Chapter 223: The Undying Underworld Emperor (Part 4)

Qinglan Sect
Three months have passed.
While refining the Blood Source Fruit, Chen Tianyi also tended to the spirit rice. His cultivation had reached the peak of the fourth level of the Spirit Gathering Realm due to the fruit's refinement, just one step away from the fifth!
Having not seen Brother Crow for three whole months, Chen Tianyi found himself quite missing the crow he both loved and hated.
Unfortunately, he hadn't encountered it again since their last meeting.
This left Chen Tianyi feeling conflicted and uncertain.
"Have you heard? In the mountains at the foot of the sect's main peak, there's a first-tier demonic beast, it seems to be a crow. It actually stole the spiritual fruit that Senior Brother Jiang found!"
"That crow is incredibly bold, daring to steal Senior Brother Jiang's things. Although Senior Brother Jiang is only at the Spirit Gathering Realm, he's a genuine second-tier alchemist with a bright future. Even the elders treat him with utmost respect... Now Senior Brother Jiang has offered a generous reward for finding that crow's whereabouts. That crow won't live much longer."
"Yes... even some elders have been alerted, wanting to do Senior Brother Jiang a favor. Once they find out the crow's whereabouts, the crow will surely die."
"......"
Chen Tian was instantly stunned upon hearing the passing disciples' discussion.
He naturally knew Senior Brother Jiang, whom the disciples were talking about. He was a prominent figure in the Qinglan Sect, the prized student of the Alchemy Hall Master.
The crow the disciples were talking about.
Chen Tianyi was certain.
It was the Crow Brother he knew so well.
Because of all the crows in the world, only the Crow Brother had the ability to make the prominent figures of the Qinglan Sect suffer a setback, daring to snatch food from a tiger's mouth.
"Not good... Crow Brother is in danger!"
Chen Tianyi worried.
If the Crow Brother's whereabouts were discovered by others, it would certainly not escape the pursuit of the Qinglan Sect.
Chen Tianyi decided to go out and find the Crow Brother, so that it could quickly leave the Qinglan Sect's territory.
Evening
Su Chen slowly opened his eyes.
Even a crow.
His body was incredibly handsome at this moment.
After refining a second-grade spirit fruit, Su Chen's cultivation finally broke through from the peak of the ninth level of the Qi Awakening Realm to the first level of the Qi Gathering Realm.
However, when he stretched his body, he noticed a familiar figure.
"Is that silly boy?"
Su Chen discovered a human figure not far away, it was Chen Tianyi.
Chen Tianyi seemed to be searching for something.
“Brother Crow…Brother Crow…”
Su Chen found it strange. Could the Brother Crow Chen Tianyi was looking for be him?
Seeing Chen Tianyi's anxious expression,
Su Chen flew down.
Chen Tianyi saw a black figure flying towards him and immediately became alert. It was a tall demonic beast, a second-tier one at that.
However, when Chen Tianyi saw the figure, he recognized it—it was the Brother Crow he had been searching for.
Seeing Brother Crow land on a tree not far away, Chen Tianyi hurriedly said,
“Brother Crow, Brother Crow, something terrible has happened!”
Su Chen: “?”
The memories that had died deep within his mind began to awaken and launch an attack.
Chen Tianyi said, "Brother Ya, you've offended Senior Brother Jiang. He's an alchemist, and now he's offering an exorbitant reward to search for you everywhere. Even the elders of the Qinglan Sect have been mobilized!"
Seeing Brother Ya remain unmoved, Chen Tianyi suddenly slapped his forehead.
He was talking to a crow about the Qinglan Sect, Senior Brother Jiang, alchemists, and sect elders. Even if the crow possessed sentience, it probably wouldn't understand what he was saying.
Chen Tianyi then said, "Brother Crow, you'd better leave here quickly and go somewhere else. Someone is looking for you. If they find you, they'll kill you!"
Su Chen glanced at Chen Tianyi.
Looking at this foolish boy.
Chen Tianyi was from the Qinglan Sect.
According to Su Chen's observations, the Qinglan Sect had members at the Spirit Sea Realm, and most of the sect's elders were at the Spirit Pattern Realm.
The Qinglan Sect was hunting him down, and Chen Tianyi had come to warn him.
Su Chen glanced at the foolish boy again.
Then he flew away with a thud.
Chen Tianyi watched the departing figure.
A pang of melancholy settled in his heart.
He knew he might never see Brother Crow again.
Faced with Senior Brother Jiang's hefty reward... he didn't regret letting Brother Crow go.
"But... how long has it been since Brother Crow? It seems... he's already reached the second-tier demon beast level."
Chen Tianyi belatedly realized.
He recalled that when he first met Brother Crow, it seemed to be just an ordinary crow. Several days later, when he saw it again, Brother Crow had become a first-tier demonic beast. Now, seeing it again, it had become a second-tier demonic beast.
Such a speed of advancement was simply astonishing; among humans, perhaps only the offspring of kings could rival it.
"I wonder what kind of crow Brother Crow is, that its cultivation speed is so fast!"
Chen Tianyi thought to himself.
...
Su Chen returned to his territory.
He had wiped out all the surrounding demonic beasts.
Recalling Chen Tianyi's words,
Su Chen thought of the brocade-clad youth who had stolen his second-grade spirit fruit half a month ago.
That brocade-clad youth was perhaps the Senior Brother Jiang Chen Tianyi had mentioned, the genius of the Qinglan Sect.
Now, because of a second-grade spirit fruit, he was seeking revenge.
Man dies for wealth, birds die for food.
He was now a bird.
How could he let a second-grade spirit fruit go?
"The Qinglan Sect... is quite troublesome."
Su Chen sighed softly. His cultivation had now broken through to the Spirit Gathering Realm, granting him numerous abilities. Even with the most ordinary bloodline, he could fight beyond his level... However, the crow's bloodline was far too ordinary. Even with his many abilities, crossing two major realms was impossible.
Su Chen had no choice but to abandon this territory and head deeper into the mountains, where there were even more powerful demonic beasts, more danger... but also more opportunities for growth and development.
Monster hunting, leveling up, seizing opportunities.
Simple and unpretentious.
......
Three years have passed.
In these three years,
Chen Tianyi has changed a lot.
He often dreams of chasing a crow.
This isn't because he's overly sentimental.
But for some reason, whenever he dreams of that crow, his cultivation speed increases tenfold!
Upon discovering this, Chen Tianyi was greatly shocked. He resolved to stop slacking off and cultivate diligently. Within a year, he became a genius among his peers; within two years, he caught up with the elder's personal disciple; and within three years, he showed signs of becoming a contender for the title of the Qinglan Sect's number one genius.
Chen Tianyi became a legendary figure in the Qinglan Sect.
Today, the Qinglan Sect is joining several other major sects to hold a Demon Hunting Tournament.
The purpose is twofold: firstly, to hone the skills of their own sect's disciples.
Secondly, recently, for unknown reasons, an increasing number of demonic beasts have been migrating from the inner perimeter of the mountains to the outer perimeter. This gathering of demonic beasts has caused considerable trouble for the major sects, disrupting their supply chains. They are using this opportunity to eliminate some of the demonic beasts from the outer perimeter.