Dispersal

The moment Lu Heng stepped out of the Shelter's doorway, the stagnant air around him suddenly stirred.

There was no wind, no warning.

The countless birds that had been hovering overhead for days, originally just drifting loosely and lingering in various parts of the airspace, had become languid and numb from the prolonged stalemate. But as soon as his figure was exposed to the sunlight, the entire flock of birds instantly changed.

In these days when the catastrophe shrouded the world, an invisible aura of natural disaster permeated every inch of air.

It does not mutate living beings or reshape their bodies; it simply continues to disrupt the minds of ordinary birds and beasts, tearing apart their innate instincts for survival. These ordinary birds are inherently timid and avoidant creatures, but under the long-term erosion of its aura, their minds remain in a state of disorder and agitation, their emotions are out of control, and their judgment is completely impaired.

Several birds were the first to break free of their remaining restraint.

Its wings trembled violently, abandoning all its circling and probing maneuvers, it swooped straight down with a ferocious, fearless madness, heading straight for Lu Heng's face and neck. As it swept low over the ground, it created a series of sharp, piercing sounds as its wings scraped against the air, its speed abrupt and unexpected.

A faint hint of surprise flashed across Lu Heng's eyes.

Over the past few days, he had already figured out the stalemate in this airspace, assuming that these birds would only hover and observe day after day, not daring to get close and offend him. The aura of natural disaster continued to disturb their minds, completely dispelling their original fear. As long as there was the slightest movement, it would trigger a chaotic and violent charge.

Before the thought even finished, the swooping bird was already upon him.

With his upgraded physique, his reactions far exceed the limits of ordinary people.

There's no need to stare intently; the body anticipates the movement the moment your eyes catch it.

His left arm was slightly raised, and his forearm, covered in metal gauntlets, was stretched horizontally.

The hard armor plate stood firmly in front of the head and neck, blocking all angles of attack and completely isolating the risk of scratches and collisions.

At the same instant, he exerted force with his right hand on the handle, and the Bronze Hunting Blade was unsheathed.

A flash of cold light slashed horizontally at close range, without any technique or hesitation, only precise cutting force.

The blade sliced through the bird's thin body in an instant, its wings torn and its bones shattered. After two short flaps, the two out-of-control birds lost their lives, their mangled bodies falling with the force of the blade.

Lu Heng flicked his wrist, casually tossing the warm, mangled corpse over the fence.

The Bloodthirsty Vine, which had been lying dormant against the wall, were instantly activated.

The slender vines suddenly stretched out and coiled, their fine roots clinging tightly to the corpse, quickly draining away its blood and essence. Within seconds, the fallen remains were completely devoured, leaving only a faint scent of blood floating in the air above the ground.

It was this wisp of blood that forcibly suppressed the chaos in the entire airspace.

The ordinary birds that were originally flying around restlessly and poised to take off suddenly froze in mid-air.

The chaotic aura of the natural disaster still lingered in their consciousness, but the most primal fear of death deep in their bloodline overwhelmed their disordered minds.

The stark reality of death at close range completely shattered the frenzy brought on by the atmosphere. The previously chaotic airspace fell silent in an instant, all the birds hovered in place, and not a single one dared to swoop down rashly.

The Black Iron bird, which had been observed from high above for many days, will now have a complete view of the entire process.

They are mentally sound and unaffected by the aura of natural disasters. For days, they have been rationally weighing the pros and cons, coveting the life in their territory, but always wary of unknown risks, and only daring to stay at a distance and observe.

But the scene of that instantaneous close-range kill, the vines devouring the corpse, and the bloody suppression of the entire flock of birds made them completely abandon any remaining hope.

The combat strength of the humans below far exceeded their predictions based on observations over the past few days.

There was never any opportunity to exploit this airspace.

After a brief hesitation, the Black Iron birds flapped their wings and turned around, no longer lingering, and all scattered and fled towards the distant mountains and forests, quickly disappearing beyond the treetops.

The airspace stalemate that had lasted for several days has finally broken down.

Lu Heng sheathed his sword and let it hang down, simply wiping away the remaining bits of blood from the blade with his fingertips.

The incessant buzzing of wings overhead for days completely ceased, and for the first time, the sky above the Shelter was utterly empty and quiet.

He stepped onto the watchtower.

The top of the tower was unobstructed, offering a clear and unobstructed view of the surrounding airspace. Lu Heng stood quietly at the top, his gaze slowly sweeping across the remaining airspace, locking onto a few scattered, hesitant, circling, and reluctant birds.

The Giant-Feather Crossbow was steadily set up.

Breathing steady and even, eyes locked on the target, fingertips triggering the mechanism.

The crossbow bolt pierced the air silently, hitting its target precisely.

The few remaining birds were all cleared away.

The entire sky was completely clear.

Lu Heng walked down from the watchtower and slowly patrolled along the outer fence.

He kept his gaze extremely low, scanning inch by inch the cracks in the soil, the gaps between the grass roots, and the shadows of the bushes, meticulously checking for any fallen, injured, or escaped birds.

The hidden dangers that had been causing trouble for days have all been eliminated, and the territory is now completely peaceful, with no signs of any disturbance.

He stopped abruptly at the west corner of the fence.

The cracks in the soft soil layer were filled with a large number of small, dry insect shell fragments, scattered in the soil, along with many semi-weathered insect body parts, covering a considerable area. The fragments were old and dry, not recently left behind, and clearly had been there for many days.

Lu Heng squatted down and gently brushed away the surface soil with his fingertips.

There were a considerable number of shell fragments of various kinds, all of which were mutated insects that had become active in the surrounding area after the catastrophe.

He paused for two seconds, then instantly pieced together the previously hidden clues.

Earlier, a small Insect Swarm had sneaked close to the outskirts of the territory.

The Insect Swarm moved stealthily and silently, without triggering any warning.

However, birds constantly circled overhead at that time, and the Insect Swarm that stealthily approached were all preyed upon and devoured by the birds.

There was no movement, no impact, and no danger erupted.

A potential pest infestation was silently neutralized by the constant chirping of birds, remaining completely hidden and unnoticed.

Lu Heng twirled a dried insect shell between his fingers, silently staring at the ground.

He didn't get up; he just remained squatting there quietly.

The stalemate in the air for several days, the endless noise, and the repeated probing and lingering were his only trouble and only source of trouble in recent days.

Now, all the clues come together, and the truth is laid bare before us.

A moment later, he released his fingertips, letting the dried insect shell fall back into the soil.

Lu Heng slowly stood up, raised his gaze, and looked at the distant, still mountains and forests.

The wilderness remained silent, without any new movement or disturbance.

The disaster is not over; it has only temporarily suppressed all the murderous intent.