78: Chapter 78 Peril on the Return Journey

Lin Muchen stepped out of the cave, his shadow stretched long by the setting sun.

He glanced toward the depths of the Vast Mountain Range and walked away without looking back.

This trip had been worth it.

"System, return to the Sect according to the planned route."

[Route locked.]

[Thirty miles ahead, you will pass through 'Eagle-Fall Ravine'. The terrain is treacherous; rapid passage is advised.]

"Eagle-Fall Ravine? Doesn't sound like a pleasant place."

Lin Muchen quickened his pace.

Thirty miles was not far for a Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator.

He arrived just as night was about to fall.

Before him was a bottomless mountain ravine with steep cliffs on both sides, joined only by a plank path as narrow as an intestine.

Wind whistled up from below, carrying a fishy stench.

"This place..."

Lin Muchen narrowed his eyes.

A System window suddenly popped up.

[Warning: Strong Yao Beast aura fluctuations detected ahead.]

[Species: Iron Claw Eagle (Third-Rank Peak).]

[Status: Injured, manic state.]

[Threat Level: High.]

"Third-Rank Peak?"

Lin Muchen's heart tightened.

This creature was equivalent to a human Cultivator at the Late Stage or even Perfection of Foundation Establishment. Even if injured, it wasn't something to provoke lightly.

"Can I bypass it?"

[Analyzing terrain...]

[Detouring would add two days to the journey and require crossing another Yao Beast gathering area.]

[Recommendation: Pass through Eagle-Fall Ravine quickly. The Iron Claw Eagle is in an abnormal state and may not have the capacity to monitor the lower passage.]

"Fine, let's go!"

Lin Muchen didn't hesitate, instantly activating his Five Elements Body Protection Aura.

A five-colored light barrier enveloped his entire body.

He kicked off the ground and charged directly onto the plank path.

The path was truly narrow—only half a meter wide—with a pitch-black abyss of unknown depth below.

Lin Muchen ran at full speed.

He was halfway across when—

Screech—!

A sharp eagle cry exploded from above.

Lin Muchen looked up.

A giant eagle with a wingspan of over five meters was diving from the cliff top, its two claws like iron hooks gleaming with a cold light.

Crucially, the eagle had several wounds on its body, its feathers stained red with blood, and its eyes were terrifyingly bloodshot.

"Holy crap, is it coming for me?"

Lin Muchen cursed.

The Iron Claw Eagle was incredibly fast, reaching him in the blink of an eye.

Those iron claws lunged directly for his head.

"Dodge!"

Lin Muchen rolled to the side.

Crack!

A large section of the path's wooden boards was shattered by the eagle's claws, sending splinters flying.

Missing its strike, the Iron Claw Eagle flapped its wings and ascended to circle again, preparing for another pass.

"System, isn't this thing injured? Why is it still so fierce?"

[Analysis: The Iron Claw Eagle is heavily injured due to a territorial dispute and is in an extremely manic state. Its aggressiveness is higher than usual.]

[Weakness: Old injury at the base of the left wing; flight posture is slightly unbalanced.]

"An old injury..."

Lin Muchen stared at the frenzied giant eagle in the air.

The Iron Claw Eagle dove again.

This time, both claws struck out simultaneously, accompanied by sharp wind blades.

Lin Muchen didn't take the hit head-on.

A line from the Water Cloud Art suddenly flashed through his mind: "Water has no constant shape, clouds have no fixed form; neutralizing hardness with softness is the superior strategy."

"Let's try it!"

Lin Muchen mobilized the Water Element spiritual energy in his Dantian.

The cool spiritual energy surged into his hands.

The Iron Claw Eagle's talons reached his face.

Lin Muchen raised his hands, not to block firmly, but to brush them aside like parting mist.

The Water Element spiritual energy traced light blue arcs in the air.

Something miraculous happened.

The force of the Iron Claw Eagle's ferocious pounce seemed to be mostly diverted away.

The claws grazed Lin Muchen's shoulder, only tearing his clothes without harming the flesh.

"It works!"

Lin Muchen's eyes lit up.

This "Cloud Transformation" method of neutralizing force was much more efficient than tanking it head-on.

The Iron Claw Eagle grew even more enraged.

It flapped its wings violently, sending a dozen wind blades crashing down toward him.

Lin Muchen fully unleashed his Five Elements Body Protection Aura.

The five-colored light barrier tanked the wind blades, producing muffled "thud thud thud" sounds.

The barrier shook but did not break.

"My turn!"

Lin Muchen timed the Iron Claw Eagle's next dive perfectly.

This time, he didn't dodge.

"Metal and Fire conflict; I'll use them to break through your defense, you feathered beast!"

Inside his Dantian, the Metal Element Node and the Fire Element Node lit up simultaneously.

Metal generates Water, but Metal also counters Wood—though that wasn't what Lin Muchen was after.

He wanted the sharpness of the Metal Element combined with the explosive power of the Fire Element.

"Slash!"

Lin Muchen pointed his right hand like a sword, and a platinum-colored Sword Qi shot out.

The Sword Qi was also wrapped in a trace of crimson flame.

The Iron Claw Eagle sensed the danger and tried to dodge.

But the old injury on its left wing made its movement a fraction of a second too slow.

Pfft!

The Sword Qi accurately hit the wound at the base of its left wing.

Blood sprayed out.

The Iron Claw Eagle shrieked in pain, its body tilting in the air as it nearly plummeted.

It glared at Lin Muchen with bloodshot eyes, flapped its wings desperately to stabilize itself, and then flew away toward the other side of the ravine without looking back.

"It ran away?"

Lin Muchen breathed a sigh of relief.

That last move had taken quite a bit out of him.

[Combat ended.]

[Settlement: Repelled a Third-Rank Peak Yao Beast, Iron Claw Eagle.]

[points +500.]

[Current points: 10,174.]

"Five hundred points, not bad."

Lin Muchen wiped away his sweat.

He looked in the direction the Iron Claw Eagle had flown.

"System, is its nest over there?"

[Scanning...]

[Based on flight trajectory and residual aura analysis, the Iron Claw Eagle's nest is located halfway up the eastern cliff of Eagle-Fall Ravine.]

[Weak energy reactions detected within the nest; resources may be hidden there.]

"Resources, huh..."

Lin Muchen was slightly tempted.

But he looked at the time and the steep cliffs.

"Forget it, I won't chase it."

"That eagle is injured, but if I push it to a desperate fight, I might not come out on top."

"Better to leave this gods-forsaken place first."

He didn't linger, quickly crossing the rest of Eagle-Fall Ravine along the plank path.

After traveling another twenty miles, it became completely dark.

Lin Muchen found a sheltered hollow in the mountains, cleared a space, and started a campfire.

Once he sat down, he felt his arms aching slightly.

The battle just now hadn't been long, but it was high intensity.

"System, pull up the data analysis of the previous battle."

[Combat Data Analysis:]

[Five Elements Body Protection Aura sustained 37 attacks, 82% integrity remaining; defensive performance: excellent.]

[Water Element 'Cloud Transformation' neutralization usage: 3 times; average neutralization efficiency: 41.5%.]

[Metal-Fire Composite Sword Qi consumption: 12% total spiritual energy; hit weakness, caused severe damage.]

[Overall Evaluation: Rational tactical application, precise targeting of weaknesses.]

[Area for optimization: Cloud Transformation neutralization proficiency is insufficient.]

"Only 41.5% efficiency for Cloud Transformation..."

Lin Muchen pondered.

"But for a first attempt, being able to shed forty percent of the force is already pretty good."

"Once I get back and practice more to master this move, it'll save a lot of effort in close combat."

He took out some dry rations and chewed on them.

He replayed the Iron Claw Eagle's fighting style in his mind.

"A Third-Rank Peak Yao Beast is indeed fierce."

"If it hadn't already been injured, I probably would have had to use more of my trump cards to repel it."

"This cultivation world is full of dangers everywhere."

Lin Muchen shook his head and stopped overthinking.

He sank his consciousness into his Dantian and looked at the Origin Star.

Night had fallen on the Chen Tribe, with campfires dotting the landscape.

Everything was normal.

"When I get back and my points exceed ten thousand, I'll handle the water network optimization first."

"The 'Water Vein Circulation' concept in the Water Cloud Art sounds reliable."

He withdrew from his Dantian and added a piece of wood to the fire.

The firelight reflected on his face.

"Continuing the journey tomorrow."

"Hopefully, I won't run into any more crazed Yao Beasts."

Lin Muchen leaned against a rock and closed his eyes.

The night wind blew through the hollow, carrying the distant howls of unknown Yao Beasts.

His fingers twitched, and the star dagger slid from his Storage Pouch into his palm.

He gripped it tight.

Only then did he truly fall asleep.