C24 Sharp Spout Cloudsparrow

When the hunters saw Chen Guang was still alive, they were thrilled and quickly gathered around him.

Listening to Chen Wu's account of how Chen Guang had been unearthed from a Flower-demon's Cave, they were astounded, remarking on Chen Guang's incredible fortune.

"Master Wu, I entrust Uncle Chen to your care. I have some pressing matters to attend to, so I won't be able to leave with you. Please take Uncle Chen ahead," Chen Wu said.

Although unsure of Chen Wu's reasons for staying in the perilous Western Mountain Forest, the hunters promptly agreed. They secured Chen Guang to a horned horse and hauled the dissected Demonic Beasts' Corpses that Chen Wu had prepared into a net trailing behind the horse.

The horned horse, still weak, protested with a mournful bellow. But at Chen Wu's piercing gaze, it resigned itself to hauling the heavy load and departed with the hunters.

Chen Wu then swiftly navigated through the Poison Swamp Crocodile's domain and made his way back to Black Cave Mountain.

His return was driven by a discovery: the mountain bore a striking resemblance to a landmark on Hu Wang's map.

"Yes, this must be the mountain depicted on the map!" Chen Wu mused, studying the map in his hand. The indistinct patterns faintly traced their earlier route, and the mountain matched the map perfectly.

A smile spread across Chen Wu's face. Though uncertain of what lay atop the mountain, anything treasured by Hu Wang and kept in a treasure box was surely no ordinary object. It might indeed be a Treasure Map.

Regrettably, Hu Wang had only marked the mountain's image on the map without further details.

Undeterred, Chen Wu saw no harm in exploring. Besides, he hoped to seize the chance to capture his second Demonic Pet.

Chen Wu refrained from summoning Blood Rain, which needed to recuperate from battle. His own speed was considerable, and should danger arise, he could instantly deploy The Prison of Land Light. This defense could withstand several enemy strikes, buying enough time to call upon Blood Rain if needed.

Before long, Chen Wu found himself at the base of the mountain.

After making his way around, Chen Wu stumbled upon a shortcut that didn't require scaling the mountain!

It was a fissure in the center of the mountain. Though it was just a fissure, it could pass for a narrow trail wide enough for one person, winding its way up to the mountainside. Chen Wu quickly noticed a thin line on the Treasure Map that matched the path perfectly.

"Huh? If Hu Wang is so familiar with these paths, why didn't he retrieve the treasure himself?"

Chen Wu grew cautious, yet he wasn't deterred. Hu Wang's knowledge of the path suggested there was indeed something valuable here. The fact that he treasured the map but hesitated to claim the prize himself indicated that Hu Wang lacked the capability to do so!

Maybe he was too scared, or perhaps there was a Guardian Beast he couldn't handle.

Chen Wu was aware that many spiritual herbs with sentience were protected by Demonic Beasts. These creatures absorbed the essence of heaven and earth and understood the value of the herbs, often guarded by powerful Demonic Beasts as their own Cultivation Resources.

"First things first, let's get to the top!"

Chen Wu ascended the mountain path with caution, on high alert for any wild Demonic Beasts that might appear. A surprise attack from a swift Demonic Beast could be fatal, especially if he didn't have time to summon Blood Rain. Dying from a single blow without calling his Demonic Pet would be an incredibly unjust end for Chen Wu.

Before long, Chen Wu reached the midpoint of the mountain. From this vantage point, he could see numerous caves of varying sizes, each housing its own Demonic Beast. One wrong move could spell disaster.

"According to the map, it should be the ninth cave from the top, on the right side of this mountain face!"

Chen Wu quickly identified his target: a massive cave concealed by vines, just tall enough for a person to enter.

The challenge now was figuring out how to reach it.

Surrounding the cave were about thirty others, some with remnants of broken eggshells visible at their entrances. Slender and agile Demonic Beasts flitted about, ferrying food and bundles of hay to their nests.

These birds were entirely black, yet their wings were diminutive, and their bodies were not large, being only the size of a soccer ball. Despite their small size, their flight speed was quite impressive.

The Cloud-sparrow is a harmless Demonic Beast known for its agility rather than its combat prowess. When compared to Chen Wu's Iron-feather Eagle, the latter is the Cloud-sparrow's natural predator!

Chen Wu wouldn't be worried if this were the only issue. The real concern was the presence of several larger bird nests perched on the cliffs!

[Creature]: Sharp Spout Cloud-sparrow

[Attributes]: Beast

[Type]: One Evolution (Cloud-sparrow to Sharp Spout Cloud-sparrow)

[Skills]: Iron Pecker, Wing Blade, Smashing Claw

[Potential]: High-grade Bronze

[Bloodline]: None

[Level]: Bronze Grade 5

[Status]: Resting

Behold the Sharp Spout Cloud-sparrow! An evolved form of the Cloud-sparrow, evolution among Demonic Beasts is a rare occurrence, as it signifies a leap from a lower to a higher bloodline, altering both strength and species.

The Cloud-sparrow, however, is an anomaly. Despite being a weak creature, it has a high propensity for evolution. Given that they are akin to adorable pets and are extremely frail, their evolved counterparts are surprisingly formidable.

The Sharp Spout Cloud-sparrow boasts considerable attack power and an aggressive nature. Yet, the specific Cloud-sparrows from which they evolved, and the unique traits that enabled them to produce a variant like the Sharp Spout Cloud-sparrow, remain a mystery without an explanation.

The talent of the Sharp Spout Cloud-sparrows is modest, peaking at High-grade Bronze, making it challenging for them to reach Silver Level. But facing not one, but three Grade 5 Sharp Spout Cloud-sparrows, even a fully recovered Blood Rain would stand no chance if encircled by these formidable foes.

Chen Wu observed that the Sharp Spout Cloud-sparrows were on high alert. Even when they ventured out to forage, to ensure the safety of the Cloud-sparrow community, no more than two would leave at a time.

The Giant Cloud-sparrow that stayed behind had its meals provided by the other Cloud-sparrows. The Small Cloud-sparrows busily gathered plant seeds and insects, piling them at the entrance of the Giant Cloud-sparrow's cave, allowing the Sharp Spout Cloud-sparrows to comfortably lie at the nest's edge and easily access their food, enjoying a life of leisure.

Now, Chen Wu found himself in a bind. "I need to figure out a way to disperse these Giant Cloud-sparrows!"

Otherwise, it wouldn't just be a current problem. Even if the Blood Rain advanced to Grade 4, it would still pose a significant challenge to handle these three Sharp Spout Giant Cloud-sparrows, whose combined strength was far greater than the sum of their parts.