Chapter 20: The Purple-Gold Eagle

On the outskirts of the Ziyun Mountain Range, a cultivator in green robes flew slowly over a mountain, heading east, looking rather haggard.

This person was Lin Tianming, who had spent several days fleeing from the ancient cave ruins, covered in dust and dirt.

Throughout his journey, he had encountered numerous battles. If not for his cautious nature and his principle of fleeing if he couldn't win, he might have died inside.

All of Lin Tianming's defensive measures were now depleted. As he escaped the cave, he faced another assault from the water-dwelling Snow Spirit Fish. Twenty or more Snow Spirit Fish attacked simultaneously, and he barely escaped by using his last high-grade defensive talisman, suffering significant injuries in the process.

Besides the Snow Spirit Fish, he had also unexpectedly encountered a late-stage first-tier demonic beast on his way, forcing him to use an attack talisman to buy time and escape.

Currently, Lin Tianming was out of talismans and resources, essentially penniless.

After half an hour, Lin Tianming arrived at the cave where he had stayed for a night before entering the mountains. He moved the trees blocking the entrance, set up some illusions and warning arrays, and went inside.

Sitting on the stone bed in the secret room, he took a Recuperation Pill to recover from his injuries.

Having left the Qingfeng Town territory only a month ago, he wasn't in a hurry. Lin Tianming planned to fully recover before heading back to Qingfeng Town.

Half a month passed quickly, and Lin Tianming opened his eyes.

At this point, Lin Tianming's aura had significantly increased, indicating that he had reached the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refinement and could break through to the seventh level at any time.

After being away for over a month, fully recovering from his injuries, it was time to return to Qingfeng Town. Otherwise, if anything happened, it would be hard to explain to the family.

Leaving the cave, he removed the array and covered the entrance with trees again.

He summoned his Qingfeng Sword and turned into a green light, heading east towards Qingfeng Town.

After being away for over a month, he had delayed his patrol duties for half a month. Before returning, Lin Tianming planned to patrol the hundred-mile radius around Qingfeng Town.

On a large plain fifty miles west of Qingfeng Town, numerous mortals were busy working in the fields, both men and women, fully engaged in their tasks.

Suddenly, a demonic wind swept through the sky. Some elderly people and children couldn't withstand the fierce wind and were blown several feet into the air.

Most of the mortals who hadn't been lifted off the ground ran towards a row of trees on the field ridge, trying to find shelter from the wind.

Someone suddenly shouted in terror, "There's a monster in the sky!"

Upon hearing this, many mortals looked up at the sky, their faces filled with fear.

In the sky, a massive golden eagle with a beak like a curved dagger, its wingspan over ten feet wide, was swiftly approaching.

"It's a demonic bird!" shouted an elderly man with knowledge, his voice trembling with fear.

The purple-gold eagle, a demonic bird said to contain a trace of the bloodline of the Golden-winged Roc, was an incredibly powerful creature. If its bloodline was strong enough, it could revert to its ancestral form and evolve into a Golden-winged Roc.

A mature purple-gold eagle was a late-stage second-tier demonic beast with incredible speed, ranking among the top of avian demonic beasts. However, this one was only at the mid-stage first-tier, still in its juvenile stage.

The purple-gold eagle, seeing the mortals, swooped down, grabbed a few with its sharp talons, and prepared to leave.

Lin Tianming, who was patrolling nearby, saw the demonic beast harming the people and immediately intervened to save them.

Suddenly, a furious shout echoed in the sky, "Beast, stop!"

Lin Tianming chased the purple-gold eagle on his Qingfeng Sword, forming hand seals and casting a Fireball Technique at the eagle to intercept it.

The purple-gold eagle flapped its wings and spat a fireball to counter Lin Tianming's attack. The two fireballs collided mid-air with a loud explosion, sending hot waves of air sweeping across the field.

Many mortals were knocked off their feet by the shockwave but soon realized what had happened and were overjoyed.

"A cultivator!" they exclaimed in excitement.

Lin Tianming, with a serious expression, formed more hand seals, preparing to use his Fire Origin Slash to kill the beast.

The purple-gold eagle, dropping the mortals from its claws, focused on Lin Tianming, recognizing that a cultivator's flesh was far more nourishing than that of mortals. It dived at Lin Tianming, intending to kill him.

Lin Tianming cast several spells to catch the falling mortals and gently placed them on a nearby hill.

With no worries about the mortals' safety, Lin Tianming fully unleashed his Fire Origin Slash. The giant flaming sword collided with the purple-gold eagle's beak.

The sound of metal clashing filled the air. The purple-gold eagle, in pain, realized it was outmatched. It flapped its wings furiously, trying to escape.

Seeing this, Lin Tianming slashed again, the flaming sword cutting deep into the eagle's wing.

The giant bird fell from the sky, crashing into the ground and creating a large pit.

The purple-gold eagle, now severely injured, lay weakly in the pit, its left wing nearly severed, blood flowing freely, exposing bones and flesh.

Despite its struggle to get up and fly, it couldn't. Its gaze, filled with hatred, fixed on Lin Tianming.

Lin Tianming, instead of striking a killing blow, pondered something.

Killing the eagle was easy, but taming it could provide significant advantages in combat and travel. The purple-gold eagle's speed and potential for combat made it an excellent candidate for taming.

Lin Tianming stood by, using his spiritual sense to invade the eagle's mind, attempting to leave a mark on its soul.

The purple-gold eagle resisted fiercely but to no avail. It struggled in vain, its fate now controlled by Lin Tianming.

After half an hour, Lin Tianming successfully left his spiritual mark on the eagle's soul, fully controlling its life. Any resistance, and he could destroy its soul with a thought.

The young purple-gold eagle, its intellect not fully developed, reluctantly submitted, its fate sealed by Lin Tianming's power.

Acknowledging its submission, Lin Tianming took out two Spirit Origin Pills and a Recuperation Pill from his storage bag and threw them to the eagle. The eagle swallowed the pills and lay in the pit, recovering from its injuries.

While the pills meant for human cultivators weren't as effective for demonic beasts, they still provided significant benefits. Without suitable pills for beasts, these would have to suffice.

Lin Tianming ordered the nearby mortals to leave while he stayed to guard the purple-gold eagle, waiting for it to recover.