Giant Plume Eagle
Those birds that used to disturb people all day long have completely disappeared in the last two days.
The incessant flapping of wings no longer filled the valley. The surroundings were eerily quiet, not the usual tranquility, but a deathly stillness where all living things had deliberately gone into hibernation.
The weeds on the ground were motionless, all the small wild animals that lived nearby had retreated to their burrows, and even the chirping of insects had completely ceased. When you stepped on the soil, you could only hear the soft sound of your shoes rubbing against the dry earth; there was not a single other sound to be heard.
The facade of crisis being completely eradicated is very well laid out.
Lu Heng didn't dare to completely let his guard down.
Having survived in this wilderness for so long, he no longer believed that there would be true peace during the period of natural disasters. The calmer the days leading up to the end of the trial, the more likely they were to conceal deadly schemes. Several times he had encountered danger before, it was all because of this false calm.
During this quiet period, he would sit on the stone platform at the entrance of the Shelter at a fixed time every day, practicing the Starlight Meditation Method to hone his mental strength.
I lack mental foundation at 3 o'clock. During practice, the slightest disturbance will disturb my mind. If there is any strange noise, my mind will be filled with random thoughts. Each time I try to calm my mind, I have to spend a lot of energy. I can't sit for long before I feel restless.
Through daily refinement and practice, gradually building up my mental foundation, my mental strength is now steadily at 10 points.
The changes are all understated and pragmatic, without any flashy or unusual phenomena.
His concentration became extremely stable; he could focus for long periods without feeling dizzy or agitated, and his range of sensory perception expanded significantly. He could clearly detect the faint air currents deep in the mountains and forests, the subtle tremors of distant bushes, and even the movement of small insects under the soil. No matter what was happening in this territory, it could no longer escape his perception.
The more acutely he sensed it, the heavier his heart became, and a chill ran down his spine from time to time, as the deathly stillness that enveloped the entire mountain forest became.
Time has moved to the final day of the second trial of catastrophe.
Having endured the entire ordeal until the very end, the most difficult phase of the bird attacks had passed. The Bloodthirsty Vine defenses on the outskirts of the territory, the newly built watchtowers, and the storage compartments were all secure, the walls were undamaged, and there was not a single visible hidden danger in the defensive facilities.
Normally, all I need to do today is stay indoors and wait patiently until the trial ends to pass.
Everything around us indicates that it is safe.
But Lu Heng's survival instinct remained taut, unable to relax even for a moment.
He scanned the area inside and outside the fence, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the hilt of the Hunting Blade at his waist, muttering to himself, "It's too smooth, too deliberate, too abnormal."
Just as he was concentrating on spreading his senses and exploring the boundaries of the entire territory, a muffled, deafening roar suddenly erupted from the depths of the sky above him.
The sound was not the light, crisp chirping of an ordinary bird; it was the muffled sound of a giant body forcibly tearing through high-pressure airflow, heavy and brutal, carrying a sense of overwhelming power that made one's eardrums tingle slightly.
Lu Heng's muscles tensed instantly, his center of gravity shifted subconsciously, and his legs bent slightly, instantly assuming a fighting stance ready to dodge and counterattack at any moment.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. I subconsciously slowed my breathing, afraid to gasp for air, lest I miss any sounds from high above.
Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his hand and tapped the Wristband on his wrist to access the real-time view transmitted from the watchtower.
A blinding red alert instantly filled the screen, high-level threat warnings flashed wildly, and red light patterns made people dizzy.
In the center of their vision, a massive black shadow swooped down from the clouds, its wide black wings spread wide. It swooped down at an incredible speed, its flight path pointing directly at the Shelter below, without the slightest deviation from its target.
Bronze Tier bird, Giant Plume Eagle.
The moment he saw his target clearly, Lu Heng's pupils contracted, and a complex mix of emotions surged within him.
Cooked.
We're too familiar with each other.
During his last trial, his biggest stroke of luck was obtaining the Giant-Feather Crossbow by chance.
The traces left by that powerful weapon and the scattered resources were all remnants left by this Giant Plume Eagle. When he found the weapon by following the traces, he was secretly glad that the bird of prey hadn't returned, allowing him to get a useful piece of equipment for free.
When he first encountered this raptor, the difference in their strength was immense. The wind pressure generated by a single flap of its wings was enough to make it difficult for him to breathe, and its sharp talons could easily tear through rocks. He dared not linger for a moment, keeping a low profile and taking an extremely discreet detour to escape, not daring to provoke it in the slightest, hoping only that he would never encounter it again.
He always thought they were just strangers passing by.
It was a high-level overlord of the airspace, while I was just a lowly person struggling to survive. We didn't interfere with each other, and from then on, we had no further contact.
No one expected that on the last day of the trial, it would swoop straight down into its own territory, specifically to come looking for them.
Immediately afterwards, an even stronger sense of doubt completely overwhelmed Lu Heng's thoughts.
The chaotic energy released by the natural disaster could only disturb the minds of ordinary birds in the forest, causing them to fly around and crash into things. Even Black Iron Tier beasts would only be briefly agitated, but their actions would not be affected at all.
Bronze Tier Giant Plume Eagle mentally stable and physically strong, naturally able to withstand such aura interference, and cannot be affected by natural disasters or wander into someone else's territory out of thin air.
It is not controlled by its environment, and there is currently no conflict between the two over food or nests; they have no grudges against each other.
So what exactly is its purpose in rushing over here today?
I can't figure it out.
I just can't understand it.
The most agonizing and deadly threats are the unknown ones.
The extreme perception granted by his ten points of mental strength allowed him to clearly lock onto the chilling, ferocious aura surrounding the Giant Plume Eagle. It wasn't a casual glance from someone passing by; it was a targeted aura that had locked onto its prey and was filled with murderous intent.
The enormous black shadow gradually lowered, dimming the light across the entire territory. The oppressive feeling pressed heavily on his head, making his chest feel tight and his heart pound rapidly.
Lu Heng's first instinct was to retreat to the Fortress.
The stone Shelter has thick, sturdy walls specifically designed to withstand aerial attacks. As long as you keep the stone doors tightly shut and hold out until the last day, you can perfectly avoid this conflict, without having to risk a direct confrontation, and complete the mission with zero risk.
But in just two seconds, Lu Heng rejected the idea.
The Giant Plume Eagle is enormous, and its destructive power from a charge far exceeds that of ordinary birds.
If it is allowed to swoop down and crash wildly over the territory, the dense defensive network of Bloodthirsty Vine and the watchtowers built with a large amount of wood will inevitably be completely smashed and trampled to pieces.
All the defense systems painstakingly built day and night were destroyed in a single day.
The subsequent repairs will require a large amount of scarce materials and several days to rebuild. The time and material costs are far greater than the losses from actively going out to fight.
The pros and cons were weighed in an instant.
You can't hide.
There's no way to hide.
Lu Heng turned and rushed back into the Shelter. He slung the Giant-Feather Crossbow he had obtained during the trial over his shoulder, his fingertips gripping the Bronze Hunting Blade at his waist. The cool metallic touch traveled up his palm, slightly suppressing the doubts and panic surging in his heart, and his chaotic thoughts finally calmed down.
All my previous hopes for a smooth ending were completely wiped out, leaving not a trace.
Lu Heng strode out of the Shelter's stone door, looking up to face the enormous black shadow that was constantly swooping down from the sky.
The high-altitude airflow was completely disrupted by the giant wings of the Giant Plume Eagle, and the gale swirled dust everywhere. The eagle continuously folded and unfolded its wings, and its diving speed continued to increase. Its sharp eyes were fixed on the figure on the ground, without ever looking away.
The territory, which was peaceful and quiet just a moment ago, was instantly enveloped by an intense life-or-death crisis.
On the final day of the second calamity trial, the peaceful ending that should have been a perfect conclusion was abruptly shattered by this high-level raptor that he had deliberately avoided in the past. A life-or-death confrontation that was unavoidable and whose cause was unknown has now arrived.
Lu Heng stood up straight, all relaxation completely gone, his eyes cold and taut as he stared intently at the massive beastly shadow pressing down on him from above. The entire forest was deathly silent, the vegetation frozen in place, with only the sharp, piercing sound of the Giant Plume Eagle constantly approaching echoing through the air. A tense atmosphere enveloped the entire territory, and a life-or-death confrontation was about to erupt.