142: Chapter 142 The Purple-feathered Roc

The Herb-Seeking Mouse ran in front, and Lin Xuan followed behind.

The wind on the grassland blew from the south, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.

The blades of grass rustled in the wind, their purple tips swaying like a purple wave.

Lin Xuan quickened his pace.

The Herb-Seeking Mouse ran fast, so he had to run fast too.

He did not use any Spell, instead relying on the full explosive power of his Body Refining Level 6 Peak Physical Body. With every step he took, he left a shallow depression in the ground.

The blades of grass snapped, emitting a crisp crunching sound.

After running for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the Herb-Seeking Mouse suddenly stopped.

It crouched beside a cluster of purple shrubs, sniffing intensely at the roots, its tail held straight up, the hair at the tip trembling slightly.

Lin Xuan walked over and crouched down to take a look.

Growing at the roots of the shrub were three small plants with slender, deep purple leaves, silver-white veins, and dense thunder-patterned markings.

Faint electrical sparks flickered along the edges of the leaves, and he could feel a slight tingling sensation when he brought his finger close.

Purple Lightning Grass.

It was a First-Tier Medium Grade spirit plant, effective for nourishing the Meridians of lightning-attribute Cultivators.

It was rarely seen in the outside world, occasionally appearing at auctions, and its price was extremely high among First-Tier Medium Grade spirit plants.

Lin Xuan carefully pushed aside the branches and leaves of the shrub and used a jade spade to dig up the three Purple Lightning Grass plants by their roots.

He transplanted them into the Spirit-Taming Tower Space, planting them at the edge of the thunder-patterned soil area.

The Herb-Seeking Mouse waited nearby; once he was finished, it darted off again.

This time it did not run far, stopping after only about a hundred zhang.

It was a low-lying area, about half a zhang lower than the surrounding terrain, filled with dark green moss.

The moss had thick, fleshy leaves with dense thunder-patterned markings on the surface, which emitted a faint bell-like sound when the wind blew over them.

thunder sound moss.

It was a First-Tier Medium Grade Material, excellent for making Talismans, capable of increasing the success rate of lightning-attribute Talismans.

Lin Xuan crouched at the edge of the depression and used a jade knife to carefully cut two clumps of the best-quality thunder sound moss.

He transplanted one clump into the space, planting it beside the thunder-attracting vine, and put the other into his Storage Pouch.

He was bending down to cut the third clump of thunder sound moss—

"Chirp—" A sharp cry suddenly came from the sky.

The sound was clear and resonant, carrying an indescribable majesty, as if the king of birds were declaring its territory.

Lin Xuan's hand paused.

He looked up.

In the distance, a golden shadow swept out from behind a hill.

The speed was astonishing.

The shadow traced an arc in the air, flying from one hill to another—a distance of at least five or six li—but it took only two or three breaths of time.

Lin Xuan's pupils constricted.

This speed was even faster than when he pushed the cloud-piercing shuttle to its limit.

He immediately stuffed the thunder sound moss into his Storage Pouch, put away the jade knife, and activated the Breath Concealment Technique to suppress his aura to the lowest possible level.

Then, hunching his back, he crept toward the direction where the shadow had landed.

Crossing over two hills, Lin Xuan lay behind a rock on a ridge and peeked down.

Below was a valley.

The valley was not large, surrounded by mountains on three sides with one opening.

At the bottom of the valley was a small stream, the water clear and shimmering with a pale purple light under the sunlight.

Growing by the stream were dense shrubs and several large trees with thick trunks and lush canopies.

One of the trees was exceptionally tall, its trunk requiring two or three people to encircle, and its canopy was like a huge umbrella, covering a large area deep in the valley.

Deep within the canopy of that tree was a nest.

Made of branches and withered grass, the nest was over a zhang in diameter, even larger than Lin Xuan's small courtyard at Emerald Bamboo Peak.

A head poked out from the edge of the nest.

It had golden feathers, with a tuft of deep purple plumage on top of its head like a crown.

The bird turned its head, its golden pupils scanning the valley, sharp and intelligent.

Lin Xuan held his breath.

Purple-Feathered Roc.

He had seen records of it in the Sect's "Manual of Ten Thousand Beasts"—the Purple-Feathered Roc, an ancient exotic bird, a descendant of a True Spirit, renowned for its speed.

Once mature, it could soar through the sky, traveling a thousand li in an instant; it was a top-tier flying spirit beast.

The one before him was less than one-tenth the size of an adult, and its feathers had not yet fully grown, still edged with down.

It was clearly a hatchling that had been born not long ago.

But even as a hatchling, its aura had already reached the Peak of First-Tier Low Grade.

And that speed...

Lin Xuan licked his lips.

He was determined to have this Purple-Feathered Roc hatchling.

Although he now possessed the cloud-piercing shuttle, the flying boat was ultimately an external object; it was not as flexible to control as one's own body and was prone to damage.

The last time he was sucked into the Secret Realm black hole, the cloud-piercing shuttle had nearly disintegrated.

If he had the speed talent of the Purple-Feathered Roc, he would have a huge advantage whether in pursuit or fleeing.

Moreover, the speed talent was universal—not only could it fly fast and run fast, but it also made one's reactions fast.

In battle, being one step faster meant life, while being one step slower meant death.

But he also understood that contracting this Purple-Feathered Roc would not be easy.

Although the hatchling's cultivation was not high, its speed was truly too fast, and he would very likely be unable to catch it.

Furthermore, the Purple-Feathered Roc was an ancient exotic bird, possessing high intelligence, and would not be easily contracted.

Lin Xuan did not rush to act.

He lay behind the rock on the ridge, motionless.

Observing.

He observed from noon until evening.

The sun moved from overhead to the west, and the shadows stretched from short to long.

The light in the valley changed from bright to dim, and then from dim to bright—the moon had risen, its moonlight pale purple, spilling into the valley like a layer of frost.

Lin Xuan had figured out the activity pattern of the Purple-Feathered Roc hatchling.

It flew out once every two or three hours, staying out for about a quarter of an hour each time.

The flight range was not large, just within a few dozen li around the valley.

Hunting.

Lin Xuan saw it catch three Lightning Rabbits, two emerald-green snakes, and an unknown bird.

Every time it returned, it would stand at the edge of the nest, tear its prey apart, and eat it.

Once full, it would retreat back into the nest to sleep.

Once awake, it would fly out to hunt again.

There was no sign of an adult Purple-Feathered Roc.

This hatchling lived alone.

Perhaps it had accidentally been separated from its parents, or perhaps it had been abandoned by them.

Regardless, this was a good thing for Lin Xuan.

If there were an adult Purple-Feathered Roc guarding the nest, he wouldn't even dare to approach.

Lin Xuan retreated behind the rock and closed his eyes.

He began to simulate the plan in his mind.

How to catch it?

He couldn't match its speed, so a direct pursuit definitely wouldn't work.

He had to make it land.

Once on the ground, its speed advantage would be neutralized—spreading its wings required space, and taking off from the ground also required time.

That half-breath to one-breath gap was his opportunity.

Lin Xuan opened his eyes and took a stack of Talismans from his Storage Pouch.

Lightning Net Talismans.

First-Tier Medium Grade; once activated, they could release an electric net with a diameter of three zhang to trap the target.

He counted them—there were twelve.

Enough.

He divided the Talismans into three groups of four, placing them in three directions around the nest.

He didn't place them directly beside the nest—the Roc's perception was very keen, and placing them too close would lead to discovery.

Instead, he buried them in shrubbery about thirty zhang from the nest, covering them with leaves and soil, leaving only a corner of the activation array pattern exposed.

Then he released the Pangolin.

"Go underground and wait."

Lin Xuan crouched down, patted the Pangolin's head, and said, "When that bird lands, ambush it from beneath its feet."

The thunder-patterned markings on the Pangolin's scales lit up, and it burrowed into the soil.

Lin Xuan circled the nest again, found a dense cluster of shrubs, crouched inside, and curled into a ball.

He activated his Breath Concealment Technique to its full extent, his whole body like a stone, without a trace of aura leaking out.

Then he waited.

Waited for the Roc to go out hunting.

The moon moved from the east to overhead.

The valley was very quiet, with only the murmuring sound of the flowing stream and the rustling of the wind through the leaves.

"Chirp—"

The Purple-Feathered Roc flew out of the nest, its wings flapping once, turning into a streak of golden light as it flew toward the south.

Lin Xuan did not move.

He waited.

A quarter of an hour.

The Roc returned.

Its claws held a still-writhing emerald-green snake; the snake's body was as thick as a water bucket, but it had no power to resist under the Roc's claws.

The Roc landed on the edge of the nest, folded its wings, and lowered its head to tear at the snake meat.

Lin Xuan still did not move.

It was not the time.

The Roc had just returned, and its vigilance was at its highest.

He would wait until it was full and relaxed; that would be the opportunity.

The Roc ate for a quarter of an hour.

The snake was torn into pieces, its bones and flesh swallowed into its stomach, leaving only a few broken scales and bloodstains on the edge of the nest.

It yawned, its sharp beak opening and closing.

Then it retreated deep into the nest, burying its head beneath its wing.

It went to sleep.

The sound of breathing came from the nest, very light, very steady.