The Ultimate Divine Class-Chapter 408 - 333 You... Damn it!_2
A hint of faint mockery seemed present in its eyes.
Interesting...
Lu Yuan’s mood finally calmed.
The strange nature of this Hoopoe was now evident.
His Strength and Agility attributes had just increased, and with his Three Flowers blooming, he was operating at nearly his peak speed under normal conditions... Yet, he still couldn’t catch it.
Lu Yuan couldn’t be bothered to transform into a stronger form to try again.
There’s no need.
Why am I getting so worked up over a bird?
Lu Yuan shook his head, calmly observing the Hoopoe on the treetop. The bird was also watching him quietly.
Man and bird stared at each other for several seconds.
Lu Yuan turned around.
After walking a few steps, he turned back, gave the middle finger to the Hoopoe perched arrogantly on a nearby treetop, and snapped, "Stinky bird!"
The Hoopoe flinched. Lu Yuan clearly saw its pupils contract, and his mood instantly improved considerably.
The crested Hoopoe’s gaze seemed to turn icy cold.
Lu Yuan paid it no mind.
The Chaos Divination had predicted he would encounter this Hoopoe.
Although in folklore it was a symbol of "good luck."
But Lu Yuan’s intuition told him this creature had ulterior motives.
So, he didn’t mind offending it. If a single remark could provoke it into revealing its true intentions, that would be a good thing for him.
If birds could have expressions, the Hoopoe’s would probably look quite unsightly right now.
It gave Lu Yuan a deep look, then flapped its wings, shot into the sky, and vanished.
BOOM!
Accompanied by the roar of energy, Lan Chen, who had been chasing him, arrived late.
"Lu Yuan..."
Just as Lan Chen was about to ask Lu Yuan why he had suddenly burst away, a massive and peculiar energy fluctuation emerged from behind them.
Lu Yuan’s heart leaped, and he spun around abruptly.
The next second, he froze...
He saw a vast, overwhelming orange-red glow engulf the primeval forest before them.
A warm, wild wind sent the surrounding grass and trees rustling and dancing.
A splendidly beautiful figure, impossible to describe with words, appeared in the sky above Lu Yuan and Lan Chen.
Both stared blankly, completely stunned, at the exquisite creature that seemed to have flown straight out of a legendary scroll.
The Phoenix.
The suspected Phoenix Creature they had seen earlier, the one that had led numerous exploration team members on a frantic chase, was now hovering right above their heads.
It was perhaps only a few dozen meters away.
Witnessing this legendary creature at such close range, its stunning, world-shaking magnificence struck them to the core.
The great bird, wreathed in orange-red flames, seemed almost ethereal.
It circled above Lu Yuan and Lan Chen, its call clear and melodious—a sound unlike any instrument in the world, yet exquisitely beautiful.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a figure wreathed in intense light erupted from the distance, recklessly unleashing powerful energy fluctuations.
Within the light, a face etched with fervor and greed was clearly visible.
Then a second, a third, a fourth...
Figure after figure rushed toward them, and the energy field within a radius of over ten kilometers churned like boiling porridge.
At this moment, the magnificent and resplendent "Phoenix" seemed to have become a giant, luminous magnet, drawing powerful members of exploration teams from the surrounding area toward it.
Lu Yuan snapped out of his brief shock, his mind racing, processing everything in an instant.
Without a word, he grabbed Lan Chen, intending to get away from the center of the forming storm.
However, just as Lu Yuan was about to leave, another sudden change occurred.
The "Phoenix" soaring above his head suddenly went BOOM!... and exploded!
It burst into a sky full of orange-red and gold, like a grand and brilliant firework display.
The instantaneous, dazzling bloom left Lu Yuan momentarily stunned, his movements freezing.
Immediately after, Lu Yuan saw a dazzling golden light flare within the brilliance.
His pupils contracted.
He saw the golden object clearly.
It was an incredibly magnificent golden feather.
It was over a foot long, radiating a golden-red luster, as if forged from the world’s most precious metals. Its exquisite beauty defied description.
And this feather... was now held in the beak of a Hoopoe, a palm-sized bird with a crest and orange-red plumage.
The Hoopoe, holding the feather, darted about erratically in mid-air as if it had gone mad, tracing brilliant golden trails.
"A Phoenix Feather! That’s a genuine Phoenix Feather!"
An excited shout came from the distance.
In an instant, a dozen brilliant streaks of light flashed past Lu Yuan’s eyes.
Almost simultaneously, they lunged for the Hoopoe in mid-air.
A dozen or so powerful exploration team members, moving at top speed, tried to snatch the golden light, but they all missed, just as Lu Yuan had earlier.
A Phoenix Feather!...
Lu Yuan watched all this from below, a sharp light flickering in his eyes.
He had previously pulled Lan Chen back from the grip of greed, but now he found himself unwittingly sinking into it.
This thing’s allure was simply too great!
The Phoenix’s secret to immortality aside...
At the very least, its quality as a Legendary Level material was undeniable.
He needed it to unlock his Legendary Level panel. Moreover, he might even be able to unearth the traits of the legendary Phoenix contained within the feather and unlock a corresponding powerful profession panel!
To put it bluntly, the most important reason Lu Yuan had yearned to come to Ash Mountain was to obtain a Phoenix Feather!
Faced with this immense opportunity so close at hand, Lu Yuan hesitated, conflicted...
He took a deep breath, his fingers unintentionally tightening on Lan Chen’s arm, causing Lan Chen, who was still immersed in the frenzy, to sober up instantly. Lan Chen looked at him, then at his own overburdened exoskeleton armor, an expression of bewilderment and existential doubt crossing his face.
Finally, Lu Yuan made up his mind.
"Let’s go!"
Even if I’m going to fight for the Phoenix Feather, now isn’t the best time.
Lu Yuan gritted his teeth, made his decision, and started pulling Lan Chen away from the center of the chaotic vortex.
However, Lu Yuan had barely moved a short distance when a streak of gold, like a meteor, silently descended from the sky.
Lu Yuan watched, wide-eyed, as a certain Hoopoe, with a golden feather in its beak, traced a graceful arc in mid-air.
Beating its nimble wings, it landed gently on his shoulder.
Lu Yuan instinctively reached out to grab it twice.
As expected, he grabbed at empty air.
But the Hoopoe didn’t budge, as if it were glued to his shoulder, impossible to shoo away.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
Figures dropped from the sky one after another, and powerful auras surged around Lu Yuan.
Blazing gazes, intense enough to seemingly ignite the air, fell upon Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan looked at the faces, completely consumed by fervor and greed. He then turned to look at the Hoopoe on his left shoulder, which seemed rooted there, and met its eyes, full of mockery...
Lu Yuan took another deep breath, his expression gradually calming.
"You... you damn..."
"So this is how you want to play it, huh?"
He couldn’t hold it in any longer. Lu Yuan looked at the Hoopoe on his shoulder and finally cursed.
...
