Chapter 26: Sword Flight

Sensing the ferocious aura and thick scent of blood, a chill ran down Yin Tianfang’s heart. The fledgling monster bird had not eaten him yet, but now with the return of the adult, it seemed his life had come to its end. The fledgling, seeing the adult monster bird’s arrival, immediately ran over happily, chirping and chattering in an unknown tongue.

The adult monster bird stretched its head into the cave, casting a cold glance at Yin Tianfang before slowly withdrawing.

With a thunderous crash, a massive body was tossed into the cave by the adult monster bird, which then spread its wings and soared away. The fledgling immediately began to devour the prey with great gusto. Yin Tianfang stepped closer and realized it was a snake as thick as a barrel, stretching several meters in length. Though dead, it still radiated a potent demonic energy.

"A demon serpent," Yin Tianfang murmured in shock, gazing at the colossal creature. Judging by the aura it still emitted, this serpent had been exceedingly powerful, yet now it served as a mere meal for the monster bird’s young.

Seeing Yin Tianfang approach, the fledgling tore off a huge chunk of snake flesh and carried it over to him. As Yin Tianfang accepted the giant piece of meat, a gleam flickered in his eyes. Back at the Azure Cloud Sect, his daily cultivation required spiritual herbs to ensure his body could endure the rigors of training. Only those who reached the third level of Qi Condensation could forgo such supplements—by then, even fasting would do little harm.

But for now, Yin Tianfang was only at the first level of Qi Condensation, and still a step away from the second. Having been hungry for so long, his stomach rumbled as he watched the fledgling feast. Hunger was one thing, but truly eating this raw serpent flesh was quite another, and he hesitated.

Soon, the several-meter-long demon serpent had been nearly devoured by the fledgling. After a satisfied burp, the young bird waddled deeper into the cave.

Yin Tianfang sat, staring at the chunk of serpent meat in his hand for a long time before finally making up his mind. If he hadn’t been eaten by these monsters, starving to death would be pointless. With sudden resolve, he bit into the meat and swallowed it whole, his face contorting as the bloody taste almost made him retch. After forcing down the first mouthful, it took him a quarter of an hour to recover. He glared at the remaining meat, then, with grim determination, devoured it quickly. Soon, he had finished the large chunk.

He burped, a wave of bloodstained breath escaping his mouth.

Suddenly, his expression shifted; he felt a powerful surge of energy rampaging within him. In a flash, he remembered that the demon serpent, in life, had possessed formidable cultivation, and its flesh was saturated with immense spiritual power.

In ancient times, during the age of primordial savagery, disciples of the great sects would eat demon beasts, harnessing the potent spiritual energy in their blood and flesh to advance their cultivation. Nowadays, most disciples relied on spiritual herbs—after all, herbs could be grown, while hunting demon beasts was far more dangerous. Few sects would risk their disciples by sending them to hunt such formidable creatures.

Now, as a prisoner, Yin Tianfang had stumbled upon a strange fortune. If he could overcome his aversion, so long as he survived, his meals would be drawn from the flesh of powerful demon beasts.

He immediately sat cross-legged, circulating his cultivation technique to refine the vast spiritual energy contained within the serpent meat he had swallowed. The surging power filled his body, making him swell visibly.

As he continued to operate his technique, the spiritual energy was refined and circulated through his body, gathering in his dantian. Within his core, where the sky had once been calm, now a fine drizzle began to fall—each droplet pure power.

The raindrops fell into the still waters of his core, sending ripples across the surface. The blue lotus swayed, and beneath its emerald leaves, a second leaf slowly emerged amidst the gentle rain. With its appearance, Yin Tianfang’s entire body trembled.

He had broken through to the second level of Qi Condensation!

With his breakthrough, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth rushed into him, mingling with the lingering power from the serpent’s flesh, all being absorbed and refined.

In the blink of an eye, three months had passed in this place. By now, Yin Tianfang looked like a wild man—his clothes in tatters, hair matted, face filthy, and a foul stench emanating from his body. Even his breath was thick with the smell of blood and rot.

For three months, Yin Tianfang had lived a primitive existence, surviving by consuming raw meat and blood. Trapped in this cave halfway up an unreachable cliff, he endured a harsh trial. Yet his gains were immense—his cultivation had risen to the fourth level of Qi Condensation.

He raised his hand and tapped the storage pouch at his waist. A small sword sprang out, and Yin Tianfang caught it. Placing the sword on the ground, he pointed a finger, and the sword slowly rose into the air, hovering before him.

This was his first true attempt at telekinesis, and it went so smoothly that he could not help but rejoice. In the sect, once a disciple reached Qi Condensation, they could manipulate objects from afar. At the third level, they could control flying swords and kill enemies from a hundred paces. Only those who reached the fourth level and beyond could hope to fly upon their swords.

Now, having reached the fourth level, Yin Tianfang could attempt sword flight. If he succeeded, he could finally escape this accursed place.

He set the small sword down and stepped onto its blade. With a thought, the sword slowly lifted him into the air. Yin Tianfang wobbled precariously but did not fall, and his delight was uncontainable. Still, it would take practice before he could truly soar freely through the sky.

A fierce wind howled through the cave as, with a loud thud, another massive beast was tossed inside. Yin Tianfang was unfazed—this was the adult monster bird returning from its hunt. It was mealtime once more.

“Little One, it’s time to eat!” Yin Tianfang called into the depths of the cave. Soon, a figure came trotting out.

His “Little One” was, of course, the monster bird’s fledgling. After three months, the fledgling had grown considerably—now taller than Yin Tianfang, its once yellow down replaced by dazzling silver feathers.

The creature seemed to like the nickname. It stood quietly by his side. Efficiently, Yin Tianfang processed the beast’s carcass, dividing it into pieces, and together with Little One, he feasted heartily.

After the meal, he would immediately sit cross-legged and refine the spiritual power from the demon beast’s flesh. Once the energy was absorbed, he would practice sword flight within the cave.

Three days later, Yin Tianfang finally mastered the art of soaring freely through the air. That day, he stood at the cave’s mouth, gazing into the bottomless abyss below. Taking a deep breath, he tapped his storage pouch. The flying sword shot forth. Yin Tianfang leapt, landing atop the blade, and in a flash of light, shot toward the top of the cliff.