The man in black was clearly taken aback by Old Liu’s imposing presence, and he immediately raised every feather on his right arm to point directly at Hong Ling, an unmistakable signal that his patience had worn thin.

Ye Xiu raised both hands in an attempt to soothe the tension, calmly analyzing the situation: “Having exited the Mirror Palace, we’ve already witnessed the strength of the Sun-Blind Clan. You possess the abilities of a divine eagle, along with illusionary magic—we acknowledge that much. You’re using Hong Ling as leverage for the scroll, but have you considered this: even if we trade, you won't be able to exit this Nine Poisonous Fiend Formation anytime soon. At that point, it will be three against one—surely you won't come out unscathed?”

The man in black hesitated slightly upon hearing Ye Xiu’s words, taking a step back. “What do you want? In any case, I must obtain that Eternal Scroll.”

“We each have our own objectives for coming here. How about we strike an agreement?” Ye Xiu spread his hands, attempting to defuse the atmosphere. Truthfully, this was Mo Shu’s territory, and any manner of bizarre or vicious incident could erupt at any moment. It would benefit no one if they, as outsiders, ended up fighting amongst themselves here.

“What agreement?” The man in black completely retracted his feathers. He was wrapped in the cloth strips, so his expression could only be discerned by the muscles in his face, which now betrayed a hint of nervousness.

Old Liu disliked Ye Xiu’s tactic of stalling for time, but he understood Ye Xiu’s character well enough. He remained silent, simply standing relaxed behind Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu gestured toward Old Liu. “Just as he said, we won’t bully you with numbers. You choose one of us to spar with. Stop the moment a clear winner emerges. If you win, you get the Eternal Scroll. If you lose, you release Hong Ling.”

“What the hell? If this guy hadn’t sneak-attacked me from behind, he wouldn't be a match for me at all! If you want a fight, let me take him on!” Hong Ling, unable to restrain herself any longer, burst out cursing. “If you have any guts, fight me fair and square! I don’t believe you Sun-Blind Clan are truly the natural nemesis of the Bone Pickers!”

The man in black slowly released his grip on Hong Ling. He stepped back several paces and unfurled the massive wings hidden behind him. The black wings moved rapidly, whipping up a sudden gale in the bamboo grove. “I agree to this agreement, but it’s with you. Let me deal with this Bone Picker first.”

“You!” Ye Xiu was about to say something, but Hong Ling had already placed Xiao Sha onto the ground beside her. Her gaze was sharp, looking as if she intended to kill the man in black.

Old Liu yawned and sat down where he was, tending to his wounds. These clan feuds involving fighting and killing were not what concerned him.

“Xiao Sha!” Hong Ling shouted, summoning Xiao Sha. She leaped lightly toward the sky, and just as Xiao Sha transformed into its massive form, Hong Ling landed perfectly on its head. She threw her hands up to her mouth and roared, unleashing a torrent of blazing flames that directly struck the man in black below.

The man in black remained perfectly composed, not moving an inch. As Hong Ling’s fire neared him, he closed his two wings like doors in front of himself. The feathers on those wings instantly hardened into a metallic substance, completely repelling the flames.

Seeing her attack was futile, Hong Ling jumped back to the ground. She spun around and pointed, commanding Xiao Sha to unleash another massive gout of flame. This fire, mixed with the existing heat, had already scorched the man in black’s wings a deep crimson. Hong Ling was not finished yet; she roared at Xiao Sha, ordering it to lift its massive tail and sweep it across the man in black with tremendous force, sending him soaring through the air.

The man in black flew out with the fire clinging to him. Mid-air, he burst his wings open, spreading the remaining flames around him, suspending himself high above like a phoenix forged of fire. He grinned widely. “Hahahaha! They say the Sun-Blind Clan are the natural enemies of the Bone Pickers, but I’ve met many serpent-controlling Bone Pickers, and not one could harm me. You are no different.”

“Damn it, stop bragging!” Hong Ling was slightly enraged. She commanded Xiao Sha to spring forward several dozen feet. As Xiao Sha approached the man in black, Hong Ling chanted something under her breath, and Xiao Sha instantly vanished from sight.

“Oh?” The man in black hovered in mid-air, fanning his wings. He looked left and right but could not spot Xiao Sha, yet he remained supremely confident. “What, you think hiding the serpent makes a difference to me?”

“Xiao Sha hasn’t disappeared; it’s already on you!” As Hong Ling finished speaking, a fierce blaze erupted from her mouth, even more intense than before.

“I told you, it’s useless!” the man in black shouted, still attempting to use his wings to block the flames. However, as he confidently drew his wings inward, he found Xiao Sha tightly coiled around his back, its coils lazily locking his two wings together. The man in black cried out in alarm, “This is bad!” Just then, Hong Ling’s fire struck. He quickly used his magic, causing all the feathers on his wings to stand straight up. After several swift whoosh sounds, Xiao Sha was pierced, bleeding profusely as it tumbled from the sky.

“Xiao Sha…” Hong Ling tried to rush to retrieve Xiao Sha, but suddenly, arrows rained down from the sky, forming a sharp wall exactly between her and Xiao Sha. She clenched her fists, watching the man in black float above, utterly powerless against him.

“I think we should switch opponents. You honestly don’t interest me, girl Bone Picker,” the man in black said. He had no intention of harming Hong Ling; rather, he admired her fighting spirit. “For a young girl to think of shrinking her serpent’s size to get close and lock my wings—you gave it your all. But the claim of being a natural enemy cannot be overturned. I have only ever been wounded by one Bone Picker—a bone-manipulating one.”

Hong Ling swept her arms out, pulling the fallen Xiao Sha back onto her arm. She was deeply dissatisfied but had no choice; she had used both her signature skills, yet failed to injure the man in black in the slightest.

The man in black flew above Ye Xiu, his arms crossed, gazing down with eyes full of fighting spirit. He pointed at Ye Xiu. “I can sense the magical power of the fellow behind you, but no matter how I look at it, you seem like an ordinary person. How dare you come here?”

“How do you know I’m an ordinary person?” Ye Xiu rather liked this assessment, as compared to Old Liu, he felt he possessed only brute strength. He smiled. “Shall we begin our agreement then?”

“By all means,” the man in black seemed to favor honoring agreements. He formed one hand into a fist, while his wings rotated 180 degrees, aiming countless sharp blades at Ye Xiu.

“Be careful, this guy’s entire body is a weapon. His feathers aren't just on his wings,” Old Liu quietly leaned toward Ye Xiu, advising him. “Do well, young man. I’d like to see your true strength too.”

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