In the Ten Thousand Birds Blessed Land, the color of the sky changed every four hours.
Night fell. A brilliant silver radiance filled the air, lending a serene quality to the mystical Cloud Sea.
Fang Yang rode his flying steed, Frost White, flying slowly around the outer edge of the Cloud Sea's southern end. The White Feathered Eagle soared high, following him closely.
They were searching for any Flying Fish that might have accidentally strayed from the Cloud Sea.
After all, a single two-winged Flying Fish could be sold for two hundred Yuan Stones—a tempting prospect for Fang Yang.
He was just too poor!
Once he began practicing the arts of a Pill Master, such as Alchemy, the required Yuan Stones would be spent like water.
Not just anyone could afford to be a Pill Master.
WHOOSH~
The night wind blew, bringing a chill, and Fang Yang's white robes billowed around him.
「An hour later.」
Just as Fang Yang flew past a cloud formation that resembled a mountain range, his ears twitched.
In the next moment, the sound of three pairs of flapping wings echoed from within the Cloud Sea.
It was three two-winged Flying Fish that had accidentally escaped!
Fang Yang's eyes lit up. He instantly spun his longspear, making it hum to signal the White Feathered Eagle.
Receiving the command, the White Feathered Eagle beat its wings furiously and shot forward.
Startled by the ferocious gust of wind, the three two-winged Flying Fish visibly shuddered before immediately scattering in a panic.
But in an instant, with a tearing sound, the White Feathered Eagle snatched one of the two-winged Flying Fish from the air, killing it and holding it fast in its talons.
But... as soon as the White Feathered Eagle had killed the first two-winged Flying Fish, it flew back excitedly, eager to present its prize to Fang Yang for praise.
It paid no mind to the other two, even though it could have easily taken them down as well.
'Is this the result of its low intelligence? So single-minded and dumb,' Fang Yang sighed to himself.
His command had been to kill all three of the two-winged Flying Fish, and the White Feathered Eagle had obeyed.
But the eagle's execution was too literal; it only knew to kill one, return, and then go after the next.
If this continued, by the time the White Feathered Eagle set out again, the other two Flying Fish would be long gone.
"First Spell—Flame Skill!"
Seeing the two Flying Fish about to escape his sight, Fang Yang decisively cast the spell.
Within his Void Acupoint True Essence Sea, the Fierce Flame Pill Cauldron hummed and dimmed slightly.
In response, the spear in his hand began to burn like a flame.
The next moment, with a powerful kick of its hooves, Frost White charged forward, carrying Fang Yang with overwhelming momentum.
In the blink of an eye, Fang Yang was above one of the two-winged Flying Fish.
SHLICK—
With two successive piercing sounds, Fang Yang claimed two more two-winged Flying Fish.
"SCREE, SCREE..." The White Feathered Eagle cried out incessantly before Fang Yang, the first Flying Fish still in its talons, as if demanding praise.
Fang Yang first stored the bodies of the two Flying Fish in his storage bag, then turned to look at the White Feathered Eagle.
To be honest, Fang Yang wasn't very satisfied with the White Feathered Eagle's performance.
But there was nothing to be done; he himself had chosen a more loyal White Feathered Eagle over a more intelligent one.
'It was always meant to be a temporary companion. Expecting so much from it is my own fault,' Fang Yang thought.
He then took the Flying Fish from the eagle and stored it away.
Then, he gently stroked the White Feathered Eagle's head as a sign of affection.
His gesture made the White Feathered Eagle very happy, and it cried out without end.
After that, Fang Yang captured five more two-winged Flying Fish along the southern edge of the Cloud Sea.
He had to admit, the southern end of the Cloud Sea lived up to its reputation as a prime spot for schools of Flying Fish.
If Fang Yang had stayed on the eastern edge, he likely would have come back empty-handed.
However, as the sky began to change once more, Fang Yang left the southern periphery and headed for the eastern edge of the Cloud Sea.
After all, the ultimate prize he sought was on the eastern side.
Moreover, it could only be obtained at the special moment of dawn. If he missed that window, complications could arise!
...
BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
Bolts of lightning as thick as giant chains rained down from the heavens, striking deep into the Cloud Sea. The impacts churned the mists and elicited waves of mournful fish-like cries.
The vast nightscape flashed, alternating between darkness and blinding light.
The Hunters on the periphery of the Cloud Sea all looked up, waiting for the final transformation within to conclude.
"That must be the death throes of the Flying Fish's Ten Thousand Beasts King. A pity it's all for nothing."
Those present seemed to share the same thought.
Indeed, a Ten Thousand Beasts King was the pinnacle of Fierce Beasts, comparable to a Tier Five Great Cultivator.
But this was the Ten Thousand Birds Blessed Land, the domain of the Ten Thousand Birds Tribe. How could they let a mere Ten Thousand Beasts King turn their world upside down?
On the eastern edge of the Cloud Sea, Fang Yang narrowed his eyes and gazed toward the heavens.
'If an ordinary place like the Ten Thousand Birds Blessed Land is this mystical, I can't imagine how magnificent the Carp Eagle Blessed Land must have been in its prime,' he mused.
In that instant, Fang Yang felt he could suddenly understand the bitter resentment of his elders.
He thought, 'A phoenix without its feathers is no better than a chicken. If it weren't for the status afforded by the Changkong name, the Fang Clan would probably be worse off than the Ten Thousand Birds Tribe.'
RUMBLE—
Another colossal pillar of lightning descended, threatening to smash the Cloud Sea itself. The strike sent ripples through the void, a chilling sight that made one's hair stand on end.
'Just you wait, Desert Tiger,' Chen Yuan thought, his expression dark as the longbow in his hand trembled slightly on the southern edge of the Cloud Sea. 'Once this is over, we'll see if I'm done with you!'
'This time, I have to seize enough Flying Fish. That's the only way I can exchange for the Rain Bee Spirit Extract from the Battle Credits List, forge the Rain Bee Spirit Body, and break through to Tier Three.' On another part of the southern periphery, Hong Qishang's eyes burned with fervor.
'Even though I'm already Tier Three, my Spirit Body still has lingering flaws. I desperately need a Six-winged Flying Fish to refine the Ride-the-Wind Great Pill. Damn it, why wasn't I born with a natural Spirit Body?' on the northern edge of the Cloud Sea, Desert Tiger fumed with indignation.
The path of cultivation was not easy; it was long and fraught with obstacles.
For a Cultivator, reaching the Tier Three realm was a significant leap.
Most importantly, entering Tier Three added two hundred years to one's lifespan!
Because of this, breaking through from Tier Two Peak to the Tier Three Elementary realm was exceedingly difficult.
To advance from Tier Two Peak to Tier Three Elementary, one needed a Spiritual Object to act as a catalyst. This would guide the True Essence to flow from the Void Acupoint through the entire body, condensing a Spirit Body in one single, explosive effort.
If the process was interrupted, it would result in failure. If handled poorly, the consequences ranged from severe damage to one's cultivation path to complete obliteration of both body and soul!
PATTER, PATTER, PATTER...
The lightning in the sky dissipated, and a light rain began to fall.
At this moment, all the Hunters were on high alert.
The hunt in the Cloud Sea was about to officially begin.
Compared to the other Hunters, who were all wary of one another, Fang Yang was far more relaxed.
Here, on the eastern edge of the Cloud Sea, he was completely alone!
Suddenly, the wind died down and the rain ceased. The previously sealed Cloud Sea began to part.
The Flying Fish Cloud Sea Hunting had officially begun!
The Hunters sprang into action.
They rushed toward either the northern or the southern end of the Cloud Sea.
Just then, the sky began to change, shifting from night to day.
Fang Yang, long prepared for this moment, immediately leaned forward, pressing himself close against Frost White in a posture built for speed.
With a thunderous boom, Frost White transformed into a streak of white light like a meteor. It carried Fang Yang straight into the eastern end of the Cloud Sea, leaving only faint wisps of white flame in the empty air behind them.