Chapter Sixteen: Who Ultimately Benefited?

Having located the cave, Chen Xiao had essentially accomplished the most important goal of coming to Qingshan Town.

However, due to the abundance of items inside the stone chamber and the constant harassment from magical beasts along the way, Chen Xiao could only make one round trip per day.

This made it impossible for him to leave for now; until he emptied the chamber, he felt as if ants were crawling all over him.

He had considered returning to Wutan City first to auction off a nano ring at the Mittel Auction House before coming back to take everything at once.

But the problem was that nano rings were rare in Wutan City and not always available daily. Even during the auctions held at the beginning and middle of the month, they were sometimes nowhere to be seen.

Therefore, rather than relying on luck, it was more practical to make several trips back and forth through the Beast Mountains, which ultimately saved more time.

Worth mentioning is that over the following days, Chen Xiao frequently traveled to Hei Yan City, the closest city to Qingshan Town, exchanging his bags of gold coins for a Four-Pattern Platinum Card.

The Four-Pattern Platinum Card was the highest level gold card available to those below the Douling rank across the continent, requiring a deposit of over 100,000 gold coins.

As for the more prestigious Five-Pattern Purple Gold Card, only those with the power of a Douling could qualify.

Naturally, if one had the backing of a transcendent force, these rules didn’t apply.

After all, rules are made to be broken!

(Reference to the Purple Gold Card is explicitly mentioned in the original work, not fabricated.)

…

Within the Beast Mountains.

With a single stroke, Chen Xiao cleaved the approaching Greenwood Wolf in two and, after confirming it held no magical core, lost all interest.

Previously, after slaying magical beasts, he would take the most valuable parts back to Qingshan Town to sell, but now there was simply no need.

His bag space was limited; he needed to save room for more gold coins.

Wiping the blood off his body, Chen Xiao jumped into a nearby stream and cleaned himself under the curious gaze of a river otter before leaving refreshed.

With no second-tier beasts appearing, Chen Xiao, a nine-star Dou Zhe, had effectively become the little overlord of the surrounding area.

“This training trip was mediocre, but it was only incidental anyway. There will be plenty of opportunities later.”

With this thought, Chen Xiao crossed over the small basin in the Wan Yao Zhai herb-collecting area, then passed through a patch of forest to reach the cliff where the cave was located.

Familiar with the path, he entered the stone chamber without haste, thanks to the early hour.

Sitting cross-legged, he activated the "Ice Emperor Canon" to adjust his condition to optimal and reached into his pocket to take out a black scroll he always carried.

This scroll was none other than the mysterious advanced-grade flying combat skill, Eagle Wings!

Objects varied in importance and weight; Chen Xiao did not trust leaving all his valuables at the inn. Therefore, this Eagle Wings scroll, along with the remaining fragment of the Pure Lotus Demon Fire map and his gold coin card, were always kept on him.

Though somewhat troublesome, it brought peace of mind.

Grasping the scroll with both hands, Chen Xiao’s eyes kindled with fiery eagerness. Had he not been busy hauling goods from the chamber these days, he would have been impatient to cultivate this skill long ago.

To soar through the skies was a dream many shared—transcending the world itself.

Undoing the delicate binding cords on the scroll, Chen Xiao slowly unfurled it.

Instantly, a pair of dark, chillingly black eagle wings came into view.

Since the wings were painted on the scroll, they were not large. Yet, when Chen Xiao reached out and touched them, he felt a faint warmth—an uncanny sensation.

The eagle wings were jet black with slight purple cloud patterns, resembling black steel forged with a unique metallic texture.

Shifting his gaze from the extraordinary wings, Chen Xiao noticed a line of small script beside them.

“Black Flame Purple Cloud Eagle, a fifth-rank flying magical beast. It is said to possess the rare bloodline of an ancient phoenix. Its flight speed ranks among the top of all flying beasts. Naturally cunning and ferocious, it is extremely difficult to capture, existing only in the southern cloud-mist regions of the continent.”

“This combat skill, named Eagle Wings, also called Purple Cloud Wings, was created after my friends and I spent three years capturing a Black Flame Purple Cloud Eagle. Through secret techniques, we extracted its wings to form this scroll for training. This skill was drawn with Dou Qi on my deathbed and can only be cultivated by one person. Remember this well!”

A fifth-rank beast was equivalent in strength to a human Dou Wang!

…

Having learned that the wings were obtained through secret methods, Chen Xiao suddenly understood why they looked so mysterious.

“I recall that within these wings lies the unconscious soul, or perhaps instinct, of the Black Flame Purple Cloud Eagle. I must be cautious during cultivation.”

Taking a deep breath, Chen Xiao studied the detailed cultivation instructions on the scroll. Seeing the clear note that even if cultivation failed, no life-threatening danger would occur—at worst, only unconsciousness—he finally relaxed completely.

The magical beasts nearby had been largely cleared these past days; otherwise, Chen Xiao wouldn’t have dared to seek out beasts at the herb collecting area’s far end.

Moreover, humans seldom ventured here; otherwise, the cave would have been discovered years ago by the little healer.

Given all this, even if Chen Xiao failed and was knocked unconscious for three days and nights, there would be little danger.

“The stronger the soul power, the easier it is to cultivate this skill. My soul strength shouldn’t be too weak.”

Chen Xiao had never tested his soul power, and Wutan City lacked the means to do so.

However, subtle clues could reveal the strength of one’s soul, such as memory.

After awakening memories from his past life, Chen Xiao distinctly felt his memory had improved.

The clearest proof was the seven-colored poison scripture from a few days ago.

He had only skimmed through it initially, yet after returning to Qingshan Town, he could easily recite many of the medicinal formulas by heart.

From this, it was evident he had some advantage in soul power.

Resolute, he glanced at the stone chamber’s entrance.

After some thought, he pushed the bluestone platform over to block the door.

With everything ready, he no longer hesitated. Slowly, he placed his palm on the scroll, gently pressing the soft black wings, and closed his eyes.

Not long after his hand touched the wings, the violent eagle soul within suddenly emitted a piercing cry that made his soul tremble. The sound pierced through the scroll, traveled along his arm, and stabbed mercilessly into his mind like a drill.

Chen Xiao’s body shuddered briefly but soon steadied, a faint smile appearing on his lips.

The soul assault was not as terrifying as he had imagined.

Or rather, his soul strength—

Was not weak!

Casting aside distractions, Chen Xiao held firm, allowing the fierce thoughts to rage in his mind but remaining as unmoving as a mountain, fully conscious.

He was strong, and the breeze caressed the hills.

He was unyielding, and the bright moon illuminated the great river!

This psychic confrontation lasted over ten minutes. The Black Flame Purple Cloud Eagle’s raging thoughts seemed to realize they could not influence Chen Xiao. Finally, it let out a reluctant wail and utterly dissipated.

With his mind calm again, Chen Xiao slowly opened his tightly shut eyes.

In terms of power, he was naturally far inferior to a fifth-rank Black Flame Purple Cloud Eagle. However, the beast had been dead for countless years; its soul was but a shell, leaving only its violent primordial instinct.

Thanks to this, Chen Xiao never felt significant pressure throughout.

“I now officially qualify to cultivate this skill.”

Grinning, Chen Xiao laid his palms on the eagle wings again.

This time, the wings remained peaceful, no longer attacking.

Chen Xiao’s Dou Qi surged within, following the scroll’s detailed instructions as it circulated slowly in his body.

After a moment, the icy Dou Qi flowed to his arms and gradually into his palms.

As the Dou Qi appeared in his hands, the eagle wings on the black scroll suddenly radiated intense light, purple and black hues thickening until they transformed into two slender beams of purple-black light, racing like lightning along Chen Xiao’s arms into his body.

At that moment, Chen Xiao clearly felt the two purple-black streams reach the meridians along his spine, as if finding a resting place, abruptly stopping.

Suddenly, his meridians were forcibly pulled open, sprouting two extremely thin branches!

Simultaneously, an excruciating pain as if his flesh were being torn apart surged through him, turning his face pale and breaking out in cold sweat.

About fifteen minutes passed before the pain gradually eased.

Removing his clothes, Chen Xiao noted two thin, knife-like wounds on his back and a pair of palm-sized black eagle wing tattoos!

“If this were before, my father would have beaten me half to death…”

Muttering, Chen Xiao stood and moved the bluestone slab blocking the door, returning to the cliff outside.

Flying combat skills differed greatly from ordinary ones. For someone like Chen Xiao, this was already a near-complete success.

What remained was to master it fully, achieving seamless control.

With some anticipation, Chen Xiao willed his Dou Qi to flow, receiving its transmission. The black tattoos glowed faintly purple, then suddenly unfolded, transforming into a pair of wings as tangible as real feathers!

Chen Xiao glanced back, controlling them to flap. Instantly, an intangible buoyancy appeared beneath him, gently lifting his body off the ground.

Flap, flap—

The wings beat faster, and Chen Xiao rose higher and higher.

After climbing about six meters, he felt a slight weightlessness and struggled to maintain balance.

Wobbling midair, Chen Xiao steadied himself and gazed into the distance, seeing the world below for the first time from this bird’s perspective.

“The gentle breeze, the shimmering forest—never standing at such heights, one would never know such beauty!”

If this small Beast Mountain Range was so enchanting, what wonders awaited in the vast northern snowfields, the boundless seas to the east, the southern continent, and the land of hidden dragons and crouching tigers in Zhongzhou?

Lost in thought, Chen Xiao gathered himself and practiced for another half-hour, until most of his Dou Qi was spent, reluctantly stopping.

Meanwhile, the two slender wounds on his back had slightly widened.

Not lingering further, he checked the time, entered the cave, packed a full bag of gold coins, and returned to Qingshan Town.

…

Wan Yao Zhai.

The girl standing on the wooden box saw the familiar, refined face and felt no ripple of emotion.

Once, twice, thrice, four times…

She was used to it by now.

Chen Xiao said little, decisively removing half his upper garment to reveal the two thin wounds on his back.

“The wounds are a bit deep but not serious. Apply some medicinal powder and they’ll heal in a few days. Fragile bodies bruise easily but also recover quickly.”

Chen Xiao nodded slightly, put on his shirt, turned, and accepted the medicine package with a nod of thanks.

Then, as before, he picked up pen and paper to pay by reciting the formulas from memory.

Seeing this, the girl, whose expressions rarely changed, revealed a new look—her brows lifted with a glint of secret delight.

“This is worth more than two gold coins. Hehe, a profit for today.”

The girl thought this to herself.

Chen Xiao put down the pen, smiling quietly as he whispered to himself:

“Saved another two gold coins…”