Ancient Demonic Bird, Azure Heaven Roc

Little Shi, having climbed to the mountain peak, did not rush out. Instead, he hid behind a rock face and observed cautiously for a moment.

Only after confirming that the adult Green-Scaled Eagle had flown out to forage did he step forward.

The moment he touched one of the giant eggs, he felt a tingling numbness in his forearm and instinctively pulled his hand back.

As a Green-Scaled Eagle possessing the incomplete imprint of an ancient demonic bird, even in its egg state, this self-protective power was innate.

Heh, that won't stop me.

Shi Hao focused his mind, and runes began to flow across his arms, making them as sturdy as if cast from metal. When he touched the giant egg again, there was no reaction at all.

Seeing that the Bone Text he had practiced for two years was effective, Little Shi was overjoyed. He immediately and nimbly packed all three giant eggs into a beast-skin bag and sprinted toward the foot of the mountain.

With every leap, he covered several meters, leaving behind trails of afterimages in the mountain forest.

Seeing the village in sight not far ahead, Shi Hao, who had been keeping his nerves taut, could not help but reveal a satisfied smile; the journey had been without alarm or danger.

"Screech!"

Just as he relaxed his mind, an exceptionally sharp, piercing cry rang out.

A massive, ferocious demonic bird was seen rapidly flapping its broad wings, charging toward Shi Hao with a menacing aura.

The fierce bird was over ten zhang long, its entire body a deep cyan, its feathers as tough as forged steel. A pair of cold, eerie eagle eyes were locked firmly onto Shi Hao on the ground and the beast-skin bag on his back.

Who else could it be but that adult female Green-Scaled Eagle, whose strength rivaled the Spirit Transformation Realm?

It's over, this fierce bird actually returned in time.

Shi Hao instinctively looked up, his scalp tingling, and immediately accelerated toward the village nearby.

Against a crazed Spirit Transformation Realm beast, he, a mere Blood Moving Realm cultivator, was likely not even enough to fill its teeth, especially since he had yet to master any precious techniques.

Such a massive commotion and noise from the outside had already alerted the entire village.

The villagers, reacting with great speed, immediately struck the bronze gongs. Dozens of strong men grabbed their weapons and rushed to the village entrance to assemble.

Struggling to survive in this Great Wilderness filled with murderous intent, they would have long since perished under the rampages of great beasts without a sense of vigilance.

"Phew, finally safe."

As Shi Hao crossed the charred willow tree at the village entrance, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

Although the adult Green-Scaled Eagle, which had swooped down from the sky, wanted to charge into the village, it was extremely wary of the mysterious willow tree standing proudly at the entrance. It had no choice but to land on a boulder a hundred meters outside the village, staring fixedly at Shi Hao.

"Little One, did you go and raid the Green-Scaled Eagle's nest?"

At the village entrance, the children, who knew no fear, immediately swarmed over, asking questions all at once, creating a lively scene.

"Yeah, three eagle eggs, all brought back safely."

Shi Hao unslung the beast-skin bag from his back, revealing the three giant eggs inside.

"Nice one, Little One! You're so mean, selling us out like that! You wouldn't let us raid the fierce bird's eggs, but you went and did it yourself!"

Pihou, who was born a troublemaker, shouted excitedly.

"Little One, you've caused a huge disaster. That mother Green-Scaled Eagle is guarding the village entrance; no one can get in or out. The village's food stores won't last long."

A sturdy man with bronze-colored skin, wearing a beast-skin skirt and bare-chested, pushed aside the troublemaking Pihou and said with a grave expression.

Shi Linhu, captain of the village hunting team and the strongest man of the second generation in Stone Village.

"Linhu, since the matter is done, don't complain. You and Fei Jiao go fetch the Ancestral Artifact; we will work together to drive it away."

The crowd parted suddenly as an elderly figure approached quickly.

The old village chief, Shi Yunfeng, had arrived.

"Yes, Village Chief!"

Shi Linhu and another man exchanged a glance and turned away decisively.

"Whoosh!"

Just as Shi Linhu and his companion turned to leave, the mysterious willow tree at the village entrance, which had been silent for decades, suddenly moved.

It waved its only tender green willow branch and gently brushed over the three giant eggs. The three massive Green-Scaled Eagle eggs immediately burst into brilliant light, radiating their own luster like three small suns.

"Screech! Screech! Screech!"

The Green-Scaled Eagle, still hovering outside the village, became anxious. It desperately wanted to know what this strange Sacrificial Spirit had done to its three children.

"Whoosh!"

However, before the bloodshot adult Green-Scaled Eagle could react, the tender green willow branch that had brushed the eggs turned again, piercing through the void.

"Screech!..."

The Green-Scaled Eagle, whose strength was already in the Spirit Transformation Realm, only had time for a sharp, mournful cry before it was snared by the tender green willow branch, which resembled a divine chain.

Immediately following, a sky full of cyan radiance swept over, completely enveloping it.

This series of dazzling, bewildering changes instantly stunned everyone in Stone Village, who had witnessed the entire event.

"Sacrificial Spirit, the Sacrificial Spirit of our Stone Village has finally manifested!"

An elderly man with hair as white as snow cried out in sheer delight, tears streaming down his face.

He still remembered that decades ago, when he was but a young child, the heaven-reaching willow tree had descended from a sea of lightning to take root in their village.

The original strange stone Sacrificial Spirit of the village had departed of its own accord, its whereabouts unknown.

Although this Sacrificial Spirit had always silently protected the village, this was the very first time it had manifested its divinity, and he wondered if this signaled the recovery of that great being's power.

"Worship the Sacrificial Spirit!"

The old village chief, Shi Yunfeng, reacted instantly, leading the gathered clansmen to kneel down in a flurry as they shouted the name of the Sacrificial Spirit—Willow Deity.

Consequently, Shi Hao, who had yet to kneel, was suddenly exposed, becoming the only person left standing in the clearing and appearing exceptionally conspicuous.

Fine, paying respects to one's master early isn't shameful, especially when this master is a peerless Immortal King, a supreme titan...

Shi Hao blinked his large, innocent eyes before kneeling down with the utmost sincerity.

"Crack, crack, crack..."

Just as the people of Stone Village were paying their respects to the Sacrificial Spirit, crisp sounds rang out, and the three Green-Scaled Eagle eggs that had been erupting with dazzling radiance shattered.

Three fluffy little creatures broke through their shells one after another, poking their small, azure heads out to curiously observe the outside world.

"Azure Heaven Roc, these are the Primordial demonic birds, the Azure Heaven Rocs! They are close kin to the Golden Winged Roc and are terrifying existences comparable to the pure-blooded creatures that dwell atop the Primordial Divine Mountain..."

The old village chief, Shi Yunfeng, subconsciously looked up, staring blankly at the scene.

Having once ventured through the Great Wilderness and being well-traveled, he recognized the true identity of the three little ones at a glance; his lips pressed together, and his aged face was filled with shock and bewilderment.

"They cannot be considered pure-blooded Primordial true fiends; they are barely Primordial descendants that have inherited a portion of the Azure Heaven Roc's true blood. However, they possess the potential to evolve into pure-blooded creatures in the future, so calling them Azure Heaven Rocs is not entirely wrong."

At this moment, an ethereal voice that sounded neither male nor female, neither old nor young, replied.