My Sensor Drone had finally located what I'd been searching for throughout the morning—the magnificent nest of the Emerald Demon Bird. Perched atop one of the forest's most colossal ancient trees, the structure was a masterwork of natural architecture, woven from branches as thick as a man's torso and reinforced with what appeared to be crystallized wind energy. But what truly captured my attention wasn't the impressive nest itself—it was its wounded occupant.
The Emerald Demon Bird lay within its aerial fortress, its usually pristine plumage marred by visible injuries that spoke of recent conflict. Dark stains colored several of its magnificent feathers, and I could detect the subtle tremor in its movements that indicated significant pain. However, rather than feeling relieved at discovering a weakened opponent, a chill of apprehension ran down my spine.
"A cornered beast is the most dangerous," I whispered to myself, recalling one of Dean's most emphatic warnings.
The creature's position presented multiple tactical challenges. Elevated high above the forest floor, it commanded an unobstructed view of the surrounding territory. Any approach would require crossing open ground where the slightest change in air currents would alert those supernaturally keen senses. Even now, as my drone maintained its surveillance from what I'd considered a safe distance, I suspected the bird was fully aware of its presence but simply dismissing it as another insignificant forest creature.
Through my spiritual connection with the drone, I could sense the raw power emanating from the wounded predator. The soul energy fluctuations suggested a beast between twenty and thirty thousand years old—a apex predator in its prime, even with its current injuries.
Injured soul beasts, particularly proud predators like this one, often entered berserk states when threatened. They would fight with suicidal desperation, willing to drag any perceived enemy into death alongside them rather than face the humiliation of defeat.
Dismissing my drone to avoid any further risk of detection, I began my careful approach toward the massive tree. The forest floor here was carpeted with centuries of fallen leaves, creating a natural sound dampener that would aid my stealth. However, I couldn't rely solely on conventional concealment methods—not against a creature whose mastery of wind allowed it to detect the subtlest atmospheric disturbances.
Activating my soul bone's presence-erasing ability, I felt the familiar sensation of my spiritual signature fading to near-invisibility. This technique had served me well in previous encounters, rendering me nearly undetectable to most soul beasts' enhanced senses. Moving with practiced silence, I approached the base of the ancient tree and began my ascent.
The bark was weathered and scarred, providing excellent handholds for my careful climb. Each movement was calculated and deliberate—too fast, and I might create vibrations through the trunk; too slow, and I risked remaining exposed for an extended period. The tree's immense girth meant the climb would take considerable time, during which I remained vulnerable to detection and attack.
Twenty meters up, thirty, forty—with each passing moment, I drew closer to my quarry while the distance to safety continued to grow. The nest was still at least sixty meters above my current position, but already I could sense the increasing intensity of the bird's spiritual pressure. My Mind Eye ability began sending subtle warnings, indicating that danger was approaching the threshold of immediate concern.
Fifty meters up the trunk, disaster struck with lightning swiftness.
My Mind Eye erupted with urgent alarm signals, flooding my consciousness with imminent danger warnings. Without conscious thought, I pressed hard against the tree trunk with my feet and launched myself sideways just as a razor-sharp wind blade sliced through the exact position I'd occupied milliseconds before. The severed branch, thick as my torso, crashed to the forest floor with a thunderous impact that sent smaller creatures scurrying for cover.
"So much for stealth," I muttered grimly, my heart racing from the near-miss. "It knew I was here all along."
The Emerald Demon Bird's awareness was far more sophisticated than I'd anticipated. Whether through its ultimate wind affinity allowing it to detect minute atmospheric changes, or simply the finely-honed instincts of an apex predator, it had been tracking my approach from the moment I'd begun climbing.
From the creature's perspective, my discovery of its nest represented an existential threat. In the wild, knowledge of a predator's sanctuary often led to coordinated human hunting parties—groups of soul masters working together to overwhelm even the most powerful individual beasts. It couldn't risk allowing me to escape and return with reinforcements.
The situation had escalated from careful stalking to open warfare in an instant. With my original plan in ruins, I needed to adapt quickly or risk becoming another cautionary tale about underestimating injured soul beasts.
A desperate plan formed in my mind—reckless, dangerous, but potentially effective given my unique abilities. Rather than continuing to fight at a disadvantage on the creature's chosen ground, I would force an aerial confrontation where my own capabilities could shine.
Unfurling my external soul bone wings, I launched myself into the open sky above the forest canopy. The brilliant white feathers caught the sunlight as I climbed rapidly, presenting myself as an obvious target against the blue sky. To any observer, it would appear that I was either supremely confident or catastrophically foolish.
The truth was more nuanced. My year of relative peace had dulled some of my combat instincts, particularly my reliance on the Mind Eye's passive danger detection abilities. I'd grown accustomed to actively using the technique's analytical functions while neglecting its automatic warning systems. This oversight had nearly cost me dearly during my climb, but it also suggested a new tactical approach.
If I could successfully trigger and rely upon the Mind Eye's passive abilities during combat, I might be able to predict and counter the Emerald Demon Bird's attacks with split-second precision. It was a dangerous gamble, but against an opponent of this caliber, conventional tactics were unlikely to succeed.
As I'd predicted, my aerial display immediately provoked a response. A streak of brilliant emerald light erupted from the nest as the Emerald Demon Bird launched itself into its preferred combat environment. Even injured, its speed was breathtaking—a blur of green energy that closed the distance between us in mere heartbeats.
My Mind Eye screamed danger warnings just as the creature entered attack range. Without hesitation, I activated my Invincible Golden Body technique, feeling the familiar surge of absolute defensive power flow through my body. The collision was tremendous—the bird's aerial charge meeting my reinforced form in a shower of sparks and displaced air.
Using the brief moment of contact, I channeled Ultimate Ice energy into my hands and grasped the creature's wings. The supernatural cold should have been enough to significantly impair its mobility, but to my surprise, the ice began dispersing almost immediately. The bird's ultimate wind affinity was actively working to counter my ultimate ice, creating localized air currents that prevented the freezing effect from taking full hold.
"Troublesome," I thought grimly, noting that I now had only ten seconds of invincibility remaining from my soul ring skill's duration.
The Emerald Demon Bird recovered from our collision with frightening agility, wheeling around for another attack run. This time, however, I was ready with a different approach. As the green streak of death approached once again, I materialized a metal rod in my hands and activated my second soul ring's virtualization ability.
The timing had to be perfect. As the bird struck, I allowed the ethereal rod to pass harmlessly through its body before selectively re-materializing only the portion embedded within its wing. The sudden appearance of solid metal within living tissue caused catastrophic damage—bones cracked, tendons tore, and blood began streaming from the grievous wound.
But my victory came at a cost. Even as I celebrated the successful attack, my spiritual senses detected another incoming threat—a wind blade launched from the creature's undamaged wing. My Mind Eye provided adequate warning, and my spiritual perception tracked the attack's trajectory, but my physical body was simply too slow to respond in time.
The razor-sharp projectile caught my right arm, slicing through skin and muscle before I could fully activate my defensive technique. Searing pain lanced through my body as blood began flowing freely from the wound, but years of conditioning allowed me to maintain focus despite the injury. Pain was an old companion, and I refused to let it dictate the battle's outcome.
With one wing severely damaged, the Emerald Demon Bird could no longer maintain stable flight. It began a controlled descent toward the forest floor, but I had no intention of allowing it to dictate the terms of our ground engagement. Using my teleportation ability, I appeared directly above the falling creature and manifested my signature Ice Blade.
The crystalline weapon formed in my grasp with deadly beauty—translucent blue-white ice that seemed to drink in the surrounding light. Without hesitation, I drove it deep into the bird's back, using my momentum to carry both of us toward the ground in a spiraling descent.
As we approached the forest floor, the creature attempted to twist its body to land back-first, potentially crushing me beneath its considerable bulk. I teleported away at the last instant, reappearing beside the grounded beast as it struggled to regain its footing. Metal chains materialized around my hands as I channeled my creation abilities, quickly binding the damaged wing before the bird could attempt another wind blade attack.
The timing of this restraint was crucial. Earlier in the battle, such chains would have been useless—the creature's mobility and strength would have allowed it to break free before the bindings could properly take hold. But with its primary weapon crippled and its movement severely restricted, the bonds held firm.
Now came the moment of truth. Gathering my remaining mental energy, I began charging my most powerful offensive technique—the Ether Spirit Ray. This attack bypassed physical defenses entirely, striking directly at the target's consciousness through concentrated spiritual force. The energy built steadily in my mind, creating a visible distortion in the air around my head as raw psychic power accumulated.
The Emerald Demon Bird, sensing the nature of my preparation, made one final desperate attempt to break free. But the metal chains held, and its damaged wing could provide no additional leverage. With no escape possible, it could only watch as I completed the technique's charging sequence.
"This ends now," I declared, releasing the accumulated energy in a focused beam of pure mental force.
The Ether Spirit Ray struck the creature's head with surgical precision, bypassing its natural defenses to attack the consciousness within. The effect was immediate and decisive—the proud predator's struggles ceased as its nervous system succumbed to the psychic assault.
But I wasn't finished. Despite the technique's apparent success, I knew that creatures of this caliber possessed remarkable resilience. My soul power reserves were nearly exhausted, making a conventional killing blow impossible. Fortunately, I had one final option available.
My external soul bone scorpion tail emerged from my back, its crystalline point gleaming with lethal intent. The appendage moved with serpentine grace, positioning itself above the bird's skull before striking downward with tremendous force. The tip pierced through bone and brain tissue, delivering the coup de grace that ended the magnificent creature's life.
As the Emerald Demon Bird's body went still, a dark soul ring began forming above its corpse—the manifestation of thirty thousand years of accumulated soul power. Without delay, I settled into a meditative position and began the absorption process, knowing that any hesitation might allow the energy to dissipate.
The moment I initiated contact with the soul ring, I knew this absorption would be unlike any I'd experienced before. Instead of the usual steady flow of energy, sharp winds seemed to slice through my internal soul power channels. The bird's ultimate wind affinity was actively resisting integration, creating painful friction as conflicting elemental forces clashed within my body.
Gradually, through sheer determination and careful energy manipulation, I began to overcome the resistance. The hostile wind energy slowly submitted to my control, integrating itself into my existing power structure. But just as I thought the worst was over, my consciousness was pulled into my internal spiritual realm.
Within this mental landscape, I found myself facing an unexpected adversary—the spiritual remnant of the Emerald Demon Bird itself. The creature's consciousness had somehow survived its physical death, manifesting as a spectral version of its living form. Its eyes burned with fury and resentment, clearly intent on destroying me from within even if it meant its own complete annihilation.
The spirit launched itself at me with the same vicious speed it had displayed in life. I activated my head soul bone's protective abilities, creating a barrier of crystalline energy that absorbed the initial assault. The battle was far from over, however—this spiritual combat would determine whether I successfully absorbed the soul ring or died in the attempt.
Just as I prepared to engage the vengeful spirit in what promised to be a grueling mental battle, an unexpected voice interrupted the confrontation.
"Big sister, stop!" Tian Meng materialized beside me, his usually cheerful demeanor replaced by urgent concern. "Please, let me handle this. I need to speak with the Emerald Demon Bird's spirit."
My initial reaction was frustration and reluctance. I had just fought a desperate battle against this creature, sustaining injury and expending most of my reserves in the process. The idea of showing mercy to its spiritual remnant felt almost insulting after everything I'd endured.
But as I looked at Tian Meng's earnest expression, I realized that my emotional state might be compromising my judgment. The battle's intensity and my physical injuries were making me more aggressive and less rational than usual. Perhaps I was indeed becoming too cocky, too willing to solve problems through force rather than wisdom.
More importantly, Tian Meng had become something more than just a powerful ally over our time together—he was genuinely one of my closest friends.
"Fine," I said after a moment's consideration, stepping back from the confrontation. "I'll leave this to you."
Tian Meng nodded gratefully and immediately went to work, manifesting spiritual chains that wrapped around the Emerald Demon Bird's spectral form. The restraints glowed with his characteristic golden energy, somehow managing to calm the vengeful spirit's fury through their touch.
With the spiritual battle temporarily resolved, I withdrew my consciousness from my internal realm and returned my attention to the physical world. The soul ring absorption could continue under Tian Meng's supervision, allowing me to address my more immediate concerns.
The first priority was my injured right arm. Now that the adrenaline of combat was fading, the pain was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Examining the wound more carefully, I suspected that the wind blade had caused fractures in addition to the obvious soft tissue damage.
With my soul power reserves depleted, I couldn't rely on energy-based healing techniques. Instead, I would need to apply traditional first aid methods until my power regenerated sufficiently for more advanced treatment.
Gathering suitable branches from the forest floor, I carefully cleaned the wound and assessed the extent of the damage. The bleeding had mostly stopped, but the bone alignment would need correction to prevent permanent impairment. Using my knowledge of anatomy and considerable pain tolerance, I manipulated the fractured bone back into proper position before splinting the arm with the prepared branches.
Strips of cloth torn from my spare clothing served as binding material, securing the improvised splint and creating a makeshift sling to support the injured limb. The entire process was agonizing, but necessary to prevent long-term complications.
"Once my soul power recovers," I thought grimly, "I can use my Herrscher of Truth abilities to copy the structure of my healthy left arm and repair the damage properly."
The healing technique would essentially create a template based on my undamaged limb and use it to restore the injured tissue to perfect condition. It was one of my most versatile abilities, though it required substantial energy reserves to execute properly.
For now, all I could do was wait—for my power to regenerate, for Tian Meng to complete his negotiations with the bird's spirit, and for my body to begin its natural healing processes. The battle was won, but the victory had come at a significant cost.
As I settled against a nearby tree to rest and recover, I reflected on the lessons this encounter had taught me. Overconfidence was indeed becoming a problem, and I would need to be more careful about maintaining proper combat readiness in the future. The Emerald Demon Bird had been a worthy opponent that had pushed me to my limits—exactly the kind of challenge I'd been seeking.