Chapter 406: Chapter 402: The Consensus Between the Snake Spirit and the Crow
Without a doubt, the relationship between the Blackbird and the Tree Spirit in this cage had become extremely hostile. At any rate, the Tree Spirit was desperate to leave.
Normally, a bird and a tree should have an intimate, even symbiotic relationship, much like a fish and water.
Unfortunately, this pair was not like that.
"Tree Spirit, since you’ve agreed to accept me as your master, I’ll take you away from here and let this bird rot to death."
Tu Xiao’an was secretly overjoyed. ’Subduing a great tree that naturally possesses the Wood Attribute and a Healing Ability this easily is just too good to be true.’
Just in the short time they had been talking, Tu Xiao’an noticed that the meter-deep hole the Crow had pecked into the great tree had miraculously healed itself.
No wonder it was still alive after being pecked like that by the Crow.
"Traitor! Traitor! I’ll peck you to death!" The Crow went berserk, frantically pecking wood chips off the Tree Spirit’s body as if it wanted to kill it on the spot.
The Tree Spirit cried out miserably, "Get me out of here! Ben Charlie doesn’t want to spend another second with this damned Crow!"
Ben Charlie?
Tu Xiao’an found it a bit hard to get used to the Tree Spirit’s name.
"Alright, let’s begin the process of you accepting me as master. Don’t resist." Tu Xiao’an decided to subdue the great tree first. He was just about to send his Consciousness Power over...
But at that moment, the big Blackbird, feeling extremely indignant, flew up and blocked Tu Xiao’an’s view. "If you’re taking one of us, you’re taking both! You untrustworthy Snake Spirit! To think that I, Uncle Hei, actually trusted you!"
"I came here specifically to get you out, and I’m keeping my promise. You’re the one who refused to accept me as your master. Is that my fault?"
"Hmph... you’re just a Snake Spirit who hasn’t even reached Rank Three of Enlightenment. You’re not even Rank 3. What makes you think you’re worthy of being my master, Uncle Hei?"
Tu Xiao’an looked at it with great interest. "So, if I reach Rank 3, you’ll agree to accept me as your master?"
"Rank 3 is... barely acceptable, I suppose." It was as proud and standoffish as Tu Xiao’an’s Azure Owl.
Reaching Rank Three of Enlightenment was a transcendent achievement, and that would make it a little more palatable for the Crow.
The Crow hatched a little scheme. "How about this: you get me, Uncle Hei, out of here first. When you, a mere Snake Spirit, finally achieve enlightenment, it won’t be too late for me to accept you as my master."
"However, I’ll only give you one year. If you haven’t reached enlightenment within a year, our agreement is off."
Tu Xiao’an looked at the Black Crow, amused. ’It’s quite cunning.’ For a typical Awakened Creature, reaching enlightenment through Cultivation required at least several hundred years.
Beings like the Bull Demon King and Celestial Master Zhang had both taken no less than five hundred years. Many creatures at the Peak of the second Rank even disintegrated into dust when they attempted to achieve enlightenment.
Giving him only one year was basically just being a scoundrel.
But Tu Xiao’an just said, "If I achieve enlightenment within a year, you’ll obediently and willingly submit to me as your master. Are you sure?"
The Crow stated with certainty, "I, Uncle Hei, am a hero who stands by his word. A single spit, a single nail."
The Crow was banking on the fact that this Snake Spirit couldn’t possibly achieve enlightenment within a year.
’Was achieving enlightenment that easy? Don’t be ridiculous.’
It was a bet it was basically guaranteed to win. The Crow had miscalculated on one point, however: it had no idea just how monstrously talented this Snake Spirit was.
For Tu Xiao’an, one year was practically an insult. He was certain he could achieve enlightenment within a month.
"Good. It’s a deal. The Tree Spirit will be our witness," Tu Xiao’an said decisively.
He had no other choice. If this Crow didn’t submit willingly, Tu Xiao’an had no way to subdue it. Just now, while they were talking, Tu Xiao’an had used Conscious Insight on it again, trying to see the Crow’s data, but it had failed once more.
This shocked him. He was Level 29 now; he could easily use his Insight on Rank 3 beings, yet he couldn’t see through this little Crow.
It wasn’t that the Crow’s Level was too high, but that it possessed some strange techniques and abilities.
If he pushed it too hard and forced it to submit now, it really would rather stay in the Demon Prison. If that happened, all of Tu Xiao’an’s efforts would have been for nothing—a wasted trip.
So, they each took a step back. Besides, Tu Xiao’an wasn’t in a particular hurry.
And so, Tu Xiao’an and the Crow came to an agreement.
The Tree Spirit listened from the side, and a little idea began to form in its mind. "In that case, Ben Charlie will also wait for you, Snake Spirit, to achieve enlightenment before I accept you as my master."
"No!"
"No!"
Two different voices rang out at the same time, as both Tu Xiao’an and the Crow objected.
The Tree Spirit was instantly confused. With a dumbfounded and resentful look at the Crow, it thought, ’Was I fucking asking for your opinion? Why are you sticking your beak in?’
The Crow shot it a disdainful look. ’You think you’re worthy of the same treatment as Uncle Hei?’
Tu Xiao’an couldn’t do anything about the Crow, so he had to compromise. But for this Tree Spirit to try the same thing? Heh, ’in your dreams’.
Things in the world were always changing. If he could subdue it now, he shouldn’t delay. This Tree Spirit had secrets of its own.
"Tree Spirit, you either accept me as your master now, or you spend the rest of your life in this prison."
The Tree Spirit said in despair, "Why... Why is it always me who gets hurt?"
"Lock on with my consciousness!"
Tu Xiao’an didn’t want to waste any more time. He directly unleashed a powerful wave of Consciousness Power onto the Tree Spirit. "If you want to leave, don’t resist."
Enveloped by this Consciousness Power, the Tree Spirit’s branches all trembled. It could instantly feel its opponent’s strength.
This strength was actually somewhat comforting. Since it had to accept a master, it preferred to accept a strong one.
"Damn Crow, fuck you!"
Right before submitting, the Tree Spirit suddenly let out a loud curse. The space around it fluctuated, and then it bizarrely vanished on the spot.
"Huh? Where’d the big tree go?" the Crow asked, astonished and confused inside the cage.
’How could such a huge tree just disappear in an instant?’
"Stop looking. I’ve already taken it," Tu Xiao’an said with a grin.
The Crow was puzzled. "Taken? Taken where?"
"You don’t need to worry about that."
"That damned tree... what was with it cursing me right before it disappeared?" The Crow blinked. ’Does it really hate me that much?’
It had always thought that it had gotten along quite harmoniously with the great tree during their time together.
Tu Xiao’an rolled his eyes at the pitch-black Crow. ’Doesn’t it have a damn clue what it did to the Tree Spirit?’
"Now I’ll open the cage, and you’ll come with me."
Since the Crow hadn’t submitted, Tu Xiao’an couldn’t absorb it into his system like he did with the Tree Spirit.
"Hee hee, hurry up. This damned cage is a disgrace to me, Uncle Hei."
Tu Xiao’an looked at the lock on the iron door, reached out a hand, and gripped it. A scorching power surged.
Instantly, the lock melted into a scalding liquid and dripped to the ground.
The Crow gave Tu Xiao’an a shocked look.
The iron door opened. Tu Xiao’an said, "Let’s go. What are you standing there for? Grown attached to the place?"
"The day I, Uncle Hei, become a Divine Beast, I will definitely destroy this prison!"
"Alright, alright. Will it kill you to not talk big for once?"
Tu Xiao’an started to lead the Crow back the way they came, but just then, many of the Spirit Monsters locked up in the prison began to scream, "Please, take us with you too! We’ll accept you as our master!"
"I have no destiny with you. You should all just wait for your own destined person."
The group of Spirit Monsters was instantly dumbfounded. ’Our destined person? Who’s that?’
Tu Xiao’an left without a second thought. He didn’t want to waste time. If Du Tianyi’s Life Lamp was discovered, he probably wouldn’t be able to get away.
Even if he could, it would be a huge hassle. After all, this was the headquarters of the Demon Management Bureau.
