Time hurried by, and another two years passed in the blink of an eye.
Song Wen flew out of the cold pool and hovered above the valley.
With a thought, his body began to change rapidly.
In the next instant, a giant ape over a hundred feet tall stood in his place.
But the transformation did not end there.
Roaring flames suddenly erupted across the giant ape's body. Its arms lengthened and sprouted crimson feathers, while its legs gradually narrowed into a pair of sharp talons.
Born amid flames, it became a Vermilion Bird.
Then the Vermilion Bird transformed into an Azure Dragon, a White Tiger, and a Black Tortoise in turn.
Last came the Thunder Roc!
As the Thunder Roc spread its wings, lightning surged forth, arcs of electricity slithering and leaping among its feathers like silver snakes.
With a gentle beat of its wings, the Thunder Roc vanished from the spot. When it reappeared, it was already at the other end of the valley.
Almost without pause, the Thunder Roc vanished again.
For a moment, dozens of afterimages appeared throughout the valley in succession, moving too quickly to track.
When the afterimages dispersed, the Thunder Roc appeared in midair once more.
"In speed alone, the Thunder Roc is the finest of the six aspects."
The Thunder Roc spoke in a human voice.
Then its sharp beak opened wide, and a bolt of silver lightning surged out, striking the valley floor.
In an instant, the rocks shattered, sending rubble and dust hurtling skyward.
The silver lightning also split into numerous electric snakes that darted wildly through the valley, tearing the ground apart and exposing deep, dark fissures.
Meanwhile, the Thunder Roc had vanished from the air above the valley, replaced by Song Wen in his human form.
"After using