Chicken, a Man’s Best Friend

After realizing that the demon beast was dead, Feng Fan tried to push himself off the ground.

"Ugh!"

As soon as he shifted his weight onto his right leg, a sharp pain shot through it.

'Damn, I must've injured my leg when that demonic beast collided with me,' he thought.

Placing his hand on his knee, he winced at the swelling. He tried to get up again, this time putting most of the weight on his left leg.

Feng Fan knew that even if both of his legs were shattered, he had to move quickly. Another beast could appear at any moment, and if he didn't escape, he would die here.

Focusing on his breathing, he cleared his mind and traced his steps back toward the exit.

Thankfully, the path was clear of any danger.

Slowly, he limped back to where he'd encountered the beast and touched the large wall of spiritual qi. The moment his hand made contact, he felt his body being pulled, teleporting him away.

Feng Fan found himself in a white chamber. A few meters ahead, a black coffin rested atop a jet-black altar, its presence stark against the room's white color.

Four towering pillars rose from the ground, stretching upward to meet the ceiling. Each pillar was etched with strange inscriptions pulsating faintly with an oppressive energy that pressed heavily on Feng Fan's body. 

'What kind of symbols are these?' Feng Fan wondered, steadying his breathing as he activated his spiritual qi vision.

Through his perception, he saw the black coffin radiating ominous black energy. The four pillars, however, emitted a powerful white energy, the purest spiritual qi Feng Fan had ever felt, forming a barrier that kept the dark energy confined within the coffin, preventing it from escaping.

"Congratulations! You passed the trial. Now, you just need to open the black coffin in front of you to claim your reward. Accept my legacy and bring its glory back to the world!" said the Heavenly Demon Monarch, his tone dripping with false warmth as he tried to trick Feng Fan into opening the coffin.

'Bro, really? Even without mind-reading, anyone could see this is an obvious cliché trap,' thought Feng Fan, smirking inwardly but maintaining a polite smile on the outside. "Thank you, senior. But before I take it, how do I leave here after receiving the reward?"

'Hehe, foolish brat. The only way out is through a small door behind my coffin, hidden by an illusion formation. You'll never see it unless I take over your body!' thought the Heavenly Demon Monarch, restraining his glee.

"Just open the coffin and accept my legacy, disciple. Once you do, you'll be teleported outside," the Monarch said in a calm, almost fatherly tone.

Feng Fan nodded and began limping closer to the coffin. But just before touching it, he paused. "Senior."

"Fuc—" The Heavenly Demon Monarch almost lost his composure, frustrated at the delay, but quickly masked his irritation. "Yes, disciple? What is it?" he replied in a forced gentle voice.

"You were once a powerful immortal, right? Surely you left behind some treasures. You wouldn't be poor, would you?" Feng Fan asked, tilting his head with curiosity.

'Greedy little bastard! Isn't my immortal legacy enough?! All my treasures are beneath the coffin inside a space ring, but you'll never find them. I'll retrieve them once I've taken your body!' thought the Monarch, seething.

"I'm afraid not," he lied smoothly. "My enemies destroyed everything I had. All I can offer you is my legacy, one of the strongest in the immortal world!"

"I see," Feng Fan said, nodding. Then he smirked. "But you can't be that strong, considering you died."

"You—! You insolent brat! Are you trying to provoke me?" The Heavenly Demon Monarch sputtered, his tone cracking with anger.

Feng Fan chuckled his polite facade dropping. "Not at all, senior. Thanks for the reward, but I'll be leaving now."

Ignoring the coffin entirely, Feng Fan began searching beneath it and soon retrieved a hidden space ring. Pocketing the ring, he turned and limped toward the wall behind the black coffin.

The Heavenly Demon Monarch's calm shattered into full-blown panic. "You little thief! How dare you take my treasures and try to leave? I'll kill you!" he bellowed.

'How the hell did this brat figure out my plan?! This is impossible!' The Monarch's thoughts raged as he watched Feng Fan limp away.

"You fucking kid. When I leave here, I'll kill you!"

If the Heavenly Demon Monarch still had a physical body, he would cough up blood and faint from rage!

Feng Fan paid no attention to the old soul's enraged shouts, moving forward until he reached the wall. Without hesitation, he kept walking.

Instead of meeting resistance, his face passed through the wall as if it wasn't there.

Moments later, his entire body crossed to the other side, and he found himself back in the same place where he had first entered the trial grounds.

He looked around but didn't find the wolves or Black Chicken. 'Oh fuck. How am I supposed to get back to the sect now?' He thought, his face turning ugly.

If he tried to transverse the forest alone, he would die eleven out of ten times.

"Cocoooo!"

Feng Fan heard a sound behind him and turned to see what it was. To his delight, Black Chicken stood there, staring at him patiently, as if waiting for orders.

His previously grim expression instantly brightened with joy. "Black Chicken! I've never been so happy to see a chicken in my entire life!" he exclaimed, rushing over to climb onto its back.

"Who says dogs are a man's best friend? I say chickens take the crown!" Feng Fan declared with a grin. "When times are tough, a chicken stays loyal, worrying about its master. And when food is scarce… a chicken can always be dinner!"

If Black Chicken could understand his words, it might have gone berserk and pecked Feng Fan to death on the spot. Luckily for him, the bird couldn't. It only responded to his intentions, unaware of his remarks.

"All right, let's head back," Feng Fan said, guiding Black Chicken toward the White Crow Sect. As the bird began to move, a pang of melancholy hit him. Memories of his home on Earth surfaced, bringing with them thoughts of his parents. 'Will they miss me?' he wondered, his chest tightening.