Bald Chicken

After Yu'er left, Su Hao inevitably felt a little lonely. But after just one day, he regained his vigor. Yu'er had found her parents; that was a good thing.

Besides, that so-called Lunar Yin Sect was certainly no simple place if even an old servant was so formidable. With such backers, Yu'er would no longer have to suffer anyone's bullying.

Recovered, Su Hao threw himself back into cultivation. No matter when, only strength gave one the right to speak. Even for Yu'er's sake, he had to grow powerful as quickly as possible.

In the mountain forest, the snow began to melt, yet the air only grew colder, as if the snow had absorbed every ray of warm sunlight and frozen heaven and earth.

Su Hao ran through the freezing wind, slaughtering demonic beasts and strengthening his spells. Day after day, his life was full and rich.

"Kill!"

Within a valley, a golden demonic wolf as large as a yellow ox bared its fangs and brandished its claws, fierce and savage. Su Hao burst forward and only threw his punch after closing to within three meters.

One punch crashed down like a collapsing mountain!

The wind howled fiercely.

"Pfft!"

The demonic wolf had reached Qi Condensation, Fourth Layer. Its flesh and bones were hard, difficult even for blades to wound. Yet beneath Su Hao's punch, like a tiger descending the mountain, its force shook the heavens and directly blasted apart the wolf's head, spraying blood everywhere.

His strength had grown even greater!

"Awooo!"

One demonic wolf died, collapsing to the ground as blood flowed freely. Yet from afar came wave after wave of roars, and several demonic wolves with blood-red eyes charged at him together.

Golden-Furred Wolves were pack-dwelling demonic beasts. Whenever they appeared, they would never be alone.

Su Hao flashed away. With his current cultivation, he could kill one wolf, but fighting an entire pack was nothing but a dream.

The youth sprinted wildly, laughing loudly as dozens of golden demonic wolves chased after him in a frenzy. Only when the sun set in the west and the last streak of colored light faded from heaven and earth did Su Hao finally reach safety.

He found a cave dwelling and carefully entered it. Lighting a torch, he illuminated the place brightly.

"Hmm?"

Suddenly, Su Hao's eyes lit up. Under the torchlight, there was a glowing little tree ahead of him, no more than half a meter tall. Upon it grew a crystalline blood-colored fruit the size of a fist, as though carved from blood jade.

"It really is a spiritual herb. I possess the Innate Dao Body, so my senses toward such essence are exceptionally sharp."

"With this Blood Jade Fruit, I can refine Blood Yuan Pills. Their effects are even better than Spirit Tempering Pills. A breakthrough is within reach."

Su Hao was delighted.

Over these past days, he had devoured a full seven Demonic Cores and five Grade One spiritual herbs. If converted into low-grade spirit stones, they would be worth a full sixty stones. An ordinary person would have broken through long ago, yet Su Hao had only reached the middle stage of Qi Condensation, Third Layer.

This also made Su Hao understand that although the Supreme Heavenly Demon Art was powerful, the resources it required for a breakthrough far surpassed those needed by ordinary people.

He strode forward and plucked the fruit. Together with the Demonic Cores and one Grade One spiritual herb he still had, he now had exactly what was needed to refine Blood Yuan Pills.

"Stop! Take one more step, and I'll kill you!"

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out from within the cave. It was old and sinister, yet it carried the same domineering air.

Su Hao was greatly startled. Every hair on his body stood on end, and his entire body tensed like a drawn bow. At the slightest danger, he could launch himself out at once to fight the enemy.

"I already examined this place. There is no aura of demonic beasts, nor any trace of humans having set foot here. Where did that voice come from?" Su Hao wondered, remaining on guard twelvefold.

"Get out immediately, or die without mercy!"

The voice sounded again, even more overbearing, but Su Hao also sharply detected a trace of impatience within it.

The other party was fierce on the outside but weak within. It seemed afraid.

Su Hao swept his surroundings with his keen spiritual senses. The next moment, his expression abruptly changed. He leaped up and flicked his sleeve, sending a stream of flames rushing toward the ceiling.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck... my gorgeous feathers..." A furious voice rang out. Su Hao immediately looked over, somewhat surprised.

What fell from the ceiling of the cave dwelling was actually a chicken that had shed its feathers.

Other than the two tufts of golden feathers on its tail and head, the creature was completely bare. It looked like a mountain pheasant that had been plucked clean and was awaiting slaughter.

"A featherless chicken." Su Hao was surprised, but he did not let down his guard in the slightest. Hidden Dragon Continent was a strange and fantastical place, where demons and monsters ran rampant. This featherless chicken might not look like much, but it could speak human language. From that alone, it was certainly no simple creature.

"You're the one without feathers! Your whole family is without feathers! Are your eyes broken? Are you blind, or are you blind? Can't you see the beautiful, dazzling feathers all over this lord's body?" The Bald Chicken flew into a rage, as though Su Hao had touched its greatest reverse scale.

Its bare wings folded behind its back in imitation of a human. Raising its neck like a victorious general, it said, "Insignificant human, having met your Lord Divine Phoenix, why don't you hurry up and kneel to acknowledge me as your master? Become my loyal servant, and I can grant you powerful cultivation. Otherwise, I will cast a spell at once and make every hair on your body fall out."

Su Hao watched it coldly.

"Hey, brat, didn't you hear what I said? Must this lord cast a spell himself..."

"Bang!" Su Hao stepped forward and kicked it flying. It slammed into the cave wall to one side as he said coldly, "If you dare call yourself 'lord' in front of me again, I'll roast you immediately."

Su Hao had used his full strength, enough to shatter rocks, yet the Bald Chicken was not injured in the slightest. This thing was terrifyingly tough.

"Insignificant human, you dare strike your Lord Divine Phoenix! This lord is furious, and the consequences are severe... Aah..."

Su Hao acted decisively, stomping down on its neck and making it difficult for it to speak. "Tell me, what exactly are you, and why are you here? Speak honestly, or I'll roast you."

Su Hao stomped hard twice, exerting strength beyond his usual limits. He found that this creature's body was truly extremely hard; with his strength, he could not damage it at all.

Moreover, Su Hao sensed a surging power within its body, one that made his heart palpitate. It was anything but ordinary.

However, that power seemed to be temporarily sealed and could not be used.

Su Hao removed his foot and made it explain itself.

Having suffered enough, the Bald Chicken's eyes rolled as it said, "Your Lord Divine Phoenix..."

"Pfft!"

Su Hao used a fire-element spell. A pile of dry wood on the ground immediately ignited, flames billowing forth. He said coldly, "It's been a long time since I last ate roast chicken."

The Bald Chicken's expression changed, and it shrank its neck. "Hehe, I'm just an ordinary mixed-feather chicken. We mind our own business and keep out of each other's way. Take that spiritual herb; I don't want it anymore. Farewell."

"I'm hungry." Su Hao spat out three words. "If you're not my pet beast, I plan to roast and eat you right now."

This was a strange demonic beast with powerful strength sealed within its body. Once that seal was undone, it would certainly be extraordinary.

If he subdued it, it could become a powerful helper in the future.

"Brat, I'm the second grandson of the grandmother of the divine bird phoenix. If you dare touch me, my grandmother and elder sister definitely won't spare you... Ah, don't burn me! I surrender."

The Bald Chicken babbled on and on, but it was no match for the grill Su Hao brought out.

Although its body was hard, it could still feel pain. Even a single stomp from Su Hao could make it howl miserably.

"Sign a contract with me." Su Hao stared at it, beginning to believe that it truly was a descendant of the phoenix.

"What contract... Hehe, I don't know. I'll follow you from now on and take you as my guiding horse." The Bald Chicken tried to laugh it off.

"Burn it."

Su Hao did not waste words.

"I remember now." Feeling the flames scorch its backside, the Bald Chicken lost another of its only two remaining tufts of feathers. A halo immediately emerged from above its head and sank into Su Hao's brow.

"This fellow really is a descendant of the phoenix. They say a phoenix that has lost its feathers is no better than a chicken. I never thought it was true." Su Hao smiled.