Chapter 003: The Strange Bird of the Dense Forest

"Beast! Now you realize your mistake, don't you? I have long said that opposing me will only lead to a dead end!" Seeing that the massive body in the distance had stopped moving, Zhu Yun Cang couldn't help but clap his hands in joy and cheer.

The large bird spreads its feathers in the sky, completely disregarding Zhu Yuncong.

Wow! Zhu Yuncong hurriedly covered his head with both hands and crouched down on the ground. After a long while, he cautiously lifted his head. Above him, sparse rays of light continued to fall, with no sound and no sign of any living beings.

Seizing the moment to create some distance, Zhu Yuncong hurled the short sword in his hand fiercely at the monstrous bird; this was his final desperate struggle.

What... what is this strange bird!" Zhu Yun Cang exclaimed in fear, involuntarily continuing to shake the demon-repelling bell. However, the sound of the bell had no effect on the large bird; on the contrary, it seemed to become exceptionally excited upon hearing the bell, its feathers standing on end as it let out a sharp screech.

The strange bird clearly did not anticipate that this seemingly weak prey would possess such formidable strength. For a moment, it was stunned in mid-air, but soon it regained its senses. Ignoring the gaping wound in its chest, it screeched and charged at Zhu Yuncong once more. Zhu Yuncong hurriedly turned and fled, shouting, "You, you, you... don't you fear death? Do not go too far!" After saying this, he swung his sword again, this time with even greater force. However, the strange bird seemed to have realized the danger and devised a countermeasure. It crouched low and flew close to the ground, sliding rapidly as the sword light passed overhead, causing several ancient trees nearby to explode into charred remnants.

In a moment of contemplation, a shadow once again flashed past Zhu Yuncong, and this time, the shadow appeared to be larger and more agile than before

However, just as he approached the long-dead monstrous bird, two enormous shadows suddenly appeared in the sky.

The strange bird showed no hesitation whatsoever; the force of its two claws became increasingly intense, as if each attack aimed to turn Zhu Yuncong into a pulp.

He finally mustered the courage to look up. In the midair, a large bird spread its wings, suspended beneath the dense canopy of a tall tree. Its sharp eyes were fixed on the "prey" on the ground, watching intently. The bird had a crest like a phoenix, claws like a tiger, and a long tail resembling that of a lizard, with a backward hook at the tip, akin to the stinger of a scorpion. Apart from a hint of red plumage on its crown, its entire body was a pale blue, devoid of any other colors.

Then the large bird swooped down, resembling a predatory eagle, directly targeting the Zuyun Cang on the ground

Nüwa, must you torment me like this? One is killed, and another group appears?

A blue-green electric light shot out from the tip of the sword, transforming into a crescent-shaped blade that struck directly at the monstrous bird in the sky

What is going on here? Am I really going to be trapped to death in this forest? After leaving the Lark Department, the provisions brought by Zhu Yuncong are quite limited, enough to last at most two or three days. It is important to note that once night falls in the forest, the surroundings will turn into a vast abyss, making it nearly impossible to move. In other words, if I do not find a way out during the daylight, I will inevitably spend the night in fear and anxiety.

What should I do? I must quickly come up with a solution; I certainly do not want to die in the belly of this hideous creature..." Zhu Yuncong thought to himself. However, at this moment, what effective measures could be taken to address the dire situation before him?

Zhu Yuncong was taken aback, turning around to find that the strange bird was still hovering in the air, showing no immediate intention to pursue, nor any intent to prey. Zhu Yuncong realized that this strange bird was demonstrating its power to him—it seemed to want to torment and play with this intriguing prey before it.

The short sword transformed into a dazzling flash of electric light, accompanied by a faint hissing sound, as it surged towards the monstrous bird

As the smoke and haze dissipated, there was no longer any sound in the distance, and all things fell into a profound silence

However, that strange bird's wings were like sharp weapons, and the tree trunks it touched were brutally sliced in two, crashing down with a loud thud. The dense trees seemed to pose no obstacle to it; it had long since locked onto its target, fixating on Zhu Yuncong. Its pair of tiger claws struck the ground several times, but fortunately, Zhu Yuncong was agile enough to avoid an easy demise at the bird's belly

A flock of exactly ten strange birds charged directly towards this tiny body in the forest

Zhu Yun Cang alertly raised his head, but the scene before him nearly plunged him into despair. In the sky, two strange birds were slowly descending—no, not two, but three... four... five...

Oh my! How can this beast be so clever! Zhu Yuncong's talisman was down to its last use, and this power was clearly insufficient to kill the monstrous bird. However, the bird, having been injured, became exceptionally irritable, seemingly vowing to tear Zhu Yuncong to pieces. Zhu Yuncong never expected that his little cleverness would lead him into a greater crisis. The monstrous bird attacked with both its feet and tail, launching a series of claw strikes, needle-like jabs, and tail whips, leaving Zhu Yuncong overwhelmed.

The strange bird raised its head and let out a sharp, prolonged cry, as if mocking.

About half an hour later, Zhu Yuncong suddenly realized that he seemed to be running in circles, unable to escape this strange large loop no matter which direction he ran. It was as if the heavens were deliberately playing a joke on him

"Big bird, please don't eat me, I'm not tasty at all! I've been hungry and poorly dressed since I was little! I'm very thin, just bones!" Zhu Yun Cang shouted loudly, regardless of whether the strange bird behind him could understand human speech, "If there's nothing to eat, I'll go to the mountains to catch poisonous snakes, toads, and stink bugs, so don't eat me! It will poison you!"

Zhu Yun Cang vaguely remembered that he had heard from certain elders in the Lark Tribe the saying, "Iron attracts lightning, and the thunder grows stronger." At this moment, in a critical situation, he could not afford to consider the truth of this matter. He quickly affixed the talisman to the blade of his short sword, turned over, and shouted, "Beast! Let me hit you with a lightning spell!" After saying this, he recited the incantation and swung his sword in a horizontal slash

In a state of disarray, caught between pursuit and escape, Zhu Yuncong had already become utterly helpless

"You... you better not come over, or don't blame me for being heartless!" Zhu Yun Cang shouted.

"Beast! Do not be so arrogant!" Zhu Yun Cang retreated cautiously, while shouting at the strange bird in the sky, "Don't think that I, young master, cannot defeat you!"

"Heavens, how could I truly encounter such a monster, this is no joke!" Zhu Yun Cang was so frightened that he nearly fell over. Above him, several light blue feathers floated down gracefully, landing on the back of his right hand, which held the demon-repelling bell. "What, what kind of monster is this?"

"Despicable beast!" Zhu Yuncong shouted in anger and fear, and immediately turned to charge in another direction. However, the strange bird in the sky flapped one wing, and the fierce wind transformed into a sharp blade, swiftly cutting a tree, as thick as a bowl, in front of Zhu Yuncong into two halves, which then crashed down before him.

Zhu Yun Cang rose from the ground and laughed heartily, saying: "Hahaha! Beast, do you now understand the power of your grandfather? I advise you to flee quickly, for opposing your grandfather will surely lead you to a fate worse than death!"

Perhaps due to the prolonged inability to capture Zhu Yuncong, the strange bird suddenly changed its strategy, leaping sharply into the sky. With its wings spread wide, a powerful gust of wind rushed past Zhu Yuncong's head, instantly raising a curtain of withered leaves several zhang high in front of him, enveloped by the fierce wind, making it completely impossible to approach.

Suddenly, he remembered another magical artifact that Gu Tianming had given him, the lightning spell talisman that could only be used three times. He quietly reached into his bag.

The strange bird had just regained its strength and was not yet prepared to fly again when it was struck by a bright light once more. This time, the force of the attack was evidently several times greater than the previous two. A spherical burst of electric light exploded at the bird's chest, scattering in a circular pattern. The strange bird was propelled far away by the immense impact, crashing to the ground and crushing a large area of trees, raising a cloud of dust several zhang high

Zhu Yun Cang, leveraging the bending strength of the branch, leaped fiercely and landed on another tree, while the position he had just occupied had already been flattened by the monstrous bird.

He drew the hunting short sword from behind his back, gripping it tightly with both hands, pointing it at the large bird in the air. He himself noticed that both of his hands were trembling uncontrollably

The strange bird let out a wretched cry of a demon, its feathers flying wildly, as its massive body rolled upward, straining with all its might to stabilize itself in the air once more

Oh no! My life is in danger! Zhu Yuncong gripped the tree trunk tightly and swiftly slid down from another tree, landing on the ground once more. However, the strange bird was unable to stop, continuing to charge forward for several zhang, knocking down six or seven large trees before finally coming to a halt. It turned around and coldly fixed its gaze on Zhu Yuncong again

Help! Zhu Yun Cang's tone was tinged with despair; he was already feeling somewhat powerless, yet that strange bird continued to pursue him relentlessly

"Don't eat me!" Perhaps it was the instinct for survival that sharpened Zhu Yuncang's thoughts. He shouted while fleeing towards an area with more trees and lower vegetation, hoping to use the natural obstacles to block the path of the large bird.

At that moment, the strange bird launched another attack on Zhu Yuncong. Its slender tail, armed with a poisonous barb, swung fiercely towards him. Zhu Yuncong, in a state of panic, quickly withdrew his hand from the bag, rolled over to evade, and the poisonous barb struck the nearby trees and books. To his astonishment, a plume of black smoke erupted from the tree trunk, and wherever the black smoke spread, the green leaves turned completely yellow.

Casually, he ascended slowly, preparing to retrieve the sword he had thrown away. Although this battle had drained all the power of a magical artifact, it had ultimately spared him from the peril of losing his life, which, for him, was indeed worth it

Zhu Yun Cang stood up, brushed off the dust from his clothes, and began to shake the demon-repelling bell: "All great and minor demons, make way for me! I promise not to harm your names..." As he spoke, he took large strides and started to run quickly. However, at this moment, he seemed unaware that in the great forest, the most taboo action was to run forward aimlessly

The strange bird seemed momentarily stunned by the fierce momentum of the sword, remaining frozen in place, as the bolt of lightning surged upward, striking its upright chest.

Wow! What kind of monster is this!" Zhu Yun Cang shouted loudly, shaking the demon-repelling bell in his hand vigorously. However, this time, the shadow showed no intention of evading. Zhu Yun Cang could clearly feel several gusts of wind sweeping past him from all directions, the fallen leaves on the ground dancing in the wind, and the broken branches continuously rolling on the ground, as if signaling the arrival of a crisis

In a moment of desperation, Zhu Yuncong unexpectedly leaped onto a tall ancient tree. Although he had never learned lightness skills and was unfamiliar with riding the wind, his mischievous nature in childhood had endowed him with exceptional tree-climbing abilities. In just a few quick strides, he reached the treetop. The strange bird soldiers, undeterred, spread their wings and launched an attack on the ancient tree.

Oh, my Lady Nüwa!" Zhu Yuncang shouted, turning over and starting to run wildly.

What a powerful poison! Zhu Yun Cang couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment. At that moment, the long tail of the strange bird struck the ground where Zhu Yun Cang was lying. He had no choice but to roll away again to evade it. This time, however, he took the opportunity to draw the talisman from his bag.

Beside him, the withered leaves settled, the fierce wind subsided, and the forest returned to tranquility, as Zhu Yuncong faced the strange bird with a cold stare