Chapter 96 : Chapter 96
Chapter 96. The Flying Rock Eagle
That morning, dawn had only just begun to break, and the thin mist had yet to disperse.
Xu Yuan emerged from his quiet chamber and strolled into the medicinal fields.
The sunlight was just right, spilling across the neatly arranged plots. The pale purple petals of the Three-Line Flowers trembled gently in the breeze, while the Ice Pearl Grass gleamed with a moist, jade-like luster.
A faint yet refreshing exotic fragrance lingered in the air. It seeped into the lungs with every breath, invigorating the spirit at once.
A large number of herb farmers were bent over among the plots, carefully weeding, loosening the soil, and watering the plants, creating a scene of diligent, bustling labor.
Xu Yuan stopped at the edge of a field ridge, feeling a trace of emotion in his heart.
This land truly was extraordinary. Combined with the Shangyang Residence’s secret cultivation methods, it could actually bring these medicinal treasures through a full growth cycle within a single month, allowing them to ripen in unison at midmonth.
And because of that, when the medicinal treasures were just on the verge of ripening, they would release their richest fragrance, drawing spirit beasts from near and far in swarms.
That was when the defense of the medicinal fields would face its harshest test.
Just as his thoughts began to drift—
“SCREEECH—!”
A sharp, piercing cry suddenly tore across the sky, carrying a ferocious aura that made the heart tremble as it rushed in from the distance.
The herb farmers in the medicinal fields all looked up in fright. Some of the more timid ones even threw down their tools and crouched on the ground, shivering.
The martial artists also went on alert at once, tightening their grips on their weapons.
Xu Yuan turned toward the sound and saw that in the northeast, a massive dark shadow was diving toward them at astonishing speed.
It was a huge avian spirit beast. With its wings spread, it spanned more than twenty feet, an awe-inspiring sight. Most striking of all, it had four golden feathers on its chest and belly, while even the edges of its plumage carried a faint golden sheen.
“It’s a Flying Rock Eagle! Judging by those feathers... it’s a Flying Rock Eagle at the peak of the Fourth Transformation!”
One of the martial artists cried out in alarm, his voice trembling.
The peak of the Fourth Transformation was equivalent to the peak of the Fourth Meridian for a human martial artist. And avian spirit beasts naturally held the advantage of the skies, making them extremely difficult to deal with.
The herb farmers were so terrified that they either dropped to the ground or ran toward the small huts by the edge of the fields. For a moment, the scene fell into chaos.
“Form up and protect the medicinal fields!”
Gao Xiaosong’s roar rang out in time.
Though he was usually somewhat lax, his reaction at this moment was not slow. He immediately led the martial artists of two guard squads forward, trying to intercept it.
The Flying Rock Eagle’s target was obvious. It shot straight toward the healthiest patch of Ice Pearl Grass.
With one violent beat of its wings, a fierce gale erupted at once. Sand and dust flew everywhere, and many people could not even open their eyes.
Its talons were like hooked blades, flashing with cold light as they reached for the medicinal plot.
“You beast, how dare you!”
Gao Xiaosong roared and leaped up first, driving a heavy Benlei Fist toward the Flying Rock Eagle’s abdomen.
The other martial artists also hurled javelins, fired crossbows, or unleashed ranged martial techniques, all in an attempt to stop it.
A savage glint flashed through the Flying Rock Eagle’s eyes, yet it neither dodged nor retreated.
It simply allowed several weaker arrows and javelins to strike its tough feathers and bounce away, while its talons continued forward unchanged, meeting Gao Xiaosong’s fist head-on.
Bang!
Fist and claw collided, and force exploded outward.
Gao Xiaosong only felt a tremendous countershock slam back into him, sending his blood and qi churning. His airborne body was flung backward uncontrollably, and after landing, he stumbled seven or eight steps before barely managing to steady himself. His face turned pale.
As for the Flying Rock Eagle, its body merely paused for an instant. A flash of golden light flickered through the feathers beneath its belly, dispersing most of the impact. Its ferocity only grew as it continued its charge toward the medicinal plot.
It was clearly no witless beast. Relying on its aerial advantage, it constantly harried them, its sharp beak and talons striking precisely at the weak points in their defense.
Although Gao Xiaosong and the others fought with all their might, their inability to fly left them scrambling on every side, looking thoroughly battered.
In only a short time, two martial artists had already been swept by the force of its claws. Their clothes were torn open, and they suffered light injuries.
Gao Xiaosong found himself struggling to hold the line alone, and several more bloody gashes had appeared on his body. Inwardly, he cursed this feathered beast for being so damned cunning.
At that moment, the corner of his eye suddenly caught sight of Xu Yuan, who was still standing calmly on the field ridge, watching the battle at his leisure. A surge of pent-up anger mixed with frustration rose in his chest.
He knew what Xu Yuan was waiting for.
He was waiting for him to ask for help.
“Lord Xu!”
Gao Xiaosong gritted his teeth, but in the end, he still raised his voice and shouted,
“This beast is formidable. I ask that you take action, my lord!”
The corner of Xu Yuan’s mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
He had long since seen that, while the Flying Rock Eagle was fierce, it would take him very little effort to kill it with his current strength.
He had delayed taking action for two reasons. First, he wanted to see how Gao Xiaosong and the others would respond. Second, he had also intended to give them a bit of a warning.
Some people were like slack bowstrings. They needed to be tightened now and then before they could be of any real use.
“Fall back.”
Xu Yuan spoke calmly. His voice was not loud, yet it somehow pressed over the shouts and eagle-cries filling the field.
Before his words had even fully settled, his body had already moved.
There was no earth-shaking display. One could only see a figure drifting forward like a phantom.
He was astonishingly fast, yet there was also an effortless ease to him, as if he were not rushing toward a vicious bird at all, but merely taking an unhurried stroll.
The Flying Rock Eagle keenly sensed the danger. It let out an even shriller cry and beat its wings hard, trying to gain altitude.
But how could Xu Yuan allow it to escape?
His figure flashed several times in succession. The instant he closed in, the powerful blood and qi of his Fifth Meridian surged through him with a roar. The force of the Benlei Fist gathered at his knuckles without the slightest leakage.
With one plain, unadorned punch, he struck heavily at the comparatively soft junction between the Flying Rock Eagle’s chest and ribs.
Thud!
A muffled sound rang out, like a heavy sack being smashed open.
The Flying Rock Eagle’s massive body shuddered violently. Its diving momentum stopped dead, and it released a short, miserable cry. The savage light in its eyes vanished at once.
It did not even manage a single effective struggle or counterattack.
Its enormous body tilted and crashed to the ground like a kite with its string cut, slamming into the wasteland beside the field ridge and kicking up a cloud of dust before falling utterly still.
From the moment Xu Yuan moved to the moment the Flying Rock Eagle died, it had taken no more than two or three punches. It had all happened so quickly that the eye could barely follow it.
The field fell silent for a moment, then erupted in thunderous cheers.
“Lord Xu is mighty!”
“My lord is invincible!”
The herb farmers poked their heads out from their hiding places. The fear had not yet faded from their faces, but now it was joined by heartfelt awe and gratitude.
The martial artists likewise lowered their weapons. The way they looked at Xu Yuan was filled with shock and worship.
Gao Xiaosong stood frozen in place, his Adam’s apple bobbing unconsciously. His back was already soaked in cold sweat.
He had seen it clearly. That Flying Rock Eagle had been immensely powerful. Even an ordinary Fifth Meridian martial artist would have had to spend a good deal of effort to deal with it, and might even have been thrown into disarray by its advantage in flight.
Yet under Xu Yuan’s hands, it had been killed with absurd ease.
That sort of effortless strength far surpassed his expectations.
‘This man... must never be made an enemy head-on.’
The small resentment and unwillingness in Gao Xiaosong’s heart vanished completely at that moment, replaced instead by deep wariness.
He secretly resolved that, at the very least, until he had figured out Xu Yuan’s true limits and found a reliable backer, he absolutely would not provoke him again.