Having chosen his escape route, Zhang Junbao hesitated no longer. It was midday, and beneath the early summer sun, the demonic beasts were drowsy and at their least alert.
Moreover, as the sun climbed higher, its rays grew fiercer. Many avian demonic beasts chose to rest at this hour; flying under the blazing sun was hardly a pleasant experience.
Avian demonic beasts retained the habits of ordinary birds, usually moving about and foraging in the morning. By now, they had eaten and drunk their fill, making it the perfect time for a good sleep.
Zhang Junbao had chosen this time to leave after several days of careful observation.
He quietly approached the door to the stairwell and hid in a corner to observe. More than a dozen newly hatched chicks were full of energy, flapping their wings and playing with one another.
The adult demonic beasts only opened one eye for an occasional glance before going back to rest.
"Chirp?"
Suddenly, a chick fluttered near Zhang Junbao's hiding place and accidentally bumped into a door panel-the very one concealing him.
That bump caused trouble.
Hearing the noise, the Iron-Feathered Eagle with the strength of an Intermediate Beast General opened its eyes for a habitual glance. That single glance revealed Zhang Junbao hiding behind the door.
Zhang Junbao cursed inwardly. Brats are trouble wherever you go!
He had no intention of staying hidden. A powerful spiritual fluctuation spread rapidly from him, sweeping over the first and second floors at incredible speed. He unleashed Spiritual Shock!
Hum!
Every demonic beast suddenly felt as though someone had smashed its head with a hammer. Their heads spun and throbbed with pain. Some of the weaker Beast Soldiers even fainted outright and fell to the ground.
The Iron-Feathered Eagle that had spotted Zhang Junbao shook its head hard and finally recovered from the Spiritual Shock. It was just about to rise and attack when it noticed the headless corpse of an Iron-Feathered Eagle still flapping its wings out of habit.
When did another Iron-Feathered Eagle get here? Its body looks exactly like mine, and it doesn't even have a head? The thought flashed through the Iron-Feathered Eagle's mind, but then it found its view beginning to tilt. No matter how hard it tried to flap its wings, nothing happened.
At last, it found itself on the ground, while blood spurted wildly from the severed neck of the headless Iron-Feathered Eagle before it.
Could that be my body? The Iron-Feathered Eagle's vision began to blur, and the world seemed to spin around it in an instant. It tried to cry out, but could not make a sound.
"One!"
Zhang Junbao's brain frantically calculated the position of every demonic beast. While they were stunned by the Spiritual Shock, countless nails poured from the pockets of his combat suit, becoming death warrants from the grim reaper as they shot toward the beasts.
Zhang Junbao aimed for their eyes. The iron nails were of such poor quality that, given the defenses of the beasts' bodies, they could only possibly pierce a vulnerable spot like the eyes. Moreover, the eyes connected directly to the brain, so a nail fired through an eye socket could instantly destroy a demonic beast's brain.
Puff, puff!
Countless muffled sounds flickered through the floors, and the demonic beasts fell in an instant.
By then, the broken spearhead had finally completed its task. After bursting through the second Beast General's eyeball, it pierced out the back of its head and returned to Zhang Junbao.
Without hesitation, Zhang Junbao put away the Dragon Roar Sword and the broken spearhead, then fled toward the entrance to the underground parking garage.
Not long after Zhang Junbao entered the underground garage, frenzied beast roars rang out aboveground.
Though Zhang Junbao had moved quickly enough to keep the demonic beasts on the first and second floors from making a single cry, the thick stench of blood still drew the attention of the other beasts nearby.
Avian beasts swarmed into the building from all directions. After discovering that their companions on the first and second floors had all been killed, they let out loud cries that rose and fell in succession.
The Beast Generals that had been guarding the surrounding area also brought their subordinates over to investigate.
Screech!
Dozens of avian Beast Generals quickly surrounded the building. They had discovered a human's scent there. Some of the bolder Beast Generals even went to inspect the Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle's floor. Only then did they discover that their leader had already been killed without a sound!
For a time, the beasts were left leaderless. Some called on their Beast Soldier subordinates to search for Zhang Junbao, while others watched coldly, seemingly intent on setting themselves up as kings.
In the underground garage, Zhang Junbao hid in a fire exit, clutching his head with both hands and leaning against the wall as he panted frantically.
Damn it, Spiritual Shock consumes far too much Spiritual Force. Taking on more than a hundred Beast Soldiers at once really was pushing it. Although I managed to kill two Beast Generals, their spiritual resistance was quite strong, and on top of that, I had to suppress more than a hundred Beast Soldiers at the same time.
I've used up about ninety percent of my Spiritual Force. My head is about to explode!
I didn't expect these demonic beasts to be so sensitive to the smell of blood. If I'd known, I wouldn't have gone out of my way to suppress their cries.
I have to get away quickly. The demonic beasts above have gone completely wild. Even though this place is underground, some of the smaller avian beasts can still get in.
Zhang Junbao did not linger. Forcing his body onward, he continued searching the underground garage for a way out.
Although he had exhausted a great deal of Spiritual Force, his physical strength remained intact. That was the advantage of being a Spirit Reader: it was like having two separate sources of strength.
After killing more than a hundred Beast Soldiers and two Intermediate Beast Generals, an ordinary warrior, even an Advanced Warlord, would be nearly exhausted and could easily be worn down and killed by demonic beasts. But as a Spirit Reader, he could still leave at his leisure.
Following the signs in the garage, Zhang Junbao proceeded cautiously.
Soon, he spotted something that excited him-a subway sign.
I didn't expect the underground garage to connect to a subway line. Then again, in some bustling commercial districts, subway lines running beneath office buildings are quite common.
People's Square Station?
Is there a People's Square Station near Jiangnan Base City? If there aren't ten places called People's Square in Huaxia, there are at least eight. It really isn't easy to tell.
Zhang Junbao was puzzled. He was not very familiar with the geography of the area and could not remember where this was.
Never mind. I'll know once I go up and check the route map.
Zhang Junbao followed the signs upward. Dust had long since covered the place, and many of the signs were illegible.
This had once been an underground shopping mall connecting the building's parking garage to the subway station, and a few demonic beasts were hiding inside.
They were all small Beast Soldiers, however. He encountered only one Beast General, a Gnawing Rat with the strength of a Junior Beast General, and easily dealt with it using the Dragon Roar Sword.
That made sense. Powerful demonic beasts generally did not hide underground unless they had particular habits. There were more demonic beasts aboveground, and food was easier to find there, so they were naturally stronger.
Even underground, I can still faintly hear the avian demonic beasts calling above. Birds really are noisy. If they were land beasts, they wouldn't just be roaring like that-they'd have started a fight already.
I'd better find my way back soon. I've been missing for days, so my family should know by now. I wonder whether the martial arts school has declared me dead or missing.
My family should still be allowed to live in the warrior's villa, right? I've never heard of a warrior's family being driven out after his death. If they really did that, I doubt any warrior would be willing to risk his life for the school.
But in my situation, does it still count as passing the assessment?
Fortunately, Zhang Haobai and his father have already been arrested, and Mom and Dad live in the Warrior Residential Area, so there shouldn't be any problems.
As for Zhang Haobai's uncle, Zhang Zehu, he seems to have been in the Wilderness Zone all this time. Could he still not know that something has happened to his brother and nephew?
Zhang Junbao pondered as he searched for a way out.