Fire Kingdom Sacrificial Spirit, Vermilion Bird Precious Technique

"The turmoil has ended, the divine formation is lifted."

Following Willow Deity's soft whisper, the heaven-reaching divine formation that had shrouded Stone Village for months finally dissipated, allowing sunlight to spill once more into the ancient village.

"The great battle is over? Time to head out and scavenge for scraps~"

In a corner of the village, the Little One, who had been mesmerized by a piece of crystalline heavenly bone, stretched comfortably. Six crimson heavenly passages could be faintly seen floating in the void.

The Qiongqi, Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow, Zhu Yan, and Vermilion Bird—four pure-blooded creatures at the Venerable realm—had battled for over two months, and the Mountain Treasure had ultimately fallen into the hands of the Zhu Yan.

However, the Zhu Yan was left severely wounded and unconscious at the bottom of a lake, only for the Mountain Treasure to be snatched away by the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow, who had been trailing it. Yet, this was not the final outcome.

The Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow's master, the Swan Goose Avian Saint—a Godfire realm powerhouse whose vitality had withered—appeared. He had once had a spiritual body consumed by his disciple in his later years, using the opportunity to fake his death and flee.

He had decided to purge the sect, kill the unfilial disciple who had survived the great calamity of the Eight Regions, and take the Mountain Treasure, which he had failed to obtain after twenty years of research.

The Mountain Treasure contained not only the complete inheritance of the Supreme Hall but also the middle volume of the Original True Interpretation, "Transcendence," making it of immense significance.

Therefore, Shi Hao had to reach the Mountain Treasure and the wounded, unconscious Zhu Yan before the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow could find their hiding place.

Just then, a heaven-shaking crimson radiance tore through the sky.

A heaven-reaching, small red sparrow fell down in a wretched state, its aura dim and its vitality withered to the extreme, as if it had suffered severe Dao injuries.

It happened to crash right in front of Shi Hao.

"Yo, where did this little sparrow come from? I didn't expect to have prey delivered to my doorstep just as I was about to leave the village. Hmm, its feathers are as red as blood; the meat should taste pretty good."

Shi Hao's eyes lit up at the sight, and he crouched down to grab the small red sparrow.

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"

The listless little sparrow had a pair of black-and-white eyes as clear as gemstones, and those tiny eyes were filled with fury.

"Yeah, yeah, no problem. Steamed or braised, either works."

Shi Hao tilted his head to listen for a moment, nodded earnestly as if he had understood something, and then hoisted the little red sparrow up, ready to head toward a large cauldron in the clearing.

"Young man, young master, I was wrong! I shouldn't have cursed you! Let me go, please let me go! My meat really doesn't taste good, I swear..."

Seeing that it was about to be plucked and thrown into a pot, the little red sparrow could no longer hold back and hurriedly begged for mercy, clearly terrified to the extreme.

"Oh? So you can talk? I thought you were just a silly bird that only knew how to chirp."

Shi Hao paused and looked at this Sacrificial Spirit of the Fire Kingdom with feigned surprise.

Little thing, you really thought I couldn't handle you?

"You're the silly bird! Your whole family is full of silly birds!"

The Vermilion Bird cursed inwardly, but its face was filled with obsequious flattery as it nodded repeatedly. "I can speak. Please, don't eat me. This... I am very kind."

"Alright, Little One, don't be naughty. Bring that little Vermilion Bird to me."

Just as Shi Hao was about to tease the Vermilion Bird a bit more, a divine sense from Willow Deity reached him.

"Who is that?"

Suddenly scanned by a vast divine sense, the Vermilion Bird's body stiffened, its expression panicked as if it had been seen through completely from head to toe.

"Follow me. Willow Deity wants to see you."

Little Shi smiled silently and carried the injured Vermilion Bird toward the village entrance.

"A strange willow tree as a Sacrificial Spirit? Could it be..."

Beneath the charred willow tree, the Vermilion Bird shifted its body uneasily, its black-and-white eyes filled with worry.

Now that it was severely wounded, had failed to obtain the treasure it fought for, and had seen its combat power plummet, falling into this strange village—it was hard to tell if this was a blessing or a curse.

"Little Vermilion Bird, let us make a deal."

"I observe that the sacrificial power around you is rich and pure; you must be the Sacrificial Spirit of an ancient kingdom. You are severely injured now. Even with billions of subjects offering sacrifices to you, it would take years to recover. If you heal on your own, it could take decades."

"If I help you heal, how about you offer up the Vermilion Bird Precious Technique?"

The charred willow tree's branches hung down, silent and serene.

"Heal me? And offer up my ancestral precious technique?"

The Vermilion Bird fell silent upon hearing this.

If the willow tree could help it fully restore its cultivation, it wouldn't be a bad deal.

After all, it was a kingdom's Sacrificial Spirit; returning to the Fire Kingdom in such a sorry state would only make that fellow, the Fire Emperor, laugh at it. Besides, the journey of hundreds of thousands of miles was not safe.

However, an ancestral precious technique was a great secret of its race. To hand it over so easily... wouldn't that be a bit, well, lacking in integrity?

Thinking of this, the Vermilion Bird was torn.

"Little Vermilion Bird, don't forget: one is the butcher, and the other is the fish. Your life is still in our hands. If Willow Deity truly wanted to seize your precious technique by force, do you think you would even have the chance to destroy your original precious bone?"

Shi Hao's lighthearted remark made the Vermilion Bird shudder.

That's right. Save my hide and get out of here first. Stop thinking about all that nonsense.

"Exalted one, then I leave it to you."

The Vermilion Bird composed itself, speaking in a humble and submissive tone.

"Rest assured, I have no habit of bullying the weak, and besides, I have met your ancestor, that Primordial Vermilion Bird, on several occasions."

The Willow Deity offered a word of comfort, and as its tender green willow branches tapped down, thousands of rays of light erupted forth.

"You have met my ancestor? Does that not mean..."

The Vermilion Bird's jewel-like eyes widened abruptly. Just as it was about to cry out in shock, it felt an indescribably vast surge of divine energy wash over its body like a tidal wave, a tingling, itchy sensation sweeping through its entire being.

The gruesome wound on its chest healed at lightning speed, and several lacerations that had nearly pierced its skull sealed shut and vanished. Its crimson feathers became crystalline once more, and endless divine radiance circulated within its body.

This astonishing transformation left the Vermilion Bird feeling warm all over, and it promptly settled in to enjoy the sensation.

"Lord Willow Deity, thank you for your intervention."

A moment later, the Vermilion Bird, radiating monstrous divine might, respectfully lowered its proud head. Its demeanor was even more magnificent than before, as if a sacred deity were being resurrected.

"Alright, alright, show some sincerity. Where is the Vermilion Bird Precious Technique?"

Shi Hao interrupted the Vermilion Bird at an inopportune moment, grinning as he reached out his hand.

"Hmph!"

The Vermilion Bird let out a cold, disdainful snort, and a single crimson feather detached itself and drifted down.

With its cultivation fully restored, its sense of superiority over Shi Hao returned. Recalling the scene from just moments ago, if not for the presence of the Willow Deity, it would have loved to roast him into a charred husk with the Vermilion Bird Heavenly Fire.

"The Vermilion Bird Precious Technique! Now the children in the village can become even stronger~"

Shi Hao caught the drifting crimson feather, sighing with dramatic flair in the tone of the old village chief, which made the former grit its teeth in irritation.

"Kid, if you have the time, come to the Fire Kingdom to visit me. I will be sure to 'entertain' you well."

The Vermilion Bird, wings spread and ready to take flight, rolled its eyes and extended the invitation as if it were an afterthought.

"Not a chance. Do you think I don't know you are the Sacrificial Spirit of the Fire Kingdom? Go to the Fire Kingdom to visit you? That would be like a lamb walking into a tiger's den—I'd be the one getting played."

Shi Hao scoffed; this little Vermilion Bird was truly childish to the core.

"Ahhh! You brat, just you wait! I will be back!!"

The Vermilion Bird was instantly incensed. With a sharp shriek, it transformed into a streak of crimson light and tore through the sky, silently dyeing half the firmament red.