Without pausing for breath, the duo shot across the invisible boundary, leaving the domain of the savage dogs behind and plunging into the gloom of Golden Rooster Mountain.
Behind them, the frenzied howling of the wild dogs ceased abruptly. The beasts paced at the edge of their territory, hackles raised, but dared not take a single step further. The demarcation of death in this realm was absolute.
"Senior Sister, activate your defensive Dharma Treasures immediately," Xiao Yifeng warned, his voice tight. "The creatures here are far worse than dogs. Guard your soul."
Su Miaoqing blinked, startled by his intensity, but she wasted no time. She layered herself in defensive talismans and activated a shimmering barrier, wrapping her figure in layers of spiritual light. Xiao Yifeng did the same, methodically applying his own countermeasures until they were fully armored against the unknown.
They ascended from the foot of the mountain, weapons drawn. Yet, the path remained unnervingly silent.
Su Miaoqing glanced around, puzzled. "It's... quiet."
"Too quiet," Xiao Yifeng muttered.
They reached the mountainside. Then, it began.
CROW—!
A single, piercing shriek tore through the silence. It wasn't the call of a morning rooster heralding the sun; it was a sonic lance that stabbed directly into their minds.
It was the signal.
Suddenly, the entire mountain seemed to convulse. A cacophony of screeching erupted from every crevice and cave, a maddening noise that carried a potent spiritual attack. It felt as if needles were being driven into their eardrums.
Su Miaoqing gasped, instinctively covering her ears as her Qi fluctuated. Xiao Yifeng grimaced, his soul shuddering under the assault. What is happening? It feels as if the entire mountain has gone mad.
Then, the shadows detached themselves from the cliffs.
Countless monstrosities burst forth from the dark caves, blotting out the crimson sky. These were the Golden Roosters, but they bore no resemblance to the livestock of the mortal world.
They were massive, the size of calves, with skin the color of dried blood. They possessed no feathers, only leathery, pustule-covered skin. Their combs were jagged and fleshy, trembling with rage, and their beaks were hooked scimitars, curved like those of eagles.
But the true horror was revealed when they spread their wings.
Their underbellies were missing. There was no flesh, no organs—only a hollow, rattling cage of white ribs. They were skeletal puppets driven by an insatiable hunger.
Thousands of golden eyes locked onto the two cultivators. They didn't just look at them; they looked at them with greedy, ravenous desperation, as if they had spotted the supreme delicacy of the cosmos.
With a thunderous beating of leathery wings, the swarm ascended.
"Fly!" Xiao Yifeng roared.
Unlike the earthbound dogs of the previous ridge, these horrors ruled the air. They moved with supernatural speed, a red tide surging to engulf them.
Su Miaoqing let out a clear, sharp cry. Her hands moved in a blur, forming seals so fast they left afterimages. Crimson flames exploded outward, taking the form of a majestic phoenix that spiraled around her, incinerating the vanguard of the rooster swarm.
Her casting speed was terrifying.
To an observer, this prowess would be shocking, but Xiao Yifeng knew the truth. This was the might of the Fire Phoenix Body—the innate talent she had awakened upon reaching Foundation Establishment.
A cultivator's constitution was usually a closely guarded secret, but Su Miaoqing had trusted him enough to reveal it. Her body was a vessel naturally attuned to the Great Dao of Fire. She could absorb fire spiritual energy and unleash pyromantic arts three times faster than a standard cultivator.
Three times the speed. Three times the power. Three times the recovery.
In a life-and-death duel between equals, this advantage was insurmountable. It was a top-tier Foundation Establishment talent, leagues above Xiao Yifeng's own rather utilitarian talent, the Quartet. And now, bolstered by the Undead Bird Source Blood from her past life, her potential was unmeasurable.
"Break through!" Xiao Yifeng commanded, his own sword, Luohong, splitting into a storm of sword lights to guard her flank.
But the swarm was endless.
For every rooster Su Miaoqing incinerated, ten more took its place. Among the flock were alpha roosters radiating the pressure of the Golden Core stage. Their iron claws slashed through the air, tearing at the duo's protective barriers, forcing them into a suffocating defensive circle.
Xiao Yifeng’s heart sank. This is wrong.
In his previous life, Golden Rooster Mountain was dangerous, yes, but not like this. Travelers were usually harassed by small groups, not hunted by the entire population of the mountain.
He watched as the roosters ignored him, throwing themselves suicidally at Su Miaoqing. They weren't just attacking; they were trying to consume her.
The Source Blood.
Realization hit him like a physical blow. The Undead Bird Source Blood running through Su Miaoqing’s veins was an irresistible lure. These undead creatures sensed the divinity within her. If they devoured her, they could achieve nirvana—shedding their rot to become true spiritual beasts.
They weren't fighting an obstacle; they were fighting a frenzy.
"They want the blood!" Xiao Yifeng realized. "We can't outrun them."
He made a split-second decision. He could no longer hide his strength.
With a guttural roar, Xiao Yifeng reinforced his personal barrier. He slammed his palms together, his spiritual energy surging violently. The Luohong sword hovering beside him began to tremble, humming with a high-pitched resonance.
"Form!"
Luohong fractured into over a dozen solid swords of light. They shot upward, piercing the gloom, weaving a complex, profound trajectory in the air above them. He was laying down a grand sword formation.
But casting such a formation required utter concentration.
His movement slowed. The defensive perimeter faltered.
Instantly, the horde capitalized. A dozen Golden Roosters smashed into him. His protective talismans shattered like glass. Iron beaks and claws tore into his flesh. Blood sprayed into the mist.
"Junior Brother!"
Su Miaoqing turned, her eyes widening in horror as she saw Xiao Yifeng disappear beneath a pile of writhing, skeletal bodies.
A piercing scream ripped from her throat—not of fear, but of pure, unadulterated rage.
BOOM!
A shockwave of blood-colored energy detonated from her body. Su Miaoqing ignited her own essence. She initiated the Forbidden Art: Blood Burning.
Sacrificing her longevity and vital blood for raw power, her aura skyrocketed.
With a single sweep of her immortal sword, a tidal wave of fire blasted the roosters off Xiao Yifeng. She blurred, appearing instantly at his side.
She was no longer the delicate Senior Sister. She was a ruinous goddess of war.
Countless miniature firebirds materialized around her, swirling in a chaotic vortex of destruction. Her clothes were tattered, her skin marked by claws, and blood—both hers and the monsters'—soaked her robes. Yet, she didn't flinch. She ignored the beak tearing at her shoulder to decapitate the attacker with a backhand slash.
She stood over the kneeling Xiao Yifeng, her sword creating an impenetrable wall of flame.
"Senior Sister, stop!" Xiao Yifeng shouted, coughing up blood as he maintained the formation seals. "You're burning your foundation! Stop!"
Su Miaoqing didn't look back. Her face was pale, but her eyes burned with a terrifying resolve.
"If I stop, we both die!" she screamed over the deafening caws, her voice trembling with pain but steel in her tone. "Focus on your spell! I will not let them touch you!"