Chapter 49: Who Killed the Flying Eagle

“Don't let him escape! His strength is declining!”

Jiang Baishan's eyes lit up as he caught on to the clue; the man's state was off, and his Astral Qi no longer possessed the fierce momentum it had moments ago.

With a cold gaze, he charged forward, his longsword entwined with Astral Essence.

This man had appeared out of nowhere, and his intentions had to be clarified. It would be best to capture him; otherwise, his constant surveillance of the Zhenwu Sect from the shadows would make it impossible for anyone to rest easy.

Strike while the iron is hot.

The disciples of the Zhenwu Sect all understood this principle.

The martial arts practiced by the several true disciples originated from the same source. Although they had not yet reached the ultimate realm of the "Nine Great Celestial Martial Saints," their coordination at this moment actually allowed them to suppress the declining Tie Long.

Tie Long was consumed by fury.

If it weren't for the backlash of the Heart-Linking Gu and his lack of desire to continue the fight, how could he be humiliated by these Zhenwu Sect brats?

At this moment, since Tie Ying was already dead in the Scripture Pavilion, he no longer cared about concealing his ultimate techniques.

He swung a palm strike.

The Astral Qi surged like a dragon, roaring with mad fury, crashing toward Ye Qinghe with staggering power.

Jiang Baishan's expression changed. He immediately flashed forward to intercept the raging dragon-like Astral Qi, unleashing a rain of sword qi that finally shattered the force.

Xiong Shi recognized Tie Long's identity and shouted angrily

"River Dragon! You are the River Dragon of the Three Terrors of Tieling!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was shocked.

The Three Terrors of Tieling were famous, and they had naturally heard of them. However, what they feared most was not their individual strength, but the fact that the three were always inseparable. This meant that three full Astral Essence Realm experts had stormed Mount Zhenwu.

At this thought, everyone's hearts raced. They looked around warily, not daring to pursue.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Tie Long quickly put distance between himself and the others.

He cast a cold glance at Jiang Baishan and the rest but said nothing.

Just then, a burly figure shot in from the distance, roaring

"Boss, I'm here to support you! How did Second Brother die?"

His eyes were bloodshot, like a predatory beast. He immediately revealed his identity to the Zhenwu Sect members: the Ground Tiger, Tie Hu. However, what Tie Hu said left everyone stunned.

The second of the Three Terrors of Tieling, the Flying Eagle, was dead?

Tie Long roared

"You idiot, we've been set up! Let's go, now!"

He didn't bother to explain.

Leading the way, he charged toward the foot of the mountain. Tie Hu, who had just arrived to support him, froze in place. He looked into the distance with resentment, stomped his foot, and turned to follow.

The members of the Zhenwu Sect did not dare to act rashly.

After all, who knew if the Flying Eagle was truly dead? If it were a trap, pursuing them would be walking straight into their hands. Furthermore, even if he were truly dead, the remaining two Astral Essence Realm experts were not people they could easily chase down.

Tie Long and Tie Hu raced through the mountain forests. It wasn't until they had traveled a great distance that Tie Long finally stopped to catch his breath.

"Damn it!"

He slammed a fist violently into a tree, leaving a crater.

Tie Hu said resentfully, "Boss, what exactly happened? It was just those brats; what was there to fear from the two of us? How did Second Brother die?"

Tie Long turned his head and said fiercely, "We were set up by that man surnamed Wang. The Zhenwu Sect has more than just Jiang Baishan in the Astral Essence Realm; there is likely a hidden expert!"

"I drew everyone's attention just now so Second Brother could sneak into the Scripture Pavilion during the chaos. But only a moment later, the Heart-Linking Gu began to backlash. Do you know what that means? Second Brother was easily slaughtered by that hidden expert!"

"I even suspect that the person is the Old Taoist of Longshan. He hasn't been in secluded cultivation at all; he might be using this opportunity to fish!"

As the truth dawned on him, Tie Hu's pupils shrank. He hesitated and said, "It couldn't be the Old Taoist of Longshan, could it? Otherwise, the two of us wouldn't have escaped so smoothly, and that hidden expert wouldn't have pursued us. Perhaps... the person in the shadows isn't that strong, and Second Brother was just careless?"

Tie Long thought it over and found that Tie Hu had some point; he was indeed acting like a startled bird. But he immediately countered

"Even if it isn't the Old Taoist of Longshan, the person in the shadows is definitely not simple. Second Brother was always cautious; he wouldn't be caught off guard so easily."

"Regardless, today's matter ends here. Now that our identities are exposed, we must leave Qingzhou immediately. Otherwise, if the Old Taoist of Longshan comes looking for revenge in the future, the two of us won't be able to withstand him!"

Tie Hu was full of resentment as he looked back toward the mountain

"But my Tyrant Tiger True Intent..."

Tie Long rebuked him, "Don't lose the big picture for something small. If you go back now, aren't you just walking into a trap?"

Tie Hu fell silent.

Tie Long patted Tie Hu's shoulder to comfort him. "A-Hu, it's just the two of us from now on. Big Brother promises you, this isn't over. Once we hide in other provinces for a few years, a gentleman's revenge is never too late. When we break through to the Jade Liquid Realm or even the Yuan Dan Realm, we will come back to avenge Second Brother!"

Tie Hu responded in a muffled voice, "Yes, Big Brother."

But inwardly, he was displeased. If his own Tyrant Tiger True Intent had been lost, his Big Brother likely wouldn't be so rational. After all, it wasn't his own loss. He scratched his back, feeling the protruding patterns, feeling somewhat agitated.

After resting for a moment, the two figures gradually faded into the distance.

...

Meanwhile, at the Zhenwu Sect martial arts field.

Jiang Baishan, Xiong Shi, and the others remained on high alert. The firelight illuminated the surroundings clearly to ensure no enemy would strike from the shadows.

"Why would the Three Terrors of Tieling suddenly attack our Zhenwu Sect?"

"Those two just now should have been the River Dragon Tie Long and the Ground Tiger Tie Hu. There was no third person. Could the Flying Eagle, Tie Ying, really be dead? If he is, who killed him?"

Questions flooded the minds of everyone present.

By the time Ning Qi approached the martial arts field, he had already discerned the identities of the intruders from the disciples' low whispers.

"The Three Terrors of Tieling? Could it be that the one who just died by my hand was the Flying Eagle?" Ning Qi pondered.

"Should I go down the mountain now to pursue them and wipe them all out?"

The thought arose, but Ning Qi quickly dismissed it.

He didn't know if the enemies were limited to the Three Terrors of Tieling. If he went to pursue them and someone else attacked the sect, he would regret it. It was better to stay on the mountain and protect everyone.

Furthermore, in the deep mountains at night, he might not be able to catch them; falling into an ambush would be even worse.

In the shadows, Ning Qi used the Bone-Shifting Technique to return to his original appearance and stepped out.

Ye Qinghe immediately noticed Ning Qi approaching with his sword on his back.

"Xiao Jiu, why are you here?" she scolded. "Invaders are attacking; how can you wander around? If you run into an enemy, wouldn't that be terrible?"

Ning Qi said softly, "I heard the commotion and wanted to come help my Senior Brothers and Sisters."

The others felt relieved, but still said, "If this happens again, Xiao Jiu, just hide well. Leave the rest to us."

Although they knew Ning Qi's talent was extraordinary and surpassed his peers, he was still young; he likely couldn't intervene in battles of this level.

While they were on guard, a disciple's shout came from the distance

"Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Sister! We found traces of a fight over here, and a corpse!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's spirits surged.