"Slowly, slowly...” a voice urged, bright with delight, as Li Fan swallowed the last fragment of the shattered eggshell.
A scorching energy erupted from his belly, coursing through his entire body.
This power was exceptionally pure. Li Fan, who had been walking with a bit of a stagger moments before, could now hop and bounce around after just a short while.
"Wow... As expected of the descendant of a divine bird. You’re able to walk on your own so soon after hatching! Does that mean it won't be long before I can ride you?"
Ignoring the chatter in his ear, Li Fan walked somewhat dejectedly to the water's edge and looked at his reflection.
Damn, that's ugly!
A strange bird, covered entirely in naked red skin and devoid of any feathers, appeared in Li Fan's vision.
Senior Brother Zhang, I actually miss you a little now.
At least when I was with you, I was a hereditary disciple of the Purple Firmament Sect. The moment a new map opens up, I can't even be human anymore. Instead, I get reincarnated as this dumb bird.
Perhaps influenced by his new host, Li Fan's thoughts were unusually active and erratic, vastly different from his usual state of calm composure.
"Good birdie, grow up quickly..." The incessant voice started up again, irritating Li Fan even more.
Yet, when a red plant that resembled both an insect and a blade of grass was extended before him, all his displeasure was instantly forgotten.
He snatched it in one bite, devouring it in two or three gulps.
An indescribable sense of satisfaction immediately flooded his being. It was akin to the exhilarating feeling of stumbling upon a Curio of Heaven while in the Qi Refinement realm, or the profound fulfillment of forming a core after gaining insights into a hundred laws in the Foundation Establishment realm.
In an instant, it robbed Li Fan of all capacity for thought.
Only a blissfully blank consciousness remained, adrift in an ocean of pure joy. A long time later, the transcendent pleasure slowly receded, and Li Fan gradually regained his ability to think.
But the impact of that red cordyceps still lingered in his heart, unforgettable. As he savored the memory, greed inevitably welled up.
What in the heavens was that? Li Fan thought with shock, and he couldn't help but cast a longing, expectant look toward the owner of the voice.
"Don't look at me like that! This is the only stalk of Thorn Cordyceps I've managed to save up. Now that you’ve eaten it, there won't be any more for a while!"
A young boy, who looked to be only twelve or thirteen years old, was scratching the back of his head, apologizing with an embarrassed expression.
Gone? Disappointment and anger surged abruptly.
In a fit of anger, Li Fan scrambled up onto the boy's head and delivered a series of furious kicks, instantly turning the boy's neatly combed hair into a disheveled bird's nest.
The boy didn't get angry. Rather he just tilted his head and grinned foolishly.
This only infuriated Li Fan more. He decided then and there to make the boy's hair his new nest and settled in.
"Hehe, don't be mad, little guy. Even though the Thorn Cordyceps is gone, there are countless secret realms and spirit mountains within our Beast Taming Sect's mountain gates, full of so many good things. I definitely won't let you go hungry! Come on, I'll take you to find something to eat right now." Having said that, the boy tossed out a feather.
The feather blossomed with white light, and moments later, an elegant and noble-looking Red-Crowned Crane appeared before him.
The boy skillfully climbed onto the crane's back, wrapping his arms tightly around its neck, and shouted, "Little Hong, let's go!"
The crane let out a clear, resonant cry, then beat its wings, soaring into the sky. Up in the heavens, the wind howled.
The little boy did not forget Li Fan perched on his head, shielding him tightly with a hand to prevent him from being blown away.
From time to time, a familiar thread of warm energy was transferred over, helping to ward off the chill of the high altitude.
With the aid of this gentle energy, Li Fan’s agitated mood slowly calmed. He seized this rare opportunity to analyze the experiences of this journey into the Fallen Immortal Realm.
This time, my host is a bit special. It’s a strange bird that struggled free from its eggshell. Hmm... somewhat novel.
Unlike possessing a cultivator, where one can maintain self-awareness, after possessing an exotic beast, one’s emotions and temperament are also influenced by the beast. It’s nearly impossible to control oneself, and one acts on instinct.
It’s not negative emotions, but rather the inherent nature of the beast itself. That’s why the previously unfailing Xuanhuang Heart Refinement Sutra failed for the first time.
With my current means, I cannot break free unless I reveal my true form and invoke Blue Flame’s Law.
This place seems to be the Beast Taming Sect from ancient times. The little boy beneath me should be a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect.
Earlier, when I was inside the eggshell, that gentle energy that sustained my lifeforce and helped me break free was released by him.
A Beast Taming Sect technique for controlling beasts while aiding the growth of the exotic beast? It also strengthens the bond between the two. Li Fan pondered.
Don’t be fooled by Li Fan kicking up a fit and bullying the little boy. In reality, the little boy was a parental figure to the possessed bird.
As the one experiencing this firsthand, Li Fan clearly understood the source of the bird’s anger.
It wasn’t simply because its cravings had gone unsatisfied. More importantly, a feeling of yearning to depend on humans kept resurfacing within it, clashing with the instinctive will inherited through its bloodline.
Its instincts told it that it should not grow so close to humans, yet it couldn’t rein in the emotions welling up inside. That inner conflict was what made it so irritable.
The Beast Taming Sect indeed has its ways. I wonder if there are any other effects.
While thinking of this, Li Fan lay on the little boy’s head, gazing downward.
The bird’s eyesight far surpassed that of a human. Even high above the clouds, he could clearly see everything on the ground.
Amidst the undulating mountain ranges, many spirit crops were terraced along the slopes.
Some cultivators, commanding exotic beasts with ox bodies and horse faces, were tilling the fields.
On a mountaintop not far away, numerous buildings stood scattered like stars.
Further in the distance, there seemed to be a tall tower. A faintly familiar and intimidating aura emanated from it.
"Not far ahead is the field of fire attribute spirit crops. Everyone says you’re a descendant of a divine bird, inherently aligned with fire. Things like Crimson Essence Leaves and Mysticfire Fruits are beneficial for your body; there’s nothing wrong with eating more of them." The little boy said playfully.
"Coincidentally, my senior brothers have been unusually busy lately for some reason. I’ll bring you to sneak a few bites; it should be fine."
After flying for a long time, the newly-born Li Fan grew sleepy again. If you say so...
He gently scratched the little boy’s hair with his now slightly hardened claws, signaling him to transfer more energy over.
Li Fan yawned, about to fall asleep again.
Just then, a tiger’s roar shook the heavens, startling Li Fan awake.
Looking up, he saw a blue figure standing atop a monster with a tiger body and a human face, approaching from a distance.
It roared past overhead and vanished into the distance in an instant, its destination unknown.
The shockwave and howling gales from their passage battered the red-crowned crane the boy rode, nearly throwing them off balance in midair.
Yet the boy showed no irritation, only excitement as he cried out, “Look! It’s Senior Brother Lu Ya! That spirit beast beneath him, the tiger-bodied, human-faced one. They say it’s a descendant of a Water God Beast! It’s not even ten years old and already rivals a Golden Core cultivator! How powerful!”