"The Snow Frost Mountain Range was wiped out?!"

"The Cold Flood Dragon Banner suffered grievous losses, and a large number of its people died in the aftermath of the battle?"

"An ocean of lightning blanketed the area, leaving it completely barren—a veritable dead zone!"

"..."

The aftershocks of the battle between Sen Yue and Lin Shenghuang had casually wiped the Snow Frost Mountain Range off the map.

When this intelligence reached the army’s rear lines, it immediately caused an uproar.

Everyone knew that Dao Seed Level prodigies were terrifying. The strongest among them could even contend with a Saint for a move or two, managing to survive an encounter.

But no one had a concrete concept of just how powerful a Dao Seed Level prodigy truly was.

Now, a vast, sprawling mountain range had been erased just like that, and innumerable creatures had perished along with it. This directly showed everyone the true meaning of ’Dao Seed’!

Dao Seed!

It was a fantastical, awe-inspiring term, and now the reality of it was sending shockwaves through every corner of the battlefield.

Reactions varied; some were terrified, others were overjoyed.

In an age where Saints no longer walked the mortal plane, for the Dao Seeds to do something like this truly caused a tremendous stir!

’The Snow Frost Mountain Range was wiped out. If I remember correctly, Qingluo was the one who took Fang Yang’s mission and headed straight for the Snow Frost Mountain Range...’

’In other words, Qingluo met Fang Yang’s fated calamity in his stead. Qingluo... he’s dead.’

Hong Qishang’s tone was complex.

Long ago, Hong Qishang had discovered that this Fang Yang fellow had an absurd amount of good luck. His fortune was burgeoning, as radiant as the midday sun.

Basically, anyone who went against Fang Yang never came out on top.

First, Zhang Ye was gravely injured, and now Qingluo had perished...

’Fang Yang is not to be made an enemy!’ Hong Qishang came to this conclusion once more.

「Meanwhile.」

Behind the Thunder Punishment Banner’s Medicine Hall.

Zhang Ye, who was now able to walk again, received the intelligence from the Snow Frost Mountain Range. A thoughtful look entered his eyes. ’I’m afraid Fang Yang now carries the last vestiges of the Fang Clan’s karmic fortune and blessings.’

The concept of karmic fortune was quite common in this world.

Examples included the Great Xuan Dynasty’s fortune dynasty system and the Red Flame Demon Country’s spirit-worshiping rites.

It was even rumored that the Thunder Saint Venerable had ascended to the peak of Tier Nine by repeatedly altering his own destiny, ultimately reaching the world’s absolute zenith and dominating the Eight Domains!

’Looks like I’ll have to avoid confronting Fang Yang for the time being...’ Zhang Ye slowly came to a decision.

He planned to adapt to the circumstances and use them to his advantage.

Once his injuries healed, he would have to temporarily withdraw from his conflict with Fang Yang.

Just because he couldn’t suppress Fang Yang didn’t mean he couldn’t suppress others.

The green mountains do not change, and the clear waters flow forever.

One day, he would return with the force of a thunderbolt and suppress Fang Yang!

「At the same time.」

In a magnificent palace somewhere.

"Dead? Ah Luo is dead?!" Qingmang felt a chill rise from the pit of his stomach and shoot up his spine.

For a moment, Qingmang stood frozen, unable to believe it.

For the first time, he felt a profound chill in his heart.

War was no game. One careless mistake, and a person could really die.

He suddenly realized that rejecting his clan elder’s suggestion to return to the clan early, as Sen Wei and Sen Hui had done, had been rather reckless of him.

But a moment later, he decisively shook off these distracting thoughts.

’It’s just death,’ he thought. ’A descendant of Changkong will never be a coward who clings to life and fears death!’

A resolute look appeared in Qingmang’s eyes. He slowly rose to his feet, his expression as ferocious as a great python.

At the same time, a seed of resentment toward Fang Yang began to grow in his heart. He placed most of the blame for his younger cousin Qingluo’s death squarely on Fang Yang.

In any case, Qingluo’s death was definitely not because he, Qingmang, had failed to properly advise him!

...

「At the same time.」

This intelligence also reached Fang Yang and his group.

As they marveled at the terrifying power of a Dao Seed, everyone wore a different expression.

’Qingluo is dead? Heh... The Venerable One is like a Saint, possessed of all sorts of divine power. Being able to follow him is the greatest fortune of my life!’ Lu Yao was inwardly ecstatic.

’Looks like I won’t need to deal with the Qing family’s older generation. Still, is this the power of a Dao Seed? How terrifying. Can Haozhi and Xiaomin really reach that level? I feel like our hopes still rest on Ah Yang.’ Second Uncle Fang’s heart grew a little heavier.

"Woohoo! Bro, this is awesome, so awesome..." Fang Xuan cheered without a shred of subtlety, prompting Seventh Uncle Fang to quickly clamp a hand over his mouth. This was not something to be celebrated.

"Watch what you say," Fang Yang said, chuckling and shaking his head. He then had his men prepare a few more hot dishes.

After the meal, the night sky was brilliant, with countless stars shining brightly.

Fang Yang took the White Feathered Eagle and strolled across the plains.

Perhaps because everything was going so smoothly, Fang Yang felt a sense of unreality.

Feeling that things were going his way, Fang Yang decided to take the opportunity to practice his killing move again that night.

Celestial Eagle Cross Spear.

A sharp glint flashed in Fang Yang’s eyes as he brandished his spear.

In an instant, the White Feathered Eagle dove of its own accord, merging with the Fire Eagle Illusion.

In the blink of an eye, a nearly tangible Fire Eagle Illusion, about a hundred feet tall, appeared behind Fang Yang.

This Fire Eagle Illusion was so lifelike that its demeanor was an exact match for the White Feathered Eagle’s!

Suddenly, with a flick of his wrist, Fang Yang made the spear shaft hum. A wild, rampant light of fire and lightning flared out in all directions.

Fang Yang swung his spear at a row of stone statues once more, bringing it down with immense force.

At the same time, the Fire Eagle Illusion behind him beat its wings, screeching ceaselessly as it, along with the Fierce Flame Pill Cauldron in his Void Acupoint True Essence Sea, channeled its power into the attack.

BOOM—

The first stone statue was pulverized.

The second, the third... all the way to the fifth!

All five stone statues were reduced to dust, vanishing into thin air.

"You did it! White Feathered Eagle, you’re amazing!" Seventh Uncle Fang applauded, continuously encouraging the White Feathered Eagle.

"Truly extraordinary. That single move is enough to kill a Tier Two Middle Fierce Beast. That’s astonishing." Second Uncle Fang looked slightly surprised, as if seeing the White Feathered Eagle for the first time.

And to be perfectly frank, this was only the initial stage of mastering the killing move; there was still plenty of room for improvement.

For instance, the White Feathered Eagle could grow stronger, a warhorse could provide an additional boost, the Fire Eagle Illusion could evolve...

In terms of pure combat power, Fang Yang now truly possessed the potential of a Tier Seven Saint. At the very least, he surpassed the Carp Eagle Saint at the same age!

’The potential of a Saint, a Great Saint, a Saint Venerable... Ah Yang might not compare to Sen Wei, but this is enough for him to dominate an entire region.’ The more Second Uncle Fang thought about it, the more his heart pounded with excitement.

He desperately wanted to tell Fang Yang about the crisis the Fang Clan was facing, but in the end, he held his tongue.

In the future, Fang Yang would inevitably have to face challenges from all sides on his own. For now, it was best to just let him grow up happy.

"White Feathered Eagle, can you still hold on?"

"KREE! KREE!"

The White Feathered Eagle gave an affirmative response to Fang Yang’s question.

Executing the Celestial Eagle Cross Spear was extremely taxing on the White Feathered Eagle.

Before, it simply lacked the raw power. But now that it was strong enough, the White Feathered Eagle could finally unleash its own unique, dazzling splendor!

"Impressive. I underestimated you," Fang Yang praised without reservation, causing the White Feathered Eagle’s fighting spirit to soar even higher.

For the first time, Fang Yang sensed the White Feathered Eagle’s indomitable will and its powerful ability to endure pain.

Such an extraordinary ability was enough to earn it a higher level of respect from Fang Yang.

With a quality like this, the White Feathered Eagle was definitely not inferior to most Fire Eagles of the same tier.

Before long, Fang Yang disengaged from the Celestial Eagle Cross Spear stance.

Suddenly, the White Feathered Eagle lost its power support. Unaccustomed to the change, it fell from the sky. Just as it was about to hit the ground, a pair of large hands caught it securely.

It was Fang Yang!

"Kree kree..." Feeling the familiar aura before it, the White Feathered Eagle felt like it was the happiest Pet Beast in the world.

Afterward, Fang Yang went a step further, personally carving pieces of roasted lamb for the White Feathered Eagle and even playing the Yimu Guqin. It was the first time he had used his musical healing arts on the eagle, alleviating its fatigue.

Feeling how much Fang Yang valued it, the White Feathered Eagle’s heart leaped with joy.

Throughout the cold winter night, it felt a constant, pleasant warmth in its body.

The White Feathered Eagle remained cheerful all night, so overcome with excitement that it couldn’t fall asleep.

It wasn’t until the early hours of the next morning that the White Feathered Eagle finally fell into a peaceful sleep, a smile on its face.

It was as if to say: ’I finally earned his approval, hehe...’