“Mirror God.” Xiao Wenbing withdrew his consciousness and called out to his strategist: “Does this roc possess intelligence?”
"Of course, this is the king of birds, possessing extremely high intelligence from birth." Mirror God's voice carried a hint of mockery: "I'm curious, I wonder if this roc will call you 'Mom' after it hatches."
"..."
The yellow object inside the eggshell began to change again. As it continued to wriggle, the liquid inside the eggshell gradually decreased, while the volume of the yellow object continued to expand.
When all the earth's liquids had turned into a yellow substance, the outermost layer of the earth's cuticle finally ruptured.
A tiny bird's head emerged from the broken part. What intrigued Xiao Wenbing was that the bird's head was bald, resembling an ugly, plucked chicken's head. It was impossible to associate it with the majestic image of the golden roc.
Zhang Yaqi and Feng Baiyi looked at the little bird, their eyes filled with undisguised amusement. They were finally beginning to believe Xiao Wenbing's words, but making such a fuss over this little creature seemed like overreacting.
The little bird struggled to open its tiny eyes, then suddenly raised its neck high and let out a bird song that resounded throughout the heavens and earth.
The divine bird sang for the first time, shaking the heavens and the earth.
Outside the halo, the Great Serpent Supreme suddenly shuddered, almost collapsing to the ground. The Roc delights in eating snakes and insects.
This unfortunate giant snake met its nemesis and performed the worst.
The other supreme beings were also shaken, exchanging glances. They all saw the horror in each other's eyes; what kind of creature was this, possessing such majesty?
Although they could all tell that the voice was immature, the golden roc was a naturally different species, full of righteousness. To these heinous supreme beings who had once endured the tribulations of the Nine Heavens Thunder and Fire, its cry was no less than a death knell, possessing unimaginable power and special effects.
The little fairy within the halo exclaimed in surprise. It was unexpected that such a small creature could shout so loudly; it truly startled her.
"What kind of bird is this?" Feng Baiyi reached out and gently stroked the little bird's bald head. A feeling of affection suddenly welled up in her heart.
"You've seen the land."
"Where?"
"The underworld."
Feng Baiyi pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "A golden roc."
Xiao Wenbing was taken aback, not expecting Feng Baiyi to react so quickly. He gave her a thumbs up and laughed, "Well done, Baiyi, you're truly amazing."
The Butterfly Fairy pointed at the ugly bird head with its featherless head, small eyes, and pointed beak, and exclaimed, "Is that a golden roc? It doesn't look like one at all!"
Indeed, compared to the majestic golden roc of yesteryear, this little bird is far inferior.
Perhaps understanding the butterfly fairy's meaning, the little bird stubbornly turned its head back. It tried hard to open its little eyes and glared angrily at the butterfly fairy. However, the little bird looked too disheveled at the moment, and such a performance not only had no intimidating power, but also looked extremely ridiculous.
Xiao Wenbing found it amusing. He reached out and patted the little bird's head, saying, "Stop fooling around. Hurry up and absorb the energy. Once you're done, we can leave."
The little bird affectionately pecked at his palm, then opened its little beak and sucked hard.
A strange thing happened. Strange energy in the space surged wildly towards the little bird's beak.
Whether it was the colorful energy or the violent lightning, it all obediently entered the little bird's beak and became its nourishment.
The little bird's body underwent a visible change; the thin membrane resembling an eggshell softened and gradually turned into a golden hue covering its body.
Wings, legs, claws, feathers—little by little, the little bird gradually took on the rudimentary form of a golden roc.
Watching it continuously absorb energy and gradually grow, Xiao Wenbing felt a sense of pride and emotion that were hard to describe.
Just now, during his spiritual connection with the little bird, he had already understood the origin of this eggshell.
Although the golden roc is a special species in the realm of gods and the underworld, possessing immense power capable of destroying the heavens and the earth, they are not immortal.
This bird egg was one of the unluckiest; it died inside the shell before it could hatch.
As time passed, for some unknown reason, it came to this celestial realm, was picked up by an immortal, and eventually ended up in Xiao Wenbing's hands.
It was precisely because Xiao Wenbing possessed the power of creation that he was able to imbue this already dead eggshell with new life. In this world, no one else could do this except him.
For Xiao Wenbing, this little bird also holds a very special place in his heart.
This is the first life he bestowed upon it with the power of creation. Unlike his previous external avatars, this is a true living being, a true life.
In his heart, the little bird was like his first child, whom he loved dearly.
The energy within the aura was rapidly diminishing, and in its place, an unfamiliar aura was flourishing. That powerful and majestic aura sent chills down the spines of the supreme beings on the outer perimeter.
Kairis endured for a long time, but finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Great Serpent Supreme, is Fellow Daoist Xiao truly only comprehending the Dao?"
The Great Serpent Supreme looked distressed, spread his hands, and said, "I was indeed comprehending the Dao just now, but I don't know anything now."
Several supreme beings glared at it simultaneously, but even with their knowledge and imagination, they could never guess what had happened inside that circle of light.
The aperture gradually thinned, and the figures within it became faintly visible.
Those who still dared to remain opened their eyes wide in unison, staring with fear at the gradually disappearing halo.
Inside, Xiao Wenbing and the three women stood separately. It was already remarkable that they had remained unharmed within this magical aura. However, this wasn't what caused these supreme beings to lose their composure. What truly terrified them was the enormous figure beside Xiao Wenbing.
Although the lightning and colorful light still flickered, they could already tell that it was a huge bird.
The halo finally dissipated completely, and the body of the Roc was officially revealed.
Its enormous body was as solid as a diamond. It stood tall, arrogantly gazing at the blue sky and looking down at the earth. Suddenly, it stretched its neck and flapped its wings, letting out a deafening whistle. Its two steel-blade-like wings spread wide, and it soared into the sky, transforming into a bolt of lightning as it flew towards the top of the palace.
Before anyone could react, a deafening roar erupted, and the stone-built roof of the palace shattered completely. Countless rocks rained down from the sky.
A whistle that shook the valley came from outside the hall. The mountains responded, the sound deafening.
The great serpent and the others were all utterly horrified. Although they had long sensed the great bird's power, its sheer might still exceeded their expectations.
The whistling sound rose again, seemingly coming from a thousand miles away, continuous and unending.
Above the main hall, rocks flew everywhere, dust filled the air, and a golden light flashed once more. After circling around, the roc immediately returned to its nest. Then, it opened its iron-like claws. Its powerful aura was so tangible that it forced the dust in the air, which had not yet dissipated, to retreat to a corner of the main hall.
The pebbles fell like raindrops, but several feet away from the roc, they seemed to hit an invisible wall, scattering in all directions without landing on the bird's head.
The scattered moonlight shone through the cracked roof into the messy hall, and Xiao Wenbing and the others stared at each other in disbelief.
The birth of the divine bird was indeed extraordinary.
However, seeing the huge hole above his head, Xiao Wenbing was truly on the verge of tears. This divine bird hadn't brought him any benefit yet, but had already caused him enormous trouble.
With a forced smile, Xiao Wenbing racked his brains trying to figure out how to explain.
However, to his surprise, neither Kairis nor the Seven-Colored Winged King and other supreme beings showed any anger. Instead, their gazes toward the golden roc were filled with horror.
A realization dawned on me: were they really that afraid of the Roc?
Looking back, the Roc, having absorbed the two types of energy, was indeed majestic; its body, once upright, already surpassed his own.
It seemed that within a few hours, it had grown from a little bird into a qualified aerial guardian.
This change made Xiao Wenbing deeply appreciate the wonder of the Creator. The golden roc truly lived up to its name, even skipping the time it took to grow up.
However, in Xiao Wenbing's view, although this guy's body had undergone earth-shattering changes compared to before, its aura was still just as familiar, and the feeling it gave him was no different.
In his heart, this was still the little bird that had just pecked at his palm, still the well-behaved child he had created with his own hands. That special feeling would not change because of the change in appearance.
Volume 21, Chapter 11: Hatching (Part 2)
------------------------
"Brother Xiao, what kind of monster is this... cough cough, what kind of immortal?" Kairis wanted to ask what kind of monster it was, but he was immediately deflated after being kicked by the roc with its eyes.
"This is a golden roc."
Several supreme beings simultaneously gasped in shock. As top-tier immortal-level experts, they had naturally heard of this chilling name. However, none of them had ever had the chance to witness it firsthand.
Seeing it now, I realize that its great reputation is indeed well-deserved.
Mingzhu observed carefully for a while. Seeing the roc standing majestically beside Xiao Wenbing, with an indescribable intimacy in its expression, she couldn't help but ask, "Fellow Immortal Xiao, is this your tamed bird?"
"No." Xiao Wenbing reached out and patted the roc's broad wings, saying amidst the surprised gazes of the crowd, "This is my family."
The roc lowered its head, rubbed its massive head against Xiao Wenbing's chest for a while, then suddenly raised its head and cried out, bringing a sense of joy and celebration to the listener.
The Seven-Colored Winged King and the Great Serpent Supreme had long since retreated to a distance. Perhaps due to their innate incompatibility, the two of them had an innate fear of the Roc. In comparison, the other Supreme beings behaved relatively normally.
Little Butterfly Fairy cautiously approached and stretched out her slender little hand to touch the powerful, steel-like sword feathers of the Roc.
The roc tilted its head and glanced at her, but seeing no movement from her, its massive body had already taken a step back without her noticing.
Little Butterfly Fairy's hand met empty air, and she was taken aback. Then, she pouted her little lips in dissatisfaction, took a step forward as if in a huff, and reached out to touch it again.
This time, the roc did not dodge, letting the butterfly fairy's little hands caress its feathers, but it let out a soft cry, seemingly with a hint of helplessness.
"Can't you speak?" Little Butterfly Fairy asked in surprise.
Indeed, seeing the imposing presence of this large bird, no one would have guessed that it couldn't speak.
“Butterfly Fairy, it’s only been a few hours since it was born, you can’t expect too much,” Xiao Wenbing explained.
"A few hours?" Kairis's expression shifted, and he asked, "Brother Xiao, where did you find this divine bird?"
"It's this exchange meeting?" Xiao Wenbing said happily, this trip was definitely worthwhile.
"Could it be..." Keris's face showed a hint of disbelief: "Could this be the stone from earlier?"
The assembled supreme beings suddenly realized why Xiao Wenbing had gone so far as to give away five Rejuvenation Pills and become an enemy of an immortal for that stone. Yet, there was such a colossal monster.
Xiao Wenbing stroked the roc's back feathers with a broad smile, while the roc closed its eyes slightly, looking very content.
"Big sister, you're right, that rock is actually the egg of the Roc. Alas, it's been trapped inside for who knows how many years. What a pitiful little bird."
Poor little bird...
Several supreme beings looked at this majestic, arrogant roc and simply couldn't associate it with those two terms.
The roc suddenly narrowed its eyes and stared intently at the Great Serpent Supreme.
The Great Serpent Supreme felt his hair stand on end and was greatly alarmed. He quickly gathered his immortal power and became fully alert.
Its premonition was correct; in a flash of light, the Roc appeared beside it, its sharp beak flashing like lightning.
It pecked at its head.
Just by looking at the ferocity of this attack, it's clear that it absolutely does not represent any friendly intentions.
The Great Serpent Supreme's body went limp in an instant. A strange ripple appeared in that space. The Roc's incredibly sharp peck only managed to bite off an afterimage, without harming the Great Serpent Supreme in the slightest.