On the top floor of the Carrefour supermarket, which was a scene of utter devastation, Zhang Junbao hid in a room and watched the terrifying sight of demonic beasts running amok through a glass window.
The melee among the demonic beasts that had charged out of the tunnel had drawn in the other demonic beasts outside. Even though some Beast Generals noticed that something was wrong and tried to stop it, the battle kept growing. Quite a few Beast Generals were caught up in it as well, slaughtering madly and destroying many nearby buildings.
The area held not only avian beasts but also plenty of land beasts, including such common demonic beasts as One-Horned Wild Boars and Tiger Cats.
Zhang Junbao rested quietly in the room. Its once-luxurious decor was still visible. A layer of dust covered the leather sofa, but it was still usable. There was even a rootwood tea table, with an exquisite tea set on it that was clearly no cheap purchase.
Fortunately, the room was relatively secluded. It was probably a high-end reception room or something similar, which was why demonic beasts had left it undamaged all these years. Everything still retained its style from before the Great Nirvana.
Zhang Junbao pushed the curtain aside and quietly observed his surroundings.
The avian demonic beasts outside blotted out the sky. Tens of thousands of them covered the entire area like a gigantic cage. On the ground, plenty of land-dwelling demonic beasts were roaring madly as well.
So many demonic beasts have gathered out there. A leader at the Advanced Beast General level definitely couldn't have done this. There's probably a Lord-level demonic beast leading them.
But why would a Lord-level beast have it in for a nobody like me?
The Extreme Shadow Bee Sparrows and Long-Fanged Bats were clearly driven underground to surround me. Was it trying to force me back up?
That means it's too big to move around underground, so it sent its subordinates to find me.
They say the intelligence of high-level demonic beasts is no worse than a human's. It's true after all.
Luckily, I stirred up a fight among the demonic beasts. If a group of calm, organized demonic beasts were waiting outside, even a Wargod would have to run.
The question now is what I should do. If they search the area thoroughly, they might find this place. Although I saved a lot of stamina by using Tai Chi Circular Soft Force earlier, I still used up quite a lot of Spiritual Force.
To find me, they'll have to quell the chaos outside first. But the demonic beasts have gone mad with killing, so they won't be easy to stop. I'd better take this chance to recover and keep myself in good condition.
The melee outside continued. Unless a more powerful demonic beast intervened and forcibly put an end to it, the beasts would keep fighting until they were all exhausted. Demonic beasts that had lost their reason were not so obedient.
Zhang Junbao sat cross-legged on the sofa. In the battle just now, he had killed at least several hundred Beast Soldiers and more than a dozen Junior Beast Generals, and both his Spiritual Force and stamina had been tremendously depleted.
Those demonic beasts had hardly stood still and let him cut them down. Even killing an ordinary Beast Soldier required several thousand pounds of force. Chopping them down one by one would be enough to leave an ordinary martial artist too exhausted to lift his arms.
Another advantage of being a Spirit Reader showed itself once again. Zhang Junbao used his Spiritual Force to rapidly absorb cosmic energy, and with its help, the energy circulated quickly through his body and was absorbed. Not only did this ease his physical fatigue, but it also allowed his physical strength to grow rapidly.
To him, every bit of strength was precious right now.
Just as Zhang Junbao was completely immersed in cultivation, a tremendous sound suddenly came from outside. A colossal creature with an overwhelming aura, seven-colored feathers covering its body, and a wingspan of more than ten meters circled through the sky.
At its appearance, the demonic beasts all stopped slaughtering one another.
"Scree!"
The mighty cry pierced Zhang Junbao's ears like a demonic sound, jolting him out of his cultivation.
Outside, the demonic beasts that had been in utter chaos were now lying on the ground, trembling. The avian beasts landed one after another, not daring to continue circling in the air.
Zhang Junbao went to the window, lifted a corner of the curtain, and stole a look.
The colossal creature had an extraordinary presence. Most striking of all were its sword beak, fully two meters long and gleaming with a terrifying cold light, and its seven-colored tail feathers, several meters long and magnificent to the extreme.
Two utterly different qualities, domineering power and nobility, had appeared in the same demonic beast.
Two avian Beast Generals that had been locked in a fierce fight failed to stop in time. Before they even noticed anything, their bodies suddenly went still and fell.
Only when they struck the ground did Zhang Junbao realize that their bodies had already been cut in half.
That's definitely a Lord-level demonic beast. It's so fast I can't see it at all! And doesn't it look just like an enlarged Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle?
Its sword beak is over two meters long, and the seven-colored tail feathers behind it are over five meters long, like a dragon's tail. Its head is even covered in dragon-like scales. It matches all the characteristics of a Lord-level beast.
Zhang Junbao's expression grew grave. He had originally thought he had simply wandered into some Lord-level demonic beast's territory, and that it had sent its subordinates to hunt him down after discovering he was human.
But if it was a Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle, that was another matter.
The Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagles in this area surely knew one another, and might even belong to the same flock.
This Lord-level Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle was clearly male, so the Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle that had originally captured him was very likely its mate.
I killed its wife and ate its child while I was at it, and now I'm trapped. It makes me look like the big villain. This is the first time I've seen a real Lord-level demonic beast.
Zhang Junbao felt depressed. He was clearly the victim here, but could he really expect a demonic beast to listen to reason?
He did not know how the Lord-level Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle had found him. Clearly, after discovering that its mate and child had been killed, it had begun to go mad. Even its own subordinates could not escape its clutches.
The melee outside finally subsided with the Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle's arrival. Its icy eyes were filled with killing intent as it swept its gaze over the surroundings. Earlier, it had detected a trace of its own bloodline underground.
So it had sent two groups of small-bodied demonic beasts down to search. But for some reason, the two groups had started fighting, and even other Beast Generals under its command had joined the battle.
The culprit who had killed its wife and child had vanished, while many of its subordinates had died. Rage filled the Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle's mind. Once it found that beast, it would surely tear it to pieces.
"Scree!"
After quelling the demonic beasts, the Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle ordered them to search the surrounding area again, leaving no corner unchecked. It believed that the human carrying its bloodline was definitely still nearby.
By now, Zhang Junbao had used his Spiritual Force to completely cover the Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle egg and the several sword beaks in his backpack, making sure they gave off no trace of their aura. He could not be certain how the Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle had discovered him, but the most likely cause was the egg and sword beaks and other demonic beast materials he carried.
I can't go through the sky or underground. I'll have to use the buildings for cover to escape. I can't hide forever, and I can't rely on luck. I have to find my own way out.
Zhang Junbao deliberately chose narrow passages, doing his best to avoid being discovered by the demonic beasts.
Fortunately, most avian demonic beasts needed room to fly and could not enter places that were too cramped. Land-dwelling demonic beasts, meanwhile, were mostly rather large, which left Zhang Junbao room to hide.
He swiftly darted downstairs, standing on a soft cushion and using his Spiritual Force to control its movement, making sure he made no sound as he traveled.