Chapter 64: The Parasol Tree

“Yes, Second Young Master,” the disciples replied in unison.

Jiang Yan sighed inwardly. Did these disciples really take his words to heart, or had they not listened at all? Oh well, it was just a title—no need to fuss over it.

The disciple leading the group was named Qi Yu. He bowed respectfully to Bai Tao and Jiang Yan, saying, “Young Master, Second Young Master, we’re ready to depart.”

“Very well, let’s go. Qi Yu, Jiang Yan and I will ride motorcycles. The rest of you can choose your own mounts or fly on your swords,” Bai Tao instructed.

As soon as he finished speaking, Bai Tao pulled a green motorcycle out of his storage pouch. The little stout dragon also retrieved a black mini motorcycle from its mysterious space.

Jiang Yan watched this with a flash of surprise in his eyes and couldn’t help asking, “Little Dragon, where did you get that motorcycle? Do you have a portable space?”

The little stout dragon lifted its chin proudly. “Of course! Who do you think I am?”

Jiang Yan scrutinized the little dragon but couldn’t find any trace of a storage artifact on it. Could it be that this dragon, like the legendary blue fat cat, possessed an all-powerful magic pouch?

The thought passed in a flash. He glanced at the dragon’s round belly, but still saw nothing unusual. Clearly, this little dragon had more secrets than met the eye!

Jiang Yan then took out his own black motorcycle from his storage pouch. Little White, with Black Flower atop its head, leapt nimbly onto Jiang Yan’s motorcycle, an eager look on its face.

“Let’s go,” Bai Tao ordered.

The three motorcycles shot out like arrows from a bow, leaving behind only three blurred shadows and a group of stunned disciples.

The disciples looked at each other, disbelief written all over their faces. Even though they had already built their foundations, the speed of the Young Masters’ mounts far exceeded their imaginations.

“What are you all standing there for? Move!” Qi Yu’s sharp voice snapped them out of their shock.

The disciples quickly chose to fly on their swords, their bodies steady as rocks in the air, accelerating swiftly with their flying swords.

“Junior Brother, do you know what kind of mount the Young Masters are riding?” one disciple asked curiously.

“Haven’t you heard? That mount is called a motorcycle.”

“It looks so unique.”

“Of course. Who are the Young Masters? The rare treasures they’ve seen, we’ve never even heard of.”

…

Seeing Jiang Yan and Bai Tao taking the lead, the little stout dragon grew annoyed and slapped an acceleration talisman onto his mini motorcycle. Once he caught up, he raised his head and demanded, “Hey Jiang Yan, why didn’t you tell me this motorcycle was so slow?!”

Jiang Yan glanced down at the little dragon. “It’s small, so naturally not as fast as larger mounts. But haven’t you already used an acceleration talisman? Don’t worry, we’ll wait for you.”

The little dragon’s eyes nearly shot fire. “Hmph! I shouldn’t have counted on you! Next time, I’ll build my own motorcycle!”

Jiang Yan laughed. “Very well. As the saying goes, a master leads the way, but cultivation is up to the individual. I look forward to your masterpiece.”

“Grandpa Dragon, you can definitely do it!” Black Flower cheered from the side.

“Hmph!” The little dragon snorted, turned away, and sped ahead, ignoring Jiang Yan and the others.

Bai Tao, riding his motorcycle, felt the thrill of speed and excitement surge through him. So, this is what riding a motorcycle feels like!

“Bai Tao, about how long do you think it’ll take us to reach the secret realm?” Jiang Yan asked.

Bai Tao was still lost in the exhilaration and didn’t hear Jiang Yan’s question.

“Bai Tao? Bai Tao!”

Getting no response, Jiang Yan called a few more times.

“Huh? Jiang Yan, what did you just say?”

“I was asking how long you think it’ll take us to reach the secret realm.”

“My father said if all goes well, about two months. Don’t worry, we’ll definitely arrive before it opens.”

Two months? That’s really far…

In fact, this Blue Sea Secret Realm wasn’t mentioned in the original novel at all, and Jiang Yan was quite curious about it. The more unknown it was, the greater the challenge—how exciting.

“All right, then,” Jiang Yan replied, focusing his attention on driving the motorcycle.

…

Divine Realm, Phoenix Palace.

Deep within the palace courtyard, a towering ancient phoenix tree stood, its lush branches and leaves like witnesses to the passage of ages.

Beneath the tree sat an elderly woman, her hair white as snow, her back stooped as if she and the tree had become one. She waited quietly for something.

Suddenly, a violent coughing fit shattered the tranquility. The maid Qinglian hurried over and gently patted her back.

“Great Elder, are you all right?”

“I won’t die yet. I’m just old now,” the Great Elder replied, her eyes shining with a complex light, sorrow and hope intertwined.

She gently caressed the trunk of the phoenix tree as if touching memories of the past, her voice tinged with faint sadness. “I wonder if I’ll ever see her again before I’m gone.”

Qinglian quickly comforted her. “Great Elder, you have many years ahead of you! Please don’t say such things, or the Palace Mistress will be heartbroken.”

The Great Elder gazed up at the magnificent phoenix tree and sighed. “I was already content when she agreed to be reborn through nirvana. Ever since she was gravely wounded, she’s been running down to the mortal realm, and I worry about her constantly. I wonder if she’s hatched by now, and if she’s still as adorable as she was when she was little…”

“Great Elder, the Palace Mistress has her reasons,” Qinglian whispered.

“What reasons could there possibly be? In the end, it’s all for the sake of love. I just hope that, after her nirvana, she’ll still remember the past.”

“Please rest assured, Great Elder. The Palace Mistress has always been wise and knows what she’s doing.”

“I hope she gets what she wishes for this time…”

Qinglian truly understood the Great Elder’s feelings. After all, she had raised the Palace Mistress as her own granddaughter, and their bond was deep. The Palace Mistress, too, regarded the Great Elder as her closest family.

Closing her eyes, Qinglian silently prayed before the divine phoenix tree: “Sacred Tree, please bless the Palace Mistress, let all her wishes come true, and allow her to return safely to reunite with the Great Elder.”

The sacred phoenix tree glowed with a gentle yellow light, like flickering fireflies—beautiful and mysterious.

Seeing this, the Great Elder finally smiled with relief. This was surely an auspicious sign!