The Refined Seed

"What's that... an eagle?!"

As the black speck drew closer, Fang Yuan realized that the source of the cry was a magnificent giant eagle. Its black feathers shimmered in the light, gleaming with a metallic sheen.

"A Spiritual Beast! It's definitely a Spiritual Beast!"

The black giant eagle was incredibly fast. Fang Yuan had barely looked up before it was already soaring above Qingfeng Spiritual Land.

"Strange... How did I not notice this eagle before?"

Watching the Red-eyed White Bird flock begin to stir, Fang Yuan's eyes filled with puzzlement. "Did we just happen to miss each other, or is it a Spiritual Beast from somewhere else?"

"Chirp, chirp!"

By now, the entire flock of Red-eyed White Birds on the cliff had been thoroughly roused. Under the command of several Spiritual Beasts, they circled through the air, seeming to form a Military Formation.

Whoosh!

The black giant eagle showed no fear. It shot into the flock like an arrowhead.

"Chirp, chirp!!!"

Several shrill cries rang out, and great swathes of white feathers drifted down from the sky.

The black giant eagle's talons were like Iron Hooks. A few quick grabs forced even the Spirit Birds to give ground. Then its beak struck, and a Red-eyed White Bird's skull burst open as it plunged straight down from the sky.

"Eagle Claw! Now that's a real Eagle Claw!"

Watching the battle between the flying beasts, Fang Yuan looked thoughtful. He felt his understanding of Eagle Claw Hand deepen another level.

"Chirp, chirp!"

At last, after the black eagle had gone on a killing spree, an angry cry rang out from the highest point of the cliff.

A giant white bird, pure as snow and shaped like a great roc, appeared. It was none other than the Red-eyed White Bird King!

It beat its wings and shot into the sky, clashing with the black giant eagle. In only a few exchanges, it gained the upper hand.

"Caw!"

The black giant eagle flapped its wings to evade the White Bird King, then seized another Spirit Bird with its talons, ripping through its defenses and tearing open its belly. It then turned toward the White Bird King in deliberate provocation, before bursting out of the flock like a black arrowhead. A few black feathers drifted down as it fled into the distance.

"Chirp, chirp!"

Even after Fang Yuan had ambushed the flock countless times, losing a Spirit Bird was still an extremely rare occurrence.

Seeing one of the flock's finest fall, the Red-eyed White Bird King gave a shrill cry and led a large number of white birds in pursuit, looking ready to fight to the death.

"Oh?"

Fang Yuan watched coldly and noticed something odd.

"The black giant eagle is deliberately slowing down, making the Red-eyed White Birds think they can catch it... What a sly eagle..."

Seeing the bulk of the white birds leave their nest, with even the White Bird King charging at the front, his eyes lit up. "This is my chance!"

"Chirp, chirp!"

The black specks flew farther and farther across the sky, until they finally disappeared.

Fang Yuan, meanwhile, followed the mountain path steadily upward. "There must be something good in the White Bird King's nest! And even if there isn't, I'll make sure the white birds left behind pay dearly for this!"

He had never been able to wipe out the flock because of the Bird King and the several Spirit Birds. But now?

"Chirp, chirp!"

The moment he appeared, the white birds left behind spotted the enemy and let out shrill cries.

"Get out of my way!"

Unfortunately, the remaining flock was much weaker. Fang Yuan activated Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt, his claws darting back and forth. Almost every strike killed a white bird. His clothes were instantly torn to ribbons, but the Red-eyed White Birds suffered far heavier losses.

"Even an ordinary nest has Bird Eggs, which are nourishing..."

Fang Yuan had no interest in those now. He went straight to the mountaintop, spotted a huge stone ledge, and leaped onto it.

Thump!

He landed firmly on the ledge and held his right hand in front of himself as he checked his surroundings.

The ledge jutted out from the cliff, and a huge cave opened behind it. This was the Red-eyed White Bird King's nest.

Seeing a stranger break in, the Red-eyed White Birds grew even more frantic, surging at him without regard for their lives.

"Get out of my way!"

Fang Yuan roared again and again as he fought his way backward, deeper into the cave.

"Chirp, chirp!"

Suddenly, amid the many white birds, a slender Spirit Bird appeared. Its feathers gleamed brilliantly with flickering light, and it had been hiding among the flock as it launched an attack on Fang Yuan.

Rrrip!

Fang Yuan couldn't dodge in time. He could only increase the flow of his inner force, making the flesh on his shoulder bulge up as if inflated.

The next instant, blood sprayed!

Though he had used his inner force to defend himself, a deep claw mark still appeared on his shoulder.

"So there's another Spiritual Beast guarding the nest—and it even knows how to launch a sneak attack! Good! Very good!"

His eyes narrowed slightly. The next moment, he sprang forward like a leopard, ignoring the white birds and going straight for the Spiritual Beast.

"Try my Black Sand Eagle Claw Hand!"

His palm turned black as ink. His fingers and nails in particular gleamed like forged iron, while a strange, sweetly foul odor spread around him.

With the help of the system and some experimentation of his own, Fang Yuan had found a way to use the power of Black Sand Palm through his Eagle Claw.

Now, even his fifth-level Black Sand Palm could be put to use. He could gather its poison in his Eagle Claw and turn it into a true poison claw!

"Chirp!"

The mutated white bird Spiritual Beast was incredibly fast. Its attack missed, and it immediately fled.

But it was still a step too slow. Fang Yuan's claw wind grazed its wing, sending a shower of white feathers falling.

"Heh!"

After that single strike, Fang Yuan didn't pursue. He only watched with a cold laugh.

"Chirp, chirp!"

The Spirit Bird hadn't flown far when it suddenly gave a mournful cry and fell from the sky. In an instant, it was dead. Even a gentle breeze sent its feathers flying.

This was the venom of the Mutated Pearl-tailed Snake, a poison of astonishing potency. Even an Inner Family Master would be in serious trouble if it touched him.

"Chirp, chirp!"

Seeing the Spirit Bird die, the rest of the white birds scattered at once, no longer daring to approach. They let Fang Yuan swagger deeper into the Bird King's nest.

"Hmm!"

The cave wasn't deep. Light filtered through cracks in the rock, and after walking a few steps, Fang Yuan paused and sniffed. "Strange!"

A Spiritual Beast's nest should have reeked of blood and filth.

But the air here was exceptionally fresh, even clean, and the spiritual energy was richer than any he had ever encountered.

At the back of the cave stood a huge blue stone, its center slightly hollowed out. Branches and downy feathers had been arranged inside it to form a giant nest.

"So this is the Red-eyed White Bird King's nest?"

Fang Yuan stepped closer, but when he saw no Spiritual Beast eggs, he couldn't help feeling a little disappointed.

Ever since taking in Flower Fox Ferret, Fang Yuan had grown interested in taming Spiritual Beasts. Unfortunately, beasts as intelligent as Flower Fox Ferret, and willing to communicate with humans, were far too rare.

The Red-eyed White Bird King was a rare Spiritual Beast with the ability to fly, which made Fang Yuan covet it.

"Birds have a particular nature. They grow attached to the first creature they see after hatching. If I got a Spiritual Beast egg and raised it from the start, I might be able to tame it..."

Unfortunately, the White Bird King had never laid any eggs, so Fang Yuan could only regret it.

He stepped closer and studied the bird's nest carefully. His gaze was immediately drawn to a flash of green.

Beside the nest was a spring eye, where clear water trickled out and gathered into a small pool.

A few unusual green bamboos grew by the edge of the pool.

Their stalks were green as jade, like they had been carved from the finest emerald. A pure, clear aura constantly emanated from them, absorbing impurities and breathing out the old to welcome the new.

"So the secret to this cave's cleanliness lies in these bamboo stalks..."

Fang Yuan went over to examine the Spirit Bamboo.

"Oh?"

At a closer look, he noticed something different. Several buds had appeared at the nodes, like flower buds about to bloom.

"Jade Bamboo flowering?"

Fang Yuan jolted as he recalled a passage from some old text: "Bamboo renews its roots once every sixty years, and its roots must produce flowers. The flowers must bear fruit, and the bamboo must wither once the fruit ripens. When the fruit falls, it grows anew."

"When Jade Bamboo flowers, it must bear Bamboo Rice! Also known as Bamboo Seed!"

"In ancient times, the phoenix would perch only on parasol trees, eat only Refined Seed, and drink only Sweet Spring... The Refined Seed refers to Bamboo Seed!"

"There were so few Spiritual Objects in the Spiritual Land before, so I'd already suspected something. Now it seems the White Bird King really did devour them all!"

Fang Yuan stepped forward, his gaze burning. "Transplanting a Spiritual Plant leaves no room for carelessness. Luckily there are several stalks of this Spirit Bamboo. I can simply dig one up and take it with me. Even if it dies, I'll have others as backup!"

The cave was filled with shimmering spiritual light. Clearly, the Spirit Bamboo wasn't the only Spiritual Object here.

But some treasures were so precious that they would die the moment they were carelessly transplanted. Without thorough preparation, even Fang Yuan wouldn't dare risk it.

This Spirit Bamboo, however, was easy to cultivate, and there was more than one stalk, so he had no such worries.

Fang Yuan went over to the Spirit Bamboo and shaped his hands into claws. He dug through earth and stone faster than any iron spade or shovel. Before long, he had unearthed an entire stalk of Spirit Bamboo, roots mostly intact.

"With this in hand, today's trip was worth it!"

Fang Yuan carried the Spirit Bamboo on his shoulder, delight showing on his face as he prepared to look for other Spiritual Objects.

"Caw!"

Flower Fox Ferret, keeping watch outside, suddenly gave an urgent shriek.

"That's... the black giant eagle?"

Fang Yuan went to the cave entrance and saw the magnificent eagle from before circling around with a flock of white birds before charging toward him again.

"Luring the snake from its hole, a Feint to the East, Attack to the West?"

He grinned. "So you were after the White Bird King's treasures too. Too bad I got here first..."

Behind the giant eagle, countless white specks appeared, with the Red-eyed White Bird King at the very front. But it was still slower than the eagle, and the gap between them widened.

Fang Yuan understood now. The black eagle had provoked the flock earlier to draw the White Bird King away, then used its speed to lead them in circles. In the end, its target was the same as his.

Unfortunately, the black eagle had no allies, had taken a beating, and had still been beaten to the prize by Fang Yuan.

"Sorry... I've got my eye on what's in there. I can't let you have it!"

Seeing the black eagle charge at him, Fang Yuan laughed loudly. His right hand swelled thicker and turned into a black claw. He struck out fiercely. "Eagle Claw Hand!"

Bang!

The black eagle jolted and flew backward.

The White Bird King, watching from nearby, grew even more ferocious. It suddenly let out a long cry, the tips of its feathers turning faintly blood-red, and its speed surged as it shot toward them.

"Going berserk? I'm done playing with you!"

Fang Yuan laughed, hoisted the Spirit Bamboo, and leaped onto the mountaintop, then swiftly fled.

Behind him, the enraged White Bird King's flock surrounded the black eagle. It let out a shrill cry...