Translator: CinderTL
"Lii~!!"
Suddenly, a piercing cry echoed through the sky, its penetrating sound piercing eardrums and sending shivers down spines.
The venomous snakes in the forest, as if encountering their natural predator, began to flee frantically. The rustling sounds sent goosebumps crawling across skin, leaving one to wonder how many venomous snakes lurked in the shadows.
Xun Ancai's face paled instantly. "This is bad! It's the cloud eagles!"
Cloud eagle?
Xu Sanyan raised an eyebrow slightly. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place where he'd heard it before.
Seeing his blank expression, Xun Ancai explained urgently, "They're an extremely ferocious type of bird. A single cloud eagle might not be too dangerous—about on par with you—but they're highly social. They always attack in flocks of at least a hundred."
Xu Sanyan's lips twitched. What do you mean, "about on par with me"? He felt vaguely insulted.
"They must have been attracted by the pack beasts," Xun Ancai declared with certainty.
At that moment, the clan chief shouted, "Quick, take cover under the trees! Protect the prey!"
The group scattered to take shelter under the thickest trees, positioning their prey behind them as they warily scanned the skies.
To them, the prey was second only to the Dog God's blessing in importance.
The Dog God's blessing allowed them to survive in this world, while the prey represented survival itself!
Xu Sanyan tilted his head back, gazing upward. The dense canopy blocked most of the sunlight, leaving only scattered gaps through which his gaze could penetrate.
Cree!
The cry echoed again, this time much closer and repeated multiple times.
"They're coming! Be careful!"
Xu Sanyan's eyes darted around as he silently retreated behind the group, his gaze fixed on Xun Yang.
His soul power was already depleted by seventy percent. Forcing the Lu Clan's Spirit Refining Force again would risk severe backlash, but he was willing to pay the price if an opportunity arose.
Whoosh—
A shadow swept across the dappled sunlight on the ground. Xu Sanyan looked up to see a swarm of over a hundred cloud eagles circling endlessly in the sky.
From his angle, they appeared as mere black dots, their full forms obscured.
Cree—
A piercing cry rang out, seemingly a command from the cloud eagle leader. Instantly, over a hundred cloud eagles swooped down, their target the pack beast corpse they had been circling protectively.
As they drew closer, Xu Sanyan gradually made out the creatures' full forms. Though resembling eagles, they were far larger, their wingspans stretching four paces wide. Their bodies were entirely jet-black, without a single speck of color, their sleek feathers layered like a suit of dark armor.
The sunlight glinted off their razor-sharp beaks, making them appear even more menacing. Their iron-like talons, splayed open like steel hooks, lunged forward with deadly intent.
"Stay close to me!" Xun Ancai called out, her eyes constantly tracking Xu Sanyan's position. She had followed him when he retreated earlier.
Screech!
The hundred-plus cloud eagles dove down at breakneck speed, their overwhelming momentum creating instant chaos.
Xu Sanyan watched in horror as one man's skull was cleaved open vertically by a talon, crimson and white fluids spilling across the ground. Even the victim's hardened skull had proven no match for the talon's lethal sharpness.
Screech!
"Kill it now!"
Just as a cloud eagle was about to succeed, hooking its talons into the massive pack beast corpse and preparing to take flight, the clan chief's face turned ashen. Abandoning all caution,
With a flash, the figure reappeared above the cloud eagle, his massive fist crashing down with the full force of his Sixfold Blessing. The eagle's skull shattered instantly, killing it.
"Protect the prey!"
"Slaughter them all!"
Amidst the chaotic battle, a pitch-black snake shot out from an unnoticed corner, biting a warrior's arm. Black venom immediately began to spread.
Xu Sanyan, observing the battlefield from the rear, immediately noticed this anomaly. His heart sank.
Damn it, I forgot about the Snake Clan!
The Snake Clan hadn't fled at all. They had been lurking behind, and now, seeing the Dog Clan in trouble, they were seizing the opportunity to sow chaos.
His mind racing, Xu Sanyan gritted his teeth and grabbed Xun Ancai, pulling her away. The four-headed dogs immediately followed.
Xun Ancai was bewildered. Her clan was fighting fiercely—how could she abandon them?
She turned to protest, but Xu Sanyan hissed, "Come with me now!"
After a moment's hesitation, Xun Ancai reluctantly followed. If Xu Sanyan had no good reason, she would return to the battle.
Deserting her clan would incur the Dog God's wrath. The Dog God offered no protection to deserters; even in death, they would be denied entry to His embrace.
The two humans and their dog fled the battlefield. Before Xu Sanyan could explain, Xun Ancai asked urgently, "What's wrong?"
"We need to hurry back to the Dog Clan and call for reinforcements!"
"Huh?"
Hearing the faint sounds of battle, Xun Ancai explained, "There's no need. With the clan chief here, those cloud eagles won't gain any advantage."
Xu Sanyan shook his head and countered, "How far is the Snake Clan from here?"
"About a day's journey."
"Snake Clan messengers returned last night to report the situation."
"So?" Xun Ancai still didn't understand.
"At the Snake Clan's speed, they'll reach their village before nightfall. Once the Serpent Clan Chief hears the news, he'll mobilize immediately and arrive by dawn tomorrow."
Meanwhile, given their current situation, they likely won't make it back to the Dog Clan before dawn.
The Snake Clan Chief is a Seven Blessings powerhouse. No one knows his true speed, but this is his most conservative estimate.
Moreover, the Dog Clan people have been fighting relentlessly for days without rest. If the Snake Clan Chief arrives with fresh troops to attack their exhausted forces, the consequences would be catastrophic!
Xu Sanyan refused to let the Dog Clan be crushed by the Snake Clan. He had already claimed the Dog Clan as his own.
Seeing her continued incomprehension, Xu Sanyan wanted to crack open her skull to see if there was anything inside besides "uh-huh" and "ah-ha."
"We're being harassed by cloud eagles and ambushed by Snake Clan forces. We can't shake them off easily. So—"
"Ah!!"
Xun Ancai finally realized the gravity of the situation. Her face turned deathly pale as she imagined the consequences if their entire group perished here.
They were the Dog Clan's elite warriors. If they died here, the clan would be doomed!
This mission had always been a gamble, relying on the Snake Clan's slow reaction time. The Dog Clan had deployed their best forces, hoping to resolve the matter swiftly before the Snake Clan could retaliate.
Xu Sanyan sighed inwardly. If the Old Clan Chief were still alive, she would never have approved such a reckless plan.
Too bad... I killed her.
"I'll go back and get reinforcements!" Xun Ancai turned to flee, but Xu Sanyan grabbed her arm. "Take me with you!"
A gentleman doesn't stand beneath a collapsing wall. No matter how you looked at it, this was just a secret realm. He wasn't about to risk his life for it. Escape was the only sensible option.
"Oh, right! Hang on tight."
"Huh?"
Before Xu Sanyan could process her words, Xun Ancai scooped him up and hoisted him onto her shoulder. She sprinted toward the Dog Clan's territory at breakneck speed, the violent jostling churning his stomach.
"Slow down... urp..."
"Swallow it back down. Don't waste it," Xun Ancai snapped without slowing her pace.
Xu Sanyan was speechless. He made a mental note: Never kissing her again.
(End of the Chapter)
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