CHAPTER 978: CHAPTER 977: A PEACOCK

Hou Niao stopped cultivating and turned his head toward the young peacock, "Are you up for it? I won’t bully children!"

The young peacock glared angrily, "I am the Zu Zu! Speak with respect, let’s see if you’re up for it through action!"

She was still too young, falling into Hou Niao’s trap easily; Hou Niao couldn’t possibly underestimate the ancient peacock clan who took the screen-opening skill as their innate divine ability. His words aimed to provoke the young one to give her all without hiding anything, so he could learn from her.

The screen-opening skill of the ancient Zu Zu bird was too advanced for him to learn, but if it was from a young peacock, perhaps it would be different?

The two sat facing each other, eyes locked like fighting roosters, each with mysterious light spreading from their backs, clashing forward and becoming entangled with each other, neither yielding.

The competition was all about the imagination, understanding, depth, and comprehensiveness of each other’s mysterious light... to see whose screen-opening light could grasp the rhythm and control the opponent’s screen light ultimately.

Upon collision, Hou Niao was delighted in his heart, as expected, the young peacock must have landed not long ago, her five-elements screen-opening relied purely on instinct, incomparable to her ancestral bird, but for him, it was just right, fitting for him to learn some essence from it.

Of course, the term ’landed not long ago’ isn’t like a human baby falling from their mother; this period may be a hundred or even hundreds of years, but for a species like peacocks with infinite life, it’s merely a moment.

They are born with such ability, aligned with the great Dao of the universe, so although immature, they are very pure, their path correct, just fitting Hou Niao’s situation of not seeking deep understanding.

His current skills in earth, water, and wood were not inferior to the young peacock’s, but in gold and fire, he was far behind, and the Five Elements Mysterious Light is inherently a whole, with one shortcoming limiting everything, overall severely suppressed, the situation inevitably tilting toward the opponent!

After several moments, the area where their mysterious lights clashed was completely controlled by the young peacock, his own mysterious light now entirely unresponsive.

"Do you yield?"

"No! I was careless earlier; once I eat something and replenish my strength, I’ll surely show you!"

And then he started again, changing tactics and clashing from another angle, only to be defeated once more after several moments.

"Do you yield?"

"No! If you’re skilled, don’t use gold and fire, let’s compare water, earth, and wood!"

The battle resumed, but the result didn’t change, only lasting much longer until Hou Niao surrendered an hour later.

"Do you yield?"

"No! If you’re skilled, let’s not compete in screen-opening, let’s wrestle..."

The young peacock laughed angrily, this crafty fellow shows no decorum of screen-opening, this secret technique was passed to the wrong person,

"Stop mixing nonsense there, all sorts of entanglement trying to learn from me secretly, do you think I don’t know? I am the Zu Zu, do you acknowledge?"

Hou Niao responded naturally, "I acknowledge Zu Zu, but I do not yield! These are separate matters! Hmm, how do I address the immortal name of the Zu Zu? Disciple Hou Niao greets Zu Zu."

The young peacock felt much more at ease, she could accept this fellow devoid of peacock essence from her bloodline for merely two reasons; one is that this person’s screen-opening skill indeed obtained true transmission, stronger than those three old fools, and the second is his Sword Vein Daoist, which was explained to her by elders as the only Daoist that could be befriended while walking across the universe.

The Sword Sect, deeply connected with the peacock clan.

"I am Kong Li, ranked nineteenth in the clan, you can call me Nineteenth Ancestor."

Hou Niao seemed indifferent, "Alright, you’re not afraid of being called old, why should I be? Nineteenth Ancestor, take a look at my mysterious light..."

Kong Li interrupted him, "Take it slow! You’re right, calling Nineteenth Ancestor is too old, calling Nineteenth Sister is too cheap for you, hmm, can find a middle ground, like aunt, auntie, or guardian... thus, you can call me Nineteenth Aunt from now on, it would be convenient when traveling outside."

Hou Niao shook his head like a rattle drum, "What does it mean to travel outside? Nineteenth Aunt, you have your own matters, inheriting the Daoist, promoting the screen-opening skill across Jinxiu, I have my matters, we won’t interfere with each other."

Kong Li’s eyes narrowed, turning dangerous, "Inherit what Dao? The peacock clan’s screen-opening skill has no audience in Jinxiu, does it need passing down? Ancient Langzhong people used to have some peacock bloodline, but now it’s extremely rare, I estimate in two hundred years no one might successfully learn the screen-opening skill by bloodline, moreover, I came out secretly, not on a mission to pass on the Dao."

Hou Niao inwardly groaned, could only bluff and deceive, "Nineteenth Aunt, consider your situation, maybe one day your elders will come down and haul you back, scrutinize your words and actions over the years, everything cannot go beyond the rules... Hmm, after going out, it would be troublesome, better to stay here and cultivate, quietly, maybe you will improve your realm, and your elders, seeing your diligence, won’t punish you?"

Kong Li was possibly naïve but definitely not foolish, "Hou Niao, stop deceiving me here! The reason I came to Jinxiu Continent is because no one else can enter! At least I have sixty years of freedom without being bothered. Why follow rules after coming here? If I were to follow rules and cultivate, wouldn’t I be better off staying at the ancestral ground!

That’s settled then, I know you have many enemies, from now on, you follow me, being protected by me, no one dares bully you!"

Truly fearing what might come true, but Hou Niao, seasoned with experience, knew he mustn’t sternly refuse now, or the result would be contrary to his wishes, the little ancestor privately going out meant the task of bringing her back would fall on him again.

He could only feign compliance for now, then slip away when unguarded, even if it might trouble the three old Daoists, he was unconcerned; behind this little ancestor clinging onto him, undoubtedly had those three old fellows’ instigation...

"Well then, the matter of going out will be discussed later, I came here as a disciple to improve myself through the ancestral figures, let me cultivate here for a while..."

Kong Li was dissatisfied, "Why are you so dawdling, dragging things on, with your current realm, how much could you learn from the ancestral figures? It’s completely wasting time! Instead, you might as well follow me, with me you can cultivate anytime, can’t you use your brain?"

Hou Niao spoke righteously, "No, cultivation must be sincere, I, someone with no bloodline connection, could learn this screen-opening skill because of my sincerity! I must lay my heart before the ancestral figures periodically, fasting and burning incense, it’s a serious matter, can’t be sloppy."

Kong Li was skeptical, "Is there such a saying? How come I don’t know?"

But this person paying respect before ancestors, even if she was unruly, she couldn’t act against convention in this regard.