Chapter 2227: Turning the Tide

"Oh no! Quick, run!"

Qinghong and Miss Shuang were still reeling from the shock, unable to recover.

Qin Sang noticed a change in the sky fire. As the powerful cultivators left, the sky fire began to recede, then abruptly halted. His vision was still keen, and these subtle clues were enough for him to make a judgment. Seeing this, a sudden alarm went off in his mind, and he urged them to flee. Though the two women didn't understand the reason, Qin Sang's urgent tone left no room for hesitation, and they quickly led him out of the valley.

The three golden eagles in the sky, having been terrified earlier, had fled in a panic. Now, seeing the powerful cultivators depart, they boldly returned and were circling high above. To avoid detection by the golden eagles, Qinghong opted to move on the ground. Firstly, the jade pendant granted by Reverend Tong Shen required constant spiritual energy activation. Secondly, the Golden Eagle clan possessed extraordinary natural eyesight, and their cultivators often trained in ocular divine abilities. Even the slightest hint of their presence could lead to discovery.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans; the sky fire granted them no time to escape.

*Boom!*

The sky fire, having ceased its contraction, immediately exploded. The horizon seemed to erupt into a colossal firework, with fiery streaks bursting forth. The mountains directly beneath the sky fire bore the brunt, instantly leveled by the terrifying force, as countless flames descended, transforming the ground into a blazing inferno.

*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*

Each falling streak of fire caused a terrifying impact, making the earth tremble ceaselessly. The fiery streaks were countless, shooting out in all directions. Witnessing such a horrifying spectacle, Qinghong, Miss Shuang, and the three golden eagles all displayed expressions of terror. They had assumed the battle was still far away, but unexpectedly, after the sky fire erupted, the fiery streaks flew toward them, blanketing the sky. It was an immensely violent force they had never encountered, a power capable of easily obliterating them!

"Run!" one golden eagle shrieked.

The three golden eagles hurriedly turned, flapping their wings frantically, regretting that they weren't born with an extra pair. Qinghong and Miss Shuang, experiencing this for the first time, were also somewhat flustered. Disregarding the risk of exposure, they desperately fled with Qin Sang.

Although Qin Sang had the lowest cultivation, he was the calmest. Based on the intensity of the sky fire's explosion, he judged that not many fiery streaks would reach their location, and with caution, they could avoid them. However, this did not mean they were safe. The greatest concern was the impact from the fiery streaks, residual shockwaves from a Void Refinement cultivator's battle, which they could neither withstand nor evade. Should they be struck by a shockwave, Qinghong wouldn't be able to maintain the jade pendant's concealment, leaving them exposed to the golden eagles. The true danger lay with the three golden eagles! Moreover, the immense commotion from the Void Refinement cultivators' battle might attract other golden eagles. Qinghong and Miss Shuang, with two against a potential many, would find it impossible to escape. They had been flying for days and were almost out of the Golden Eagle clan's territory, nearly beyond the range of demon soldier patrols. Yet, an accident occurred on this final stretch. Qin Sang's eyes flickered as he quickly scanned their surroundings.

*Boom!*

A fiery streak descended from the sky, slamming heavily into the ground behind them, a towering blaze forming their backdrop. Qinghong and Miss Shuang couldn't help but glance back, only to see a deep, fiery crater on the ground. The peaks there had been instantly vaporized, and a visible wave of scorching heat surged out from the inferno. Wherever the heat wave passed, continuous explosions sounded, and mountains crumbled in its wake. As Qin Sang had anticipated, the aftermath of the fiery streaks was terrifying. Qinghong and Miss Shuang cried out in alarm. At this moment, they disregarded all else and hastily activated their protective artifacts. Miss Shuang's necklace automatically rose. The necklace featured a crystal-clear heart-shaped pendant, seemingly carved from ice, which projected a layer of white light, shielding her entire body. Qinghong, with a flick of her sleeve, released several golden leaves. The leaves expanded dramatically in the wind, transforming into a golden screen that shielded her and Qin Sang.

They had just activated their artifacts when the heat wave was already upon them.

*Bang!*

The heat wave violently slammed into their protective artifacts. Both women let out a muffled groan, unable to resist the powerful impact. They were immediately flung backward by the heat wave.

*Crack!* *Bang! Bang!*

They were carried a considerable distance by the shockwave until its power waned, finally hitting a mountain, where they barely managed to dissipate the force. The three were almost embedded in the mountainside. Fortunately, their artifacts protected them from injury, but the jade pendant could no longer conceal their presence. As they flew out of the crater, they immediately sensed several gazes fixed on them from a distance.

"We've been spotted!" Qinghong said in a grave voice, her anxiety palpable.

"Let's go in another direction, avoid them for now," Qin Sang advised, pointing.

Qinghong and Miss Shuang had no better option than to follow Qin Sang's suggestion. They could only hope the three golden eagles, wary of the falling fire, wouldn't come after them. Since they were already exposed, they simply flew at full speed. The three golden eagles indeed seemed to fear the sky fire and dared not pursue them directly.

*Boom!* *Boom!* *Boom!*

Fiery streaks continually struck the ground behind them. They repeatedly dodged and finally escaped without major incident. The three golden eagles also vanished from their sight. However, Qinghong and Miss Shuang's faces remained tense. The golden eagles would likely not give up. Once targeted by the Golden Eagle clan, escaping would be no easy feat. As the fiery streaks became sparser, Qinghong seized the opportunity to reactivate the jade pendant, cloaking them once more.

Soon, three dark specks appeared on the horizon. The three golden eagles were indeed catching up! Then, they observed that the golden eagles flew straight toward them without hesitation, indicating that the jade pendant had lost its effectiveness. Clearly, the golden eagles possessed advanced detection techniques; perhaps they had been locked onto by some unknown method when they were exposed earlier.

Qinghong cried out in alarm, pushing Qin Sang away. "Junior Brother, you go first. Miss Shuang and I will hold off these beasts. If we get separated, wait for us at Dongliang Mountain ahead!" Miss Shuang immediately conjured a jade sword, showing no hesitation. Qinghong had expected her junior brother, being new to such situations, might not grasp the gravity or might be too sentimental. She was about to offer more persuasion, but Qin Sang proved far more decisive than she imagined. He turned and fled, leaving behind only a single sentence: "Senior Sister and Miss Shuang, please be careful!" Seeing Qin Sang's back as he ran without looking back, Qinghong was slightly taken aback.

The golden eagles noticed their maneuver. One golden eagle immediately broke away from its companions, seemingly intending to chase Qin Sang.

"You beasts, get down here!" Qinghong roared. Her golden screen instantly transformed into several golden mountains, swinging through the air toward this golden eagle. This was merely a feint to deter the eagle. Qinghong then directly charged the other two golden eagles, leaving the first one to Miss Shuang. The three golden eagles varied in cultivation level; the one pursuing Qin Sang was of intermediate strength.

Miss Shuang flew into the air, frost spreading around her as cold air permeated the surroundings. She formed hand seals, silently casting a spell. The cold air condensed on both sides of the golden eagle, instantly forming a piece of profound ice the size of a human head.

*Crack!*

The profound ice shattered, releasing two ice phoenixes that let out soft chirps as they jointly assailed the golden eagle. As the cold air touched its body, a layer of frost visibly spread over the golden eagle's wings, making a creaking sound as it flapped them.

"You're asking for death!" The golden eagle was secretly annoyed and had no choice but to abandon its pursuit of Qin Sang to engage the ice phoenixes.

Meanwhile, Qin Sang reached the riverbank. A mighty river flowed through these mountains, its waters turbulent and rushing, extending all the way beyond Lingkong Mountain. The river was deep, seemingly bottomless, a rare sight in the entire barren region. Without hesitation, he leaped into the river. His figure was immediately swallowed by the waves, sinking to the bottom, vanishing without a trace.

On the other side, Qinghong faced two opponents, including the golden eagle leader, who had the highest cultivation. With the artifact bestowed by her master, she felt no fear. Miss Shuang had the lowest cultivation, but she was deeply favored by Mr. Lu and naturally lacked no treasures. Holding off the three golden eagles was not difficult; the challenge lay in how they would escape afterward.

"Who are you people? What is your connection to those others, and what conspiracy do you have in Lingkong Mountain?" the golden eagle leader roared.

Qinghong snorted, "If I were connected to them, simply inviting one of them could crush you with a single finger. We are merely passing through, about to leave Lingkong Mountain. We have no intention of becoming enemies with your Golden Eagle clan. Let us go, and we can all live in peace!"

"Stubborn fools!" The golden eagle leader was exceedingly arrogant. "Once we seize you and bring you to the Golden Fiend Platform, let's see if you still dare to talk tough!"

Qinghong's face turned slightly pale. She had heard of the Golden Fiend Platform's fearsome reputation before; it was said to be a particularly cruel punishment among the Golden Eagle clan, making its victims wish for death.

"Junior Sister Shuang, once Junior Brother has gone far enough, we also need to find a way to escape. These feathered beasts are arrogant; I suspect they have reinforcements nearby!" Qinghong knew they couldn't prolong the battle and secretly transmitted her voice to Miss Shuang.

"Before leaving, Master Uncle gave me a talisman..." Hearing Miss Shuang's reply, Qinghong was overjoyed. The two women immediately formulated an escape plan.

"Now!" Estimating that Qin Sang had gone far enough, Qinghong flashed, creating distance from her opponents, and forcefully threw the jade pendant in her palm.

*Whoosh!* *Splish, splash!*

The jade pendant glowed brightly, emitting the sound of surging waves. Water ripples spread out, forming a massive blue hand with five fingers outstretched. The three golden eagles felt the sky darken, seeing a colossal hand obscuring the heavens, pressing down upon them. At this moment, with their careful planning, Miss Shuang also lured her opponent closer, lightly flicked her jade finger, and unleashed a spirit talisman.

*Whoosh! Whoosh!*

The spirit talisman transformed into a blast of cold wind, instantly enveloping the surroundings in a white haze. Snowflakes swirled, and the cold penetrated their bones. The cold wind began to spin, actually morphing into a gigantic vortex. The three golden eagles felt a powerful suction force, trying to drag them toward the vortex's center. With a five-fingered mountain above and cold winds raging around them, they were about to leave Lingkong Mountain, with no more demon soldiers ahead. The two women held nothing back, unleashing the treasures given by their masters, aiming for a decisive blow.

A scream echoed in the cold wind. One golden eagle was struck by the blue hand, instantly spitting blood and suffering severe injuries. At this critical juncture, the golden eagle leader's eyes gleamed with even fiercer malice. It let out a sharp, high-pitched, and far-reaching eagle cry. It recalled its two companions to its side and crushed a golden talisman. The golden talisman emitted a peculiar fluctuation, strangely linking the auras of the three golden eagles, including the injured one. The next moment, the golden edges on their feathers began to glow, dazzling with golden light, as if solidified. Finally, a massive golden eagle emerged. This colossal golden eagle resembled the Golden Eagle clan, but its entire body was covered in golden feathers, giving it an exceptionally majestic and unyielding appearance. The gigantic golden eagle let out a high-pitched cry, straightened its upper body, shielded its companions beneath its wings, and used its head to resist the blue hand.

Qinghong noticed the large hand could not descend, and her expression subtly changed. Ordinarily, a typical Golden Eagle clan member facing this combined attack would either die or be severely wounded. She wondered what that golden talisman was. This golden eagle leader must have a significant background to possess such a protective treasure. Naturally, they didn't want their efforts to be in vain. The two women attacked with full force, the cold wind danced wildly, and the blue hand pressed down forcefully.

*Crack, crack, crack...*

The gigantic golden eagle's proud head was slowly pushed down. The previously injured golden eagle's flesh tore open, spewing blood, and the other golden eagle coughed up blood. The golden eagle leader's eyes were also bloodshot, and blood trickled from the gaps in its feathers.

Just then, the golden eagle leader suddenly let out a sneer, making the two women's hearts sink.

*Screech!*

The next moment, an urgent eagle cry resounded from the horizon, accompanied by a burst of golden light, vaguely echoing the gigantic golden eagle. Clearly, other Golden Eagle clan cultivators had arrived. Despite the great distance from its kin, the golden eagle leader seemed to gain powerful strength from its kin's assistance. Golden patterns spread across its entire body, and a small golden eagle emerged from its body, rushing into the gigantic golden eagle.

*Bang!*

The gigantic golden eagle actually forced a gap in the blue hand. Its fierce eyes fixated on Miss Shuang and shot out a golden lightning bolt.

*Sizzle!*

Miss Shuang was fully concentrating on wielding her spirit talisman, watching helplessly as the golden lightning struck her protective light shield. The light shield formed by the pendant shattered with a resounding crack.

"Junior Sister Shuang!" Seeing Miss Shuang flung back by the golden lightning, Qinghong was greatly alarmed. She rushed forward to catch her, and seeing that she was still breathing, only injured by the lightning, she breathed a sigh of relief. Carrying Miss Shuang, Qinghong dared not linger and turned to flee. Her face was etched with anxiety. The situation was extremely unfavorable for them. The golden eagle leader was not dead, and its reinforcements had arrived. What followed would be a battle for survival against overwhelming odds.

Just then, Qinghong suddenly heard a familiar voice beside her ear. A look of surprise flashed in her eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she leaped into the great river. With its companions arriving, how could the golden eagle leader allow them to escape? It immediately snorted coldly, forcefully suppressed the chaotic aura within its body, and plunged downward.

*Splash!*

A powerful gust of wind parted the river surface, sending water surging skyward to form two towering walls. The golden eagle leader pursued them all the way to the river bottom.

"Junior Brother?" Qinghong, carrying Miss Shuang, escaped into the river, but she didn't see Qin Sang. Yet, she heard Qin Sang's command.

"Don't move!"

*Snap!*

Qinghong heard a crisp sound. Only then did she notice a transparent pill beside her, bursting open in the water.

*Snap! Snap!*

More than one pill exploded simultaneously.

*Boom!*

When the other group of golden eagles arrived, they only saw the river water receding. The people and eagles who had entered the river were gone. Then, a stream of black river water surged up from the center of the river, rapidly spreading throughout the entire great river, emitting a strange odor. Suddenly, all the golden eagles instinctively recoiled from the river surface. A golden eagle's corpse floated up from the water. Its entire body was shriveled and in an unnatural posture, with lingering pain in its eyes, a truly tragic sight of death.