?”

Tian Xianzi laughed heartily. “No, no. Elder He, why don’t you take a closer look? On the cliff top, apart from those rocks, isn’t there still an egg?”

“An egg?”

The red-robed female cultivator from the Wanjian Sect looked around curiously. “But when the Black Bird inspected it earlier, there was clearly nothing behind the egg—Ah!”

As she spoke, she revealed a highly surprised expression, her beautiful eyes containing a smile. “This egg… it was about to hatch not long ago.”

As her words fell, the round and massive bird’s egg in the mystic mirror swayed gently.

Then the topmost layer of the eggshell was carefully lifted, and what emerged from it was not a Black Bird hatchling but a young girl with bright eyes and white teeth.

Ning Ning held the round eggshell and tilted her head, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.

When she noticed something amiss in the distance and understood that the Black Bird would return soon, she knew that if she hid behind the rocks or tried to escape on the spot, she would definitely be captured by it, especially since she had already picked the Silver Silk herb. There would be no way to explain it.

In the nick of time, the nearby bird’s egg, which had been quiet all along, suddenly trembled slightly and emitted a very faint sound of something cracking.

There is always a way, and the Black Bird hatchling actually hatched from the egg.

“She actually hid inside the bird’s egg.”

He Xiaochen also laughed. “The upper and lower cracks are perfectly sealed by her. Without careful observation, you really can’t see any tricks. The Black Bird is eager to find someone, and it won’t notice the tiny crack.”

Someone added, “It was about to hatch, and now it’s probably influenced by the Sky Heart herb on her body, causing it to break out of the shell.”

After a pause, he chuckled while stroking his long beards. “It’s truly a twist of fate. If little Ning didn’t have the Sky Heart herb on her, such a fortunate encounter wouldn’t have happened.”

They continued discussing it, and Qu Feiqing looked at the young girl in the mirror, her eyes showing a hint of a deeper light.

“Thank you.”

Ning Ning lowered her head and glanced at the young Black Bird she was holding. It was different from other birds, with a clean and fresh scent from the eggshell. It felt warm and fluffy, with plump feathers.

Although the bird’s egg was quite large, the newly hatched chick was only the size of a palm. The little fellow seemed to like her a lot, rubbing against her and flapping its tiny wings lightly. When it brushed her palm, it created a tingling sensation, almost like an electric current.

“I can’t stay here for too long; I have to go.”

She touched Black Bird’s head, making the latter narrow its orange eyes. It rolled around in her palm, looking like a little red ball.

“However…” Ning Ning rotated the Silver Silk herb in her hand and lowered her voice with a smile. “I have a gift for you.”

=====

The Black Bird returned to the clifftop with a heart full of resentment after failing to find the culprit who stole the Silver Silk herb. To its surprise, it found broken eggshells scattered all over the place.

Its long-awaited child was rolling around at the bottom of the egg, and when it heard footsteps, it looked up with round, gleaming eyes, full of the vitality of new life.

The Black Bird hatchling was not in good shape; it stumbled after taking a few steps, its wings were weak and powerless, and it couldn’t make a sound.

Next to the hatchling, two round leaves were neatly arranged. The refreshing aura that swept over their minds in an instant made them stand still, unable to move.

It was the Sky Heart herb, which it had been searching for for a hundred years and was the only treasure that could ensure the safety of its child.

What kind of person could take it from the Stone Spirit’s grasp and, more importantly, give it to the Black Bird now?

To give away such a valuable plant was simply unbelievable.

Inside the eggshell, there was also a small note.

The Black Bird picked it up gently, and the cold, murderous intent in its eyes faded away, gradually replaced by a smile.

[I had to take the Silver Silk herb to save a life, and as an apology, I’m giving the Sky Heart herb to Madame.]

Below were a few more words: [Little friend, grow up safely, okay?]

=====

When Ning Ning returned to the Ancient Forest, He Zhizhou and Xu Ye followed her.

Previously, they had been confined within the Vajra Shield because the Black Bird had strong senses. If it detected that the Vajra Shield was breached, it would come to hunt for prey.

Now that it had obtained a hatchling, it would temporarily not be distracted by other matters. The group of cultivators finally had the opportunity to leave Changyue Peak.

The Ancient Forest had returned to its original state after a fierce battle. Su Qinghan and Pei Ji took up residence in a cave. The moment he saw Pei Ji, even He Zhizhou, with his calm demeanor, couldn’t help but furrow his brows.

It was a miracle that he was still wearing black clothes; if it had been any other color, it would probably have been dyed a deep red or almost black by now.

Several bloodstains could be seen on his arms and neck, and although they had been briefly wiped away, you could still discern the traces of the initial bloodshed. His complexion was even paler than a sheet of paper; as if he were suppressing moans, he was frowning and biting his lip.

What was even more surprising was the dense demonic energy swirling around him.

He Zhizhou knew that Pei Ji had demonic blood in his veins, but he had never imagined that the aura of demonic energy would be so thick.

The pure black mist was so intense that it seemed almost tangible, shrouding him completely. The blood-red color silently blended with the thick fog, like venomous snakes that took lives, gradually gathering to form a pitch-black abyss of hell.

The teardrop mole at the base of his eye was an eerie shade of red, like dried bloodstains that couldn’t be wiped away.

In this state, who needed a whetstone to sharpen themselves? He was grinding himself, as it were.

Ning Ning happened to have brought a pill furnace with her, and with Su Qinghan’s guidance, she prepared the medicinal ingredients and quickly sent them over for Pei Ji to take.

The young man was plagued by nightmares and remained unconscious. Even after swallowing the medicine, there was no sign of improvement.

After all the commotion, Ning Ning was utterly exhausted. After feeding him the pills, she leaned against the cave wall, closed her eyes, and took a break to rejuvenate her energy.

He Zhizhou noticed that she had been running around frantically, so he suggested that they, along with the other two, should go out together and find some ingredients to treat the young girl.

Before leaving, Su Qing Han pondered for a moment and specifically entrusted Ning Ning: “As junior brother Pei Ji is currently tormented by nightmares, please do your best to accommodate him and prevent him from losing his focus and falling into the darkness.”

So, the cave was left with only Ning Ning and Pei Ji.

These past few days have been a continuous battle of wits and courage, with Ning Ning teetering on the edge of life and death. Now, she felt extremely bored, but the exhaustion made her not want to move. She looked around and finally fixed her gaze on Pei Ji’s face.

Sleeping Pei Ji was much more docile than when he was awake.

When awake, he always had a cold expression, and even when he occasionally smiled, it was full of sarcasm and disdain, like an ultimate antagonist boss.

But when he was asleep, all those icy and hostile vibes disappeared.

The demonic energy had dissipated, but the pain in his body still tormented him, even in his dreams. Pei Ji had a beautiful youthful appearance, and at this moment, his long eyelashes were slightly lowered and his thin lips tightly pursed. His slender eyes were slightly upturned, and his body trembled intermittently. He inexplicably emanated a sense of fragility.

Like a wounded little creature.

However, at that ancient Blood Dragon Tree, the aura he radiated was as ruthless as hell itself.

Ning Ning was casually watching him when she suddenly noticed his eyebrows twitching lightly.

He was severely tortured by the demonic energy and had probably had a nightmare. In a hoarse voice that was hard to distinguish, he softly muttered, “Move aside.”

Ning Ning’s heart skipped a beat.

This… This situation—this scenario—is just too familiar!

The male lead is unconscious and having a nightmare, and the female lead happens to be with him. So, of course, she would hold him without hesitation and say that classic line:

“Don’t be afraid; I’m here.”

Pfft! She would never do that!

Is this the kind of plot that should happen when the villainess and the male lead are together? Even if she momentarily softened her heart and actually did something as sappy as that, according to the villainess’s character, the male lead would definitely wake up, think he had taken advantage of her, and then proceed to roast, sauté, stew, and finally send her to the crematorium.

Ning Ning turned her head to the other side, her face stiff.

She heard a cough, followed by the sound of inhaling like a broken bellows.

It sounded quite miserable and intermittent, like they might stop breathing any second now.

… She wouldn’t soften her heart, no way.