At the break of dawn, the great sun rose from the east, sunlight bursting forth, as though the gods were wielding golden whips to dispel the darkness.
The moment the first ray of sunlight appeared, Du ke, who was perched atop a big tree, immediately gathered the sunlight and put it into the Black Cauldron.
Under the flames wrapping the Black Cauldron, the sunlight gradually condensed into a pill. With a thought, Du ke divided the pill into two.
Before long, Du ke took one out and threw the other back into the Black Cauldron for further refining, while at the same time jumping down from the tree.
"Eat this Sun Essence Pill, burn away the alcohol in your body, and you'll feel better!"
Du ke threw the pill to the dog, who had originally been frowning bitterly. The dog immediately bit down on the Sun Essence Pill and swallowed it.
The bit of wine he had drunk last night had made him sleep through the night, only waking up before dawn.
But when he woke up, he had a splitting headache.
After the Sun Essence Pill entered his stomach, sunlight spread through his body, not only making the dog close his eyes comfortably with his whole body of feathers standing up as he shivered from the pleasure, but also burning away any trace amounts of alcohol left in his body.
After the dog spat out a hot breath, he also regained his cheerfulness, circling around Du ke while swaying his head.
"Alright, alright, go lie down over there and rest, I have to do my morning exercises!"
Du ke calmed the dog down and told him to rest well. He himself swallowed the twice-refined Sun Essence Pill and began his morning routine.
As for leveling up the Black Cauldron to allow triple refinements, that had already been achieved.
However, Du ke had never actually tried triple refining. Mainly because he didn't know whether triple refining would drain physical strength, inner power, or primeval essence.
They were still outside right now so it was not suitable to experiment.
Back in Mao City, he had been busy gathering spiritual rhythms and making escape plans, so there was no time to consider triple refining.
Anyway, the Black Cauldron was safely tucked away in the Black Cauldron Space, it could wait until later for experiments. Triple refining would happen eventually.
After finishing morning exercises, Du ke stuffed himself with over ten Blood Food Pills, and also gave three to five to the dog.
With the Blood Food Pills entering his stomach, Du ke also felt a comfortable warmth in his belly.
"Alright, it's time we set off on our journey!"
Just as Du ke was about to take his bike frame out from the Black Cauldron Space, at this moment, an unfamiliar spiritual rhythm forcefully intruded into his perception and rapidly approached him.
Du ke’s ears twitched. He had just looked up to see a giant black eagle entering the forest, wings spread wide.
Upon entering the forest, the black eagle folded its wings and swooped down towards Du ke.
Before long, the black eagle landed and cocked its head, examining Du ke.
Seeing this black eagle, Du ke was immediately reminded of that flirtatious vixen who liked grabbing his tail and rubbing it.
She had been riding a giant black eagle like this.
As Du ke stared at the giant eagle, the giant eagle stared back at him.
This giant eagle was at least three meters tall while standing on the ground, exuding an aura of wilderness as though it were some exotic rare bird.
After staring at Du ke for a moment, the black eagle also lowered its body and spread one of its wings.
Seeing the black eagle’s actions, Du ke blinked. This black eagle had undoubtedly been summoned by that bone fragment.
But after using that bone fragment, he had directly thrown it into the Black Cauldron Space and rushed dozens of miles with Stealth before stopping.
How did this black eagle manage to find him?
Could it be the monster aura?
At this thought, Du ke immediately clicked his tongue. He should have asked more from that vixen earlier.
Seeing Du ke’s lack of response, the giant eagle directly let out a cry.
"Caw!!"
Upon hearing the black eagle’s cry, Du ke's ears twitched. This black eagle looked amazing but that cry... was indescribable!
"Sorry, sorry!"
Du ke bowed apologetically to the black eagle, "I played with that bone fragment last night, didn't expect to summon you here."
"Truly very sorry about that!"
Saying that, Du ke took out a Blood Food Pill and threw it to the black eagle.
The black eagle had no intention of accepting the pill, as Monster Market guides were not allowed to accept rewards from those they guided.
Although it was just a deliveryman, it still had professional ethics!
However, when that Blood Food Pill's aroma wafted over, the black eagle couldn't help but snap it up in its mouth and swallow it.
As soon as the Blood Food Pill entered its stomach, it turned into surging primeval essence, making the black eagle narrow its eyes in comfort. Its whole body of feathers stood on end as it shrunk its head, shuddering with pleasure.
"Consider this compensation for making you run over here for nothing!"
Du ke said with a laugh, "Truly very sorry!"
"Alright, you can go back now. My brother and I will be on our way!"
As Du ke waved goodbye to the black eagle and prepared to leave with Thirteen, the black eagle quickly hopped around to block their way.
"What do you think you're doing!"
Du ke narrowed his eyes. The black eagle lowered its body and spread its wings, urging them with a cry.
"Caw!!"
Monster Market, so amazing! Good food, good drink, fun, cool stuff, everything!
"I don't need food, drink or fun," Du ke understood the black eagle’s meaning but still patiently explained, "I have urgent matters to attend to now, no time to go to the Monster Market with you."
"That's that!"
Du ke tried walking down another path with Thirteen, but the stubborn black eagle kept flying over to land in front of them, lowering its body for them to climb on.
"No means no!"
Du ke frowned, "Why must you be so stubborn?"
The white cat transmitted his own thoughts directly to the black eagle via spiritual rhythms.
"I don't have time and don't want to go!"
The black eagle was taken aback, but soon Du ke heard its cry again.
"Caw!"
Monster Market, so amazing! Good food, good drink, fun stuff, cool things, everything!
"I don't need food or fun," hearing the black eagle’s thoughts again, Du ke felt somewhat helpless. Why was this black eagle being so stubborn?
"Caw!!"
Monster Market pick-up, will deliver come hell or high water!
The black eagle urged. Come on up quickly! At worst when we reach the Monster Market, I can send you back.
"It can work like that?"
Du ke raised an eyebrow, also stroking his chin as an idea surfaced.
"I'll agree to go to the Monster Market, but when I want to leave, can you send me to the border between Cangzhou and Wuzhou?"
The black eagle immediately nodded. That distance was nothing! It could even send him anywhere within Cangzhou!
"If that's the case, then I'll take a trip to the Monster Market!"
Du ke nodded. Since this black eagle was willing to give him a ride, it saved Thirteen from having to sprint long distances.
Flying was faster than running after all!
At this time, Du ke also took off the pheasant feather crown on Thirteen’s head and put it on himself.
In his hurry to escape last night, he had forgotten to retrieve the crown.
Seeing Du ke wearing the pheasant feather crown, Thirteen whimpered - his tiger head hat and single shoulder bag were still with Du ke!
"I know, I'll help you put them on later!"
As Du ke spoke, he went to get on the black eagle with Thirteen. But before Du ke could sit down, the black eagle cried out.
"Caw!"
Monster aura, monster aura! Need monster aura!
Du ke understood the black eagle’s meaning and immediately raised his brows, "You need to reveal monster aura to enter the Monster Market?"
The black eagle hurriedly nodded. Those without monster aura that entered would be sent to the kitchens and cooked!
Seeing that, Du ke mobilized the spiritual rhythms of his pheasant feather crown to weaken its suppression of his own monster aura, releasing a part of it.
"How about now?"
Du ke asked the black eagle again. The black eagle tilted its head, examining Du ke for a bit before slowly nodding.
That’s better!
"Alright then, thanks for your help!"
With Thirteen, Du ke climbed onto the black eagle. As soon as they were seated securely, the black eagle immediately shot upwards into the skies, straight through the clouds.
In but a blink, Du ke and Thirteen were high up in the air, passing through cloud layers.
Looking at the clouds speeding by below the black eagle, Du ke took out Thirteen’s tiger head hat and single shoulder bag from the Black Cauldron Space and helped Thirteen put them on.
After Du ke finished adorning Thirteen with the tiger head hat, he also adjusted Thirteen a little.
"Oh, that's better!"
As soon as Thirteen heard Duke's words, he laughed with eyes narrowed, and his tail shook even more frantically.
"Alright, sit tight, don't fall down!"
Duke patted Thirteen's dog head to make him stand firm. Falling down from this height would undoubtedly mean certain death.
............
On the border between Cang and Wu states.
A roar suddenly burst out from the woods between the mountains.
"Damn you, thieving Jin Yi, you actually stole it right off my head!"
"Oh dear, big brother, don't get angry. I'm just borrowing it, I'll give it back when I'm done!"
Two silhouettes, one chasing the other, rushed out from the woods. The former had fur like exquisite brocade, four ears on its head, and a pair of bright amber eyes. The latter had fiery red fur over its entire body, a physique like a lion, and a single horn on its head.
"Borrow my a*s!"
The unicorn beast roared, "Anything that falls into your thieving hands can never be returned!"
"Thief?"
The cat with four ears and fur like an exquisite floral robe immediately stopped and glared angrily at the unicorn beast.
"You actually called me a thief!"
"Well, aren't you?"
The unicorn beast also stopped and saw that the four-eared cat was very annoyed. It kept muttering unintelligibly and pacing back and forth on the spot.
"Thief?"
"I'm not a thief!"
"Qian Sui and stuffy gourd can testify, I'm not a thief!"
"Stuffy gourd is more like a thief than me, how can I be a thief?"
"I came out here to be a chivalrous hero, how could I be a thief!"
"No, I can't let people call me that!"
The four-eared cat muttered to itself for a while, then roared at the unicorn beast as well.
"I'm damn well not a thief!"
As it roared, spiritual patterns emerged in the four-ears' eyes, instantly manifesting into an energy form that enshrouded it.
Seeing the four-ears manifest its energy form, the unicorn beast looked at it warily, its body tense, ready to fight at any moment.
But in the next second, the four-ears opened its mouth, and its energy form over its head also opened its mouth wide, spitting out a carved white jade statue.
"This item can serve as collateral for my borrowing. If it's not enough, just say the word and I'll give you more!"
After the four-ears spat out this white jade statue, even the unicorn beast was stunned for a moment. But soon its eyes narrowed; this jade statue was much more valuable than what the thieving cat had stolen from it.
It glanced at the four-ears and harrumphed.
"You cat have some sense at least, I'll give you face just this once today!"
"Thanks big brother, there will definitely be generous rewards in the future!"
The four-ears didn't even bother with the white jade statue it had spat out, instead turning and disappearing swiftly into the woods without a trace.
Seeing the cat leave so swiftly and decisively, the unicorn beast was taken aback again for a moment, then mocked itself a few times.
"This cat is truly decisive, it actually makes me look petty!"
"Though it really needs to fix this taking without asking habit!"