104 The Great White Eagle

104. The White Giant Eagle

It was a secluded valley, lush with clusters of flowers. Amidst the shrub-like plants, a flower bud had just begun to unfurl. Though only a hint of pink was visible, it released a subtle, elegant fragrance reminiscent of orchids and musk.

As Qi Fei caught the scent, he felt the pungent, fishy odor that had permeated the garden vanish instantly, leaving not a trace. He exclaimed in surprise, "Oh? What kind of flower is this?!"

Qi Fei stared at the pink bud, utterly baffled. With Tong He not by his side, he had no one to ask for an answer.

Recalling that it was the Golden-Silver Wolf King—the little cub—that had led him here, Qi Fei turned his gaze toward it and concluded that the cub must have been drawn by this flower. Ever since they had entered this narrow little valley, the little wolf’s previously irritable and restless mood had vanished as if it had sprouted wings.

The little Golden-Silver Wolf held its head high, eyes slightly closed, wearing an almost human expression of intoxication, as if the flower’s fragrance provided it with immense pleasure. This only deepened Qi Fei’s wonder.

Driven by curiosity, Qi Fei picked up the little wolf and muttered, "What exactly is this bud that holds such a powerful attraction for you? Could it be some kind of rare treasure?"

"Hiss, hiss!" The little wolf tilted its head and chirped at Qi Fei, but it stood its ground, showing no intention of picking the flower. Once Qi Fei put it down, the little creature began looking around warily, its eyes filled with caution.

This change in behavior made Qi Fei tense up. He wondered if this flower was indeed a rare treasure guarded by some spirit beast. Perhaps the guardian was hiding in the shadows, waiting to strike him down.

Considering this, Qi Fei pushed his divine sense to its limit, scouring the valley.

The result was disappointing. Despite his powerful sense, he could not detect a single spirit beast in the valley. This only made him more anxious. If the guardian was out, that would be one thing, but if it were hiding in the valley and successfully evading his detection, that would be truly terrifying.

"Little Golden-Silver Wolf, are there any other spirit beasts guarding this place?" Qi Fei asked, his heart pounding. Even though he could not sense anything unusual, spirit beasts like the Wolf King possessed instincts far superior to those of humans.

The little wolf, which was now nearly at the same rank as himself, should surely be able to sense the presence of another beast. It clearly understood his question, looked at him with a grave expression, and slowly nodded.

This confirmation shocked Qi Fei. After scanning his surroundings again and finding nothing, he asked solemnly, "You really want this flower?"

"Hiss, hiss!" The little creature gave an affirmative answer. But this time, instead of just responding to Qi Fei, it suddenly hissed urgently, its demeanor turning aggressive as it glared toward the valley entrance, bracing for a major threat.

Qi Fei’s body stiffened, his eyes locked on the narrow crevice through which he had entered. Through his divine sense, he detected a massive spirit beast slowly pushing its way through the gap. The crevice was so small that the beast’s passage shattered rocks and created quite a commotion.

Soon, the crevice widened, and a pink spirit beast emerged. It was a dragon-fish, even larger than the one he had seen before. No, perhaps "dragon-fish dragon" was more appropriate. Its body was absurdly thick, and on its forehead were two tumor-like bumps, as if something were about to burst forth from beneath its skin.

Although Qi Fei had never seen such a creature, he had learned from Tong He about the ultimate forms of dragon-fish. This creature, while not yet bearing full horns, already possessed the embryonic form. What surprised Qi Fei even more was that the creature was surrounded by a dense layer of natural spiritual energy.

It was evident that this dragon-fish had reached a level where it could harness the energy of the world. In other words, it was a rare "Saint Beast," a creature whose strength far surpassed most innate-level masters.

"A Saint Beast. No wonder the little wolf is so on edge," Qi Fei thought, not daring to relax. The ordinary pink dragon-fish were already beyond his ability to kill, let alone this one. If he had to face it head-on, he knew he would be helpless.

The little Golden-Silver Wolf also tensed up, baring its razor-sharp, obsidian claws, ready to strike. As the natural enemy of the dragon-fish, the creature ignored Qi Fei entirely, its eyes locked solely on the little wolf.

Both creatures radiated pure fury—the instinctual reaction of mortal enemies. Just as Qi Fei was wondering how to join forces with the little wolf to drive the Saint-level dragon-fish away, the little wolf, despite its nine-rank peak status, ignored the Saint-level pressure and pounced at the dragon-fish.

The Saint-level dragon-fish let out a roar and lunged, its massive maw wide open, clearly intending to swallow the little wolf whole.

However, the little wolf was no fool. It had anticipated the move, swerving nimbly to the side to avoid the jaws, and then swiped its tiny claw toward the dragon-fish’s throat.

The dragon-fish crashed into the ground, its powerful tail whipping toward the wolf. The two fought with such familiarity that it was clear this was not their first encounter. The wolf used its agility, while the dragon-fish relied on its massive strength and near-impenetrable hide.

Watching the battle, Qi Fei realized that unless the little wolf reached the innate realm and could replenish its stamina with natural energy, it would eventually tire. Seeing the danger, Qi Fei pulled several stones from his storage space, ready to intervene.

When the little wolf made another pass at the dragon-fish's throat, Qi Fei flicked his wrist, sending two "Meteor Flashes" streaking toward the dragon-fish’s eyes. The dragon-fish, realizing the danger, curled its body to protect its throat and closed its eyes, choosing to tank the blows with its thick hide.

*Thud!* *Squish!*

Qi Fei’s stones left only minor scorch marks on the dragon-fish’s eyelids, but the little wolf’s claws managed to carve a foot-long gash into the creature's side. Though shallow, it seemed to be filled with the wolf's venom, causing the dragon-fish to convulse in agony.

"Little one, keep attacking!" Qi Fei shouted, launching another volley of stones. But for some reason, the little wolf suddenly froze, failing to follow up.

Before Qi Fei could capitalize, the dragon-fish recovered. However, instead of attacking, it began looking up at the sky, hissing in agitation. The little wolf, too, had its fur standing on end, emitting shrill, piercing shrieks.

Qi Fei looked up and saw a black dot approaching rapidly. In seconds, it grew into a massive white eagle. Even before it reached the valley, the overwhelming pressure of an aerial predator descended upon them.

The eagle’s wingspan was over six yards wide. Unlike the golden-furred wolf, this eagle was pure white with dark green claws and beak.

To Qi Fei’s surprise, the moment the eagle appeared, the wolf and the dragon-fish ceased their fighting, seemingly prepared to unite against this new, common enemy. As the eagle dove, its talons split to target both the dragon-fish’s throat and the little wolf’s head simultaneously. It intended to take them both out at once. Being the undisputed master of the skies, the eagle had every advantage. Even with the dragon-fish's powerful defenses, Qi Fei feared it could not withstand those iron-shattering talons.