"What sucked the brain marrow out of these people?" Meng Qi frowned, her voice slightly tense.
Lin Taichu walked up to the rock and reached out to touch the rune. The instant his fingertip touched the stone surface, the rune lit up with a faint red glow. A pulling force came from within the rock, trying to draw out his spiritual power.
"This is a simple Spirit Gathering Array, but someone altered it into a spirit-draining array." Lin Taichu withdrew his hand. "Someone has been absorbing the vital essence of Living Beings here."
Just then, the sound of flapping wings came from overhead.
The two looked up and saw dozens of black monstrous birds circling above the valley. Their beaks were sharp, their claws glowed green, and their eyes were blood-red. They were the owners of the feathers they had seen earlier.
"They're Spirit Devouring Crows." Meng Qi drew her longsword. "The ancient records say these birds feed on the vital essence of Living Beings. They usually only appear in places thick with demonic qi."
The Spirit Devouring Crows dove down at incredible speed.
Lin Taichu circulated the Phoenix True Fire and struck out with his palm. The flames formed a wall of fire, and several Spirit Devouring Crows at the front were burned to ashes, filling the air with a scorched stench.
But the Spirit Devouring Crows behind them did not retreat. They circled around the fire wall and pounced at Meng Qi.
Meng Qi swung her sword, and sword qi cleaved several Spirit Devouring Crows in half. But when their corpses fell to the ground, they quickly turned into wisps of black smoke and vanished.
"Their bodies are condensed from demonic qi. Physical attacks are useless!" Meng Qi shouted. "Use spiritual power!"
Lin Taichu nodded and circulated the