Howl!!
Golden Roc nodded, expressing its intention.
Back then, it had engaged in a fierce battle with the Windwing Dragon King. Both had reached the second rank and were monarchs of their tier, boasting noble bloodlines. Golden Roc had recently evolved, while the Windwing Dragon King, already mutated with dragon bloodline, had undergone its transformation earlier. Their clash was cataclysmic—azure hurricanes collided with golden tempests, the destructive force akin to two tornadoes entangled in deadly embrace.
Not only the skies but the earth below was caught in the chaos.
The land was shredded into fragments.
Countless ferocious birds and beasts fled in terror, making a wide berth.
The fight was evenly matched. Neither could defeat the other easily.
Eventually, they fought their way into this mountain valley.
And that's when disaster struck.
The two cyclones swept across the valley, tearing apart swathes of golden rice. This act enraged the valley's guardians—the scarecrows.
No one knew how, but they hurled out a giant golden net, capturing both the Windwing Dragon King and Golden Roc. Below, a horde of scarecrows pulled hard at the net, dragging the two mighty beasts toward the ground.
Golden Roc still shuddered recalling the scene.
That net—no one knew what it was made of—was eerie and unbreakable. Even wind blades couldn't cut it, and it radiated golden light. Not even monarch-level beings could tear through it. The sheer number of scarecrows below was staggering—each of them gripping a piece of the net like some macabre game of tug-of-war. The more scarecrows joined, the stronger their collective force became.
Golden Roc's feathers had nearly stood on end from terror. Its razor-sharp feathers slashed at the net to no avail.
Both beasts were exhausted from their battle, their strength nearly drained. Dragged to the ground, their fate would have been grim, especially against that terrifying horde of scarecrows.
But at the critical moment, the Windwing Dragon King suddenly burst forth with a surge of strength. With a mighty lunge upward, it carried the golden net into the sky, forcefully ripping open a gap.
Golden Roc, instinctively responding to its gaze, darted through the gap and escaped.
But the Windwing Dragon King, weakened from its outburst, was quickly pulled back down. With Golden Roc gone, the scarecrows' strength overwhelmed it. Though it unleashed a flurry of wind blades, shredding many scarecrows, it was ultimately struck on the head by the golden scarecrow's bronze bamboo staff, knocking it unconscious.
And that's how it ended up in its current dire state.
From the looks of it, if this continued, the Windwing Dragon King would surely perish. Escape was all but impossible.
After escaping, Golden Roc had immediately returned to Xuanhuang Town to bring Yi Tianxing, hoping he could help rescue the Wind god Dragon King.
Though unsure what exactly had transpired, it was clear that Golden Roc wanted to save this companion.
"Saving it... won't be easy," Yi Tianxing murmured, frowning.
The valley below teemed with scarecrows. A golden scarecrow stood atop the Windwing Dragon King. Though the golden net was gone, its wings were pinned to the ground by bamboo stakes—rescue would be nigh impossible.
If even a monarch-level creature like the Windwing Dragon King could be subdued, then the golden scarecrow's power must be immense.
Golden Roc's eyes dimmed slightly at his words.
Whoosh!!
At that moment, the golden scarecrow seemed to sense Golden Roc's presence. It looked skyward, golden eyes gleaming beneath its straw hat. A golden radiance flared—
A golden net suddenly unfurled into the air.
Golden Roc didn't hesitate. With a powerful flap, it shot away like a streak of lightning.
Had it hesitated for even a moment, it would have been ensnared again.
Yi Tianxing inhaled sharply. "Such keen perception... even scarecrows have become this terrifying."
This world had grown stranger by the day. All kinds of bizarre creatures were emerging. These scarecrows were clearly not mere puppets, but genuine lifeforms with intelligence—likely creatures birthed from the fusion of the game world and reality.
He recalled that scarecrows had been among the most common monsters in the game.
But in this transformed world, they had evolved into living beings. Their origin was still a mystery.
Scarecrows couldn't reproduce in the traditional sense. But their sheer numbers hinted at some method of propagation.
"If we could learn how they reproduce, perhaps we could use them ourselves. At the very least, they'd be unmatched at driving away pests and birds."
This thought flickered in Yi Tianxing's mind.
"And we mustn't forget the spiritual rice down there. It's Earth-grade, top-tier. Such treasure could elevate an entire sect to power. Letting this opportunity slip by would be criminal."
His yearning for the golden wheat was barely concealed.
Once acquired, he could cultivate legendary spiritual rice. And with scarecrows guarding the fields, nothing could stop them from maturing fully. After all, the spiritual energy emitted during growth would attract countless birds and insects. Without guardians, there'd be nothing left by harvest.
"My dantian's Life Orifice has already formed spiritual fields—perfect for growing such rice."
His desire intensified.
"Rescuing the Windwing Dragon King might not be impossible. It depends on whether that dragon is smart enough."
Focusing on the dragon below, Yi Tianxing's eyes narrowed. With a thought, a silver-white ancient portal appeared, standing right in front of the Wind god Dragon King—close enough to reach with a few steps.
The moment the Spatial Gate appeared, the Windwing Dragon King took notice. Having already seen Golden Roc earlier, its previously despairing eyes lit up with hope.
Howl!!
A surge of power erupted from within. With a tremendous effort, it tore the bamboo stakes from the ground—blood poured from its wings, but it didn't care. Eyes gleaming with madness, it lunged toward the gate.
The sudden movement flung the golden scarecrow off its back.
Its head was nearly through the portal when—
Wham!!
The golden scarecrow's bronze staff came down hard on its skull.
The blow left the Wind god Dragon King dazed, seeing stars. It nearly collapsed on the spot.
But as a monarch-level being, its bloodline and willpower were extraordinary. Sensing imminent death, it let out a shrill shriek. Its wings flared, unleashing a gale of wind, lifting its body just enough to dive into the portal.
A flash of light—and it vanished.
All of this, though lengthy to describe, happened in less than a breath's time.
"Grain thief escaped! Grain thief escaped!!"
The surrounding scarecrows roared in anger, waving their weapons furiously.
The golden scarecrow glared into the sky, golden eyes flashing with threat.
Clearly, it had figured out that Golden Roc and Yi Tianxing were responsible.
Yet it made no further move, only tightened its guard on the golden fields. Not even a fly would get through now.
"Should I mobilize the army and storm the valley?" The idea was tempting. But Yi Tianxing quickly dismissed it.
Unless absolutely necessary, he would never do such a thing.
Xuanhuang Town was still growing. Losing elite soldiers over spiritual rice was not worth it.
"But to deal with these scarecrows... perhaps attacking from above might work."
A glint flashed in Yi Tianxing's eyes. Suddenly, a black warbow appeared in his hand—the Meteorfall Bow. Just holding it released an aura of weight and sharpness.
A white bone war arrow materialized in his hand.
He nocked it, pulling the string with ease. As he drew, streams of true qi flowed into the arrow and the bow.
Whoosh!!
Bowstring twanged—arrow released in one smooth motion.
As it shot through the air, the entire arrow lit up with crimson flames—this was a Flame Arrow.
Infused into the white bone war arrow, its power was far beyond the typical talisman arrows—greater force, greater speed.
In an instant, the arrow was in front of the golden scarecrow.
This shot—aimed straight at its heart!
Only a crimson streak remained in the sky.