Half an hour later, the Sun Moon Crown gradually descended again, its radiance weakening as it slowly landed on the ground before Xiao Hua!
On the distant mountain range, a fire ape several zhang tall emerged, its body wreathed in flames. Confusion showed in its ferocious eyes as it flew, constantly turning its head—now gazing into the distance, now peering toward the valley, hesitant and bewildered. When the fire ape saw Xiangyang and the other cultivators sitting cross-legged within the valley, as well as the Sun Moon Crown appearing within the formation, it let out a delighted roar. The flames around its body surged wildly, and then Wu Qing's merciless pressure swept over, blanketing the entire valley!
With a "Caw," a thunderous cry rang out some distance behind the fire ape. The fire ape actually halted its descending flight abruptly, obediently hovering in midair with its hands hanging at its sides as it waited for whatever was behind it. Several li behind the fire ape, another pitch-black spirit beast, two zhang tall, slowly flew over... Beneath the fire lake more than a hundred li away, atop the altar within the space, Elder Yuan had already finished resting. He flew into the air once more and raised the Five Spirits Banner, crying softly, "Vermilion Bird!" The third disciple patted his storage pouch, and a Fire Crow floated out. Like the previous spirit beasts, this Fire Crow was unconscious.
"Eh?" The watching Huanling Sect disciples all wore astonished expressions. Fire Crows were common creatures, utterly incomparable to the Vermilion Bird among the Five Spirits. None of them had expected this thing to emerge. Yet before their exclamations of surprise had even fallen, the sharp-eyed disciples had already noticed something strange. A faint red line emerged from the Fire Crow's beak, passed evenly