Chapter 537 - 229: Aberration
Chen Qing’s brow furrowed. He thought to himself, ’Sinking Flood Dragon Abyss... a secret treasure guarded by a Cyan Flood Dragon? The Wang Family knows so much about this place that they even have records of such secrets. Have they explored it deeply many times, perhaps even tried to claim the treasure for themselves?’
He gained a new appreciation for the Wang Family’s strength and ambition and committed the fact that Sinking Flood Dragon Abyss might hold a secret treasure to memory.
He continued flipping through the atlas. When his eyes landed on the Chapter about the Golden Feathered Eagle, Chen Qing’s brow tightened.
The atlas not only described the appearance and habits of ordinary Golden Feathered Eagles, but also highlighted an extremely rare variant—the Golden Feathered Eagle King!
The text stated that this variation was a one-in-ten-thousand occurrence; it was rare to find even one among a flock of several hundred Golden Feathered Eagles.
Its most distinct features were not just its larger size. Rather, as it matured, faint, dark-gold cloud-like patterns would gradually emerge at the base of its wings. The color of its beak and talons would also deepen, approaching a dark-gold hue.
Furthermore, its intelligence and growth potential far surpassed that of an ordinary Golden Feathered Eagle. Once fully grown, its power could match or even exceed that of a typical Late-stage Astral Force cultivator. It was a true sovereign of the sky, worthy of the title King of Exotic Beasts.
Chen Qing immediately turned to carefully inspect his own resting Golden Feathered Eagle.
He gently parted the feathers at the base of its wing. By the faint light filtering in from the cave entrance, he could see them—faint, complex, light-gold patterns under the skin. They had not yet fully manifested, but their nascent form was already visible!
Looking at its beak and talons, their color was indeed deeper than that of an ordinary Golden Feathered Eagle.
’So that’s it...’
Understanding dawned on Chen Qing. No wonder Wang Zhifu had been so fanatical upon seeing it, so determined to capture it alive.
’To think that the egg I chose from the three, the one with the strongest aura, would turn out to be such a rare breed!’
’No wonder that woman from the Wang Family was so dead set on getting it. To the Wang Family, renowned for their Beast Taming, an Exotic Beast with this kind of potential is priceless.’
Realizing his Golden Feathered Eagle might be the one-in-ten-thousand Eagle King variant, Chen Qing couldn’t help but feel fortunate.
He calmed himself, quickly skimming through the rest of the *Exotic Beast Collection* and committing it to memory, paying special attention to information about the weaknesses of various Exotic Beasts and the locations of rare materials.
Once he was sure he hadn’t missed anything, a flicker of Li Fire True Astral appeared at his fingertip. The atlas instantly burst into a ball of flame, turning to ash in a moment.
He couldn’t leave behind anything that might reveal the Wang Family’s identity.
For the next three days, Chen Qing kept watch around the cave while meticulously caring for the Golden Feathered Eagle.
He increased the dosage of powdered Bone Strengthening Pill, mixing it with fresh meat to feed the eagle.
As an Exotic Beast, the Golden Feathered Eagle’s Life Force and regenerative abilities far surpassed those of its species. Under Chen Qing’s meticulous care and with a plentiful supply of resources, its wounds healed at an astonishing rate. By the third day, it could already stand, and its vitality had mostly returned.
During these three days, Chen Qing found no new traces of Stone Lions.
On second thought, he figured it was normal. ’Stone Lions are incredibly valuable,’ he mused. ’If they appeared in herds like common animals, free for the slaughter, the True Disciples and candidates of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect would all be rolling in wealth, and Contribution Points wouldn’t be so scarce.’
Fortunately, the Golden Feathered Eagle’s injuries healed with incredible speed. It could already flap its wings and fly short distances at low altitudes.
Chen Qing felt somewhat relieved and decided to continue exploring Luoxing Slope, looking for opportunities to earn Contribution Points.
One morning, Chen Qing was deep inside the cave, sitting cross-legged in meditation. He was performing a full Circulation to temper his Five Elements True Astral.
Suddenly, an indescribable, explosive aura erupted from deep within the earth without any warning, as if a slumbering, ancient behemoth had just rolled over in its sleep!
The hairs on Chen Qing’s body instantly stood on end. A violent shudder ran through him, wrenching him from his deep Meditation.
’What’s going on?!’
This tremor didn’t feel like it came from an Exotic Beast; it was a far grander and more destructive pulse of energy!
Not daring to hesitate for even a moment, he instantly shot to the cave entrance.
The moment he stepped out of the cave, the sight before him made his brow furrow into a tight knot.
The ground beneath his feet let out a dull roar and began to tremble violently, shaking like a sieve.
In the distance, in the direction of Luoxing Slope’s core, the sky was stained an eerie, dark red, as if molten rock were flowing across the horizon.
Rolling heatwaves, like a tangible tsunami, crashed over him one after another. The air was thick with the suffocating stench of sulfur and scorched earth.
Then, an indescribably brilliant streak of light, trailing a blazing tail that stretched across the sky, slammed violently into the distant horizon!
BOOOOOM—!!!
Even from dozens of miles away, the cataclysmic boom made Chen Qing’s eardrums ring. The tremors underfoot grew even more violent, and loose rocks pattered down from the ceiling of the cave.
At the point of impact, a massive mushroom cloud of fire and dust billowed upward, soaring into the heavens and throwing that part of the sky into utter chaos.
A visible shockwave expanded rapidly outward in a ring. Wherever it passed, dead trees were pulverized, and the very ground was torn up in layers!
’A meteor! It’s a meteor strike from beyond the heavens!’
A jolt went through Chen Qing as he instantly recalled the records about Luoxing Slope he had previously read in the Ten Thousand Laws Hall.
Luoxing Slope had earned its name precisely because its core region was periodically struck by meteors from beyond the Realm, creating the unique, crater-pocked landscape of today.
The ethereal glow often seen at night was the result of the aura dissipating from the remnants of these Meteors.
According to the texts, most of these Meteors shattered upon impact.
When ordinary Meteorite Fragments were consumed by the local Exotic Beasts, they would condense into valuable Meteorite Iron Cores within their bodies.
However, the true core and essence of the Meteor was a substance the ancient texts called the Fall Mother.
The Fall Mother contained immense and pure Star Power, making it a supreme treasure for forging Divine Weapons and Armor, and even for aiding the practice of certain special Cultivation Techniques!
A single, complete piece of Fall Mother was worth far more than ordinary Meteorite Iron.
Exchanging one at Wanxiang Hall could easily fetch tens of thousands of Contribution Points. If the quality was exceptionally high, its value was simply immeasurable!
Not only that, but the immense burst of energy from a Meteor’s impact could also unearth rare mineral deposits from deep underground or catalyze the growth of unique Spirit Plant Treasure Medicines.
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