Chapter 123: Chapter 122: Cyan Feathered Eagle, Blood-Red Little Bug

「Three days later, at 5:00 AM.」

Following the directions, Lu Zhao passed through layers of palace halls and corridors to a place deep within the Logistics Bureau of the Bixia Sect’s General Affairs Hall, an area designated for the takeoff and landing of Flying Demon Beasts.

The place was named Cyan Feather Crossing, a massive platform carved out from the side of a mountain.

The platform was paved with Profound Iron, its surface engraved with complex reinforcement and wind-warding Runes. Several towering Bronze Pillars stood at its edges, their tops inlaid with massive Lighting Beads that emitted a cold, steady light even through the morning mist.

The air was filled with a faint scent—a mixture of feathers, the aura of Demon Beasts, and the crisp mountain morning dew.

More than ten people already stood waiting on the platform. All were uniformly dressed in black Steward Magic Robes, their auras heavy and condensed. Remarkably, their Cultivation was all at the Late-stage Qi Cultivation realm!

Some had their eyes closed in meditation, some spoke in low voices, and others, like Lu Zhao, calmly surveyed the surroundings and the unfamiliar faces of their fellow travelers.

An intangible, solemn gravity filled the air. It was clear that they, like him, were all Outer Sect Stewards about to depart for Linze County on a mandatory mission.

Lu Zhao silently walked to the edge of the crowd and found an empty spot to stand.

His gaze swept over the group, and his heart tightened slightly. These people were of various ages, but most of them possessed a calm and sharp look that spoke of long, hard-won experience.

Among them, his Cultivation at the Qi Cultivation Eighth Layer seemed almost ordinary.

Today, he would ride the Sect’s Flying Demon Beast, crossing several counties to reach Linze County directly.

Traveling alone would not only be a long journey but would also require crossing the wilderness of several counties. The risks would be immeasurable, and the trip would take up to half a year.

But by riding the Flying Demon Beast raised by the Sect, not only was it perfectly safe, but its speed was also astonishing. He could reach Linze County within seven days.

Such convenient transportation was also a basic benefit for Bixia Sect’s Outer Sect Stewards when carrying out missions in the Outer Counties.

These enormous Flying Demon Beasts were like the Sect’s blood vessels, regularly traveling back and forth between the Bixia Sect’s strongholds in the various counties of the Chen Country. They transported personnel and materials, maintaining the operations of this colossal entity.

Just as Lu Zhao was observing in silence...

SCREEECH!

A cry sharp enough to pierce metal and shatter stone suddenly tore through the mountain’s tranquility, thundering from the far reaches of the sky without any warning!

The sound was sharp and majestic, carrying a soul-piercing authority that made the very platform tremble!

Before the cry faded, a massive shadow, like a curtain blotting out the sky, instantly devoured the morning light as it plunged down from the depths of the churning sea of clouds!

At the shadow’s edge, the clouds were violently torn and churned, forming visible white vortices!

Lu Zhao’s pupils contracted sharply. Even with his tenacious will and having anticipated this, witnessing it firsthand still sent a violent tremor through his Heart Spirit!

’What an enormous Demon Beast!’

It resembled a Peng, with a wingspan of nearly twenty zhang!

Its entire body was covered in cyan-black Feathers, which glinted with a cold, metallic luster under the rising sun.

Its massive head looked as if it were cast from Refined Iron. Its sharp, falcon-like eyes were a cold gold, looking down upon the world with an all-conquering majesty.

Its powerful talons were curled beneath its belly, the tips glinting with a cold light, as if they could tear through mountain rock with ease.

A majestic wave of Demon Qi, tangible as an ocean tide, surged forth as the beast approached. It pressed down on all the Qi Cultivators on the platform, stifling their breath and causing the circulation of Magical Power in their bodies to become sluggish.

’A Tier Two Demon Beast! The Cyan Feathered Eagle!’

So this was the behemoth the Bixia Sect used to cross its territories!

’Its might is far beyond what the Zhou Family’s Demon Beasts could ever compare to!’

Lu Zhao’s steps subconsciously faltered for half a beat. Although he tried his best to maintain a calm expression, the fleeting panic and gravity deep in his eyes could not be hidden from an observant person.

After all, it was his first time facing such a fearsomely powerful Tier Two Demon Beast at such close range.

"Silence! Form a line!" A cold voice came from the eagle’s back, cutting through the howling gale stirred up by the Demon Beast’s flapping wings.

On the great eagle’s back, near its neck, stood a Cultivator dressed in the robes of an Outer Disciple. Remarkably, his Cultivation had reached the Qi Cultivation Peak.

His face was cold and stern, his gaze sweeping over the crowd below like lightning. He held a Jade Array Plate, clearly responsible for controlling the eagle and maintaining order.

"Verify your identities and board in an orderly fashion!" The Inner Sect Disciple’s voice was not loud, but it reached everyone’s ears clearly.

The people on the platform immediately followed his command, forming a long, orderly queue.

Lu Zhao stood at the end of the line.

At that moment, a middle-aged Steward next to him—around forty years old, with a sharp face and an aura that had reached the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer—glanced at him sideways. A smirk played on his lips. "Junior Brother, is this your first time riding this ’Cyan Feathered Eagle’?"

Lu Zhao heard him and nodded candidly. "I’m making a fool of myself, Senior Brother. It is indeed my first time."

The middle-aged Steward waved his hand dismissively, his tone casual, like that of a veteran. "Don’t worry about it. Anyone would be shocked the first time they see this big fellow. You get used to it after a few rides."

He paused, looking up at the incomparably huge Cyan Feathered Eagle. A complex emotion flickered in his eyes—part sentimentality, part longing. "This is nothing. The truly impressive thing is the ’Flying Ship’ that the Junior Foundation Establishment Masters ride when they carry out important Sect missions."

"Now *that* has the true air of an immortal’s vessel. It contains its own world inside, stable and comfortable—far beyond comparison to this life of eating wind and drinking dew on an eagle’s back."

Lu Zhao understood. ’Foundation Establishment Cultivators are the backbone of the Sect. Their treatment is naturally far beyond what Outer Sect Stewards like us could ever hope for.’

Flying Ship Spiritual Artifacts were not only faster and had stronger defenses, but they also contained their own inner space, like mobile cave abodes.

’But as for us, we can only use our own Magical Power to endure the Gang Wind on this eagle’s back.’

Soon, the people ahead had their Identity Tokens inspected and were guided onto the great bird’s back by a gentle, pulling force from the disciple. When it was Lu Zhao and the middle-aged Steward’s turn, they both handed over their Tokens.

The disciple confirmed they were correct. However, when he saw the number "Xin 210" on Lu Zhao’s Token, his gaze lingered on Lu Zhao’s youthful face for an extra moment before he gestured for them to go up.

A gentle yet powerful force lifted Lu Zhao, delivering him steadily onto the Cyan Feathered Eagle’s broad back.

As soon as he landed on the eagle’s back, Lu Zhao felt that he was not standing on soft feathers, but on a tough, thick layer of keratin. It was also engraved with fine Defense and stabilization Runes.

More than ten people were already sitting cross-legged in designated areas, spaced half a zhang apart from each other, all with solemn expressions.

Seeing that everyone had boarded, the disciple stood on the eagle’s neck and his voice rang out again. "Everyone, sit securely at your marked Rune positions and activate your Protective Spiritual Light! Destination—Linze County! There will be no talking and no unauthorized movement during the journey!"

As his voice fell, the Cyan Feathered Eagle let out an even shriller cry and gave a mighty flap of its enormous wings!

BOOM!

The wind instantly became incomparably violent, as if countless Giant Hammers were smashing down! Lu Zhao was prepared. He activated his Little Spirit Rain Technique at full power, and a pale blue, Water Attribute Protective Spiritual Light instantly expanded, shielding him from the knife-like Gang Wind.

Even so, he still felt his body sway as an immense G-force pressed him back. The ground below rapidly receded and shrank at a visible rate!

The magnificent palace complexes of the Bixia Sect, its continuous Spirit Peaks, and the swirling clouds and mists—all of it unfolded before him like an exquisitely carved sand table model, only to recede just as quickly.

Lu Zhao’s vision had never been so vast. The magnificent landscape of mountains and rivers lay before him, all taken in with a single glance.

An indescribable feeling of heroic spirit and control welled up within him, as if he had broken free from the earth’s shackles and gained the power to look down upon all creation.

In that moment, Lu Zhao couldn’t help but feel a fleeting delusion—as if he had already reached Foundation Establishment and possessed the ability to fly through the air at will!

But he immediately snapped back to his senses, viciously extinguishing this unrealistic thought.

He looked down at the Protective Spiritual Light flowing steadily around him, continuously consuming his Magical Power. He felt the immense power and slight turbulence from each flap of the giant eagle’s wings beneath him. Lu Zhao gave a wry smile in his heart. ’Foundation Establishment? I’m still a long way off. This seven-day ordeal has only just begun.’

He gathered his Heart Spirit, sat down cross-legged, and reduced his Protective Spiritual Light to the minimum level to conserve Magical Power. His gaze turned to the distant horizon.

The Cyan Feathered Eagle transformed into a massive streak of cyan-black light, tearing through the clouds and streaking toward Linze County at a speed far beyond the imagination of any Qi Cultivator.

Seven days passed quietly amidst the whistling Gang Wind and the continuous drain on his Magical Power.

Lu Zhao sat on the eagle’s back as still as a Panshi boulder. Apart from the necessary meditation for Recovering Magic Power, he spent most of his time silently circulating his Cultivation Technique, adapting to the high-altitude environment, and mentally rehearsing the details of his mission.

Lu Zhao’s Protective Spiritual Light was like a constantly leaking waterskin. Although the drain wasn’t huge, maintaining it for seven days without a break meant that the Magical Power in his Dantian Qi Sea was in a state of slow, constant decline, forcing him to periodically take a Qi Recovery Pill to replenish it.

When the landscape below began to change significantly again, they had arrived in Linze County.

Looking down, just as Wang Ping had said, the county’s network of waterways was astonishingly extensive.

Countless rivers crisscrossed the land like the earth’s veins, winding and flowing, their surfaces shimmering in the sunlight.

Between the rivers were vast expanses of pools and marshes. Water vapor rose from them, forming a light mist that shrouded the landscape. In some low-lying areas, one could faintly see colorful miasmas breeding, clearly hiding unknown dangers.

As the Cyan Feathered Eagle began to descend, circling to find a landing spot, Lu Zhao’s sharp gaze swept across the land below, searching for the mission area marked on the Jade Scroll.

Soon, he locked onto the target.

Below, a wide, murky river flowed endlessly. Its banks should have been covered in lush forest. But now, that vast expanse of "forest" was an extremely bizarre, scalp-numbing crimson!

As they descended further, the truth of the "crimson forest" finally became horribly clear to Lu Zhao—those weren’t trees at all!

It was a dense, layered mass of tiny, crimson insects covering the entire forest!

They were like a thick, writhing, blood-red carpet draped over the forest, completely devouring the original green.

As the swarm writhed, it was as if the entire forest was breathing and twisting.

Lu Zhao’s heart slowly sank.

The cold description on the mission’s Jade Scroll had now materialized into this shockingly horrific scene before his eyes.

’The Linze County mission really is a thorny one!’

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.