Marco cautiously approached the valley entrance, and the sight before him left him utterly stunned. In the clearing within the valley, an extraordinarily majestic giant bird lay prostrate on the ground. He had never seen such a bird before, but he had read descriptions of it in his family's ancient texts.
"Double Pupil Bird!" Marco exclaimed involuntarily, his voice filled with disbelief and awe.
The bird was enormous, with a wingspan exceeding ten meters. Its most distinctive feature was its eyes—each eye contained two pupils, presenting the characteristic double pupil appearance that defined the Double Pupil Bird. Its feathers displayed a rainbow of colors, shimmering with a gem-like luster under the sunlight. On its head were three golden crests, as noble as a crown. Its tail feathers were long and slender, adorned with eye-like patterns at their tips.
Just as Marco was marveling at the sight, the Double Pupil Bird noticed him. All four pupils locked onto Marco simultaneously, and a terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the entire area.
"Such immense pressure!" Marco felt his breath catch, and he involuntarily took two steps back. This pressure far surpassed any Soul Beast he had ever encountered; it was likely over fifty thousand years in cultivation.
Faced with a life-threatening crisis, the Azure Flame Phoenix Spirit automatically activated to protect its master. Azure flames erupted from Marco's body, and the pitch-black color of his fourth Spirit Ring was particularly conspicuous.
Strangely, however, when the Azure Flame Phoenix Spirit manifested, the Double Pupil Bird's pressure suddenly diminished. A flicker of surprise passed through its four pupils, and then the pressure completely receded. The Double Pupil Bird's gaze focused intently on Marco, as if scrutinizing something.
Just as Marco was about to speak, a majestic voice suddenly echoed in his mind: "Human."
The voice appeared directly in the depths of his consciousness, carrying an ancient and weathered tone, as if it came from a distant time and place. Though it held a trace of weariness, it still maintained a noble quality.
Marco looked at the Double Pupil Bird in shock and saw it nod slightly, confirming the source of the voice.
The voice resonated in his mind once more, "To encounter a human with a Top-tier Spirit in the Sunset Forest can be considered fate."
Suppressing his astonishment, Marco attempted to respond mentally, "You... can speak?"
"This is not speaking; it is mental communication," the Double Pupil Bird's thoughts conveyed. "I do not need to understand your language; I can convey meaning directly through spiritual power."
Marco suddenly understood. No wonder the voice appeared directly in his mind—it was communication on a spiritual level.
"Human, your Martial Soul is quite special," the Double Pupil Bird's thoughts carried a hint of admiration. "The Phoenix... it is one of the most supreme avian Martial Souls. To reach level forty-four at such a young age and possess a ten-thousand-year fourth Spirit Ring—you are truly a top-tier prodigy among humans."
Marco was inwardly startled that the Double Pupil Bird had seen through his capabilities at a glance. But he quickly composed himself and asked respectfully, "What matter brings you to seek me out, Elder?"
The Double Pupil Bird's thoughts revealed a trace of sorrow: "My life is nearing its end. I wish to bestow upon you an opportunity, but I need your assistance with a matter."
It shifted its body slightly, revealing an egg beneath it. The egg was entirely white, with a rainbow-colored halo swirling on its surface, emitting a powerful life force. However, what drew even more attention was the wound on the Double Pupil Bird's abdomen—a deep gash that exposed bone, from which a dense, malevolent aura emanated.
"This is..." Marco's pupils contracted, sensing an extremely malevolent aura from this scar.
"Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger." The Double Pupil Bird's mental transmission was filled with hatred. "I encountered it near the edge of the core area in Star Dou Great Forest. The evil energy in this wound is constantly eroding my life force. I won't last much longer."
Hearing this name, Marco shuddered, flames of hatred instantly igniting in his eyes. "Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger... where is it?"
His voice trembled with emotion as his Azure Flame Phoenix Spirit uncontrollably erupted with intense flames.
The Double Pupil Bird looked at him with confusion. "Do you have a grudge against the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger?"
"A blood debt!" Marco gritted his teeth. "My grandfather was killed by the Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger, and my grandmother later passed away from heartbreak. Our family holds an irreconcilable enmity with that creature!"
A glimmer of understanding flashed in the Double Pupil Bird's dual pupils. "So that's why... No wonder you're so sensitive to its aura."
It explained in detail: "I encountered this Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger near the edge of the core area in Star Dou Great Forest. It should have sixty thousand years of cultivation, but its combat power rivals that of a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. Although I'm an eighty-thousand-year Soul Beast, I was almost powerless against it."
Marco clenched his fists, azure flames dancing in his palms. "Sixty thousand years..."
"The Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger is an anomaly among Soul Beasts." The Double Pupil Bird's mental transmission carried apprehension. "It possesses six attributes: evil, darkness, lightning, wind, time, and space, with almost no weaknesses. Most terrifying is its innate skill, Evil God Protection, which can reflect most attacks."
Marco asked in a deep voice, "Its specific location in Star Dou Great Forest?"
"I encountered it near the edge of the core area, but the exact location is hard to determine." The Double Pupil Bird warned. "But I advise you not to go recklessly. At your current strength, encountering it would mean certain death."
Marco took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "I understand. I'm not yet its match."
The Double Pupil Bird nodded with relief. "It's good that you can be so rational. Now, let me tell you about my request."
It gently stroked the egg beneath its wing with its feather. "My child is about to hatch, but I won't last until then. I hope you can care for it until it breaks through its shell."
Marco looked at the egg emitting a rainbow halo, able to feel the powerful life force within. "The Double Pupil Bird is an auspicious creature. Why did you suffer such a calamity?"
"The Dark Demonic Evil God Tiger devours other powerful Soul Beasts to enhance its cultivation." The Double Pupil Bird's mental transmission was filled with helplessness. "We Double Pupil Birds are manifestations of heavenly auspiciousness, with no concept of tribes. But precisely because of this, we become coveted targets. Over the years, I have become the last Double Pupil Bird on the continent."
Marco's heart shook, never imagining the Double Pupil Bird's situation was so dire.
"As repayment..." The Double Pupil Bird's mental transmission suddenly became solemn. "I will gift you an External Spirit Bone—the Double Pupil Eye."
"This External Spirit Bone will not only greatly enhance your vision, allowing you to see through illusions..." The Double Pupil Bird's mental transmission continued. "More importantly, I have infused part of my origin energy into it. When you need a Spirit Ring, you can activate the energy within the Spirit Bone to form the most suitable Spirit Ring for you."
Marco felt the changes in his eyes, his vision instantly improving severalfold, allowing him to even discern the texture of distant leaves. More miraculously, he could sense the immense energy contained within the Soul Bone.
"This..." Marco was astonished by the wonder of the External Spirit Bone.
"This is merely a preliminary gift." The Double Pupil Bird's consciousness began to weaken. "After I pass away, my Spirit Ring and Soul Bone will both belong to you. Though you cannot absorb an eighty-thousand-year Spirit Ring now, you may keep it for the future."
Marco solemnly pledged, "Rest assured, Senior, I will definitely take good care of your child."
The Double Pupil Bird nodded contentedly, the light in its double pupils beginning to fade. At the wound on its abdomen, the erosion of the sinister aura noticeably accelerated.