Chapter 52: Future Direction

Shi Chan didn’t leave the giant tree immediately. After poking the little creature back into its nest, he carefully sensed the surrounding spiritual energy.

Since there was a young spirit beast here, and it was rumored to be the place where the Vermilion Bird descended, there were likely other treasures in the area.

Not trusting his spiritual sense entirely, Shi Chan even used his hands to probe the giant tree, going back and forth.

But he found nothing.

Taking a deep breath, Shi Chan climbed down the tree. Seeing the curiosity in everyone’s eyes, he waved his hand. “Let’s move on.” Perhaps they should check the surrounding area, but this tree itself seemed to hold nothing else of value.

“Do you need to rest?” Xu Lin stepped forward and asked.

Shi Chan shook his head. “Let’s go.” He hadn’t fought with the little creature, just used a bit of spiritual energy climbing up and down. There was no need to rest.

Upon hearing this, Xu Lin quickly organized the group. In just a minute, they efficiently formed ranks.

“Gugu—”

They had barely walked fifty meters when Shi Chan heard a familiar chirping sound from behind. He instinctively looked up.

A small, light-red fluffball quickly shrank back into the leaves, gripping a branch tightly with its tiny claws.

“What is it?” The forest was full of birds and beasts, and the others hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

“Keep moving.” Shi Chan withdrew his gaze without further explanation. However, he couldn’t help but wonder—this little one had managed to climb out of its nest? Well, it was a spirit beast, after all, much more capable than an ordinary chick.

“Gugu—”

Seeing Shi Chan getting farther away, the little red bird chirped louder, its voice carrying a sense of urgency.

Shi Chan didn’t even glance back.

He had already been kind enough to let the little thing go. Right now, he was busy searching for spiritual items to enhance his cultivation or heal injuries. He had no time to play with a bird.

When the “nice-smelling” human didn’t respond, the little red bird stopped hiding. It flapped its tiny wings and dived straight toward Shi Chan.

Its target was clearly Shi Chan’s head.

The bird moved too fast. The others saw a blurry red streak shoot towards Shi Chan but had no time to react.

Shi Chan didn’t look back, but he suddenly raised his hand. With a swift motion, he caught the red chick in his palm.

Bringing the little creature in front of his eyes, Shi Chan sighed helplessly. He turned to the others. “Wait here for ten minutes.” Then, he walked away.

“Why are you following me? Where are your parents?” Shi Chan squeezed the chick’s soft little belly as he spoke.

The little red bird blinked its shiny black eyes and pecked at Shi Chan’s finger.

“I’m taking you back, so don’t follow me again.” Shi Chan walked quickly, speaking as he went. “If you come after me again, I might just have to cook you.”

Saying that, Shi Chan suddenly recalled the taste of spirit beast meat from his past life. He swallowed involuntarily. It had been over twenty years since he last had food infused with spiritual energy.

After stuffing the little red bird back into its nest, Shi Chan returned to the group. He thought that would be the end of it.

Yet, two hours later, the chick swooped down at him again.

Cheng San, seeing the persistent little bird, suggested, “I think it wants to follow you. Why not keep it? It’s so tiny; it won’t eat much.”

Though they had come to search for the Vermilion Bird’s ruins, no one associated this ordinary-looking chick with the legendary divine beast. Cheng San’s words only made a few people glance over.

After all, it was just a bird. They had seen countless beautiful birds and beasts since entering Tuling Mountain, and red ones were not uncommon.

Shi Chan, however, knew better. A red spirit bird found in the Vermilion Bird’s ruins was unlikely to be ordinary. Whether it was a descendant of the Vermilion Bird or a reincarnation, it was definitely special.

The little red bird tilted its head and looked at Shi Chan, then opened its beak and chirped, “Gugu—”

Shi Chan stared at it for a moment before shifting his thoughts. “Fine, you can be my emergency food supply.”

If this planet truly lacked other spiritual resources, this little red bird might be his only option. Keeping it around would certainly be more beneficial than not.

The best approach was to form a contract with the bird to prevent it from escaping. But after some thought, Shi Chan decided against it.

If the bird’s parents showed up later and found their child bound to a human, they might get angry… and Shi Chan was sure he couldn’t win against an adult Vermilion Bird that had lived for centuries.

Fortunately, reality wasn’t as bad as he feared. After another ten days of searching the mountains, they finally discovered a fully matured spiritual plant.

Shi Chan quickly grabbed the little red bird, stuffing it into his coat pocket before it could swoop down and snatch the plant. Then, carefully, he dug up the herb with its surrounding soil and placed it in the protective storage box Xu Lin had prepared.

“Gugu!”

The plump chick finally wriggled out of the pocket, looking furious. It flapped its wings and headbutted Shi Chan.

Shi Chan held it down and, in a good mood, said, “You don’t understand. I’m saving your life.” After all, if he hadn’t found the plant, he would have had to cook the bird.

The little red bird didn’t understand. It only knew that the “nice-smelling” human had stolen the “nice-smelling” food and locked it in an unreachable box. Too cruel!

But Shi Chan was ruthless. Ignoring the chick’s fury, he ruffled its feathers until it fluffed up like a puffball.

Infuriated, the bird’s spiritual energy surged, and it spat out a tiny flame.

Shi Chan reacted swiftly. Before anyone else noticed, he pinched the bird’s beak shut.

In the end, the red bird could only release a puff of gray smoke. Exhausted, it collapsed in Shi Chan’s palm, kicking its legs a couple of times before playing dead.

Too cruel! Too cruel! It didn’t want to live anymore!

Shi Chan chuckled and used his spiritual sense to check the bird, confirming it was fine. On the way back, he gently soothed it with his energy until the little thing finally opened its eyes.

After obtaining the spiritual plant, Shi Chan explored other parts of Tuling Mountain while the others rested. Finding no further spiritual energy, he decided to leave.

By the time they reached the base of the mountain, the little red bird realized something was wrong. It grabbed a strand of Shi Chan’s hair, flapping its wings and chirping, as if trying to tell him he was going the wrong way.

But once again, Shi Chan ignored it.

He did feel a little reluctant, though. The little red bird had been with him these past days, causing trouble but also bringing him joy.

Shi Chan placed the chick in his palm, rubbing its fluffy head. In a low voice, he said, “I’m not going back. I have my own home. You should return too. I found the spiritual herb, so I won’t need to make soup out of you.”

The chick didn’t understand; it just wanted Shi Chan to stay.

“You should go. I have to leave.” Even though they didn’t speak the same language, his departure was clear.

The chick flapped in midair, circling in panic. Then, in the end, it made a decision.

It dove straight for Shi Chan’s head.

“Gugu—!”

Shi Chan instinctively reached up and caught the diving bird. A small smile appeared on his lips. “You’re coming with me willingly, then.”

He glanced back at the mountains before looking down at the little red bird. “If your parents come looking for you, you better tell them the truth.”

The little red bird nestled in his palm, rubbing against him.

Shi Chan’s lips curled into a smile.