Although he admired what his disciple had achieved, Xiao Chen's continuous screaming eventually irritated him. Xiao Chen kept doing it repeatedly until his throat became dry.
"Chen'er, stop it! If you continue, your vocal cords will be damaged!"
"B–But, Master?!"
"You already understand the basics of the technique. As before, perfection will come after several more attempts. And I recall that the Phoenix's Rage Cry also contains mental and consciousness-based attacks. So why haven't I felt it yet?"
Xiao Chen widened his eyes. He had forgotten several key hints related to this technique. Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened his mouth and let out a shrill cry, just like a phoenix soaring high in the sky.
"Kyaaaaaaaaat! Kyaaaaaaaaat!"
Xiao Chen's cry produced a significant impact on the surrounding environment. Violent winds surged, and even the Star Soul Spirit felt his mental consciousness begin to waver.
"C–Congratulations, child! You succeeded!" he said in disbelief.
Xiao Chen nodded. Just as he was about to release another Phoenix's Rage Cry, his master suddenly warned him. He had sensed three Mid Spirit Realm, One-Star auras moving toward Xiao Chen.
"Chen'er, it seems those three men who once chased you have returned. Now you know what must be done, don't you?"
Xiao Chen nodded, planning to use his Thousand Lightning Steps to escape. However, his master scolded him, knowing his disciple was trying to flee from the problem.
"Chen'er, why are you running away?"
"What else can I do, Master? They are Mid Spirit Realm, One-Star cultivators!"
"Tch! Such an overly clever disciple! Why be afraid? You can easily kill Rank Two demonic beasts! Facing them shouldn't be difficult for you, Chen'er!"
Abandoning his intention to flee, Xiao Chen stood calmly while gazing toward three different directions. At this moment, his spiritual perception had already locked onto the positions of the three elders.
"Swuuuuuuush! Swuuuuuuush! Swuuuuuuush!"
Unexpectedly, the three men threw small daggers from different directions. This forced Xiao Chen to activate his Thousand Lightning Steps, leaping swiftly from one tree branch to another.
"Good reflexes, kid…"
"Is he really the brat who destroyed the young master's future?!" one of them questioned.
"What are you doubting for? Capture him now!"
"Swuuuuuuush!"
The three of them moved at once, attempting to surround him while continuously launching small daggers.
Unfortunately, Xiao Chen was no longer the trash they once despised. He demonstrated astonishing speed using the Thousand Lightning Steps.
Moving in a zigzag pattern while dodging countless attacks aimed at his body, Xiao Chen was as slippery as an eel—impossible to catch.
"D–Damn it! Since when did this so-called trash become this fast?!"
The three men clenched their jaws as their attacks repeatedly missed. Then, Xiao Chen suddenly made a shocking move that caused their eyes to widen.
He abruptly turned around, opened his mouth wide, and unleashed a piercing cry like a phoenix.
"Kyaaaaaat! Kyaaaaaat!"
The three men immediately covered their ears. Strangely, their spiritual consciousness began to collapse. Just hearing the sound forced them to fall to their knees.
"Booom!"
Seeing them kneel, Xiao Chen swiftly punched each of their faces in succession, sending them crashing face-first into the ground.
'If you don't want to see blood, break their necks… That will give them a quick death…'
Was he hesitant? No. Xiao Chen did exactly as his master said.
"Kraaaaaack! Kraaaaaack!"
Using both hands, he snapped the necks of two men. Only one remained. Xiao Chen suddenly smiled faintly—a smile that made the man tremble in fear.
"I–If you kill me, Patriarch Han Leng will kill you! Xiao Chen, come on if you dare!" the man threatened and challenged him.
"Are you threatening me?"
Walking casually toward him, Xiao Chen grabbed his head and whispered, "Think carefully—if I don't kill you, do you really think Patriarch Han Leng will let me go?"
The man's eyes widened briefly before Xiao Chen snapped his neck, instantly extinguishing his consciousness.
'Chen'er, take their spatial rings. At the very least, they should contain some money for your living expenses.'
Xiao Chen nodded and took the three spatial rings from the men's little fingers. Afterward, he bit his finger and dripped blood onto the surface of each ring, allowing them to recognize him as their master.
'Master, there are dozens of gold coins and many strange pills inside…'
'Keep the gold coins. Now take out all the pills.'
Following his master's instructions, Xiao Chen took out dozens of pills from the rings.
'They're only Rank One pills. Although slightly useful, the risk of consuming them is too great. Chen'er, discard them. Now rest, and buy yourself some clothes…'
'Yes, Master…'
Not long after, Xiao Chen arrived at the nearest city within the Phoenix Empire and paid the entry fee to Gu Qi City.
After searching for about fifteen minutes, he finally found a fairly crowded clothing store. However, he was met with hostility—his current clothes were extremely ragged, and a foul stench emanated from him.
"A beggar dares enter a store like this? Get lost! Your presence will only drive customers away!" A young girl said as she tried to push him.
Xiao Chen shifted his body slightly, causing the girl to stumble and fall face-first onto the ground.
"Y–You… Bastard! Do you know who I am?!" The girl got up and tried to slap Xiao Chen.
Before Xiao Chen could react, a gentle hand swiftly stopped the slap mid-air.
"Princess, you're being very rude to my guest. Have you already stopped acknowledging me?"
Upon seeing the girl's face, Xiao Chen's eyes widened—he recognized her.
"Hua Ling?"
"Xiao Chen, Prince of the Phoenix Empire… I've been looking for you for a long time. So you were here all along?"