Chapter 533: Song Yuanhao's Old Companion

Mount Funiu, in a bamboo forest behind the mountain.

Song Yuanhao, dressed in yellow robes and carrying a large cloth bag, walked softly through the bamboo forest before quickly arriving beside a cave on the edge of the mountain peak.

After carefully scanning the area around the cave and seeing no abnormalities, Song Yuanhao opened the bag in his hand, took out the leg of a low-tier "Iron-Beaked Pig," and placed it at the cave entrance.

A moment later, a sound like a thunderclap—the thundering of hooves—suddenly erupted from the cave, followed by a gust of wild wind. A gray bird, standing a zhang tall, flew out of the cave, accompanied by the wind and scattered rocks.

This large bird was the "Heavenly Fire Roc," the guardian spirit beast that the Song family had raised for many years. Since Song Qingming hatched and nurtured it over a hundred years ago, the "Heavenly Fire Roc's" cultivation had now reached the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage, only one opportunity away from breaking through the bottleneck of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.

Although the "Heavenly Fire Roc's" cultivation speed was far inferior to that of the Song family's many Foundation Establishment cultivators, the lifespan of a demonic beast is normally about three times that of a human cultivator. For the "Heavenly Fire Roc" to have cultivated to this level in just over a hundred years, its speed was already far beyond that of ordinary demonic beasts of the same tier.

Song Yuanhao, on the back of the "Heavenly Fire Roc," felt the beast beneath him suddenly become excited, and his own face was filled with anticipation.

After charging into the bamboo forest below, before Song Yuanhao could clearly see the prey the "Heavenly Fire Roc" had found, a massive head the size of a water vat suddenly poked out from the bamboo, spitting a large mouthful of green venom directly at the two of them.

Seeing that the "Heavenly Fire Roc" had been lured out by the item he had specifically brought, Song Yuanhao's face revealed a hint of joy. He immediately stepped forward to its side and took out several low-tier spirit fruits that the "Heavenly Fire Roc" loved most from his storage bag, placing them before its eyes.

Just as this glob of venom reached a spot not far in front of Song Yuanhao and his companion, the "Heavenly Fire Roc," having long been prepared, flapped its massive wings with force, directly whipping up a gust of wind that changed the venom's trajectory, causing it to veer off onto the rocks to the side.

"The fight isn't over yet; who allowed you to leave!" Seeing these demonic beasts wanting to return to help, Song Yuanhao gathered lightning in his hand and, ignoring his own injuries, took the initiative to charge forward again, entangling several of the highest-cultivation "Green Bamboo Pythons."

Having become familiar with the "Heavenly Fire Roc," Song Yuanhao had found an opportunity to sneak down the mountain. This was not the first time he had tempted the "Heavenly Fire Roc" to take him down the mountain to hunt demonic beasts.

Over the past two years, because Song Yuanhao's own lightning-attribute cultivation technique was relatively close to the innate abilities of the family's guardian spirit beast, the "Heavenly Fire Roc," he had received permission from the family's Foundation Establishment Elder, Song Yuanfang, to study beast-taming techniques, gaining the opportunity to get close to the "Heavenly Fire Roc" and learn to control lightning arts.

Because he possessed a lightning spirit root, Song Xintang, an elder of the family, kept a relatively strict watch over Song Yuanhao; usually, without a Foundation Establishment elder accompanying him, he was not allowed to go down the mountain at will.

Seeing that the first strike had failed, the large head in the bamboo forest quickly retracted. Before long, a loud "clattering" sound erupted from the bamboo, and a green giant python, over ten zhang long, burst out of the forest, appearing before Song Qingming and his companion. It opened its blood-red maw at Song Yuanhao and the "Heavenly Fire Roc," flicking its long tongue.

Variant spirit root cultivators are inherently more formidable in combat than those with other spirit roots. Coupled with the "Heavenly Fire Thunder Art" that Song Yuanhao practiced—a powerful lightning-attribute technique Song Qingming had specifically traded from the Xiaoyao Sect for him—Song Yuanhao resolved the battle in a few quick strikes with his powerful lightning light, without even needing to use a magic treasure.

Before long, the pile of rocks in front of the two turned from gray to green, and after a burst of black smoke rose up, a chilling "sizzling" sound followed.

Just as these demonic beasts wanted to press their advantage and continue attacking Song Yuanhao, the second-tier giant python battling the "Heavenly Fire Roc" could no longer hold on. It let out several piercing roars, and upon hearing them, the low-tier demonic beasts immediately ignored Song Yuanhao and turned to rush back to provide reinforcements.

On Song Yuanhao's side, facing three mid-stage Qi Condensation "Green Bamboo Pythons" alone was relatively easy. Holding a sword in one hand and gathering the powerful "Lei Guang Art" in the other, he killed one of the beasts with his flying sword before long.

Suddenly, five or six more demonic beasts arrived, two of which had already reached the late stage of Qi Condensation. Song Yuanhao immediately felt immense pressure, and before long, he took a hit, forced back to the side by the beasts.

"Old companion, how about you accompany me to Mount Qingzhu for some practice today?"

However, this time, the "Heavenly Fire Roc" did not heed Song Yuanhao's desire to retreat. Facing the provocation of the second-tier "Green Bamboo Python," it immediately responded with several mighty cries.

Seeing this, Song Yuanhao, still sitting on the "Heavenly Fire Roc," broke into a cold sweat. He hurriedly jumped off its back and took out one of his own top-grade magic treasures.

Previously, the second-tier giant python, along with a dozen low-tier demonic beasts, could only barely manage a draw against the "Heavenly Fire Roc." Now, with so many beasts gone to help, it quickly began to falter.

By the time Song Yuanhao had finished off the remaining two beasts and arrived at the battlefield, about the time it takes to burn an incense stick later, the "Heavenly Fire Roc" was still struggling fiercely with the second-tier giant python. Both sides were fighting desperately, and each had sustained quite a few injuries.

Seeing that the "Heavenly Fire Roc" had already begun to fight the opponent, Song Yuanhao was somewhat worried. Just as he wanted to go over to see if he could help, more than a dozen low-tier "Green Bamboo Pythons" suddenly rushed out of the bamboo forest. When a few of them spotted Song Yuanhao, they turned and lunged toward him.

Seeing this, Song Yuanhao leaped onto its back. With a gust of wind whipping up, the "Heavenly Fire Roc" carried Song Yuanhao high into the sky, flying directly through the protective formation of Mount Funiu and heading east.

Watching the "Heavenly Fire Roc" to the side, greedily devouring the flesh of a Green Bamboo Python, Song Yuanhao, still feeling unsatisfied, stood in place for a moment before deciding to head toward Mount Yunwu to find some more formidable demonic beasts to practice on.

After reaching the late stage of Qi Condensation, Song Yuanhao, possessing great skill but nowhere to use it, had heard his peers talking about the excitement and thrills of the world below every day for the past two years. His heart could no longer be contained, and he often longed for the colorful world down the mountain.

After the "Heavenly Fire Roc" flew out of the cave, it glanced at Song Yuanhao not far away, then scooped up the food on the ground and swallowed it.

The "Heavenly Fire Roc" carrying Song Yuanhao left Mount Funiu and headed northeast, not stopping until it reached the sky above a sea of green bamboo.

Seeing Song Yuanhao arrive, the many low-tier demonic beasts that had been helping to besiege the "Heavenly Fire Roc" had already suffered heavy casualties in the battle between the two second-tier beasts. Seeing Song Yuanhao approach, the survivors turned and lunged toward him.

Unlike human cultivators, whose spirit roots differ, a demonic beast's advancement depends primarily on its racial bloodline. For a beast like the "Heavenly Fire Roc," which possesses a relatively powerful bloodline, as long as there is a sufficient supply of cultivation resources, the probability of it advancing to the Golden Core stage in the future is far greater than that of an ordinary demonic beast. Even the Song family's Foundation Establishment elders might not necessarily have a higher chance of forming a core than the "Heavenly Fire Roc."

"Oh no, we've encountered a second-tier demonic beast. Old companion, I can't handle this one; we'd better retreat quickly!" Seeing this massive "Green Bamboo Python," Song Yuanhao quickly recognized that this fellow must be a second-tier demonic beast or higher, and his heart grew anxious.

Knowing he couldn't beat the opponent, Song Yuanhao did not fight hard. He took the initiative to fight while retreating, just wanting to hold these opponents back as much as possible and prevent them from returning to help so easily.

Seeing this, Song Yuanhao still wanted to persuade it otherwise, but he didn't expect the "Heavenly Fire Roc" to have already flapped its wings and taken the initiative to fly over, launching an attack on the second-tier giant python before them. The "Green Bamboo Python" also chose not to retreat, coiling its massive body and sweeping its tail toward the "Heavenly Fire Roc" in mid-air.

Since the Song family had grown powerful over the years, it had become rare to see demonic beasts within a hundred miles of Mount Funiu. Song Yuanhao had taken the "Heavenly Fire Roc" on a search around Mount Qingzhu, only to find a few mid-stage Qi Condensation Green Bamboo Pythons.

"Haha! Old companion, what prey have you found to be so happy?"

The second-tier giant python battling the "Heavenly Fire Roc" also had a cultivation of only the early Foundation Establishment stage. Facing the "Heavenly Fire Roc," whose innate bloodline somewhat suppressed its own, the second-tier "Green Bamboo Python" was at a disadvantage in the fight. Fortunately, it had a dozen low-tier demonic beasts helping, so it did not fall into a losing position for the time being.

Since returning to his roots all those years ago, Song Yuanhao had been cultivating on Mount Funiu for over a decade. Now, not only had he grown into the appearance of a young cultivator, but his cultivation had also successfully broken through to the seventh layer of Qi Condensation.

Seeing this, Song Yuanhao could only temporarily abandon the idea of going over to help and focus on dealing with the trouble right in front of him.

Looking at the spirit fruit in Song Yuanhao's hand, the "Heavenly Fire Roc" flapped its massive wings slightly, let out a soft cry, and immediately agreed.

Mount Qingzhu was merely a branch of Mount Yunwu. Over a hundred miles to the east, they had already begun to penetrate deep into Mount Yunwu. Song Yuanhao took the "Heavenly Fire Roc" eastward, and after flying another few dozen miles, the "Heavenly Fire Roc" in the high sky suddenly stopped, diving headfirst into a bamboo forest.

After letting out several unwilling roars, the giant python spat out a large mouthful of venom to force back the "Heavenly Fire Roc," then immediately turned and ran toward Song Yuanhao's direction, wanting to pass through the bamboo forest from here and drill back into its cave.

Just as it reached the edge of the bamboo forest, a flying sword carrying lightning light suddenly flew over from the side, precisely piercing one of the giant python's eyes, causing it to let out a miserable shriek.

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(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 534 =====