The legend begins with becoming a white deer.

The eagle was firmly bound by the suddenly bent tree trunk, and the whole eagle was stunned.

It has lived for over seventy years and has seen countless battles and clashes, but it has never encountered such a bizarre scene before. How could a perfectly healthy pine tree come to life and bind an eagle?

"Hey!"

After the initial shock came overwhelming rage. It let out a sharp shriek, its wings trembled violently, and its claws tore at the tree trunk, trying to break free from this absurd constraint.

But Qi Ji would never give it that chance.

The golden-green light on the antlers surged, as the power of [All Trees Pay Homage] was pushed to its limit.

In the past, he manipulated plants and trees mostly by using delicate parts such as roots and branches. Today, in order to subdue this ferocious bird-like beast, he directly manipulated the trunks of two trees.

The thick tree trunk, like a giant python that has come to life, coiled up layer upon layer, tightly binding the eagle's wings and body in the middle.

No matter how strong the Xuan Diao is, it is still a bird of prey, and its physiology is not suited for ground combat.

Bound by the main trunk, it could not move an inch no matter how much it struggled. The more it struggled, the more feathers were scraped off from the rough bark and branches. In no time, a layer of black eagle feathers covered the ground.

"Pu Peng."

The tree trunk that was wrapped around the black eagle slowly sank down, placing the black eagle heavily on the ground.

"Finally landed, let's see how arrogant you are now."

Qi Ji walked over slowly and raised his hoof to step directly on one of the black eagle's wings.

"Click—"

A faint cracking sound mingled with a mournful eagle's cry.

With astonishing force, the eagle's wing bone snapped as it was crushed by the hoof tip.

As excruciating pain struck, the black eagle's feathers bristled, and its golden eyes glared at Qi Ji, filled with anger and humiliation. But all it could do was glare; the force binding the main tree trunk around it did not lessen at all.

"That's a fierce look on his face. It seems stepping on one wing won't do him any good. In that case..."

Seeing that the black eagle was still stubbornly refusing to back down, Qi Ji raised his eyebrows slightly and, without any politeness, raised his other hoof as well.

"Click—"

Another crisp sound.

The other wing bone of the black eagle was also broken by being trampled.

With both wings broken, even if the tree restraints it, this black eagle will never be able to fly again.

Qi Ji lowered his head and let out a soft deer cry.

The meaning is clear: You lost.

The black eagle lay on the ground, its wings twisted at an eerie angle, yet it still refused to lower its head, emitting a low gurgling sound from its throat, full of resentment.

Qi Ji was so angry at the sight that he laughed.

This old black eagle is really tough; it still won't back down.

Qi Ji was also angered. A fierce glint flashed in his deer eyes. He raised his hoof again and hovered it above the black eagle's head, his gaze sweeping over it indifferently.

Xuan Diao froze.

It wasn't afraid when its wings were broken, but now the oppressive feeling from the deer hoof above its head, and the undisguised killing intent emanating from the other party, made it instinctively feel fear.

It could sense that Qi Ji wasn't joking this time; he genuinely intended to kill it.

The golden eagle's pupils suddenly contracted, and within the eagle's stubborn rage, a crack of fear finally appeared.

"Stop! No, stop! Please, Your Excellency White Deer, have mercy!"

Just then, the guards who had been following from a distance finally couldn't hold back any longer and rushed over in a flurry.

Several royal guards were among them, including Lin Qin, whom Qi Ji had met before.

Lin Qin looked at the scene opposite her, her eyes filled with surprise.

How did the auspicious white deer end up in the Jade Forest Palace and even fight with the Black Eagle?

Moreover, it seems they even defeated the Xuan Diao.

Lin Qin was shocked. Although he had long known that the auspicious beast, the white deer, was extraordinary, the black eagle was a mythical beast that the royal family had worshipped for two generations. It was notorious for its ferocity, and even the fiercest generals on the battlefield dared not confront it head-on. Yet, in such a short time, the white deer had broken its wings and subdued it.

Has the Black Eagle become weaker?

Or has Bai Lu become stronger?

Lin Qin took a deep breath. Shocked as he was, he knew the situation was urgent and he dared not delay. He rushed to the front, cupped his hands to Qi Ji, and spoke earnestly.

"Your Excellency White Deer, do you still remember me? We have met before. Please calm down. The Black Eagle is a guardian beast of the Bilin royal family. It has lived in the deep palace for a long time and has become somewhat arrogant. Just now, it must have mistaken you for an intruder and attacked rashly. This is all a misunderstanding. I hope you will not hold it against it and spare its life."

Linqin knew that Bailu was intelligent and could understand human speech, so she spoke with both respect and sincerity.

Upon hearing this, Qi Ji's hoof remained suspended in mid-air. He glanced down at the black eagle on the ground and inwardly complained.

"This is supposed to be a royal guardian beast? It has such a bad temper, so stubborn and arrogant. It's practically an old geezer. I bet it's been pampered in the palace."

The black eagle seemed to understand Lin Qin's words. Its arrogance had not completely dissipated, and it still stared at Qi Ji with its head held high, looking like a stubborn old man who had lost a fight but refused to admit defeat.

Qi Ji was really annoyed by the eagle's gaze, so he gently pressed his hoof down on the eagle's forehead.

"No, that won't do!"

The surrounding guards turned pale with fright and instinctively wanted to rush forward.

"Don't move!"

Lin Qin shouted a stern rebuke, her eyes fixed on Qi Ji's movements.

"The White Deer has no intention of killing, so do not disturb it, or it may really trample the Black Eagle to death."

Lin Qin's guess was correct; Qi Ji did not use much force, but only stepped on the black eagle's forehead with appropriate force.

But this really broke down Xuan Diao's psychological defenses.

It could clearly sense the terrifying power contained in the hoof on its head; if the opponent were to unleash its power, its head would shatter like a watermelon.

The shadow of death loomed over the eagle, and its once defiant golden eyes softened rapidly. Even the ruffled feathers on its body gradually calmed down, and the eagle finally showed signs of submission.

"The king has arrived!"

A low shout suddenly came from outside the crowd.

King Bilin arrived, panting heavily, followed by a group of eunuchs and guards.

He immediately spotted the black eagle bound to a tree trunk with its wings twisted across the way, and then saw the two pine and cypress trees next to it that were bent out of shape. His face was full of disbelief.

Before coming, King Bilin had actually anticipated that the Black Eagle was too old and might not be able to gain the upper hand against the White Deer, but he did not expect to be defeated so quickly and so miserably.

"Your Majesty." The guards present hurriedly stepped forward and quickly reported in a low voice what they had seen along the way.

Upon hearing this, King Bilin felt a throbbing pain in his temples and clutched his forehead in a headache.

He knew Xuan Diao's bad temper all too well. He usually acted arrogantly in the palace and didn't care about anyone except him. But no matter what, Xuan Diao was a meritorious official who had been supported by the royal family for two generations. If he died here, the loss would be too great.

He composed himself, carefully stepped forward, bowed slightly to Qi Ji, and said in a calm and sincere tone, "I am deeply sorry for failing to greet Lord Bailu at the palace."

After speaking, he glanced at Qi Ji, and seeing Qi Ji looking at him with a calm gaze, King Bilin continued.

"The Xuan Diao has followed my Bilin royal family since the previous dynasty, serving as the guardian of the palace. It did not recognize the auspicious beast and mistook you for an enemy, which is why it acted rashly and offended you. It was all a misunderstanding."

King Bilin pointed to the black eagle on the ground and said, "I am willing to apologize to Lord Bailu on its behalf. I will reward you handsomely afterward. I hope the auspicious beast will forgive it this time. I guarantee that it will never dare to be disrespectful to you again."

The monarch adopted an extremely humble posture and spoke tactfully, which immediately dispelled most of Qi Ji's displeasure.

Qi Ji looked down at the black eagle, which was now lying obediently on the ground, its previous arrogance gone.

"Yo~"

Qi Ji let out a low deer cry, which was his response.

The hoof that had been hovering over the eagle's head slowly retracted, the golden-green light on the antlers gradually faded, and the pine trunk that had been wrapped around the eagle slowly stretched out and returned to its place, like the receding tide...