Chapter Thirteen: Is It a Little Eagle?

“Why do your wings shimmer with golden light?”

“This is... the Golden Crow!”

Watching Jiang Xuan circling in the air as if just warming up, the golden-armored serpent demon finally sensed that something was amiss.

The aura of a sacred beast—no matter how dull-witted, he could not mistake it!

Looking down at the golden-armored serpent demon from above, Jiang Xuan let out a sly chuckle.

“Only scared now? It’s already too late!”

The strong are always aloof.

With those words left behind, Jiang Xuan dove down even faster than the golden-armored serpent demon had moved before.

In the next moment, dozens of cracks appeared along the mighty body of the golden-armored serpent demon from head to tail, bleeding profusely!

“No! Impossible!”

“Just a mere sixth-rank eagle demon, how could you receive a gift from the Golden Crow!”

“Even if you obtained such a precious resource from heaven, how could you possibly refine it!”

His vertical pupils filled with shock, the golden-armored serpent demon’s hoarse roar echoed through the high sky.

But just as his voice fell, he felt as if his body was broken.

Looking down, a bloodline appeared at his vital spot, growing increasingly obvious.

“Ah! Why! Why!”

With his last bit of strength, the golden-armored serpent demon howled toward the sky, mingling a trace of spiritual energy in the fierce wind, quickly heading toward the cliff above.

“Already dead and still trying to send a warning?”

“I am an eagle demon after all, and if I can’t even see through this, what kind of eagle am I?”

Within the fierce wind of the serpent demon’s roar, Jiang Xuan clearly saw a strand of azure spiritual energy.

What it contained, Jiang Xuan did not know.

But he was no fool; he immediately guessed that this serpent demon was trying to relay information beneath to its own kind.

Flapping his wings, he summoned an even fiercer tornado, chasing after it!

In the serpent demon’s final moments, that strand of azure spiritual energy dissolved in the air, scattering countless glowing lights...

In the nest, the little eagle was utterly shocked by the scene, her body stiff, standing rigidly in place.

“So strong! Is this the power of a sixth-rank demon beast?”

Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Xuan appeared before her.

“The strong one isn’t the sixth-rank demon beast—it’s me, Jiang Xuan!”

“Jiang Xuan? You... you can hear me?”

The little eagle’s shock deepened, eyes wide as she stared at the giant eagle demon before her.

“Of course. If I’m not mistaken, you’re still a female eagle, right?”

Appraising the little second-rank eaglet, Jiang Xuan’s gaze was perhaps a bit blunt, but he had no other intentions—pure curiosity.

However, after he spoke, the little eagle immediately spread her wings, hugging herself and looking terrified.

“Wh-what do you want? I won’t give myself to you! Don’t get any ideas, I’m warning you!”

“Damn it! What do you take me for? If I were to fancy you, at least wait until you can take human form!”

“Right now, you’re all covered in scruffy feathers! What the hell could I possibly like about you?!”

Frustrated by the little eagle’s words, Jiang Xuan stomped his feet and began to explain.

Only then did the little eagle lower her wings and appraise this powerful eagle demon in front of her.

Seeing her appraising gaze, Jiang Xuan paid no mind.

“So, you’re the only bird in this nest? It’s a bit messy here. Any other eggs?”

“My mother only laid me. I just hatched a day ago and I’m already a second-rank demon beast. Impressive, right?”

Turning around and looking inside her home, the little eagle said proudly.

“Not bad. Just you alone, so no competition. All the resources are yours—guess that’s not so impressive after all.”

“You! How dare you talk like that!”

Her pride trampled, the little eagle puffed up, feathers trembling.

After a quick scan to confirm there were no other eggs, Jiang Xuan stepped out of the nest.

“It’s too dangerous for you to stay here. My place has better conditions, and I’m taking that serpent demon back with me. You can share some food. How about coming with me?”

Saving people to the end, delivering Buddha to the West—the little one couldn’t be left here. If he left, she might not last long.

This was also why Jiang Xuan had asked the Demon Lord and the Empress to create more space before leaving home.

The little eagle hesitated, not answering immediately as if weighing her options.

Jiang Xuan ignored her, moving beside the cliff to grab the corpse of the sixth-rank serpent demon hanging on the rock with his foot.

“What’s wrong? I’m only asking once. If you don’t go, you’re on your own.”

“I’ll go! I’ll go with you!”

Seeing the little female eagle so nervous, Jiang Xuan wanted to laugh.

“Alright, don’t worry. You’ll be safe with me. Survival of the fittest is true, but we eagle demons don’t kill our own kind.”

“Okay, then let’s go.”

Still a bit anxious, the little eagle watched as Jiang Xuan lowered himself at her doorstep, letting her jump onto his back.

Soon, the big and the small, the male and the female, took to the wind, preparing to return to their nest.

Concerned the little female eagle couldn’t endure the flight, Jiang Xuan deliberately slowed down.

“Ah! My feathers! Help! Someone save me!”

Along the way back, a cry for help again reached Jiang Xuan’s ears.

He stopped and scanned the entire cliffside, searching for the source of the voice.

“What’s wrong? You’re not going to throw me here, right?”

Seeing Jiang Xuan stop, the little female eagle immediately grew nervous, biting tightly on his feathers with her beak.

Jiang Xuan rolled his eyes.

“I’m not that kind of bird, nor do I have such weird tastes.”

“You guard the serpent demon meat. I’m going to toss you on that rock first, otherwise you’ll slow down my sword draw.”

“Ah?”

Before she could react, a gust of wind howled past her ears.

Next, she found herself on a large stone on the cliff.

Right after her, the corpse of the golden-armored serpent demon, nearly ten times her size, landed.

After dropping her off, Jiang Xuan immediately rushed toward the source of the distress call.

Though it seemed to waste some time, the whole process took less than five seconds.

“W-where am I? What’s going on?”

“Mother eagle, is this a rat demon? It’s delicious!”

What was happening?

Jiang Xuan arrived before another nest and saw the little eagle standing at the cliff’s edge—but she wasn’t spreading her wings!

Seeing her about to jump, Jiang Xuan was shocked and hurried over.

“Hey, are you possessed? What’s going on?”

Just in the nick of time, the little eagle fell onto Jiang Xuan’s back.

What baffled Jiang Xuan even more was that after being rescued, the little eagle tried to jump off his back again!

“Wake up! You’re not... under the illusion of the Teng serpent, are you?”

Jiang Xuan suddenly realized—he was almost certain of it.

But at this moment, he didn’t know how to break the Teng serpent’s illusion!

“Fine, desperate times call for desperate measures.”

Ensuring the little eagle didn’t fall, he circled in the air a few times before an idea struck him.

“Hehe, mother eagle, you’re so kind. This rat demon is delicious, just a bit low-level.”

“Next time, if you could bring a fourth-rank demon beast to eat, that’d be great...”

The little eagle, looking somewhat unsatisfied, chewed her beak.

Then, she took a leap and dove straight into the endless chasm below...