Golden Peng

A hint of joy couldn't help but appear in Li Xuan's eyes.

After all, Mount Taixuan had grown increasingly silent.

Of the early batch of living beings, those who should leave had all left.

Those who stayed were all of extremely poor aptitude.

They couldn't undergo transformation.

Over so many years, they had all long since died of old age.

And here, the spiritual energy was thin and scarce.

Thus, the newborn beings within thousands of li were even more inferior.

They were merely ordinary animals.

So, for this soon-to-be-born little creature, Li Xuan's heart still carried anticipation and delight.

The eggshell trembled, cracking sounds ceaseless.

Before long, the eggshell was suddenly broken open.

A golden, long beak quickly thrust out, chirping incessantly.

But the heavens and earth showed no unusual signs.

Let alone a Shaping Tribulation.

The golden beak continued pecking.

Soon, a fluffy, light-yellow bird head fully emerged.

Li Xuan blinked, watching in great surprise.

Is this a Golden-Winged Great Peng?

It feels more like... an oversized, little chick?

Though born from the same womb, The aptitudes of the Golden-Winged Great Peng and the Peacock were worlds apart.

Of course, the Golden-Winged Great Peng wasn't bad either.

But compared to its brother, who had a Shaping Tribulation descend the moment he was born, it fell far short.

Li Xuan sighed, thinking to himself.

A little chick born the size of a goose, covered in light-golden fuzz...

No, it's a Golden-Winged Great Peng!

It struggled with all its might, finally squeezing completely out of the eggshell.

Chirp chirp chirp... chirp chirp chirp chirp.

Well, even its cry sounds just like a chick...

Look at this little chick... ahem, this Golden-Winged Great Peng!

After chirping happily a few times, It turned around and began pecking at its own eggshell.

As it swallowed the eggshell, Its body also began to grow bit by bit.

The fuzz on its body started to grow thicker.

Shimmering with golden light, it finally gained some semblance of a Golden Peng.

After a moment, the eggshell was eaten clean.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng had grown to the size of a small pony, though still tender.

With no more eggshell to eat, the Golden Peng chirped.

It turned to look at Li Xuan, then trotted a few steps to the base of his lotus throne.

Circling the lotus throne, it chirped continuously.

Its intelligence had awakened, but it couldn't speak.

Yet Li Xuan could understand what it was saying.

Perhaps, after so many years of companionship, a heart-to-heart connection had formed.

The Golden Peng was calling out: "Father, Father! I'm so hungry!"

Li Xuan beckoned, and the Golden Peng flew up onto the lotus throne.

Immediately, the Golden Peng joyfully pounced into Li Xuan's arms, chirping without end.

Nearly two hundred thousand years had passed.

What Golden Peng could sense while still inside his egg...

That most familiar taste and aura belonged to the creature before him.

It was an aura that filled him with safety, warmth, and joy.

Reaching out to stroke Golden Peng's head, Li Xuan sighed inwardly.

Golden Peng's intelligence right now was probably only that of a three-year-old child.

He would need to cultivate well and grow up slowly.

Then, Li Xuan flicked his finger.

Several pills and a drop of Divine Phoenix Essence Blood flew out.

He had given Divine Phoenix Essence Blood to his eldest, Kong Xuan.

He naturally couldn't play favorites with his second, Golden Peng.

As soon as Golden Peng saw the pills, he chirped.

He first stretched out his head and pecked the pills clean.

But when he looked at the drop of Divine Phoenix Essence Blood, his eyes were full of confusion and puzzlement.

From this drop of essence blood, he could sense a familiar aura.

Yet that familiar aura was also extremely strange.

Tilting his head, Golden Peng thought for a moment.

Then he suddenly pecked down and swallowed the Divine Phoenix Essence Blood.

With the pills and essence blood in his stomach, the newborn hunger instantly vanished.

A feeling of fullness and warmth then flooded his entire body.

Golden Peng chirped twice, glanced at Li Xuan.

Then he peacefully closed his golden eyes.

And fell into a deep sleep.

Li Xuan looked at Golden Peng sleeping in his arms and shook his head helplessly.

He turned and placed him on the Thirty-Six Grade Creation Green Lotus Platform, right beside himself.

Then, he formed hand seals and closed his eyes.

Li Xuan continued his cultivation.

Time trickled by once more.

In the blink of an eye, another twenty thousand years passed.

During these twenty thousand years, Li Xuan was far from lonely—in fact, he was a bit annoyed...

This Golden Peng was far more rambunctious than the peacock!

The main thing was, when the peacock was born, his intelligence was already wide open.

It reached the level of an eight- or nine-year-old child.

But Golden Peng... was only three or four.

Hahaha!

A chubby half-grown child.

With a sky-scraping bun on his head and a tattered grass skirt wrapped around him.

Was laughing loudly at the foot of the mountain, charging back.

He was seen pulling hard with both hands on the tail of a giant python, hundreds of zhang long and several zhang thick.

Arriving at the foot of Mount Taixuan, he shouted as if seeking praise: "Father! Father! Look what I caught! Let's eat it!"

The giant python, though more than ten thousand times larger than the child.

Was terrified stiff by the dreadful predator aura emanating from the child.

Apart from hissing pitifully, it didn't even dare to struggle.

It let the child drag it around like a dog on a leash.

Ever since Golden Peng took human form seventeen thousand years ago.

For over ten thousand years, the creatures within hundreds of thousands of li around Mount Taixuan.

Had truly suffered a calamity!

Countless had been devoured or killed by Golden Peng!

This python now was just unlucky, caught by Golden Peng.

And as Golden Peng grew older, he finally learned to be filial to his father.

Thinking he should share the meal with his father, he dragged it all the way back.

Li Xuan looked down at the Golden Peng below the mountain and let out a helpless sigh.

He spoke slowly, "Ah, it hasn't been easy for him either. He's cultivated for several thousand years just to reach this point, not far from achieving Mystic Immortal transformation and taking human form. Don't torment him anymore."

The giant python nodded repeatedly, its eyes full of tears.

As it looked at that little devil king, there was nothing left but pleading.

It had been peacefully cultivating inside its cave.

Who knew it would suddenly be dragged out by a Golden Peng?

Who had it wronged!?

It was trembling in fear...

"I've cultivated for thousands of years—it hasn't been easy. I don't want to be your dinner..."

When the child heard this, he puffed out his cheeks and shouted loudly, "But I want to eat meat! Father! I want to eat meat!!"

Li Xuan was deeply helpless...

This was another point where the Golden Peng and the Peacock differed.

The Peacock was proud—as long as you submitted, it wouldn't bother you.

But the Golden Peng was gluttonous.

Even if it was just for the pleasure of eating.

It would kill weaker beings and devour them.

This was a difference in their very bones, unchangeable by anything.

So Li Xuan had no real solution.

He could only teach the child normally: even if he wanted to eat meat.

He must never kill indiscriminately, and never kill cruelly.

Survival of the fittest—the strong live. The Golden Peng needed to eat meat.

He naturally couldn't force it to stop, or else he'd be too saintly.

But this giant python was indeed close to becoming a Mystic Immortal and shedding its form.

If it died today in the Golden Peng's beak, that would truly be a pity.

Thus, Li Xuan said slowly, "Let it go. I have better food here."

"Really!?"

The child was overjoyed at once.

He raised both hands, spun them around in a full circle a few times, and flung the several-hundred-zhang-long giant python a hundred li away.

Then, grinning, he ran over to the lotus platform.

He circled the platform, shouting excitedly, "Father, what good food?"

Li Xuan raised his hand and summoned a large drop of blood essence, thick with violent aura.

It was the Qiongqi Blood Essence.

As soon as the child saw the Qiongqi Blood Essence, his eyes lit up, his golden pupils filled with delight.

"Father! What good thing is this? Give it to me to eat, give it to me to eat! Please, Father!"

The child kept hopping up and down but couldn't reach the lotus platform.

He could only keep reaching out his hand and calling out, overjoyed.

Li Xuan said, "I can give it to you to eat, but you must always remember from now on: when you eat meat, don't kill indiscriminately. Understand?"

"Understand, understand!"

The child kept hopping, and it was unclear whether he truly listened or not.

Li Xuan nodded and tossed the Qiongqi Blood Essence in his hand.

The child was ecstatic, catching it with his hands.

He cackled with joy and began gulping it down in big mouthfuls.

Actually, even if you do kill indiscriminately, as long as you don't do it in front of me, I don't really care. I'm not exactly a good person...

Li Xuan watched the Golden Peng eat happily, thinking this to himself.

And at that moment, in the eastern sky.

Several figures suddenly appeared.

A surge of powerful auras howled through the air.

Li Xuan's brow twitched, but then he relaxed.

He just rolled his eyes and muttered curses under his breath, "A bunch of ingrates. You finally remember to come back? This time you're not here to beg for help again, are you?"