The two of them cautiously exited the crevice. Stepping back onto the Flying Cloud, they deployed several layers of defensive measures and slowly began to ascend.
Just at that moment, they suddenly heard the cry of an eagle.
Both turned their heads in shock.
Not far away, amidst the turbulent Spiritual Qi and Demonic Qi, a swift figure flashed past. Upon closer look, it was a Giant Eagle.
"A Sixth Rank Demonic Beast!" Qin Xi frowned. The sword array formed by his Three Yang True Fire Sword flared briefly as the Flying Cloud began to descend.
"Over there, more than one!" Mo Tiange pointed towards another direction high in the sky, where three more Giant Eagles were soaring, also at the Sixth Rank.
A single Sixth Rank Demonic Beast was one thing, but four in total... Sixth Rank was equivalent to a Mid-stage Core Formation cultivator, and they were in mid-air, surrounded by drifting restrictions and Gang Wind, with lightning crackling amidst the surging Spiritual Qi and Demonic Qi!
Mo Tiange felt a cold sweat break out all over.
Qin Xi remained calm, continuing to descend with the Flying Cloud.
The solitary Giant Eagle let out another cry. They immediately felt the attention of all four eagles fix upon them. The eagles called to each other a few times, then beat their wings and flew towards them.
They meant harm! Realizing this, Mo Tiange had already retrieved several Magical Treasures, including the spirit talismans bestowed by Dao Lord Jinghe. In mid-air, these Giant Eagles that lived here held an absolute advantage. Even with their higher cultivation and more methods, a single misstep could send them plummeting. They had been flying for nearly a day; if they fell from here, they would be utterly annihilated.
In an instant, the Giant Eagles arrived. Swift as lightning, their aerial speed was truly astonishing.
Qin Xi still controlled the Flying Cloud, continuously descending. Seeing the Giant Eagles pounce, he gathered Spiritual Light in his right hand. The true form of the Three Yang True Fire Sword appeared in his grasp. He barely had time to raise it before the sword's energy clashed with an eagle's talon.
This power... Mo Tiange's face paled. The demonic beasts within Tianmo Mountain were indeed mutated. Such formidable strength—outside Tianmo Mountain, what Sixth Rank Demonic Beast possessed it?
Before she could think further, another Giant Eagle slammed into them. Mo Tiange retrieved an earth-attribute square seal, about to activate it, but Qin Xi stopped her. "It's not convenient to use Magical Treasures here. Too much commotion could cause the restrictions to collapse."
Mo Tiange was taken aback. "But..."
Qin Xi repelled another Giant Eagle. By now, the Flying Cloud had descended to the level of their previous hiding spot. He pushed Mo Tiange. "Get inside!"
"I..." Mo Tiange didn't obey immediately. She looked outside. The four Giant Eagles were attacking in succession. Qin Xi, wary of the restrictions, wasn't attacking but merely using the sword array formed by the energy of the Three Yang True Fire Sword to defend. But the eagles' strength was too great, and they cleverly attacked in waves, leaving him completely on the defensive.
"I can help!"
"No nonsense!" Qin Xi didn't even glance at her, his eyes darting between the eagles. "Get in, now!"
"You... do you have a plan?"
This time, he didn't even answer, simply pushing her directly and then using his own body to block the crevice entrance.
With him acting like this, she had no choice but to enter. Helpless, she carefully squeezed in sideways. Just as she was about to pull him in as well, he withdrew his hand.
"Senior Brother!" Mo Tiange grew anxious. "Aren't you coming in?"
Qin Xi didn't reply. His hands formed sword seals, and the sword array suddenly blazed with light. Under the watchful eyes of the four Giant Eagles, when would he have time to enter?
Unable to see the situation outside, Mo Tiange could only monitor it with her Divine Sense. The four Giant Eagles cried out again, still attacking one by one, in succession.
He didn't move, enduring the Spiritual Qi impacts from the Giant Eagles head-on. Only when the sword array had gathered sufficient Spiritual Qi did he finally wave a hand, sending a red sword energy chasing after one of the eagles.
Taking them out one by one—this was the only way.
Relying on its swift movements, the eagle beat its wings, trying to evade.
Qin Xi's sword light indeed couldn't match the eagle's speed. However, just as the Giant Eagle thought it could easily dodge, it saw the sword light curve along its trajectory and continue pursuing it.
The Giant Eagle let out a sharp, long cry. A piercing whistling sound was heard as the sword light struck its massive head. Blood sprayed, feathers scattered, and one Giant Eagle plummeted from the cliff face.
Mo Tiange was about to sigh in relief when her Divine Sense immediately detected the other three Giant Eagles charging together.
"Watch out!" she cried out a warning. But Qin Xi had just expended a great deal of Spiritual Qi and couldn't react in time. Almost instinctively, Mo Tiange activated the Spirit Refining Art and lashed out.
"Ugh..." She didn't know what was happening outside, only feeling a sharp, tearing pain in her Divine Sense. She spat out a mouthful of blood, her entire being almost instantly plunged into a daze!
Her Divine Sense... had been severed. It took a while before she realized what had happened to her.
"Stay put, don't move!" Qin Xi turned his head and glared at her fiercely. But at that very moment, the three Giant Eagles, momentarily hindered by her, attacked again. Six wings beat simultaneously as they pounced.
Qin Xi hastily raised a hand. The Three Yang True Fire Sword blocked the frontal assault, but not the one from behind. The defensive shield, already precarious after several attacks, shattered upon contact. An eagle wing struck his back solidly, its talons piercing in and pulling out a spray of blood.
His figure swayed, blood immediately welling from his back.
Qin Xi gritted his teeth, ignoring the wound. He fished out a defensive talisman from his waist and slapped it onto himself, reforming the defensive shield.
Mo Tiange only saw that he was injured, not the situation outside. Without time to think, she unfurled the White Silk Handkerchief, wrapping it around his entire body.
This time, he finally didn't refuse her help. He had personally witnessed the defensive power of this Magical Treasure. Even if it couldn't block all attacks, it could at least relieve a great deal of pressure.
However, he still instructed, "If your Spiritual Qi consumption gets too high, withdraw it!"
Mo Tiange was momentarily stunned, then softly acknowledged. But in her heart, she was determined. Here, she couldn't do much. Only this was something she could accomplish.
With the White Silk Handkerchief protecting him, Qin Xi finally had a bit of relief. However, he couldn't tend to the wound on his back immediately, and blood continued to flow. This place was filled with drifting restrictions, with Spiritual Qi and Demonic Qi intertwined. Fearing he might trigger a restriction collapse, he didn't dare use any other Magical Treasures. He could only rely on the sword array, using precisely controlled sword energy to tangle with the Giant Eagles.
He couldn't hold out like this for long. The thought crossed his mind. Never mind the restrictions and Gang Wind; if a patch of Demonic Qi drifted over like before, it would be more than enough to finish him!
He glanced back at Mo Tiange in the cave. The three remaining Giant Eagles, enraged by their companion's death, pursued again. Qin Xi let out an almost inaudible sigh. With a flick of his hand, the Three Yang True Fire Sword transformed back into red light, swirling around him. He clasped his palms and closed his eyes, completely ignoring the attacks of the three Giant Eagles.
These three Giant Eagles, having witnessed their companion's death, were filled with hatred for him, their attacks growing increasingly frenzied.
Three bursts of Spiritual Qi struck the defensive shield heavily. Mo Tiange felt a numbness in her meridians. Even though the White Silk Handkerchief's defense was astonishing, such powerful attacks consumed a terrifying amount of Spiritual Qi for defense. She immediately swallowed several high-grade Spiritual Qi replenishing pills.
Not long after, the three Giant Eagles slammed into them again. This time, Mo Tiange could no longer control the White Silk Handkerchief. The mist retracted, transforming back into the white handkerchief, unable to maintain its defensive form.
The third time, Qin Xi endured the attacks of the three Giant Eagles head-on.
He was already injured. After so many Spiritual Qi impacts, gaps had appeared in his defensive sword array, and even his body-protecting Spiritual Light was on the verge of shattering. When the three eagles struck this time, he almost fell. Mo Tiange was frantic with worry. Disregarding everything else, she unleashed the Spirit Refining Art once more.
These Giant Eagles, likely having grown in this special environment, feared neither Gang Wind, restrictions, nor Demonic Qi. Their Divine Senses were mutated. Although she had injured one with her Spirit Refining Art earlier, she herself had been severely wounded in return.
But she could see that Qin Xi was performing some kind of technique. She had to block for him; otherwise, he might be gravely injured before he could complete it!
The three Giant Eagles slammed into them again. The outermost sword array hummed, deflecting part of the attack, but then shattered completely.
Then, the impact struck her Divine Sense squarely.
For a moment, Mo Tiange once again tasted the pain of her Divine Sense being forcibly torn apart. This pain was more intense than any physical agony, as if her head had been struck hard, her brains about to burst out the next instant.
But, this attack was finally blocked.
Yet she knew she wouldn't be able to manage the next one. Never mind that she had just advanced to the Core Formation stage and lacked sufficient Magical Treasures and methods; even if she had them, she wouldn't dare use them. Because he had said that using Magical Treasures here with too much commotion might cause the restrictions to collapse.
The dazed feeling in her head slowly faded. She opened her eyes to see a brilliant light outside.
Qin Xi's body was enveloped in a blinding white light. A white pearl flickered at his dantian. Though she had never seen it before, Mo Tiange knew this must be that Yang Spirit Pearl!
Yang-attributed Spiritual Qi surged forth, stirring the Yin Spiritual Qi within her body.
Beneath the radiance of the Yang Spirit Pearl, the three Giant Eagles seemed not to understand what this was. They glided in mid-air, momentarily not daring to approach. Their demonic beast intuition told them this was undoubtedly dangerous. So, one of them cried out, and the three Giant Eagles, wings beating and wrapped in Spiritual Qi, charged at Qin Xi together.
Demonic beast attacks were just this simple. They had naturally sharp claws and fangs, bodies like weapons. Such simple attacks were already enough to give cultivators headaches.
Spiritual Qi gathered. The white light gently blocked the attacks of the three Giant Eagles, as if meeting no resistance at all.
Then, the white light spread out, enveloping all three Giant Eagles. The eagles, not knowing what was happening, flapped their wings within the dense Yang Spiritual Qi, trying to fly away. But the Yang Spiritual Qi firmly wrapped around them. They couldn't move, gradually unable to even beat their wings.
The red sword light blazed brightly once more. The sword array reformed and, amidst the panicked cries of the Giant Eagles, slowly pierced towards them.
Several *thud* sounds. They were pierced through by the sword energy and plummeted from the cliff face.
"Senior Brother!" Mo Tiange, quick-eyed and swift-handed, grabbed Qin Xi, who was almost about to follow them down, and with difficulty pulled him inside.