Evan Yang hadn’t really examined what the Spirit-Condor Art actually was, but judging by Patriarch Ling’s words, it was clearly precious. Evan never expected he would be entrusted with such a thing; for a moment he wanted to refuse, but Patriarch Ling insisted he keep it, so Evan could only say, "Thank you."
"It may be precious, but compared to my daughter, it’s nothing. I should be the one thanking you," Patriarch Ling said with a smile.
"Alright, no need for all this back-and-forth. Since Brother Mu has gotten the Spirit-Condor Art, Dad, shouldn’t you tell him a few things?" Lynn Lee asked curiously.
"Ah, right, I almost forgot. Actually, the Spirit-Condor Art can only be cultivated in a certain environment," Patriarch Ling said.
"A certain environment? What kind of environment?" Evan Yang asked, curious.
"The Spirit-Condor Nest. Only by being in the Spirit-Condor Nest, together with the Spirit Condors, and by truly understanding the Spirit-Condor Art, will you have a chance of cultivating it successfully," Patriarch Ling explained.
"The Spirit-Condor Nest? But I haven’t seen any Spirit Condor beasts around here," Evan Yang said suspiciously.
"There used to be plenty, more than a thousand years ago. But many were lost later, so I drove the survivors deeper inside. They should all be hiding in the depths now," Patriarch Ling replied.
"I see. Then I’ll take Brother Mu there," Lynn Lee said.
"Alright, go ahead. Most of them grew up with you—they’re familiar with you. If anyone else goes, they’ll probably get swarmed," Patriarch Ling nodded.
Evan Yang thought it over and decided to go see what these Spirit Condors really were. Shui Jing had to stay behind in the cave, waiting for Evan to return.
Lynn Lee led the way up ahead, with Evan following behind.
"These Spirit Condors look fierce, but once you get familiar with them, they treat you as a friend and will even risk their lives to protect you," Lynn Lee explained.
Evan Yang laughed, "I’d like to see beasts like that for myself."
As Lynn Lee introduced the Spirit Condors’ habits, she led Evan deeper into the mountains. After a while, they saw a cluster of mountains, all connected, and each one was riddled with caves.
Seeing those caves, Lynn Lee said, "Wait here. They’re afraid of strangers—if they see someone unfamiliar, they’ll attack. I’ll talk to them first."
Evan Yang nodded and waited in the forest. Lynn Lee soared into the air, called out, and suddenly the mountain seemed to shake.
"How much force does that take?" Evan was shocked by the tremor from the ground. Not long after, he saw something even more surprising—a swarm of countless creatures burst from the various mountain caves.
Seeing such a huge flock, Evan was stunned. Next, he watched Lynn Lee happily mingling with them, until after a while she called out to Evan, "Come up here."
Evan Yang flew up. Each of those Spirit Condors looked fierce, with hooked beaks that seemed made for tearing flesh—truly intimidating.
Thanks to Lynn Lee’s calming presence, the Spirit Condors moved aside, letting Evan pass through to her side.
"Are these really Spirit Condors?" Evan asked, seeing that each one was as big as three or four people, and their aura was terrifying—enough to make anyone feel intimidated.
"Yep, these are the real deal—they’re powerful. Let me show you," Lynn Lee said with a smile. She spoke to them and gestured, like she’d spent years learning how to communicate with them.
Evan was curious about what made these Spirit Condors so formidable. Suddenly, the condors raised their heads and started crackling nonstop. Then, lightning began to gather above their heads, merging into a huge cluster as if they were about to blast the sky apart—it was an incredible sight.
"That’s amazing," Evan exclaimed.
"Yeah, I’ve watched them grow up since I was little—many of them are really strong," Lynn Lee said with a smile.
"That’s strange. With so many Spirit Condors, how did your clan get wiped out?" Evan asked, genuinely curious about the reason.
"They do have something they’re afraid of," Lynn Lee admitted awkwardly.
"Afraid of what?" Evan asked, curious.
"Demonic qi—it’s like their nemesis. If there’s too much demonic qi, they get weak. But their lightning is also the nemesis of demonic qi, so they counter each other," Lynn Lee explained.