This seemingly dangerous ambush had unfolded in the span of a single instant.
The movements of both parties were extremely swift.
From Yun Feng drawing out the enemy to Nalan Chaoge's sneak attack, it took merely a few breaths.
As soon as the Blue Eagle dropped to the ground, both Nalan Yanran and Ge Ye walked over.
"Little fellow, you're truly extraordinary. In just a few days, you've actually managed to grasp the essence of this Dragon Subduing Whip, using it by surprise with effortless weight and fluidity!"
"Uncle Ge flatters me. I merely learned a bit of the surface! But, but how should we go about taming this Blue Eagle? I'll still need Uncle Ge to guide us."
Nalan Chaoge said with modest humility.
Ge Ye was quite satisfied with Nalan Chaoge's attitude, nodding on the spot.
"Taming Magical Beasts is actually no easy task. I've never heard of any secret technique that can help humans tame Magical Beasts. Even if someone could pull that off, it would only mean erasing the beast's will."
"Of course, there is actually a shortcut to taming Magical Beasts, and that is to start raising them from infancy. This is precisely why Magical Beast eggs and hatchlings are so valuable!"
"Then aren't we just working ourselves to the bone for nothing? We might as well just kill it outright; who knows, we might even get a magic core out of it!" Nalan Chaoge said somewhat eagerly.
And he had thought he could get himself a flying Magical Beast!
"Xiao Ge, don't be so impatient. If you want to acquire a pet of this Magical Beast caliber, there are no shortcuts. You can only cultivate mutual affection. Magical Beasts are relatively ferocious creatures, and very few people manage to win their goodwill, so the two of you must prepare yourselves mentally!" Ge Ye chuckled.
"We naturally know that. Besides, we never expected to successfully tame the very first Magical Beast we encountered!"
Nalan Chaoge smiled, then suddenly turned his head to ask, "Uncle Ge, what would you say the chances are of this Blue Eagle being tamed?"
"This... is hard to say for sure. However, I have seen people use the Blue Eagle as a flying mount before. I remember last year when I escorted sect disciples to train in the Magical Beast Forest, we spotted one as we passed through Qingshan Town. At the time, it was a beautiful woman, and her mount seemed to be a Blue Eagle!"
Qingshan Town? A beautiful woman? Wasn't that Xiao Yi Xian?
Nalan Chaoge muttered to himself!
"What did you say?" Ge Ye looked at Nalan Chaoge in bewilderment.
"Oh, it's nothing! Sis, you should handle taming this Blue Eagle. Big Brother Yun Feng and I both attacked it, so the two of us have no hope left."
"Me? I don't have that kind of immense charm, there's no telling if I'll succeed..." Nalan Yanran also knew that Nalan Chaoge was telling the truth. The Blue Eagle held a deep grudge; once you attacked it, it would never forget for the rest of its life.
"Wait..." Just as Nalan Yanran was about to walk over to the massive Blue Eagle, Nalan Chaoge suddenly spoke up to stop her. "I suddenly thought of something. Why don't we do this!"
Nalan Chaoge gave a crafty smile and voiced the plan he had cooked up in his mind.
"You rascal, you really are a little ghost." Hearing Nalan Chaoge's idea, Ge Ye laughed with helpless resignation.
"Hehe, without a bit of scheming, how could we ever break its spirit?" Nalan Chaoge's meaning was very simple: since he had already played the villain, he might as well lean into it and put on a show.
Across a vast, empty clearing, a first-tier Blue Eagle had its wings tightly bound with ropes by Nalan Chaoge, and even its claws were tied up.
You know the bitter trick of harming oneself to win trust?
That's exactly how they were playing it!
Nalan Chaoge simply refused to believe that a Magical Beast could be smarter than a human.
Having made all these preparations, Nalan Chaoge didn't utter a word. He merely took out a kunai and began sharpening it with intense focus.
Swish, swish!
In the deserted Magical Beast Forest, the suddenly erupting sound of knife-sharpening sounded truly spine-chilling upon first listen.
Before long, the Blue Eagle stirred and slowly regained consciousness.
Screech!
It let out a shrill cry,
followed by a flailing struggle. Yet even though its wings and claws were bound, the dust kicked up by that massive body still startled Nalan Chaoge somewhat.
"Alright, alright, stop struggling. Since you've fallen into my hands, you might as well accept your fate!" Nalan Chaoge gave a wicked grin, then flashed the kunai in his hand, walking toward the Blue Eagle with a sinister laugh just like a local bully about to harass some innocent maiden.
The Blue Eagle stared in terror at the kunai in Nalan Chaoge's hand, continuously struggling and backing away.
"Stop right there!"
Just as Nalan Chaoge reached the Blue Eagle's side and was about to make a move, Nalan Yanran's voice came from behind.
After a fierce quarrel between the two, blows were struck.
How could Nalan Chaoge be a match for Nalan Yanran? After being kicked flat on his back by her, Nalan Chaoge glared fiercely at the Blue Eagle and scampered off in disgrace.
Nalan Yanran sheathed her longsword, stepped up to the Blue Eagle, pulled a Vitality Pill from her bosom, and placed it right beside the beast's beak.
"Eat it. Once you're done, be on your way!" Nalan Yanran gently stroked the Blue Eagle's feathers.
At first, the Blue Eagle struggled violently, but gradually it grew docile.
It lightly sniffed the medicinal pill in Nalan Yanran's hand, then swallowed it in one gulp.
Nalan Yanran smoothed out a few feathers that had been broken during the struggle and gently patted the Blue Eagle's wing.
Taming this kind of flying Magical Beast was a matter of luck, and Nalan Yanran had no intention of forcing it.
According to Nalan Chaoge's arrangement, she had essentially saved its life and even gifted it a medicinal pill. If the creature still refused to submit to her after all that, it could only mean that this particular Magical Beast was simply not easily tamed.
Without the slightest bit of wariness, Nalan Yanran stepped forward and untied the Living Dragon Tendon that bound the Blue Eagle.
Screech!
A piercing cry resounded through the air.
Nalan Yanran stood beside the Blue Eagle without making a single movement.
Immediately following that, the Blue Eagle flapped its wings, whipping up a sudden gale of fierce wind.
Yet Nalan Yanran stood arrayed in a light gauze dress, standing steadfastly right before the enormous Blue Eagle.
Her skirt fluttered and snapped wildly in the wind, and her cascade of dark hair streamed loose. Before the giant Blue Eagle, her figure appeared so petite and fragile.
In truth, how could a Blue Eagle accustomed to the absolute freedom of the Magical Beast Forest be so easily tamed?
Watching the Blue Eagle take flight and circle in low circles above the Magical Beast Forest, Nalan Yanran still remained completely motionless.
"Sis, why did you let it go!"
Hidden behind a large tree in a pile of weeds, Nalan Chaoge was so anxious he nearly jumped up.
"Xiao Ge, Uncle Ge said so himself: taming a Magical Beast requires cultivating mutual affection, and where would we even find the time for that? Besides, taming such a beast still comes down to luck! I've done everything I could; if it still doesn't acknowledge me, there's nothing I can do. I don't want to keep it bound against its will!" Nalan Yanran said calmly.
"Oh, what a waste then. If you were just going to let it go, you might as well have let me kill it! At least that way we might have gotten a magic core out of it!"
"Xiao Ge, I'm begging you as your older sister, just pretend this Blue Eagle was successfully tamed by me and let it go, alright?" Without turning around, Nalan Yanran instead waved at the Blue Eagle circling in the sky above the forest.
"Fine, fine, I was just complaining... Huh? Someone's coming!"
Nalan Chaoge's expression suddenly shifted, and he immediately bounded out from behind the big tree.
Not far away, several figures were pointing and gesturing at the Blue Eagle circling in the sky, while another had already drawn the longbow in his hand.
At Nalan Chaoge's shout, Nalan Yanran also spotted the group in the distance.
"Stop right there!"
Swish!
With the piercing whistling sound of an arrow piercing the air, the long arrow notched in that person's hand had already shot forth!
Before you continue