114 The Phantom Eagle Claw

"Look out!"

Just as everyone was listening intently to Qiangzi, Du Ruo suddenly shouted. With a quick slap of his palm against the ground, he flipped his body over. Without even needing to straighten his limbs, he launched himself forward with full force, his speed comparable to an arrow released from its string.

"Huh?"

The three others subconsciously scanned the grassy field, seeing no immediate danger. Yet, before they could even ask, a whistling sound tore through the air above them. Instinctively, they started to look up.

"Keep your heads down! Protect your faces!"

Du Ruo barked a command, having already reached Xiang Yuanyuan’s side. With his extraordinary senses, he had long since noticed the massive bird circling above them. He just hadn't expected it to attack. Sensing the bird’s dive, he had identified its target—Xiang Yuanyuan, who was lying on the ground and appeared the smallest (Li Qiyao was sitting up, drawing)—and had reached her in an instant.

*Whoosh!*

The moment Du Ruo’s warning faded, the sound of tearing air arrived. A pair of razor-sharp talons dove straight for Xiang Yuanyuan’s exposed neck.

"Hmph!"

Du Ruo thrust his arm upward like a blade, wedging it between the eagle’s talons and pushing firmly to hold the massive bird at bay. He had no desire to harm the creature, nor did he intend to subdue it immediately; he wanted to see exactly what the golden eagle was capable of.

*Skree!*

With its initial strike blocked, the eagle flared its wings, which had been tucked back, and snapped its sharp beak toward Du Ruo’s eyes.

*Clang!*

Du Ruo raised his arm to shield his face, the Dragon-Coil Bracelet on his wrist catching the blow of the eagle’s beak.

Having failed twice, the eagle snapped its wings shut and whipped them toward Du Ruo’s face. Du Ruo withdrew the hand supporting the bird and split his palms outward, batting the wings away. However, as he pulled back, the talons lunged again toward his chest.

Du Ruo tracked the trajectory of the claws, fell backward to dodge, and tucked his limbs inward. As his back struck the grass—before the talons could touch him—his own feet were already positioned in front of the eagle.

Du Ruo exerted force through his spine and kicked upward with both feet, sending the massive bird flying backward. This move was the "Rabbit Kicking the Eagle," one of the three great kicking techniques of Xingyi.

"Boss Du, that’s a golden eagle! It’s a national first-class protected species!" Qiangzi, finally snapping out of his shock, warned him as he saw Du Ruo kick the bird away.

"Haha, I know. I didn't hurt it; otherwise, I would have grabbed it and torn it apart from the start," Du Ruo laughed. He watched as the golden eagle regained its altitude, showing no signs of retreating, but rather circling to find another opening.

"Is that a golden eagle? It’s huge!" Xiang Yuanyuan had already peeked up, brushing a feather off her face with a sigh of wonder.

The golden eagle was indeed massive. This one was clearly an adult, with a wingspan of over two meters and an incredibly sharp set of talons.

*Whoosh!*

The golden eagle dove at Du Ruo again, clearly unwilling to accept its defeat. Unfortunately for the bird, its repertoire—claws, beak, and wing-slaps—was entirely insufficient against Du Ruo. After a few more failed attempts and the loss of several feathers, the eagle realized it couldn't gain the upper hand. It climbed higher, circled a few times in the air, and then departed, clearly frustrated.

"Wow, is the prairie always this dangerous? I never expected to encounter a golden eagle like this." Even Li Qiyao couldn't help but exclaim. She might have imagined a thousand different scenarios, but never that the danger would descend from the sky.

Du Ruo didn't reply. He stood still, closed his eyes, and shaped his hands into claws. In his mind, he replayed the eagle’s attack patterns, his hands shifting constantly. He moved his clawed hands through the air; at first, the movements whistled with power, but as he grew faster and more precise, the sound of the wind grew quieter and quieter.

"This..." The three were discussing the incident, but seeing Du Ruo’s movements, they fell silent. They watched in shock as his hands seemed to be enveloped by a pair of translucent, crimson, ghostly talons.

"..."

Hearing their gasps, Du Ruo stopped his demonstration and opened his eyes, unable to hide his excitement. Just moments ago, as he poured his heart and mind into the movements, his internal "Qi" and "Spirit" had merged, forming a thin layer of energy around his claws.

Although he hadn't tested the full power of the claws, based on how his "Qi" had previously enhanced his body and weapons, these talons were undoubtedly formidable. Perhaps he wouldn't even need the Bronze Body technique anymore; these eagle claws alone might be enough to pierce metal and shatter stone.

"Boss Du, those claws from just now? Where did they go?" Xiang Yuanyuan stood up, a single eagle feather still stuck to her head, and grabbed Du Ruo’s hands to inspect them, as if she could find the faint red energy she had seen.

"Don't be so curious. You weren't frightened, were you?" Du Ruo asked, plucking the feather from her hair.

"Hehe, not at all! It’s just such a pity—if we had caught it, we could have taken some 'action' shots!" Xiang Yuanyuan gestured excitedly, perhaps not even thinking of photos, but rather wanting to pet the eagle like a house cat.

"Whoa! That’s not a good idea. It’s a protected species; if you take pictures and someone reports you, you’ll never hear the end of it." Du Ruo shook his head, relieved that she had moved on from questioning his "claws."

In truth, it wasn't that easy to fool them, but everyone tacitly agreed to let it go. Being adults, they understood that if Du Ruo didn't want to explain, it was best not to ask.

Du Ruo, however, was lost in thought. If the eagle claws were possible, what about the horse-step, the tiger-pounce, the bear-shoulder, or even the dragon-soar? Could he eventually wrap his entire body, not just his claws?

But he quickly dismissed these thoughts. While it might be possible, his internal "Qi" might not support it. That single burst had consumed nearly half of his internal energy, showing just how costly the technique was.

"By the way, Qiangzi, do golden eagles often attack people like this? Isn't it dangerous?" Du Ruo asked, turning to Qiangzi.

"No, golden eagles rarely attack humans. They might occasionally snatch a lamb, but that’s about it. This eagle... perhaps it was used to sky burials," Qiangzi mused, shaking his head and speaking with some uncertainty.

After he finished, the group fell silent. They realized that Xiang Yuanyuan lying prone on the grass might have been the very reason they had attracted the eagle's attention.