Chapter 17: Sparring Match with Eagle

Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Sparring Match with Eagle

By simply following Qingyu, he would be able to reach the location of the Northern Wind Eagle Tribe.

Even so, Ye Xuan had only just realized that there were other clans and tribes in this forest besides the Blazing Flame Serpent Clan, including the eagle tribe.

What confused him was their hostility toward one another. In nature, eagles were predators of snakes.

However, this was a cultivation world, where strength was determined by one’s abilities rather than the laws of nature.

"What made them enemies of the Blazing Flame Serpent Clan?"

[Their history of hostility goes back a long way. It began even before the Thunder Crimson Python Clan disappeared.]

[They have always competed for the title of ruler of the Scarlet Moon Forest. I don’t know what kind of abilities the eagle tribe’s chief possesses now.]

"If they’ve been enemies for so long, doesn’t that mean their strength is evenly matched?"

[You could say that. However, they’re still no match for the other major spiritual beast clans.]

Qingyu turned her body and looked at Ye Xuan while continuing to slither deeper into the forest. Her eyes remained fixed on him.

[I’ll take you to a place where the eagle tribe usually hunts. At the very least, their strength is above that of the ant monster we encountered earlier.]

Ye Xuan fell silent for a moment before nodding in agreement, occasionally swallowing nervously.

He had started getting used to fighting Mortal Beasts.

Now, he would test his own abilities against someone from the Northern Wind Eagle Tribe, whose strength Qingyu claimed was a level above that of the ant monster.

In short, their strength was at least at the Spirit Beast level.

With Ye Xuan’s current cultivation base, the upcoming battle would be a difficult fight that could cost him his life. He would need to remain highly alert and focused.

They walked together through the bushes and trees, following a narrow path until they reached an area dominated by dead trees. Their leaves had fallen and were scattered across the ground.

Qingyu stopped, and Ye Xuan followed suit. The man’s eyes fixed on the area ahead before he looked up at the bare tree branches.

Although the trees had no leaves, the forest seemed shrouded in mist, allowing very little sunlight to reach the ground.

No! It wasn’t just this area. The entire Scarlet Moon Forest was like this.

"How dare a human like you enter our territory?!"

A man’s voice echoed through the forest. Ye Xuan immediately went on guard, summoned his sword, and gripped it tightly.

He looked far ahead and upward, where three medium-sized eagles were flying before perching on one of the tree branches.

"Do you know what happens to anyone who enters our territory? Death!" the eagle declared, speaking like a human.

"I have no intention of leaving this place. You can’t blame me for something I didn’t know," Ye Xuan explained.

"Arrogant human! Pay for your ignorance with your life!"

The eagles took flight and swung their wings forward. Three tornadoes appeared and spun violently, their power surpassing that of the Wind Qi Sword technique Ye Xuan had used.

Ye Xuan immediately grabbed Qingyu and dashed away from the incoming tornadoes, using the surrounding trees to put some distance between himself and the eagle warriors.

Crimson lightning crackled around his body as he accelerated, carefully observing how his pursuers controlled the wind.

The white snake in his hand immediately slithered up and wrapped her tail around the young man’s neck again.

[Don’t rush into attacking them. Learn their attack patterns first. Their strength comes from their speed and their control over the wind element.]

"I understand!"

Heeding Qingyu’s advice, he continued running, occasionally leaping over tree branches with powerful jumps.

The members of the eagle tribe pursued him at incredible speeds, and Ye Xuan had to stay alert to that advantage.

He turned around and ran his finger along the blade of his sword. Flames and crimson lightning erupted from it. Ye Xuan was ready to strike.

"Blazing Flame Sword!"

He swung his sword horizontally forward, unleashing a flaming sword slash accompanied by bolts of lightning.

The eagles saw Ye Xuan’s attack. Two of them managed to dodge, but the one behind them failed to do so. His face twisted in shock as he failed to withstand the attack with his own strength.

An explosion shook the area, sending the eagle crashing to the ground below. His eagle transformation ended, revealing his half-eagle, half-human form.

Feathers covered the skin of his hands, two wings extended from his back, and his feet resembled talons. His appearance was unmistakably that of an eagle.

"Ying Hong!" they shouted.

They flew back and transformed their bodies, returning to their half-human forms.

They landed beside their companion and helped him to his feet, while one of them turned to look ahead again.

"You injured my friend!" one of them declared. "You’re courting death!"

The man extended his hand and manifested a spear made of wind qi. He then launched it at Ye Xuan with incredible speed.

[Behind you!]

Ye Xuan turned around and saw a wind spear flying straight toward him at tremendous speed.

It was even faster than his crimson lightning, but Ye Xuan sensed that its speed wasn’t due to its element.

Instead, it came from the attacker’s cultivation base.

"Wind Qi Sword!"

He swung his sword, conjuring three wind blades that spun around him as powerful gusts swept through the area.

The man’s wind spear collided with Ye Xuan’s swirling wind blades, unleashing a violent surge of qi.

Ye Xuan thrust both hands forward to withstand the force of the wind spear. However, the spear proved stronger than his wind technique.

The spearhead pierced through Ye Xuan’s swirling wind blades. He managed to dodge to the side just as the wind spear shot through the barrier.

Even so, Ye Xuan wasn’t entirely unscathed. The spear’s blade grazed his cheek, causing his eyes to widen.

Ye Xuan landed on the ground and touched his cheek. It was bleeding, but the wound wasn’t life-threatening.

[Are you injured?]

"I’m fine. It’s just a small scratch."

The man’s attention returned to the two members of the eagle tribe still standing ahead.

One was tending to his injured companion, while the other continued glaring at Ye Xuan.

"You’re only at the Qi Gathering stage, yet you managed to dodge my attack!"

"Now, I’m done holding back!"

The man manifested his wind spear again and gripped it firmly. He immediately charged forward to fight Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan had no intention of simply defending himself, as that would only put him at an even greater disadvantage.

Flames and crimson lightning erupted from his sword. He then dashed forward and clashed head-on with the man.

Ye Xuan alternated between attacking and defending, relying on the sword techniques taught to him by his sect.

Even so, he knew that the man from the eagle tribe was no weak opponent. His strength was comparable to Ye Xuan’s, perhaps even greater.

"How can you possess the lightning element?!" the man demanded.

The clash between their weapons produced a powerful burst of qi, accompanied by fierce gusts of wind.

One of the man’s companions turned to watch the battle from a distance.

"I can’t believe that human can fight on equal terms with Senior Brother Ying Wei!"

Ye Xuan raised his sword and swung it to the side, unleashing a flaming crescent-shaped sword slash toward Ying Wei.

The man drove his spear into the ground, creating a swirling wall of wind.

BLAST!

A powerful explosion erupted, and the fierce gusts sent Ye Xuan and Ying Wei flying backward.

The crescent-shaped sword slash vanished, and the wall of wind shattered, leaving behind fallen trees and scorched grass.

"Good! You’re quite strong for someone who’s only at the Qi Gathering stage," Ying Wei remarked.

[That’s enough, Ye Xuan. You won’t win if you keep fighting him for too long.]

I suppose so. The Foundation Establishment realm really is on a different level.

Ye Xuan knew that Ying Wei was no ordinary opponent.

His cultivation was clearly superior, and his control over the wind element gave him a significant advantage in both speed and attack power.

Ye Xuan could keep up with him for now, but he knew that a prolonged battle would eventually put him at a disadvantage.

He stored his sword in his bag of holding before tossing a pouch containing 100 low-grade spirit stones toward them.

Ying Wei, who was still irritated, looked shocked when he saw this. He also dismissed his wind spear and caught the pouch of spirit stones Ye Xuan had thrown.

"I came here to train my abilities. There’s no history of hostility between me and your tribe."

"Consider those spirit stones compensation for injuring your friend," Ye Xuan explained.

"What do you mean?" Ying Wei asked.

"There’s very little spiritual qi in this area. Use those spirit stones to help heal your friend."

The eagle man turned around and looked at one of his companions, who was supporting Ying Hong.

He nodded as though he agreed to accept the compensation.

Ying Wei studied Ye Xuan for a moment, his expression gradually softening.

Although the human had injured Ying Hong, he had never attempted to take their lives.

Even when Ying Wei pressed him with his full strength, Ye Xuan had continued to fight without resorting to underhanded tactics.

"Fine. Fine!"

Ying Wei handed the spirit stones to his companion before turning back to Ye Xuan, "What’s your name, human?"

"Ye Xuan!"

Ying Wei clasped his hands together, indicating that he accepted the compensation.

He also promised not to tell the tribe’s elders about what had happened here. In fact, he even considered the encounter a form of training for himself.

Ying Wei nodded, seemingly satisfied with the outcome.

"Since you can fight at this level despite being only at Qi Gathering, you might be able to survive the dangers deeper in the forest."

He paused, then glanced toward the distant trees.

"But if you’re planning to explore the Scarlet Moon Forest, you’d better stay away from the territory beyond the northern ridge. Even our tribe’s strongest warriors don’t venture there lightly."

Ye Xuan’s expression grew serious, "What lives there?"

Ying Wei hesitated before answering, "Something that even the major spiritual beast clans would rather not provoke."