Two Suffered Heavy Losses

He pressed onward until he finally reached his destination: a dormant volcano, now billowing clouds of black smoke and liable to erupt at any moment.

Hundreds of red-winged birds circled near the smoke. Now and then, flashes of lightning surged through the haze, and amid the lightning, a gigantic Firebird with a wingspan of nearly fifty meters soared through the air.

"Good! Let's see if you can withstand my Reverse Scale Flying Blade!"

Liu Yun gripped his long saber, secretly prepared his Reverse Scale Flying Blade, and charged forward, brimming with excitement.

He moved like lightning, his feet kicking up fine gravel as he raced toward the crater. The air around him seemed to grow hotter. The small Firebirds sensed the threat and let out sharp cries, flapping their wings and soaring up in an attempt to block his path. To Liu Yun, however, they were nothing more than appetizers before the main course.

Firebirds were smaller versions of the Undying Bird. It was perfectly normal for a Beast General-level monster to have hundreds of smaller members of its own species around it.

Liu Yun suddenly sprang into motion, pouncing on the flock like a leopard. His long saber traced brilliant arcs through the air, each swing accompanied by a fierce gust of blade wind.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Blades of light wove through the air. The small Firebirds were powerless against the dense web of blades, and one after another they were cut in two. Feathers and flames scattered everywhere, while the air filled with the stench of charred flesh and blood. Liu Yun's movements were smooth and fluid, each attack precise and lethal. Before long, he had killed countless Firebirds.

Watching its underlings fall one after another, the gigantic Firebird—the Undying Bird—was finally enraged. It let out a deafening cry and abruptly beat its wings, whipping up a gale as flames swept toward Liu Yun like a tornado. Liu Yun's expression turned grave, but he did not retreat. He swiftly drew on his Psychic Power to form a transparent shield, holding the fiery tornado at bay.

"Reverse Scale Flying Blade, go!"

Liu Yun gave a low shout. Light blazed from the short blade, which then transformed into a slender blade of light and shot through the air at an incredible speed, straight for the Firebird's vital point. The Firebird beat its wings and nimbly dodged in midair, but the blade of light seemed to have a mind of its own and pursued it relentlessly. At last, when the Firebird failed to turn aside in time, the blade pierced its left wing with pinpoint accuracy.

"Skree—"

The Firebird let out a cry of pain, its enormous body thrashing violently in the air. Agonized, it beat its wings wildly, stirring up waves of scorching wind. At the same time, a dazzling glow suddenly flared in its once-red eyes, as if they held the fury of heaven and earth and the power of nature. With a deafening roar, the Undying Bird began spewing dazzling bolts of lightning from its mouth. The bolts crisscrossed into a web in midair, surging toward Liu Yun with destructive force.

Liu Yun was shocked. The Firebird could actually wield lightning too—how terrifying! Even among Advanced Beast Generals, such a power was extremely rare. No wonder it had become such a menace to travelers. The Undying Bird was probably invincible against anything below the War God Level.

Facing the web of lightning spewed by the Undying Bird, Liu Yun knew he could not withstand it head-on. He swiftly focused all his Psychic Power on the Reverse Scale Flying Blade. The slender blade of light suddenly accelerated, as if breaking through the limits of time and space. It tore free of the lightning's restraints and shot straight for the Undying Bird's vital point with unstoppable force.

"Psychic Power, maximum amplification!" Liu Yun roared inwardly, his gaze resolute and unwavering. As he poured all his strength into his Psychic Power, the Reverse Scale Flying Blade carved a dazzling trail through the air. It moved so fast that even the air split into fine cracks.

"Shrrk—"

With a shrill whistle, the Reverse Scale Flying Blade pierced the Undying Bird's head with pinpoint accuracy, instantly ending its powerful life. The enormous creature froze in midair, then plummeted helplessly. Its wings stopped beating, and the flames and lightning vanished, leaving only deathly silence and heaviness behind.

However, victory came at a terrible cost. Though Liu Yun had successfully killed the Undying Bird, he had also suffered severe injuries from overusing his Psychic Power and physical strength, compounded by the shockwaves from the lightning. He staggered several steps, barely managing to steady himself, as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and stained his clothes.

Just as he was about to sit down and meditate to recover his strength, an unusual glow near the rim of the volcano caught his eye. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Liu Yun slowly made his way toward it, his heart brimming with curiosity and anticipation.

As he drew closer, he was astonished to discover an inconspicuous cave hidden in the rock face at the very bottom of the volcanic crater.

A thin layer of frost covered it, giving off a cool, mysterious aura. Liu Yun cautiously entered the cave. Inside, he found a spacious, brightly lit chamber, with a snow-white bird's egg resting at its center and radiating a soft, pure light.

"Could this be... an Undying Bird Egg?" Liu Yun was overwhelmed with shock and delight. He knew such a treasure would be priceless to any Martial Artist. The Undying Bird's egg held tremendous life force and potential; whether he sold it or hatched it himself, it would be immensely useful.

However, he also knew that such a treasure would inevitably invite countless people to fight over it out of greed. Liu Yun took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement as he began to consider how to bring the egg safely back to base.

Just as he was about to leave the cave, a burst of hurried footsteps sounded outside, shattering the quiet. Liu Yun's heart tightened. He quickly hid behind a boulder, his gaze fixed intently on the entrance. Several familiar figures hurried over: Li Wei, Kalon, and Pan Ya, who had been tracking him earlier.

"So they followed me here after all." Liu Yun tightened his grip on his long saber, remaining wary. He knew the coming battle would determine whether he could successfully take the Undying Bird Egg with him. This time, he would have to face not only the enemy's attacks but also the disadvantage of his severe injuries.

"Heh, you don't need to hide anymore, Liu Yun. We know you're badly hurt!"

Li Wei sneered from the front. It seemed that being led off course hadn't been such a bad thing after all—they had arrived just as Liu Yun and the Undying Bird had both suffered heavy losses!

Hidden in the nest, Liu Yun heard him but wasn't foolish enough to come out. He was indeed injured and had lost strength, but he was nowhere near the point of having to surrender without a fight.

"Hide for now. If they find me, I'll fight to the death!"

Liu Yun held the enormous egg in front of him and used his Psychic Power to conceal the Reverse Scale Flying Knives beneath the jagged rocks, ready to risk everything at a moment's notice.

This was also a kind of symbol. A dragon had reverse scales, and those scales protected its most vital spot. Touch them, and you died!