After claiming the Dragon-Roar Greatsword, Jieyou finally learned the truth: the tiny bird in her arms, Miss Jiu, was no ordinary creature—but a resplendent Multicolored Crown Phoenix.

  She was overjoyed.

  At once, she ordered a grand feast for the entire palace, granted the servants several days off, and handed out rewards with her own hands, eager for everyone to share her joy.

  Once the hall was empty and the servants had left, beaming, Jieyou dragged the National Teacher over and insisted he unfurl the Complete Map of the Dawn Continent—a national treasure, obtained by the ancestors of Yiyun Palace through sheer chance, coveted by countless forces.

  The National Teacher slowly rolled open the map and explained gently:

  “Your Highness, this is Yiyun Palace. Below us lies Pisha City, ruled by Pisha Palace. Further forward is Wuming Palace, devoted to worshipping the five celestial bodies, drawing star essence and governing the five neighboring kingdoms. Up ahead is Taiyang Palace, believers of the Sun God, blessed with divine favor, ruling over the vast but sparsely populated Sun City. From there, down to Shile Palace and the Shile Realm—that is the Dawn Continent in the narrow sense.”

  “Narrow sense?”

  Jieyou tilted her head, eyes sparkling with curiosity. “Then what about the broad sense?”

  The National Teacher smiled helplessly.

  “Broadly speaking, we are already within the Dawn Continent. All land across the six crystal realms—plains, hills, river valleys—belongs to it. Have you forgotten, Your Highness?”

  “Oh～”

  Jieyou nodded as if enlightened, then asked again at once: “Then where is the center of the Dawn Continent?”

  The National Teacher’s finger landed on a dark mark at the heart of the map, his expression turning solemn.

  “The center is here—the Six Nether Abyss, home to the Abyss Eye. Legend says it connects to the Six Nether Sea. In recent years, rumors have spread of divine miracles: a god has descended here, known as Jiuge, with power beyond mortal imagination.”

  “Jiuge?”

  Jieyou’s eyes lit up. “Why have I never heard of him? Is ‘Jiuge’ a nice name?”

  The National Teacher nearly choked on his own breath.

  He secretly complained: Your Highness spends all her days fooling around! This news has long been posted across the Six Realms, almost with a portrait attached! Yiyun Palace is remote and receives bulletins late, but we still receive them!

  Yet he dared not speak his mind. Bowing, he replied:

  “Your Highness is occupied with state affairs. It is only natural to miss some news. Besides, Jiuge is hundreds of thousands of miles away—he has nothing to do with Yiyun Palace. Not a concern.”

  “If it’s nothing, then fine.”

  Jieyou waved a hand, dismissing Jiuge entirely, and ordered:

  “Fetch the tailor at once. My crimson gauze dress needs fixing. And these red shoes—they’re still too big. Adjust them to fit perfectly.”

  Jieyou was utterly infatuated with her new sword.

  Even though she’d given it the silly nickname Xiaobai (Little White), she cherished it more than anything.

  Every night, she would wake up, summon Xiaobai from within her body, and gaze at it by the palace lamp—a scene almost poetic, like “admiring a sword by candlelight at midnight.”

  Meanwhile, Miss Jiu slept soundly on her back, paws up in the air, not a trace of the dignity a Multicolored Crown Phoenix should possess.

  Jieyou mumbled that she lacked grace, then lightly leaped and landed steadily on Xiaobai’s blade—not a single shake, not a single waver.

  She squatted on the sword, staring at her reflection in the gleaming metal…

  Then suddenly shrieked.

  She had forgotten she’d undressed at night.

  She was completely naked.

  Her eyes widened, her cheeks flushing bright red, utterly flustered.

  Just as she was about to jump off, Xiaobai seemed to sense her embarrassment. It gently lowered until the blade nearly touched the ground. Only after she safely landed did it stand tall again.

  Jieyou loved Xiaobai even more now.

  She held the hilt tightly, but dared not swing it wildly—no one knew her greatest secret yet: the giant sword lived inside her.

  She gently waved the sword.

  Her reflection in the sword-light looked soft and shapely.

  Only one thing bothered her: her chest was too small, which was why she never dared wear revealing clothes.

  Jieyou leaned forward and gently kissed her reflection in the blade—both loving herself, and adoring Xiaobai.

  “Roar——”

  Xiaobai seemed to sense her feelings, letting out a deep, distant sword cry that made the palace candles flicker.

  “Shhh——”

  Jieyou quickly hushed it, afraid of waking Miss Jiu.

  In truth, the upside-down little bird only lazily lifted one paw, eyes still closed, not waking at all.

  She was already used to Jieyou’s midnight antics.

  In just a few months, this young girl had obtained two supreme treasures:

  the true forms of the Spirit Crown Phoenix and the Dragon-Roar Greatsword.

  Yet with her childlike nature, she had named them the most down-to-earth, silly names:

  Miss Jiu and Xiaobai.

  If the mighty overlords of the Three Realms knew, half would laugh until they cried, and the other half would roll on the floor laughing!

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Jieyou quickly returned Xiaobai to her body.

  The sword-light vanished, and the palace fell silent again.

  That night, she slept deeply.

  In her dreams, she wandered the world with her sword, helping the weak and defeating the strong. One moment she flew over mountains and rivers on Miss Jiu’s back; the next she slew demons with Xiaobai, sword-light flashing, dragon-roars echoing.

  A smile lingered on her lips all night.

  When she woke the next day, joy still lit her face—

  but it lasted less than half a day, completely ruined by urgent news the National Teacher rushed in with.

  Someone had come for revenge.

  “Where did these enemies come from?”

  Jieyou frowned, confused and innocent.

  “I’ve always been gentle and kind. I never made enemies. How could someone come for revenge?”

  The National Teacher sighed helplessly.

  “Your Highness, have you forgotten? A few days ago, you killed the thief who stole the dead branch in the street, slicing his body open with your own hands. His backer must have learned of his death and come specifically for vengeance.”

  “Oh—that thief!”

  Jieyou slapped her forehead, suddenly remembering.

  She muttered to herself:

  “That dead branch was Xiaobai’s previous form. How dare he steal it? Of course I killed him. I never thought such a lowly thief would have a backer.”

  After a moment, she relaxed.

  “In this world, there are all kinds of thieves—thieves of hearts, thieves of kingdoms. Faced with a treasure like Xiaobai, who could remain indifferent? No wonder Miss Jiu seemed nervous earlier. Luckily, I hid Xiaobai inside me in time; no one found out.”

  Though she had already merged with the sword, Jieyou understood:

  Xiaobai’s existence would attract endless trouble.

  That was why Long Yun, the former wielder of the Dragon-Roar Greatsword, had traveled hundreds of thousands of miles to Yiyun Valley.

  The cocoon within him had long sensed the aura of Xiaobai’s original form—the dead branch.

  But who exactly were these revenge-seekers?

  The thief’s master? Or some hidden force?

  Jieyou grew suspicious of the plot.

  At the same time, she was slightly annoyed that the National Teacher had ranked Yiyun Palace last when explaining the map.

  She insisted, repeatedly, on meeting the envoys from the Immortal Assembly.

  “Immortal Assembly?”

  The National Teacher was stunned.

  Jieyou blinked, confused. “Never heard of them. Is it a theft organization?”

  “No, no, no!”

  The National Teacher shook his head rapidly.

  “The Immortal Assembly is a secret organization under the Li Dynasty. Extremely powerful, acting in shadows, tasked with collecting rare treasures and suppressing rebellions. Most commoners don’t even know it exists.”

  “Secret organization?” Jieyou raised an eyebrow. “If you know about it, how is it secret?”

  “Your Highness, do not underestimate Yiyun Palace.”

  The National Teacher bowed humbly.

  “Though we are in a remote border region, this old man still possesses connections to orthodox cultivation and intelligence channels. It is only natural I know of them.”

  Every time this young, handsome National Teacher called himself “this old man,” Jieyou found it hilarious.

  She wanted to take out Xiaobai to share her amusement, but she held Miss Jiu in her arms. So she puffed her cheeks, hid her smile, and nodded seriously:

  “The National Teacher speaks the truth.”

  Secretly, she pouted and called him pretentious.

  She knew Xiaobai stayed inside her out of gratitude.

  Even if the National Teacher could predict fortunes and knew she had obtained a supreme treasure, he had no idea what it was.

  Jieyou deliberately kept it from him—a little revenge for his constant mysteriousness, always keeping her in the dark.

  No matter how hard he guessed, he would never imagine the treasure had already merged into her body.

  “I’m going to hide.”

  After thinking for a moment, Jieyou felt a little scared.

  This was the first time she had ever killed someone with her own hands.

  Her first instinct was to hide, observe safely, and only act once she was sure.

  The National Teacher sighed inwardly, helpless.

  Every time something major happens, Her Highness loses her nerve.

  She grew up sheltered in Yiyun Palace, never facing real storms. Even such a small matter makes her want to hide.

  With this kind of courage, forget wandering the world—she would struggle to cultivate in peace.

  “Your Highness, do not panic.”

  The National Teacher comforted her softly.

  “Once you circulate your energy, the entire Yiyun Valley is under your control. The Immortal Assembly has a fearsome reputation, but they will not risk full-scale war with Yiyun Palace over a lowly thief. It is not worth it.”

  “But how do you know it’s a small matter?”

  Jieyou retorted unhappily.

  “If that thief had no powerful background, how could I kill him so easily? I know I’m brave and unmatched, but anyone I can defeat in one hit can’t be that strong! Anyway—you’re coming with me to meet them.”

  Jieyou squeezed Miss Jiu gently, confirming she was still asleep, then focused on feeling Xiaobai’s aura within her.

  Only then did her racing heart calm slightly.

  The National Teacher led the way.

  They entered the side hall, where envoys from the Immortal Assembly had long been waiting.

  “Qiuling of the Immortal Assembly pays homage to Your Highness.”

  The man knelt in a formal court salute.

  He wore a cyan long robe, his face gentle and refined, with a scholarly air—he did not look like a scheming villain at all.

  The National Teacher gently nudged Jieyou’s arm from behind, reminding her with his eyes:

  Do not judge by appearances. Anyone who travels hundreds of thousands of miles to Yiyun Palace is no ordinary person. None succeeded by luck.

  Jieyou understood.

  She quickly put on a fierce, unapproachable expression.

  But her fingers nervously squeezed Miss Jiu’s soft fur, her fingertips going weak.

  She only coldly hummed in response.

  This was her first time in this side hall.

  She did not know which seat was main, which secondary, which for guests.

  She did not even know if she should offer him a seat.

  She just stood there, a little lost.

  “Qiuling…”

  Jieyou stared at his name and muttered softly. “That’s a fun name.”

  The National Teacher was sharp-minded. Seeing this, he quickly stepped forward, gently supported her arm, and guided her to the main seat.

  Jieyou sat down, still holding Miss Jiu, and her nervousness faded slightly.

  Truly, this was a world that valued status and prestige.

  Sitting on the main throne, her confidence soared.

  Qiuling stood, bowed his head, and said:

  “That thief was utterly evil. Your Highness’s swift slaying of him is a great blessing. The Immortal Assembly sent me here for two reasons: first, to express our gratitude. Second, to present a small gift as a token of appreciation.”

  “Oh? You’re not here for revenge?”

  Jieyou raised an eyebrow, turned to the National Teacher, and said proudly:

  “National Teacher, you overthought it!”

  The National Teacher’s face darkened.

  In his mind: Oh no. We’ve met a cunning one. As expected of the Immortal Assembly—acting so politely, he is definitely not here sincerely. He has another motive!

  But Jieyou noticed nothing wrong.

  Instead, she put on a lordly air and said coldly:

  “If it’s just a small gift, don’t bother. Go back! I have no need for such trivial things.”

  Qiuling was left speechless, his smile freezing.

  He had traveled the world, but never met anyone like her!

  Even mortal enemies exchanged pleasantries before fighting. Who turned others away so directly?

  This chapter turned out much longer than I expected—over 5,700 words—and I poured a lot of heart into writing every scene, every fight, and every little personality detail for Jieyou, Miss Jiu, and Xiaobai.

  I’ll keep writing their story, and I can’t wait to show you what happens next in the Dawn Continent.