Jade-Eyed Golden Eagle!

After the intense dizziness of spatial teleportation passed, Li Qingshan's feet touched solid but unfamiliar ground.

A surge of spiritual energy, several times richer and purer than in the outside world, washed over them, tinged with an ancient, desolate quality and a faint trace of blood.

Before their eyes stretched a primeval forest with no end in sight. Ancient trees towered overhead, vines twisted around them, and mountains rose and fell in the distance beneath swirling clouds and mist. Farther away, the faint outline of what seemed to be a gigantic palace appeared and disappeared in the haze.

But before this group of cannon fodder could take in their surroundings, deafening roars of beasts rang out from every direction!

"Roar!" "Awooo!" "Hiss—"

Dozens of demonic beasts of every shape and size burst from the forest, their eyes glinting with bloodthirsty red light!

These beasts weren't of a high rank, most equivalent to cultivators in the middle or late stages of Qi Refining, but they were numerous. The spatial fluctuations at the secret realm's entrance seemed to have disturbed them, leaving them unusually frenzied.

"Worthless trash! Get up there! Kill those beasts!"

The Yin Luo Sect cultivator at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment barked an order. He and his two companions at the early stage of Foundation Establishment stepped back, watching coldly without the slightest intention of joining the fight.

The Rogue Cultivators who had been driven forward immediately fell into disarray.

Most of them were weak cultivators with shabby equipment. Faced with the ferocious demonic beasts, they were plunged into a desperate struggle in an instant.

Screams, snarls, and the explosive crackle of spells rang out all at once.

Rogue Cultivators were torn apart and bitten to death one after another. Blood stained the moss on the ground and the roots of the ancient trees.

Li Qingshan blended in with the crowd, his eyes cold.

He deliberately suppressed his strength. Holding a low-grade magical sword he had taken out on the spot, he used the Wood-Ether Entanglement Technique, barely at the level of a seventh-layer Qi Refiner, along with rudimentary swordsmanship. He appeared to struggle as he fended off several wolf-shaped demonic beasts lunging at him.

His spell control was exquisite. He always managed to narrowly dodge lethal attacks or "get lucky" and strike a beast's weak spot. He looked battered, but in truth, he remained completely unharmed.

He even had enough attention to spare to watch the three Yin Luo Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators and the surrounding terrain from the corner of his eye.

"Move faster! Quit dawdling! We still have a long way to go after clearing this area!"

The Yin Luo Sect cultivator at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment impatiently urged them on. With a casual gesture, he sent an Yin-Sha Palm Print crashing into a demonic beast that had tried to approach them.

About the time it takes an incense stick to burn later, after nearly ten Rogue Cultivators had died, the low-rank demonic beasts were finally wiped out.

The surviving Rogue Cultivators were all injured, their faces etched with fear and exhaustion. The air reeked of blood.

Li Qingshan deliberately gave himself a shallow cut on the arm and made his breathing seem a little ragged.

"Hmph. A bunch of good-for-nothings! So many of you died to a few measly beasts!"

The cultivator at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment scornfully cursed them, then waved his hand. "Follow! If you fall behind, don't blame me for showing no mercy!"

He drove the remaining twenty-odd Rogue Cultivators forward at a brisk pace, heading in a particular direction.

Li Qingshan followed the group, a cold glint flickering in his lowered eyes.

He calculated the distance and waited for the right moment, planning to find a suitable spot, erupt into action, kill the three men, and then flee far away.

Those three demonic cultivators ought to have plenty of good things on them.

However, just as he was about to strike, the low voices of the two demonic cultivators at the early stage of Foundation Establishment up ahead drifted to him on the breeze.

Li Qingshan's divine sense was powerful, comparable to that of someone at the late stage of Foundation Establishment. The demonic cultivators had no idea that such a formidable presence was mixed in among the cannon fodder, so they took no precautions whatsoever.

"...Senior Brother, is the information reliable? Is the 'Spirit Liquid Immortal Spring' really somewhere in this area?"

"Of course! An Elder spent a great deal to estimate its approximate location. They say the spring only gathers a small pool of liquid once every hundred years. It can restore your magic power in an instant, cleanse your meridians, and strengthen your foundation. It's especially effective for breakthroughs in the Foundation Establishment realm!"

"But... I heard a Jade-Eyed Golden Eagle at the late stage of Foundation Establishment is guarding it. It won't be easy to deal with..."

"What's there to be afraid of? We have all this ready-made cannon fodder. We'll send them to draw the feathered beast's attention while we seize the spring! If we get the spirit liquid and hand most of it over, we'll still get a small share. We might even break through our bottleneck!"

The Spirit Liquid Immortal Spring? A demonic beast at the late stage of Foundation Establishment?

Li Qingshan's thoughts stirred, and he changed his mind on the spot.

A Spirit Liquid Immortal Spring that could restore magic power in an instant, cleanse the meridians, and strengthen one's foundation?

It was an enormous temptation to him as well! Strengthening his foundation, in particular, was crucial to cultivating the Longevity True Art.

Killing the three demonic cultivators would be easy, but afterward, finding a specific natural treasure in a vast secret realm would be like searching for a needle in the sea.

Better to endure for now and let them "lead the way"!

"Fine. I'll let you live a little longer. First, find me that spring."

Li Qingshan suppressed his killing intent and remained silent, following the group like a frightened quail.

The party traveled through the primeval forest for about half an hour. Along the way, they were attacked by several more waves of demonic beasts, and a few more Rogue Cultivators died. At last, they reached a valley with relatively open terrain.

Deep in the valley, a slender silver waterfall could just be seen spilling down a cliff, sending a veil of mist into the pool below.

Even before they drew near, a pure spiritual energy and an enchanting fragrance wafted toward them from the pool.

But on a massive boulder beside it stood a magnificent golden eagle!

The eagle was enormous, its wingspan likely exceeding fifteen meters. Its feathers were as if cast from gold, gleaming in the sunlight. Only its eyes were different—a piercing jade green. With every blink, they flashed brilliantly, and its aura of demonic power, at the peak of the late stage of Foundation Establishment, sent a shiver through everyone.

It had clearly noticed the uninvited guests. It let out a sharp, warning cry, and the sound waves spread like solid matter, making everyone's eardrums ache.

"This is it! The Jade-Eyed Golden Eagle!"

Greed and wariness flashed in the eyes of the Yin Luo Sect cultivator at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. He abruptly stopped and shouted at the dozen or so surviving Rogue Cultivators behind him:

"Listen up, you good-for-nothings! See that golden eagle? The spring is right beside its nest! Now get over there, shout as loud as you can, and find a way to provoke it and draw it away! Anyone who dares retreat, I'll kill on the spot!"

A chilling killing intent burst from him, locking firmly onto the Qi Refining Rogue Cultivators.

"Draw it away, even for a moment, and once we've taken the spring, you'll be well rewarded! If any of you are lucky enough to survive, I'll give you a hundred Spirit Stones and let you join the Yin Luo Sect as disciples!"

Despair showed on the Rogue Cultivators' faces. Lure out a demonic beast at the peak of the late stage of Foundation Establishment?

That was a certain death sentence!

But threatened with death by the three Foundation Establishment demonic cultivators, they could only cry out in despair and charge toward the Jade-Eyed Golden Eagle in a chaotic rush, trying to draw its attention.

Li Qingshan blended into the crowd, his expression remarkably calm.

His gaze swept quickly over the pool, the golden eagle, and the three Yin Luo Sect cultivators, who had quietly spread out and were preparing to act when the opportunity arose.