"I am fine, how about you?" Phoenix asked back. Wanted to make sure he was okay. Even though her own eyes had seen he was fine. But she wanted to make sure there wasn't a deep wound that her eyes couldn't see that he felt.
"I'm really fine" his voice choked, then he said, "I miss you Qing-Qing so much!" his tight hug seemed unable to represent his longing. No matter how tight his arms embraced, it wasn't enough for him.
"I missed you too" Phoenix replied in a soothing tone of voice. She knew very well what Xuan Ti needed now was reassurance from her. "Let's get out of here, at least go home" she asked, no longer wanting to linger in the tense and broken atmosphere.
Xuan Ti raised his head, looked around at where his Dragon companion was, which was not far from where Ru Qing was standing. One nod from him, his friend already knew he was leaving the surroundings to them to take care of.
Without answering. Xuan Ti led himself and Phoenix to disappear in thin air from the celestial palace.
Ru Qing also disappeared from there. Because her task was waiting at the Phoenix residence. leaving the four-direction king of Dragons muttering sullenly.
"I can't believe this, after he ravaged this place. he just left. Leaving it all to us" Qing Lung muttered, sulking.
"Well, at least. He didn't leave that bastard Nuba still hanging around here and made this place less like a serene celestial palace" Bai Lung replied indifferently from his friend's childish attitude.
***
It was a clear morning, the blue sky stretched over the quiet and serene Phoenix residence. In addition to the sound of kitchen utensils that can be heard in the kitchen room. The Phoenix residence was as calm as the river waters below the mountain valley not far from the Phoenix residence.
Xuan Ti and Phoenix were still asleep under the warm blankets that wrapped themselves on the bed. Xuan Ti even slept hugging Phoenix. as if not wanting to let go of her even for a second.
Phoenix's face was half buried in Xuan Ti's left chest. His chin rested relaxedly on the Phoenix's head. both slept peacefully in each other's arms. Soon Phoenix's eyelids moved, and slowly opened.
The warmth she felt at this moment, in Xuan Ti's embrace made her smile. The warmth she once felt. The warmth they always gave each other in the past, was still very clear in her memory.
Nothing could make her feel calm and peaceful, other than Xuan Ti. He was everything to her. Vice versa. She remembered Xuan Ti had said to her. 'You are the sun that warms during the day and the Moon that soothes at night'
The smile on her lips widened even more, remembering the memory. and a slight movement of her cheeks woke Xuan Ti up.
"How can you smile that wide when you're still lying in my arms" he didn't need to open his eyes, and looked down at her to know how wide her smile was. Phoenix smile is the sweetest, burned deep into his heart. Nothing can match her smile.
"You hug me so warmly, how can I not smile?" Phoenix looked up at Xuan Ti's face, whose eyes were now wide open, and was looking at her with a smile.
"You are my sunshine" Xuan Ti replied, he kissed Phoenix's forehead gently.
"Thank you for helping yesterday, if it weren't for you, I might have been plunged into darkness. Fall deeper than Nuba". The gratitude he expressed made him relieved. Of course, if he loses his bright side, and falls into the dark side. Not only had he lost his true self, but he would also have lost Phoenix forever. Because once he touched the darkness, all his memories with Phoenix would disappear without a trace.
Phoenix Not yet had commented on his words, Xuan Ti asked. "But how come, my Dragon Pearl is with you?" the wrinkles on his forehead deepened. The moment he realized from the anger that enveloped him, the moment he almost lost his identity. Curiosity grew, but due to conditions it was not possible for him to ask. So, it's been delayed until now.
"Hai Jian gave it to me, just before he blocked you from Nuba's lethal attack" Phoenix answered briefly. She still remembered clearly. The moment the Pearl touched her palm, all the memories appeared before her. Making her gasp, eyes wide open looking at Xuan Luan, startled. And before he walked away, he said 'You know what to do with this'. the next second she just knew. Xuan Lung lay covered in blood on Xuan Ti's lap.
"Hai Jian?" muttered Xuan Ti confused by Phoenix's answer.
"Hmm..." from his tone of mentioning Xuan Lung's name, made Phoenix's brow furrow. "It seems you did not give the Pearl to him?" she asked in disbelief.
"No!" His own answer surprised him even more. "How can I give him what he wants in the golden era of the king of dragons, the era when the yellow palace was at its glories. I wish I could entrust that to him. No, I don't have that trust in him. After seeing what he did in the past. I don't want to repeat the same mistake. Especially with my dragon pearl, he can be like Nuba. But hearing you, at least now I realize, he is not like him past self" Xuan Ti spoke as he intertwined his fingers with Phoenix, whereupon she placed her palm against his chest.
"Then how come your dragon pearl ended up in his hands?" Now Phoenix became curious, Xuan Lung's calm and peaceful expression when he gave the pearl and said the words before he disappeared from her sight, still made her gasp, and now it changed to one of relief. She knew when she looked for him in the in-between realms, at the end of their conversation. He discovered another side of Xuan Lung. the side she wished she could see in the time when they first met and developed an affectionate relationship.
Phoenix's mind drifted to the time she rescues Xuan Lung.
"Hai Zian!" called Phoenix in a place that was clear at first glance but looked obscure. Like the image in a mirror, but the image itself is not clear, clear at other times as fast as lightning. Making the people who are in it, hard to find out whether this place is real or not. If only they weren't strong, they would lose their way and end up in despair, their souls being eroded bit by bit and disappearing into existence, and that was happening to Xuan Lung.
After his soul turned into a flying speck of dust and disappeared before Xuan Ti and Phoenix at the edge of a cliff, in the yellow kingdom 2000 years ago. His soul enters the realm between, his soul gets lost in the labyrinth of soul introspection.
It took a strong faith for Phoenix to be able to come and look for him, when she knew that his soul was lost in the labyrinth of soul introspection. As far as she knew, very few souls could break free from the labyrinth once they entered it. even she himself could go astray if she did not stick to her firm beliefs. Confidence to be able to find and get him out of there. This belief that always made her aware, with her consciousness all her soul searched for Xuan Lung's soul.
She herself did not know how long she had been there searching for Xuan Lung's soul, in other words, Xuan Lung's own soul had been lost in the labyrinth of soul introspection for far longer.
The labyrinth wall itself is a mirror, not just any mirror, because the mirror displays the memories of all the lives they have lived, the memories intersect with each other, that's what makes a soul that is not strong, will get lost. Assume that the memory is real what has happened but on the other hand it is not real. Fragments of confusing memory, making every soul will become dazed and lost in the presence of real existence.
Once she found it, Phoenix's felt relief. she immediately rushed to him. Without realizing it, she embraced the figure that had existed deep in her heart in the past.
Initially Xuan Lung, confused and stunned by the figure in his arms. His forehead furrowed deeply, searching, and interweaving the fragments of memory. And with that figure in his arms, somehow, he was able to weave the memory fragments together and he recognized the figure in his arms.
"You shouldn't be here Qing Yang!" he whispered worriedly, the last thing he wanted was that the person he loved the most, the person he wanted so badly to be in danger with him. It's enough for him to bear it, not with her.
"I was looking for you here, and oh how happy I am to find you here" Phoenix exclaimed still hugging Xuan Lung tightly and didn't want to let go.