23: Chapter 23 Bai Xuan returns and takes meticulous care of him.

Before long, Bai Xuan returned with a large elk, throwing it heavily onto the ground. Inside its stomach was a pile of medicinal herbs.

He divided the large elk for Little Hei and Huzi to eat.

"Stop singing. Open your mouth and eat quickly," Bai Xuan said.

There wasn't much time to waste here; they needed to replenish their energy quickly and then leave.

"Got it." Huzi opened its gaping maw, waiting for Bai Xuan to feed it.

Bai Xuan roughly stuffed two-thirds of the meat into Huzi's mouth all at once.

Next was Little Hei. After that, Bai Xuan increased his size, grabbed Huzi, carried Little Hei in his beak, and took to the sky, heading toward a hidden location.

Because Huzi's injuries were severe, it screamed in pain while being carried through the air by Bai Xuan, yet it didn't forget to praise him: "Brother Bai, you're so strong! This is my first time flying."

With Bai Xuan's current strength, carrying Huzi during Flight was quite easy.

"Oh brother, I've missed you..." Little Hei sang.

Bai Xuan felt a wave of exhaustion. In the time he had been away, the two of them seemed to have become much more talkative.

After a while, Bai Xuan placed Little Hei and Huzi on the ground. He then spat out the medicinal herbs from his stomach and began crushing them with a stone, pounding them into a thick, green juice.

"Bear with it; I'm going to start removing the bullets." Bai Xuan shrank his body to operate more easily.

Relying on Divine Sense Perception, Bai Xuan could accurately avoid the meridians while removing the bullets. He could even repair the meridians, striving to ensure no lingering complications remained.

"Just do it. I won't make a sound," Huzi said resolutely.

"That's good." Without further ado, Bai Xuan began removing the bullets.

Huzi endured the intense pain; every part of its body ached, but having made such a bold promise, it held back from crying out.

In the end, Bai Xuan found a wooden stick for Huzi to bite down on to help alleviate the pain.

Gradually, the number of bullets removed grew, totaling nearly a thousand, along with several bomb fragments. Every time a bullet was removed, Bai Xuan evenly applied the medicinal herbs. It looked very professional!

As for the fractures and internal injuries, Huzi would need to recuperate on its own. However, mutated creatures recover quickly, so he believed it wouldn't be long before it was fully healed.

Covered in blood, Bai Xuan used his wing to wipe the sweat from his face. "Finally, one down. How is it? Does your body feel much more comfortable?"

"Brother Bai, your technique is superb. I truly admire you," Huzi said, tears streaming from its eyes as it held back, the wooden stick bitten beyond recognition.

"The most important thing for you now is to rest, absorb Aura, and replenish your energy; that way, you'll recover faster," Bai Xuan instructed confidently.

This was Bai Xuan's first time treating an animal, and it was a success, filling him with the joy of accomplishment and a sense of triumph.

Next was Little Hei. Bai Xuan walked over to it and said, "Brother Hei, you'll need to bear with it too. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect; I can do it even better and faster this time."

"Then I'll leave it to you, Doctor Bai." Little Hei's mouth twitched; the sight of Huzi's pain was still fresh in its mind. But there was no denying Bai Xuan's superb technique in accurately removing the bullets.

"What? I was your first test subject?" Huzi's eyes widened.

"That's right, the first," Bai Xuan nodded gently.

With that, he proceeded to treat Little Hei's wounds and remove the bullets. Little Hei was smaller, so there weren't many bullets, and he finished quickly.

"Alright then." Huzi didn't dare to complain. It was already fortunate that Bai Xuan was helping it; how could it ask for more?

Little Hei grimaced in pain, but after a while, all the bullets were removed. This time it was much easier. They couldn't move yet; Huzi lay on the ground, while Little Hei leaned against a stone wall, looking dejected and exhausted. "Little Bai, I'll have to trouble you for the coming days."

"It's nothing. Your appetites are easy for me to handle," Bai Xuan said, sitting on the ground to rest. Hearing Little Hei's words, he waved his hand.

"Brother Bai, can I sleep now?" Huzi asked weakly.

"Yes, go ahead and sleep." Now that they were out of danger and their injuries had stabilized, they wouldn't pass away in their sleep.

"Little Bai, this place is no longer suitable for us to stay. Where should we go from here?" Little Hei asked, feeling lost.

The mountain range was controlled by humans, and it was unclear where might be safe—somewhere they could stay away from humans and grow up in peace.

"Once your injuries heal a bit more, I'll take you away. There are fewer people there, so it will be much safer," Bai Xuan replied after a moment of contemplation.

A neighboring country would be quite suitable—the Far East Region. Most of it was sparsely populated, though it was very cold. Since Huzi and Little Hei were now mutated creatures, that shouldn't be a major issue.

The food there might not be as abundant as in the mountains, but it would be enough for Little Hei and Huzi to fill their stomachs. As for resources and Aura, Bai Xuan wasn't sure yet; he would only find out once they got there.

As for Menggu, although its military strength wasn't strong and they wouldn't have to worry about being shelled or shot, it wasn't suitable for Little Hei and Huzi to survive. The forest coverage was too low, and there were large birds of prey; Little Hei would easily become a target. In a forest, at least Huzi and Little Hei could look out for each other.

"Then I'll have to trouble you again." "It's no trouble. Why do you need to say such things between us?"

Bai Xuan always remembered the kindness he had received. If Little Hei hadn't helped him that day, he might have died long ago, his body decayed or eaten, leaving nothing behind—let alone the powerful strength he possessed today.

...

Meanwhile, at the site of the Aura Tide.

A military camp was stationed there, equipped with tanks, heavy machine gun vehicles, transport trucks, off-road vehicles, helicopters, and more.

Soldiers armed with live ammunition guarded the area, with orders to kill any mutated creatures that approached to ensure the safety of the camp.

"That strange bird has appeared again, and it has grown much larger."

"This time we lost twelve martial artists, and they were talented geniuses! How are we supposed to explain this to our superiors?"

"There was nothing we could do. Who knew that strange bird would become so powerful? It comes and goes without a trace and can accurately destroy drones and hidden cameras."

"It really is like an unkillable cockroach! To survive such severe injuries and even kill so many of our Soldiers and talented martial artists... What should we do next? Continue the hunt or..."

"The only option now is to continue the hunt. Mutated creatures are extremely vengeful; it will never easily let go of this grudge. Once it grows up, it will be a devastating blow to the Dragon Country."

The officers began to discuss among themselves.

Elder Lin, the expert in charge of the Aura research, walked into the military camp. "Have you caught that giant eagle?"

"We have already sent people out, but we currently have no trace of that giant eagle," the officer said, stepping forward to report the situation.

"No matter what, we must catch that giant eagle. It's not just because of its rapid growth rate, but also the spirit stone it carries. I estimate there is a massive spirit stone in its possession. We must obtain that spirit stone; it is of vital importance to the Dragon Country!" Elder Lin said.

"We will do our utmost to accomplish this." The officer also wanted to catch Bai Xuan, but with no trace of it—coming and going without a shadow—they hadn't even found a single feather, let alone caught it alive. They could only rely on luck to search.