Almost the instant Han Zhiyuan, along with a bird and a black egg, vanished into the forest, two gray-clad elders appeared in the air at the spot they had just vacated. One was riding a magnificent white steed with enormous wings, while the other was on a gigantic bird with wings spanning several meters. The elders frowned slightly.
“We arrived a step too late.”
“It is indeed the aura of the Peacock King,” said one elder, whose face was deeply wrinkled. A determined look flashed in his murky eyes. “I didn’t expect him to be so severely injured.”
“Hmph,” the other elder remarked with regret, “If it weren’t for this eerie Huangduan Mountain Range suppressing everyone’s cultivation to the level of a Grand Martial Master, we would have already obliterated the Peacock King’s soul.”
The first elder chuckled. “Even a Martial Emperor would face the same suppression here. I think this is precisely our opportunity.”
The other elder grinned. “Indeed, the Peacock King fleeing to this Huangduan Mountain Range shows that fate is against him.”
The two exchanged a confident glance, then their mounts spread their wings and disappeared in a blink. As soon as they left, a giant black eagle with wings spanning several meters appeared, circled twice, its eyes flashing with worry, then vanished.
Meanwhile, Han Zhiyuan was running frantically through the forest, clutching the unconscious Peacock King tightly under his arm. For some reason, the Peacock King remained in his bird form, not transforming into human form, saving Han Zhiyuan a lot of effort. However, its beautiful peacock head dangled violently with his running, making Han Zhiyuan worry that he might accidentally break its long neck. So, he pressed its head into his chest, thinking it was just a bird, and wouldn’t cause him much trouble when it woke up.
As Han Zhiyuan ran through the forest with the Peacock King, the black egg followed relentlessly, hopping and jumping. Occasionally, it would abruptly brake, sending Han Zhiyuan flying and making him fume with anger.
After running a great distance, Han Zhiyuan finally relaxed slightly. Holding the Peacock King made him a coveted target for many.
However, as soon as he stopped, Han Zhiyuan’s heart sank again.
All around him were towering trees of strange shapes, their branches covered in green moss crisscrossing to connect the entire forest. The dense branches formed intricate pathways, blocking out the sun and filling the forest with a cold, eerie atmosphere.
“What kind of place is this?” Han Zhiyuan muttered, feeling like he had stepped into a scene from an anime. The surroundings were cold and dark, with the crisscrossing branches blocking any sunlight.
“Ga-zhi!” The black egg suddenly jumped to Han Zhiyuan’s side and leaned against his back.
Han Zhiyuan slapped it away. “Get lost!” He then hurriedly placed the white peacock on his lap, anxiously checking if the Peacock King was alive or dead.
He couldn’t check the bird’s breathing, and its body was as cold as ice from the start. Holding it, Han Zhiyuan found the Peacock King more and more beautiful, worthy of being the king of birds. If the demon clans saw this scene, they would kill him in seconds.
“Gu~” A strange sound suddenly reached Han Zhiyuan’s ears. Just as he was startled, a chaotic thought entered his mind, urging him to keep the Peacock King warm in his arms.
Startled, Han Zhiyuan saw the black egg staring at him like a person. Realizing the source of the thought, he hesitated but eventually held the exquisite white peacock in his arms. For convenience, he unfastened his outer robe and wrapped the peacock inside it.
Although his body temperature wasn’t as high as when they first met, it was still much higher than normal.
“Ga-zhi, ga-zhi.” The black egg happily bounced around when it saw Han Zhiyuan follow its suggestion. Then, it came closer, prompting Han Zhiyuan to pat its shell perfunctorily, making it even happier.
Han Zhiyuan worried about high-level demons suddenly appearing, especially those who could transform into human form. If that happened, he would be doomed, with no help from the demon king, the unreliable black egg, or the Peacock King bound in his clothes.
Fortunately, nothing appeared. As night fell, Han Zhiyuan climbed a giant tree and decided to spend the night there.
He made a simple nest, planning to leave the black egg below. However, it stubbornly hopped up and nestled behind him, almost crushing his makeshift nest.
Exhausted, Han Zhiyuan quickly fell asleep, unaware that the black egg behind him was emitting a faint glow, and the white peacock in his arms had transformed into a human, lying naked in his embrace.
At dawn, Han Zhiyuan was awakened by a crunching sound. Groggily, he felt something poking and pecking at his feet.
Annoyed, he opened his eyes to see a giant black shell crack open, revealing a strange creature kicking him with clawed feet.
Startled, Han Zhiyuan reflexively kicked it away. With a series of thuds and chirps, the creature finally fell silent.
As his brain processed what he saw, Han Zhiyuan realized the creature had a large, bizarre head, with antlers and large eyes, covered in green scales.
“Damn, a demon!” Han Zhiyuan looked down and saw the creature wedged in the branches, next to black shell fragments. “Black… black egg!”
“Chirp!” The creature perked up at his call, clumsily flipping several times before standing. It had a snake’s body, fish scales, a crocodile’s head, deer antlers, and eagle claws—just like a legendary dragon.
Shaking with a mix of fear and excitement, Han Zhiyuan was jolted by something sliding out of his arms. Reflexively catching it, he felt smooth skin.
Looking down, Han Zhiyuan saw a flawless, delicate face with long eyelashes, a straight nose, and slightly red lips. His body temperature rose as he realized the person in his arms was a man.
Han Zhiyuan awkwardly looked away, realizing his hand was on the man’s lower back. Feeling the smooth, soft skin, he froze, his body reacting embarrassingly.
At that moment, the man woke up, their eyes meeting. The man’s beautiful face blushed, and with a burst of energy, he flung Han Zhiyuan away.
Han Zhiyuan fell a hundred meters, screaming, followed by a few thuds and groans.
“Chirp!” Who threw the baby dragon?
Author’s Note: Black Egg: Hatched! O(∩∩)O Han Zhiyuan: ←← Peacock King: →_→
