Chapter 223: Lost Face Like a Chicken

"Where is this?"

Lin Fan shook his head. The surroundings were unfamiliar—ancient wood paved the floor, its color and grain suggesting great age. On the wooden walls hung hunting tools and animal skins.

Lin Fan checked himself and found no problems. The situation in the secret chamber must have teleported him out.

His only regret was that he hadn't obtained the white bones.

Lin Fan checked the chick. It was sleeping quietly in his backpack. In his view, this expedition hadn't been without gains.

Even without the Seven Sacred Treasure Map, taming the descendant of an ancient ferocious beast was a huge win.

Then Lin Fan took out the Seven Sacred Shining Sun Record. This was the only useful thing he had obtained in the secret chamber; it should be a cultivation technique.

"Ding, congratulations on discovering the first volume of the Seven Sacred Shining Sun Record. Would you like to learn it?"

"Learn."

"Ding, congratulations on learning the technique Seven Sacred Shining Sun Record."

At that moment, Lin Fan felt a warm current gather inside him. Although the Seven Sacred Shining Sun Record only had one volume, its power rivaled high-grade Heaven rank. If he could collect all seven volumes, the power would be unimaginably great.

Just then, the wooden door was pushed open.

Lin Fan focused his gaze. It was an old man, not tall, somewhat stooped, with white hair. His face didn't look like that of a bad person.

The old man's cultivation was at the mid-stage of Xiantian, not high. Lin Fan had to admit that his talent was truly terrible.

Reaching mid-stage Xiantian was already his limit.

"Sir, you're awake? Is there anything you need?" The old man greeted respectfully as he entered.

Lin Fan laughed. "Old man, do you know who I am?"

In Lin Fan's view, in such situations, the old man would usually call him 'young man.' But unexpectedly, he called him 'sir,' which caught Lin Fan off guard.

The old man smiled. "Sir, when I was young, I also roamed outside. I have some skill in judging people. Your bearing is extraordinary, clearly not an ordinary person. I don't know why you fainted at the village entrance, but you must have encountered some troublesome matter."

"Haha..." Lin Fan laughed. Truly, old age brings wisdom. But Lin Fan was still a bit confused about where he was. "Where is this?"

"Sir, this is Rock Village. I am the village chief, Yan Shanli. Several hundred li away is the Qin Shen Dynasty," the village chief explained carefully.

Yan Shanli had roamed outside for over a decade in his youth, but his talent was limited. By middle age, his cultivation remained at mid-stage Xiantian. Frustrated and unfulfilled, he returned to the village and, after the previous chief died, inherited the position, guarding the village.

Lin Fan fell silent. Qin Shen Dynasty? Damn, in the blink of an eye, he was hundreds of thousands of li away?

Lin Fan had memorized the Sacred Sect's records, which covered all of Dongling Prefecture. The Qin Shen Dynasty was hundreds of thousands of li from the Sacred Sect.

The Flame Hell was only tens of thousands of li from the Sacred Sect. How had he ended up here in an instant?

But whatever. Since he was here, he might as well stay. Going anywhere was the same; improving his strength was the real issue.

"Sir, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave," Village Chief Yan said politely.

"Mm." Lin Fan nodded.

...

Village Chief Yan withdrew and saw a group of children gathered around. He waved his hand. "Don't disturb the sir's rest."

The children scattered and ran off elsewhere.

Lin Fan let the chick out. As soon as it came out, it raised its head and crowed, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!" Lin Fan smacked it on the head.

"Shut up!"

The chick lifted its proud chicken head, its big eyes glaring disdainfully at Lin Fan. Then it twisted its bald chicken butt, crossed its three-toed claws, pushed open the wooden door with one claw, and ran out.

Lin Fan sat there, planning his next route.

He took out the Seven Sacred Treasure Map and examined it carefully. Then he breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, one forbidden ground was close to the Qin Shen Dynasty; it wasn't a total loss.

Just then, laughter came from outside. Curious, Lin Fan walked out.

A group of children were gathered around, pointing and laughing.

When Lin Fan saw the scene, he frowned slightly.

The chick spread its wings, intimidating a rooster that lay on the ground trembling. Then the chick strutted forward, followed by a group of hens, as if captivated by its dominance.

The chick circled around a hen again and again.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo..."

The chick stretched its neck and crowed. The hen spread its wings and raised its rear high.

Then something happened that left Lin Fan dumbfounded. The chick flapped its wings and pounced onto the hen, its featherless wings covering the hen as if shyly hiding from onlookers.

"This rooster is so strange. It doesn't have a single feather," said a tiger-headed, tiger-brained child with a runny nose.

"It stole Big A's wife," another child said, pointing at the rooster lying on the ground with unwilling eyes.

...

Lin Fan wiped the sweat from his forehead, then stepped forward and picked up the chick. "You worthless thing."

The chick struggled, its fun ruined.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo..."

"Cock your head! Get back in there!" Lin Fan said helplessly, tossing the chick into his backpack.

An ancient ferocious beast, and it was stealing a wife from a domestic fowl. Couldn't it have some ambition?

The children watching were amazed and shouted.

"Uncle, where did the rooster go?"

"Where did it go..."

Lin Fan smiled at the children's chatter, then took out some candy and handed it out.

Lin Fan wandered around the village. It had about a hundred people. They lived off the mountains and water, and the environment was pleasant.

The villagers were friendly to Lin Fan, an outsider.

After a week, Lin Fan felt it was time to leave.

He had planned his route. The next destination was one of the forbidden grounds on the Seven Sacred Treasure Map: the Burial Sea Demon Land.

The Burial Sea Demon Land was about a thousand li from the Qin Shen Dynasty. The other forbidden grounds on the map were scattered in all directions, and he would sweep through them one by one.

The next day.

"Village Chief Yan, thank you for your hospitality. Here are some pills. If anyone gets hurt while hunting in the mountains, as long as they're still breathing, these can save them." Lin Fan didn't have many treasures, but he had plenty of herbs. He casually refined some pills as a gift to repay the favor.

Village Chief Yan, having seen the world, was naturally excited to hear of the pills' efficacy. "Thank you, sir."

"Farewell. May we meet again if fate allows." With that, Lin Fan stepped into the void and flew into the distance.

After breaking through to the Spirit Entering realm, one could sense the world's true essence and fly through the air.

Though not fast, it was convenient.

Village Chief Yan watched Lin Fan leave, a ripple stirring in his heart as he recalled his younger self.

Flying over the mountains, overlooking the vast land, Lin Fan headed south.

Below, a group of people appeared, but Lin Fan paid them no mind and sped up.