With a single sword strike, the Azure-Scaled Eagle’s head tumbled to the ground, blood gushing forth as a mighty sovereign met its end. Shi Hao’s eyes widened in shock—what was that? A blade of primordial chaos swept past, sending shivers down his spine. That mysterious little pagoda was terrifyingly powerful!
“Roar—!” The holy terror howled and lunged forward, scrambling to claim the Azure-Scaled Eagle’s corpse. A sovereign’s body was a treasure trove from head to toe—how could he let such a prize slip away? “Mine, mine!” he bellowed, wrestling with the pagoda for possession.
The pagoda expanded lazily, effortlessly drawing the eagle’s head toward itself. Despite Shi Hao’s desperate tug-of-war, it remained unshaken, steadily absorbing its spoils into its depths to refine them.
“Damn you, pagoda! I’ll fight you for this!” Shi Hao roared. Watching such a vast treasure slip through his fingers was unbearable. At this moment, the holy terror revealed his ruthless nature, grappling with the pagoda in a chaotic, futile struggle.
But it was hopeless. The pagoda was unfathomably mysterious, its divine might beyond anything Shi Hao could contend with at his current level. After humoring him with a few wobbles, it drifted toward the headless corpse of the Azure-Scaled Eagle.
“That’s mine! How dare you!” Shi Hao panicked, throwing himself onto the eagle’s body and yanking with all his might. Yet again, he failed. Helpless, he watched as the pagoda absorbed the remains bit by bit, its surface shimmering with an ethereal glow.
Frustration boiled inside him. For the first time in his life, he felt powerless. As the last traces of the eagle vanished, he shouted in outrage, “You’re too much, pagoda! You didn’t even leave me a single feather!”
The usually ruthless, conniving holy terror was left seething, growling and snarling in protest. “Two sovereigns, each as big as a mountain—and you swallowed them both! Aren’t you afraid of bursting?!”
With those words, the last remnants of the eagle disappeared. Not a speck remained.
Shi Hao was livid, his face dark with fury as he gnashed his teeth. “Not even a single feather left behind—how shameless!”
The pagoda shrank back to its original form, pristine and luminous, spinning gently in the air. Then—a single, radiant feather drifted down from within, landing softly on the ground, trailing a wisp of light.
Shi Hao’s eyes bulged. Then, he nearly exploded with rage. “You—! You’re despicable! You really left me with just one feather?!”
Furious, he grabbed the pagoda and shook it violently. Never had he encountered such a wicked thing! He had complained about not getting even a feather, and in response, it had spat out a single plume just to mock him.
“I’ll fight you to the death!” The holy terror bared his teeth, stuffing the pagoda into his mouth and biting down hard. His pearly white teeth ground against it with a grating noise.
“Ow! That hurts!” Shi Hao yelped. He had chewed through everything—from the sand at the bottom of the Undying Spring to spider legs—but now, his teeth ached.
Clutching his jaw, he glared at the pagoda, tempted to hurl it to the ground and stomp on it. But no matter how hard he threw, it simply hovered midair, refusing to fall.
“You’ve broken my heart, pagoda! You’re no friend of mine!” Shi Hao plopped down, sulking and refusing to acknowledge it.
“Didn’t I leave you a feather?” the pagoda chimed in, swaying closer.
“Don’t you dare bring that up again!” Shi Hao snapped, grabbing it for another futile bite. “Stop provoking me!”
“That’s a divine avian feather—quite a treasure,” the pagoda murmured.
“Pah! I’d rather eat you!” Shi Hao spat, his dissatisfaction at its peak.
“Patience. This isn’t just any feather. It’s the only one the Azure-Scaled Eagle never shed or replaced—a lifelong companion, refined by its essence,” the pagoda explained.
Shi Hao turned back skeptically. “So what? It’s still just a feather. You swallowed all the good stuff—the primordial bone inscriptions and everything! You owe me. Teach me a supreme divine ability!”
The pagoda wobbled as if stuffed full. “I have no techniques to teach.”
“Liar! I saw you devour countless divine beasts and savage creatures. Those imprints on you—spiders, Azure-Scaled Eagles, and even stronger ones—are proof!” Shi Hao retorted.
But now, those marks had vanished, only appearing when the pagoda unleashed its power.
“It merely means I’m wounded. Those are cracks needing repair,” the pagoda deflected, steering the conversation back to the feather.
“This feather is extraordinary—nurtured by the Azure-Scaled Eagle’s lifeblood. Among all its plumage, this is the only true divine feather, carrying traces of its ancestors’ aura.”
“Really?” Shi Hao picked up the feather, finding it weightless and unremarkable. He clicked his tongue in disbelief. “A divine feather should be mighty—not this flimsy thing. Sovereigns’ feathers are said to crush armies!”
“This is the epitome of returning to simplicity. Some beasts and divine birds forge their bodies to be indestructible and heavy, but that’s not always ideal. This feather is natural. Try swinging it.”
The feather, now just over a foot long, chimed like metal when flicked, radiating light. Shi Hao gave it a light swing—whoosh! A dazzling sword beam erupted, howling as if it could slice through the void.
Shocked, Shi Hao realized its power. When activated, it unleashed overwhelming sword energy capable of shattering countless treasures.
“But it’s still just a feather. Am I supposed to duel with it?” Shi Hao grumbled.
“It’s excellent material for forging a weapon,” the pagoda advised, elaborating on its uniqueness.
This was no ordinary feather—it was a Primordial True Feather, the essence of a divine bird, the only plume connected to its primordial bone. Though its internal runes couldn’t be studied like those on a bone, it was a natural-born divine artifact.
“A feather fused with bone? Not bad,” Shi Hao conceded, somewhat mollified.
He stuck the feather in his hair, looking more like a wild little tribesman—though his bright eyes brimmed with intelligence.
“You could forge it into a Five Avians Fan. Its power would be unimaginable,” the pagoda suggested.
Shi Hao’s heart raced. Ancient texts spoke of legendary artifacts—the Cosmos Pouch, the Heaven-Transforming Bowl—and the Five Avians Fan was among them. A single wave could reduce mountains to dust and evaporate vast lakes.
This feather could be one of the five required. The pagoda warned that substitutes would work, but only true Primordial True Feathers could unleash its full might.
Shi Hao felt slightly better. At least he hadn’t been left completely empty-handed.
“You must guide me in forging the fan.”
“Seek out the ancient records in major sects. The method isn’t secret—only the materials are rare,” the pagoda replied.
Shi Hao recalled another feather in his possession—a crimson one left by Little Red in Stone Village. He wondered if it, too, was a Primordial True Feather.
Far away, a certain crimson bird lounging on a towering, flame-rooted tree suddenly shuddered.
“Who’s scheming against me? They’ll regret it!”
As the light faded, the divine altar vanished, and the pagoda nestled back into Shi Hao’s hair, looking like an unassuming jade ornament.
He reappeared before the crowd—alone in the training grounds. Both the Demon Spider and the Azure-Scaled Eagle were gone. Silence reigned.
“Sister, sister, did he really slay the Azure-Scaled Eagle Sovereign? He’s amazing!” A young girl from the Ancient Divine Mountain, no more than five or six, broke the silence, clinging to an older maiden.
Then—chaos erupted.
Shi Hao had slain two sovereigns—the Venomous Black-Eyed Spider and the Azure-Scaled Eagle—beings who had once dominated the wastelands. And he was just a teenager!
Though rumors suggested he had summoned ancient spirits for aid, the result was undeniable. He had survived; they had perished.
The training grounds outside the royal capital buzzed with disbelief.
“How did you do it? I was so worried!” Huo Ling’er, graceful and bewildered, approached.
Meanwhile, the beings from the Ancient Divine Mountain watched grimly. Did this human boy naturally counter their kind?
Zi Shan Yun Xi’s heart churned, her lips parting but saying nothing. Beside her, Yin Xue muttered, “How did he manage that?”
“Imperial Wine, by His Majesty’s decree!” A servant emerged from the central palace, bearing a jade tray with a Nine Dragons Cup, its contents exuding divine aroma.
The crowd gasped. The Nine Dragons Cup was reserved for the most honored—even princes rarely received such favor. Did this signal the emperor’s favor? Was Shi Hao a potential successor?
“You’re full of surprises. Slaying two sovereigns… I’ll have to be careful around you,” the Fox Fairy teased, her beauty enchanting.
On the other side, Yue Chan declared, “He is a disciple of my Heaven-Mending Sect.”
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