ตอน 23: Chapter 23 - Phoenix Order Awakens

Sitting on a rock just below the waterfall, Xiao Ning'er was meditating with concentrated, stoic determination.

The pressure exerted on her back by the water falling from more than 20 meters high would have crushed any normal human, but the strength of a Bronze Rank 4.5 star far surpassed human levels.

Ning'er wore a slightly fatigued expression; she had been doing this for several hours. The environment was perfect for her cultivation: the sound of the water allowed her to ignore everything unnecessary around her, and the concentration required to keep balanced on the small rock beneath her combined perfectly with the concentration needed for her cultivation.

Even so, despite any outsider believing she was absolutely focused, the girl's mind was still restless.

'Xiangju… I need to get closer to help you…' she thought constantly.

The person she cared for had been terribly attacked. Luckily, the school staff found him and managed to treat him, but those marks on his body… they had kept her from sleeping.

A solitary tear rolled down her face as she remembered Xiangju's state when she visited him. The girl just didn't understand his level of motivation. It wasn't the first time he had been seriously injured; on the contrary, it seemed he was always getting hurt, which made her wary but also motivated.

She had to work hard too if she ever wanted to stand by his side and take care of him. Ning'er had already accepted this in her heart; she desired Xiangju and only Xiangju, no one else, and she would fight for it.

Suddenly, Ning'er sensed someone's presence, a powerful presence she knew very well.

"Xiangj-" Ning'er tried to speak but slipped and fell into the water, getting completely drenched.

The natural pool where the water fell wasn't deep, so Ning'er soon surfaced, her face extremely flushed, embarrassed by her blunder.

In front of her, at the edge of the pool, stood Ye Ziyun, looking worried, Nie Li, who seemed to have just returned from an expedition and was struggling to hold back a laugh, and Zhu Xiangju, much larger than the little boy she once knew. The boy's scarred face showed no sign of laughter, only genuine concern. He stepped into the water, soaking his clothes, and extended a hand to Ning'er, who was still crouched in the shallow water.

"Are you okay, Ning?"

His voice was now much deeper than before, sounding more mature, which mesmerized Ning'er. His face, once more childlike, now seemed at least two years older than it had been just four days ago.

The girl calmly took his hand. Despite knowing how much he trained, there was no sign of calluses.

With delicacy, Xiangju helped the girl stand up. When he did, they both stood silently, looking into each other's eyes.

The sound of the water, the whistle of the birds, and the beautiful breeze of nature made the atmosphere so lovely, and their presence made the place simply so welcoming.

They locked eyes, their synchronized breathing longing for something more than just a touch of hands, more than just a simple gaze. Then, in response to this almost primal desire, they slowly began to bring their faces closer…

*Cough Cough* Ziyun, with a red face and downcast gaze, forced a cough to get the couple's attention.

Nie Li wore an amused smile.

"I see you've been practicing a lot, Ning'er. But I don't think now is the appropriate time for dual cultivation."

The girl was very embarrassed, moving at least a meter away from Xiangju. The boys just laughed at that. Xiangju regretted that nothing had happened, but sooner or later their relationship would be consummated.

They both left the water and walked together to find the other group members. Ning'er and Ziyun exchanged a few words but mostly remained in a comfortable silence with each other.

At that moment, neither of them felt any rivalry with each other. Xiao Ning'er wanted to become stronger to choose her own path and eventually be able to stay by Xiangju's side, a beautiful lady in love.

Ziyun, on the other hand, was motivated to prove herself worthy of being part of the glorious Snow Wind Family. Although Nie Li always praised her and she indeed liked having him around, she didn't see him that way, at least that's what she thought.

The girls' friendly relationship contrasted sharply with the atmosphere among the boys. Nie Li hadn't forgotten the inconsistency in what Xiangju had said; it was impossible for the same man who attacked him dozens of kilometers away from the city to have set fire to the library. It was probably Xiangju's mistake, but what didn't make sense was:

WHY DID XIANGJU KNOW ABOUT THAT GUY?

Could he be an ally of that bandit? If he really was, Nie Li didn't intend to let that go.

On the other hand, Xiangju felt extremely uncomfortable under Nie Li's scrutinizing gaze. He knew he had made a huge blunder, but this time it wasn't even his fault; Ye Ziyun had spoken more than she should have.

Xiangju now cursed TDG's creator for creating Ye Ziyun.

It didn't take long before they finally reached where everyone was.

Lu Piao was napping under a tree, Wei Nan was doing handstand repetitions with one hand, Zhan Ming was cultivating on the grass next to Du Ze, who was cultivating beside him.

"It's great that everyone's here!" Xiangju spoke loudly, drawing everyone's attention.

The boys, seeing them, were surprised. Not only was Nie Li back, but alongside Xiangju in those black clothes were both goddesses.

Lu Piao woke from his nap with a start and ran towards them. When everyone gathered and started greeting each other, Lu Piao spoke up:

"Where did these beautiful ladies find these ugly ducklings?"

Xiangju and Nie Li made Lu Piao do 50 push-ups with them sitting on his back for saying that.

"Now that we're all in ORDER." Xiangju emphasized the last word, looking at Lu Piao, who just laughed, his arms sore.

"I present to you Ye Ziyun; she will start training with us from today."

They made brief introductions and exchanged greetings. Wei Nan asked why they needed introductions if everyone knew who she was, but when she asked for Lu Piao, Zhan Ming, and Wei Nan's names, they understood perfectly.

"Welcome to the group, Ye Ziyun. It'll be great to have you with us." Du Ze spoke politely.

"I will be in your care." Ye Ziyun made a brief bow to them as she spoke.

"Hehehehe now Xiangju and His Friends has gained another worthy member!" Xiangju spoke enthusiastically.

"Xiangju and His Friends? What is that?" Nie Li asked, confused.

"Well, it's the name of the group!" Xiangju said, still with an animated smile, not realizing how ridiculous it sounded.

"Dude, that name is terrible." Nie Li said, facepalming.

Everyone agreed, Xiao Ning'er and Ye Ziyun had to hold back their laughter.

"Xiangju and His Beloved Companions then!" The boy in black said after pondering for a moment.

"Xiang, I loved the Beloved Companions part, but you're terrible at choosing names." Ning'er said with an amused look as she placed a hand on Xiangju's shoulder. The boy felt those words like a critical hit. He crouched down, sulking in a corner, while the others decided on a name for the team.

"How about Lu Piao and His Lackeys?" Lu Piao said with a brazen look, as if it were much better than Xiangju's options.

Zhan Ming gave Lu Piao a slap on the head.

"Lackeys my foot!" he said angrily.

"I think we should focus on something more like a symbol." Du Ze suggested.

"Like a demon beast?" Wei Nan asked.

Everyone was quite satisfied with this; now they just had to decide everything else.

Ye Ziyun didn't feel very comfortable getting involved in something like this just yet, so he stayed quiet, with a blank look, waiting for them to decide.

Ning'er was quiet, hand on her chin, thinking carefully. Her gaze passed over Xiangju, and she saw him with a sad face, which broke her heart. She wanted to cheer him up someho-

'Wait… Xiangju!'

"How about we call the group the Phoenix Order?" the girl said excitedly. Everyone was very enthusiastic about the idea, but the one who liked it the most was Xiangju, who quickly got up, hugged Ning'er from the side with a big happy smile, and shouted:

"THAT'S IT! Cheers for the Phoenix Order!"

Everyone laughed at Xiangju's sudden joy, but finally, they complied.

"CHEERS!"