Chapter 315: Dream Return to the Beast Master Sect

"Slow down, slow down..."

Amidst repeated exclamations of surprise, Li Fan swallowed all the broken eggshells. A searing energy surged from his belly, coursing through his entire body. This power was incredibly pure. Li Fan, who had been stumbling just moments before, was now able to hop and skip.

"Wow... as expected of a divine bird's descendant, truly amazing. It can walk on its own so soon after hatching! Does that mean I'll be able to ride it and fly in no time?"

Ignoring the incessant chattering beside him, Li Fan dejectedly walked to the water's edge and looked at his reflection.

"It's so damn ugly!"

A strange bird, completely bare of feathers with red, exposed skin all over, appeared in Li Fan's field of vision.

"Senior Brother Zhang, I actually miss you a little. At least when I was with you, I was still a true disciple of the Zixiao Sect. Now, after opening a new map, I can't even be human anymore; I've actually reincarnated into such a foolish bird."

Perhaps influenced by possessing the strange bird, Li Fan's thoughts at this moment were unusually lively and erratic, quite unlike his usual calm state.

"Grow up quickly, my good bird..." The incessant chattering sounded again, making Li Fan even more annoyed.

However, a red plant, resembling both an insect and a blade of grass, was extended toward Li Fan, instantly making him forget all his displeasure. He snatched it with one gulp and swallowed it in a few mouthfuls. An indescribable sense of satisfaction instantly surged through him, like the exhilaration of a Qi Refinement stage cultivator stumbling upon a celestial wonder, or a Foundation Establishment cultivator forming their Golden Core using a hundred methods. In an instant, Li Fan lost the ability to think. Only a blissful, blank consciousness remained, adrift in an ocean of euphoria.

Long after, the ethereal pleasure slowly subsided. Li Fan gradually regained his ability to reason. But the impact of the red 'thorn-wormgrass' from before still lingered in his mind, making it unforgettable. As he savored the lingering taste, an undeniable greed began to surface.

"What the hell is this thing?"

Li Fan was horrified, yet he couldn't help but stare longingly at the source of the voice.

"Don't look at me like that! I only managed to save up this one 'thorn-wormgrass'. If you eat it, there won't be any more for a while!"

A young boy, appearing to be only twelve or thirteen, apologized sheepishly while scratching the back of his head.

"Gone?" Disappointment and anger surged within him. In a fit of pique, Li Fan scurried up to the boy's head and started kicking furiously. Immediately, the boy's neat hair became as messy as a bird's nest. The boy didn't get angry; he just tilted his head and grinned foolishly. Li Fan grew even angrier, so he simply made the top of the boy's head his nest and settled there.

"Hehe, little fella, don't be angry. Although the 'thorn-wormgrass' is gone, our Beast Taming Sect's main gate encompasses countless secret realms and spiritual mountains, filled with an abundance of good things. You definitely won't starve! Come on, I'll take you to find something to eat right now." After saying this, the boy tossed out a feather.

The feather emitted a white glow, and a moment later, an elegant and extraordinary red-crowned crane appeared before him. The boy skillfully straddled the red-crowned crane, wrapped his arms tightly around its neck, and shouted, "Little Red, let's go!" The immortal crane let out a clear cry, then flapped its wings and ascended into the sky.

High in the sky, the wind howled. The boy didn't forget Li Fan on his head; he carefully shielded him with his hand to prevent him from being blown away. From time to time, a familiar warm energy was transferred to him, helping to ward off the chill of the high altitude. With the help of this peaceful energy, Li Fan's agitated mood slowly calmed. He seized this rare opportunity to analyze his experiences in the Fallen Immortal Realm.

"This time, the possession target is a bit special. It's a strange bird that struggled out of its eggshell. Hmm... Quite novel. Unlike possessing a cultivator, where one can maintain their own thoughts, possessing an exotic beast means one's temperament and personality are also affected by the beast, becoming almost uncontrollable and acting purely on instinct. It's not negative emotion, but the nature of the beast itself. That's why the Profound Yellow Heart Refining Incantation, which had always been effective, failed for the first time. Unless I reveal my true form and activate the Azure Flame technique, there's no way to escape with my current methods. This place seems to be the Ancient Beast Taming Sect. The boy beneath me must be a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect. The gentle energy that sustained my life and helped me hatch when I was still in the eggshell was released by him. The Beast Taming Sect's beast-taming methods? While helping exotic beasts grow... They can also strengthen the bond between both parties." Li Fan mused inwardly after a slight observation.

Although Li Fan would play tricks on the boy, driven by his volatile nature, in reality, the boy was like a parent to the strange bird he possessed. As the direct experiencer, Li Fan clearly understood the source of the strange bird's anger. Beyond its unresolved hunger, it was primarily the result of a conflict between an emerging dependence on humans and the innate will inherited through its bloodline. Its instincts told the strange bird that it shouldn't be so close to humans. Yet, it couldn't control the emotions surging within it. That's why it was so irritable.

"The Beast Taming Sect certainly has some tricks. I wonder if there are any other effects."

As Li Fan pondered, he lay atop the boy's head, gazing downwards. The strange bird's vision far surpassed that of humans; even from above the clouds, everything on the ground was perfectly clear. Within the continuous mountain ranges, numerous spiritual fields were tiered like steps. Some cultivators, controlling exotic beasts with ox bodies and horse faces, were tilling the fields. On a mountaintop not far away, many buildings dotted the landscape. Further still, there appeared to be a tall tower. He faintly sensed a familiar and terrifying aura emanating from the tower.

"Just ahead, not far from here, are the fire-attribute spiritual fields. Everyone says you're a descendant of a divine bird, and your nature is intrinsically linked to fire. Eating more things like 'Crimson Essence Leaves' and 'Profound Fire Fruits' is definitely good for you, absolutely beneficial for your body." The boy said with a giggle. "My senior brothers have been unusually busy lately, for some reason, so I figured bringing you here to sneak a bite wouldn't be a problem."

After flying for a long time, the newly hatched Li Fan started to feel sleepy again.

"If you say so..." He gently scratched the boy's hair with his slightly hardened claws, signaling for more energy. Li Fan yawned, about to drift off to sleep again.

Just then, a tiger's roar echoed across the sky, startling Li Fan awake. Looking up, he saw a blue figure, riding a tiger-bodied, human-faced monster, approaching from afar. It streaked past above Li Fan's head and vanished into the distance in an instant, its destination unknown. The air currents and strong winds it generated made it difficult for the red-crowned crane carrying the boy to maintain its balance. The boy, however, showed no complaint; instead, he excitedly shouted, "Look, it's Senior Brother Lu Ya! That tiger-bodied, human-faced spiritual beast beneath him is said to be a descendant of a water divine beast, and it's incredibly powerful! It's less than ten years old but already comparable to a Golden Core stage cultivator!"