It was unimaginably huge. A single story is only about three meters high, but this creature was taller than a five-story building.

Li Chengshou was so frightened that he trembled all over and collapsed to his knees. A puddle was already forming beneath him; he had wet himself in terror. The other wastrels were not much better off. Tong Wu fared slightly better, but his face was also deathly pale with fright. Only Yang Qi stood his ground, a faint smile touching his eyes.

GULP!

The elder perched in the great tree also swallowed hard. He had guarded this spot every day for decades, just waiting for the Golden Eagle to leave so he could take the item it was guarding. But he had never expected the Golden Eagle to have grown so large. He had seen it once decades ago when its wingspan was merely seven or eight meters. Even back then, he was no match for it. Now, it was completely out of the question. Its massive talons, which looked like the claws of an excavator, were extremely terrifying.

The Golden Eagle glanced coldly at the elder and suddenly flapped its wings, sending a furious gust of wind his way.

The elder was not weak. Although he cultivated an unconventional path, he still possessed decades of power. Seeing the situation turn against him, he leaped into theair and fled in a panic. The next moment, the tree where he had stood was reduced to dust. He couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath, not daring to linger any longer.

However, after that single attack, the Golden Eagle didn’t pursue him. Instead, it turned its gaze toward Yang Qi, the person closest to it. Seeing this, the elder stopped in the distance to watch, his heart pounding with dread.

"Mr. Yang, we have to run! We stand no chance against this monster!" Tong Wu cried, his face paling in terror and his body trembling uncontrollably.

Yang Qi smiled. If it had been before his breakthrough, he really would not have stood a chance against this monster. Now, however, he had reached the Perfection of the Second Layer of the Body Tempering Stage. He could even defeat a Fourth Rank Overlord with ease.

This Golden Eagle possessed the approximate combat power of a Fifth Rank Overlord. It would be difficult, but not impossible to deal with. After all, he had never used his full strength in any of his previous battles.

To me, this entire Golden Eagle is a treasure. And you want me to leave? Instead of backing down, Yang Qi actually walked forward.

"Li Chengshou, let’s go! This Golden Eagle is no ordinary creature! A mere mortal can’t possibly win against it!" Qi Yan yelled, pulling at Li Chengshou’s arm.

"That’s right, Li Chengshou! Staying here is certain death!"

Li Yang and the others had also wet themselves in fear. At this point, none of them cared who might laugh at them; they were all focused on a single thought: survival. First, they had encountered those wild beasts, and then a pack of wolves had surrounded them. That was frightening enough, but at least it was understandable. But this terrifying Golden Eagle... Is this something that should even exist in the modern world? This is way scarier than any of those monster movies!

They wanted to run, but they simply couldn’t move; their legs were too weak. Their only hope was for their bodyguards to carry them away.

"I’ll test myself against this vile beast!" Tong Wu roared, mustering his courage from some unknown place as he charged forward. "The rest of you, get out of here!"

Yang Qi did not stop him. With Tong Wu’s combat power, he might get hurt, but he won’t die. It’s a good opportunity to temper him, since it’s rare to encounter such an opponent.

BANG!

Tong Wu soared into the air and collided with the Golden Eagle’s talons. The next moment, he was sent flying like a sandbag, crashing heavily to the ground. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, already seriously injured.

"Take Tong Wu further away," Yang Qi said indifferently.

However, Li Chengshou and the others remained frozen. Surprisingly, it was Li Yang who went over, helped Tong Wu up, and started dragging him away.

"Heh, and here I thought you were a coward. It turns out you’re quite loyal when it counts."

Yang Qi smiled and continued forward, a golden longsword now in his hand. He had also entered the Green Emperor Body state.

The Golden Eagle is too strong. Without the Green Emperor Body, I’ll definitely lose. He had just estimated the Golden Eagle’s strength to be that of a Fifth Rank Overlord, but seeing the result of Tong Wu’s attack, he realized he had probably underestimated it.

A Sixth Rank Overlord? Or maybe even a Seventh Rank Overlord? No, I have to increase my combat power even more!

Yang Qi took out an Elixir known as a Bursting Qi Pill. It could significantly increase combat power for a short period, but the downside was that afterward, he would lose all of his combat power for a lengthy period.

He glanced at the elder in the distance and decided not to consume it just yet. The effects of the Bursting Qi Pill don’t last long, and the side effects are severe. If I don’t deal with that old man first, he’ll definitely be a threat later. It’s better to save it for a critical moment.

"Is that guy going to get himself killed?" Li Yang asked Tong Wu in confusion.

"I don’t know," Tong Wu said, shaking his head. He swallowed the Healing Pill Yang Qi had given him and began to recover. I have to recover as quickly as possible. Maybe I can still help him.

"What a lunatic," the others muttered, shaking their heads. Shouldn’t he be getting as far away from that Golden Eagle as possible? Why is he rushing to his death?

Qi Yan frowned, noticing that something was different about the young man. Before, he had seemed like an ordinary person. But now, he projected a strange and unique aura, as sharp as an unsheathed sword. It was staggering!

"Let’s go! Forget about that maniac! Li Chengshou, Li Yang, are you coming or not?" one of the other young masters urged. They all thought Yang Qi was completely insane; following him would only lead to their deaths.

"I’ll wait a little longer," Li Yang said, shaking his head. As if possessed, he decided to stay and watch.

Li Chengshou didn’t plan to leave either. He hadn’t forgotten why he’d come to the mountains in the first place. If I run away just because of a little trouble, wouldn’t that be utterly pathetic?

"Mr. Qi, if Yang Qi dies, take me away immediately. No need to linger," Li Chengshou secretly told Qi Yan and his bodyguards.

Yang Qi was oblivious to all this. He stood beneath the Golden Eagle, a greedy glint in his eyes. The Golden Eagle wanted to kill him, and he just as eagerly wanted to kill it.

This Golden Eagle has lived for at least a hundred years, consuming Spiritual Medicine to constantly strengthen its body. It has even developed Spiritual Wisdom. While it can’t compare to a human, it’s far more intelligent than any ordinary animal. From Tong Wu’s attack, I can tell its entire body is incredibly tough, like steel. And judging from its attack on the old man, it can clearly control the Wind Element. It turned a hundred-year-old tree into dust... The power of that attack is terrifyingly immense.

SCREECH!

Yang Qi stared at the Golden Eagle, and the Golden Eagle stared back at him.

Suddenly, the Golden Eagle moved. It rushed towards Yang Qi with extreme speed, its sharp claws viciously aiming for his head.

Tong Wu was so tense that he had forgotten about healing.

In the distance, the elder’s lips curled into a sinister smile. That kid looks like he’s barely in his twenties. How could he possibly be a match for this Golden Eagle? I’m over seventy and have only just reached the Fifth Rank Overlord Realm, yet I’m still no match for it!

DONG!

A loud sound rang out, like a bell tolling from within an ancient forest!

The death knell of Destruction!

It was followed by a rampage of destructive energy.