CHAPTER 494: CHAPTER 494: YOU TRY IT

Lao Er stood up, his simple robe dancing without any wind. He glanced at the lava in the canyon, then his gaze shifted to another direction as he uttered two words: "Demon Race."

The place was quite strange; the closer one got to the lava, the more difficult it was for Divine Sense to penetrate.

Therefore, he couldn’t capture Earth Chicken’s true form, only sensing the presence of the Demon Aura.

Without further words, he strode forward.

When he saw Earth Chicken’s appearance, he couldn’t help but be startled. "A chicken."

Earth Chicken looked displeased.

Lao Er continued, "An old hen." Excitement inexplicably rose within him. "Brother, it’s a chicken!"

Earth Chicken: "???"

This place had been guarded for ten thousand years.

Although cultivators don’t need to eat or drink, as they can sustain themselves by internalizing Spirit Qi, sometimes... it’s nice to eat something. Heh heh! Lao Er burst into laughter. "Little demon, have you come here looking for a Great Opportunity?"

Earth Chicken nodded.

"Then follow me!" His smile grew even brighter.

A chicken. Though it looked a bit ugly, it was still meat after all.

Earth Chicken was unconcerned, thinking to herself, Who knows who will eat whom.

「Shortly after...」

Under the man’s guidance, she arrived at the long canyon. Below was bubbling, boiling lava. With a sweep of her Divine Sense, she clearly caught the aura fluctuations of her ancestor’s remains.

Earth Chicken immediately became excited.

Though my ancestor has fallen, its remains are still here, and possibly its Divine Sense was left behind as well.

"Brother, how should we eat it?" Lao Er asked excitedly.

"This chicken is strange..." Mu spoke up.

He sensed an unusual fluctuation from Earth Chicken, which made him quite uneasy.

But then again, with my Eighth Heaven strength and Lao Er’s Sixth Heaven, not to mention the Quasi-Emperor Weapon in hand, even if this chicken is extraordinary, so what?

He stood up, walked over to Earth Chicken, and watched the lava as she did. With a light laugh, he said, "Among all Demon Birds, the Phoenix reigns supreme. You might not be a Demon Bird, but as poultry, you have an inseparable connection to them. Being able to come here to perceive the sacred aura of the Ancient Phoenix, you must be... a prize hen from some vegetable garden, right?"

Idiot. I am a descendant of the Ancient Phoenix! Earth Chicken cursed inwardly but kept her expression neutral. She replied, "Ah! Right, right, right. I was eating well and drinking well in the vegetable garden. Then one day, I had a dream. I saw an Ancient Phoenix soaring in the sky, and then somehow I ended up here."

Just as I suspected.

A fleeting chill flashed in the depths of Mu’s eyes before vanishing. He asked with a smile, "How did you get in here?"

"I don’t know. I just walked and walked, and then I was here," Earth Chicken responded with feigned honesty.

"You said you had a dream and saw the Ancient Phoenix soaring. So... did the Phoenix say anything?"

"It did. It told me to come here to meet her," Earth Chicken answered.

At that moment, Lao Er transmitted his voice to Mu, "Brother, this chicken..."

Mu glanced at Lao Er, shook his head slightly, and continued his questioning: "And then?"

Earth Chicken replied honestly, "Nothing else. I haven’t dreamt of the Ancient Phoenix since that day."

Something’s fishy.

Both of them fell silent, deep in thought.

She had a dream, saw the Ancient Phoenix, and then found this place? Such a claim is riddled with loopholes. Firstly, this place is the ancestral land of the Star Sea, a small world of its own, with many strong Saint Realm guardians outside, and inside as well. She, being just a chicken, could not possibly have come here so quietly and unnoticed. As for her story...

Mu narrowed his eyes. "Before the Ancient Phoenix died, it set up more than three hundred Arrays, prohibitions, and seals. We’ve already broken through nearly ninety percent; only a few remain. However, the closer one gets to where the Ancient Phoenix’s remains are, the stronger the Arrays become. Do you have a way?"

Huh?

Earth Chicken was stunned for a moment.

I just probed with my Divine Sense, not only capturing the location of my ancestor’s remains but also perceiving those few Arrays. They are indeed very strong, surpassing the tenth order. Nearby is an Array Master, and on the other side, a young person. I thought it was just a few Arrays, but unexpectedly, my ancestor set up more than three hundred! So that’s how it is... This group of powerful individuals guarding this place has never obtained the ancestor’s remains and has been breaking Arrays all this time.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but want to laugh.

My appearance, then, has given these people a sliver of hope, because I entered this place after feeling the Ancient Phoenix’s summons. It seems as if there’s some sort of destiny at play.

Of course, this was just what Mu and Lao Er were thinking.

What destiny? What a load of nonsense... The only truth is my origin.

"This Ancient Phoenix is really powerful," Earth Chicken said with genuine awe.

"Do you have a way to enter?" Mu asked.

"Let me think..." She pondered for a while, then said, "When I was young, I once met a powerful Array Master and followed him, cultivating by his side for some time."

"Oh?"

Mu chuckled lightly. "Give it a try."

Earth Chicken nodded. "Alright!"

"Brother..." Lao Er transmitted his voice again.

"Don’t rush," Mu responded via voice transmission. "Since this chicken was summoned by the Ancient Phoenix, she should be able to break the Array. Once she breaks the last few, we’ll kill her. That will save us hundreds of years."

Lao Er was stunned, then understood his brother’s intentions. Realization flashed across his face, and he also started laughing.

The two men led Earth Chicken into the lava. Their Divine Brilliance shone continuously, keeping the lava at bay, giving them an air of being All Skill Immune.

Seeing this, Earth Chicken said admiringly, "Brothers, you’re both amazing."

Mu smiled faintly. "You jest. A fowl like you, having become spiritually aware and stepped into cultivation, will surely transform given time. Eventually, you could become a great demon and attain a Tao Fruit."

Earth Chicken quickly nodded. "I hope so too." She said no more.

「A few minutes later, they arrived at the deepest part of the lava...」

There was a large space, spanning a few miles.

To the left was the powerful Array Master. Beneath his feet lay piles of skeletal remains—at least two hundred of them. On the right was a young man who was absorbing the Strange Power in the lava.

Watching this, Earth Chicken gaped in confusion. "Aren’t cultivators of the Star Sea supposed to cultivate Star Power?"

Mu smiled. "There are exceptions."

"So many Array Masters have died!" Earth Chicken exclaimed, looking toward the other side.

"Indeed. But little friend, you will surely be able to break the last few Arrays. At that time, you will obtain the Great Opportunity within," he coaxed, his face radiating with a bright smile.

Earth Chicken’s eyes gleamed with feigned excitement. "I’ll go break the Arrays now!"

The Array Master on the right slowly opened his eyes. He was an old man, emaciated with very little flesh left, his pupils so hollow one could barely see his eyeballs.

He turned his head, looking at the two powerful men from the tribe, his expression impassive.

But when his gaze fell upon Earth Chicken, a hint of hostility surfaced. This chicken’s aura... it’s identical to mine.

Another Array Master?

"Step aside. Let the little friend try breaking the Array," Lao Er said indifferently.

The old man didn’t say a word but silently stood up and moved aside.

Earth Chicken glanced at him briefly. This man is a bit strange. His gaze toward me is unusual—not the kind that suggests he wants to eat me, but one of hostility. I can’t figure it out. I came to break the Array, which is like rescuing him, sparing him from wasting his life here. Isn’t that a good thing? Why the hostility toward me?

"Brothers, please step back a bit. I’m about to break the Array," Earth Chicken said seriously.

The two exchanged a glance, the corners of their mouths curving up slightly. Without a word, they both stepped back a few paces.

However, the elderly Array Master remained unmoved, his gaze hollow as he continued to watch Earth Chicken, seemingly lost in thought.