The giant eagle devoured tens of thousands of Zerg creatures and then spread its wings to fly. However, instead of heading north, it changed direction and flew west toward Ji Xia's location!
As the eagle flapped its wings, its massive body shrank continuously. Within a few breaths, it transformed back into a middle-aged man with an expressionless face, surrounded by swirling gray clouds.
When Ji Xia saw the gray-clad man approaching on a cloud, his heart shuddered in fear. Hastily, he struck the ground, creating a large pit to bury himself. Then, using his spiritual energy, he pulled over a massive boulder to cover the opening.
Suppressing all spiritual energy and halting his breath, he lay in silence.
The gray-clad man flew over Ji Xia's hiding spot in an instant. He glanced at the boulder with a faint hint of interest but ignored Ji Xia hidden beneath it, continuing his journey.
After what felt like an eternity, Ji Xia confirmed that the eagle demon had flown far away. Only then did he smash the boulder and leap out of the pit. His heart was still pounding violently.
"Demons of that caliber must at least be in the Spirit Palace realm to take on human form. That one was undoubtedly a Spirit Palace-level demon and must have known I was hiding here. It simply wasn't interested in eating me," Ji Xia thought to himself.
"Such beings decide life and death on a whim. If it had been in a bad mood today and wanted to eat me, I'd already be dead!"
"This endless wilderness is far too terrifying. Maybe I should just stay in Taicang and never come out again."
Yet as soon as this thought formed, he shook it off. "If such a powerful being descended upon Taicang, it wouldn't matter if I stayed hidden; it could still eat me without effort. My location doesn't make any difference."
"Only by constantly improving my strength can I survive in this cruel world."
Still reeling from the eagle demon's immense power, Ji Xia instinctively activated his Solar Spirit Eye to look in the demon's direction.
As his gaze extended forward, he finally caught sight of the eagle demon again.
The eagle had transformed back into a colossal gray bird, hundreds of meters long, and was flapping its wings while fixating on a floating island ahead.
Suddenly, a bright white light appeared on the floating island. From the light emerged a horrifying, grotesque creature—a gigantic insect with dozens of green eyes covering its body.
Each of the insect's green eyes simultaneously unleashed a white beam of light. The giant eagle tried to evade but seemed restrained by an invisible force.
Before Ji Xia's astonished eyes, the white beams pierced the eagle demon. It disintegrated into wisps of smoke, dispersing into nothingness!
As the giant eagle vanished, the white light flashed again, and the enormous insect disappeared without a trace.
Ji Xia's jaw dropped, his disbelief palpable.
That terrifying demon, powerful enough to threaten his life moments ago, was so effortlessly reduced to nothingness?
The sudden twist of fate was almost too shocking to comprehend.
Just moments earlier, Ji Xia had been marveling at the eagle demon's power and congratulating himself on avoiding its wrath. Yet in the blink of an eye, that very demon had turned to smoke and ceased to exist!
"What kind of place is that floating island?"
"It birthed a monstrous insect capable of erasing a Spirit Palace-level demon in an instant."
Ji Xia tried to deduce its nature but found no answers.
"Regardless, I must steer clear of that floating island in the future. It ignored us before, likely because it deemed us insignificant like ants. But if a slightly larger creature passes by, it kills without hesitation."
Having witnessed two extraordinary occurrences in the wilderness and escaping unscathed, Ji Xia felt a sense of relief. Picking up his pace, he hurried toward the Zhouqing Nation's border.
If all went well, Shi Yang and Qianqian would be waiting for him there.
At Fufeng, within the Grand Palace of Yangshang and the Summoning Manor, Zhao Wu rushed to present a letter to Zhao Yuan.
Zhao Yuan accepted and opened the letter. It read:
"To my brother Zhao Yuan,
This letter conveys urgent news: Qin Ji recently stumbled upon a mysterious place called the Shrine of Worship, a gathering site for heretic worshipers. They annihilate small nations and use the blood and flesh of living beings to offer sacrifices to a deity called the Lord of Shadows.
Among them resides a peculiar being called the Worship Spirit, dwelling within the worshipers and empowering the Shadow Lord with heretical energy.
Qin Ji suspects that the sinister shadow afflicting Zhao Yuan's body shares a common origin with these Worship Spirits.
While Qin Ji is preparing to leave the Grand Symbol Kingdom, he feels compelled to inform you of this matter despite the risk of entanglement. He wishes to see neither the prosperous kingdom of Grand Symbol fall to these heretics nor Zhao Yuan harmed by their schemes.
Be warned: the Shrine of Worship harbors many formidable individuals, including around ten Spirit Dominion experts and numerous other peak Mystical Powers practitioners.
The most fearsome among them, called the Dark Worshiper, presides over the shrine with enigmatic power at least on par with the Spirit Palace realm.
Your cousin, Qin Ji, humbly advises you to exercise great caution. Enclosed is a map detailing the shrine's location and the formation of a black flower array."
Zhao Yuan's face darkened as he read the letter. Enraged, he declared, "If not for Qin Ji, I would never have known such a malignant force lurks under my very nose!"
After some thought, Zhao Yuan drafted a reply, handed it to Zhao Wu, and instructed, "Deliver this letter to the royal court. I will make preparations and meet with the king."
Zhao Wu respectfully took the letter and asked, "Ancestor, are you planning to leave?"
Zhao Yuan nodded, his eyes gleaming. "I've gained profound insights from my experiences with aging and setbacks in cultivation. I'm now just a step away from forming my first Spirit Palace."
"If I remain here waiting, I'll stagnate. It's time for me to move again after three years of seclusion."
Zhao Wu was both startled and elated. Bowing deeply, he congratulated Zhao Yuan.
Zhao Yuan helped him up and said, "My progress is thanks to you. If not for the good friend you made, I might have met my end. Stay close to me in the future, and I'll grant you Spirit Dominion-level cultivation. If you prove worthy, this Summoning Manor will also be yours."
Zhao Wu expressed his heartfelt gratitude before immediately setting off for the royal palace.
In the royal court, an imposing, armored general awaited Zhao Wu. Upon receiving Zhao Yuan's letter, he entered the inner sanctum to deliver it to the ruler, King Fusheng.
Inside, a scholarly youth reviewed official documents. With a casual gesture, the letter flew into his hands.
After reading it, the youth shook his head with a faint smile. "I've been nurturing bait for years, hoping to lure out their larger forces. Yet a foreign young man has disrupted my plans."
The general cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, should we notify Zhao Yuan to keep silent?"
"They aren't fools. After such an incident, they'll certainly relocate their shrine and act with even greater caution. It will become much harder to uncover their true origins."
The king spoke leisurely while continuing his work.
The general hesitated before asking, "Then...?"
"The shrine's most valuable asset is the idol itself. They'll undoubtedly retrieve it. Notify the Xuanfu Army to lay a trap and annihilate them."
The general accepted the order but hesitated again. "The shrine harbors Spirit Palace-level combatants. Can the Xuanfu Army...?"
The king raised his head, smiling. "I've been buried in these documents for too long."
He casually drew a few lines on a blank jade slip and handed it over. "Take this talisman. If a Spirit Palace-level opponent appears, activate it."
The general left, visibly relieved.
Stretching his body, the king murmured to himself, "A bloodline of Great Xia, is it?"