Both Sides Suffer

He moved forward until he finally reached his destination: a dormant volcano currently belching thick black smoke, threatening to erupt at any moment.

Hundreds of red-winged birds hovered near the black smoke, and from time to time, flashes of lightning surged through the haze. Amidst the lightning, a giant firebird with a wingspan of nearly fifty meters was dancing.

"Good! I want to see if you can withstand my Reverse Scale Flying Blade!"

Liu Yun gripped his long blade, secretly preparing the Reverse Scale Flying Blade, and charged forward in extreme excitement.

His figure moved like lightning, his feet treading on fine gravel. He moved with incredible speed, gradually approaching the crater. The surrounding air seemed to become scorching hot. The smaller firebirds sensed the threat and let out sharp cries, flapping their wings to fly high in an attempt to block Liu Yun's path. However, to Liu Yun, these were nothing more than appetizers before the main course.

Firebirds were essentially smaller versions of the Undying Bird; it was perfectly normal for a beast-general-level monster to have hundreds of smaller kin around it.

Liu Yun unfolded his figure, pouncing toward the flock of firebirds like a leopard. His long blade traced brilliant trajectories in the air, each swing accompanied by a fierce gust of sword wind.

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

The sword light was like a web. The small firebirds had no way to parry under this dense net of blades and were chopped into two pieces one after another. Feathers and flames splattered everywhere, and the air was filled with the smell of scorched flesh and blood. Liu Yun's movements were fluid, each attack precise and lethal, and he quickly killed countless firebirds.

Seeing his subordinates dying one after another, that giant firebird, the Undying Bird, was finally enraged. It let out a deafening cry and flapped its wings violently. Suddenly, a gale arose, and flames swept toward Liu Yun like a tornado. Liu Yun's expression turned grave, but he did not retreat. He quickly mobilized the Psychic Power within his body to form a transparent shield, blocking the fire tornado outside.

"Reverse Scale Flying Blade, go!"

Liu Yun let out a low shout. The light on his short blade flared brilliantly before transforming into a thin, long blade of light. It tore through the air at an incredible speed, heading straight for the Undying Bird's vital point. Seeing this, the Undying Bird flapped its wings violently, its body dodging flexibly in the air. However, the blade of light seemed to have a life of its own, pursuing relentlessly until, when the Undying Bird failed to turn in time, it precisely pierced through its left wing.

"Hiss—"

The Undying Bird let out a painful screech, its massive body struggling violently in the air. In extreme pain, the Undying Bird flapped its wings frantically, stirring up waves of scorching hot wind. At the same time, its originally crimson eyes suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, as if containing the fury of heaven and earth and the power of nature. With a deafening roar, the Undying Bird actually spat out streaks of brilliant lightning from its mouth. These lightning bolts wove into a net in the air, carrying destructive power as they shot toward Liu Yun.

Seeing this, Liu Yun could not help but be shocked. This Undying Bird could actually command the power of lightning; this was terrifying! Among high-level beast generals, this was an extremely rare power. No wonder it had become such a huge problem for travelers; this Undying Bird was likely an invincible existence below the War God level.

Facing the net of lightning spat out by the Undying Bird, Liu Yun knew he could not take it head-on. He quickly mobilized all his Psychic Power, focusing his attention on the Reverse Scale Flying Blade. The thin, long blade of light suddenly accelerated in the air, as if piercing through the limitations of time and space, breaking through the shackles of the lightning and heading straight for the Undying Bird's vital point with an unstoppable momentum.

"Psychic Power, limit amplification!" Liu Yun roared in his heart, his eyes flashing with determination and resolve. As he exerted his full Psychic Power, the Reverse Scale Flying Blade traced a dazzling trajectory in the air, moving so fast that it tore tiny cracks into the air itself.

"Chila—"

With a sharp sound of tearing through the air, the Reverse Scale Flying Blade precisely pierced through the Undying Bird's skull, instantly severing its powerful life force. The Undying Bird's massive body paused abruptly in the air before falling powerlessly. Its wings stopped flapping, and the flames and lightning dissipated, leaving only deathly silence and heaviness.

However, the price of victory was heavy. Although Liu Yun successfully killed the Undying Bird, he was severely injured due to the overuse of his Psychic Power and physical strength, compounded by the shockwave of the lightning. He stumbled a few steps, barely steadying himself, as blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, staining his clothes.

Just as he was about to sit down to regulate his breathing and recover his strength, a strange light from the edge of the crater not far away caught his attention. Liu Yun endured his pain and walked toward it step by step, his heart filled with curiosity and anticipation.

As he got closer, he was surprised to find that hidden on the rock wall at the deepest part of the crater was an inconspicuous cave. The entrance was covered with a thin layer of frost, emitting a cold and mysterious aura. Liu Yun carefully entered the cave and saw that the interior was spacious and bright, with a snow-white bird egg placed in the center, emitting a soft and pure light.

"This is... an Undying Bird egg?" A sense of indescribable shock and joy surged in Liu Yun's heart. He knew well that such a treasure was priceless to any martial artist. This Undying Bird egg contained powerful life force and potential; whether he sold it or hatched it himself, it would be of great use.

However, he also knew that such a treasure would inevitably attract the greed and competition of countless people. Liu Yun took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart, and began to think about how to safely bring this bird egg back to the base.

Just as he was about to leave the cave, a burst of rapid footsteps came from outside, breaking the tranquility. Liu Yun's heart tightened, and he quickly hid behind a giant rock, his eyes fixed on the movement at the cave entrance. Several familiar figures hurried in; it was Li Wei, Kalon, and Pan Ya, who had been tracking him.

"It seems they have tracked me here as well," Liu Yun thought to himself, while vigilantly gripping the long blade in his hand. He knew that the coming battle would be the key to whether he could successfully take the Undying Bird egg away. And this time, he not only had to face the enemy's attack but also overcome the disadvantage of being severely injured.

"Heh heh, you don't have to hide anymore, Liu Yun. We know you're seriously injured!"

Li Wei, who was in the lead, sneered. It seemed that being led astray hadn't been a bad thing after all; they had arrived just as Liu Yun and the Undying Bird had both been left battered and exhausted!

Inside the nest, Liu Yun heard the voice. He certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to walk out. He was indeed injured and had lost strength, but he was by no means at the point where he had to surrender.

"Hide first. If I'm found, I'll burst out and fight to the death!"

Liu Yun shielded the large bird egg in front of him, secretly using his Psychic Power to hide the Reverse Scale Flying Blade under the rugged, jagged rocks, ready to fight at any moment.

This was also a symbol: a dragon has a reverse scale, and that scale guards its most critical vital point; whoever touches it dies!