Under the watchful eyes of Yu Xian and Niman, Little Nora suddenly spread her wings and let out a long cry toward the heavens.
Then she flapped her wings and shot straight into the sky, darting through the air at high speed. The golden radiance blanketing her body gradually broke apart into scattered points of light as she moved, revealing her atavistic form.
"Good heavens..." Yu Xian stared at Little Nora in the sky, utterly stunned.
Niman was equally shocked. "How is this possible? How could a Garuda have ties to a phoenix?"
Little Nora was breathtakingly beautiful. Her plumage was not only dazzlingly golden, but also patterned with countless delicate markings. Yet the characters formed by these patterns were not the phoenix's traditional Benevolence, Righteousness, Propriety, Virtue, and Faith, but rather a profusion of tiny curls and swirls.
Yu Xian immediately cast Appraisal on Little Nora. Since she was bound to him as one, she naturally had no guard against him, and her status profile quickly materialized before his eyes.
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True Name: Nora Hild Garuda
Codename: Little Yellow Duck
Race: Victorious True King Bird
Sex: Female
Age: 8
Health: 30,000 / 30,000
Lifeforce: 5,000 / 5,000
Might: 200
Fortune: Boundless Fortune
Theoretical Lifespan: February 25, 9326481692424717, 01:33:35
Rank: Star Rank
Faction: Absolute Ally
Cultivation Method: Glazed Rebirth Method
Abilities:
[Golden Heavenly Plumes: The feathers of the Victorious True King Bird receive spatial empowerment. The stronger the surrounding space, the greater her defense and the faster her speed.]
[Sound of Inevitable Victory: When the Victorious True King Bird is at a disadvantage, she emits the Sound of Inevitable Victory, triggering tremors across spacetime and shifting the timeline in her favor.]
[Six Heavens Traverse: The Victorious True King Bird can freely traverse the Three Realms and Six Heavens, walking through parallel worlds by switching quantum interfaces.]
[Benevolent Wish Golden Flame: The Victorious True King Bird possesses the power to transform goodwill into flames, capable of incinerating all negative energies.]
[World-Breaker Sky-Striding Body: The Victorious True King Bird is born with the innate ability to traverse space. Upon her maiden flight, she will soar through the Three Realms and Six Heavens, her cry carrying across the Myriad Realms.]
[Summary: A juvenile True King Bird. After devouring enough worlds, she will undergo further atavism, advancing toward the legendary...]
——————
This was the first time Yu Xian had ever used Appraisal on Little Nora.
Her change in race did not shock him, nor did the terrifying innate talents of the Victorious True King Bird. What truly left him flabbergasted was that Little Nora was actually... female!
He had always assumed Little Nora was male!
Even Little Nora herself had constantly styled herself as a big brother in front of Little Huangquan. Yet it turned out she was female!
To be fair, he could hardly be blamed. In the past, Little Nora had simply looked like an oversized rubber duck, and her voice was a child's piping treble, giving away nothing about her sex.
Add to that her carefree, boisterous personality and her voracious appetite, and she had fit the mold of a mischievous little boy in every conceivable way.
Yu Xian had been raising her like a son, only for Appraisal to reveal that she was yet another daughter.
"Big Brother, I got so strong! Hahaha!"
Little Nora swooped down from the air, her massive frame circling deftly before Yu Xian as she showed off in high spirits.
Yu Xian, however, could not bring himself to smile. Brushing aside his wind-tousled hair, he looked at Little Nora and said with utter seriousness, "Little Nora, there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
Little Nora touched down, her body shrinking rapidly until she reverted to her rubber duck form in the blink of an eye.
Seeing his grave expression, she could not help feeling anxious, worried she had eaten the wrong thing again or that her knowledge base had another error.
Looking down at the adorably cute duckling, Yu Xian sighed. "Do you know what your gender is?"
"Of course I do! I'm a real man! In the future, I'm going to be a dependable man, just like Big Brother!" Little Nora puffed out her chest at once, proclaiming proudly.
Niman was dumbfounded. "Little Nora, haven't you gotten something mixed up?"
She had known all along that Little Nora was a baby girl and had simply assumed she was unusually lively. Only after hearing her speak did Niman realize the child had believed herself to be a boy all this time.
"What did I get mixed up?" Little Nora asked Niman in bewilderment, then looked to Yu Xian for answers.
Yu Xian said solemnly, "Little Nora, I have to tell you the truth. You're actually... a girl."
Both he and Niman watched her with concern. Little Nora froze upon hearing the words, her entire body instantly turning to stone, as though thunderbolts were crashing in the background behind her.
"I'm... a girl..."
"Doesn't that mean I can't be Little Huangquan's big brother anymore?"
Little Nora plopped onto the ground in a duck-sit and burst into wails of sorrow.
Seeing her cry, Yu Xian scrambled frantically to comfort her, but far from helping, his efforts only made her bawl even louder.
Unable to bear watching any longer, Niman stepped forward and pressed a hand to Yu Xian's shoulder. "Go cool your heels over there. Let me talk to Little Nora."
"Then I'll leave it to you," Yu Xian said with an embarrassed smile, wiping sweat from his brow as he walked away.
It really was his fault. He should have appraised Little Nora's sex sooner. After all, she belonged to an entirely different species; even when they were merged, he had had no way of telling whether she was male or female.
It was just like fish.
Unless someone was an ichthyologist or a professional fish breeder, who could pick up a fish they had never seen before and tell if it was male or female?
Half an hour later.
Niman brought Little Nora back to find Yu Xian sitting on a pile of rubble.
She said, "I suggest you find a companion who knows how to look after children. Otherwise, blunders like this are bound to happen again."
"Thank you. I'll give it serious thought." Having incurred a debt of gratitude to Niman, Yu Xian could only respond with an accommodating smile; no matter what she said, he was in no position to argue.
Then he looked at Little Nora, squatting down to ask, "Little Nora, I'm sorry. This was Big Brother's fault. I should have used Appraisal on you earlier."
"Big Brother, can I still be your little bro?" Little Nora asked, her spirits noticeably dampened.
Yu Xian nodded. "Of course. You'll always be Big Brother's good... partner. In the future, we'll go on so many adventures together, eat countless delicious foods we've never tasted, and see all kinds of beautiful sights we've never beheld."
"Mm! That's wonderful! And I've gotten super strong now—Big Brother, you're definitely going to be amazed!" Listening to his words, Little Nora's eyes began to brighten until they sparkled as she looked at him, nodding vigorously.
Remembering the change in Little Nora's race following her atavism, Yu Xian took the opportunity to ask, "By the way, Little Nora, do you know anything about the Victorious True King Bird?"
"Nope," Little Nora replied, shaking her head.
Yu Xian turned his gaze toward Niman; here, she was the oldest and the most knowledgeable.
Unfortunately, Niman shook her head slightly as well. "Victorious True King Bird... I have never heard of such a race. Wasn't Little Nora's atavism supposed to turn her into a Golden Phoenix among the Five-Colored Phoenixes?"
"She isn't a Golden Phoenix, but a race called the Victorious True King Bird," Yu Xian answered.
Looking at Little Nora thoughtfully, Niman said, "It seems Little Nora's atavism is extraordinary indeed. Yu Xian, I suggest you avoid revealing her true race. To outsiders, just say she is a Golden Phoenix from now on."
"Right, understood."
Yu Xian nodded in agreement.
The Garuda had their blood feud with the dragon clan; who knew whether the Victorious True King Bird had ancient enemies of their own?
Besides, Little Nora truly resembled a Golden Phoenix in appearance, making it the perfect cover.
Just then, more people arrived.
Watching the newcomers, Niman said seriously, "The main players have finally taken the stage."
In the blink of an eye, the surrounding waters converged into colossal high walls, encircling the battlefield.
Members of the Sea Clan stood atop the water walls one after another, and a burly, imposing man emerged from the water, striding toward Yu Xian and Niman.
Chapter 247