Chapter Five: Windchase Stronghold

[Mission Completed!]

[You've earned a reward: Permanent usage rights for True Sight!]

[You've activated the function: Disciple Query, Thousandfold Return!]

...

The system's prompt sounded, and Jiang Chen felt a slight sense of satisfaction.

With his fortune enhanced by his luck,

every day passed smoothly and satisfyingly.

Just by wandering around, he recruited an extremely rare genius disciple,

completed a system mission, and activated two functions.

[Disciple Query: You can check a disciple's realm, physique, talent star rating, and loyalty.]

[Thousandfold Return: All items such as pills, techniques, martial skills, spirit beasts, and items passed on to disciples can be returned a thousandfold.

Note: After returning the reward, it cannot be returned to the disciple again.]

Jiang Chen nodded slightly,

then shifted his gaze to Chen Fan, who was sitting stiffly and awkwardly on the back of the Thunderbird.

[Disciple: Chen Fan]

[Realm: None]

[Talent Star Rating: 10 stars]

[Physique: Ten Thousand Calamities Body (Passed all calamities)]

[Loyalty: 100 (Maximum value)]

"Loyalty is at maximum value?"

Jiang Chen was surprised but then understood.

Chen Fan was simple-minded, and Jiang Chen had given him hope of resurrecting his beloved. It was understandable for him to be so loyal.

For Jiang Chen, other data was not as important as loyalty!

He didn't want any incidents of betrayal.

Chirp—

The Thunderbird let out a cry and began circling in the sky instead of continuing to fly forward.

Jiang Chen looked down and saw a bandit stronghold nestled in the mountains below. The bandits who had just returned to the stronghold were happily moving women, food, and livestock into the stronghold.

"This is it."

Jiang Chen said lightly, "Disciple, I've avenged you. Return to the sect and focus on your cultivation."

Chen Fan tensed up, wanting to stand up to bow in gratitude, but almost stumbled and scared his soul away.

This was high in the air!

Helpless, Chen Fan could only sit and tightly grip the Thunderbird's two iron feathers, his face flushed with embarrassment as he said, "Thank you, Master. The disciple will return to the sect and focus on cultivation!"

Seeing his disciple's awkwardness, Jiang Chen couldn't help but smile.

Chen Fan's stumble and subsequent fear indicated that he had overcome his emotional crisis and began to cherish his life.

If he hadn't overcome it,

Chen Fan probably wouldn't have been afraid at all and might have jumped off the Thunderbird's back.

Jiang Chen was very satisfied.

"Let's go."

Jiang Chen patted the Thunderbird's back.

With a cry, the Thunderbird pierced the sky and swooped down, stirring up gusts of wind!

...

Time rolled back a bit, a few incense sticks' worth of time ago.

In the Windchase Stronghold,

the burly boss and the scholarly-looking second-in-command sat at an open-air table. Below them was a huge long table, with countless bandits sitting on both sides.

They held wine jugs, ready to celebrate!

Today was the day when the third-in-command of Windchase Stronghold went down the mountain to raid a kiln, and the scene had to be grand!

The boss chuckled and whispered to the scholarly-looking second-in-command beside him, "It's a pity that the techniques you brought can only be cultivated using the blood of women's hearts. If they could be used by men, we'd probably have broken through to the Innate realm long ago!"

The scholarly second-in-command smiled at the remark and said, "It doesn't matter. Breaking through to the Innate realm is just a matter of time. Once we reach it, we'll be able to deal with the rivals in the town. The women in the town are enough for all three of us to cultivate to the Sea Realm!"

"Wow... the Sea Realm!!"

The boss's eyes were filled with longing, and he fervently said, "That's the top powerhouse of the Great Qian Dynasty, the existence of a patriarch becoming an ancestor! With the help of divine techniques, we could achieve it in less than three months!"

"Hahaha."

The second-in-command laughed, "That's why they call it divine techniques! These are just techniques that use mortal blood. When the time comes, if we enjoy the daughters of those cultivation clans, our progress will be even faster, and we might even lay the foundation for Dao. As long as we keep a low profile, we'll have a chance sooner or later. What we're afraid of is attracting attention from big shots before we've fully developed."

"Exactly, we should keep a low profile first, and then we'll show those bastards!"

"Hahaha—"

The two leaders laughed heartily.

However, a few breaths later, the second-in-command's brows furrowed in confusion as he looked into the distance at the sky.

The boss followed his gaze.

In the sky above, a black dot appeared in the distance, gradually growing into a giant bird flickering with lightning, its imposing presence overwhelming, as if covering the sky.

"What is this?"

The boss swallowed hard, looking at the "well-informed" second-in-command.

The second-in-command's eyes were filled with fear as he said, trembling, "This is a Thunderbird, a Thunderbird! It's an adult creature that has reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Look at its size, it's probably already an adult, with Foundation Establishment strength... Damn, how could such a barbaric creature appear in the Great Qian Dynasty!"

"Hiss—"

The boss took a cold breath, never expecting this giant bird to have Foundation Establishment strength!

Foundation Establishment realm!

It was the realm he had been dreaming of!

The boss dreamed of annihilating the towns around him and then expanding his influence, slaughtering the noble families of the Great Qian Dynasty and enjoying the blood of their noble women, breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm!

Because in the Great Qian Dynasty, the Foundation Establishment realm was a legend, a realm that surpassed even the famous Sea Realm ancestors!

"Should be just passing by."

The second-in-command's face turned pale, praying incessantly.

The boss joined in the prayer.

But... as the Thunderbird approached, its imposing presence grew stronger, and the overwhelming pressure made it hard to breathe.

All the ordinary bandits in the stronghold were lying limp on the ground, unable to lift their heads!

The second-in-command managed to lift his head, only to see the Thunderbird diving towards the stronghold, with what seemed to be a figure in white robes seated atop it!

"It's over!"

"Someone who can ride a Thunderbird as a mount!!"

The second-in-command exclaimed in fear.

The boss's eyes widened, knowing that the Foundation Establishment realm was his dream, a realm above the famous Sea Realm ancestors...

And someone who could ride such a Foundation Establishment bird,

what kind of existence would they be?!

The boss's eyes burned with fervor, his ambition swelling.

But...

As he saw the Thunderbird circling down, his ambition was instantly extinguished, replaced by fear!

The Thunderbird,

and the figure on its back,

were heading straight for Windchase Stronghold!

It's over!

It's finished!

Windchase Stronghold was finished, having offended a figure they couldn't afford to offend!

But,

the boss couldn't figure out why Windchase Stronghold had offended such a powerful cultivator!

Wasn't the third-in-command just going to raid a small village?

How could they have provoked such a powerful figure?

...