The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 935: Tempest-thunder Golden Hawk!

Tempest-thunder Golden Hawk! . . .

- "Hoooh!" - Cha Eun Xiao hurtled through the clouds atop the hawk. The majestic bird extended its expansive wings, propelling them forward. Its speed was increasing rapidly, appearing limitless. It hadn\'t flown this fast since its injury. Now, fully healed, it soared with unrestrained joy, reveling in its newfound agility.

While the hawk reveled in its flight, Cha Eun Xiao, perched on its back, was struggling to endure. He hid his head deep within the feathers behind the wings, exposing only a small portion of his back to the elements. Despite this, the wind cut through him as if slashing at his exposed skin.

When the hawk had its fill of exhilarating flight and slowed down, Cha Eun Xiao dismounted shakily. His legs felt weak, and he was overcome with dizziness.

"Why did you fly so fast?" Cha Eun Xiao scolded the hawk, rapping on its head twice in annoyance. "If I were weaker in physique and cultivation, I might have perished on your back! Do you comprehend the danger you put me in? Are you attempting to slay your own savior?"

Cha Eun Xiao berated the hawk, proclaiming himself as its savior. Although it held some truth, it was an audacious claim.

The hawk cooed, innocence in its eyes, tilting its head and nudging Cha Eun Xiao once more, conveying its apology.

"Fine, alright," Cha Eun Xiao couldn\'t help but smile. "Don\'t play innocent with me. It won\'t work."

The hawk cooed again and stood upright, extending its wings and surveying the surroundings. [Look, this is my home!]

[This is my dwelling!]

Cha Eun Xiao looked around, shocked. This place clearly indicated human habitation. A hawk could never have created such a place.

What he saw were a series of finely crafted wooden houses, far beyond the capabilities of even the most intelligent and cognitive hawk. Even Cha Eun Xiao himself couldn\'t have fashioned such a splendid architectural complex; only skilled professionals could.

The only aspect of the area that could be linked to the hawk was the enormous nest located on the other side.

The hawk strolled towards the nest.

It had to be its home.

The nest exceeded a hundred meters in width, an excessive amount of space for the hawk\'s needs.

At the center of the nest sat a dark stone with words etched into its surface.

Cha Eun Xiao examined the words closely.

"Man from the sky plays in the world."

"One sword in the hand. Two hawks are a couple."

"Conquer the realm, command the world."

"Invincible in the world, disappear in vain."

"Forty-eight thousand meters, the peak of the realm!"

Cha Eun Xiao took a deep breath.

[Who is this individual?]

[What an arrogantly phrased inscription.]

Beneath those lines were smaller words.

"Pregnant golden hawk; an ascending man. Stay for fifteen years until the hawk\'s egg is laid. Tempest-thunder golden hawk, species from the outer world. Only lightning can make it hatch. The day of birth depends solely on heaven\'s will. Life or death, god will plan."

There was no signature or further indication of the author.

Cha Eun Xiao contemplated for a while, then a sudden realization dawned on him.

Three thousand years ago, Qing-Yun Realm had a supreme master cultivator known as Peerless Man. He was a shooting star in the realm, shining brightly for a brief period.

Peerless Man appeared in the martial world for only three years. During this time, he defeated every cultivator in the realm, including the then-acknowledged No. 1 cultivator, who fell to him in three moves.

After three years, Peerless Man vanished without a trace, leaving everyone wondering about his name and his destination.

Although no one in Qing-Yun Realm knew Peerless Man\'s name, everyone knew that wherever he traveled, two colossal golden hawks were always seen following him. When these hawks appeared, thunder and wind followed in their wake.

Golden hawks heralding tempest-thunder.

These events were recorded in the history books of the Cold Moon Palace.

Cha Eun Xiao concluded that the inscription on the rock was authored by Peerless Man.

"The formidable figure didn\'t succumb even after vanquishing all adversaries in the realm. He took residence in this obscure mountain, concealed from public knowledge," Cha Eun Xiao ruminated.

"This mountain\'s towering height, a staggering forty-eight thousand meters, makes it, without doubt, the loftiest peak in Qing-Yun Realm," he observed with astonishment.

Recalling the two majestic golden hawks that trailed the great figure, he deduced, "The two golden hawks accompanying the formidable man must have been Tempest-thunder Golden Hawks, and the one before me now must be their progeny."

However, the timeline puzzled Cha Eun Xiao. The great man had lived three thousand years ago, and the inscription mentioned that he resided in this location for fifteen years, during which the eggs of the young hawk were laid. Yet, the current hawk was merely seventeen years old. This incongruity confounded him.

After poring over the text, "Tempest-thunder golden hawk, species from the outer world. Only lightnings can make it hatch. The day of birth only depends on heaven\'s will," for an extended duration, Cha Eun Xiao reached a somewhat absurd yet plausible conclusion.

It seemed that the young hawk wasn\'t the offspring of the two golden hawks from eons ago. After laying the egg, they placed it in a specific location where it would be frequently struck by lightning. Over a vast span of time, the egg absorbed the electrical energy and finally hatched.

If the young hawk was just seventeen years old, it meant the egg had been left in the world for nearly three thousand years before hatching.

"The hawk was hatched after enduring three thousand years of lightning strikes?" Cha Eun Xiao\'s eyes twisted in incredulity.

"That Peerless Man was quite audacious. He left a golden hawk egg in the world and showed no concern. What if the egg rolled off a cliff? How about the weather? What if it was too cold for the egg to hatch? What if some wild creature stumbled upon it?"

He continued to muse, "Alright, it hatched, but what did the fledgling hawk subsist on just after hatching? How did it endure?"

He contemplated the reckless disposition of Peerless Man, who lived a carefree existence without regard for these aspects. "I understand now why he wrote, \'Life and death, god will plan,\'" Cha Eun Xiao remarked as he observed the hawk with a tinge of sympathy.

"Poor little creature. You remain oblivious that you were abandoned," he thought empathetically. "I can see that you wish to impress me, but you inadvertently reveal the hardships of your infancy. Do you comprehend..."

Cha Eun Xiao couldn\'t help but think, but the remainder of his thought went unspoken as he contemplated the hawk\'s inexplicable and somewhat poignant history.