The Golden-Winged Roc, its body gleaming with brilliant golden light, stared toward the west, where Ji Kong lay. It had been cultivating in this region, but was suddenly jolted awake by a terrifyingly powerful aura.
It was a fearsome being, and although the Roc itself was a human emperor-level beast, one of the most dominant creatures in the Qingyun Realm, this presence made it feel a lethal threat. This suggested that the being was at least of emperor rank, and several levels higher than itself.
The Roc was familiar with most emperor-level monsters in the Ancient Desolate Forbidden land, yet this fearsome creature was unknown to it. What was even more alarming was the deep, instinctive fear that stirred within the Roc's bloodline upon sensing this presence.
Despite its impure bloodline, the Roc still possessed the lineage of the Golden-Winged Roc, one of the top divine beasts. To make such a creature feel dread meant the being possessed a truly superior, ancient bloodline.
"Relax, we mean no harm," Qin Tian said calmly, his gaze drifting toward the Roc. In the primeval Immortal Domain, the Golden-Winged Roc was among the supreme divine beasts, known for their unmatched speed. In fact, only the Golden Crow, with its Rainbow Flight, could rival them in the realm of swift flight.
To Qin Tian, this emperor-level Roc had a diluted and impure bloodline, a far cry from the purity of Ling Jiao, who had the potential to evolve into a true dragon.
"A dragon..." The Roc's pupils contracted. The dragon was the natural predator of its kind, and the dragon accompanying Qin Tian was clearly of a purer lineage than itself. But its attention shifted from the dragon to the young man carrying a peerless beauty in his arms. For such a pureblood dragon to serve this boy—it was either because of the boy's overwhelming power or the terrifying strength of the force behind him.
Either way, the Roc knew it couldn't afford to provoke him.
"I'm just here to take a look around. Nothing more," Qin Tian remarked, clearly uninterested in exchanging words with the Roc. His only intent was to explore the Ancient Desolate Forbidden land and perhaps find something of interest.
"Oh, and that man—he's coming with me," Qin Tian added, pointing at Ji Kong, who lay sprawled on the ground, unable to move.
"No… no problem," the nearby giant serpent and Giant Ape stammered, swallowing nervously as they suppressed their shock. They weren't foolish; the presence of Qin Tian's human emperor-level dragon alone filled them with enough fear to make any resistance unthinkable.
Ji Kong was utterly bewildered. He had been on the brink of death, and now, out of nowhere, a mysterious youth had saved his life.
"Thank you, senior," Ji Kong said, quickly rising to his feet in gratitude. In this world, strength ruled. Power conferred respect, and lack of power made one insignificant. Though the youth appeared young, the fact that an emperor-level dragon served him meant that Ji Kong had no problem addressing him as a senior.
"Yiya ya, yiya ya!" From Qin Tian's shoulder, the small bear-like creature, Yi Yi, pointed excitedly at the nearby royal-grade medicine, as if saying, "I want it, I want to eat it!"
"That royal-grade medicine is mine now. No objections, right?" Qin Tian said calmly, although it was clear that he wasn't really asking for permission. Even as he spoke, Yi Yi had already begun to pluck the fruit.
"Senior…" The Golden-Winged Roc felt a pang of distress. The royal-grade medicine had taken years to grow to its current state, and finding such a treasure was exceedingly rare. Had it not been for sensing the overwhelming presence of Ling Jiao, the Roc would never have come across the fully matured royal-grade medicine.
"I appreciate your attitude, so I won't take it for free," Qin Tian added, glancing at the beasts. In a rare moment of good mood, he decided to offer something in return. It wasn't a big deal to him.
Qin Tian casually retrieved a vial filled with divine beast essence blood from his storage ring. "I'll give you a drop of true blood."
For Qin Tian, it was a small gesture, but for the beasts, it was a monumental gift. Their eyes lit up with astonishment as they stared at the vial of essence blood. The allure of divine beast blood was almost too much to resist, and were it not for the terrifying presence of Ling Jiao, they might have tried to seize it by force.
As the Golden-Winged Roc received the true blood, it felt its own bloodline surging with newfound vitality, as if the very essence of its being had been invigorated.
"Thank you, senior! Thank you!" the Roc exclaimed, practically groveling at Qin Tian's feet. As for pride? What was pride compared to the chance to grow stronger?
Unlike humans, the Roc had no need for empty honor. What mattered was power, and this drop of true blood could purify its bloodline, which was invaluable. For a descendant of a divine beast, a purer bloodline was often more important than immediate strength. After all, strength could be cultivated, but bloodline purity was exceedingly rare to improve.
Ji Kong, meanwhile, was utterly stunned. He had lived for thousands of years and thought he had seen everything. But this scene was beyond anything he had ever encountered.
A wild idea flickered in his mind. This mysterious youth was no ordinary figure. Could he be a direct disciple of an Upper Realm sect?
The decline of the Da Zhou Dynasty had been partly due to its lack of a connection to the Upper Realm. The Da Xia Dynasty had such a backing, which was why their influence had steadily grown. But if Ji Kong could establish a relationship with this mysterious youth, perhaps everything could change.
His challenge now was finding a way to convince this young master to help him.
"Thank you for saving my life, young master," Ji Kong said respectfully. Even if this youth didn't ultimately help his dynasty, the fact that he had saved Ji Kong's life made him an indisputable benefactor.
"No need to thank me. I promised your dynasty's little princess I'd save the Da Zhou Dynasty, and I don't break my promises," Qin Tian replied indifferently. Initially, he had intended to use Ji Lingxian, the luck-bound heroine, to further toy with Lin Fan. After all, protagonists and heroines were often tied together by fate.
But Lin Fan had proven far more fragile than expected. Qin Tian hadn't even gone as far as he could have with Ji Lingxian, yet Lin Fan's Dao heart had already shattered under the pressure.
Lin Fan's luck had rapidly drained, far faster than Qin Tian had anticipated. It seemed Lin Fan was still at the early stage of his protagonist arc, with a Dao heart that was nowhere near mature enough.