In a villa more than twenty kilometers away, Zhang Junbao hid inside, finally breathing a sigh of relief after making sure no demonic beasts had followed him.
"I've really gone too far this time. When I get back, I have to get my hands on some Dragon Blood and a Spirit of Plants and Trees."
By now, the muscles all over his body had nearly torn apart, his skin was covered in bloodstains, and the muscles and bones in both hands were riddled with cracks.
His physical abilities were only at the Advanced Warrior level, far below those of the Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle. If he hadn't relied on Tai Chi Circular Soft Force to deflect the force and Spiritual Force to strengthen and protect himself, a single blow from the Lord-level Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle would have smashed him straight into meat paste.
Even so, the results of this battle were considerable. He had fought thousands of demonic beasts alone, not only escaping their encirclement but also surviving an attack from a Lord-level demonic beast. And he was only a rookie who had just become a warrior.
The strain had left both his hands temporarily unable to fight. The Sword-Beaked Dragon Eagle's final attack had reached the level of an Intermediate Lord, striking toward Zhang Junbao with a force of hundreds of thousands of jin.
Under those circumstances, he had paid only the price of temporarily losing the use of his hands, something ordinary warriors could never have imagined.
Unable to use his hands, Zhang Junbao simply used his Spiritual Force to pull some food from his backpack and replenish his energy.
"I'll rest for a while and move out after dark. If I remember right, most flying demonic beasts rest at night. With my Spiritual Force, I can travel by day or night.
"As long as I leave this area, the other Lords have no grudge against me and won't search for me like mad. As long as I keep a low profile, I should be fine."
The occasional low growl of a demonic beast rang out in the Wilderness Zone at night. Wreckage and abandoned motor vehicles could often be found on the highway.
It was already dark. There was no moon tonight, and few stars. The faint starlight barely revealed the outline of the highway. Along one stretch, a bus had overturned at the roadside, and Zhang Junbao was sitting on the ground with his back against it.
"Demonic beasts in City 003 are generally stronger, and fewer human warriors come here, but it's been more than ten days, and I haven't seen a single human. What on earth is going on?"
Zhang Junbao looked around. He was the only human here, and the feeling of being alone in the Wilderness Zone was quite unusual.
From the ruined buildings and vehicles around him, he could vaguely imagine just how prosperous human society had been before the Great Nirvana.
Unlike the safe Base Cities of today, where people were packed together, there had been no demonic beasts back then. Human industry had flourished, and the entire earth had been humanity's territory.
But now, not a single person could be seen here.
What Zhang Junbao didn't know was that the earlier demonic beast rampage had frightened all the human warriors in the surrounding area away. The frenzied beasts had wreaked destruction everywhere, nearly triggering a beast tide.
No human warrior dared wander around the Wilderness Zone during a beast tide. Even a War God Level expert could quickly lose his life if he carelessly became caught in one.
Only after the beast tide had passed did warriors work up the courage to come looking for opportunities.
Zhang Junbao had no map, but according to the road signs, he knew he was already on the outskirts of City 003 and heading toward Yangzhou City.
"I've followed the highway all the way, and most human warriors come through here too. I refuse to believe I can't find a single person!"
Zhang Junbao was eager to return to a safe human Base City, but not because he couldn't hold out in the Wilderness Zone. With his current strength, he generally didn't have to worry about being killed as long as no Lord-level demonic beast attacked him.
Moreover, now that he had left the gathering place of the flying demonic beasts, a Spirit Reader's ability to fly was practically impossible for land beasts to counter. As long as Zhang Junbao wanted to leave, the demonic beasts could do nothing to stop him.
Rather, he had already been missing for more than ten days, and the dojo should have informed his family. His father's car accident had cast a shadow over the household, and it had only lifted when he passed the Quasi-Warrior Assessment.
If the Limits Dojo now confirmed that he had "died in battle" during the combat assessment, Zhang Junbao couldn't imagine how devastating the blow would be to his family.
Although he had spent only a little over a month with his family, their warmth still stirred a ripple in the heart he had cultivated for many years.
He wasn't a monk. His original cultivation belonged to the Way of Orthodox Unity in Daoism, so there was no need to abandon his family and pursue some kind of cultivation detached from the mortal world. His family's care gave him even greater motivation to grow stronger.
Bang!
Rat-tat-tat-tat...
As Zhang Junbao rested, he suddenly heard gunshots in the distance.
"That's a human sniper rifle! There are warriors fighting up ahead!"
For a moment, Zhang Junbao was actually a little excited.
He hadn't seen another human in more than ten days. Humans were social creatures, and prolonged solitude had a tremendous effect on the human heart.
The presence of warriors meant he could quickly contact his family, finally allowing the anxiety hanging over his heart to ease.
Thanks to a warrior's powerful physique and the rich nourishment of demonic beast meat, his injuries were no longer a serious problem.
Zhang Junbao quickly grabbed the Dragon Roar Sword and headed toward the gunfire. He also heard several terrifying beast roars. Roars that powerful likely belonged to an intermediate or even a High-Level Beast General, and the human warrior squad ahead was clearly in danger.
Zhang Junbao rushed over and, from a distance, saw a human warrior sent flying by a giant snake's tail. The warrior spat out a mouthful of blood in midair. His situation was extremely dangerous.
"Zhang Ke!!
"Damn beast, I'll fight you to the death!"
The tall man wielding war hammers in both hands swung one of the heavy weapons with all his strength. Like a cannonball, it smashed viciously toward the snake's head.
At that moment, another snake head suddenly darted out from the other side. Its forked tongue shot out like a rapier, aiming straight for the man's head.
Just as the man found himself unable to dodge in time, Zhang Junbao appeared at his side and slashed down, cutting off half the snake's tongue.
The two-headed snake recoiled in pain and hurriedly retreated, staring warily at Zhang Junbao.
"Brother, you saved my life. Words can't express my gratitude for such a great favor; I'll repay you someday! My name is Gao Feng, captain of the Fire Hammer Squad. Thank you for stepping in just in time."
The cold sweat had yet to fade from Gao Feng's face. Still shaken after Zhang Junbao had saved him, he hurriedly expressed his thanks.
"No need to thank me. We're all human. How could I stand by and watch you fall into danger? How did you provoke it?" Zhang Junbao glanced over and saw that among the members of the Fire Hammer Squad, only Gao Feng had the strength of a Beginner Warlord and was close to becoming an Intermediate Warlord. The others were merely Advanced Warriors.
"We just wanted to try our luck. We never expected to run into this Double-Headed Black-Line Snake as soon as we arrived in City 003. The beast is incredibly powerful. Our squad's attacks have no effect on it at all."
Gao Feng sighed. They had originally hoped to take advantage of the chaos just after the beast tide receded and pick up some overlooked gains, only to nearly be wiped out as soon as they arrived.
If Zhang Junbao hadn't arrived in time, that last attack would have claimed Gao Feng's life.
Nearby, the twin brothers helped the injured Zhang Ke over. A casual blow from the Double-Headed Black-Line Snake had nearly killed him.
Zhang Junbao saw that the spear in Zhang Ke's hand had been broken in two by the blow. It was that broken spear that had saved his life.