Chapter Forty-Five: The Fire Crow

Yingxue moved with extraordinary speed, racing out of the Heavenly Star Sect toward the depths of the rear mountain, heading straight for the secluded Cloud Valley. Ge Qian, relying on his mana—thicker than most at his level—pushed his flying sword to its utmost, yet could barely keep up. Such was the difference between the peak of Qi Absorption and the fifth level of the same realm.

Ge Qian considered that this relentless pace consumed too much spiritual power. They weren't fleeing for their lives; this must be an attempt to probe his limits. With a flicker of thought, he gradually slowed his speed.

Yingxue, indeed testing him, was slightly startled. She hadn't expected someone at the fifth level of Qi Absorption—a so-called good-for-nothing—to match her speed. Yet at that moment, Ge Qian began to lag behind. With a cold chuckle, she muttered, "So it was only temporary. How could a fifth-layer Qi Absorption cultivator possibly run side by side with me?"

Within Cloud Valley, all manner of bizarre plants grew—giant trees with scythe-shaped leaves, man-eating blossoms as thick as barrels. Stopping at the valley’s edge, Yingxue shielded her eyes with her hand, surveying the area and comparing it to the map in her mind. It matched almost perfectly.

Ge Qian arrived, standing beside her atop his sword. He said, "Senior Sister Ying, this is Cloud Valley. It's full of dangers. Why don't we sneak in quietly and avoid trouble? Gathering the spirit herbs is what matters, isn't it?"

Yingxue considered his words. "Coward," she scoffed, "but it's not a bad idea. Flying makes us too obvious a target." With that, she alighted gracefully, stowing her magic sword, and drew out a Concealment Talisman, handing it to Ge Qian. "Junior Brother, take this Concealment Talisman. Use it if things turn dire; no need to lose your life."

Ge Qian thanked her profusely and put it away. Yingxue led the way, while Ge Qian kept three Fireball Talismans ready in his hand. When they encountered powerful beasts, the pair would skirt around them; lesser beasts were dispatched by Yingxue with her superior Fire Quell Sword, while Ge Qian’s low-grade flying sword would strike a few blows as well.

Shamelessly, he would step forward to claim a share of the spoils, but Yingxue was indifferent—besides Rouge Grass, nothing else caught her eye now.

As they walked, suddenly fierce demonic winds surged ahead. The sky was filled with countless Fire Ravens, densely packed, each as black as ink and as large as yearling calves, forming a dark, oppressive mass. Each was at the first tier, and there must have been tens of thousands.

While a single Fire Raven was nothing to Yingxue, and even ten posed little threat, tens of thousands would mean certain death for anyone below the Core Formation stage. Not even those at Foundation Establishment could survive such an onslaught, unless a Core Formation expert happened by to wipe them out with a wave of the hand.

Fire Ravens were notorious for their sensitivity to unfamiliar auras. At the slightest hint of intruders, they would attack en masse.

How could this be? Why were Fire Ravens appearing in Cloud Valley?

Without hesitation, Yingxue pressed the Concealment Talisman to herself. Spiritual light flashed, and she vanished. Ge Qian did the same, not daring to be slow, and disappeared as well.

Yet the Fire Ravens circled overhead, their numbers growing, intent on hunting their prey. Ge Qian’s mind raced. “These Fire Ravens track us by our scent. The Concealment Talisman can’t mask that. There’s only one thing to do!”

Normally so imposing, Yingxue was now gripped by fear, her life hanging in the balance. She stammered, "What should we do? What now?"

Ge Qian formed a seal and cast a spell, flicking his fingers. In a flash, one Fire Raven vanished from the sky and appeared before him. With a powerful reverse punch, he smashed it into pulp, foul-smelling blood splattering everywhere.

Quickly, he scooped up the blood and smeared it over himself, then did the same to Yingxue.

The Fire Ravens overhead, now unable to distinguish their targets, became disoriented and swirled in confusion, shrieking harshly and spewing jets of emerald flame.

Ge Qian threw himself atop Yingxue, rolling with her into a nearby rock crevice. Pressed tightly together in the cramped space, there was no room to separate.

Yingxue, furious and humiliated, was about to erupt when her jaw dropped. The spot where they had just stood was engulfed in a sea of fire. She fell silent, closing her mouth, but glared at Ge Qian with a murderous look.

Ge Qian felt awkward. Yingxue might be a tigress, but she was still a woman—a beautiful one at that. The sensation of her softness, her warmth and suppleness, sent heat surging from his lower belly, his breathing quickening.

Suddenly, a sharp pain jolted him back to his senses—Yingxue, realizing something was amiss, pinched him savagely at his side.

The Fire Ravens did not leave; instead, they gathered even more densely. A wave of bloodthirst filled the air. The pair peered out to see three cultivators at the peak of Qi Absorption, clad in garishly colorful attire, commanding a dozen winged serpents as they struggled to hold out.

Their clothing marked them as disciples of the Beast Taming Sect, a school that specialized in spirit beast mastery.

Immortal Journey, Chapter Forty-Five: The Fire Ravens—End of Update.