The morning was shrouded in a thick, white mist.
The sky had not yet brightened, and traces of morning dew still clung to the leaves.
Accompanied by Sen Hui, Fang Yang reached the mountain's peak and saw a small, ordinary-looking Flying Boat.
The moment he stepped onto the Flying Boat's deck, a chill shot up Fang Yang's spine. The cold seeped into his bones; he felt an immense sense of threat!
'There must be a master guarding this Flying Boat,' he thought, 'and this expert is even stronger than Second Uncle.'
Fang Yang was somewhat shocked at this realization.
His Second Uncle Fang was a Tier Five Great Cultivator. Anyone significantly stronger than him would undoubtedly be one of the few renowned, top-tier experts, like one of the four great generals—someone like Desert Dragon!
"A little Fire Eagle, heh, how interesting. But Lord Sen Yue truly dotes on the Second Miss, to actually dispatch me for this escort mission." Inside a cabin on the Flying Boat, Desert Dragon chuckled elegantly.
As the top combatant in Sen Yue's army, Desert Dragon should have been fighting against the Qingkong army in the Cold Flood Dragon Banner war.
However, the order Sen Yue had given him was to escort Sen Hui from the Cangmu Banner to the Thunder Punishment Banner.
In Desert Dragon's opinion, a task like this didn't require his involvement at all. It was a bit of an overkill.
But a Dao Seed Level cultivator had given the order, so he could only obediently accept.
WHIRRRR...
The small Flying Boat rumbled unceasingly as it slowly ascended and flew off into the distance.
As the small Flying Boat left the Cangmu Banner's encampment, enemy scouts monitoring the area from the mountain forests immediately spotted its movement.
This group of scouts was the most outstanding contingent under the command of the Qingkong army.
Instantly, a signal was sent, speeding into the distance!
...
Inside the Flying Boat's inner cabin, the space was vast.
Sen Hui kept Second Uncle Fang's instructions firmly in mind, urging Fang Yang to study the skills of a Pill Master.
"Fang Yang, are you going to practice musical healing arts or prepare medicinal powders and meals?"
"Stop looking at me! Just because I can perform Alchemy doesn't mean you can. You haven't even passed the senior's assessment yet!"
Sen Hui slapped a ruler into her palm. As if burdened by a sacred duty, she paced back and forth around Fang Yang.
While Fang Yang had been on the [Flying Fish Cloud Sea Hunting] expedition, Sen Hui hadn't stopped improving either.
On the contrary, her Pill Master skills had surpassed Fang Yang's by a fair margin!
It wouldn't be so simple for Fang Yang to regain his former lead, especially now that Sen Hui was familiar with the various assessment methods.
SIGH...
Fang Yang let out a soft breath. "I'll stick with preparing medicinal powders and meals, then."
"Very well. In that case, you can make the [Four-winged Flying Fish Meat Stew]." Sen Hui forced a stern expression onto her pretty face and poured a pile of ingredients out of her storage bag.
Beside Fang Yang, the White Feathered Eagle suddenly raised its head and stared blankly at Sen Hui.
Even Fang Yang was a little surprised. Wasn't this just a freebie for him?
"Hurry, get moving! Or I'll tell the senior," Sen Hui urged again.
She brandished her teaching ruler a few times with great severity, making it whistle through the air.
But as Fang Yang got to work, Sen Hui was still recalling the task Second Uncle Fang had entrusted to her.
Suddenly, Sen Hui cursed inwardly.
The [Four-winged Flying Fish Meat Stew] was supposed to be the last thing she taught Fang Yang, not the first.
But she'd gotten mixed up and done things in the wrong order.
'But I've already given all the ingredients to Fang Yang. I can't just take them back, can I?'
'Wouldn't that just prove how stupid I am? That would be too embarrassing!'
The sun rose and the clouds scattered; the sun set and the moon rose.
Soon, night fell.
Fang Yang and Sen Hui both returned to their respective cabins to rest.
The sky grew darker, and the night deepened.
The starlight gradually vanished, as if obscured by a veil of clouds.
Suddenly, Fang Yang and the White Feathered Eagle sensed an utterly terrifying aura. They both jolted awake and looked out of the Flying Boat.
Outside, ripples spread through the void as a colossal, azure palm pressed forward with deceptive speed, striking out a cloud of blood mist.
But in the next instant, the blood mist coalesced, forming a ferocious, blood-red Griffin!
"Blood Dao techniques. You deserve to die." Desert Dragon's expression instantly turned cold.
BOOM! The azure palm struck like a cascading waterfall. In mid-air, it transformed into the shape of a python and frantically entangled the blood-red Griffin.
His fourth Lifebound Skill—River Python Transformation!
The blood-red Griffin roared ferociously, its unwillingness to yield growing stronger.
But under Desert Dragon's suppression, it was utterly unable to change its predicament.
Desert Dragon focused his mind, ready for the Qingkong army's scouts to make another move at any moment.
But strangely, even after the blood-red Griffin had dissipated into nothing, no further incidents occurred.
A potential disaster was thus resolved without any real danger.
'An azure palm, a massive water python... It's the "Water-Wielding General," Desert Dragon! The legendary super-expert who is just one step away from the Dao Seed Level!'
Gazing at such incredible might, Fang Yang was deeply moved.
The White Feathered Eagle at his side was even more mesmerized, frozen on the spot in a daze.
Driven by its yearning for power, the White Feathered Eagle desperately craved such immense strength.
Dumb but honest, its lack of intelligence made it act without overthinking, relying more on its profound and mysterious intuition.
Its intuition told it: Fang Yang was not close to it!
'If I could also possess such heaven-shaking power,' it thought, 'Fang Yang would surely become close to me, right?'
It also yearned to be like other Pet Beasts, able to play and frolic in its partner's arms whenever it wanted.
[Worst Fortune: Travel separately to the Thunder Punishment Banner. The fires of war will burn, and you will be caught in a death trap. Ten deaths, no life. Greatly inauspicious!]
Meanwhile, Fang Yang was re-examining the [Seek Fortune, Avoid Calamity] orb of light, especially the 'Worst Fortune' reading.
In an instant, a question surfaced in his mind:
'Desert Dragon is one of Sen Yue's four great generals, such a critical asset. Why would he be sent to escort us during such a sensitive time?'
In a flash, the image of Sen Hui crossed his mind.
Within the space of a single breath, Fang Yang understood. He fell silent.
His estimation of Sen Hui's importance—and the danger surrounding her—skyrocketed once more.
At this moment, he actually felt fortunate that he had stopped himself in time before.
It was a good thing he hadn't treated Sen Hui as prey in some emotional hunt. Otherwise, the consequences would have been far more than he could bear!
PHEW...
Fang Yang exhaled a turbid breath and glanced down.
He immediately noticed the dazed White Feathered Eagle. Reaching out a hand, he said, "Are you hungry? Come here, then."
Feeling Fang Yang's closeness, the White Feathered Eagle's eyes crinkled in a smile. It pecked at the meat stew like a rooster, overjoyed.
...
「Two days later.」
They had arrived at the Thunder Punishment Banner.
Sen Hui, who had just recently become bright and lively, suddenly became timid and withdrawn here.
She looked just like an ostrich with its head buried in the sand.
"Sen Hui, see you in two days."
"See you in two days."
Out of courtesy, Fang Yang quickly said his goodbyes to Sen Hui.
Afterward, he entered the encampment and saw his own elder—Seventh Uncle Fang He.
Behind Seventh Uncle Fang was Fang Yang's younger cousin, Fang Xuan.
"Brother, you're finally here! I've been waiting for you for so long. It's all thanks to your encouragement, otherwise I might have never recovered." Fang Xuan's face was flushed with excitement.
"Uncle Qi," Fang Yang said with a smile to Seventh Uncle Fang, then turned to Fang Xuan. "That was your own ability. It had nothing to do with me."
Fang Xuan protested,
"Don't be so modest, Brother! You've already made a name for yourself as the 'Proud Eagle.' We're all so jealous.
This time, at the First Miss Sen Wei's [Young Dragon Tea Party], you absolutely must watch out for that guy Zhang Ye..."