Immortal True Flame, Immortal Phoenix

This Daoist, with his immortal aura and refined bearing, looked as if he were wrapped in clouds and mist, yet the words he uttered drew all eyes to him. Sensing the astonished gazes around, the Daoist hurriedly explained, "Why are you all staring? I meant drums! Drums! The skin drums you make here are quite excellent."

"So it's the drums. For a moment, I thought the Daoist had a peculiar taste and enjoyed staring at people's backsides!"

"A misunderstanding, then! It was about drums!"

The crowd wore expressions of sudden realization, which left Xie Wuji feeling rather perplexed. Just who was this elderly Daoist?

Nevertheless, Xie Wuji kept his attention fixed on the dock. The lake lay calm, giving no sign of any lurking monster. The Daoist, meanwhile, stood behind Xie Wuji, watching his back with a keen, amused interest.

Yet as he watched, the Daoist's gaze drifted downward, settling on Xie Wuji's rear. Xie Wuji grew uncomfortable, but he was certain something was stirring beneath the lake’s surface. Should it be a monster, it would surely be drawn to objects infused with spiritual energy. Xie Wuji took out a spirit stone and ground it into powder.

"If you're going to fish, you should catch a chicken. The river god loves chicken," piped up a lively young maiden beside him.

Xie Wuji recognized her as the one who had earlier issued commands, directing the boats.

"Thank you for the advice. Do you have any chicken meat?" he asked.

"No, I should thank you. If you hadn't dived in to save that child just now, he would surely be gone," she replied.

The girl seemed to recall something. "It has to be a live chicken..."

Xie Wuji's gaze slowly shifted to the Fire-Tailed King Chicken, pecking at food in the distance.

The Fire-Tailed King Chicken sensed Xie Wuji's chilling stare, shivered, and clucked nervously.

"Come here, King Chicken, tsk tsk tsk!" Xie Wuji beckoned.

But the Fire-Tailed King Chicken, unsuspecting, promptly flew over. Xie Wuji began smearing the spirit stone powder onto its feathers. "Later, fly a lap over the lake, and you'll find something delicious!"

The Fire-Tailed King Chicken clucked excitedly, oblivious to the trap it had walked into.

With a wave of his hands, Xie Wuji commanded, "Go!"

Villagers nearby watched, swallowing involuntarily.

"That chicken’s huge! It flies so fast—I bet it tastes amazing..."

"I want the tail! Look at those colorful feathers—braised phoenix tail would be delicious!"

"True, but it’ll likely end up as a meal for the river god."

The Fire-Tailed King Chicken circled the lake twice, but nothing happened. It frolicked in the air, spinning and surveying its surroundings.

"It’s coming," the Daoist suddenly announced.

Xie Wuji glanced at him in confusion, wondering how he knew. Just then, a massive shadow appeared beneath the chicken on the lake’s surface.

The villagers held their breath, watching the distant spectacle. Xie Wuji’s eyes widened.

Suddenly, the lake exploded—a gigantic fish, the size of a mature elephant, burst from the water! Its mouth took up half its body, and to call it a "bloody maw" would be an understatement; it was more like a "bloody ocean mouth"—so vast it could swallow a house whole!

The monstrous mouth lunged at the Fire-Tailed King Chicken. The chicken shrieked and flapped desperately to escape, but from the fish’s mouth, a huge, crimson tongue shot out, frog-like, snaring the chicken’s legs and dragging it toward the water.

"Not good!" Xie Wuji cried, kicking a plank from the dock and flipping himself onto it, surfing across the water toward the beast.

Reaching the monster, Xie Wuji leapt, ramming his shoulder into its massive body.

"Mountain Crash!"

Thud!

He struck the fish’s belly squarely, but the creature barely flinched—only a few scales shattered. Furious, it turned its gaze to Xie Wuji, abandoning the chicken and lunging at him.

Xie Wuji jumped back, but the plank beneath his feet was bitten clean through!

The giant monster plunged into the water, creating towering waves that soaked Xie Wuji's nearly dry clothes once more.

"Careful below!" called the girl from the shore.

Looking down, Xie Wuji saw an enormous mouth opening beneath his feet, threatening to tear him in two.

His heart raced—if he were caught, he'd be torn apart.

Thankfully, the Fire-Tailed King Chicken cried out, snapping him back to his senses. He leapt onto the chicken's back. The chicken spun, aiming its rear at the monster, and with a hiss, a jet of fire shot from its gland!

The flame blasted into the fish monster's mouth, forcing it underwater.

Yet the monster seemed unharmed, swimming restlessly below. Though Xie Wuji rode the Fire-Tailed King Chicken, the fish monster prowled beneath the surface like a shark, its fin slicing through the water in circles.

Splash!

A column of water surged up, catching Xie Wuji off guard and striking his face. His cheeks burned with pain—he touched them and found blood.

High-pressure water jets—another hit and his skin might split open!

Even the Mountain Crash was ineffective; the creature's scales were too tough. Xie Wuji had no idea how to defeat it.

"Fool, use fire! Use your true flame!" the Daoist called.

Xie Wuji was startled. How did the Daoist know about his Undying True Flame? He had no time to dwell on it—the monster kept firing powerful jets of water, forcing the Fire-Tailed King Chicken to flee higher.

"Whoosh!"

As another jet sprayed, the fish monster burst from the water, snapping at Xie Wuji.

Gritting his teeth, Xie Wuji channeled his spiritual energy, conjuring the Undying True Flame and hurling it at the beast.

Boom!

Fire and water collided, erupting in a cloud of mist, but the monster survived, diving back into the lake. A high-pressure water jet struck Xie Wuji's chin.

His jaw went numb, and more jets rained down—he had to make the chicken fly even higher.

Just then, the Daoist cried, "Heaven and earth in your heart, divine bird manifest, Undying True Flame, supreme balance!"

"What?" Xie Wuji was bewildered.

"Idiot, that's the incantation! Summon the spirit of the immortal bird and let it unleash the Undying True Flame—only then will you wield its true power!" the Daoist shouted.

Suddenly enlightened, Xie Wuji realized the old Daoist must be none other than Chu Sheng.

He recited the incantation, feeling his whole body ignite. A vast flame gathered around him, coalescing into a gigantic fiery bird. The bird unleashed a massive fireball toward the lake!

Boom!

The two-meter-wide fireball exploded onto the water, sending up enormous waves and a thunderous blast that drowned out all else.

Xie Wuji shielded his face. As the mist cleared, he saw the immortal bird spirit had vanished, and his body felt utterly depleted, unable to move.

Clucking, the Fire-Tailed King Chicken carried Xie Wuji back to shore. The villagers stood stunned. As Xie Wuji lay prone on the ground, the old Daoist crept over, grabbed his trousers, and yanked them down...

All the matrons instantly covered their eyes, and the young wives blushed and cursed.

The men looked grim, clutching their belts, while the old Daoist laughed lewdly, "That's it, that's it, oh ho ho ho..."