The Hidden Dragon Continent is home to a multitude of wild beasts, and many people have tamed birds and beasts. However, generally speaking, these birds and beasts are loyal only to their masters; others simply cannot ride them, and they are also difficult to domesticate on a large scale. Usually, one would do as Qin Yu, sending messages to beckon people.
Once a great battle commences, those who possess flying creatures mostly become scouts for enemy intelligence or members of high-altitude strike teams. The battles of the Hidden Dragon Continent involve a wide variety of tactics using different birds and beasts, making the fights more thrilling and unpredictable. Moreover, within the armies, soldiers typically practice Inner Strength, such as those under the command of Prince Zhen Dong, where even a new recruit with a year of service qualifies to cultivate the lowest level of the Military Five Extremes. The power of a single soldier is enough to kill seven or eight ordinary people. The higher one's military merit and status, the higher the level of the Military Five Extremes one can cultivate.
Once a war breaks out on the Hidden Dragon Continent, the hastily conscripted troops cannot compare to the regular army, at least in terms of quality; they are worlds apart. A regular army of two hundred thousand soldiers can annihilate an urgency-conscripted army of a million ordinary people.
Sitting on the back of Black Hawk, Qin Yu looked down from above, and in just a moment, he had already left Yan Capital City.
"In terms of speed, it seems I haven't heard of any flying creature that can compare with Black Hawk," Qin Yu said with a smile as he stroked the neck of Black Hawk.
The speed of Black Hawk was incredibly fast; at least as far as Qin Yu knew, there were no other birds that could match Black Hawk in speed. Eagles are naturally swift, and Qin Yu's Black Hawk was a particularly special kind, twice as fast as an ordinary eagle.
Black Hawk dived down, heading straight for a thatched hut. This hut was where Feng Yuzi usually resided, surrounded by a bend of lake water with tranquility all around, no signs of human life, an undisturbed place for him.
At this moment, in the lake not far from the hut, an immortal crane was flying overhead—Feng Yuzi's mount—while Feng Yuzi himself stood outside the hut, looking up at Qin Yu descending from the sky, his face full of smiles.
"Uncle Feng," Qin Yu leapt off Black Hawk and called out excitedly.
"Little Yu, what brings you to me?" Feng Yuzi said with a smile. Feng Yuzi was much older than Lian Yan by an indeterminate number of years, yet he treated Qin De as a brother, not concerning himself with age.
Just as Qin Yu was about to speak, he suddenly noticed that Feng Yuzi's gaze was entirely focused on Black Hawk.
"Uncle Feng, what's wrong, do you know what kind of bird Little Black is?" Qin Yu asked with confusion as Feng Yuzi stared at Black Hawk, which, in turn, did not even glance at Feng Yuzi. After a long while, Feng Yuzi shook his head and said, "Strange, looking at its crown, this seems to be a 'Golden Flame Eagle,' the king of eagles. But Golden Flame Eagles not only have a golden flame-like crest, their entire plumage is golden yellow, and they are also enveloped in flames. However, this Black Hawk is pitch black all over, and its talons are cold black too."
Feng Yuzi was at a loss for a moment.
"Moreover, the power of Golden Flame Eagles is extraordinarily strong. Even just a few years after birth, their Protective Body Golden Flames alone can deal with Golden Core Stage Cultivators. Yet this Black Hawk, it's clear, at best compares only to an Innate Level mortal, much weaker than a Golden Flame Eagle," Feng Yuzi said, furrowing his brow.
Hearing Feng Yuzi's words, Qin Yu also understood that Feng Yuzi could not determine exactly which category of bird Black Hawk belonged to.
"Uncle Feng, what is this 'Golden Core Stage Cultivator' you're talking about? It sounds like they are more powerful than Innate Experts. Isn't an Upper Immortal the only thing more powerful than an Innate Expert?" Qin Yu asked, puzzled.
"Uh..." Feng Yuzi's attention finally shifted from Black Hawk back to Qin Yu, and seeing Qin Yu's confused look, he shook his head with a laugh and said, "Golden Core Stage Cultivator, I, your Uncle Feng, am precisely a Golden Core Stage Cultivator."
"Uncle Feng?" Qin Yu's brow furrowed immediately.
In Qin Yu's heart, Innate Experts were already incredibly powerful. If Upper Immortals were the invincible existence above Innate Experts, then what did it mean to be just a mere Golden Core Stage Cultivator, as Feng Yuzi claimed? What is a Cultivator? And what is the Golden Core Stage?
Feng Yuzi laughed and said, "Alright, we can talk about this matter later. By the way, why did you come to see me? Surely it wasn't just to check up on your Uncle Feng."
Qin Yu then recalled his own matter, setting the topic of 'Golden Core Stage Cultivator' aside, and hurriedly said, "Uncle Feng, I found a piece of Red Crystal, that crystal is so hard that even Mr. Hei, using all his strength, couldn't leave the slightest mark on it. Mr. Hei said..."
"What!" Feng Yuzi exclaimed in shock.
Qin Yu was startled by Feng Yuzi's reaction; in his mind, Uncle Feng was always calm and smiling, seemingly unflustered, as if nothing could surprise him. Yet now, the seemingly unflappable Upper Immortal was staring wide-eyed at Qin Yu.
"That youngster from the Prince Mansion named Mr. Hei can't leave even the slightest trace?" Feng Yuzi hurriedly sought confirmation again.
Qin Yu could only nod, unsure of what Feng Yuzi was implying.
Feng Yuzi's eyes suddenly sparkled with light, "That Little Black has already cultivated the 'Heaven Burning Technique' to an extremely high realm, and combined with their sect's specially made 'Blue Flame Water,' even generally decent ores can be easily melted. Yet now, on the red crystal, there isn't even the slightest trace. What kind of precious mineral is that red crystal?"
"Where is that red crystal?" Feng Yuzi stared at Qin Yu and asked.
"It's currently in the Prince Mansion," Qin Yu immediately responded.
"Good, let's go now," said Feng Yuzi. He didn't even call for the crane, but a flying sword suddenly appeared under his feet. The sword enlarged, taking hold of Qin Yu and allowing him to stand on it as well. Ignoring the Black Hawk, he flew straight towards Yan Capital City.
"Uncle Feng, they wanted me to..." Qin Yu hurriedly said, as he was the one who had asked Feng Yuzi to refine the red crystal, but he hadn't yet mentioned this.
Feng Yuzi smiled and said, "No need to speak further, I know why you have come. Such a precious mineral is not something you all can refine. Only the Samadhi True Fire of a cultivator can refine it." With these words from Feng Yuzi, Qin Yu understood, but he couldn't help wondering what Samadhi True Fire was.
In just a moment, Qin Yu's attention was completely captured by the flying sword. As for the Black Hawk, Qin Yu wasn't worried; he knew Black Hawk could easily find him. No matter where Qin Yu went, Black Hawk could always locate him. Perhaps this was a special intuition developed between man and hawk over the past eleven years.
"This is a Flying Sword." Qin Yu gazed at the enormous flying sword, marveling in his heart.
The flying sword was engraved with talismanic markings and emitted a fierce aura. Qin Yu was certain that if Feng Yuzi wished to kill someone, the fierce Sword Qi from the sword alone would be enough to slay an Innate Expert.
Flying swords could change their size at will, truly miraculous and incredibly fast, much faster than the Black Hawk.
In just a flash, the two arrived inside the Prince Mansion. Feng Yuzi did not wait for Qin Yu to explain further before directly landing in the courtyard. On seeing Feng Yuzi, Qin Feng, Qin Zheng, Lian Yan, and Mr. Hei hurriedly greeted with a bow, "We pay our respects to the Upper Immortal."
However, Feng Yuzi's gaze was entirely focused on the red crystal in front of him, with a fervent glint in his eyes.
"Stone Burning Iron. My god." Feng Yuzi seemed to recall how, when he was cultivating on the Overseas Immortal Island, an Elder from his sect was excited to have found a piece of Stone Burning Iron in the deep sea. The flying sword crafted from it was bestowed upon a senior Nascent Soul predecessor who had rendered great service.
Yet the Stone Burning Iron he had found was not even a tenth the size of the one before his eyes.
"Whose is this?" Feng Yuzi glanced at everyone and immediately asked.
"This was acquired by Little Yu accidentally in Donglan Mountain," Lian Yan immediately replied, and Feng Yuzi turned to look at Qin Yu with disbelief in his heart. He had searched the Boundless Wilderness for several years and had only found ordinary minerals,
He never imagined that outside the Primordial Wilderness, on the Hidden Dragon Continent, there would be such minerals.
"Fine, I will refine this crystal stone. Little Yu, you are the owner of this crystal stone and have the right to control it; come with me," Feng Yuzi said with a flick of his hand, and a powerful energy wrapped around the red crystal, causing the two-thousand-pound crystal to float up.
"Yes!" Even though he was puzzled, Qin Yu still followed.
Feng Yuzi had several secret chambers within the Prince Mansion, which even Prince Zhen Dong, Qin De, could not enter without Feng Yuzi's permission. Feng Yuzi now led Qin Yu into a secret chamber specifically used for refining Spiritual Artifacts.