Chapter Thirteen: A Battle of Wits with the King of Wild Pheasants, Ascension!

Feng Ke’er instinctively leaned back, landing hard on the ground. She stared, wide-eyed, realizing it was a speckled bird about the size of an American turkey.

The creature spread its wings, stretching over a meter in length. Its golden, sharp beak glinted like an eagle’s in the moonlight.

Feng Ke’er had narrowly avoided its peck at her face, but before she could steady herself, the bird shrieked and brandished two large, crimson claws, lunging at her with desperate fury.

Judging by its behavior, this must be the owner of the grassy nest.

Frightened, Feng Ke’er cried out, snatching up her dagger. She hacked wildly, slashing horizontally and vertically, shielding her face with her arm.

With a clang, the claws collided with her dagger, the force numbing her wrist and nearly causing her to lose grip.

The speckled bird screeched in pain, flapped its wings, and retreated, showering Feng Ke’er with droplets of blood.

One drop landed on the phoenix jade pendant at her chest, soaking into the sandy shell on its surface and vanishing.

A chime sounded in her mind, followed by a string of golden letters:

Species: Golden-Beaked, Red-Clawed Speckled Wild Pheasant King (female);
Rank: Fire attribute, first-tier demon beast;
Vital spot: Half an inch beneath the beak.

First-tier demon beast? Fire attribute? Now even its vital spot is revealed. Oh, dear compendium, aren’t you actually a complete game guide?

Goosebumps sprang up all over Feng Ke’er as she wiped her face with her sleeve and stood, battered and bruised.

Feng Ke’er versus Wild Pheasant King, Feng Ke’er wins!

But before she could celebrate, another shriek pierced the air as a gust swept toward her. The Wild Pheasant King circled above the courtyard, then dove like a fighter plane, fierce and menacing.

After the first close combat, and with the compendium’s hint, Feng Ke’er felt much more confident: So what if it’s a first-tier demon beast? So what if it’s bigger? So what if it’s fire attribute—it can’t actually breathe fire! It’s still a wild pheasant! She refused to believe she’d be pecked to death by a mere pheasant tonight!

Clutching her dagger tightly, she aimed for the “half-inch beneath the beak” and thrust forward.

But the creature was cunning; sensing danger, it lifted its left wing, shrieking as it awkwardly pulled up and veered away.

The dagger barely grazed its white belly, missing its mark. Feathers littered the ground as the Wild Pheasant King screamed endlessly.

Feng Ke’er, unable to regain her balance, was brushed by its wingtip, tripped by a clump of grass, and fell face-first, biting into the turf.

Her straw sandals flew off, and her blue cloth bundle was flung far away.

Her face burned with pain. She touched the sore spot—blood covered her hand, bright red and frightening.

Feng Ke’er versus Wild Pheasant King, second round: the Wild Pheasant King wins!

Spitting grass from her mouth, Feng Ke’er crawled up, hunched over, darted through the weeds, and swiftly hid at the base of the wall, crouching low. With experience from the previous rounds, she had learned—no more standing in the open, giving the creature room to fly and duel head-on. She would not waste her energy matching its wild antics.

The Wild Pheasant King, emboldened by its victory, screeched gleefully, circling overhead before swooping down with renewed aggression.

This time, it miscalculated. The corner of the wall was too cramped, and Feng Ke’er crouched as low as possible. With its wings spread, the bird’s body was over a meter wide. Mid-flight, it realized there wasn’t enough space to land and awkwardly pulled up, circling the courtyard again.

It tried swooping again—still not enough room. More circling. Another dive.

The foolish creature persisted, never realizing why its repeated attacks were futile.

Meanwhile, Feng Ke’er crouched in the corner, gripping her dagger tightly, aiming, calculating the best direction and timing for her strike. The silly Pheasant King always dove from the same angle, pulled up at the same spot, flapping away—giving her ample opportunity.

She couldn’t help but admire its stamina. No wonder it was crowned king among demon beasts—a true warrior among wild pheasants, a small boss-level foe, sturdy and fierce. Despite its bulky form and awkward flight, it had circled five or six times, each attack as fierce, swift, and precise as the last, never faltering. Modern, domesticated eagles might not possess such endurance.

After a couple of feigned thrusts, Feng Ke’er decided to finally strike.

The Wild Pheasant King swooped down fiercely once more.

In a flash, Feng Ke’er leapt from the corner, aiming for “half an inch beneath the beak” and brought her dagger down.

A spray of blood erupted.

Feathers filled the air.

One blow—fatal! Third round, Feng Ke’er wins decisively!

She had underestimated her own strength. The dagger pierced straight through the bird’s neck.

The Wild Pheasant King was skewered on the blade, flapping and kicking frantically.

It was heavy, easily over ten pounds. The sudden weight made Feng Ke’er stumble as blood splattered over her.

Shrieking, she closed her eyes, flung both bird and dagger far away.

With a heavy thud, the Wild Pheasant King crashed into the weeds, convulsed a few times, kicked, and finally died.

At once, Feng Ke’er felt a surge of scorching energy rush into her lower abdomen, swirl in a circle, and explode like fireworks, racing through her veins to every corner of her body.

All fatigue and fear vanished instantly.

“Ah!” She shivered violently—such exhilaration! A hundred times more refreshing than gulping down a bottle of iced lemonade in summer!

Her blue cloth robe inflated like a balloon.

With a series of pops, the back and elbows burst open.

Under the moonlight, her wild hair danced in the swirling air.

The phoenix jade pendant at her chest flashed blue. A chime sounded. The female voice in her mind spoke again—“Master has advanced to the early stage of Qi cultivation. Breath-containment talisman activated!”

“Advanced? Early stage of Qi cultivation! And what talisman is activating?” Feng Ke’er stared at herself in disbelief. How could this be? She had no spiritual root, a supposed failure in cultivation. Could defeating monsters really level her up?

Her blue cloth robe was utterly ruined, hanging in tatters like a Bohemian-style fringed dress, fluttering in the breeze; the hemp wrap skirt split into pieces, drifting away... In short, springtime was in full bloom here.

Before she could cover herself, a sudden stench nearly knocked her out. Her scream was abruptly cut short.

Oh my, black oily filth was oozing from every pore, visible to the naked eye, coating her skin like a shell.

She lifted her arm and sniffed, recoiling in disgust. “Stinky, so stinky!” These were the source of the foul odor!

As if things couldn’t get worse, her stomach joined the chaos—foul gas erupted, and pain twisted her belly.

It seemed she was about to have diarrhea... Clutching her stomach in agony, Feng Ke’er looked around, then darted through the empty window opening, hiding in the weeds outside the mud-brick wall to relieve herself—well, the house may be collapsed, but it was still a house. She couldn’t just relieve herself inside.

That was only the beginning. Within an hour, she went five times. In the end, there was nothing left—she expelled clear water.

Instead of feeling weak, Feng Ke’er was full of energy, her whole body light and refreshed. This must be the legendary detoxification and body refinement!

She steadied herself, looked up, and froze.

She hadn’t expected this little broken courtyard to have once belonged to a mansion with a back garden!

Behind the house was a mountain, and between the house and mountain, a grove of small trees. In the moonlight, a glimmer reflected from the greenery, catching Feng Ke’er’s eye. She clenched her fist, approached cautiously, parted weeds taller than herself, and discovered a jade-green pond.

Lotus leaves floated on the surface, pink blossoms blooming among them.

Just what she needed—an answer to her prayers. Delighted, Feng Ke’er jumped back into the house, retrieved her blue cloth bundle, and hurried to bathe.

The pond water was cold. Before, she wouldn’t have been able to endure it. Now, however, soaking in it felt blissful.

Perhaps it was because she had advanced? She seemed much more agile—she had just vaulted a windowsill as tall as herself, something she never could have done before.

Thinking quickly, she scrubbed the grime from her face. Her skin was smooth, like a freshly peeled boiled egg. She distinctly remembered being wounded during the battle with the Wild Pheasant King, and her hand had come away bloody.

Now, the injury had healed without medicine. Advancement had its perks. Feng Ke’er happily scrubbed away all the filth, discovering her skin was snowy white and as smooth as cream. Joyful, she swam a lap around the pond.

And another surprise awaited her. Behind a thicket at the mountain’s base, she found a concealed cave. It was small, about ten square meters, dry and tidy, with a level floor—a perfect place to live.

The courtyard was so ruined, it would take ages to fix. With the cave, Feng Ke’er was in no hurry. She decided to clean it up first and stay there, repairing the yard bit by bit.

This battle had unexpectedly revealed the path to advancement, filling her with confidence for the future. It proved she was no failure. It was as if she had crawled from hell, and paradise stood just ahead. From now on, she would no longer be fearful or despondent. She finally no longer had to worry constantly about survival—she had found a way to live and to seek her way home in this fantastical world.

She left her blue cloth bundle in the cave, swam back to the courtyard, changed into new clothes and shoes, and got to work: first, she reinstalled the fallen gate, closing up the entrance. After advancing, she had become a powerhouse, effortlessly lifting the hundred-pound gate as if it were nothing;

Next, she used her dagger to cut plenty of weeds, tying them into two large bundles—these would be brought back to the cave as bedding;

Then, she picked up the Wild Pheasant King, plucked its feathers, gutted it, and cleaned it by the pond. Advancement couldn’t fill her belly—she was hungry. The Wild Pheasant King would make its final contribution to her temple of five viscera;

And those wild pheasant eggs would be taken to the cave as supplies. Whether to eat them gradually or hatch them for domestication, she’d decide later.

Ah, there was truly no end to tasks.

Heavenly Compendium, Chapter 13: Battle of Wits against the Wild Pheasant King, Advancement! Update complete!