Chapter 3

After looking at the fish in his hand, Xiao Yao placed it on some leaves.

Next came the question of how to eat it. He had no way to make fire, and honestly, he didn't think he had the skills to start one by rubbing sticks together.

"Well, people do eat raw fish, right?" he reasoned, convincing himself.

Taking out his knife, he started cutting the fish down the middle after removing its head. As he cleaned out the innards, something unusual caught his eye.

"Uhm, what's this?" he muttered, pulling out what looked like a fruit from the fish's stomach.

"Is it safe to eat?" He pondered for a moment, but an inexplicable feeling inside him urged him to eat it—almost like an instinct.

"Ahh, let's just listen to this feeling," he said while scratching the back of his head.

However, looking at the fruit covered in digestive juices, he decided to wash it first.

As he dipped the fruit into the water, it began to give off a refreshing smell, causing fishes to gather from nearby. The aroma wasn't just attracting them—it was also making his urge to eat the fruit even stronger, almost unbearable.

Seeing them swarm toward the scent, Xiao Yao's eyes widened. Alarmed, he quickly pulled the fruit out, causing the smell to vanish. The confused fish lingered for a moment before dispersing back into the depths.

Xiao Yao gulped as the smell intensified his urge to eat the fruit to an unbearable level.

Without a second thought, he popped the fruit into his mouth.

The moment it entered, a wave of drowsiness hit him, and with a Bang, he collapsed onto the ground, eyes shut, snoring.

Unbeknownst to him, a transformation had begun within his body.

The surrounding energy, or qi, started converging toward him, seeping into his very being.

Deep within, just below his chest, a small ball of water began to take shape. Moments later, it condensed into a transparent, almost illusory, blue light—flickering between existence and nothingness.

If a cultivator were present to witness this scene, they would instantly recognize it for what it was— a spiritual root.

The surrounding qi continued to gather inside his body, causing the flickering spiritual root to stabilize.

Now, it stood firm—its transparent form radiating a deep, aqua-blue glow.

Slowly, the influx of qi began to weaken before finally coming to a complete halt.

The area fell into an eerie silence. All the creatures that once inhabited the surroundings had long fled, instinctively avoiding the overwhelming pressure released during the formation of the spiritual root.

Minutes passed.

Then, from the nearby bushes, a shadow emerged, rustling the leaves as it crept toward Xiao Yao's unconscious body.

The figure halted, staring down at him with dark, glinting pupils.

But soon, its gaze shifted to the fat fish lying nearby. Without hesitation, it scurried over, settled down, and began nibbling at the fish with small, deliberate bites.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yao's eyelashes trembled slightly. A moment later, his eyes fluttered open.

"Ugh… What happened?" he muttered groggily, his mind still hazy. The last thing he remembered was putting the strange fruit into his mouth.

But as his senses gradually returned, he felt an unfamiliar lightness in his body—like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

He jumped, squatted, and stretched his limbs, only to find himself moving with surprising ease. There was no exhaustion, no sluggishness. Even his hunger had vanished, replaced by a refreshing surge of energy.

Now, he was certain—the fruit had to be at least a spiritual fruit, one that had grown naturally by absorbing qi from the surroundings.

Thinking back to it, he realized he owed the fat fish some thanks. Although it had dared to look at him with such disdain, he had ultimately obtained the fruit because of it.

So, as a token of gratitude, he decided not to eat it. Instead, he would bury its body properly.

With that thought in mind, he turned toward the place where he had left the fish.

And then—his eyes met with something unexpected.

A pair of pitch-black, abyss-like pupils stared right back at him, devoid of any white.

The creature sitting before him had sharp, curved claws, a pointed beak that looked capable of piercing through solid wood, and a sleek coat of black-and-white fur arranged in distinct patterns. Two pairs of wings rested at its sides, folded neatly.

At that moment, it was calmly nibbling away at the fat fish—almost finished devouring it.

Xiao Yao's eyes widened in disbelief.

"F*ck… a penguin?"

Xiao Yao's sudden shout nearly made the penguin-like creature toss away the fish it had just picked up with its wings.

Fixing Xiao Yao with a deathly glare, it hurriedly nibbled down the rest of the fish, devouring it in mere moments.

Watching the strange creature feasting while keeping an eye on him, Xiao Yao grew increasingly curious. He circled around it, trying to recall whether any such creature existed in his memories.

But the answer was—no.

Mind you, the original owner of this body was the son of a City Lord of a massive city. Back when his mother was still healthy, he had received a proper education, reading numerous books on common sense and cultivation. Yet, he had never come across anything remotely like this creature.

But considering that this was a vast world of cultivation—and that the Yan Kingdom was just a tiny speck in comparison to vast world —it wasn't too difficult to accept the existence of such a creature.

After a moment, the penguin finished devouring the fish and stood up. It stretched its wings or rather, its flipper-like pads and patted its round belly in satisfaction.

The penguin then took a look at him, its small body—about 0.5 meters (1.6 feet) tall, similar to the height of a small penguin—standing tall with its head held high, as if Xiao Yao needed to look up just to speak with it.

But seeing Xiao Yao's height, the penguin gestured with the pointy end of its pad for him to lower himself. After a brief moment of thought, Xiao Yao complied and sat down, bringing himself almost to the penguin's level. A strangely human-like look of acknowledgment flashed across the penguin's face.

"Ehhh, can you understand me?" Xiao Yao asked, a little curious. He knew that monsters were different from normal animals; they could comprehend human speech, and powerful ones could even talk or transform into human form.

The penguin gave a deliberate nod, its sharp, glossy beak twitching slightly as if in acknowledgment. Then, it raised one stubby wing—its clawed tips making an odd but precise gesture. First, it pointed toward the pile of stripped fish bones lying on the ground, then at Xiao Yao, and finally at itself.

Without another sound, the penguin turned sharply and waddled toward the forest with an oddly graceful sway.It paused near the tree line, tilting its head back to glance at Xiao Yao, its expression expectant.

Xiao Yao, still processing what had just happened, hesitated for a moment before muttering, "Ehh, you want to take me somewhere? Because you ate my fish?"

The penguin gave another firm nod, tapping the ground impatiently with one of its clawed feet before continuing forward.

After looking at the penguin's back, Xiao Yao hesitated for a moment before following it.

In this unknown place, he didn't even know which direction was safe, let alone how to get back to some human settlement.

So, following this monster penguin was the more practical choice. Besides, it didn't seem like some evil demon—if it were, he doubted he'd still be standing here while it peacefully ate the fat fish.

Thinking about the fat fish, he glanced at its remains but had no time to bury them since the penguin was already on the move.

'Well, if I ever become powerful enough to revive someone, I might bring you back to life,' he thought before hurrying after the penguin.

(Fat fish in the afterlife: F*ck you.)

He quickly followed the penguin as it had walked some path forward , its body moving in a funny wobbly manner.

Shaking off his wandering thoughts, Xiao Yao caught up, matching its pace.

Since the penguin wasn't able to speak, he didn't bother asking unnecessary questions about where they were going or what it wanted and simply followed it quietly.

After passing through the tall trees, they entered a dense thicket, where Xiao Yao could only track the penguin by the rustling of bushes as it moved. Otherwise, he might have lost sight of it entirely.

Navigating the tangled path, they continued walking for an hour or two before finally emerging into an open area. In front of them lay a hidden cave, nestled away from plain sight.

The cave was carved into a large rocky outcrop, its surface covered in dense moss and scattered trees, camouflaging it almost entirely. From a distance, it blended seamlessly into the surrounding forest.

The penguin glanced back at Xiao Yao, pointed at him, then at the cave, before waddling inside.

Without hesitation, Xiao Yao followed, curiosity piqued about what might be hidden within.