Spirit Fowl [Please Follow]

"Who goes there?!"

A deep voice came from within the island. The black mist then parted to either side, revealing a shadowy path.

A tall man clad in rotten sackcloth slowly emerged from within.

He was powerfully built, but his body was covered in festering wounds, making him a ghastly sight.

He was alive, yet he exuded an overwhelming aura of death.

Though he had only taken a few steps, he reached the shore in the blink of an eye.

The bearded man aboard the Flying Boat stroked his beard and smiled. "Every trade has its rules. As for who wants the Rotbone Flower... naturally, that cannot be disclosed."

"Mm."

The sackcloth-clad man nodded and did not make things difficult for him—or rather... he did not dare to.

"How did they find out?"

The bearded man said bluntly, "He wants to buy four plants. Old Ghost, are you selling?"

Old Ghost, the sackcloth-clad man, pondered for a moment before saying, "No Spirit Stones. We trade item for item. Arrange a meeting between him and me. That is still within the rules, isn't it?"

"That naturally won't be a problem." The bearded man smiled. "But whether the other party is willing to meet you, I cannot say."

"No matter. Ask him first... Anyone who knows about the Rotbone Flower cannot possibly refuse to meet."

"When the time comes, have him meet me at this place."

Old Ghost casually tossed out a slip of paper.

The bearded man caught it with one hand, glanced at it, then cupped his hands. "Very well. Farewell."

With that, the Flying Boat sliced across the water. The bearded man swiftly vanished into the vast Cloud-Rain Marsh, while black mist once more shrouded the island, and Old Ghost's figure disappeared as well.

"Chicken Brother, has the Red-Crowned Chicken I ordered last time arrived?"

That day, Ji Yuan came to the familiar chicken cultivator's shop.

Ever since the Chicken Coop had risen to Level 2, he could briefly control first-rank spirit fowl. Naturally, Ji Yuan could not pass up such an opportunity, so he had come early to buy one from the chicken cultivator.

Who would have thought that this fellow only sold half-spirit chickens, like Green-Yellow Chickens?

Ji Yuan needed true spirit fowl, and those had to be ordered in advance.

He had already come by several times, only to be told that it had not arrived. So today, he came again.

"It's here, it's here. We've been waiting for you, Chicken Brother." The chicken cultivator nodded repeatedly.

Ji Yuan touched his waist. "Eh, seems I didn't bring any Spirit Stones. I'll go back and look for them."

Seeing this, the chicken cultivator hurriedly begged for mercy. "Brother Yuan, I was wrong, I was wrong."

Ji Yuan called him Chicken Brother because he sold chickens. Unwilling to accept that, he called Ji Yuan "Brother Ji." After saying it a few times, Brother Ji became Chicken Brother. Once or twice was fine.

But today, Ji Yuan was the one paying. Naturally, he could not suffer such humiliation again.

"Bring it out and let me see."

As the chicken cultivator headed into the inner room, he said, "Brother Yuan, I'm terribly sorry. The female Red-Crowned Chicken you wanted was simply too rare. They searched for ages over at Quiet Peace Ward and still couldn't catch one. They only caught a male."

"A male?"

Ji Yuan frowned slightly. With the Chicken Coop's effect, buying chickens naturally meant buying hens. Then, every day, the first-rank spirit fowl would lay Spirit Eggs, and their effects would surely surpass those of Green-Yellow Chickens.

"Yes, but think about it, Brother Yuan. A Red-Crowned Chicken is definitely better as a rooster. Every ten days, it can yield a small bottle of Red-Crowned Chicken Blood. This blood is the bane of yin creatures. It can fetch a handsome price even if you sell it."

As he spoke, the chicken cultivator brought out an iron cage covered in Talismans from the inner room. Inside stood a large rooster nearly four feet tall.

The Red-Crowned Chicken's most eye-catching feature was its dark red comb, like coagulated blood amber, with serrated fleshy spines along its edges.

Its entire body was covered in hard, scale-like feathers, and it had three tail plumes the color of black iron.

Though captured, it still stood inside the iron cage like a triumphant general.

Even though it was a rooster, Ji Yuan felt a surge of delight at first glance. A rank-one spirit fowl truly was worthy of its rank—far stronger than a half-baked Green-Yellow Chicken.

"Fine, then."

Ji Yuan looked deeply regretful on the surface, even carrying the faintest trace of disappointment. "Then the price..."

The chicken cultivator immediately grew anxious. "The price absolutely cannot be lowered. I've already put a great deal into this. If you slash me again, Brother Yuan, this business really can't go on."

"I wanted a hen because it lays eggs. Although this rooster can provide comb blood, and that is good stuff too...

But who can draw it while staying alive? This Red-Crowned Chicken is a living creature, not a dead object. Besides, collecting comb blood will most likely only be a one-time thing. It would be unreasonable not to lower the price."

"Seventeen, how about it? That's the price. If that still doesn't work for you, Brother Yuan, then there's no deal."

"Fine... then."

The original asking price had been nineteen, and he had cut it down by two Spirit Stones in one stroke. That was not bad.

Ji Yuan paid the Spirit Stones.

This Red-Crowned Chicken was merely an early first-rank spirit fowl. Its price was only so high because Ji Yuan wanted it alive.

Afterward, Ji Yuan carried the Red-Crowned Chicken through the market, attracting quite a few gazes.

After all, cultivators who bought living Demon Beasts were still few and far between.

Ji Yuan was not afraid. More importantly, living creatures could not be placed inside a Storage Bag, so he had no choice but to carry it like this.

After some time, when he returned home, he went straight to the rear courtyard. First, he summoned the Dragon Armor Shield to guard him, then summoned the Blackgold Blade and suspended it above the Red-Crowned Chicken's head. The Deathbringer Needle hovered before the Red-Crowned Chicken's eyelids.

Only then did Ji Yuan feel at ease enough to open the cage and release it.

With three artifacts threatening it, the Red-Crowned Chicken did not dare resist even after breaking free of its restraints. Only then did Ji Yuan reach out, seize it, and toss it into the Chicken Coop.

The moment he did so, Ji Yuan discovered that the Red-Crowned Chicken had become obedient. It seemed there was now an invisible bond between them.

Not only that, every Green-Yellow Chicken in the rear courtyard raised its head, as though threatened and intimidated, too frightened to move.

That was until the Red-Crowned Chicken strutted out of the Chicken Coop with its head held high and let out a long cry toward the heavens.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

All the Green-Yellow Chickens trembled as they collapsed onto the ground.

Watching the entire scene unfold, Ji Yuan felt a realization dawn upon him... The king of fowl had emerged!

Among the many Green-Yellow Chickens in the Chicken Coop, this newly arrived spirit fowl—and a rooster at that—had without question become the king of fowl, or rather, the head rooster of this flock of hens.

One rooster with thirty hens—it was living the good life.

At the very moment the Red-Crowned Chicken cried out, next door at the Wen household—

Zhao Yuechan jolted awake from her cultivation and stared in astonishment at Wen Lin, who was equally curious.

"Brother Wen, was that... a Red-Crowned Chicken?"

"Mm."

Wen Lin also turned to look toward the neighboring courtyard, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "It seems our neighbor has quite a few secrets as well."

"Then we..."

"Let's interact normally for now. Outsiders cannot be trusted."

"Alright."

After the husband and wife finished discussing it, they did not pay it any further mind.

Ji Yuan, meanwhile, stared at the Red-Crowned Chicken's vivid, dripping-red comb. He knew it was time to draw blood.

Drawing comb blood might have been troublesome for others, but for Ji Yuan... with a thought, he immediately took control of the Red-Crowned Chicken.

He then controlled it, making it obediently walk over.

The Blackgold Blade flashed as a black streak and sliced open the Red-Crowned Chicken's comb.

After a while, Ji Yuan looked at the small bottle of comb blood in his hand, radiating a dense yang aura, and was overjoyed.

This was a true treasure. Ji Yuan had no intention of selling it. If he encountered any yin creatures or ghostly entities in the future, this thing could save his life.

Looking again at the Red-Crowned Chicken, which had fallen completely listless, Ji Yuan felt somewhat regretful.

He would have to wait at least ten days before drawing blood again.

How wonderful would it be if he could draw a bottle every day...

The great sun turned in its course. By the time Ji Yuan was about to draw his third bottle of comb blood, the date had finally reached December 3rd.