Yan Xiaobao dealt with the old hawk, exhausting all the energy he had stored. He needed at least a few hours to recover his strength. Yan Xiaobao collapsed to the ground and walked directly towards Li Meilin, who was waiting for him amidst the tall grass. Upon entering, he sat cross-legged before starting his training, casting only a brief glance at Li Meilin.
Li Meilin knew that Yan Xiaobao could tell she was much stronger than him, which is why he allowed himself to focus on cultivation.
Sitting down, his entire focus shifted to refining the essence of heaven and earth; however, the woman beside him was staring at the battle unfolding in the sky above.
Li Meilin had always known that the Saints of the Spanish Empire were at the peak of cultivation, and one of their geniuses was Captain Song; yet, watching the battle in the sky, Wan Qiao was currently fighting the captain, but it wasn’t much of a fight. If anything, Wan Qiao was toying with the other Saint in front of her, demonstrating true power.
Looking up towards the heavens, Li Meilin was shocked to discover that the only Saint in the delegation, Captain Song, was being toyed with, unable to even retaliate as the attacks rained down upon him.
He managed to dodge some attacks, while others left marks on his body. As he stumbled midway through the fight, he had already lost an immense amount of blood. Those witnessing the battle saw blood raining from the sky—it poured down like a torrential autumn storm.
Wan Qiao seemed to relish tormenting this man; her conduct brought immense distress to the remaining members of the delegation who had survived.
Watching Wan Qiao, her face remained calm, but as her gaze focused on a bald man who had just moved a short distance away, the man cursed his misfortune.
This was a Single-Horned Jasmine Hawk. They were far from being as weak as ordinary Horned Eagles; they were more ferocious and exceedingly dangerous. Her feathers were as tough as black iron, coating her entire body in an armor-like shell. Not only did she possess terrifying defense, but she also excelled in close-range combat. Her claws were incredibly sharp.
Realizing this, the bald Captain Song cursed his bad luck and his earlier actions. He finally understood that he had been too arrogant. Because they were merely magical beasts, he had looked down on the inhabitants of the Divine Domain. Yet the magical beast in front of him was anything but ordinary. He knew that if he approached her, he would surely meet a swift and certain death, prompting him to back away.
Unfortunately, Captain Song failed to realize that Wan Qiao’s abilities in ranged combat were also above average, and with a simple flap of her wings, the faraway Captain Song was swept into a tornado-like gust of wind. The storm hurled him toward a massive tree, which instantly splintered into several sharp pieces. Many of these fragments pierced Captain Song as he lay in front of the shattered tree, while others embedded themselves into his back. The blood that had previously flowed from his chest now flooded out from his back, leaving no part of his robes unsoaked with blood.
"You’re nothing but a damn bird!" Captain Song finally shouted, his voice filled with hatred, "Birds like you are born only to follow the orders of humans! Surrender now, and I’ll make you my personal pet—if only to show I’m not heartless."
Though everyone could see the dire state he was in, no one dared to say a word. All eyes were focused on the battle in the sky, waiting to see what would unfold. Aside from Yan Xiaobao, everyone else kept their eyes closed, completely immersed in their cultivation. Normally, this young man would do anything to witness two experts battling each other. However, he was now deeply absorbed in a state of trance. In this trance-like state, his thoughts blended seamlessly with the surrounding world. He merged with the essence of heaven and earth, becoming one with the Ancestor’s World Power. This was a rare occurrence for him; a small whirlwind began to form. Not only did it absorb essence, but it also drew in the Ancestor’s World Power—something that should have been impossible.
Quietly seated, Yan Xiaobao had no awareness of what was happening outside. He didn’t even notice the woman he had promised to protect, Li Meilin.
All he could feel was an incredibly tender warmth enveloping him. It made him feel as if he were lying in a bathtub. He could hear no sound and smell no scent; he simply felt the comforting warmth enter his body. Soon, he began to feel full. His entire body became saturated with energy, and to his surprise, he suddenly saw golden specks of light.
At first, there were only one or two. They were tiny specks of golden light, so small that Li Meilin didn’t notice them. However, she did notice a large whirlwind forming, which began to absorb all the energy in the air, seemingly funneling it directly into Yan Xiaobao.
As time went on, Li Meilin found herself unsure whether to watch the battle in the sky—a one-sided massacre—or to observe the strange phenomenon unfolding beside her. In the heavens, Captain Song refused to yield, yet no matter what attacks he used, he continued to fight, incapable of even scratching the smallest Wanqiao Feather.
On the ground, everyone had ceased their own battles, staring intently at the combat above. Only Li Meilin remained torn between choosing which of the two scenes intrigued her more.
The initial few golden specks around his body multiplied into numerous golden dots. These specks were all absorbed into the forehead of the young man, disappearing one by one like tiny orbs.