Chapter 221: Live Long Enough to See This

Zheng Fa scrutinized the crow before him.

The crow looked ordinary, its entire body covered in black feathers, except for a pair of eyes brimming with keen intelligence.

What puzzled Zheng Fa was that this bird emitted a pure, uncorrupted aura—not a trace of demonic energy. Had it not spoken human speech, most would have taken it for an ordinary bird.

Precisely because of this, it had slipped into the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace without drawing any attention.

While Zheng Fa was still observing, Yuan Shijie could no longer contain herself; she walked over and seized the crow by its neck, shaking it vigorously up and down.

"Caw!"

It was clear the crow had little cultivation and offered no resistance.

"Yuan Shijie!"

Zhang Shijie frowned slightly and rebuked her, then turned to the crow and asked: "You claimed the Great Freedom Demon Sect has allied with demonic beasts—is this true?"

The crow flapped its wings twice in Yuan Shijie's grip and quickly nodded: "Of course it's true! This has been going on for a long time! I don't know about other places, but the Great Freedom Demon Sect has long had dealings with powerful demonic beasts—and now that spiritual energy is declining, their ties have grown even closer."

Seeing how earnestly it spoke,

Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie exchanged glances, then asked: "Then how did you learn they plan to target our Nine Mountains Sect?"

"Do I need to investigate?" The crow rolled its eyes. "Your Nine Mountains Sect blocks the Great Freedom Demon Sect with the Lei Chi. Who else would they target?"

"..."

Zheng Fa fell silent for a moment, studying the crow for a long while, sensing a glint of cunning in its eyes.

"I mean details."

"Details... I forgot them!" The crow shook its head slightly, as if unwilling to say more.

Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie exchanged skeptical glances.

Then the crow said: "How about you let me bite you? Maybe then I'll remember!"

Zheng Fa froze.

Yuan Shijie beside him grew even angrier: "I haven't even bitten you!"

"You're just a half-breed green phoenix—how can you compare to me?"

To their surprise, the crow's eyes flashed golden, and its tone carried unmistakable disdain.

Zheng Fa's curiosity deepened.

Yuan Shijie's true form was a green phoenix, one of the divine birds among the Xuanwei avians.

Otherwise, the Sect Master would never have kept her as a pet.

Should Yuan Shijie ever ascend to the Nascent Soul realm, she might even become the Nine Mountains Sect's protective spirit beast.

Yet this crow spoke with astonishing arrogance.

Zheng Fa thought of the Fusang tree within his body, his expression turning peculiar—could this thing be the legendary Golden Crow?

Yuan Shijie also froze, staring at the crow's golden eyes as if recalling something: "There are still Golden Crow bloodlines in this world?"

The crow lifted its head proudly and declared: "Indeed!"

Yuan Shijie pursed her lips; her anger lessened slightly as she turned to Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie:

"Among all avian lineages, legends speak of three supreme bloodlines: the Phoenix, the Kunpeng, and the Golden Crow." Her tone was solemn. "But in ten thousand years, I've never heard of any of these three bloodlines emerging."

Clearly, she was somewhat taken in by the crow's claim of Golden Crow lineage.

Zheng Fa nodded slightly and looked at the Golden Crow.

The Golden Crow met his gaze with equal pride.

"So... why is your cultivation so low?"

Zheng Fa's first question froze the arrogance in its eyes.

"..."

Yuan Shijie blinked, suddenly understanding, and shook the crow again in her grip.

The Golden Crow had some cultivation—but only Foundation Establishment.

Considering its claimed supreme lineage... something was clearly off.

"I..."

"If you truly possess the supreme bloodline of demonic beasts, why is no one protecting you? Why are you wandering alone?"

"..."

The crow quietly lowered its head.

Zheng Fa glanced at its underside—only two legs.

"I heard Golden Crows all have three legs..." He stroked his chin and concluded, "Are you a crippled Golden Crow?"

"... ou're the cripple!" The bird couldn't bear the insult: "I'm pure Golden Crow bloodline! But this current spiritual energy environment simply can't support the growth of my bloodline!"

Zheng Fa was astonished—he'd never heard such a claim before.

The Golden Crow looked slightly wounded, pointing a wing at Yuan Shijie: "Her bloodline is inferior to mine, yet she cultivates more easily! My Golden Crow bloodline, though awakened early, grows painfully slow..."

"So this is why the supreme bloodlines have remained unseen for so long?"

Zheng Fa suddenly understood.

The Golden Crow nodded and explained: "For ten thousand years, demonic beasts have realized that the more powerful the bloodline, the harder it is to cultivate. And this is precisely why the great demonic beasts seek alliances with demon sects."

Zheng Fa immediately guessed: "They want to use the Demon Ancestor's bloodline?"

"Yes," the Golden Crow replied with a revelation that stunned Zheng Fa: "But not just want—they've already succeeded."

"Huh?"

"Some demonic beasts have mated with demon sect disciples and produced demonic beasts capable of practicing demon sect techniques."

"..."

Zheng Fa slowly frowned: "What advantages do these offspring have?"

"Compared to demonic beasts, they advance faster by using demon sect techniques. Compared to demon sect disciples, they inherit the strength of demonic beast bloodlines," the Golden Crow sighed.

Zheng Fa grimaced.

What a twisted advantage.

This was no good news—especially for the Nine Mountains Sect.

The Demon Ancestor's control over disciples likely resided in bloodline purity; the Great Freedom Demon Sect had always emphasized pure bloodlines.

Now, the Demon Ancestor permits disciples to mate with demonic beasts—somewhat, this could even be seen as a breakthrough in cultivation.

"Actually, even without this, demonic beasts have long wanted to ally with demon sects," the Golden Crow added. "This aeon has been devastating for our kind."

That was true.

From what Zheng Fa had heard in the Nine Mountains Sect, demonic beasts in the Xuanwei Realm were insignificant—

Though great demons lurked in deep mountains, the demonic beasts themselves were fragmented, lacking any major power.

Not to mention sects that treated them as spirit beasts.

Where there is oppression, there is resistance... especially now, as the decline of spiritual energy grows ever more widespread; demonic beasts must find a way out.

Zheng Fa looked at the Golden Crow and asked: "Then why did you..."

"I don't want to be a breeding crow anymore..."

"Huh?"

The Golden Crow hung its head dejectedly, realizing it could no longer hide its past—and fearing Zheng Fa wouldn't trust it—so it spilled everything:

"My bloodline is noble, yet my strength is weak, so I was chosen and sent to the Great Freedom Demon Sect..."

Zheng Fa couldn't help asking: "... ou can't even transform."

"I can't become human, but the demon women of the Great Freedom Demon Sect can turn into birds!"

"..."

"They even have arousal techniques! For birds!" The Golden Crow's voice cracked with distress: "My body is nearly ruined!"

The courtyard fell silent at the Golden Crow's words.

Zheng Fa couldn't help but admire—the Great Freedom Demon Sect had gone too far in biological experimentation!

"So you escaped?"

Zheng Fa realized: though low in cultivation, if this Golden Crow's bloodline was truly supreme, it could never have wandered alone.

"Yes," the Golden Crow nodded. "I'm exceptionally good at hiding. If I don't speak, no one can detect my Golden Crow bloodline. I thought this marketplace was bustling, with powerful immortal sects—those people wouldn't dare follow me here."

"But then I realized..." The Golden Crow's eyes sparkled as it looked at Zheng Fa: "You're even more alluring than they are!"

Wait—

Don't compare me like that, or I'll get angry!

Beside him, Yuan Shijie silently nodded.

"So your claim that they plan to attack the Nine Mountains Sect is false?"

Zhang Shijie's eyes flashed as she asked.

"Not false," the Golden Crow shook its head. "You've blocked the Great Freedom Demon Sect so tightly they can't even leave—they're desperate."

Zheng Fa's heart tightened: "What are they planning?"

"I don't know exactly, but I heard they don't want to fight you at the Lei Chi..."

"The Nine Mountains Sect!"

Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie exchanged glances—they understood the Great Freedom Demon Sect's intent.

At the Lei Chi, the Great Freedom Demon Sect was at a severe disadvantage.

Not to mention the many immortal sects gathered here, with more than a few Nascent Soul cultivators.

But the Nine Mountains Sect was different.

There was no Lei Chi here, nor any other immortal sect; for the Great Freedom Demon Cult, it was now a breakthrough point.

"Go find your Master!"

Sister Zhang nodded and followed behind him; the group found Sect Master Yuan.

"You mean this crow has Jinyu bloodline and holds high status among the demonic races?"

Sect Master Yuan turned the crow over and over in his hands, then asked Zheng Fa and the others.

Zheng Fa nodded.

"It gave up a harem of three thousand, yet was charmed by you and came running to join you?"

"…"

The remark was odd, but somehow not entirely wrong.

Zheng Fa could only nod.

"I've lived nearly ten thousand years…" the Sect Master suddenly sighed.

"Master?"

"I thought your senior brother seducing a demon sect's demoness was already absurd enough."

Zheng Fa opened his mouth wide.

"But you're even more absurd than your senior brother…" the Sect Master sighed: "Tell me, when will the demonic race's army arrive?"

"…"

"Master, I didn't summon them!"

"Just tell me—will they come or not?"

"They will…"

…

Jokes aside, this matter was serious.

Master Pang was also summoned by the Sect Master; the group convened in the Five Dragon Heavenly Palace.

"I'll return. If the situation at Lei Chi becomes dire, Brother, take your disciples into Lei Chi for shelter—I'll have Sister Huang bring the rest of the disciples here. Within Jiushan Sect, I am here, and if needed, our Ancestral Master is too—you need not worry."

The Sect Master suddenly said.

Zheng Fa's heart sank—he was preparing for the worst.

Master Pang frowned: "Brother, they've lain low for so long; when they strike, it will be like thunder and lightning—hard to counter, especially with only you left."

"Brother, I've lived nearly ten thousand years," Zheng Fa heard his Master say again: "I have barely a hundred years left."

"Brother…"

"I might not even die!" the Sect Master laughed: "I now hold the Zhou Tian Thunder Tribulation Array. Even a Nascent Soul late-stage cultivator won't scare me. If I trade a hundred years of life to kill one or two Nascent Soul late-stage cultivators, I won't have lost anything!"