40: This thank you gift is the wings of the king

He Taichong's mind was blank.

It's over.

Only these two words remained in his heart.

As an Elder of the Beast Taming Sect, he knew better than anyone what two enraged, Peak-state adult Golden Winged Great Peng Birds meant.

It wasn't a question of whether they could complete the mission.

It was a question of whether they could even leave behind an intact corpse.

He wanted to beg for mercy, to explain, to push all the blame onto Qin Yu and Jiang Chen.

But the mountain-like and sea-like pressure firmly locked onto his Divine Soul, preventing him from even opening his mouth. Only meaningless "ho-ho" sounds could escape his throat.

Jiang Chen, holding the slightly restless young bird in his arms that was chirping excitedly at its parents, calmly retreated to the deepest part of the cave.

He found a relatively clean stone to sit on, like an audience member with a front-row ticket, ready to enjoy a… one-sided slaughter.

The female Great Peng Bird, the slightly smaller mother bird, looked at her child and at Jiang Chen, who was holding the child, with a comforting gaze.

The meaning in that gaze was complex.

There was gratitude, there was vigilance, but more than that, there was a gesture of "one of us, don't be afraid."

Then, it exchanged glances with the male bird.

The next moment.

The storm descended.

There were no magnificent Spell light effects, nor earth-shattering roars.

Only the purest, most primitive, and most unreasonable… Divine Ability.

The male Great Peng Bird merely flapped its wings gently.

Countless golden wind blades, compressed from extreme wind elements, appeared out of thin air, instantly filling the entire cave.

These wind blades were as thin as a cicada's wing, yet carried a terrifying sharpness capable of cutting through space.

He Taichong's eyes were bloodshot. He desperately unleashed a turtle-shell-shaped defensive Magic Treasure.

However, that High Grade Magic Treasure, which was said to be able to withstand a Golden Core Cultivator's full-force attack, was as fragile as a piece of paper in front of the wind blade storm.

It only lasted for less than half a breath.

With a "crack," the turtle shell shattered.

Immediately after, He Taichong's face, twisted with terror, was sliced into countless fragments by countless golden threads.

Blood didn't even have time to gush out before it was evaporated into a bloody mist by the violent wind elements.

The other two deacons met an even more tragic end.

The one who had been stunned by the sound wave was dismembered while still unconscious, dying without pain.

The other one, who had been backlashed by the golden net, had woken up, and then watched with his own eyes as his limbs, torso, and head were slowly and meticulously cut open piece by piece by the wind blades.

The extreme fear prevented him from even screaming.

The entire process did not exceed three breaths.

A thrilling encirclement in the eyes of Mortals was merely a casual swatting of a few annoying flies for these two kings of the sky.

The cave returned to silence.

Only the thick, lingering smell of blood remained.

With the death of He Taichong and the others, streams of pure Life Essence, invisible to outsiders, transformed into trickling rivulets, transcending space, and were absorbed by Jiang Chen's System from a distance.

Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Formless Life Essence * 1200 units!

Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Formless Life Essence * 1500 units!

Congratulations, Host, you have obtained Formless Life Essence * 3500 units!

The Life Essence from He Taichong was particularly pure.

Jiang Chen could clearly feel that his Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Bottleneck had loosened a bit more under the impact of this power, just a step away from the Late Stage.

"A decent… appetizer."

He coldly evaluated in his heart.

After the slaughter ended, the violent aura on the two adult Great Peng Birds slowly receded.

Their massive bodies shrank to over three meters tall and walked into the cave.

Their golden eyes collectively fell on Jiang Chen.

Or rather, on the young bird in his arms.

"Human."

A gentle yet authoritative female voice resounded directly in Jiang Chen's Soul.

It was the mother bird.

"Thank you for saving my child. Now, please return it to us."

Its tone was polite, but the undeniable authority belonging to a king was clearly discernible.

Jiang Chen did not answer immediately.

The little one in his arms was stretching its neck, excitedly chirping at its mother, wanting to pounce over.

Jiang Chen extended a finger and gently tapped its small head.

The little one immediately quieted down, obediently shrinking back into his arms, and even rubbed its head against his palm, as if Jiang Chen was its only reliance.

This small action caused the eyes of both adult Great Peng Birds to change slightly.

Jiang Chen then looked up, meeting their gaze, and also conveyed his thoughts using the Heart of Beast Mastery.

"It chose me itself."

His voice was calm and carried an undeniable certainty.

"Moreover, I am not seeking repayment for my kindness. I just want to tell you a fact."

He paused, his thoughts transformed into language, like a precise carving knife, piercing the place they cared about most.

"Following you, it will grow, it will become very powerful, perhaps becoming the new king of this Ten Thousand Demons Valley, or even the entire Zhao Country Yao Race. But, that's as far as it goes."

"Its limit is your current state."

"But following me…"

Jiang Chen's gaze deepened, as if it penetrated the cave's rock walls, seeing the false sky covered by the "Heavenly Dao Cage."

"It will have the opportunity to surpass your Bloodline limit and see… a completely different sky."

These words, like a clap of thunder, exploded deep within the Souls of the two Great Peng Birds!

Surpass the Bloodline limit!

See a different sky!

This was precisely the barrier they had Cultivated for nearly a thousand years, yet had always been unable to Breakthrough or touch!

They could feel that this human in front of them was very weak.

But deep within his Soul, something incredibly ancient and profound, something that made even them feel a palpitation, was hidden.

It was an aura… that transcended the rules of this world!

They exchanged glances, both seeing shock and… a hint of longing in each other's eyes.

Silence.

A long silence.

After a long while, the male Great Peng Bird, the father bird who hadn't spoken a word from beginning to end, slowly walked forward.

Its intent was heavy and resolute.

"We will trust you this once."

With that, it raised its head and let out a high-pitched cry.

To Jiang Chen's surprise, it actually forcefully plucked out a main feather, the thickest, brightest, and most dazzling golden feather, from the base of its right wing!

The moment the feather was pulled out, its aura faltered, clearly having paid a great price.

It held this feather, which was over a meter long and seemed cast from gold, in its beak and gently placed it in front of Jiang Chen.

"This is its 'meeting gift.'"

"Inside, one of my full-force attacks is Sealed."

"I hope you… do not disappoint us."

After speaking, it took a deep look at the young bird, who was already asleep in Jiang Chen's arms, its eyes filled with reluctance and… resolute hope.

Then, it and the mother bird turned and walked out of the cave.

Their wings spread, transforming into two golden streams of light, soaring into the sky and instantly disappearing into the sea of clouds.

In the cave, only Jiang Chen and the mess remained.

And, in front of him, that golden feather… representing a solemn promise from the top royal family of the Yao Race.