Chapter 23: Slaying

As the sun set, the forest grew dark and eerie, shadows stretching across the land. Eyes watched from the darkness, drawn by the scent of blood. Fortunately, this was the outer region of the mountains, so no particularly fearsome beasts lurked nearby.

A roar pierced the silence.

A striped tiger worm darted out, its patterned body resembling a large, colorful silkworm, about five to six meters long. With a tiger’s head, it was fierce and menacing. Sensing the ancient blood, it sought to take a bite out of the divine body of the Suan Ni.

Thud.

The small one hurled a steel spear, which drove straight into the creature's head. It let out a shriek, blood spraying, and the striped tiger worm rolled on the ground, soon succumbing to its injuries.

Without warning, a giant python as thick as a barrel descended from a cliff, its wings spreading wide, emitting a foul stench. Just as it neared, it opened its gaping maw to bite.

Clang.

Facing the formidable serpent, the small one dared not be careless. He summoned the Silver Moon, a shimmering arc of light that sliced through the snake, severing it in two and causing a blood rain.

In this short time, Shi Hao had already slain six or seven monsters. He remained by the side of the Qinglin Eagle, determined to protect it. However, if this continued, they would surely attract more fearsome beasts from deeper within the mountains.

“The people from the Bei Village are coming. Did the clan leader not hear the eagle's cry?” The small one was anxious. He could escape, but he could not bear to leave the Qinglin Eagle behind.

Wild birds flew away in panic. The small one suddenly looked up. At that moment, a shower of cold iron arrows descended like a storm, all aimed directly at him.

The murderous intent filled the air, shredding the forest leaves. The dense rain of arrows could pierce through even the largest dragon horn.

The small one exhaled deeply, emitting a burst of energy from his mouth and nose. His entire body glowed, with runes intertwining. The Silver Moon, like a blade, stood guard in front of him, clanging with a metallic sound.

The iron arrows continued to fall, their tips breaking, and a pile accumulated on the ground, the metal gleaming coldly.

“People from Bei Village, do not force me!” The small one’s eyes reddened, as some arrows had struck the Qinglin Eagle’s wounds.

The storm of iron arrows stopped. From all directions, more than a hundred people appeared, surrounding him from a distance, breathing heavily as they focused on the Suan Ni and the red horn.

Even though they had never seen one before, living in the vast wilderness, no one was unaware of the immense value of the ancient blood contained in such a beast, worth a fortune.

“Little child, the remains of this Suan Ni are a treasure. If you cannot protect it, be a good child and leave quietly. We won’t make things difficult for you,” an elder said kindly.

The small one was enraged. He had risked his life with the Qinglin Eagle to obtain the Suan Ni’s divine body. Just as he was about to transport it to the Stone Village, this group had intercepted them halfway, trying to steal the ancient creature. He could not accept it.

He clenched his small, tender fists tightly and said, “You are going too far!”

“Child, this is how life is. We all struggle in this wilderness. If we are not ruthless to others, then we will be cruel to ourselves,” the old clan leader from Bei Village sighed and advised, “You should leave quickly.”

The small one glared at him in silence, waiting for the Stone Village’s people to arrive.

“Hmm, it’s surprising. This is indeed a true Qinglin Eagle. At first, I thought it was just a patterned scale bird. Who would have expected such a ruler of the skies to be loyal to Stone Village? Quite astonishing,” the Bei Village clan leader was genuinely amazed. “It’s a pity that it is already deeply poisoned and dying.”

Shi Hao’s eyes welled up with tears. He could see that the Qinglin Eagle was in a dire state.

Seeing his expression, the Bei Village clan leader narrowed his eyes and said, “What a pity. Otherwise, it could have rivaled the spirit gods. Why not let us end its suffering, so it doesn’t have to endure any more pain?”

“You dare?” The small one’s brows furrowed as he clenched his fists and stood in front of the Qinglin Eagle.

“Ha ha,” the Bei Village clan leader, Bei Liqing, laughed coldly. “It seems you are truly a good child, kind-hearted, unable to let go of this fierce bird.”

At this point, his gaze turned cold, and he waved his hand. “Shoot, kill the Qinglin Eagle first.”

The people from Bei Village were startled but did not hesitate. Following orders, they shot arrows in a continuous rain, targeting the wounds on the Qinglin Eagle.

The small one’s eyes turned red with anger. He fought desperately, using the Silver Moon to deflect the arrows and protect the ancient bird.

However, the Qinglin Eagle was too large, with multiple wounds. The small one moved back and forth, using the Silver Moon to block, sweat pouring down his face.

At this moment, the people from Bei Village realized that the clan leader, Bei Liqing, was using the fierce bird to trap the child from Stone Village, eventually wearing him down until he could be easily killed.

“Didn’t you say just now that you would let the child go?” one of the villagers asked.

“I only feared he might escape. It’s better to understand what he values to target it better. A child with such potential, if grown up, would be formidable. Naturally, he must be eliminated with full force,” the clan leader replied.

The rain of iron arrows was dense, flashing coldly, making a constant whistling sound. Each arrow was massive and powerful, capable of piercing through the nearby large trees.

The small one, exhausted, gritted his teeth and summoned two rounds of the Silver Moon, but still struggled to protect the Qinglin Eagle.

Thud.

The arrows penetrated the wounds, causing a spray of blood, and the ancient bird's descendant writhed in pain, spasming slightly. There was anger and sorrow in its eyes. It was immobile at this moment; otherwise, these people would not have dared approach it.

Clang, clang.

The rain of arrows continued. The small one fought desperately to block them, but it was no use. The Qinglin Eagle had been struck by more than twenty arrows, all deeply embedded, blood flowing like a spring.

“Qinglin Eagle, Auntie!” The small one cried out in fury and sorrow, his eyes filled with tears as he tried his best to protect.

Thud.

An iron arrow pierced through the branches silently, nearly penetrating the small one’s heart. He reacted quickly, sidestepping, but it still went through the muscle of his small arm, blood spurting out.

“Ouch!” The small one cried out in pain, this being the first time he had sustained such a severe arrow wound.

Not far off, Bei Village’s hunting team leader, Bei Shan, sneered. It was his arrow that had pierced the small one’s arm. Pale-faced, he had been previously injured by the Silver Moon. He drew his bow again, hiding in the bushes, and began a new round of attacks, targeting the small one’s heart or throat, ignoring the Qinglin Eagle.

The small one’s face turned pale with pain. He tore a strip from his clothes to bandage his wound, while runes on his body circulated to stop the bleeding.

At that moment, the Qinglin Eagle was struck by another ten arrows, its wounds almost torn apart. The small one wept, unable to hold on, and shouted, “I’ll fight you to the end!”

He charged forward, summoning two rounds of the Silver Moon, ignoring everything, intent on slaying those who kept shooting arrows.

In the wilderness, Bei Village’s archery skills were incredibly formidable. Over a hundred people aimed their arrows simultaneously, their combined fire like a giant iron hammer crashing into the small one. Even though he used the Silver Moon to shield himself, he was still thrown backward, spitting blood.

“Shoot to kill!”

Bei Liqing’s eyes were cold, his smile gone. He ordered everyone to shoot urgently, targeting the small one who was airborne.

“Ah!”

The small one cried out as two rounds of the Silver Moon spun around his body, clanging as they sliced through the arrows in mid-air. The broken arrowheads piled up on the ground, their cold metallic gleam intense.

However, another arrow struck his calf, staining his pants with blood. He let out a childish cry as he struggled, collapsing to the ground. Glancing back at the Qinglin Eagle, he stumbled towards the people from Bei Village.

The Silver Moon, dazzling and sharp, flew out in two arcs, splattering blood everywhere as he fought furiously. Seventeen or eighteen people from Bei Village fell to the ground in pools of blood, causing widespread panic and chaos.

"Continue shooting the Qinglin Eagle. This time, don’t hold back—pin it down," Bei Liqing ordered coldly.

A deafening howl followed, as a storm of iron arrows rained down upon the Qinglin Eagle, reaching a dire point of urgency.

The small one’s eyes were red, tears streaming down his face. He felt a surge of helplessness. If he did not return to assist, the Qinglin Eagle would likely die, but if he turned back, he would only find himself in a dire situation, eventually exhausted or shot.

“You’re all villains!” This was a child’s innocent cry of despair.

“Bei Liqing, you shameless dog! Are you even human, scheming against a child like this?” came a loud shout.

At the same time, arrows flew like locusts, and flying spears descended like meteors, creating a dense barrage of fire. The cries of pain from Bei Village were heard.

The people from Stone Village had arrived, led by the old clan leader Shi Yunfeng, along with Shi Linhu and Shi Feijiao. They were all furious, firing arrows without pause.

“Chirp, chirp.”

The Great Peng, Little Qing, and Zi Yun flapped their wings and dashed towards the ground. Although they could not truly fly, they moved quickly, rushing to the Qinglin Eagle while crying mournfully.

The three young birds landed on various wounds, using their bodies to block the arrows. They rubbed their heads against the body of the mother bird, their cries full of sorrow and desperation.

The iron arrows from Bei Village clanged against their scales, but since they were still young, their scales were not yet hard enough, and traces of blood began to appear.

“Die, you bastards from Bei Village!” Shi Linhu roared.

“Counterattack, but don’t kill the three young birds. Capture them alive and take them back to the village. They will be worth as much as spirit beasts in the future,” Bei Liqing’s eyes burned with intense greed as he fixed his gaze on the three young birds, eager to capture them immediately.

The melee began. Iron spears flew, broad swords slashed, and the two sides clashed in fierce combat.

“Clan Leader Grandpa!” the small one cried out.

Seeing the child’s arm and leg pierced by arrows and bleeding profusely, the adults were heartbroken and enraged, charging forward.

“Child, don’t be afraid!”

“I’m fine. Clan Leader Grandpa, please save the Qinglin Eagle!” The small one wiped away his tears, then let out a loud cry and charged at the people from Bei Village. The Silver Moon soared into the air, and a spray of blood erupted, causing seven or eight people to scream and lose limbs in a gory scene.

“Bei Liqing, you beast, do you intend to destroy the rules of the wilderness? We all struggle to survive here, and neighboring villages never go to war. What are you trying to achieve?” Shi Yunfeng’s voice was filled with anger.

Despite his words, he had already given orders for no mercy. This battle would be fought to the end.

“No wonder. The Suan Ni’s divine body and the Li Huo Niu Mo’s horn are both treasures. Who wouldn’t be tempted? Moreover, our clan’s spirit beast is about to advance and needs a large amount of true blood,” Bei Liqing said.

“What? The spirit beast is about to advance?” Shi Yunfeng was shocked, his eyes narrowing as he surveyed the forest. Runes appeared on his arm. He quickly took out a jade jar, pouring out a medicinal powder to help detoxify the Qinglin Eagle.

The small one was consumed with rage. At this point, there were no more Bei Village people around him. He had severed numerous arms, with over twenty people struck down by the Silver Moon.

Suddenly, a brilliant light appeared from a thicket, charging towards the small one, enveloping him. The sound of piercing was heard as six or seven people from Stone Village were struck down, lying in pools of blood and writhing in pain.

Clang.

Though the Silver Moon blocked some of the attack, the small one’s shoulder was still grazed, leaving a terrible wound with blood flowing freely.

“Treasure weapon!” someone exclaimed in shock.

A pale-faced youth, looking like a wolf, had been hiding in the vegetation. At a critical moment, he had ambushed the small one, with a glowing point nearly piercing his throat.

It was Bei Feng, the talented youth who had been recently defeated by Shi Hao and had his bones broken by the Stone Village people. Though his injuries were not fully healed, he remained calm and cold.

“Not only do you have a treasure weapon, but I also have one,” Bei Feng said without looking at the Stone Village people writhing in the blood. Listening to their screams, he remained composed and indifferent.

The shower of light returned, wrapping around his wrist, transforming into a string of beast’s teeth—pure white and beautifully gleaming.

Many were astonished that one could use a treasure weapon without knowing the bone script.

“Uncle!” The small one was anxious, trying to help the severely injured middle-aged men who had been pierced by the glowing points. Their injuries were grave, their organs torn, and they were on the brink of death.

Whoosh!

Bei Feng flicked his wrist, sending out another burst of light like a shooting star, dazzling but with incredibly deadly force.

“I hate myself for being too kind. I spared you last time, but