Chapter 95: The Purple Thunder Eagle’s Challenge

Although the thought of Yun Tianxin waiting for him beneath the great boulder crossed his mind, Chen Qi did not immediately scale the rock face. Instead, he chose to return to her.

Yun Tianxin was sitting atop a smooth, dark green stone, her expression leisurely. Her long, fair legs, visible beneath her flowing green robes, swayed back and forth in the air—a sight that made Chen Qi’s blood run hot. Sensing his approach, she retracted her legs, denying him any chance of catching a glimpse of anything he shouldn't.

Suppressing his disappointment, Chen Qi stepped forward to share his findings and outline his battle plan. After all, Yun Tianxin was a native of this world and possessed extraordinary strength; surely, she would have some sage advice. She listened quietly, offering no suggestions, though her legs began to swing with increased vigor. Clearly, Chen Qi’s attitude of reporting everything to her brought her great pleasure.

When he finished, she gave a slight nod and added, "Junior brother, if you cannot defeat it, you may lure it here. Temporarily release the Spirit-Sealing Cloud Locks on me, and I should be able to strike a blow while maintaining my composure."

"But?" Chen Qi expressed his hesitation. He would never forget the moment Yun Tianxin had lost her mind and lunged at him. The sheer pressure was so immense that he couldn't even withstand a single strike. If she lost control again and her sanity didn't return quickly, wouldn't he be the most unjustly wronged soul in history?

Seeing the doubt on his face, Yun Tianxin used her legs to give him a gentle kick, pouting as she scolded, "Is that all you care about—your own life? I said it’s fine, so it’s fine. Besides, if you win, won't that solve everything?"

Provoked and feeling somewhat flustered, Chen Qi quickly sheathed his long blade. He grabbed the very legs he had been longing for and, while massaging them, said, "Why don't we just bypass it? I’m just a man of little consequence; it would be terrible if I dragged you into trouble, Senior Sister."

As he spoke, he applied slight pressure, moving his palms from her thighs down to her calves, his fingers lingering and caressing. Yun Tianxin’s body trembled, and she quickly pulled her legs back, shooting him a look that was half-smile, half-glare. "Junior brother, aren't you usually very vengeful? Can you really tolerate this?"

Reluctantly, Chen Qi reached for her legs again, only to be ruthlessly kicked away. Seeing no further opportunity, he could only grumble, "What is a little grievance of mine compared to your comfort?"

Even as he spoke, he persisted, pressing his left hand against her left leg while his right hand moved toward her ankle, driven by an impulse to remove her shoes and let her delicate, fair feet see the light of day.

"What are you doing!" Yun Tianxin finally snapped. A ripple of energy surged through the chains binding her. Had her hands not been restrained, and had the man before her not been the junior brother who had saved her, she would have long since reduced this lecherous fool to a mist of blood.

Seeing signs of her emotional outburst, Chen Qi awkwardly scratched his head and hopped backward, maintaining a safe distance to give her time to regain her composure. After her beautiful face remained frost-covered for quite some time, she did not fully erupt. Instead, with a dark expression, she gritted her teeth and said to him, "Quickly, unlock the Spirit-Sealing Cloud Locks!"

"Senior Sister, what are you planning?" Sensing ill intent, Chen Qi stepped forward half a pace, asking tentatively.

"Hurry!" she urged, a glint of killing intent flashing in her beautiful eyes.

Chen Qi dared not disobey. He took a deep breath and reached slowly toward the cloud-white chains. Seemingly not rejecting his aura, the chains responded to his touch. In an instant, he felt a pair of slender hands pin his shoulders. Yun Tianxin leaned in, and a hot, fragrant scent washed over his face.

"Do you dare to do that again?" she asked, her head held high as she looked down at him.

Feeling her grip on his shoulders tighten until it began to ache, Chen Qi obediently lowered his head in a show of grievance. "I'm sorry, Senior Sister. Junior brother knows he was wrong."

Yun Tianxin nodded in satisfaction and finally released his shoulders. Stretching her limbs, she pointed toward the rock face, acting with overbearing authority. "Well? Go! I shall hold the line for you here!"

Chen Qi did not dare to defy her. In a few quick movements, he climbed onto the large rock beneath the cliff, preparing to ascend. From behind, he heard her voice, slightly strained: "Remember to call for me if you can't handle it!"

"Understood! I didn't say you shouldn't intervene, Senior Sister; your own condition is what matters. Just watch your junior brother perform!" As he climbed, he gave a distracted, perfunctory response. In his mind, he was still indulging in wild thoughts: *I’ll definitely do it again next time!*

...

To the southeast of Chen Qi, an elderly man in purple robes stood with a look of profound sorrow. His hair and beard were stark white, the latter hanging in thick clumps, and his eyebrows were so bushy they arched downward, giving him the appearance of a kind-hearted old man consumed by grief. Leaning against a large pine tree, he sighed from time to time as if waiting for something. A few scattered signal fireworks in the sky marked his status as the Third Elder.

Soon, two figures descended from different directions—two more individuals in purple. The three stood in silence for a long time, staring at one another.

The Sixth Elder, Duan Hai, spoke first: "It seems none of us found anything. How are we to answer to the Sect Master when we return?" He then seemed to remember something and hurriedly comforted the Third Elder. "Brother Ye, you must grieve in moderation! Perhaps your daughter is simply lost somewhere in these mountains."

The Third Elder sighed silently again and set off toward the Cloud Sea Sect. The Fifth and Sixth Elders exchanged a glance and quickly gave chase.

"Third Brother, don't lose heart! If your daughter is gone, you can always have another. You’re only 108; you still have decades to live!" The Fifth Elder, Fu Qing, was a boorish man who spoke without thinking. His words caused the Third Elder to accelerate his flight, followed by a few heavy coughs carried on the wind.

"Old Fifth!" Duan Hai shot a reproachful look at Fu Qing and hurried to catch up.

"Old Sixth, why are you looking at me? I was comforting him, wasn't I?" the Fifth Elder shouted, scratching his head, though his voice was ignored by the others.

...

Chen Qi gazed at the rock face. Years of weathering had left it full of protrusions and crevices, providing him with footholds. Soon, he climbed to the massive rock fissure, drew his long blade, and prepared for battle.

After a moment's thought, he did not immediately dive inside. Instead, he summoned the 'Sprout Space' and equipped the title he had worked so hard to obtain: Beast Spirit Hunter.

The moment he donned the title, a subtle change occurred. His youthful aura shifted, becoming more resolute and fierce, with a faint, underlying scent of blood. Yet, his mind was filled with unrealistic fantasies: *Now that I look this cool, could I become a movie star and play an assassin? Then I could become a best actor and attract a ton of fan-girls! Ah, wait—I’m almost taken. How could I think of such things?*

Just as Chen Qi was lost in his delusions, he sensed a crisis approaching. A sharp, brief, and urgent eagle cry erupted from the crevice, full of warning.

"Discovered?" Chen Qi quickly banished his wandering thoughts. After a moment's hesitation, he flipped into the crevice, keeping his blade ready for a potential ambush.

"Oh no!" As he entered the cave, his body trembled. A familiar sense of numbness washed over him, and his heart sank.

But the expected ambush did not come. The Purple Thunder Eagle stood guard inside the crevice, its damaged wings spread wide as if shielding something. Hearing the eagle's increasingly shrill cries, Chen Qi shifted his gaze to its side.

The crevice was small, only a few square meters. The floor was covered with a thick layer of various beast furs—clearly comfortable and perfect for nesting—which the eagle had scavenged from its many trophies. But more striking were the three watermelon-sized eggs nestled in the fur, covered in mysterious purple lightning patterns that sparked with static electricity. If Chen Qi wasn't mistaken, these were the eggs of the Purple Thunder Eagle.

The eagle clearly recognized him. Its aura became erratic, then increasingly violent, radiating the oppressive pressure of a gathering storm. Suddenly, the Purple Thunder Eagle raised its uninjured left wing and pointed toward the outside of the crevice, its cries growing low and guttural as its feathers stood on end.

Chen Qi’s eyes narrowed as he understood. The eagle was afraid of harming its unborn offspring and was inviting him to fight outside. That was why he hadn't been ambushed; a mother feared the shockwaves of combat would damage her eggs.

Chen Qi could not refuse such a request from a mother, especially since he wanted to harvest a few eggs for himself. After a few moments of contemplation, he crawled back out and scrambled down to the large boulder.

Sure enough, a moment later, a shadow rose, and the eagle soared into the sky!