Chapter 318: Destiny Brings Fateful Black Bird

Li Fan felt a sudden surge of alarm as the skinny fellow's gaze locked onto him. At that moment, Xu Ke, who shared a telepathic bond with Li Fan, also reacted.

Shielding Li Fan behind him, Xu Ke nervously asked, "Song Yang? What are you trying to do?"

Perhaps the chaotic scene, rarely witnessed in the Beast Taming Sect for centuries, emboldened him. Song Yang dropped his pretense and stated viciously, "I truly don't understand why an idiot like you has such good luck! You ask what I want to do? Of course, I'm taking back what rightfully belongs to me!"

Song Yang's vicious true colors were revealed, his eyes filled with murderous intent. At his signal, his companion spirit beast, a two-headed black snake, continuously slithered from the ground, slowly approaching.

Xu Ke's face was filled with horror as he continuously backed away, saying, "Senior Brother Song, you must be mistaken! I haven't taken anything that belongs to you..."

Despite his words, Xu Ke remained standing in front of Li Fan, attempting to block Song Yang's view. His subtle actions naturally didn't escape Song Yang, who sneered, "Kid, stop pretending. Hand over the Profound Bird's ownership to me, and I might spare your life. Otherwise..." Song Yang gave a cold snort. "Then don't blame me for disregarding our fellow disciple bond. Forcibly extracting essence blood and transferring a spirit beast's pain — I'm sure you're aware of what that entails."

Hearing this, Xu Ke panicked slightly. "Song Yang! Plundering a fellow disciple's spirit beast is a major taboo of the sect! How dare you..."

Song Yang impatiently interrupted Xu Ke. "You're utterly foolish! At a time like this, you're still blabbering about the sect. Can't you see the Beast Taming Sect can barely protect itself now?" His patience seemed to have completely run out. No longer bothering with pleasantries, he commanded, "Black Spirit, attack!"

The black two-headed snake had long been poised for action. The moment Song Yang gave the order, its body reared up slightly. From the mouth of the snake head with open eyes, a stream of black venom shot out.

The black liquid, like an arrow, was about to strike Xu Ke. Xu Ke used a wind-stepping technique, his body rapidly turning, narrowly dodging the attack. The black liquid landed on the ground with a sizzling sound. Xu Ke glanced at it and couldn't help but turn pale. Not only were the plants and trees completely corroded, but even the stones couldn't withstand the venom's erosion. He hadn't yet comprehended how to use protective spiritual energy; if hit, he would likely be dead or crippled.

At this thought, Xu Ke pulled an object from his bosom and fiercely threw it towards Song Yang and the two-headed snake. He then pulled out a white feather from his bosom, intending to summon a crane for escape.

However, Song Yang seemed to have been prepared for this. Before Xu Ke's hidden weapon could explode, it was seized by a beam of green light and held suspended in mid-air. Among the black snake's two heads, the one that had kept its eyes closed suddenly snapped them open. It emitted a black beam of light that directly struck the crane feather. The white crane feather seemed to ignite, turning into bits of ash that drifted gently to the ground.

"It's useless, Xu Ke. I've made thorough preparations to deal with you. I've secretly tracked you for months; I know all your tricks perfectly! What do you have to fight me with?" Song Yang looked at Xu Ke as if he were already dead.

The next second, another stream of venom shot from the black snake's mouth. It was about to land on Xu Ke, who was too shaken to dodge in time.

At this critical moment, a beam of white light suddenly shot out from behind, meeting the black venom head-on. The venom, capable of corroding solid rock, seemed to be no match for the white light. The moment they touched, the venom completely vanished. The white light's power remained undiminished, and it shot straight towards the two-headed black snake. The closed-eyed snake head opened its eyes again, and black light burst forth, barely managing to block the white radiance.

While Song Yang was shocked, a hint of greed also flashed in his eyes. "Heavenly Mandate Profound Light! The Heavenly Mandate Profound Bird is truly extraordinary! Even in its infancy, it can contend directly with Black Spirit. If it reaches its full potential... Most importantly, it has its innate divine ability: Heavenly Mandate is Mine." Song Yang looked at the lethargic Li Fan, and his desire to seize the Profound Bird intensified.

"Are you alright?" Seizing the time bought by that profound light, Xu Ke ran swiftly, fleeing towards the distance. But the disparity in their strengths was too great; he knew it wouldn't be long before Song Yang caught up.

At that moment, Xu Ke wasn't primarily concerned with his own safety. Instead, he looked with a pang of pity at Li Fan, who had overdrawn his innate divine ability to save his life.

"So weak, one attack was already my limit," Li Fan thought helplessly in his fatigue. He didn't even have the strength to scratch Xu Ke with his claws; he merely let out a soft cry to indicate that he was fine for now.

Just moments ago, witnessing Xu Ke's life being threatened, Li Fan, as his companion spirit beast, had suddenly awakened memories within his bloodline and unleashed the Heavenly Mandate Profound Light to save him. Consequently, Li Fan now knew the identity of the strange bird he had possessed: a Heavenly Mandate Profound Bird.

The Profound Bird's own strength was often not considered formidable, but it possessed an ability that all other exotic beasts and even cultivators coveted immensely, wishing to claim it for themselves. That ability was to condense and enhance auspicious fortune. The concept of fortune was not an ethereal illusion but a genuine reality. Some cultivators, excellent in both talent and character, merely lacked that bit of fortune, ultimately perishing on their cultivation path and dying with regret. The Profound Bird, however, could help those it recognized to defy heaven and alter their fortune. Furthermore, as the Profound Bird's strength continuously grew, its ability to condense fortune would likewise strengthen. In the end, it could even transform from "altering fortune" into "changing destiny." This was the true meaning of "Heavenly Mandate is Mine." The master of the Profound Bird would become a Child of Destiny. Turning misfortune into good luck and experiencing continuous fortunate encounters would all be commonplace.

"No wonder that skinny fellow was so desperate to capture me. So this strange bird I possessed is actually a highly coveted prize. Fortune..."

The weary Li Fan forced his eyes open and attempted to use the divine ability he had just awakened. Looking towards Xu Ke, he saw a purplish-gold light shoot up from the crown of his head. Although a few wisps of black smoke swirled around it, they could not obscure the noble aura of the purplish-gold light.

"Huh? This kid... So, fortune truly favors the worthy. It seems I was worrying needlessly. And I wasted so much stamina." Annoyed, Li Fan gave Xu Ke a sharp bite. But he was so weak that it felt like a mere tickle, causing no pain or discomfort.

Xu Ke, running for his life, didn't notice it at all. For Song Yang, glaring like a tiger from behind, was now almost upon him.

Just as Xu Ke was utterly exhausted and on the verge of despair, he suddenly saw a dazed and helpless Azure Luan bird standing not far ahead. Lying at its feet appeared to be the corpse of its former master. Seeing this, Xu Ke's heart filled with joy. He leaped to the Azure Luan, wrapped his arms around its neck, and climbed onto its back. At the same time, he loudly shouted, "Little Azure, let's go!"

And the Azure Luan, surprisingly agile, instinctively spread its wings. With a single light flap, it soared into the sky, high into the clouds.