Golden Flame Eagle

Shi Lan felt rather speechless. If she'd remembered sooner that Shi Feng could fly, why had she bothered riding a horse? The jolting on horseback hadn't been comfortable at all.

"Should we go back to Tenglong City first?" Shi Lan remembered Su Lanyue and asked.

Shi Feng shook his head. "Tenglong City might not be safe right now. As for the safety of the Madam and the others, you don't need to worry. The head of the Household will surely have made proper arrangements."

Shi Lan nodded, her eyes brightening slightly. "Then why don't we set off right away?"

The thought of riding a magical artifact through the air suddenly filled Shi Lan with excitement.

"Young Master, you should get a good night's rest. You won't have a chance to rest for the next month or so."

At that, Shi Lan could only suppress her impatience and nod.

The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, Shi Lan got up and began sorting through her belongings. She gave everything unnecessary, including the fine horse, to the innkeeper.

Since flying on magical artifacts was forbidden within Dianxing City, Shi Feng waited until they were outside the city before summoning his artifact.

Shi Lan watched the saber she'd always treated like a kitchen knife. In the space of a few blinks, it had transformed into a massive blade over ten feet long. For a moment, she couldn't quite take it in.

Shi Feng stepped onto the saber and beckoned. "Young Master, come on up."

Shi Lan leaped onto the saber after him. Feeling how steady it was beneath her feet, she curiously stamped twice. The saber didn't tremble in the slightest; it felt no different from standing on solid ground.

"Young Master, hold on tight," Shi Feng warned. The saber beneath his feet began to soar rapidly into the sky.

Shi Lan glanced down and watched Dianxing City shrink rapidly in her field of vision. Her legs turned weak, and her head began to spin.

"Don't look down. You'll get used to it after a while." Shi Feng handed her a bag of water.

After a few swallows and several deep breaths, the discomfort of being high in the sky gradually faded.

A layer of red light enveloped the saber, keeping the fierce wind rushing toward them at bay.

Watching the mountains and earth race past below, Shi Lan felt her spirits lift. Being high above the heavens, taking in the world below, was exhilarating.

After nearly three hours of flight, Shi Lan and Shi Feng came upon an enormous crowd of refugees, stretching so far they couldn't see the end. There had to be at least several hundred thousand.

Numerous streaks of light hovered above them, while thousands of Demon-Suppressing Army soldiers guarded the surrounding area. They were clearly in the middle of a migration.

At a glance, Shi Lan saw all manner of horrendous sights. Many among the hundreds of thousands were injured, and people missing arms or legs were a common sight. An overpowering stench of blood mingled with the scent of medicinal herbs, constantly assailing her nostrils.

Judging by their wounds, these people had clearly been injured by demonic beasts.

Scattered demonic beasts followed at a distance around the refugees, evidently drawn by the vast cloud of bloodshed.

From time to time, streaks of astral energy shot down from the lights hovering above, killing demonic beasts that strayed too close.

But the number of demonic beasts kept gradually increasing...

Shi Feng didn't fly over the refugees. Instead, he gave them a wide berth and continued onward.

Shi Lan fell silent. The glimpses she'd caught of the terrible scenes weighed heavily on her heart.

The two of them traveled through the day, stopping for a few hours to rest at night. After all, their flying light would stand out too much against the darkness.

More than half a month passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, they encountered countless groups of migrating refugees and even came across a horde of demonic beasts once. Fortunately, Shi Feng spotted them early and led Shi Lan well out of their way.

The sight that left the deepest impression on Shi Lan was a battlefield they passed along the road.

The remains had been gnawed down to bare bones. Broken armor and weapons littered the ground, and the earth for hundreds of miles around had been soaked red with blood. Craters pitted the land, and the whole place lay in ruins, as though the depths of hell had descended upon the mortal world.

Every last detail showed just how terrible Chengtian Domain had become.

The sense of danger in Shi Lan's heart grew heavier by the day, but all she could do was work even harder at her cultivation.

That day, as usual, Shi Lan sat cross-legged on the saber, circulating the Jade Forging Art to absorb the vital essence of flesh and blood.

"Stop cultivating!" Shi Feng suddenly roared.

"Caw!"

Before Shi Lan could react, a piercing eagle's cry rang out above her head. The shriek was so penetrating that her ears rang; it felt as if her eardrums were about to burst!

Shi Lan's mind plunged into chaos. The currents of qi inside her body slipped out of control and began to run wild.

"Pfft!"

Shi Lan felt a sweetness rise in her throat and couldn't stop herself from spitting out a mouthful of blood.

She struggled to steady the chaotic qi within her, then hurriedly opened her eyes—only to find the light around her dim.

She looked up and couldn't help holding her breath.

A monstrous creature with a wingspan of over a hundred feet circled above her. From Shi Lan's perspective, it seemed to blot out the sky!

Its wings were golden, and under the sunlight it looked as though it wore a mantle of blazing gold.

"Hold on tight! It's a Golden Flame Eagle!" Shi Feng cried. He changed direction and plunged straight toward the ground. At the same time, Xiantian True Qi surged from within him and flooded into the barrier around them.

Fighting a flying demonic beast in the sky was undoubtedly playing to its strengths and their own weaknesses.

The Golden Flame Eagle turned, drew in its wings, and dived after them. The sharp talons beneath its belly glinted coldly, as if forged from steel, and raked fiercely across the barrier surrounding the saber!

"Craaaack—"

Its talons scraped across the barrier with a ringing clash of metal, sending a shower of sparks flying!

The barrier held, but the immense force behind the Golden Flame Eagle's talons still sent the saber plunging much faster. It hurtled uncontrollably toward the ground!

A chill flashed through Shi Feng's eyes. With no time to speak, he grabbed Shi Lan, wrapped her in a layer of Xiantian True Qi to cushion her fall, and hurled her out of the barrier first.

Before Shi Lan could react, she hit the ground and tumbled like a rolling gourd. She rolled nearly a hundred yards, dazed and disoriented.

Boom!

A deafening crash erupted!

The barrier around the saber shattered in an instant like an egg. Clouds of dust and fragments of stone flew everywhere, while a web of cracks spread nearly thirty feet out from the point of impact.

The crash jolted Shi Lan back to her senses. She struggled to her feet, took one look at the situation, and immediately turned and ran.

The Golden Flame Eagle was clearly beyond her ability to fight. If she stayed, Shi Feng would have to divide his attention to protect her. She'd only hold him back.

A red blade aura more than a hundred feet long shot into the sky, slashing toward the Golden Flame Eagle.

"Caw!"

The Golden Flame Eagle let out a piercing cry and beat its wings, narrowly evading the blade aura. A few feathers brushed against it and turned to ash in an instant!

Shi Feng emerged from the thick clouds of dust, the saber in his hand. Seeing how far Shi Lan had run, he let out a small sigh of relief. Then he looked up at the Golden Flame Eagle, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

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