Chapter 4593 — The Thug Boss

"Uh... then why did you go on about it so much..." Wei Zhao was speechless for a moment, his excitement having been for nothing.

"I only told you this because it suddenly struck me that this thing seems a good deal faster than other spirit birds—maybe it has a gift in that regard. Don't go reading too much into it," Old Ghost said with a chuckle.

"Faster than other spirit birds? How much faster?" Wei Zhao's interest was piqued instead.

"Compared to other nascent-soul-stage spirit birds of the same rank, its speed is at least three times greater. I'm not entirely sure of the specifics—maybe it's just because it soaked in the Star Ink Milk with you," Old Ghost said after some thought.

"Three times or more? That's already outrageous! Senior, now that you mention it, I actually think this creature might really be a candidate for a Heavenly Spirit Bird!" Wei Zhao's eyes lit up at the words.

The effect of Star Ink Milk on spirit beasts was nowhere near as remarkable as on human cultivators. If the Star Ink Milk alone were responsible, being even twice as fast as other nascent-soul-stage spirit birds would be the absolute limit—three times faster was simply impossible!

"Heh, don't go indulging in wishful thinking, lad. Whether it's truly a Heavenly Spirit Bird will depend on how it develops from here. Only if its speed advantage grows greater as its rank rises would it have the slightest chance of becoming one—otherwise it's all nonsense." Old Ghost spoke dismissively. Though he had been the one to raise the subject, he truly did not believe this creature could become a Heavenly Spirit Bird; after all, the odds were far too slim—rarer than winning a ten-million-yuan jackpot in the mortal world.

"Even if the chance is only one in ten million, it's still a chance—far better than having no possibility at all," Wei Zhao said with a chuckle.

With nothing pressing at hand and no inclination for meditation or cultivation for the moment, he sat on the spirit bird's back and continued to chat idly with Old Ghost, taking it as an opportunity to broaden his horizons and gain some knowledge.

Thus nearly half an hour passed. By now Wei Zhao was long since far from South Island, and had already left the waters of the Southern Continent behind. After all, the spirit bird's speed was now incomparably greater than before; vast as the Southern Continent's waters were, before its utmost speed they amounted to little.

Wei Zhao was just calculating when he might return to North Island when a strange sense of unease welled up in his heart, and at the same moment the jade pendant's warning sounded. A vast shadow suddenly blotted out the sky overhead, and a piercing killing intent came rushing at his face.

Wei Zhao was startled. Surely it wasn't those persistent old Western Mountain sect people again? He had clearly avoided the exit through the Five Poisons Swamp—they should have had no way of detecting him at all. If even so he was caught, was a man not even allowed to live anymore?

After a glance upward, Wei Zhao's heart finally eased. Thank goodness—it wasn't the old Western Mountain sect.

Wei Zhao was relieved, but the spirit bird beneath him was in a panic, for this shadow came from a giant fierce bird a full ten zhang overhead—and a fierce bird Wei Zhao knew well: a Ghost-Eyed Golden Eagle.

Judging by its aura, this Ghost-Eyed Golden Eagle was likely at the mid nascent-soul stage. At this moment a pair of sinister ghostly eyes was fixed on him with ill intent, as though it might swoop down and strike at any moment.

Wei Zhao calmly regarded the eagle glaring down at him with predatory eyes, then looked at his own trembling spirit bird, and could not help sighing. It's not the knowing that hurts—it's the comparing. When Old Ghost had called the spirit bird the most useless of spirit beasts, he hadn't thought much of it; now, with a point of comparison, the difference was plain at a glance.

In both looks and presence, the Ghost-Eyed Golden Eagle was unquestionably the outright victor, and as for strength—well, nothing more need be said. His own spirit bird's cowering manner already said it all. Even in speed, its greatest strength, the eagle could easily overtake it. Crushing defeat on every front...

Just as Old Ghost had said, the spirit bird's speed could only be considered above average, and though Huang Xiaotao's was far faster than other spirit birds, for now it could still only be reckoned first-rate—whereas the Ghost-Eyed Golden Eagle was peerless in speed. And with its cultivation realm a notch higher to begin with, overtaking the spirit bird at its current utmost speed was no trouble at all for it.

"There's plenty of time ahead. If you can become a Heavenly Spirit Bird, toying with it to death will be easy as can be," Wei Zhao said with a smile to soothe it. Though he well knew the other meant him harm, his mood was still relaxed—strength gives confidence, and there was naturally nothing to panic about.

"Heavenly Spirit Bird? What kind of bullshit is that? You think you can toy with my Ghost-Eyed Golden Eagle as easy as can be—does your family know you're this full of hot air?" At that moment a rough voice came from atop the eagle's back.

"Just a joke—my apologies for amusing you, sir," Wei Zhao said with a slight nod.

He had sensed the man on the eagle's back from the start, but to him, so long as it wasn't a mountain-opening-stage titan like the old Western Mountain sect, there was nothing to fear. Peaceful coexistence was naturally best, but if the other truly dared to strike, it would be a fine chance to test the power of the Five Elements Killing Qi.

"A joke? But from your tone, it somehow feels like you mean it," the man said—and with his words, the Ghost-Eyed Golden Eagle above abruptly dropped in altitude, its sharp talons carrying a fearsome astral wind that seemed about to tear a man limb from limb. Had the spirit bird not dodged in time, it would have suffered badly at once!

After putting a bit of distance between them, Wei Zhao coldly eyed the middle-aged man on the eagle's back—a classic curly-bearded brawny fellow, every inch of him radiating a fearsome, domineering ferocity. Yet what rather surprised Wei Zhao was that this fellow was actually wearing a pair of sunglasses...

For an instant Wei Zhao even thought he had returned to the mortal world, but he quickly realized: as the Central Chamber of Commerce blossomed all over Cloud Terrace Island, such mortal-world goods had long since swept the island. Even high-tech products like computers were all the rage—never mind a mere pair of sunglasses.

He had to admit, this fellow knew how to put on a look. A curly-bearded brawn was intimidating enough to begin with; now with a pair of sunglasses he gained an extra measure of menace, truly enough to inspire dread... But that was for others. In Wei Zhao's eyes, this fellow was no different from Li Cihua back in the mortal world—a common thug boss, pure and simple.

"Whether I mean it or not, it seems you've already made up your mind to make trouble for me, haven't you?" The corner of Wei Zhao's mouth curved into a barely perceptible arc as he spoke with a half-smile. (To be continued...) R527