Gradually, more and more cracks appeared on the stone gate, and it seemed on the verge of being shattered.
But suddenly, a clear, sharp eagle's cry echoed from the distance.
The faces of the Cloud and Mist disciples attacking the gate changed drastically.
"That giant eagle!" one cried out in terror. "The giant eagle that tore apart the Grand Elder!"
It was no wonder they panicked. Previously, led by Huo Xianglan, they had been exploring the Hidden Island and had gathered quite a few treasures. A few days ago, they had unexpectedly discovered a nest on a sheer cliff, containing an unhatched eaglet.
Though young, the eaglet was already remarkably majestic, clearly indicating it was a high-level demon beast.
Huo Xianglan, delighted by her discovery, had flown up and captured the young bird, intending to raise it. Who knew this would cause a disaster of immense proportions? Less than half a day after capturing the eaglet, its parents had arrived—two enormous, terrifying giant eagles, their strength at least at the sixth rank.
Though Huo Xianglan was a Shenyou Realm expert who might barely handle one giant eagle, the two were enraged at the abduction of their offspring and attacked together. Huo Xianglan managed to hold on for less than half an hour before being torn apart alive.
At the time, Yu Xiuping and the others were so scared their souls nearly fled their bodies. They hid in the woods, not daring to show themselves, let alone assist. After the giant eagles had torn Huo Xianglan apart, they circled in the sky for a long while before finally departing.
Yu Xiuping and his companions thought they had escaped, but they never imagined these creatures were so vengeful. They had tracked them down today.
At the sound of the eagle's cry, Yu Xiuping and his group broke into a cold sweat. Moments later, another cry answered from the distance. Looking towards the east and west, they saw two black dots rapidly approaching.
"Quick, break open this stone gate!" Yu Xiuping screamed in terror. "Or we're all dead!"
Two sixth-rank demon beasts—against their Zhenyuan Realm strength, they stood no chance. Once caught, it was certain death.
They didn't need Yu Xiuping to tell them. The remaining disciples attacked the gate with all their might, pushing themselves to the limit. But while the cracks on the stone gate multiplied, it still stood firmly before them, blocking their path.
As the giant eagles closed in rapidly, one Zhenyuan Realm expert couldn't withstand the pressure of impending death. He quickly used his movement technique and fled downwards.
"Come back! Junior Brother Zhang, come back!" Yu Xiuping roared. "Just a little more effort, and we can break through this gate and take shelter inside! Where do you think you can run?"
That Junior Brother Zhang had no intention of staying. With wind at his heels, he fled downwards as if his life depended on it.
Seeing no hope already, the others were demoralized by Junior Brother Zhang's actions. Another immediately lost his nerve, saying urgently, "We should run! This gate won't be broken anytime soon. If we run now, we might still have a chance!"
With that, he too hurriedly fled downwards.
They were already short-handed, and suddenly losing two more made the situation look even more hopeless. The others stomped their feet in frustration before scattering and fleeing for their lives.
Yang Kai kept himself hidden, completely still, not daring to move.
He cautiously lifted his eyes to look. Two giant eagles soon appeared in the sky. Even from several hundred zhang away, their majestic and imposing forms were clear. If they landed nearby, Yang Kai estimated they would be at least seven or eight zhang long.
Their sharp eagle eyes fixed on the fleeing Cloud and Mist disciples below. One of them dove straight down.
Soon, a shrill scream of agony echoed from afar, reaching Yang Kai's ears and sending a chill through his heart. To the Cloud and Mist warriors, it filled them with dread.
They knew another person had fallen to the giant eagles' claws.
Almost as the first scream faded, another tragic cry rang out.
A second person was killed by the giant eagles.
Zhenyuan Realm experts, before these sky-dominating beasts of the sixth rank, were as fragile as newborn infants, utterly powerless to resist.
Yang Kai didn't dare make any rash movements. He remained prone in his hiding spot for an entire day. Only after confirming that both the giant eagles and the Cloud and Mist group were long gone did he cautiously slip out from his cover.
His face was pale with lingering fear.
*Thank goodness I didn't rely on the Wings of the Scorching Sun to fly around,* he thought. *If I had bumped into those two giant eagles, it would likely have been the end of me.*
Frowning, he approached the stone gate. Looking at the network of cracks, he circulated his Yuan Qi and threw a punch.
The gate trembled, the cracks becoming denser. The faint, shimmering light that had previously wafted from it was now gone, replaced by an air of exhaustion, as if its energy was nearly spent.
Sensing this, Yang Kai's spirit surged. He unleashed a flurry of fierce punches against the stone gate.
Yet after hundreds of blows, the gate remained unchanged, utterly refusing to shatter.
"Strange," Yang Kai muttered, his brow furrowed in thought.
He pondered for a moment, then called out inwardly. After waiting for quite some time, a buzzing sound approached—the swarm of peculiar insects that had been following him.
These creatures had been trailing not far behind Yang Kai the entire time. He had planned to summon them for assistance if any danger arose, but hadn't needed them until now.