Li Tianming could soar through the air with the help of Jiang Feiling’s Celestial Wings, and even engage in aerial combat. Most beastmasters with avian beasts could achieve flight by riding them; in the past, Li Tianming could fly by sitting on Midas’ back. Alas, the little chick was not even as big as his foot. No matter how powerful it was, mounting a little chick felt like physically abusing a baby.
Jiang Feiling’s appearance had given Li Tianming another life-saving card. Furthermore, his aerial combat ability in such a state dwarfed that of beastmasters mounted on avian beasts. After all, riding a beast and having wings were fundamentally different, and as they continued to fly, Li Tianming became more and more familiar with the Celestial Wings. During Spiritual Attachment, his heart was also one with Jiang Feiling — a thought was enough to communicate their intentions to each other. And when Jiang Feiling used Spiritual Attachment on him, the fourth level Spiritsource Li Tianming could unleash the combat power of someone in the eighth.
Li Tianming plunged soundlessly into the black mist.
His vision was limited to three metres, which gave him no chance to react if he met danger. Fortunately, he had the third eye in his left hand, which was now exposed, since he didn’t need to hide it in the Abyssal Battlefield.
With that, his vision was now unclouded.
“There’s a fire in that cave, but the light it’s giving off is dark green.” Li Tianming noticed an area deep inside.
“I feel the manna is there,” Jiang Feiling said.
“That unbridled, savage aura... it’s probably a wildbeast,” Li Tianming said.
“Big brother, it may be refining the manna right now, so its aura is leaking. That’s why I could sense it from so far!” Jiang Feiling said urgently.
Li Tianming had seen Ying Huo refine manna before. It was rather anti-climactic — a gulp had ended it. However, for other wildbeasts and lifebound beasts, doing what Ying Huo did was just a creative way of suicide. Hence, they would instead slowly refine it, absorbing its power piecemeal. Their evolution would only begin when the refinement was complete.
“It only dares to go at it slowly. Otherwise, if the aura leaked is too great, other wildbeasts will be drawn over,” Li Tianming said. The little chick and him were already creeping towards the cave slowly.
Judging by the dimensions of the cave, it was a rather big wildbeast. Li Tianming let his wings flap slowly, sticking to the cliff wall cautiously.
“Take a look and see what kind of wildbeast it is,” Li Tianming said.
“Don’t run off by yourself,” the little chick said, worried.
“Hey, am I that kind of person?”
The little chick finally made its way in. With its diminutive stature, it returned without making any disturbance a short while later.
“What wildbeast is it?” Li Tianming asked.
“A dark-green eagle that’s on fire. It’s even bigger than the Eight-Winged Goldroc,” the little chick said.
“What type of eagle is it?”
“How would I know?” The little chick stared at him, tilting its tiny head.
“Then, how many stars is it?”
“How would I know?”
Li Tianming realised it had zero knowledge of wildbeasts and all relevant information.
“Then why did you go in if you know nothing?”
“Sir, you asked me to go in. I just followed orders.”
“...”
Li Tianming gave up on the idea of scouting ahead, and directly entered, the little chick in tow. He saw a dark green eagle inside, with similarly-coloured demonic flames flickering on its body, giving it a sinister and strange air. However, despite being a bird, the eagle lacked feathers. Instead, its skin was a scaly coat that reminded him of snakeskin. Combined with its sharp beaks and claws, it gave off a ferocious air.
“Four-star wildbeast, the Jade-Scaled Flaming Eagle. Innate ability: Jadefire Armour. Combined with those scales, it has a tough, two-layered defence. It’s also fully matured. Very strong.” Be it lifebound beasts or wildbeasts, maturity was also an important thing to take note of. A young four-star wildbeast might not necessarily be stronger than an adult one-star wildbeast. Similarly, a one-star lifebound beast could be stronger than a seven-star lifebound beast that had just started cultivating. Hence, even though the little chick was the equal of a six-star lifebound beast, it might not be a match for this mature four-star beast.
“Big brother, it really is royal manna! I’ve seen it in a book before, it’s called the Fire Dragon’s Horn. It just happens to suit Ying Huo,” Jiang Feiling said excitedly.
Li Tianming had already seen the crimson, conical and sharp horn in the eagle’s beak.
It was currently emanating a scorching aura as it burned with fire. The power within was slowly being refined by the eagle.
“The manna’s almost perfectly whole. The eagle’s not even one percent into the process.” At the thought of royal manna, Li Tianming couldn’t help but get excited too. It would allow Ying Huo to unlock more bloodline shackles, thereby strengthening Li Tianming’s bloodline power and Aeternal Infernal Body.
“Are we snatching it or not?” The little chick was already drooling.
“What a dumb question.” Li Tianming’s Blazing Dragon Chain was already in his hand.
“What’s the plan?” the little chick asked.
“How about the same ol' one? You lure it out and I steal it away?” That had been the plan they had used on the Razor-Backed Colossal Crocodile.
“What if I get eaten?”
“I’ll erect a tombstone in honour of Sir Chicken the Great. I’ll also slaughter three thousand hens and strip the feathers on them so they can follow you in death. That way, you finally won’t be alone!”
“Screw you, Li Tianming.” The little chick gave him the evil eye, before swaggering to the Jade-Scaled Flaming Eagle.
Li Tianming hid behind a rock as he watched the little chick appear in front of the eagle.
The eagle’s eyes immediately turned frosty upon seeing something intrude into its cave.
Li Tianming hoped that since the little chick looked so harmless, it would be ignored. Alas, Li Tianming had underestimated a wildbeast’s intuition. High ranked ones like this may not have intelligence, but they were full of life experience. The bloodline pressure radiating off this little Aeternal Infernal Phoenix was enough to make it regard the little chick fiercely and seriously.
“Whatcha looking at, huh? I’ll descale you if you keep staring!” The little chick continued to swagger. It had assumed that the eagle would drop the manna and chase it down, like that crocodile in the past.
However, it guessed wrongly. Instead, the eagle turned its beak onto itself, tearing a bloody hole in its own body to stuff the manna inside. It was simply too ruthless. It didn’t choose to put it down on the ground or swallow it, as that would make it explode. Even though it was now bleeding, the coldness in the eagle’s eyes didn’t vanish.
Once done, it flapped its wings and rushed the little chick!
The plan had failed; a head-on battle was the only choice left. A commotion in this Chasm of Flora would definitely draw many wildbeasts over, possibly even five and six-star beasts! Li Tianming had to resolve it quickly.
“Get him, Ying Huo!”
Li Tianming rushed out from the side. His chain was wrapped around his right hand and his left black hand was already gloveless. He was ready for close quarters combat.
The Jade-Scaled Flaming Eagle took the incoming threats seriously, choosing to immediately start with its innate ability, Jadefire Armour! The dark-green fire around it began to blaze even more wildly as it transformed into a layer of fiery scale armour. It looked exactly like its own scales, but now it could burn. It wasn’t just defensive in nature; it also lent all its attacks burn damage!