Chapter 500: 451: Training Little Phoenix

The little Phoenix seemed immune to all of Lin Zhen’s attempts to coax it. Hence, Lin Zhen had resorted to such a harsh strategy.

He had access to the Dark Star World, where elemental forces were just as abundant. When the wind blew, the rain would inevitably follow.

The little Phoenix initially resisted, but Lin Zhen, having resolved to resort to such harsh measures, made rain pour down in a torrent as if from a broken bucket.

The little Phoenix’s body was not yet healed and it couldn’t withstand the onslaught of the stormy wind and rain. After beating its wings a few times, it tried to find a place to hide.

Lin Zhen’s star power erupted, causing wind elements to surge, resulting in a windy environment. The little Phoenix was frantically trying to escape but to no avail.

“Hahaha! A grounded Phoenix is no better than a chicken, just like a drowned chicken.”

Lin Zhen laughed heartlessly below, even while he was waving a hapless mantis in his hand: “Come here, my little darling, come to your brother’s arms. It’s warm and comfortable here, and there’s delicious food too.”

At this time, Lin Zhen saw a strange expression on the face of the little Phoenix.

Logically, a bird should not have complex facial expressions, but Lin Zhen could clearly feel its anger.

“Preferring death to submission!”

Lin Zhen immediately thought of this phrase. He realised that if things went on like this, the little Phoenix would rather die in the wind and rain rather than coming to his side.

He hurriedly dissipated the wind and rain. The little Phoenix dropped a little bit in the water, lying there listlessly.

Lin Zhen ran over, picked up the little Phoenix, and felt that its body was heating up significantly due to extreme weakness.

“Sigh, such a stubborn little guy.”

Lin Zhen took out a large basin from his Space Ring, filled it with water and threw a flame into it, quickly boiling the water.

He then added cold water to test the temperature of the water until it was just right.

“Come on, I know you’re a Galaxy Beast with a robust physical constitution, but you’re still young and your injuries are not minor. Now that you’ve been exposed to the rain, it might make you sick. A hot bath will be beneficial to your recovery.”

Putting the little Phoenix into the basin, Lin Zhen started to bathe the bird.

The little Phoenix moved slightly, seemingly wanting to struggle, but it had no strength, and weakly chirped a few times.

When Lin Zhen was home, he had bathed his son. As he washed the Phoenix, he found delight in the childlike task.

“Come, come, my darling, let’s wash your bottom, make it nice and clean~!!”

The little Phoenix was soft and fragrant, and it felt delightful to touch it. Lin Zhen didn’t feel any psychological pressure washing its tiny bottom.

When he lifted the Phoenix’s tail feathers, the little Phoenix suddenly tried to twist away, but its strength was already waning, and Lin Zhen easily subdued it.

“Be good. If you don’t take a proper bath, you might get sick. You’re just a bird. Would I have any inappropriate thoughts about you? Hold on… are you male or female?”

As his finger brushed over it, Lin Zhen paused.

“I’m not sure if I can distinguish it this way. It feels like… it’s a female Phoenix.”

“No wonder you’re reluctant to let me bathe you. There’s nothing to be upset about. I’m a human, and you’re a Phoenix. We’re not the same species, so you don’t have to worry about gender discrimination.”

The little Phoenix seemed completely exhausted, motionless, looking as if it had lost all hope.

After thoroughly washing the little Phoenix, Lin Zhen dried it off, and then picked it up.

“Even though I don’t know how you got hurt, you have to believe that I won’t harm you. I might have to stay here for a long time, and since you can’t go anywhere for now, why not stay here with me? I promise to take good care of you, ensure you have enough to eat and drink, until you’re fully recovered. Then I will set you free, okay?”

The little Phoenix had its eyes barely shut; the feathers on its head faintly moved as if it understood.

“Forget it, I guess you can’t understand what I’m saying right now, but you must be hungry.”

He held the mantis at the mouth of the little Phoenix, but no matter what he said, the Phoenix didn’t move.

“Chris, did I do something wrong? It’s not eating.”

Chris was baffled too. “Master, she should be eager to eat under normal circumstances. Although she’s not looking well, she doesn’t seem to have the intention of starving herself. If she does insist on not eating, then it probably means she doesn’t like what you’re offering.”

Thinking about it, Lin Zhen took out a beetle from the Star Fruit Tree.

The little Phoenix still did not move.

“I don’t believe this! Let’s try a green worm.”

It still didn’t take a look, even slightly turned its head, clearly showing some dislike of Lin Zhen’s food.

Caterpillar… Aphid… Bee… Spider… Dung beetle!

When Lin Zhen took out a dung beetle the size of a grinding plate, the little Phoenix finally moved.

Not to eat, but mustering all its strength to peck at Lin Zhen viciously.

Lin Zhen’s body was robust, a normal weapon wouldn’t leave a scratch on him, let alone the feeble bite of the little Phoenix. It didn’t affect him at all.

However, Lin Zhen noticed that the Little Phoenix’s character seemed to resemble a human’s. The insects that humans find disgusting, it also feels repulsed by.

“Could this Phoenix have characteristics of a human? If so, then it seems like things might be easier.”

Lin Zhen once again took out some beef, sliced it into thin pieces, propped them on stakes and threaded them with a thin iron skewer.

With a snap of his fingers, flames rose. There were still ingredients in Lin Zhen’s space ring. He took out salt, pepper and various other seasonings and started grilling on the spot.

After a while, the aroma of grilled meat gradually wafted out. Lin Zhen, who hadn’t eaten regularly since leaving home, was drooling at the mouthwatering smell.

“Wow~! This smells incredible. I don’t have much to do today, so I’m going to eat a lot.”

As Lin Zhen was saying these words, he was keeping a check on the Phoenix nestled in his arms with his Spiritual Power.

The Little Phoenix had its eyes closed, but there was a slight movement in its delicate neck.

The movement was incredibly subtle. If it weren’t for Lin Zhen’s robust Spiritual Power, he wouldn’t have noticed it at all.

This tiny discovery excited Lin Zhen. He had guessed right. The Little Phoenix didn’t eat raw food; its habits were like that of a human: it liked to eat human food.

“Come on, freshly grilled beef skewers. Eating this will ensure my little darling’s vitality.”

Even though the Little Phoenix kept its eyes closed and wouldn’t move, the movement in its throat deeply betrayed it.

After soft persistence with no effect, Lin Zhen suddenly sported an evil grin, “You’d better behave, or else I’ll give you a thorough bath this time. By the way, a certain part of you felt quite nice when I touched it earlier.”

When dealing with a little female Phoenix from a different species, Lin Zhen could flirt freely without any mental pressure.

Moreover, Lin Zhen felt that if the Little Phoenix ate human food, it might understand human language. This was the perfect time to test it.

As expected, the Little Phoenix’s body trembled slightly. Its so-called calmness fell apart once again, and it couldn’t help but peck at Lin Zhen harshly once again.

“Haha, you can understand me indeed. Good, good, eat fast. I worked hard to grill this, if you take one bite, I won’t bathe you.”

Finally, the Little Phoenix couldn’t resist. Maybe it was feeling too wicked, or perhaps it was genuinely afraid of Lin Zhen giving her a bath, so it swallowed a bite of beef.

Lin Zhen’s cooking skills were indeed good. After the Little Phoenix took one bite, it couldn’t control itself. Since eating one bite was the same as eating a whole meal, it simply let loose and quickly finished the beef skewers Lin Zhen gave it.

After seeing it finish, Lin Zhen brought over a few more skewers. The feeding was very successful this time. The Little Phoenix ate quickly, and it consumed a lot, which was completely inconsistent with its tiny frame.

Lin Zhen grilled more than twenty pounds of beef. He only ate two bites himself, and the remainder was unknowingly consumed by the Little Phoenix.

After eating the beef, it looked up at Lin Zhen, as if it hadn’t eaten enough.

“Well, well, since you’re not full yet, I’ll grill some more.”

Lin Zhen took out another piece of beef and slowly started to grill it again.

This time, Lin Zhen grilled it meticulously. He turned it over and over, maintaining a small flame. The meat didn’t get cooked for a long time.

Little Phoenix seemed impatient. It opened its little mouth slightly and spat out a bit of flame.

The golden flame was spat out and instantly turned the beef into ash.

“Look what you’ve done! Now there’s nothing to eat.”

The Little Phoenix lowered its head a little, seemingly a bit embarrassed.

However, a smile tugged at the corner of Lin Zhen’s mouth. The Little Phoenix’s fire power was robust. Although it wasn’t as fierce as the incandescent flame of Feng Qingluan, it was still young after all. If he could master this flame power, refining Thunder Crystal ore wouldn’t be a problem.

However, it is probably unlikely that the Little Phoenix would willingly assist him with his cultivation. He still needs to put some thoughts into it.

Once again, Lin Zhen grilled a large piece of beef for the Little Phoenix. This time, it finally ate its fill and seemed to regain some strength but still didn’t have the energy to fly.

Lin Zhen held the Little Phoenix and said, “Little darling, I’m going to start cultivating Flame Power now. These flames will help you recover. Just stay here quietly and watch me cultivate.”

Sitting cross-legged in the trash basin, Lin Zhen started his meditation.

This time, he was fully cultivating Flame Power, flames rising all over his body with extreme heat.

“Chirp chirp~!!”

The Little Phoenix let out two clear chirps. The flames didn’t harm it at all but rather, seemed to provide nourishment, making it extremely comfortable.

Taking advantage of Lin Zhen’s embrace, it shifted to find a more comfortable position. Maybe because it was too tired, the Little Phoenix gradually fell asleep.

“Sleep, sleep, as long as you get used to it, I’ll find a way to get you to help me.”

Lin Zhen gently stroked the Little Phoenix’s feathers, feeling a unique, intimate connection.

The Little Phoenix had his blood in its body, and he also had its blood, like Xiao Nuan, inseparable forever. So, no matter how cold and aloof the Little Phoenix was, it could not deeply reject his approach in its heart.

As long as he worked smart, this standout amongst the Super Star River Beasts would become the key to refining Thunder Crystals.