The Tian Gang Mountain Range stretched for tens of thousands of miles, and Medicine City nestled itself in the south-central portion of this massive range. Now, on a solitary peak within this stretch of the Tian Gang Mountains, Ye Jingyu found himself cornered...

Standing before him was an eagle, pure white from head to tail, towering four to five zhang high when upright, with a wingspan stretching seven to eight zhang wide when fully extended. Upon its head grew a single, translucent horn, around which faint emerald-green vortexes of energy constantly swirled.

This was a Seventh-Rank Sacred Beast, the Sky Eagle. Barring mythical divine beasts like the Phoenix or Vermillion Bird, the Sky Eagle was virtually the king among avian creatures—possessing incredible flight speed, supreme agility, and a pair of talons capable of effortlessly tearing through metal and stone.

However, most adult Sky Eagles were merely Sixth-Rank Desolate Beasts. For this particular Sky Eagle to have reached the Sacred rank, beyond its inherent status as an aberrant breed, the primary factor was the incalculable amount of spiritual elixirs and miraculous medicines the Gongsun Family had lavished upon it.

The Gongsun Family was an ancient, venerable lineage spanning a thousand years. It was entirely plausible for them to have spent centuries perfecting the spiritual elixirs capable of forcing a Desolate Beast to evolve.

Yet, cultivating a Sacred Beast demanded an astronomical price. Otherwise, the Gongsun Family would not have managed to cultivate only just over thirty Sacred Beasts across their millennium-long history.

Unlike humans, a Martial Saint, unable to breach the Martial God realm, might live perhaps a little over two hundred years. But Sacred Beasts were different; the vast majority boasted lifespans exceeding a thousand years.

This Sky Eagle was one that the Gongsun Family Patriarch, Gongsun Sheng, had watched his own grandfather nurture from a very young age. In terms of sheer power, it far surpassed the Violent Ape King that Liang Xiaoke had slain previously—by an immeasurable degree.

It was precisely this Sky Eagle that had cut off Ye Jingyu’s escape route.

Gazing at the colossal bird, Ye Jingyu’s eyes were icy cold. He knew that unless this Sky Eagle was eliminated, escaping the pursuit of Xuanyuan Jing and the others today would be utterly impossible...

But he also understood that slaying this Sky Eagle would not be easy. Although his Soul Force had reached the Soul Immortal realm, he possessed very few advanced Soul Techniques for that level. After all, his techniques originated from Chi Yi, who had only been a Soul Master in the Spirit Manifestation realm back then.

This Sky Eagle, however, seemed not to have received orders to kill Ye Jingyu outright. Its sole directive was to intercept him and prevent his escape, awaiting the arrival of its companions.

At this moment, increasingly powerful auras were closing in from the distance. Ye Jingyu realized that if things continued this way, once he was surrounded by the Sacred Beasts led by Xuanyuan Jing and Xu, even his own strength would offer no chance of survival—unless Dugu Bacheng could reappear once more.

While having a protective master felt undeniably good, Ye Jingyu had no desire to rely on his master for his entire life. He aspired to be a true powerhouse, one who protected others, rather than a spoiled scion perpetually needing guardianship.

What was more, Dugu Bacheng's current whereabouts were unknown. Who knew if he would even arrive? To survive, he had to rely on himself...

He clenched the Heaven Sovereign Saber in his hand tightly. As if sensing Ye Jingyu’s mood, the blade hummed, the entire body vibrating incessantly.

With a sharp "Whoosh...", Ye Jingyu shot forward, instantly appearing before the Sky Eagle. He leaped into the air, raising the saber high with both hands, and brought it down upon the creature.

A dazzling blade light erupted from the saber, carrying immense power as it slashed toward the Sky Eagle, seemingly cleaving it in two. Yet, not a drop of blood splashed out. Ye Jingyu understood; it was merely an afterimage.

At that moment, a chilling sensation swept in from behind him. Without a second thought, Ye Jingyu raised his hand and struck again...

With a crisp "Clang!", the Heaven Sovereign Saber struck the Sky Eagle's pure white talons, which felt as hard as jade. Sparks flew, but the strike failed to leave the slightest mark on the claw. Instead, Ye Jingyu was violently shoved backward by the sheer brute force of the Sacred Beast.

Ye Jingyu was inwardly astonished. He truly had not expected the Sky Eagle’s talons to be so incredibly tough, capable of blocking a strike from the Heaven Sovereign Saber. It seemed the physical bodies of these Sacred Beasts were indeed far superior to those of Martial Saints.

Considering that even a Martial Saint’s physical resilience could never match Ye Jingyu’s, to think their claws could withstand the Heaven Sovereign Saber was incredible.

In the brief moment Ye Jingyu paused in surprise, the Sky Eagle also seemed to recognize the terrifying might of the Heaven Sovereign Saber. It flapped its massive wings, its colossal body ascending into the sky. A hurricane materialized out of thin air and swept toward Ye Jingyu.

Caught off guard, Ye Jingyu was immediately enveloped by the gale. Inside the vortex, countless wind blades whistled, shredding his already tattered clothes to tatters and even scoring bloody marks across his hardened physique.

Ye Jingyu winced from the pain, but for the moment, he was helpless. The hurricane was an intangible force; how could his sharpest blade energy possibly cut through it? He could only rely on his powerful body and wait for the storm to dissipate.

Seeing Ye Jingyu trapped by its hurricane, the Sky Eagle in the sky flashed with streaks of green light in its eyes. Its massive body then plummeted downward from the heavens, its razor-sharp talons aiming directly for Ye Jingyu's crown.

As the enormous silhouette roared down upon him, a strange smile touched the corner of Ye Jingyu’s lips. Although these Sacred Beasts were Seventh-Rank Desolate Beasts, they were, after all, cultivated through medicinal alchemy. While immensely powerful with formidable bodies—difficult for ordinary Grandmasters to contend with—they had evolved without true self-effort, without comprehending true combat techniques, and without inherited skills like Xiao Tao Tao possessed. They operated purely on instinct, making them no match for a true Martial Saint.

No wonder the Violent Ape King had been slain so easily by Liang Xiaoke back then. It seemed these Sacred Beasts were merely impressive in outward appearance.

The True Essence energy within his body circulated ceaselessly, condensing entirely into the Heaven Sovereign Saber in his hand. Just as the Sky Eagle's talons were about to scrape his crown, his body shot upward like an ascending flood dragon, and the Heaven Sovereign Saber was brought up in a reverse sweep toward the sky...

In an instant, he burst free from the confines of the hurricane...

"Thunder Shatters Heaven's Might!"

This was one move from the first stance of the Shocking Thunder Saber Art. Catching the enemy completely off guard, a fierce bolt of lightning manifested from the void, merging with the indigo-blue blade light, accompanied by crackling sounds as it slashed toward the descending Sky Eagle...

The giant Sky Eagle never anticipated that Ye Jingyu, injured by its wind blades, could break through the hurricane’s encirclement so effortlessly. A look of bewilderment crossed its eyes, seemingly questioning how this human, clearly wounded, could still possess such overwhelming power.