The cheetah was ferocious, radiating boundless killing intent.
Unfortunately, it was still too slow.
After Ye Xuan and Tang Long’s bodies were obscured by a massive tree, they never reappeared. Ning Zheseng’s attack ultimately only struck the trees and the earth.
"They run quite fast! But I’ve memorized your faces. You’d better hope I don’t see you again." Ning Zheseng scoffed coldly, opting not to give chase.
"Young Master Ning, please calm down. The mutton is roasted; let me get it for you," Niu Tong’s voice drifted over.
His gaze toward Ning Zheseng grew increasingly respectful. Previously, he only knew of Ning Zheseng’s noble status; he never imagined his strength would be so formidable. The aura he just displayed was probably not much weaker than his own.
"No need. I don’t like eating greasy food in the morning. By the way, haven’t your people delivered the item yet? It’s been days!" Ning Zheseng’s expression was displeased, clearly taking his lingering anger out on Niu Tong.
Niu Tong silently cursed those two bastards, Ye Xuan and Tang Long, a hundred times in his heart, but outwardly explained, "Young Master Ning, the mountain roads are difficult to traverse. Transporting such a heavy item, especially all the way from your home, naturally takes time. But it should be soon; I estimate it will arrive today."
Ning Zheseng’s expression softened slightly as he muttered, "Originally, I came to the Asura Forest for Fire Attribute Treasures of Heaven and Earth, but it seems my information was unreliable. Fortunately, there was an unexpected harvest. If we can kill that Flame Eagle and obtain its Beast Pill and Beast Blood, that would be an excellent outcome as well. By the way, the Flame Eagle hasn’t flown away, right?"
"No, it’s still in the same place. Our people have surrounded it."
"Good. Now we just wait for your Niu Family to deliver the item. The moment it arrives, we set off! The Flame Eagle’s Beast Pill and Essence Blood are mine for sure!"
Meanwhile, in the Asura Forest.
Tang Long said with lingering fear, "Ye Xuan, what were you doing! If we had run any slower just now, we would be dead."
Earlier, Ye Xuan had dragged him along; he hadn’t run in voluntarily. Tang Long wasn’t afraid of death; he was afraid of dying before he could rescue Xin’Er and avenge her.
Ye Xuan said calmly, "We’re already in, so there’s no use talking about it. Alright, lead the way. Where to?"
Tang Long took a look around and replied, "This way. Oh, right, sprinkle this medicinal powder on yourself; it can repel venomous insects. A Hermit Physician refined it for me, and the effects are excellent." He handed Ye Xuan a small bottle.
"Thanks." Ye Xuan didn’t refuse. He sprinkled some of the powder over his body and then followed Tang Long forward.
Along the way, Tang Long asked, "Ye Xuan, is your current cultivation base at the 9th Layer of the Strong Spirit Realm?"
"It is."
"Then when will you come with me to rescue Xin’Er? With your current strength, taking on the entire Niu Family would be very difficult, but if it’s just rescuing someone, you might be able to pull it off!"
The reason Tang Long followed Ye Xuan was because Ye Xuan had promised to help him save his woman. Although the young master of the Niu Family was always accompanied by an expert of the Frenzy Spirit Realm, that expert’s cultivation was only at the 2nd Layer of the Frenzy Spirit Realm. With Ye Xuan’s improved cultivation, that person shouldn’t be a match for him.
Ye Xuan said solemnly, "Once the matter here is settled, I will take you there."
"Okay."
They didn’t speak again for the rest of the journey. If they encountered any Beasts, Tang Long would take the initiative to dispatch them.
Eight hours later, Tang Long spoke again, "We’re almost there. It’s just ahead."
"We’re finally arriving?" Ye Xuan’s eyes lit up.
"But something isn’t right..." Tang Long added.
"Isn’t right?"
"Yeah. The last time I was around here, I ran into quite a few Beasts, even a Rank Three Beast. But from a while ago until now, we haven’t seen a single Beast in the vicinity!"
Ye Xuan nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed. We haven’t even heard a single Beast cry."
"You’ve noticed something is off too. Should we still keep going?"
"Of course. I won’t leave without obtaining the Hidden Green Grass."
"Alright then, let’s continue. It’s not far now."
The two continued forward. About twenty minutes later, the dense forest disappeared, and a plain appeared in their line of sight. Upon this plain stood thousands of Cultivators.
"So many people." Ye Xuan and Tang Long exchanged a glance.
Ye Xuan frowned and asked, "You didn’t happen to see the Hidden Green Grass in this very grassland, did you?"
Tang Long nodded. "This is the place! But why are there so many people?"
"Never mind, let’s go take a look."
Since they couldn’t guess the reason, they would see for themselves. Ye Xuan and Tang Long approached the crowd.
Blending into the mass of people, Ye Xuan spotted an eagle through the gaps in the crowd. The eagle’s plumage was pitch-black, gleaming under the sunlight. Its eyes were as sharp as honed swords, glaring at the surrounding crowd. On its forehead, there was a pattern resembling a dancing flame.
This was a Rank Four Beast—the Flame Eagle.
Its feathers could be crafted into armor, and its talons and beak could be forged into weapons. The most precious of all was its blood. Killing a Flame Eagle and extracting its Essence Blood provided a chance for one to awaken the Flame Eagle Soul. Although the probability was slim, it was still something to look forward to. After all, the Flame Eagle Soul was a high-level Wild Beast Soul.
Unfortunately, not only could the Flame Eagle fly, but it was also highly vigilant. Its senses were incredibly sharp, allowing it to judge a Cultivator’s strength merely by their breathing. Upon encountering human experts, it would immediately fly away or maintain a safe distance. When encountering the weak, however, it would naturally go on a killing spree.
"It’s actually a Flame Eagle. But why is it squatting on the ground motionless? It’s neither fleeing nor attacking," Tang Long’s surprised voice rang out, having also recognized the eagle’s identity.
Ye Xuan shook his head, indicating he didn’t know either. Suddenly, his pupils contracted.
About ten centimeters away from the Flame Eagle, he spotted a green herb. The herb looked much like a common weed, but the patterns on it were rather unique.
Ye Xuan was certain this was the Hidden Green Grass he was searching for.
However, it was too close to the Flame Eagle. He didn’t dare to step forward. This was a Rank Four Beast, equivalent to an expert in the Super Spirit Realm, whereas he hadn’t even reached the Frenzy Spirit Realm yet!
Ye Xuan saw very clearly that about ten meters in front of the Flame Eagle, quite a few Cultivators lay scattered haphazardly. These Cultivators had all been reduced to corpses. This proved that the Flame Eagle would still attack people.
"Ye Xuan, the herb you want seems to be right next to the Flame Eagle. What do we do?" Tang Long spoke up again.
Before Ye Xuan could answer, an elderly man suddenly shouted coldly, "Silence! Young Master Ning has arrived."
The previously chattering plain instantly fell dead silent. The crowd parted on their own initiative, creating a path as if welcoming someone. Not long after, Ning Zheseng and Niu Tong appeared in their line of sight.
"It’s him!" Both Tang Long and Ye Xuan furrowed their brows.
They finally understood why these people had blocked the entrance. Their target was this Flame Eagle.
It seemed that there were some things he couldn’t avoid, even if he wanted to.
Ye Xuan knew that even the Niu Family had to bow their heads to Young Master Ning’s family. This meant that if he replaced the Niu Family in the future, this young master would still be someone he had to look up to. Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Ye Xuan didn’t want to get into a direct conflict with him.
But Ye Xuan could never have imagined that even if he wanted to avoid a clash with Ning Zheseng, some things were simply unavoidable.
Once they returned from here, Ning Zheseng would take Fang Lian back to Hongtu Town.
When that time came, a storm of blood and carnage would surely follow.