The divine eagle spread its wings with unparalleled speed; they flew for a full day and night, crossing beyond the borders of the Red Sun Empire. Further ahead, the land was sparsely populated, dotted only with towering mountain ranges layered upon one another.
“Hasn’t it arrived yet?” Master Xuan asked curiously.
“Haha, we’re almost there! This is already the edge of the continent. If we keep moving forward, we’ll enter the Land of Western Beasts,” said Aoba.
At this point, they entered a vast yellow desert stretching over three hundred miles. The Divine Eagle flew swiftly, crossing the desert in the blink of an eye before entering a realm of towering mountains and steep cliffs—where perilous peaks and precipitous rock faces were everywhere.
“Is this really the legendary Western world? It’s quite different from what I imagined,” said Master Xuan. “That desert is too small; although these cliffs are steep, they’re not impossible to climb, and I didn’t see the black desert mentioned in legends.” “Ha ha, the Black Desert lies behind those mountains—but those mountains aren’t the ones before us. They tower into the clouds, with fierce winds that never cease throughout the year. These winds have shaped the rugged peaks into giant blades piercing the sky, carrying deadly black sand that makes them extremely perilous,” Qingye remarked.
“Oh, you must have been there, right?” Master Xuan asked curiously.
“I have no interest in that place, and I deeply value my life,” Qingye said. “Xuan Shi, even though you have attained the cultivation level of a Divine Swordmaster, I urge you to abandon that idea.” At that moment, the divine eagle landed between the two mountain peaks; Qingye and Xuan Shi descended from its back, while the eagle soared away with a loud cry.
“Haha, look—this is the child. I’m handing him over to you; be careful. I suggest you give him a good beating before setting him down. This kid only obeys those who are strong. Under no circumstances should you try to reason with him. While you can still overpower him, subdue him completely,” Qingye said, pointing toward the sky.
The mystic looked up and saw a child suspended between the two peaks. Four green vines extended from each high peak, each wrapping around the child’s hands and feet, suspending him upside down in a figure resembling the character’ da’ between the mountains.
The boy had wild, disheveled hair and wore a rough yet sturdy black fur coat; a knife was tightly strapped around his waist. His eyes were closed, as if he were asleep, completely oblivious to the mountain wind that swept him back and forth.
“Is that really Ye Yu? This is utterly cruel!” Master Xuan couldn’t help feeling compassion for him.
“Haha, this is a fierce beast with sharp teeth and claws—how could it be docile otherwise? By the way, before I left, I forced him to eat a drunken fruit; he’ll probably take another half hour to wake up. If he sees that I’m the one who brought you, things could get serious. So I need to leave now, and I must also take the Divine Eagle with me, or it will reveal what happened. You must exercise extreme caution here,” Qingye said.
“Hey, you haven’t told me exactly what to do yet,” said Master Xuan. “Moreover, I’m very worried about Second Brother Qingxuan and my child.” “Good things come with divine guidance; you can rest assured. If you want to know the fate of your second brother and the Red Sun Empire, send Ye Yu to the continent. Of course, before that, you must properly train him—at least make sure he is polite. Remember, never show leniency or softness.” After saying this, Qingye let out a long cry into the air, and in an instant, two large birds—one black and one white—flew toward him from the sky.
Upon closer inspection, the mystic realized it was indeed the divine eagle that had brought them along—the black bird. The eagle let out continuous cries of distress as it was pursued, grabbed, and pecked by a much smaller white bird; though exceptionally handsome, it appeared utterly terrified of the white bird.
“Haha, Divine Eagle—don’t even think of escaping from my grasp. Just follow me south honestly, and your master will come to retrieve you later. Xiao Feng, please spare it,” Qingye said with a smile.
The two divine birds descended from the sky. The mystic gazed at the white bird, which displayed an utterly arrogant demeanor, showing no respect whatsoever for the divine swordsman before it. The bird was entirely snow-white with gleaming feathers; it raised its head and looked around. The black divine eagle merely lifted its gaze toward the Night Feather suspended in midair, occasionally calling out a few times as if asking something.
“This white bird resembles an eagle yet isn’t one; its gaze is so sharp—what kind of divine bird could it possibly be?” the mystic wondered curiously, though he hesitated to ask directly. If Qingye had anything to say, he would naturally inform him.
“Master Xuan, this child will be a great burden to you. He holds deep prejudices against me, and my magic is simply not suited to him—he only enjoys martial arts. As long as you can persuade him through force of arms, he will naturally respect you. Time is short; I must leave now.” With that, Qingye pulled out a green vine from his sleeve and tied it around the back of the Divine Eagle. Then he shouted loudly; the eagle reluctantly spread its wings and soared high, circling Night Feather three times in the air before flying away, with the white bird following closely behind.
As he passed through that desert, Qingye leaped down from the back of the Divine Eagle and fell into the yellow sand. Facing the rolling sands, he punctured his finger, and blood dripped into the sand. “The seeds dormant deep within the earth—listen to my call and seal this land for me. From here on, sever all connections with the continent. In the name of the Divine Messenger Qingye, block any creature attempting to cross this passage, awaiting my next command,” he murmured.
Clouds from all directions converged and transformed into rain. Green seedlings sprouted from the parched sand, growing rapidly until their leaves rose high into the sky. Mounting divine eagles, they let out a gentle cry; two sacred birds—one black, one white—spanned the heavens and flew straight southward.
Behind them, the desert was being consumed by rapidly expanding vegetation; towering trees rose from the ground, forming a mysterious forest stretching three hundred li wide and seemingly endless in length, completely severing the connection between Western life and the continent—like a green ribbon drawn across the land.
The mystic master waited quietly below. The mysterious Qingye kept appearing in his mind—a figure he had never heard of, capable of commanding divine beasts. Moreover, what was Ye Yu’s true origin, and what connection did he have with Qingye? Overwhelmed by questions, the master watched as Ye Yu opened his eyes from mid-air. Having been suspended upside down for a long time, he suddenly saw a person emerge beneath him, assuming it to be Qingye who had captured him, and could not help but curse vehemently.
“Hey, kid, who are you cursing?” Master Xuan asked, raising his head.
Upon closer inspection, Yu Ye realized that the person below was not Aoba but a stranger—apparently a swordsman as well.
“I cursed that despicable, vulgar, shameless, and filthy Qingye—what does it have to do with you? How dare you take my words seriously? Who are you? Give me your real name honestly; otherwise, I’ll chop you into pieces and feed them to the wolves,” he shouted loudly.
“This child is truly arrogant; having grown to this state, he still acts with such audacity,” thought Master Xuan. “So you’re just a little thief—ha ha! I see you can’t even protect yourself yet, and you dare make such bold claims. Initially, I felt sorry for you and wanted to let you go, urging you to apologize immediately; otherwise, you’ll remain suspended there forever, turning into a mummy.” He shouted up at him.
“Pah! I’m not afraid of anything—why should I apologize to you? You’re the one who’s pitiful. I’m just hanging here playing on my own; who needs your help? Besides, do you even have that kind of ability?” Ye Yu shouted downward. The two peaks were so sheer that even a monkey would find them impossible to climb, let alone an ordinary person.
“Haha, what a stubborn child—you truly have remarkable skills! You can actually suspend yourself like this. I’d like to see how long you can hold that position, and also find out who else besides me will come to your rescue. If you promise to kowtow three times before me, then I’ll let you down. Those two mountains may be high, but they won’t stand in my way,” said Master Xuan, showing great interest in this defiant child.
The master was a legendary hero who had led military campaigns for over two decades, possessing profound expertise in governing people. Naturally, he was fully confident in subduing this child.
“Pah, if you’re willing to kowtow three times before me, I’ll agree to let you go,” Ye Yu cursed. “Hmph, this mountain belongs to me, this land belongs to me too—everything I see is mine. You’ve entered my territory; if you want to survive, kowtow three times before me without hesitation. Otherwise, when the beast appears, who knows who can save you?” Ye Yu declared.
The mystic laughed silently. The child was barely safe enough to begin with, yet still dared to threaten him. Qingye’s words indeed held truth; this boy was no ordinary opponent. Yet the more he observed him, the more he admired him.