Feng Yunwuji shot through the unknown organs of the Kunpeng's massive body, moving like a streak of lightning. As he neared the mouth cavity, he suddenly exploded into motion, darting straight for the exit. Almost at the same moment, the heavens turned upside down—the Kunpeng's enormous golden beak snapped shut with terrifying speed. But Feng Yunwuji's timing had been flawless. With only a hair's breadth to spare, he twisted his body and slipped through the narrowing gap.
"You sly little human!" the Kunpeng's furious roar echoed across the sky for tens of thousands of meters.
"Hmph. I knew you wouldn't let me go so easily. Of course you'd try something at the last moment. Just as I expected," Feng Yunwuji sneered, not even bothering to look back as he shot away like a bolt of lightning. Behind him, the massive form of the Kunpeng—its wingspan blotting out half the sky—was already in hot pursuit, rapidly shrinking in size as it gave chase.
As mentioned before, the Kunpeng is the fastest of all skyborn beasts. In its bird form, it's revered as the Golden-Winged Roc—fierce and proud, brooking no insult. Now, having been trespassed upon, robbed of one neidan, and having its other cores drained of essence, there was no way this savage creature would let Feng Yunwuji go. It had long since resolved to ambush him the moment he emerged, using its heavenly-honed beak—sharpest of all things—to tear him to shreds. But Feng Yunwuji had outwitted it by acting a step ahead.
With its innate mastery over the winds of heaven and earth, catching up to a mere human should have been effortless for the Kunpeng. In the face of this sovereign of speed, no one dared even mention the word "swiftness"—it was like waving a carpenter's axe in front of Lu Ban himself.
The Kunpeng's twin beaks snapped again, nearly clamping down on its quarry. But just then, it heard Feng Yunwuji utter six calm words: "Willow-Drifting on the Wind."
In the next instant, his body twisted unnaturally, seeming to flatten and drift like a paper-thin wisp.
A murderous gleam flashed through the Kunpeng's golden eyes as its beak struck—but it pierced only empty air, grazing just beneath Feng Yunwuji's feet. The man floated away like a drifting catkin on the breeze.
The Kunpeng, proud and arrogant, prided itself on being the fastest creature in existence. To have its attacks continually slip just barely past this infuriating human was maddening. It lunged, clawed, pecked, tossed, coiled, and swept—trying every method in its vast arsenal. And every time, Feng Yunwuji evaded by the thinnest margin, his expression maddeningly calm.
That smug, unbothered face—so casual, so contemptuous—was a humiliation that burned deeper than any wound.
"I don't believe this!" the Kunpeng howled, voice thunderous. "You think I, sovereign of the skies, can't handle a mere human brat!?"
With a screech that split the heavens, its body ignited in golden flames and streaked skyward, then plummeted downward like a falling sun. As it descended, its form rapidly changed, until what stood in its place was a radiant young man—sixteen or seventeen by appearance, pale as snow, with crimson lips and sword-sharp features. A paragon of elegance... with a face full of murderous rage.
"Let's see you escape now," the Kunpeng growled.
It was true—his beak and claws might be outmatched by human limbs, but in this humanoid form, the Kunpeng was confident. With the difference in their cultivation so vast, he only needed a single grasp to end this.
Most ancient beasts, given enough time, eventually develop the ability to take human form. This Kunpeng, born in the abyssal seas and cultivated for hundreds of millions of years, had long mastered the transformation. But it rarely used it, preferring the might of its original body. Now, shamed and toyed with by Feng Yunwuji, it had decided the failure lay in its form—and so resolved to shift tactics.
In its mind, once it had this body under control, catching and crushing Feng Yunwuji would be effortless. With such a colossal difference in cultivation, it could destroy dozens—no, hundreds—of warriors like him with ease.
Feng Yunwuji remained facing the Kunpeng, still dancing away with the "Willow-Drifting" technique. The advantage of doing so was clear—any abnormal movement from the beast, he could spot instantly and react accordingly.
As he watched the titanic bird shrink smaller and smaller, finally taking human form, he blinked once—then chuckled.
With a casual grace, he called out, voice loud and clear, "You foolish bird! In your original form, I wouldn't dare challenge your speed. I'd have no choice but to flee for my life. But now—now you've turned into a handsome young man? Ha! Looks like I'll be taking my leave!"
Without hesitation, he turned and shot off toward the horizon, where a towering structure loomed—a demonic teleportation gate, carved with arcane runes, rising thousands of feet into the sky. Black mist swirled around it, pulsing with unholy power.
Though the Kunpeng's earlier attacks had been fierce, the "Willow-Drifting" technique required so little effort that Feng Yunwuji had retained enough focus to scout the area with his divine sense. Back when he was still inside the creature's belly, he'd already sensed the gate's presence. As for fighting the Kunpeng head-on? Impossible. Flight was his only option.
Having taken human form, the Kunpeng's control over elemental forces was far less refined than in its original body. And since it hadn't fully adjusted to its humanoid form, even a moment of hesitation was enough for Feng Yunwuji to escape thousands of meters.
"Bastard! Get back here!" the Kunpeng roared. "Cowardly human! Run if you dare, but you won't get far!"
Panic flared within it. But this ancient beast was no fool—it possessed a cunning mind to match its power. Within moments, it began to master its new body. Wind surged around it once more, propelling the golden youth forward with increasing speed.
Even in human form, the Kunpeng was still a monarch of flight. Though not quite as fast as in its true form, it remained swifter than Feng Yunwuji. But with thousands of meters between them, that slight edge in speed wasn't enough to catch up in time.
Soon, the massive black gate came into view—runes glowing, clouds swirling above. The Kunpeng narrowed its eyes. It knew what Feng Yunwuji intended.
"Despicable! Shameless!" the Kunpeng's teeth ground audibly as fury twisted its handsome face. Ahead, Feng Yunwuji had already vanished into a cluster of demonic guards at the foot of the gate, slipping into their ranks like a shadow.
With a snarl of frustration, the Kunpeng flung its body upward once more, transforming back into its true, awe-inspiring form—a monstrous bird that tore through the air like a storm. It descended in an instant, landing before the gate with a mighty gust that sent dozens of demon guards flying. Bones cracked. Screams echoed.
Then, in midair, it twisted again, resuming its human form. As its golden eyes swept over the crowd—hundreds of thousands of demons—it found no sign of Feng Yunwuji.
But the Kunpeng was no fool. Far superior to lesser beasts, it realized at once that the human had hidden among the demons.
"You lot—none of you are to approach the portal. Step back! Anyone who disobeys... I'll eat them whole!" the Kunpeng's voice boomed like thunder, echoing across the borderlands of the Demon Realm.
"Line up. I'll inspect each and every one of you myself. That human is hiding among you—and I will find him."