Guarding the Pure Land

After the Eagle King finished speaking, he quickly disappeared. Tianhua looked around in surprise, suddenly feeling a slight movement in the air above him. He quickly jumped to the side.

Boom...

The Eagle King stomped on the ground, creating a large crater. The Eagle King chuckled, saying, "Seems like you're more alert this time, and your reactions are faster!"

"This time is different from the last. Last time, there was no need to go all out; at most, I would get a beating. But this time, if I don't go all out, the result will be much more miserable than just getting beaten!" Tianhua also chuckled.

"In that case, what moves are you planning to use to defeat me?" the Eagle King asked with a smile.

"Hehe... I have something in mind, but not now!" Tianhua said.

"Oh, I think you should use it quickly. Otherwise, I'm afraid you won't get the chance!" the Eagle King said with a smile. After speaking, the Eagle King lunged at Tianhua.

The Eagle King's movements were incredibly fast. Tianhua had to rely on the subtle flow of air to discern the Eagle King's attacks. However, it was a risky strategy, as the Eagle King's actions were too swift. A slight miscalculation in Tianhua's judgment could lead to his defeat.

Tianhua concentrated on his surroundings, trying to anticipate the Eagle King's attacks. However, this time, the Eagle King did not immediately make a move, causing Tianhua to grow nervous.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Tianhua began to shake, as if affected by some vibration. Tianhua's body swayed unsteadily. Frowning, he quickly jumped to the side. Just as he leaped into the air, chunks of soil from the ground attacked him. Tianhua hadn't expected the Eagle King to attack from below! When did he go down, and why hadn't he sensed it?

In mid-air, Tianhua dodged left and right, narrowly avoiding the onslaught of soil. As he was about to land, the Eagle King, who had somehow appeared there, struck with a punch. Tianhua was on the verge of colliding with the fist, but at that critical moment, a massive shield appeared in front of him. The Eagle King looked puzzled as his fists struck the shield. Seizing the opportunity, Tianhua swiftly leaped to the side. A massive sword swung towards the Eagle King, who hastily evaded.

A colossal figure, resembling a person holding a shield and sword, emerged in front of the Eagle King. The Eagle King, looking at the towering earthy figure taller than himself, smiled and said, "Not bad! To create such a thing in such a short time! But to defeat me, mere words won't be enough. If you haven't made proper preparations, I'm afraid the outcome will be more tragic than just taking a beating!"

Tianhua, watching the scene unfold, smirked, "To defeat you, I won't rely on words alone."

"Oh? Then you'd better use it quickly; otherwise, I'm afraid you won't get the chance!" the Eagle King said with a smile before lunging at the earthen figure.

The Eagle King's movements were too fast, and Tianhua's earthy creation could only stand there, absorbing the attacks. It had no time for counterattacks. Tianhua, observing the situation, felt a bit frustrated. Although he had reinforced the resistance of the earthy figure, the relentless assault from the Eagle King might eventually break through. Tianhua realized that he had to resort to his trump card.

"It seems your big creation is quite clumsy! I wonder if it can withstand a few more punches from me!" The Eagle King taunted, shaking his fists.

"The next time you won't be encountering it!" Tianhua said with a smile.

"Oh? I'm looking forward to it!" the Eagle King replied.

Sizzle... Sizzle... Sizzle...

The Eagle King heard a strange sound emanating from the earthy figure. He stared at it, and suddenly, a pair of wings appeared on its back.

The Eagle King widened his eyes, looking at the earthy figure. "Using the surrounding materials to mold and instantly create the desired form, then controlling its free movement with mental power! Tianlong, it seems this kid has learned quite a lot from you!"

In the little house, Tianlong sat alone, staring at the center of the table where a bright light appeared. However, his gaze seemed vacant, lost in thought.

"Tianlong, what are you thinking about?" a voice interrupted his contemplation.

"Oh, I'm thinking about Tianhua," Tianlong said.

"Thinking about the agreement between the Eagle King and Tianhua?" the voice asked.

"Yeah, you already know! I'm wondering if Tianhua agreed to that agreement. If he does, will the Eagle King really fight him?" Tianlong said.

"Are you worried that Tianhua might be in danger? The Eagle King won't take Tianhua seriously," the voice assured.

"I'm not so much worried about that. I have confidence in the Eagle King, and I know he won't go all out. What I'm worried about is the agreement: if Tianhua loses to the Eagle King, he will undoubtedly give up the idea of going to the outside world. Although he may not think about it now to comply with the agreement, it doesn't mean he has given up on it! If Tianhua is defeated, I'm afraid it will leave a shadow in his heart, and he will desire even more to go to the outside world. If that's the case, the consequences may be harder to predict than they are now; perhaps unexpected consequences will arise," Tianlong sighed.

"That's indeed a problem. What do you think should be done?" the voice asked.

"I've been thinking about this problem since I arrived. But I haven't figured out how to handle it. Although I made the Eagle King stand there, showing Tianhua the cruel side of the outside world, it seems it didn't have the desired effect. Tianhua remains firm in his belief. Yesterday, after the Eagle King told me about the agreement, I may have figured it out!" Tianlong said.

"What have you decided?" the voice inquired.

"To let Tianhua go to the outside world!" Tianlong said with determination.

"What? What did you say? You want to let Tianhua go?!" the voice exclaimed.

"Yes," Tianlong nodded with a smile.

"Originally, you tried every means to stop Tianhua, but now you want to let him go! This..." the voice marveled.

"That's right. Initially, I tried everything to stop Tianhua, but after hearing about the agreement from the Eagle King, I realized: instead of telling him the answer, it's better to let him find it himself! This way, he will truly understand the meaning of freedom and peace. We presented the beauty of freedom and peace right from the beginning, and they have become accustomed to it, taking it for granted. The easily obtained freedom and peace won't be cherished by them as we do. So, let him go out and see the world, the one full of war and cruelty. Perhaps then, he will truly understand how beautiful freedom and peace are!" Tianlong explained.

The voice fell silent, seemingly contemplating something. After a while, it said, "You've thought it through."

"Yes," Tianlong replied.

"There's one thing you might not have considered: what if Tianhua reveals the situation here to the outside world?" the voice questioned.

"I've thought about this. At first, I was a bit worried, but in the end, I think there's nothing to worry about: our tribe has become a legend in the outside world, and few people remember us. Besides, Tianhua doesn't even know that he's a descendant of the 'Tianlong Tribe.' If someone mentions our tribe to him, he wouldn't know what it is! In his impression, he's just a person living in a secluded mountain village. As for the location of that village, I doubt Tianhua would know how to explain it to others. Perhaps, he might even lie about it himself!" Tianlong said.

"While we may not have to worry about that, what about Tianhua's ability? Don't forget: Tianhua's ability is unique to our tribe, and only you and your descendants possess it! This ability has become a myth among people, as it's too extraordinary and powerful: others in the tribe can create and control objects with mental power, but it has limitations. Only your family can freely create and control, making objects fly, and control many at once!"

"We probably don't need to worry about that either. He won't easily use that ability against others. If it comes to that point, there probably won't be many people in this world who can resist it. If he can't resist, he might already be dead by Tianhua's hands! The dead don't reveal secrets!" Tianlong sighed.

"Are you willing to see Tianhua use that ability to kill?" the voice asked.

"To be honest, I really hope Tianhua won't use that ability. I don't want him to go out alone, but there's no other way. Tianhua has already firmly believed in that idea. Living carefree in the outside world is impossible for him; the world outside is too complex, filled with violence and oppression. Many things he won't be able to tolerate. I don't want him to resort to violence, but I truly believe Tianhua won't easily use that ability to kill! Only when his life is threatened!" Tianlong sighed.

"It seems you've thought it through," the voice said.

Tianlong frowned and nodded.

"Are you going to find Tianhua immediately and tell him this news?" the voice asked.

"Not now. Let's wait until the duel between Tianhua and the Eagle King is over. I want to see Tianhua's strength and determine if I can trust him to face the outside world alone," Tianlong said with a smile.

"Yeah, I want to see too. To what extent has Tianlong's son developed that kind of ability!" the voice chuckled.

The Eagle King stared at the earth golem in the air. It suddenly flew towards the Eagle King, thrusting a sword. The Eagle King hurriedly dodged. The golem was more agile than before, and it had an effective method to avoid the Eagle King's attacks – hovering in mid-air. When the Eagle King disappeared, it waited in the air. Though this method was effective, Tianhua was worried. If the fight dragged on for too long, with his current abilities, he might exhaust himself beyond control.

Since that's the case, let's end the battle quickly!

A rain of arrows fell from the sky, forcing the Eagle King to come out to defend himself. The Eagle King's figure spun, creating a massive whirlwind, and the arrows fell to the ground. Tianhua looked in amazement at the whirlwind; the arrow rain stopped. The whirlwind gradually ceased. The Eagle King smiled and said, "Looks like this doesn't have much use against me!"

Tianhua frowned, biting his teeth in thought: Well, since that's the case, let's use that move!

"Have you figured out a good method?" the Eagle King looked at the motionless earth golem in the air.

After speaking, the Eagle King suddenly felt a slight anomaly in the air around him. He quickly jumped to the side but, just as he stabilized, a spear came from above. The Eagle King caught the spear with his hand and threw it back. In the process, he was surprised as he sensed a giant sword coming towards him. The Eagle King tried to evade, but it was too late. As the sword was about to strike him, Tianhua saw it and was overjoyed.

Clang...

A sound like shattering steel echoed. Tianhua was astonished: the giant sword that hit the Eagle King was shattered!

"Haha... It seems like this level of attack has no effect on me!" the Eagle King laughed.

As he spoke, the Eagle King swung a fist forward, but he felt nothing. Looking at the shattered sword, he suddenly smiled. It turned out that Tianhua wasn't visible because he created a tangible entity in the air. This allowed him to move freely in the air and wait for the opportunity to strike. The golem in the sky disturbed the Eagle King with disruptive attacks, while the air entity on the ground executed effective attacks whenever there was an opportunity.

"Not lazy at all! You've thought of this method! But now, facing my tough body, what solution do you have?" the Eagle King looked at Tianhua. At the same time, he wondered: indeed, he is the son of Tianlong, mastering control over two entities. I wonder how many he can control with his current abilities!

Tianhua looked at the shattered sword: Damn it, such a sturdy body! What should I do? I thought the coordination of those two golems just now would lead to victory, but who knew his body would be so tough! And now, controlling two entities, if I don't resolve this quickly, I'm afraid my stamina won't hold!

"It seems you haven't figured out any good methods!" the Eagle King looked at the motionless earth golem in the air.

Tianhua stared at the Eagle King with a furrowed brow, feeling extremely anxious!

"Since you won't make a move, then I will!" the Eagle King declared. "Although you were shocked just now, I think I should shock you again next! Get ready for the next shock and tremble!"

Tianhua looked puzzled. Suddenly, he widened his eyes and opened his mouth. He couldn't believe what he saw: wings, a pair of black wings! He saw a pair of black wings appear behind the Eagle King!

"This is..." Tianhua was dumbfounded.

"Are you feeling amazed? I am the Eagle King, the king of eagles. I have the sharp eyes of an eagle, lightning-like attacks, and of course, I must have wings to soar in the sky! Only then can I live up to my name! Now, brace yourself for the fierce attacks of the sky's overlord!" the Eagle King declared loudly.

Having said that, the Eagle King flew into the sky and attacked the earth golem. Tianhua watched the Eagle King in the air, gritting his teeth: Since it has come to this, I might as well use the last bit of my strength!

The Eagle King suddenly stopped in mid-air, a surprised expression on his face: What happened to my body? He glanced at Tianhua not far away, feeling shocked: Could it be... Suddenly, the Eagle King rapidly descended. He tried to break free but couldn't move!

Boom...

The Eagle King crashed heavily onto the ground, creating a large pit. Just as the Eagle King collided with the ground, the earth golem from the sky also flew towards the Eagle King's fallen position. As it approached, its form slowly changed into a cubic block. It transformed into a cube that heavily pressed down on the spot where the Eagle King had just fallen!

Ah...

Tianhua seemed to hear the Eagle King's cry. At this moment, Tianhua shouted, "It's not over yet!"

Above the Eagle King's fallen position, a rectangular pillar of earth appeared. The pillar quickly smashed downwards, with over a dozen columns falling one after another.

Everything fell silent, and Tianhua gazed at the smoke-filled area, seemingly a bit disappointed, saying, "Come out, I know you're fine!"

Haha...

Laughter echoed from the murky air, and the Eagle King slowly walked out from it. However, his wings seemed to be gone.

"For such a young age to possess such ability, I must say, you're quite strong!" the Eagle King praised. Glancing at Tianhua, who was sitting there panting heavily, he continued, "It seems like your strength is almost depleted! Controlling two targets and using those moves must have consumed a lot of energy. Seeing my wings appear, using the air to wrap myself up, forcefully throwing myself down, followed by continuous pressure – it seems like these moves have exhausted your energy. But just now was really dangerous. If I hadn't used my wings to wrap myself up, I think I might not have been able to withstand that continuous pressure! Overall, the fact that this kid already has this kind of ability is really surprising!"

"So what if you're strong! In the end, you still haven't hurt me at all!" Tianhua said with a bitter smile.

The Eagle King burst into loud laughter, saying, "Some things shouldn't be judged solely by their surface results!"

"Now, saying anything is useless. I will keep my promise. You can go now; I need to rest!" Tianhua said calmly, closing his eyes.

The Eagle King looked at him, wanting to say something but refrained. Instead, he turned and left!

In the early morning, sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the outside world. However, Tianhua didn't get up on time today. He continued to sleep, perhaps due to yesterday's exhaustion.

"Tianhua!" Qin Lan's voice came from outside.

No response. Qin Lan walked into the room, saw Tianhua still sleeping, smiled, and left!

Close to noon, Tianhua woke up. He stretched lazily, feeling extremely comfortable. It had been a long time since he had slept so soundly! For some reason, Tianhua felt good today after waking up. Perhaps he had finally let go of something in his heart.

Tianhua stepped outside and saw his mother shoveling snow. Joyfully, he ran over and said, "Mom, let me do it!"

"You're up! I'll go prepare some food for you!" Qin Lan said, then went inside.

Tianhua shoveled the snow outside, thinking about the dream from last night. He couldn't help but smile. He had lost, and he should keep his promise. He would wait here patiently to grow up. Tianhua swept even more energetically.

"Tianhua, are you hungry? Come inside for lunch!" Qin Lan shouted from inside the house.

"Oh!" Tianhua said and walked into the house.

After finishing the meal, Tianhua cleaned the snow at the door and went outside alone. He walked aimlessly in the snow, feeling somewhat strange now. Since he had that thought, he had never felt as relaxed as today. However, within this ease, there was still another feeling – he felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.

He walked in the snow without a specific destination, hoping to find something to occupy his mind.

Ah...

Tianhua shouted towards the sky. After shouting a few times, Tianhua burst into laughter.

Late at night, Tianhua thought: Will the Eagle King still appear in my dreams? As he pondered, Tianhua found it amusing: What's the use even if he does! After all, I lost! Do I still want him to say, "I'll give you another chance"? Tianhua laughed at himself. Then he sighed, closed his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.

"Tianlong, do you really have to do that?" the Eagle King looked at Tianlong and asked.

"Yes," Tianlong replied.

"Tianhua has already agreed. Why do you still want to do this?" the Eagle King asked.

"The answer he finds on his own is different from the answer we provide! Once a strong desire takes root in the heart, even if temporarily suppressed, it doesn't mean he will give up. Suppression only makes the desire stronger! So, I think letting him go is the best way to handle it!" Tianlong said firmly.

"Although what you say makes sense, there are some things you should consider!" the Eagle King shouted.

"I've contemplated this idea for a long time. I believe Tianhua going outside shouldn't be a problem! What I'm most concerned about is if Tianhua encounters any danger outside, what should we do?" Tianlong then shared all the words he spoke with that voice that night with the Eagle King.

After listening, the Eagle King remained silent. He seemed to be contemplating. After a while, he said, "Since you've thought it through so thoroughly, I guess there's nothing I can say. As for the kid's abilities, I believe, with his strength, he shouldn't encounter any danger in the outside world!"

"If the Eagle King says so, I think I can safely let him go!" Tianlong said with a smile.

The two then chatted about the battle between the Eagle King and Tianhua, expressing admiration, surprise, laughter, and more.

Tianhua... Tianhua...

In the darkness, Tianhua seemed to hear someone calling his name. He asked in confusion, "Who is it?!"

"Tianhua, I'm your dad! Listen: tomorrow at noon, come to the place where you first met the Eagle King with your mom. I have something to tell you both!"

After that voice spoke, there was no breath around. Tianhua looked around in confusion, staring into the darkness. Dad? Something important?

When he woke up, Tianhua felt extremely surprised. He had actually dreamt of his dad last night, and his dad even knew about him and the Eagle King. It was really strange!

Tianhua went outside, seeing his mom sitting at the table. But today, his mom wasn't preparing breakfast. She seemed to be deep in thought. Tianhua asked curiously, "Mom, what's wrong?"

Qin Lan snapped out of her thoughts when she saw Tianhua and said, "Did you dream of your dad last night?"

"How do you know!!!!!!" Tianhua was shocked.

"What did he say to you?" Qin Lan asked.

Tianhua then told Qin Lan about the dream from last night and asked, "Mom, what's going on?"

"I don't understand either. I also dreamt of your dad last night, saying to bring you and me to a place tomorrow at noon. He has something to say," Qin Lan said.

The two stared at each other in confusion. After a while, Qin Lan said, "Forget about it for now. I'll go prepare breakfast. We can talk about it after meeting him at that place in the afternoon!"