Chapter 2862: Chapter 2862
At that moment, the Golden Eagle’s power of bloodline dissipated completely, and Redscale stopped absorbing it.
“I barely managed to absorb about half of its power of bloodline,” Redscale informed the group. “This Golden Eagle’s bloodline is remarkably pure, and its power is quite potent!”
“Go to the spatial realm of the doppelgänger to accelerate your recovery. Refine the bloodline and the Golden Eagle’s body there,” Ye Liuyun instructed, sending White Tiger into the doppelgänger’s dimensional space.
With the aid of the Life Spring Water, White Tiger’s injuries healed rapidly. After refining the power of bloodline, he began refining the Golden Eagle’s body. As he worked, he realized just how dense the metallic energy within the eagle’s flesh was. By the time he finished refining it, his golden radiance, claws, and fangs would undoubtedly become far more powerful.
Ye Liuyun and the others were in no hurry to leave. They decided to wait until White Tiger had fully recovered before having him lead the way again.
However, Falcon reminded everyone, “Golden Eagles are pack hunters. There’s likely more than just one.”
Hearing this, the group grew uneasy. Given the Golden Eagles’ formidable physical strength, most of them would be no match in a direct confrontation. Only Ye Liuyun and Dragon Maiden stood a chance against them in close combat.
“Then everyone should stay alert!” Ye Liuyun said. “If you spot any more Golden Eagles, warn me immediately. I’ll use my soul power to subdue them first.”
But no sooner had he spoken than a piercing screech echoed through the air. Ye Liuyun quickly scanned the sky with his golden pupils and spotted another Golden Eagle soaring toward them from a distance.
“It might catch the scent of the previous eagle. We should act before it gets too close,” Little Blue Ice warned Ye Liuyun, worried the eagle would dive down. She knew she was no match for it.
“Understood,” Ye Liuyun replied, bracing himself for a fight.
The approaching Golden Eagle was even more powerful than the last, its cultivation a full level higher. It circled overhead arrogantly, completely disregarding Ye Liuyun and his companions. After detecting the scent of its fallen kin, it let out another sharp cry, calling out to the missing eagle.
When no response came, the eagle grew suspicious and fixed its gaze on the group below. Without hesitation, it swooped down in a fierce dive.
Ye Liuyun waited until the golden eagle was within range, then immediately activated his temporal power, freezing the creature in mid-air. Only then did he release his divine soul, sending it rushing into the eagle’s sea of consciousness to plant a slave seal.
His golden pupils had already discerned that this golden eagle, like the previous one, possessed an exceptionally dense metallic energy within its body. He didn’t dare wait for it to get any closer before taking action.
Once he had control, he guided the eagle to land slowly before them. Ye Liuyun promptly began a soul search, eager to understand how these golden eagles had accumulated such vast amounts of metallic energy.
“Blade Winds and Sword Rain?” Ye Liuyun murmured in astonishment as he extracted the information.
“What is it?” the Dragon Maiden and the other beasts asked, turning to him.
Ye Liuyun explained, “Their nest is located just beyond the canyon we’re heading to. The canyon itself is saturated with intense metallic energy, which manifests as energy blades and swords. It serves as a form of body tempering for them.
“These golden eagles have flown through that canyon for generations, accumulating this metallic energy over time. They refer to the attacks of these energy blades and swords as ‘Blade Winds and Sword Rain.’”
“Then let’s hurry there!” the other beasts exclaimed, their interest instantly piqued.
Ye Liuyun nodded but hesitated, his expression thoughtful. “We’ll definitely go. But the canyon itself is extremely dangerous. Beasts with weaker physiques don’t dare cross it—it’s a matter of life and death.
“The golden eagles have lived there for generations; their bodies have long adapted to the environment, so they’re unaffected. But almost no other beasts can pass through that canyon, which is why the golden eagles have been able to dominate the area for so long.
“Moreover, the canyon is their territory, and their flock is sizable—over two hundred strong. If we enter to temper our bodies, as long as we survive the ordeal, we’ll face their collective attack.”
“Then let’s guard the canyon entrance,” Zhuque suggested. “We can use our divine souls to control them one by one as they emerge. Once we’ve subdued enough, the rest of us can enter for body tempering!”
Ye Liuyun nodded in agreement. “I’ve been considering how to deal with them. Perhaps we could ask Qiong Qi to set up a formation at the canyon mouth to trap the eagles and make it easier for us to act. After all, their leader is at the ninth level of the Dominator Realm. A single strike from it could be fatal!
“Another option is to have this controlled eagle lead me there, then use the Demon Vine to blockade them while I plant slave seals.”
Ye Liuyun was still weighing his options, unsure which approach would be most effective.
"Then let’s tackle this from both angles," Zhuque suggested again. "We’ll set up an ambush at the valley entrance with a formation trap—capturing each Golden Roc as it comes. Once we’ve caught a decent number, you and the Demon Vine can go after the rest. That way, the vine won’t be overwhelmed by too many at once."
"Agreed," Ye Liuyun nodded. At the very least, they could start by capturing a few to test the waters.
He then sent the recently captured Golden Roc to Baihu, asking Chilian to assist in absorbing its power of bloodline while his doppelgänger devoured its soul. The corpse would be refined, and its core used for Baihu’s cultivation—nothing would go to waste.
With the plan settled, they didn’t wait for Baihu to finish, too eager to proceed with capturing the Golden Rocs. As they drew closer to the valley, the number of feral beast noticeably dwindled. On one hand, many had been hunted as prey by the Golden Rocs; on the other, the valley was inaccessible to most, leaving little food nearby. Thus, the area was sparsely populated, and Baihu hadn’t missed much action.
Upon arrival, Ye Liuyun realized there was no barrier formation blocking detection—instead, the razor-sharp winds and sword-like rain within the valley created a natural shield. He released Qiong Qi to confirm, and indeed, no formations were present.
They didn’t immediately venture into the valley, wary of attracting the Golden Rocs’ attention. Instead, they had Qiong Qi set up a multi-layered formation trap—complete with confinement, defense, and illusion arrays—to ensure any Golden Roc that entered would find escape difficult.
Zhuque then positioned herself inside the formation as bait, feigning injury to lure the Golden Rocs closer. Ye Liuyun stored the others in his spatial realm, donned his invisibility cloak, and hid within the formation, waiting for the prey to take the hook.
Once everything was in place, Zhuque let out a piercing cry that echoed through the valley, then slumped to the ground, pretending to be wounded. Though her size was substantial, compared to the local beasts, she appeared like a small bird—perfect prey for a Golden Roc.
Her call reverberated through the mountains, reaching the entire Golden Roc flock. Almost immediately, two of them soared out to investigate. Spotting Zhuque flapping weakly on the ground, they assumed she had been injured attempting to breach the valley. Without suspicion, they swooped down, competing to seize her as a meal.
But the moment the two Golden Rocs entered the formation, they were trapped. One plunged straight into the illusion array, standing dazed and motionless as if lost in thought. The other stumbled into the confinement array, struggling frantically to break free but unable to shatter the formation’s hold.
