Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 269: Chapter 155 Wind Thunder Bird_2

”Chirp!”

Suddenly, a piercing bird cry echoed through the canyon, and a massive purple-black bird, about a meter in length, swooped down from the cliffside.

The bird’s wings unfurled, each feather tip resembling razor-sharp bone spikes that exuded an icy, chilling aura at just a glance.

”The Wind Thunder Bird is here! Blood Refining Realm members, get ready! When I give the order to attack, aim above it to suppress its flying height!”

After issuing his command, Mu Qingyuan drew his longsword and stepped out into the open to act as bait, drawing the Wind Thunder Bird’s attention.

”Qingwen, Qinghe, the eyes and the soft flesh under the wings are its weak spots. You two must focus your attacks there with full force! Otherwise, if the Holy Pill Sect disciples patrolling nearby discover us, we’re finished!”

”Chirp chirp!”

The Wind Thunder Bird immediately tightened its wings and dove straight towards Mu Qingyuan upon seeing him. Its long, slightly curved, hook-like beak was aimed directly at his head.

Facing the dive-bombing Wind Thunder Bird, Mu Qingyuan’s lips curled into a sinister grin. Raising his hand to shield his head, he laughed loudly, ”I’ve been waiting for you!”

The arm Mu Qingyuan raised was equipped with a specialized piece of armor, though it was unclear when he had put it on. The bird’s beak struck his arm with a resounding ”clang,” sending Mu Qingyuan stumbling backward under the force. The Wind Thunder Bird, however, suffered a worse fate: Its once 10-to-20-centimeter-long beak snapped cleanly in half, eliciting agonized, anguished screams.

”Attack!”

Mu Qingyuan shook off the numbness in his arm and commanded Mu Qingwen and Mu Qinghe to engage.

The three of them charged forward simultaneously, swords swinging at the Wind Thunder Bird.

The bird showed remarkable cunning, instantly spreading its wings as shields to block the attack.

Their swords clashed against the wings, creating metallic ”clang clang clang” sounds, as though they were striking an iron plate instead of feathers.

The Wind Thunder Bird began spinning in place, its wingtip bone spikes rotating like dagger blades.

The power of those spikes was not to be underestimated. A single hit was no less damaging than a blade strike, and to make matters worse, any injury would unleash the lightning force within the Wind Thunder Bird.

Although the lightning within the bird wasn’t particularly potent, it was sufficient to temporarily paralyze even Bronze Bone Realm warriors, neutralizing their combat capabilities.

If paralyzed, the Wind Thunder Bird’s iron wings and sharp talons would be lethal. Seeing the danger, Mu Qingyuan and his companions retreated swiftly, awaiting the bird to slow down before attacking again.

Realizing it couldn’t overpower the trio and with its injured beak impairing its combat capability, the Wind Thunder Bird flapped its wings, preparing to take flight.

Mu Qingyuan and the others had been coveting the Iron Thunder Wood and Thunder Fruit for a long time and came with a well-prepared strategy. Before the bird could take off, Mu Qingyuan shouted to Gu Sheng and the others, ”Shoot it!”

”Whoosh whoosh whoosh!”

Gu Sheng’s team, primed for action, immediately engaged their crossbows, releasing a volley of arrows.

Most of the group lacked archery skills, haphazardly aiming before shooting. Some even fired their Stone-breaking Crossbows so poorly that their arrows soared ten meters higher than intended. Gu Sheng’s team primarily aimed to prevent the bird from lifting off, so accuracy wasn’t a priority. Gu Sheng himself only ensured his arrows skimmed past the bird to maintain pressure.

The Wind Thunder Bird, possessing notable intelligence and sharp instincts toward impending danger, hesitated to ascend, opting instead to maneuver on the ground where it felt safer.

Mu Qingyuan smirked upon seeing their suppressive fire succeed. Turning to three Copper Bone Realm warriors reloading their crossbows nearby, he yelled, ”Stop reloading and help us! Let’s finish this beast quickly!”

The trio swiftly abandoned their crossbows, drawing their weapons to join the fight.

Robbed of its flight advantage and facing six Copper Bone Realm combatants, the Wind Thunder Bird was quickly overwhelmed, sustaining injuries; feathers scattered everywhere, and its legs were covered in blade wounds.

Each time the bird attempted to take off, Gu Sheng’s team unleashed another barrage, keeping its anxiety high despite their poor marksmanship. Growing visibly distressed under mounting pressure, the Wind Thunder Bird began to chirp frantically, its frantic movements betraying its desperation.

Suddenly, exploiting the moment when Gu Sheng’s team paused to reload, the Wind Thunder Bird broke free from the six-person encirclement and charged toward the Blood Refining Realm contingent led by Gu Sheng.

The bird instinctively knew that by eliminating Gu Sheng’s group, it could regain its aerial superiority.

The Wind Thunder Bird’s fearsome reputation preceded it. The Blood Refining Realm members were terrified, dropping their crossbows and fleeing toward the canyon’s exit.

Though unable to fly, the bird’s folded wings streamlined its movements as it sprinted ferociously on its legs, closing the distance to Gu Sheng’s group within moments.

Suddenly, the bird unfurled its wings, and the sharp bone spikes immediately pierced the necks of two Blood Refining Realm members.

”Damn it! Stop it!”

Mu Qingyuan recognized the danger and charged after it with his sword, but speed wasn’t their strong suit. By the time they caught up, most of the Blood Refining Realm members were already slaughtered, leaving only Gu Sheng and a middle-aged man, whom he’d spoken to earlier, still alive.

The bird’s small eyes glimmered with fierce killing intent as its fractured beak lunged toward the duo like a steel needle.

The middle-aged man beside Gu Sheng had already lost his nerve, his legs trembling uncontrollably and his face turning ghostly pale as he froze in fear.

Gu Sheng recalled the middle-aged man’s willingness to share useful information earlier. Unwilling to watch him die helplessly, Gu Sheng grabbed his shoulder and hurled him backward like a sandbag, sending him flying over ten meters.

Meanwhile, Gu Sheng kept retreating, but he didn’t stop moving his hands. He deftly operated the Stone-breaking Crossbow and finished loading the arrow!

With the crossbow fully loaded, Gu Sheng used his First-level Swift Speed technique to maintain a five-to-six-meter safe distance from the Wind Thunder Bird.

Raising his loaded crossbow, Gu Sheng steadied the weapon with one hand while pulling the trigger with the other.

”Whoosh!”

The arrow shot forth at breakneck speed, precisely striking the Wind Thunder Bird’s less sturdy leg.

The arrow hit its target with a loud explosion, reducing the bird’s leg to mangled flesh.

The destructive effect wasn’t just due to the Stone-breaking Bow’s power but also thanks to the First-level Penetration technique!

”Ugh! What a shame—if I’d aimed for the head, it might’ve finished it off,”

Gu Sheng sighed inwardly as he reloaded his crossbow.

It wasn’t that he hadn’t wanted to aim for the bird’s head or other weak spots; it was because the cunning creature had shielded most of its body with its robust wings once it realized it couldn’t stop Gu Sheng’s shots, leaving only its legs exposed.

From watching Mu Qingyuan’s earlier attacks, Gu Sheng already knew the bird’s wings were incredibly tough. He wasn’t confident the Stone-breaking Crossbow could penetrate them.

If his arrow couldn’t pierce through, the Wind Thunder Bird could close in during the delay. Gu Sheng wasn’t about to gamble on that risk.

With its leg shattered and relentless pain ravaging its body, the Wind Thunder Bird let out a harrowing screech.

At this point, besides Gu Sheng, no one else remained to keep suppressing the bird with crossbow fire. Forced to abandon its pursuit of Gu Sheng, the Wind Thunder Bird turned to fend off the returning Mu Qinghe and his group, flapping its wings to ascend.

Injured and slowed by its shattered leg, the bird’s flight speed was significantly reduced. If Gu Sheng exerted his full strength, he was confident he could bring it down.

Gu Sheng’s earlier shot had startled Mu Qinghe and the others. They had scoffed at Gu Sheng’s claim of knowing ”a bit” about archery, but now it was evident that he truly had skills!

The Stone-breaking Crossbow shared similarities with regular bows but also had marked differences. Among them was its powerful recoil.

This recoil made precise targeting far more challenging compared to traditional weapons. Even seasoned crossbow shooters at the Mu Clan Merchant Hall struggled to hit the Wind Thunder Bird’s leg with such accuracy.

As the wounded bird spiraled into the air, Mu Qinghe quickly ordered Gu Sheng, ”Shoot it! If you bring it down, I’ll reward you with an extra thousand taels!”