With the treasure now in his possession, Qin Sang had no desire to stay entangled with Qianji Demon King.
Finding a safe place as quickly as possible to refine the remaining power of the Green Luan inside him was his top priority.
Furthermore, Qin Sang was deeply worried about the Heavenly Eye Butterfly and needed to observe her closely before drawing any conclusions. Swallowing tribulation lightning was unheard of, and he prayed it would not have any negative effects on her.
After flying over several mountain ranges, Qin Sang suddenly altered his course, and his figure plunged downward.
*"Gaa!"*
A panicked screech echoed from the depths of an abyss. A figure bolted in a flurried escape, only to be seized firmly by the nape of the neck by Qin Sang.
It was none other than the falcon demon!
The falcon demon was terrified and tried to struggle, but Qin Sang slapped it across the head.
Even before his breakthrough, Qin Sang could easily capture the falcon demon alive without breaking a sweat, let alone now.
"Behave yourself! You've got quite the nerve, daring to follow me!" Qin Sang mocked.
When he had let the falcon demon go earlier, he had intended to track it down later when time permitted. Unexpectedly, the fellow had not fled straight away, but had instead shadowed him all the way here, peeping as the Heavenly Eye Butterfly underwent her tribulation.
The falcon demon possessed quite good concealment and disguise techniques, but hoping to deceive the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's perception was still far too naive.
Qin Sang had noticed the sneaking falcon demon long ago. Now that his strength had soared, he had simply seized it to drag along.
The falcon demon grew docile, drooping its head in despair and lamenting its rotten luck.
Relying on the treasure left behind by its mother, the falcon demon had run amok without restraint, stirring up plenty of trouble. It had even lain hidden in Ten Thousand Snakes Abyss for years without being caught.
Yet unexpectedly, it had fallen into Qin Sang's clutches twice in a row. Only now did the falcon demon realize that Qin Sang must possess extraordinarily brilliant methods capable of seeing through its disguises with ease, leaving it thoroughly subdued.
"Big brother, I was wrong! Please show mercy and spare this little bird's life once more! I will engrave the debt of your mercy upon my heart forever. Seeing you being hunted by Qianji Demon King, I was worried for you and wanted to see if I could lend a hand..."
The falcon demon pleaded repeatedly, fawning over Qin Sang.
"Heh, you were just waiting for a chance to scavenge some scraps, weren't you?" Qin Sang sneered.
He had no idea what this fellow had been through. It was at the mid Demon Core stage, after all, yet it was so glib and slick, lacking the slightest demeanor of a great demon.
The falcon demon was left speechless. Dangling from Qin Sang's grasp, it once again sensed the alluring aura emanating from within Qin Sang's body, its eyes darting around rapidly.
The tribulation clouds dispersed, and the stars and moon reappeared.
In the starry night, two streaks of light chased across the sky; the Demon Consort and her subordinates had long since been left far behind.
Qianji Demon King pursued with all his might, but to his frustration, the thief's escape technique was even more brilliant than his own. The distance between them grew wider and wider until he had no choice but to give up. He could only watch helplessly as the thief swaggered away, making off with both the mysterious stone slab and the fourth-metamorphosis spirit insect.
*Bang!*
Qianji Demon King fiercely shattered a massive boulder with a palm strike, venting the fury raging within his chest.
***
After flying far into the distance and confirming that he had shaken off Qianji Demon King, Qin Sang found an uninhabited, desolate mountain. He ducked into the mountain and casually excavated a cave dwelling.
Bai stood guard outside.
Qin Sang tossed the falcon demon to the side, preparing to circulate his cultivation technique again to refine the power of the Green Luan.
The falcon demon hesitated for a long while, but in the end, unable to resist the temptation, it shamelessly begged, "Good master! Venerable ancestor! One look and I can tell you're a kindhearted person. That you could smoothly find that stone slab in the demon's lair was partly thanks to my contributions, wouldn't you say? For that sake, couldn't you let me inhale a mouthful? Just one mouthful!"
Qin Sang opened his eyes. "Inhale what?"
The falcon demon said eagerly, "The mysterious aura sealed inside the stone slab! I can feel that it would bring me immense benefits, which is why I lurked in Ten Thousand Snakes Abyss for so many years. If I can assimilate it, I might even advance to the late stage!"
Qin Sang sized the falcon demon up and down, asking quizzically, "You snuck into the demon king's treasury because you were drawn to the stone slab as well? You're a thunder-swallowing falcon without any Green Luan bloodline in you. Aren't you afraid of damaging your foundation by recklessly assimilating Green Luan essence blood?"
"Green Luan essence blood?"
The falcon demon stared blankly, then shook its head repeatedly. "I wouldn't dare assimilate the essence blood directly! It's the lightning power mixed within that power. It's exceptionally unique, and it might help improve my natural aptitude by a few degrees!"
*So it was coveting the lightning power contained within the Green Luan essence blood.* Qin Sang nodded inwardly.
A thunder-swallowing falcon possessed an innate divine ability to command lightning, so its perception was unlikely to be wrong. It seemed the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's ability to swallow heavenly lightning was also related to the peculiar lightning power within the Green Luan true blood—one wondered what its origins were.
Unfortunately, Qin Sang could not assimilate it himself. He could only drive the Green Luan essence blood into his wings to continue tempering the phoenix wings, at most acquiring a lightning escape technique.
Tempering the phoenix wings relied primarily on the Green Luan essence blood, causing a great deal of the lightning power to dissipate anyway. Siphoning some of it off for the falcon demon would cost Qin Sang nothing.
"This lightning power truly isn't of much use to this old man. But you surely harbor resentment against me in your heart. Why would I give it to you and raise a formidable enemy for myself?" Qin Sang remarked indifferently.
The falcon demon smiled ingratiatingly. "I was thoroughly subdued long ago! How could I dare oppose you? I am willing to swear an oath upon my inner demons!"
Qin Sang shook his head in disbelief. "This old man only trusts his own people."
The falcon demon chuckled dryly. "Your own people? You... you don't mean to..."
Qin Sang nodded.
He happened to lack a mount—one that would willingly acknowledge him as master.
The white crane possessed decent intelligence, but it was lustful to a fault, making it inevitable that it would stir up trouble sooner or later. Qin Sang had only taken in the white crane as a temporary measure.
Its natural talent was far inferior to that of a thunder-swallowing falcon.
A thunder-swallowing falcon was the descendant of a Transformation stage great demon. After assimilating the Green Luan's lightning power, its future prospects would be limitless.
"In your dreams! Don't even think about it!"
The falcon demon flared up in rage, feeling deeply insulted.
It was not some foolish beast whose intellect had yet to awaken; how could it willingly become someone else's mount?
Qin Sang was not surprised. The two-headed hou was a lesson from the past; getting a spirit beast to submit willingly was never easy. Saying nothing more, he ignored the falcon demon, closing his eyes to continue refining the power of the Green Luan.
The falcon demon was dumbfounded.
*Aren't you supposed to keep bargaining?*
It scratched its ears and cheeks in anxious frustration. Drooling over the Green Luan's lightning power, it could not resist offering, "For a hundred years, I'll go to your cave dwelling and serve as your mountain-guarding spirit beast. How about that?"
"Your little life is already in this old man's hands. If you disobey, I'll simply pluck your feathers and stew you. Why bother with such roundabout measures?" Qin Sang said flatly.
The falcon demon froze, then suddenly stiffened its spine and barked angrily, "If you dare touch a single feather of mine, my mother won't let you off! My mother is also at the Transformation realm, and she is thoroughly versed in lightning escape techniques! Even though you managed to escape from Qianji Demon King, you wouldn't stand a chance of surviving before my mother!"
Qin Sang replied sarcastically, "I couldn't tell that a wretch like you was the scion of a Transformation stage great demon. I wonder which demon king your esteemed father might be?"
"My mother has no desire to contest with the world and has always cultivated in seclusion in Boundless Valley; she isn't some demon king! She long ago placed a secret safeguard on me. I know you don't believe it, but go ahead and try touching me! How could this young master come and go as he pleased in a demon king's lair without something to rely on?" the falcon demon blustered.
Qin Sang's heart stirred.
*Hailing from Boundless Valley... then it must be that fat chicken.*
The fellow was not lying; behind it truly stood a thunder-swallowing falcon at the Transformation stage.
Qin Sang had once witnessed the thunder-swallowing falcon's grandeur from afar. Taking on two Nascent Soul cultivators all on its own without falling into the slightest disadvantage, its strength was terrifyingly formidable. Even after Qin Sang formed his Nascent Soul, he would still have no certainty of defeating that thunder-swallowing falcon.
Chapter 1149