"Life is a lament of the phoenix, burning into ashes, then soaring into new life."

　　In the early morning, Dǒng Yīfēng and Huāměi， dressed in tribal attire and ready, prepared to depart.

　　Huāměi saw Dǒng Yīfēng tuck a laser gun under his clothing at his waist and asked with confusion, "Professor Dǒng, why carry a weapon? I'll protect you throughout."

　　"Huāměi, it's not that I don't trust you, but a wise man sometimes makes mistakes. There are too many monsters on this planet, so I prefer to carry a weapon for self-defense."

　　Dǒng Yīfēng had nearly lost his life to the Infant-Crying Leopard last time. Although he had appeared carefree at the time, upon reflection, he often felt scared and woke up from nightmares frequently.

　　This time, Gōng Kōng brought over 40 personal guards to go hunting. While there was a famine outside, the city was well-stocked with food. The purpose of organizing the hunt was to maintain a state of readiness, even in peacetime.

　　The group included the Second Young Master Gōng Yì, Gōng Kōng's third brother, General Gōng Wéi of the Guards, General Yì Wǔ, and the youngest son of the Bear Tribe Chief, Gě Wǔ”.

　　Dǒng Yīfēng didn't see Gōng Kāng among the group and wondered if he had gone to meet Lián Xiāng** secretly again.

　　Before departure, the High Priest Fāng Mù arrived in the city to conduct a ritual to exorcise demons and ward off diseases for the hunting team.

　　Fāng Mù still wore the three-eyed mask and held a wooden scepter with a dragon's head mounted on top. Four disciples stood in the east, west, south, and north positions around Fāng Mù, wearing the same three-eyed masks and black and red outfits, which stood out prominently in the yellow-clad sea of Windwood Citadel.

　　As a scientist, Dǒng Yīfēng always looked down upon feudal superstitious activities. When he saw High Priest Fāng Mù chanting and dancing with the disciples, he couldn't help but shake his head in impatience, wondering why they hadn't departed yet.

　　Huáměi found herself deeply fascinated by all of this, seeing it as a unique opportunity to delve into the religion of these extraterrestrial natives. She listened attentively to every word that Fāng Mù was saying.

　　In the beginning, Huáměi heard Fāng Mù offering prayers to the celestial gods of the Yellow Tribe. He then began to seek blessings from the sun, stars, forests, rivers, and the spirits of all things. It was then that she realized that the religion of these alien natives was rooted in animism.

　　Eventually, Fāng Mù took out a large bundle of arrows from a quiver at his side. He soaked these arrows in a bucket of holy water and then began to utter words under his breath as if praying for the hunters who would use these arrows to never miss their mark.

　　Once all of this was done, Fāng Mù distributed these "enchanted" arrows to each of the hunters.

　　When Dōng Yīfēng received an arrow, he noticed that each arrowhead was inscribed with characters. He quietly asked Huáměi about the meaning of these characters.

　　Huáměi explained that the inscriptions were the name of the Great Chief Gōng Diǎn. It turned out that these were all arrows used by the Great Chief himself.

　　Finally, before the hunters set off, Fāng Mù and his disciples dipped branches in holy water and sprinkled it towards the hunters, praying for their safe return.

　　After the ceremony, the hunters formed two columns and marched along the main road, out of the outer city gate, and headed towards the dense forest.

　　Dōng Yīfēng and Huáměi, riding their camel horse, followed closely behind the second son, Gōng Yì. Their journey had just begun. This was Dōng Yīfēng's maiden voyage on a camel horse. He found the experience to be not too dissimilar from riding a horse back on Earth, except that these camel horses were noticeably sturdier, presumably with superior endurance than Earth's horses.

　　The team initially set off westward, tracing the narrow paths left by animals navigating through the forest. After circumventing a hill, they veered right and then advanced towards the northern part of the forest.

　　Everyone rode their camel horses, swiftly darting through the serene parts of the forest. The sporadic chirping of birds and the roars of wild animals resonated in their ears.

　　Throughout their journey, they continually encountered herds of wild animals roaming the forest. Upon spotting the people, the animals would scatter and flee, yet the hunting team showed no intention of pursuing them.

　　"It's really peculiar. This doesn't feel like hunting at all. So many wild animals, yet we don't hunt them. Instead, we're just pressing forward. What exactly are they going to hunt?" Dōng Yīfēng pondered as they journeyed on.

　　It appeared that the hunting team was heading towards a predetermined target. Seeing everyone silently pressing forward, Dōng Yīfēng and Huáměi didn't feel it was appropriate to ask too many questions. They could only follow the team closely and continue on their way.

　　They continued their journey in the northwest direction, the distance they had covered remained a mystery. As dusk fell, Dōng Yīfēng and his companion spotted a small city perched on a hill ahead of them, its perimeter fortified with sharpened wooden stakes.

　　Gōng Yì gestured towards the city, his voice hushed as he introduced, "Esteemed gods, this is our clan's western pass. The day has grown late, let's rest here for now and resume our journey tomorrow morning."

　　At that moment, the city gate creaked open, and a welcoming party emerged. The person leading the group warmly embraced the Great Chief Gōng Diǎn upon recognizing him.

　　In a quiet undertone, Gōng Yì introduced to Dōng Yīfēng and his companion, "The lord of this western pass is named Gōng Huī, he is my second uncle."

　　As the commander of the garrison at the western pass, Gōng Huī was not permitted to leave the city and venture to Windwood Citadel on his own accord. Consequently, it had been a while since he last saw his elder brother Gōng Diǎn, and younger brother Gōng Wéi. The three brothers engaged in familial chatter as they strolled into the pass.

　　Dōng Yīfēng took note of the architecture within the pass - all two-story wooden houses. The first floor was elevated, leaving the second floor for habitation. There were hundreds of such houses, each unique in its own way.In the evening, the banquet hall was aglow with light, adorned all around with "Night-Blooming Flowers". Gōng Huī had laid out the most delectable dishes to entertain the Great Chief, the table brimming with exquisite cuisine and the tantalizing aroma of wine permeating the air.

　　Life in the military camp was typically monotonous and bland, with wine being the only solace to alleviate the tedium. Everyone was engaged in a lively toast, the atmosphere was vibrant, and bowls of wine were being emptied one after another. Those with a good tolerance for alcohol were slightly tipsy, while those less fortunate had already rolled under the table, succumbing to the effects of the wine.

　　During the meal, the Great Chief turned to Gōng Huī and asked, "Second brother, is that big bird nearly ready?"

　　"Elder brother," Gōng Huī replied, "it has swallowed nearly a hundred green dragons, so tomorrow should present the best opportunity."At the banquet, Dōng Yīfēng and Huáměi found a quiet corner to settle down.

　　Since they had been tailing Gōng Yì closely throughout the journey, the accompanying soldiers, except for Gē Wǔ, Gōng Wéi, and Yì Wǔ who were privy to Dōng and his companion's identities, didn't recognize them. They assumed they were merely attendants by Gōng Yì's side, so no one at the banquet approached them for a chat or a toast.

　　Undisturbed, Dōng Yīfēng and Huáměi enjoyed some tranquility in their corner. While Huáměi sat quietly at the wine table, Dōng Yīfēng was heartily indulging in the meat and wine, all the while eavesdropping on the conversation between the Great Chief Gōng Diǎn and Gōng Huī.

　　"What big bird? Swallowing green dragons? What exactly are they planning to hunt tomorrow morning?" Dōng Yīfēng and Huáměi wondered, utterly baffled.

　　Gōng Huī glanced around and asked, "Gōng Yì, why haven't I seen your elder brother Gōng Kàng?""Reporting to my second uncle, my elder brother has been busy recently with other official duties," Gōng Yì answered evasively.

　　"Lately, I've been hearing reports from my subordinates that Gōng Kàng has often been seen wandering alone in the forest. Gōng Kàng is our clan's bravest warrior, he's fearless. But even our soldiers at the western pass have recently refrained from walking alone in the Nányù forest during the day."

　　Upon hearing this, Gōng Diǎn was quite surprised, "Second brother, what happened?"

　　"Recently, a Thorn Tiger has successively killed several of our soldiers at the western pass."

　　"A Thorn Tiger? The last time the Minotaur envoy was on his way to Windwood Citadel, he killed a female Thorn Tiger. Could it be that the Thorn Tiger you're talking about has come for revenge?"

　　"That's right, Thorn Tigers are known for holding grudges, and the humans in our forest have never dared to provoke them. These damned wild Minotaurs have caused trouble and left us to bear the consequences. Elder brother, you all need to be careful on the road tomorrow."

　　"We have so many people, are we still afraid of a Thorn Tiger? If it dares to appear, we will exterminate it."

　　At the break of dawn, the hunting party embarked on their journey once again. The hunters had carefully wrapped the camels' hooves in cloth and muzzled them with hemp fabric since the early morning. This series of actions only deepened the mystery for Dōng Yīfēng and Huáměi, leaving them guessing about the day's plans.

　　Silently and swiftly, just like the previous day, the hunters navigated through the forest. They initially headed west, crossed a hill, then turned north, and finally halted at the base of a mountain.

　　The first order of business was to secure the camels in the jungle at the foot of the mountain, after which they quietly began their ascent on foot.

　　The mountain peak stood majestically with a vast, seemingly bottomless chasm on the opposite side. The mountain was adorned with tall and large plane trees, some rivaling the size of the giant trees within Windwood Citadel.

　　To the left of the peak flowed a mountain stream, its water as clear as crystal, with lush vegetation flourishing in the valleys on either side.

　　The stream was filled with large rocks, causing the water to cascade turbulently and roar loudly when it met these obstacles. The stream flowed directly off the cliff into the chasm, forming a waterfall. The waterfall surged past the foot of the mountain, stirring up waves of spray that created ripples upon ripples. Under the sunlight, the waterfall projected a spectrum of colors, resembling a rainbow suspended in the sky.

　　Everyone lay low in the bushes halfway up the mountain, peering up through the gaps in the overhead foliage. Dōng Yīfēng and Huáměi, unsure of what was happening, also looked up, but they saw nothing.While Dōng Yīfēng and Huáměi were lost in thought, a streak of white light suddenly pierced the southern sky, cutting through the clouds. Shortly after, a sharp, piercing screech echoed around them, so intense that everyone instinctively covered their ears.

　　At that moment, they spotted a large red bird flying in from the distant horizon. It appeared to be carrying something resembling a snake in its beak.

　　As the bird drew closer to the hill, they could clearly see that it was, in fact, carrying a massive green dragon in its beak!

　　Upon closer inspection, the bird was so large that it seemed to cover half the sky. The green dragon, although also quite large, looked like an earthworm being carried by a rooster when held in the bird's beak.

　　The bird was entirely red, with a head resembling a chicken, complete with a blue comb and a white neck. It had a red beak like a bird, a black belly, red wings like a roc on both sides, yellow long legs like a crane, and a colorful tail like a peacock.

　　It landed on a giant plane tree at the top of the hill. The people halfway up the mountain remained motionless in the bushes, seemingly waiting for something.

　　After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Dōng Yīfēng and Huáměi suddenly heard an even sharper screech. They saw the bird soar into the sky, its original red feathers becoming even more vibrant.Dōng Yīfēng and Huáměi quickly noticed something unusual. The red was not the color of the bird's feathers, but the color of flames. The entire bird seemed to be bathed in fire, spewing flames tens of meters long from its beak.

　　The bird circled in the sky, its screech becoming sharper and more mournful until it finally plunged into the waterfall hanging from the cliff.

　　"So the legends are true," Dōng Yīfēng murmured. "The East has legends of phoenixes and divine dragons, and the West has legends of phoenixes and evil dragons. Seeing the totems of the Gong You Clan and Bai Huo clans, I thought it was just another figment of people's imagination. I didn't expect to see a living green dragon and fire phoenix today!"

　　At this moment, Huáměi looked regretful. "Professor Dōng, I was so stunned that I forgot to record the video of the phoenix eating the green dragon."

　　Gōng Yì, who didn't understand what they were saying, quietly explained, "Two gods, we have been observing this phoenix for a long time. Every phoenix will self-immolate and die after eating 100 dragons. This phoenix has already eaten 99 dragons, and today it indeed ate another dragon."

　　Huáměi looked at the waterfall under the cliff, "You want to eat the phoenix's meat? But the phoenix has already fallen into the waterfall."

　　"No, we want to eat the phoenix's egg, which is the best delicacy in the world. In the past, only the Yellow tribe's celestial gods could enjoy it. We humans were not blessed to enjoy it."

　　"The phoenix's egg? You mean you want to climb this giant tree to get the egg?"“Exactly,” was the response.

　　The hunters ascended the peak and arrived at the foot of the largest plane tree. Gōng Diǎn selected four sturdy hunters and instructed them to climb the tree.

　　Among these four, one carried a bamboo basket on his back, another had a long rope coiled around his waist. They retrieved grappling hooks from their bags, swung out the ropes, allowed the hooks to latch onto the nearest branch, and then began their ascent.

　　Once they reached this branch, the four continued to swing their hooks and climb upwards. In a short while, their figures vanished into the dense foliage.