"ROOOAAARRR!!!" "BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!"
Beneath the dark and silent night sky, a valley pulsed with stark white and vibrant purple light, illuminated by the violent clash of energies. Deafening explosions echoed incessantly, shattering the mountain stillness.
On a hillside overlooking the valley, Lin Feng kept his distance. He continuously directed his flying sword, the Crimson Soul, in precise strikes against the kangaroo-like beast. The creature roared in fury, dodging or deflecting the sword's relentless assault. Its eyes, filled with predatory hatred, fixed on Lin Feng whenever possible, yet it couldn't break away to attack him. Trapped within a storm of descending purple lightning bolts—forming a crackling, impassable cage—it thrashed wildly but failed to escape the barrage raining from above.
High in the air, the Purple-Crowned Thunder Crane, its mobility restored, soared with majestic fury. It unleashed its pent-up rage, repaying every ounce of humiliation it had suffered moments before. Each flap of its magnificent wings summoned another devastating bolt of thunder.
The kangaroo beast desperately hurled bursts of icy energy skyward, but its attacks flew wide, unable to connect with the agile, darting crane. For every strike it launched, the crane retaliated with three or four thunderous bolts, driving it further into a corner of frantic defense.
Finally, an opening came. The Crimson Soul Sword struck true, grazing the beast's flank and inflicting a sharp, disorienting wound to its spirit. Staggered by the psychic blow, its defenses faltered for a critical instant.
That was all the crane needed.
"KRA-KA-THOOM!!!"
A blinding fusillade of purple lightning hammered down, engulfing the beast completely. Its agonized roars, muffled within the chaotic brilliance, grew increasingly frantic, then pitifully weak, before fading into silence moments later.
...
Lin Feng had already recalled the Crimson Soul after landing that crucial blow, watching as the crane vented its fury in a relentless cascade of thunder. Only when the beast's savage aura vanished entirely did Lin Feng exhale in relief. The enemy was finished.
After several more thunderclaps, the crane seemed to exhaust its wrath. It circled once overhead in a display of dominance, then began its descent towards Lin Feng. However, mere meters above the ground, its strength visibly faltered. Its body listed heavily to one side.
"THUMP!"
It landed unceremoniously in a heap of tangled feathers, just ten meters to Lin Feng's right.
Lin Feng, who had just swallowed a top-grade Spirit Recovery Pill to replenish his drained energy, jumped in alarm. He rushed forward, looking down at the crane weakly flapping on the frost-covered ground. "Are you alright?"
"Skreee…" The crane lifted its head weakly, its eyes dull with profound exhaustion. It managed to shift its body into a prone position but lacked the strength to stand. A faint plume of icy vapor escaped its beak.
"You're this badly hurt?!"
Lin Feng's breath caught as he took in the Crane's full condition. Its magnificent purple plumage was torn and matted in multiple places. Dark streaks of blood seeped from beneath the feathers, freezing almost instantly on contact with the frigid air. The worst damage was to the left wing Lin Feng had seen frozen earlier. Dozens of primary feathers were missing, exposing patches of skin unnaturally pale, almost translucent. Several deep, chilling cracks ran across the wing membrane, oozing blood that froze into dark crimson clots before it could drip – clear evidence of ingrained frost venom.
This wasn't just surface freezing... Lin Feng realized with a jolt. The venom penetrated deeply. How did it even fight like that afterwards? The crane's spiritual aura felt alarmingly thin, fragile. A flicker of pain shone in its weary eyes. Anxiety tightened Lin Feng's chest as he frantically searched for a solution.
Think! Think! What counters potent frost venom…
"Ah! The Cold-Breaking Pills!"
Inspiration struck. He mentally scanned his spatial ring. Yes! He had a batch of restored, top-grade second-tier Cold-Breaking Pills specifically formulated to purge deep-seated cold poisons. He retrieved a small porcelain bottle almost instantly.
"Brother Crane, will these help?" Lin Feng poured ten bright crimson pills into his palm and extended his hand towards the crane's head.
A spark of desperate hope ignited in the crane's eyes. Without hesitation, it stretched its neck and deftly scooped all ten pills into its beak with a single flick of its tongue, swallowing them whole.
Lin Feng watched as the crane visibly focused inward, its body tensing slightly. Wisps of steam began rising from its wounds, particularly the ravaged left wing, as the potent heat of the pills began combating the invasive frost. The surrounding air warmed perceptibly.
"Is it working?" Lin Feng felt a surge of cautious optimism. The reaction seemed positive. But the relief was short-lived. Within minutes, the steam dwindled. The crane lifted its head again, fixing Lin Feng with an unmistakably hopeful, pleading gaze.
"Not enough?" Lin Feng frowned. "Hold on, let me see if I have more."
He delved back into his spatial ring. His stockpile of pre-restored top-grade pills was perilously low, mostly consumed by the other spirit beasts under his temporary care. Another quick sweep confirmed his fear: no more Cold-Breaking Pills ready to use.
But… His fingers brushed against several containers holding damaged, inert pills. Hope flickered again. He found three more bottles of ruined Cold-Breaking Pills and two bottles of second-tier Flowing Flame Pills. While not specifically anti-venom, their intense fire-attribute energy should still bolster the crane's fight against the frost.
"I have more! But wait—let me restore them first!" Lin Feng gently pushed aside the eager beak nudging his hand. He retrieved his herb pouch, fingers flying as he identified and pulled out the necessary supplementary ingredients for restoring the Cold-Breaking Pills. Holding a ruined pill and the herbs together in his palm, he focused his will.
"WHOOSH!!!"
A basketball-sized sphere of searing, deep crimson fire—Molten Lava Fire—erupted over his hand with a roar.
"SKREE?!" The crane flinched violently, scrambling back a meter in panic. Its eyes widened in shock and profound confusion as it felt the intense, terrifying heat radiating from the unnatural flame.
"Restoration Complete." "Item Damage Level: 0." "No Further Restoration Required."
Less than ten seconds later, the flame vanished. A perfectly restored, top-grade Cold-Breaking Pill rested in Lin Feng's palm, radiating warmth. He offered it to the crane. "Here. Take it."
Delight flashed in the crane's eyes. Its beak darted out, and the pill vanished.
Lin Feng pulled out another ruined pill. "Restore."
...
The ritual repeated. Pill after ruined pill, Lin Feng summoned the Molten Lava Fire, restored it to perfection, and fed it to the expectant crane. The powerful spirit beast watched him with the unwavering focus of a child awaiting candy, radiating a mix of need and gratitude.
Time slipped by. Three entire bottles of Cold-Breaking Pills were restored and consumed. Then the two bottles of Flowing Flame Pills followed suit.
"Huff… Okay. That's all." Lin Feng extinguished the lingering heat above his palm and wiped a sheen of sweat from his brow, feeling spiritually drained. He swallowed another Spirit Recovery Pill and looked at the crane, his voice tinged with incredulity. "That should be enough, surely? Forty Cold-Breaking Pills and twenty Flowing Flame Pills! A Golden Core cultivator would have exploded from that qi overdose ages ago! Are you seriously still hungry?"
The crane's expression fell into obvious disappointment. It pulled its head back slightly, looking distinctly unsatisfied, almost sulky.
Lin Feng finally took a proper look. The wounds had visibly closed, the unnatural pallor replaced by healthy purple-tinged skin. The steam had stopped. The frost venom was clearly purged. This wasn't about healing anymore; it was about savoring potent treats. "You sneaky bird! You're healed! You just want more snacks?" Lin Feng couldn't help but roll his eyes at the crane's audacity. He promptly ignored its hopeful stare and sat down cross-legged, focusing on his own recovery.
Realizing the snack bar was closed, the crane tucked its head down, closed its eyes, and began its own deep meditation, channeling the vast reserves of medicinal energy now swirling within it.
Silence reclaimed the valley. The brilliant lights faded, plunging the landscape back into profound darkness, broken only by the faint glow of the moon outlining the shapes of man and beast.
...
Some time later, Lin Feng stirred, having recovered most of his energy. He glanced at the crane, still immersed in its recuperation. His gaze then drifted towards the center of the valley, where a large, indistinct mass lay.
The kangaroo beast was now nothing more than a grotesque lump of charred flesh. Lin Feng rose quietly. He cast a slightly guilty look back at the meditating crane, then approached the corpse. With a swift motion, he stashed the ruined carcass into his spatial ring.
"Squee?!"
A soft, inquisitive chirp made Lin Feng jump. He spun around. The Purple-Crowned Thunder Crane was wide awake, its head tilted, watching him intently.
Busted. Lin Feng offered an awkward grin. "Well… it's completely charred. Not edible anymore. Surely you don't mind if I… keep it?"
"..." The crane fixed him with a look of utter disdain. It didn't bother vocalizing its judgment. Slowly, deliberately, it pushed itself to its feet. It turned and began walking towards the far end of the valley, clearly dismissing Lin Feng's pilfering – a silent acknowledgement that the valuable third-tier beast core within the corpse was a fair trade for the dozens of precious pills it had just consumed.
Relieved it wasn't demanding the core back, Lin Feng hurried after it. "You're fully recovered now? Good! Let's get back. This place gives me the creeps… Honestly, you should stick closer to the others. If I hadn't stumbled upon you tonight…" He launched into a familiar lecture. "Look at the Azure-Horned Rhino and the Golden-Armored Savage Bear—they stay put, they don't go wandering off into danger…"
The crane ignored Lin Feng's nagging completely. Without warning, its powerful wings snapped open. With a single, mighty downstroke, it launched itself skyward, soaring gracefully towards the opposite ridge of the valley in seconds.
"Hey! Don't just fly off! At least give me a lift! HEY!!"
Lin Feng yelled after it, thinking it was abandoning him. But then he saw it. The crane hadn't departed. It had alighted on a rocky outcrop halfway up the far cliff face. It seemed… focused? Its head was lowered, sharp beak probing intently at something on the shadowed rock surface.