During this period, Shi Feng was not in seclusion in the Sword Casting Valley all the time.
After the sect competition, Shi Feng has become a little famous from an unknown disciple, and many people come to see him.
These people came to Shi Feng for two purposes. The first was naturally to ask Shi Feng to repair and reinforce their spiritual weapons. This type of people was the most numerous, and Shi Feng earned a lot of crystals because of this. The second purpose of those who came to Shi Feng was mainly for disciples with higher cultivation levels, such as Gu Mingyue and Gao Tuo. They came to Shi Feng to invite Shi Feng to do sect missions together.
Originally, Shi Feng did not know magic and was ignored, but Gao Tuo, Gu Mingyue and some disciples had witnessed the power of Shi Feng's bow and arrow. Many of the sect's missions were to deal with monsters, and Qi-refining disciples were very taboo about fighting monsters in close combat. It was best to get rid of them from a distance, and Shi Feng's bow and arrow were a great help.
Shi Feng was also willing to participate. Firstly, he had a good relationship with Gu Mingyue, Gao Tuo and others, so it was difficult for him to refuse. Secondly, he also needed to collect materials for refining weapons. Thirdly, his archery skills required a lot of practice.
Therefore, in the past four or five months, Shi Feng and others have completed many sect missions and collected a lot of good materials, so much so that his tiger-head buckle space could no longer hold them. He had to sort it out twice, taking out some of the more common materials and piling them on the floor of the room.
Of course, Shi Feng did not use his full strength when they were on a mission together, and he did not use special skills such as boomerang arrows and multitasking. He did not want to stand out and thought it was not a bad thing to hide some of his strength.
Even so, the power of his bow and arrow astonished his companions. Small demon beasts were instantly killed with a single arrow, while larger ones were severely wounded and felled to the ground with just a few arrows. Shi Feng even once went to Wulong Valley with Gao Tuo and three others during the day and hunted down two adult iron-backed rhinos, avenging their loss that day.
Shi Feng made further improvements to the boomerang arrow. The reason for this was that when Shi Feng and other fellow disciples were doing sect missions together, they did not want to expose the boomerang arrow, so they directly used bows and arrows to kill monsters. The arrows would pierce the monster's flesh and naturally could not be retracted.
After this, Shi Feng felt that although arrow recovery could save crystals, it also had weaknesses when fighting against the enemy. After all, it took time for the arrow to circle and recover. Waiting to shoot another arrow after the arrow was recovered would waste a lot of time.
After some thought, Shi Feng decided to make a large number of bows and arrows, but he did not give up the boomerang arrow technique. Even if he did not recycle the arrows, the boomerang arrow's mysterious traces and difficult-to-guard characteristics were still very sharp.
As Shi Feng completed more and more sect missions, his fame grew. Later, to everyone's surprise, Liu Suifeng actually came to Shi Feng to go on sect missions together.
Liu Suifeng was the fourth-place finisher in this sect competition, about to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. He was a top-tier Qi Refining disciple, yet Shi Feng was only his defeated opponent, lacking any magical powers. So why did he even seek him out for help? Liu Suifeng smiled and said nothing.
However, after five or six months, the number of people inviting Shi Feng to go out hunting monsters together gradually decreased. This was not because Shi Feng had done anything wrong, but because the trial grounds were only open for half a year.
Liu Suifeng, Gu Mingyue and others are preparing for the trial trip. Gu Mingyue also asked Shi Feng whether he was ready to participate in the trial. Shi Feng originally wanted to find some refining materials, but he heard that the trial site was mostly full of alchemy materials such as spiritual herbs and fruits, and there were no refining materials such as ores and spiritual crystals, so he didn't take it seriously. In addition, the trial trip was full of dangers, so there was no need for him to take the risk.
Although he was without his companions, Shi Feng was already familiar with the surrounding mountains, and hunting monsters alone was no problem. However, he also knew that the Shigu Mountains were thousands of miles in radius, with Taiji Sect occupying only a small corner of the vast mountain range. Therefore, he would not venture beyond the surrounding two or three hundred miles.
One day, around midnight, when the moon was in the middle and white as water, two figures were standing on a high peak about three hundred miles west of Taiji Gate. One was a woman in white clothes as white as snow, who was Qin Bing from Huiyan Peak. The other was a handsome man with a high spirit. He was the young man who flew on a sword with Qin Bing that day.
At this moment, the young man said helplessly, "Junior Sister Qin, we've been guarding for three days straight, and there's no sign of this monster. Could it be gone?" Qin Bing still had a look of icy cold that had been frozen for a thousand years. "Wait one more day. If the black eagle still doesn't appear, we'll return to the sect to report."
The young man said, "If we return empty-handed, I'm afraid we'll be reprimanded by the Sect Master. The Sect Master takes this matter extremely seriously, otherwise he wouldn't have sent us here and given us such a valuable treasure as the Reflection-Fixing Beads."
Qin Bing said, "The Wind-Winged Black Eagle is a species of demonic beast with extremely fast evasion techniques, so it's understandable that we couldn't track it. Perhaps it was just passing through here and didn't harm our Tai Chi disciples. Even if we encounter it, we should just chase it away."
The young man shook his head and said, "Junior sister, you are too soft-hearted. This pair of wind-winged black eagles have been lurking near our Taiji Sect for nearly a year. How could they just be passing through? Senior Master Xuanming once speculated that this pair of black eagles might be building a nest and giving birth here, which would be even more ominous. If we allow them to reproduce, I'm afraid that in a hundred years, this place will no longer be our Taiji Sect."
Qin Bing was silent for a moment, seemingly agreeing with the young man's statement. After a moment, she asked, "If that's the case, why don't Master and the others personally take action to eliminate these two monsters?"
The young man said, "After all, these two black eagles are only at the Foundation Establishment stage, so why should they take action?! The reason we chose you, Junior Sister, to take action is because the Wind Wing Black Eagle is proficient in fire-related magical powers, and your skills happen to be its nemesis. Also, I think there's another meaning. You and I both ranked in the top three in this competition, and we are the leaders of the trial trip. The head master and his uncle may want us to practice our skills for the upcoming trial trip."
Qin Bing was far less savvy in the ways of the world than the young man. After listening to his well-reasoned analysis, she nodded and said, "Brother, you are absolutely right. I am ashamed."
The young man laughed and said, "Junior sister, you are really flattering me. Your talent is so high that it is rare to see such a talent in a thousand years. How can I compare with your future achievements? I am the one who is ashamed."
Qin Bing smiled rarely and said, "Brother Wei, you are also a genius in cultivation. Moreover, you are now at the peak of the middle stage of foundation building, which is much higher than me."
The young man, Senior Brother Wei, shook his head and said, "In terms of current cultivation, I am a little bit higher than you, but you have only been practicing for ten years, and I have been practicing for more than thirty years. I will not be able to catch up with you in the future. Even now, if we talk about supernatural powers, you are definitely not inferior to me." Qin Bing smiled and said nothing.
Senior Brother Wei suddenly said seriously, "However, Junior Sister, although you are extremely talented, I still have something to warn you."
Qin Bing saw that the other party was very cautious and said hurriedly, "Brother, please speak."
Senior Brother Wei said, "Although you are incredibly talented, you cannot rely solely on your innate talent. You should know that the Seven Profound Swords of Ice that you practice is one of the three unique skills of my Tai Chi Sect. It has seven transformations from one to seven. It is said that more than a thousand years ago, our sect's Master Haotian practiced this skill to the seventh level and used it to kill Yuanying stage masters. The power is naturally amazing, but this skill becomes more difficult as you practice it. If you are not careful, the skill will backfire and it is common to go astray." Qin Bing nodded solemnly.
Senior Brother Wei continued, "The most difficult aspect of the Seven Profound Swords of Frost isn't the training itself, but the tempering of one's mind. It requires immense perseverance, a single-minded focus, and the ability to achieve mastery. While you appear icy, you're actually quite restless. I heard that a while ago, you even went so far as to seek revenge on two Qi Condensation disciples because your disciples lost a competition. That was truly inappropriate. And just now, Junior Sister suggested that if there was nothing else to do, we could just drive the two black eagles away. Hehe, I'm afraid those two demonic birds might not appreciate your kindness."
Qin Bing lowered her head and said, "Senior brother is right." Her master, Jingxu Zhenren, also repeatedly told her that she must be calm and free of distractions in order to break through the Seven Mysterious Swords of Ice. However, she was only a twenty-year-old girl after all, and it was not easy to do so.
Senior Brother Wei said, "In short, since you promised your master to practice the Seven Profound Swords of Ice, you must persevere and never change your mind halfway." Qin Bing nodded.
Senior Brother Wei continued, "Being a good person is like practicing martial arts. Once you've decided on someone, don't change your mind easily." His words left Qin Bing somewhat bewildered, not knowing what he meant. "What do you mean, Senior Brother?"
Senior Brother Wei felt a little embarrassed and changed the subject, saying, "Junior Sister Qin, if we were to fight the Wind-Winged Black Eagle later, and we each took on one, and you had the upper hand, while I was in imminent danger, what would you do?"
Qin Bing said without hesitation, "I will do my best to help you, Senior Brother." Senior Brother Wei shook his head and said, "You are wrong. You must remember that the purpose of this trip is to kill these two demonic birds. To achieve this goal, you must do whatever it takes. You should not save me, but do your best to kill the demonic bird you are fighting. Although I may be defeated, I will eventually self-destruct my magic weapon. Even if I die, I will surely inflict heavy damage on the other demonic bird. How can it then be your opponent? Only then can you achieve complete victory in one fell swoop!"
Qin Bing was moved after hearing this, "Senior Brother Wei..."
Senior Brother Wei was about to say something when suddenly, the round bead he had been holding in his right hand flashed with light. Qin Bing hurriedly said, "Senior Brother, there's movement!"
The originally gray round bead gradually became as clear as a mirror, and soon an image appeared. In the image, two black eagles were circling and dancing.
Qin Bing said, "It looks like they're preparing to fly back to their nest. Senior Brother Wei, what do you think we should do?" Senior Brother Wei pondered for a moment and said, "We've explored this nest before, and there's nothing unusual there, nor have we seen any black eagle cubs. We should wait. The black eagles can see everything at night, and we won't be at an advantage if we attack them at night. We should wait until daybreak, when they'll rest for an hour or two, which will be a perfect time to attack."
Qin Bing nodded. The high cliff they were on was directly opposite the black eagle's lair, offering a commanding view. Holding their breath and channeling their magical powers, they hid behind a large rock, their eyes fixed on the orb before them, waiting for the black eagle to arrive.
Seeing the two black eagles spread their wings, they didn't flap them much, but in an instant they were only three or five miles away. Their speed was really amazing. The two men secretly thought that even if they flew at full speed with their swords, they would probably find it difficult to catch up.
Under the moonlight, in the night sky that was as clear as water, two black eagles cried out clearly as they flew over the high cliff where Qin Bing and the other two were hiding, and headed straight for the dense forest on the lower left.
Just as Senior Brother Wei was about to come out of his hiding place, his face suddenly changed. He heard a strong wind blowing from below and countless birds screaming. Dozens of eagles suddenly rushed out from the bottom of the dense forest and headed straight for the two black eagles.
Qin Bing and the other person looked from the high cliff and saw a group of about twenty or thirty eagles, huge in size, but all of them had colorful feathers and were gorgeous.
Senior Brother Wei quietly sent a message to Qin Bing, saying, "The situation is not good. Let's wait and see." Qin Bing also sent a message, "Yes."
Upon seeing the painted eagles, the black eagle let out a mournful cry and charged directly into the group, clawing and pecking. In an instant, two or three painted eagles were pierced through the brains and abdomens, and their bodies fell from the sky. The other painted eagles were not to be outdone, flapping their wings and swarming over, surrounding the two black eagles. For a moment, the air was filled with gusts of wind, and feathers were scattered all over the sky.
Senior Brother Wei said happily, "So these are two different groups of demonic birds, rivals at that. Let's wait for them to fight, and then we can reap the benefits." Qin Bing watched for a long time and said, "These colored eagles are no match for these two black eagles in terms of individual strength, they just have the advantage in numbers. If the black eagles try to escape, they won't be able to stop them."
Senior Brother Wei said, "If they try to escape, Junior Sister, you will stop them. After a long fight, they will definitely not be your match. I will stop and kill the other colored eagles. After all, if this area is occupied by these colored eagles, we still have to get rid of them. This is a good opportunity to catch them all in one fell swoop." Qin Bing said, "Okay."
The two black eagles were clearly much stronger than the painted eagles. Soon, twenty or thirty of them had landed, and the remaining four or five flew north in panic, with the black eagles flapping their wings in pursuit. Qin Bing asked, "Brother, should we attack?" Senior Brother Wei stared intently and said firmly, "No, wait a little longer!"