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Legend had it that in ancient times, a bird spirit drank dewdrops nourished by Pure Blood Phoenix Crystal at a cliff edge, then transformed directly into a True Phoenix and soared beyond the clouds...

Later, more and more people from the Western Region began excavating Pure Blood Phoenix Crystals. Everyone believed that refining the blood of the True Phoenix could inherit one-thousandth of the True Phoenix bloodline and achieve ascension.

So now, after thousands of years, truly pure Blood Phoenix Crystals were scarce.

But Xinyao knew that the so-called Pure Blood Phoenix Crystals actually had very low purity. Even if refined and consumed, they were far from sufficient to allow mortals to transform and inherit True Phoenix bloodline.

If it were that simple, True Phoenix bloodline would be everywhere by now.

So forget about one-thousandth—it wasn't even one hundred-thousandth!

Nowadays, although rumors about Pure Blood Phoenix Crystals still circulated widely in the Western Region, few people truly believed them anymore.

Most Pure Blood Phoenix Crystals in the market were bought by demon races to purify their bloodlines.

For instance, the Phoenix clan could refine Phoenix Crystals to make their aura more like their ancestor's state.

The same applied to other races.

But... Why would Yino, a human youth, want Pure Blood Phoenix Crystal?

"Give this Pavilion Master a reason to give you the Pure Blood Phoenix Crystal."

Behind her mask, the red-robed girl's eyes darkened.

She spoke coldly, then stepped forward, lightly tapping her foot and using her delicate, fair hand to gently lift Yino's chin.

She stared directly into Yino's eyes, unwilling to miss the slightest detail.

On the other side, Yino's cold eyes also fell into a moment of struggle.

After pondering briefly, he ultimately decided that the Hundred Spirits Pavilion Master couldn't be trusted, so he decided to use his all-capable aunt as a shield:

"I want to take a Pure Blood Phoenix Crystal home as a gift for my aunt."

"?!"

At these words, Xinyao's heart skipped a beat.

She first felt touched that the young man cared for her, but then realized this was deeply unsettling because Xinyao had never told Yino about her true identity growing up.

Why would he randomly give Xinyao a Pure Blood Phoenix Crystal?

"Why... why specifically choose a Pure Blood Phoenix Crystal as a gift for your aunt?"

Xinyao couldn't help but ask again.

But Yino raised his eyebrows, as if finding the question ridiculous.

"At this point, Pavilion Master, please stop testing me..."

"Since you and my aunt were close friends who faced life and death together years ago, you should already know that my aunt isn't human. She's a Phoenix, so I think she would need a Pure Blood Phoenix Crystal to refine her bloodline."

"And I've heard that Pure Blood Phoenix Crystal not only purifies bloodlines but can also nourish a phoenix's spirit, enhance beauty, and extend life..."

Yino began making things up with a serious face.

He was certainly lying through his teeth because he had no intention of giving the Pure Blood Phoenix Crystal to his aunt. He planned to buy it to refine and purify his own bloodline.

But for Xinyao, Yino's words were incredibly damaging.

She had accompanied Yino at the Grand Tutor's Mansion for sixteen years, and during these sixteen years, she had never let Yino see her true appearance.

Xinyao thought that if she didn't tell him, Yino would need at least two years of adventuring in the cultivation world, truly interacting with demon races, before he would look back and suspect his aunt's bloodline.

But unexpectedly...

Yino seemed to have known about this all along.

And he wasn't just suspecting whether his aunt was a demon—he directly named Xinyao's Phoenix bloodline.

What touched Xinyao's heart even more was that Yino had known his aunt was a demon race all along but didn't mind at all. Even after being away from home for so long, he still prioritized giving the best things to his aunt...

"When... when did you discover your aunt's identity?"

Although Yino had already confessed, Xinyao couldn't help but cautiously continue probing.

Yino raised his eyebrows, hesitated for a moment, and gave a relatively conservative answer: "About two years ago, I suppose. For a short time, I was always helping auntie wash her feet at night, and that's when I noticed that auntie had faint golden patterns on her legs and feet unlike ordinary people... Later, I privately looked through some books and roughly learned that auntie actually had Phoenix bloodline."

"Then... why didn't you tell her at the time?"

The more Xinyao listened, the more unsettling it became. Now, after many years, she reflected on her memories with Yino at the Grand Tutor's Mansion, and everything seemed less real than before.

She thought she was treating Yino like a child, but in reality, she was the childish one playing house!

"I was afraid that if auntie knew, she wouldn't be as close to me as before..."

Yino said casually.

At these words, the red-robed girl's eyes widened behind her mask, her golden pupils reflecting trembling light.

"My aunt is very sensitive... She usually wears long robes and dresses outside, covering all her Phoenix clan patterns. Only at night when she comes home does she let down her disguise in front of me, changing into cooler nightwear and short skirts..."

"So I was afraid that if auntie knew about this, she would be guarded around me from then on."

Although Yino was completely making this up, as he spoke, he somewhat immersed himself in the scenario.

Honestly, this did reflect his inner thoughts over the years.

Being a reborn individual, Yino matured very early. He actually understood everything but had to pretend to be a child in front of his aunt. Otherwise, being so mature at such a young age would make his aunt less likely to dote on and trust him as she would a child.

Moreover... Many memories from his previous life couldn't be shared with his aunt. He could hardly tell her he was a transmigrator.