The early morning was dim and shrouded in a thin mist.

Abundant moisture rose from the Guan River and spread in all directions, wrapping Guan River Cloud Island in a hazy, dreamlike fog.

Under these conditions, Fang Yang, along with his White Feathered Eagle and ten other Flying Eagles, continued his journey to the Guan River Festival.

He still didn’t know if the Bloodline Power evolving within the White Feathered Eagle was the Cold Radiance Flame.

But even if it wasn’t, this proved that the White Feathered Eagle truly could grow stronger through continuous battle.

Moreover, Fang Yang planned to take first place in this Guan River Festival.

Only then could he obtain that Tier Four opportunity.

RUMBLE—

The early morning Guan River surged with turbulent, monstrous waves, like a giant, ferocious azure flood dragon.

Following the same path as yesterday, Fang Yang once again began exploring the Tier One region.

It was worth noting that even in the early morning, many Cultivators had come to the Guan River to harvest Jar Grass.

He could even see that many of them had bloodshot eyes. They had clearly pulled an all-nighter.

It made sense. For an ordinary Cultivator, the Guan River Festival was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Every extra Jar Grass they obtained might contain a Spirit Fish, spirit insect, or Spirit Grass, which could drastically improve their living conditions.

Disciples of the Golden Clan like Fang Yang, who never had to worry about food, clothing, or basic cultivation resources, were a rare minority.

SCREEE—

The White Feathered Eagle, Black Water Eagles, and other Flying Eagles soared on beating wings, snatching up Jar Grass one by one.

Their movements were so swift that they couldn’t help but draw the gazes of others.

But the moment they recognized the birds’ master as Fang Yang, the faces of the people who had been harvesting Jar Grass there changed dramatically.

They scrambled to get away, fleeing as if Fang Yang were some Great Demon.

Fang Yang’s expression remained calm in the face of their reaction.

He knew that after yesterday’s battles, the White Feathered Eagle’s fearsome reputation had spread far and wide, making people’s faces pale at the mere mention of it.

Fang Yang continued to crack open the Jar Grass, seeing what treasures he could find.

’Tier One... worthless... Tier One... worthless... Still nothing Tier Two or higher...’ A sigh escaped his lips.

It made sense. The Tier One region was, after all, the Tier One region. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Finding a Tier Two Spirit Fish or spirit insect here was already incredibly rare.

If he wanted to obtain higher-tiered treasures, he would have to go to the Tier Two and Tier Three regions.

But the White Feathered Eagle was only Tier One, so it didn’t even qualify for entry.

’A change in quantity leads to a change in quality. Being unrivaled in the Tier One region isn’t so bad,’ Fang Yang thought, glancing at the White Feathered Eagle in the distance.

He set off at once, pressing onward under the guard of his flock of eagles in search of more Jar Grass to secure first place.

The sun slowly rose.

Rays of dawn pierced through the mist, making the objects on both banks of the Guan River increasingly clear.

Using the White Feathered Eagle’s vision, Fang Yang advanced at a steady, unhurried pace.

Suddenly, he stopped and gazed ahead.

Up ahead, Chen Ying and her Purple Star Rabbit Pet Beasts were being attacked by a ferocious Flying Tiger Fierce Beast.

Notably, the Flying Tiger was alone; it seemed to be a wild Fierce Beast.

’Chen Ying... heh, what a coincidence,’ Fang Yang thought to himself.

For a moment, Fang Yang wondered if Chen Ying had set this up as a trap to lure him in.

But on second thought, he decided that wasn’t it.

For one, Chen Ying didn’t know his movements.

For another, she was an extremely proud young woman and wouldn’t resort to such tactics.

ROAR— As if sensing a threat from behind, the Flying Tiger whipped its head around and roared at the White Feathered Eagle.

Chen Ying followed its gaze and immediately spotted Fang Yang.

For some reason, a trace of awkwardness flashed across Chen Ying’s beautiful face.

Her situation was dire, but she hadn’t reached a dead end yet. She still had trump cards she hadn’t played.

Still, to be seen in such a sorry state by someone like Fang Yang, with whom she’d shared an ambiguous past, made Chen Ying feel a little embarrassed.

Fang Yang, however, paid little attention to Chen Ying. Watching the Flying Tiger take the initiative to attack his White Feathered Eagle, he couldn’t help but sneer.

A foul, stinking wind rushed toward them.

A cold glint flashed in the White Feathered Eagle’s eyes. With a powerful beat of its wings, it transformed into a streak of flame and shot through the air.

SPLAT!

The next moment, the Flying Tiger was sent flying backward, its entire head smashed and scorched.

The Flying Tiger crashed into the river with even greater force than its attack, sending up a huge splash before falling completely silent.

The same Flying Tiger that had pushed Chen Ying into such an awkward position was effortlessly obliterated by the White Feathered Eagle.

"Fang Yang..." Chen Ying wanted to say something, but she could only watch as he left, heading for the deeper regions.

Seeing his cold attitude and recalling their happy, laughter-filled days at the academy, Chen Ying felt a strange pang in her chest, as if Fang Yang had seized her heart, making it painful to breathe.

As Fang Yang’s figure grew fainter in the distance, Chen Ying, as if possessed, found herself following him.

...

In the depths of the Guan River, the waves rolled and crashed with a thunderous roar, as if the river were flowing into the sea.

The grassy banks were soaked by the river’s spray.

Every so often, a giant wave would rise up and sweep over the banks, dragging everything on them into the water.

Only the absolute strongest could remain here.

’She’s following me... Why is she still following me? What does she want?’ Fang Yang thought in confusion, glancing back as if he didn’t care.

Behind him, Chen Ying maintained a relatively suitable distance, sometimes falling back, sometimes catching up.

Her behavior surprised Fang Yang.

In his memory, Chen Ying had never been this type of girl. It was very strange.

Before long, Fang Yang and his Flying Eagles arrived in the depths of the Guan River.

"Leader Fang." Up ahead, Chen Xing took the initiative to step forward and salute Fang Yang with cupped fists.

At this point, Chen Xing no longer had any thought of competing with Fang Yang in the Way of Enslavement.

The White Feathered Eagle’s brutality had become a widespread tale.

Under Fang Yang’s gaze, Chen Xing voluntarily left behind all the Jar Grass he had collected that day and turned to leave.

"..." Fang Yang fell silent as he looked at the pile of Jar Grass.

In truth, while his personality was a bit cold, he wasn’t that domineering.

Most importantly, his current status was that of someone on the righteous path; there was no need to focus solely on immediate gains.

A relatively decent reputation could benefit him far more in the long run.

It was just that everyone seemed to have a bit of a misunderstanding about him.

’As expected of Ah Yang. A single glance is all it takes to make Chen Xing submit,’ Chen Ying thought from behind, the corners of her lips curling up. She felt a sense of shared glory.

After Chen Xing’s departure, Fang Yang continued onward.

This time, he saw Dongfang Xuezhi.

Dongfang Xuezhi, the runner-up in the Dongfang Race’s grand competition, her strength second only to Dongfang Moran’s.

She was a woman of exceptional talent and powerful methods.

But when Dongfang Xuezhi saw Fang Yang, she sighed.

As if resigning herself to her fate, she left behind a pile of Jar Grass and departed.

’Hmph, hmph. At least you know your place,’ Chen Ying snorted, watching Dongfang Xuezhi’s retreating back.

Basically, wherever Fang Yang went, people would voluntarily leave their Jar Grass and retreat.

Fang Yang’s fearsome reputation had truly spread far and wide, causing the young prodigies to lose the arrogant ambition they’d had when they were all vying for supremacy.

The more she followed in Fang Yang’s footsteps, the more Chen Ying felt that this was how things were supposed to be.

It was as if she had returned to those wonderful times at the academy, when she and Fang Yang had joined forces to dominate everyone!

THUMP...

THUMP-THUMP...

Chen Ying gazed at Fang Yang’s stern figure, her heart pounding in her chest.

The feeling that had laid dormant for over a year surged back into her heart.

Yes, this feeling was right.

Or rather, she had always been drawn to this feeling.

It was just that, after more than a year with no contact, she had gradually forgotten it.

Now that the memory of it came flooding back, she was suddenly overcome with the desire to once again become close comrades-in-arms with Fang Yang, to join forces against their peers and reign supreme!