Chapter 97: Husband and Wife Both Lose Their Lives

Several days later.

The east was already white, morning light glimmering faintly.

Distant mountains were dark like eyebrows, still draped in veils of profound mist.

Xu Mingwei, carrying the Ink Flood Dragon Bow, followed Xu Mingxuan and the others into the mountains early in the morning.

Because they knew the route, after rapidly advancing for an hour and a half, they arrived at the lake not far below Broken Fang Peak.

"Somewhere on the cliff above is the Azure Fire Eagle's nest, but I don't know the exact location." Xu Mingxuan pointed toward the mountain wall of Broken Fang Peak that towered into the clouds.

Xu Mingwei focused his gaze.

His eyes contained extraordinary light within, capable of piercing clouds and parting mist, observing scenery over ten li away.

"The distance is too great to see clearly." Xu Mingwei turned to look at Xu Mingxuan, saying lightly, "Even if I could see it, according to what you said before, this eagle is swift as lightning, with unparalleled agility in short-distance maneuvers. At such a distance, my arrows would likely be easily dodged."

"Then let's lure it out."

"Oh, with what shall we lure it?"

Xu Mingxuan only smiled without speaking. Turning his hand over, his palm revealed a blood-colored pill.

"Innate Blood Pill?!" Xu Mingwei was no fool. Seeing this object, understanding dawned in his heart.

"Precisely." Xu Mingxuan grinned, "This pill was refined from that crimson-scaled python's flesh and blood plus various medicinal materials. If we crush it and scatter the powder in the air, I imagine that Azure Fire Eagle shouldn't have forgotten yet."

"I'll use myself as bait, standing by the lake. Eldest brother, you hide in the shadows. When it dives down, you shoot and kill it."

"Too impulsive." Xu Mingwei's brows furrowed slightly, "I can't completely guarantee my arrow speed will definitely hit."

"Rest assured, little brother values his life. I'll have someone hold a shield beside me. If eldest brother fails, the shield can block for an instant, and we'll immediately leap into the lake."

Xu Mingwei pondered briefly. Finding it feasible, he nodded slightly in agreement.

"Protect Third Master well."

"Yes, Family Head." That innate martial artist held a several-cun-thick refined steel shield and bowed slightly.

Xu Mingwei led the others to hide in the mountain forest. He stood in a dark area beside a massive boulder, his breathing barely perceptible, as if merging with his surroundings.

Drawing the bow and nocking an arrow, he awaited only the instant the prey appeared.

Xu Mingxuan and the shield-bearing innate guard stood by the lake, immediately crushing a low-grade Innate Blood Pill.

In an instant, intense blood qi surged like a tide, spreading to the surrounding wilderness. Mountain wind carried the bloody smell straight up to the blue clouds.

Deep in the dense forest, suddenly a gray wolf raised its head in a long howl, its dark green pupils reflecting the blood-colored qi flow.

That giant python coiled on a century-old pine also flicked its tongue, its scales reflecting eerie red light under the sunlight.

All fierce beasts within ten li followed the scent and raised their heads, eyes revealing greed, as if smelling a feast rarely encountered in ten years.

Xu Chuan refined this using demon beast flesh and blood essence supplemented with medicinal materials. The white tiger was a demon beast and was also greedy. Other wild beasts were even more so.

The cliff of Broken Fang Peak.

Suddenly, an azure figure flew out from the precipice, circling in the air.

It was precisely the Azure Fire Eagle that Xu Mingxuan and the others had previously encountered.

It was very familiar with the crimson-scaled python's blood qi. Remembering that someone had stolen its body, anger rose to its head. It immediately flew out from the cliff cave.

In an instant, it discovered Xu Mingxuan by the lakeshore, and the source of the blood qi was precisely from their vicinity.

Its pair of eagle eyes stared tightly at Xu Mingxuan and the guard beside him, diving down like an azure lightning bolt.

The guard was first to discover it from the lake's reflection. He immediately looked up, exclaiming in shock, "Third Master, it's coming."

As his words just fell, Xu Mingxuan likewise looked up. However, the Azure Fire Eagle was swift as lightning, in the blink of an eye already approaching the sky above them.

The guard hastily raised the refined steel shield, hoping to block it somewhat.

Just as the Azure Fire Eagle's talons penetrated the refined steel shield, a black lightning bolt streaked through the sky, instantly piercing through its chest from the forest.

The next instant, a miserable eagle cry echoed all around.

Immediately after, another arrow light shot through its skull, killing it on the spot.

Xu Mingxuan and that guard felt lingering fear.

Just as everyone relaxed, another Azure Fire Eagle actually appeared in the air, slightly smaller in size but equally fierce.

As it beat its wings, a mournful cry echoed through the sky. Azure flames ignited on its plumage, like a ball of fire directly plunging down.

"Jump!"

Xu Mingxuan and the guard didn't hesitate to leap into the lake.

That Azure Fire Eagle still wouldn't let them go, continuing to dive down. However, in Xu Mingwei's view, it was merely blinded by rage.

Even if demon beasts had intelligence, how could they be a match for naturally intelligent humans in controlling emotions?

Three arrows fired simultaneously, blocking this eagle's path and because its azure feathers were as hard as iron, Xu Mingwei aimed at its head and abdomen.

It avoided the head strike, but its abdomen was pierced through, and the impact drove it near the previous Azure Fire Eagle.

It turned to look, letting out a mournful cry.

Xu Mingwei had no mercy whatsoever.

Taking advantage of its weakness and inconvenient movement, just as before, one arrow shot through its skull.

Xu Mingxuan and the guard surfaced in the lake, their eyes continuously scanning the sky. Only after a long while with no further movement did they swim to shore and climb up.

Xu Mingwei and the others also emerged from the forest's edge, going to examine the two Azure Fire Eagles.

"I never expected there would be two demon beasts. They seem like a husband and wife pair. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been such mournful cries before."

Xu Mingxuan smiled, "Eldest brother, I once heard you hunted a tiger couple, and now you've killed an eagle couple. Could it be you specifically have problems with married couples?"

"What nonsense!" Xu Mingwei, seeing him making fun of him, couldn't help but darken his expression.

"Just joking. Don't take offense, eldest brother. But if they really were a couple, do you think there might be young eaglets or eagle eggs in their nest?"

A guard said, "Third Master, this subordinate has also heard that to supplement the female eagle's nutrition, male eagles frequently go out searching for prey during this period."

Xu Mingwei pondered for a moment, raising his head to look toward Broken Fang Peak's cliff direction, "If truly so, we must bring them back. These are pure demon beasts, not transformations like Little White. Their potential far exceeds it."

"But that cliff cannot be climbed by human strength." Xu Mingxuan reminded, "Why not wait until Yunnu returns next time—"

Xu Mingwei raised his hand to stop him, "If we rely on Yunnu and Father for everything, wouldn't we be nothing but useless?"

"Rest assured, I'll personally go up and investigate." Immediately after, Xu Mingwei leaned close to Xu Mingxuan's ear and instructed him on a few matters.

"I understand, eldest brother. I'll bring what you need right away."

"You two stay and follow the family head's instructions. Everyone else, follow me back."

"Yes, Third Master."

With Xu Mingwei guarding the two Azure Fire Eagles, ordinary wild beasts simply couldn't disturb them.

Several hours later, Xu Mingxuan brought a team, this time bringing large quantities of hemp rope.

They brought the bodies of the two Azure Fire Eagles to the foot of Broken Fang Peak.

Xu Mingwei tied the hemp rope around himself, carried an arrow quiver on his back, and with both hands inserted arrows into the wall, then used them to climb.

A thousand-zhang precipice couldn't be climbed by ordinary mortals.

Even for Xu Mingwei at mid grandmaster realm, this was absolutely no easy task.

Fortunately, he had innate divine strength and enduring stamina. Step by step climbing upward, after entering the cloud layer, he discovered a solitary cliff platform.

Xu Mingyuan leaped onto the stone platform. What met his eyes was a mountain cave several zhang high.