Translator: AnubisTL
On the deck of the spirit boat, Li Qing once again held out a crimson crystal.
He was running low on these crystals, so he had to seize every opportunity to lure the Wandering Sky Falcon.
Clutching the crystal, Li Qing cleared his mind, focused his spirit, and resolved to capture the falcon this time.
But this time, after waiting for a long time, there was no sign of the Wandering Sky Falcon.
"Hmm? Is it wary?" Li Qing frowned slightly, feeling a hint of disappointment.
He had assumed the falcon wouldn't be able to resist the crystal's allure and would swoop down to snatch it from his hand as it had done before.
Just as Li Qing was about to give up, a piercing cry suddenly rang out from behind him.
"Scree!"
Startled, Li Qing turned around in disbelief.
At the stern of the spirit boat stood a magnificent falcon, its entire body radiating an aura of pride.
Its feathers gleamed with a cold, metallic luster, clinging tightly to its body except for the few Li Qing had severed earlier.
This majestic Wandering Sky Falcon's gaze was fixed intently on the crimson crystal in Li Qing's hand.
Seeing this, Li Qing instinctively reached out to capture the falcon.
Such an opportunity was too good to miss!
But just as he moved, the Wandering Sky Falcon's wings trembled slightly, and a faint demon aura radiated from its body.
It was clear: any sudden move from Li Qing would send the falcon soaring away instantly.
As a third-tier demonic bird, its spiritual intelligence rivaled that of humans. Its brazen landing before Li Qing suggested it had some kind of advantage.
"Heh, is this a challenge?" Li Qing narrowed his eyes, sensing that things were more complicated than they seemed.
Immediately, he sent a divine sense message:
"Do you want what's in my hand?"
The falcon twitched slightly at the mental probe.
Though third-tier demonic birds possessed considerable intelligence, they lacked a Master-Servant Spirit Contract, preventing true telepathic communication. They couldn't achieve the seamless mental exchange Li Qing shared with Fan Tong.
Still, Li Qing understood the falcon's gaze: it desperately wanted the crimson crystal.
With this confirmation, Li Qing's confidence grew. He continued his mental message:
"Very well. I have many crimson crystals. If you pledge your loyalty to me, I can even provide you with crystals of greater potency in the future."
"How about it? If you obediently let me establish a soul contract with you, you could eat these things for every meal."
As if to demonstrate his sincerity, Li Qing produced two more second-tier crimson crystals from his storage pouch.
In his hand, three second-tier crimson crystals spun nimbly.
Upon receiving Li Qing's divine sense transmission, the Wandering Sky Falcon's eyes, like those of a human, flashed with disdain as it glared contemptuously at him.
Yet it couldn't resist the allure of the crimson crystals. Its falcon eyes remained fixed on the crystals in Li Qing's hand, tracking their every movement.
"Truly an untamed exotic bird," Li Qing mused. "But since you refuse to acknowledge me as your master, why would I give you these crimson crystals?"
"Remember, you killed one of my sect's elders. What reason do I have to hand these over to you?"
Li Qing's voice suddenly turned cold and sharp. He gripped the three crimson crystals tightly and swiftly stowed them back into his storage pouch, ceasing to display them.
If I can't tame it, then destroying it is the best course of action!
Li Qing had finally understood: the Wandering Sky Falcon desperately needed the crimson crystals in his possession.
Even second-tier crystals could trigger a metamorphosis, a transformative rebirth for the demon bird.
Beyond its exceptional speed, the Wandering Sky Falcon possessed no other noteworthy attributes.
Its stamina was poor, its physique frail, and its attack power couldn't even threaten demon beasts of the same tier!
Everything about its nature served its extreme speed. The falcon's physical structure, combined with the wind attribute demon core within its body, granted it unparalleled velocity but left it lacking in all other aspects.
It was almost unbelievable: a Third-Tier Demonic Bird with wind attribute powers that couldn't even cast basic wind spells.
Even Fan Tong, a tiger demon with a mediocre bloodline, had mastered some fundamental offensive spells and possessed a remarkably robust physique.
But with the crimson crystal, everything would change.
The crystal's concentrated Red Moon Secret Power could trigger a metamorphosis in demon beasts, at the very least making their bodies far more formidable.
The Heavenly Dao was supposed to be fair, yet this artifact could disrupt that balance.
If the Wandering Sky Falcon consumed enough crimson crystals and underwent repeated metamorphoses, it would become terrifyingly powerful.
Imagine a demon bird with such absurd speed, its body now incredibly strong, its claws capable of tearing through spirit gold with ease. What a terrifying existence that would be!
An absolute weapon of destruction!
This was precisely why the Wandering Sky Falcon couldn't abandon its yearning for evolution, why it remained fixated on the crimson crystal Li Qing had suddenly produced.
Screech!
The Wandering Sky Falcon suddenly flapped its wings and soared into the air.
At first, Li Qing thought it had given up on the crimson crystal and was about to leave. But the next moment, he realized he was wrong.
The falcon circled above the spirit boat a few times, then flapped its wings in a signal and flew ahead, taking the lead.
It didn't fly fast, as if deliberately guiding the way.
Seeing this, Li Qing narrowed his eyes, unsure of the demon bird's intentions.
Before he could ponder further, the Wandering Sky Falcon abruptly changed direction and darted northward.
"Is it trying to lead me somewhere?" Li Qing realized. The falcon clearly wasn't planning to leave directly, or it wouldn't be flying so slowly.
Suddenly intrigued, Li Qing became eager to discover where the Wandering Sky Falcon was taking him.
Could it be leading me to the lair of a great demon in transformation?
"Could it be leading me to some forbidden land? A place of no return?"
"Or is it planning to take me somewhere, where it intends to strike a bargain with me?"
Li Qing had no doubt about the Third-Tier Demonic Bird's spiritual intelligence. These were the only possibilities he could think of at the moment.
But now the real question arose: should he follow it?
What if the demon bird had malicious intentions, truly leading him to the territory of some ancient, powerful demon? That would be disastrous.
In that case, his entire crew could become its prey, and even the crimson crystals they carried wouldn't save them.
Li Qing watched the Wandering Sky Falcon gradually receding into the distance, lost in deep thought.
"Sigh, this is truly a headache. Should I take this risk or not?"
If he could really exchange a few second-tier crimson crystals for a genuine opportunity, that would be the best possible outcome.
(End of the Chapter)
🔓 𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦 — 13 Series (7 Ongoing) | 14+ New Chapters Daily | 6,100+ FREE