A snow-white Giant Eagle poked its head out of a nest built on a cliff and looked toward them. Its outspread wings spanned the length of three to five people, and its beak and talons were razor-sharp.
Seeing several cultivators using Sword Flight higher than its nest, the bird of prey seemed to take this as a tremendous challenge to its majesty. It flapped its wings twice, then flew fiercely toward the sword riders, its eyes vicious.
The cultivators struggling through the jungle below naturally saw the Giant Eagle flying overhead in pursuit of three reckless cultivators using Sword Flight, and a chorus of terrified cries rose from them.
Someone patted Shen Leyan on the shoulder, waking him from his eyes-closed meditation. Once his senses cleared, he first caught a foul-smelling gust, then saw a Giant Eagle chasing their swords from behind, apparently taking them for prey.
"So there really are flying demonic beasts bold enough to chase us..."
Shen Leyan gestured at the Giant Eagle and assessed it critically.
"This eagle's feathers are too long. Scalding and plucking it will be a real hassle, and there isn't much meat on it either. Still, the wings and legs should taste pretty good. I remember we brought seasonings. We could make a pot of braised roast eagle."
Lu Yuanyi nodded. "Mm."
Zheng Ziheng said, "Junior Brother, you just ate so many melon seeds. Do you still have room?"
The Giant Eagle had already cultivated enough to develop intelligence. It had robbed plenty of cultivators before, and some with lower cultivation had even become tasty meals in its belly.
This was the first time cultivators had not only remained calm in the face of its pursuit, but leisurely pointed at it while discussing what delicious dishes they could make from its various body parts.
The Giant Eagle flew into a rage. Every feather on its head stood upright, and it aimed its sharp talons at the neck of the brat who had dared boast about turning it into braised roast eagle, striking viciously.
While meditating on the sword earlier, Shen Leyan had reflected on what he had learned from his recent fight.
He formed a seal with both hands. A flash of green Spiritual Power appeared, and an updraft suddenly surged beneath one of the Giant Eagle's wings, instantly upsetting its balance as it glided.
Like a kite with a snapped string, it spun twice in the air before shakily regaining its balance.
The Giant Eagle let out an enraged screech.
Lu Yuanyi glanced at the spell seal in his hands. "You've improved a little."
The Giant Eagle grew even angrier, its wingbeats making the leaves below rustle loudly.
Half an hour later, the mouthwatering aroma of braised roast eagle drifted through the Southwestern Jungle.
A roaring fire burned beneath the iron pot, which held only half the eagle's meat. The main problem was that the eagle was too big to fit in a single pot. The meat had already cooked until it fell off the bone, glistening with oil and an enticing brown glaze.
Shen Leyan skewered an eagle leg on a twig and gnawed away with relish, smearing reddish sauce on the corners of his mouth.
"We should be close to the center of the Southwestern Jungle now. Won't lighting a fire and cooking meat here attract other demonic beasts?"
Lu Yuanyi had shrunk the Jiangxue Sword to the size of a dagger and was cutting up the remaining uncooked eagle meat.
"Even if more demonic beasts come, you couldn't eat them right now."
Shen Leyan said, "...What I mean is, Sect Master Lu, you shouldn't go on missions with the sect's disciples next time. Otherwise, there's no challenge at all. It doesn't help the disciples become independent, grow stronger, and achieve new heights."
"You..."
"Of course! An Outer Sect disciple like me, who can only earn a little silver for the sect, doesn't need challenges or self-reliance." Shen Leyan caught on immediately and gave two awkward chuckles. "This eagle leg is delicious. Would you like a taste, Sect Master Lu?"
The weather in the Southwestern Jungle was unpredictable.
While they ate, the sky had been clear for miles. By the time they cleaned up the pot, put out the fire, and prepared for Sword Flight, however, the sky had darkened, with faint flashes of lightning amid the thick clouds.
Sword Flight was not particularly comfortable in the rain. Although they could shield themselves with Spiritual Power, visibility was poor in rainy weather. From the sky, they would not be able to make out the jungle below and might miss the jadeblood snakegrass they were searching for.
Only one stalk of jadeblood snakegrass grew every hundred years, and it was extremely effective at treating intellectual impairment caused by damage to the soul. Senior Brother Zheng had come here to gather it so he could take it back to treat his younger brother, who had suffered from the condition since childhood.
Shen Leyan stayed beside Lu Yuanyi. The two men with no sense of direction quietly waited for Zheng Ziheng to study the map.
"We're less than five li from where jadeblood snakegrass was last found. Since the rain makes Sword Flight inconvenient, shall we walk there?"
They formed a layer of Spiritual Power around themselves to keep off the rain and continued toward the center of the Southwestern Jungle.
The mountain path was slippery and difficult to walk. Thick grass covered the ground, making the occasional small patch of swamp hard to spot.
Shen Leyan brought up the rear, bracing one hand against nearby tree trunks to keep himself from slipping or losing his footing.
"There are so many different wild mushrooms here..."
Perhaps because few people ventured this deep into the jungle, wild mushrooms flourished beside the rocks and beneath the trees. Each was as broad as a palm and as tall as an arm, and some grew in vast clusters.
Blue, red, yellow, green, and multicolored, they gleamed vividly beneath the rain in a riot of colors.
Apparently noticing his unsteady progress, Zheng Ziheng offered him a sleeve to hold on to. "Do you want to pick some wild mushrooms to take back? Most of these are poisonous. You can't eat them."
"Senior Brother Zheng, can you tell which ones are edible and which aren't?"
Zheng Ziheng shook his head.
Shen Leyan turned his hopeful gaze toward Lu Yuanyi.
Lu Yuanyi sent out a wave of Spiritual Power with a flick of his hand, pulling Shen Leyan's foot out of the mud hole it had sunk into.
"Those who cultivate the Dao place little importance on satisfying their appetites."
Shen Leyan said, "..."
...Sect Master Lu, you just ate a whole braised roast eagle leg. How credible do you think you sound, saying cultivators place little importance on satisfying their appetites?
Although he could not tell whether these wild mushrooms were poisonous, he had asked about their prices at the market outside the jungle.
One mushroom this size cost a tael of silver, and it was not even enough for a single Hot Pot. Buying them from someone else really was poor value.
"If only we'd known not to eat that Giant Eagle. We could've kept it to taste-test the mushrooms for poison," Shen Leyan said regretfully. "Or... should I try them myself?"
With Lu Yuanyi's cultivation, curing a little mushroom poisoning for him should not be difficult.
He crouched down and first picked a dull gray mushroom that looked plain and unassuming.
After rinsing it with rainwater, he cautiously took a small bite.
It was bland, with hardly any flavor.
"This one doesn't seem poisonous... hic."
Before Shen Leyan could finish speaking, his dark eyes suddenly went vacant, and he began reciting mechanically.
"Hoeing grain beneath the midday sun, sweat drips onto the soil below... one times one is one, two times two is four, three times three is nine..."
The corners of Lu Yuanyi's mouth lifted, and he sent a pulse of Spiritual Power into the boy's back.
Shen Leyan retched a few times, then bravely grabbed a second mushroom.
This time, he picked a bright red one.
After one bite, the boy foamed at the mouth, collapsed, and kicked his legs.
Next, he switched to a white one.
The boy began street dancing on the spot, spinning on the ground like a top.
Then, yet again, he switched to a green one.
The boy's soft, ink-black hair gradually began to glow green, and he muttered, "How dare you! Who dares touch the precious hair of me, Shen 'Heaven-Defying Dragon' Leyan—"
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