Zhan Zhiming was determined to strip Ah Li of her Human King bloodline but did not know how to proceed, so he had his alchemists experiment on Tianpeng.
Tianpeng was a descendant of the Phoenix clan and possessed a very diluted phoenix bloodline. If they could successfully extract it, then extracting Ah Li's Human King bloodline would also be possible.
Thus, the pitiable Tianpeng was treated as a guinea pig.
Once Zhan Zhiming mastered this evil art, it would be Ah Li's death sentence.
The lead physician responsible for this research hailed from the Myriad Poisons Valley and was an evil doctor hired by Zhan Zhiming at great expense.
This person was an old acquaintance of Ji Mo, the very same Bian Wei who had threatened Ye Yao into sacrificing herself by using Ah Li's treatment.
Bian Wei already had extensive research in this area, and with Tianpeng as a live subject for experimentation, the research progressed very quickly.
He was confident that within three to five days, he could completely master the technique of stripping bloodline power.
"Master, please come and save me, I can't hold on any longer."
Tianpeng cried out in his heart, trembling.
The evil physicians were not only drawing his blood but were now about to disembowel him and extract his bone marrow.
Tianpeng was no longer recognizable, his feathers almost entirely plucked, his body covered in wounds, and his blood almost completely drained.
"Caw, caw, so bone marrow is the key to generating blood. If I can figure out the hematopoietic function of bone marrow, it should be almost done."
Bian Wei, with a cruel expression, approached Tianpeng with a sharp scalpel, a sinister smile on his face.
...
After an unknown period of unconsciousness, Ji Mo finally woke up.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw a giant pig's head staring at him intently.
Even more terrifyingly, he was currently embracing this large fat pig, his leg pressed against its soft belly, the two of them holding each other tightly, an indescribable intimacy.
Damn it, he had slept with a pig!
Ji Mo felt like crying but had no tears, hurriedly scrambling to his feet and looking around in a panic.
Fortunately, it was a desolate wilderness with no people around. If outsiders had seen this, he would have lost all face.
The pig demon nudged Ji Mo's foot, knelt on all fours, and bowed its head, expressing its submission.
"Alright, I won't kill you then."
Ji Mo muttered. Had this pig become sentient? It was so human-like.
He had initially planned to have a whole roasted pig feast, but now he couldn't bear to kill it.
This pig was lanky and strong, and it seemed like it would make a good mount.
A thought crossed Ji Mo's mind, and he climbed onto the pig's back.
The pig demon's body trembled, tears glistening in its eyes. This man, who was likely a deity, was treating it as a mount; this was supreme glory!
It let out a skyward roar, raised its four hooves, and its body transformed into a gust of wind as it charged forward.
"Wow, such speed! I've struck gold."
Ji Mo rejoiced in his heart, unable to believe that a pig could run so fast, it was practically flying.
Swift as the wind, and without the slightest bump, it was incredibly exhilarating.
Even more rare was that this pig could understand his intentions, flawlessly following any command, which made Ji Mo even more delighted.
"With such a pig, what more could I ask for! As they say, a pig on earth, a marshal in heaven. From now on, your name shall be Tianpeng!"
Ji Mo recalled the past, a certain sentiment stirring in his heart, and gave the pig demon a very dashing name.
"Tianpeng!"
The pig demon felt that the name bestowed by Ji Mo was profound, and more importantly, the phrase "a marshal in heaven, a pig on earth" made it even more excited and passionate.
Those who are in the nine heavens are only immortals!
Could the master's phrase "a marshal in heaven" be hinting that in the future, it would command a celestial domain!
The pig demon, now to be called Tianpeng, was filled with infinite longing and anticipation, looking forward to the day it would be a marshal in heaven.
Tianpeng's speed was astonishing. In half an hour, it had traversed tens of thousands of miles, bringing Ji Mo back home.
"Is this Master's residence? It truly is magnificent and sacred. Even ordinary vegetables are comparable to precious medicine!"
Tianpeng roamed around the courtyard, continuously encountering wonders.
But thinking that Ji Mo was a deity descended to the mortal realm, everything seemed natural.
The dragon carp in the pond looked at the newly arrived Tianpeng and whispered amongst themselves, "It seems Master also knows those few simpletons are too useless and has found another peak Emperor realm pig. We must grow quickly, or we might not even qualify to be a dish for Master in the future."
The dragon carp felt a strong sense of crisis, believing they needed to become stronger quickly to remain by Ji Mo's side. However, transforming into true dragons was too difficult.
Tianpeng, with its keen hearing, overheard the dragon carp's discussion and quickly ran over to show great eagerness.
After pleasing the dragon carp, it finally gathered all the information about Ji Mo's situation.
"Oh, cultivating in the mortal world, disguised as a mortal..."
Tianpeng had a plan and knew how to behave from now on.
Since the master had hinted "a pig on earth," it should not be too ostentatious from now on and should honestly act as a pig.
"Huh? Where is Little Ah Li?"
Ji Mo looked around and couldn't find Ah Li, a bad feeling immediately surfacing in his heart.
Then, he saw a letter left by Huineng, his brow furrowed, and his anger flared.
"Damn it, they abducted Ah Li and stole my chicken."
Without a word, Ji Mo mounted Tianpeng again and headed for Mingyue City.
He had calculated long ago that Ah Li could not stay by Ye Yao's side, as it would bring her a fatal disaster. That was why he hadn't returned the little girl to Ye Yao last time.
Now that Ye Yao had someone snatch Ah Li away, she was actually harming Ah Li.
He had to find Ah Li quickly, or the little girl might be in mortal danger.
Ji Mo rode Tianpeng, heading straight for Mingyue City at the fastest speed.
Meanwhile, Ye Yao also realized that she might have made a mistake.
Because she discovered that her personal freedom was completely restricted, she had become a caged bird, unable to step out of the courtyard even half a step.
Ah Li's situation was even worse; she had been confined to her room, not even allowed to leave.
If Ye Yao was under house arrest, Ah Li was already imprisoned.
Even more exaggeratedly, Zhan Zhiming had dispatched a Spirit Saint realm expert to guard Ah Li.
Zhan Zhiming's explanation was that it was all for their safety, and only this way could their safety be guaranteed.
With a Spirit Saint providing close protection, there was no need to fear Ji Mo sending people to retrieve Ah Li.
Ye Yao had believed this at first, thinking Zhan Zhiming was acting with good intentions.
But one day, when someone was ordered to forcibly extract half a bowl of Ah Li's blood, Ye Yao finally couldn't sit still.
Although she was infatuated, she was not foolish.
Moreover, she could not tolerate any harm coming to Ah Li and doted on her immensely, otherwise, she would not have been willing to sacrifice her purity to seek medical treatment for Ah Li.
What did Zhan Zhiming intend to do by sending people to extract Ah Li's blood?
But when Ye Yao wanted to find Zhan Zhiming to ask for clarification, he never appeared again.