He pressed onward, finally reaching his destination: a dormant volcano, currently spewing thick black smoke, with the potential to erupt at any moment.
Hundreds of red-winged Flame Birdss circled near the black smoke, and occasionally, flashes of lightning surged through the mist, within which a giant Flame Birds with a wingspan of nearly fifty meters was soaring.
"Good! I'd like to see if you can withstand my Inverse Scale Flying Blade!"
Liu Yun, holding his long blade, secretly prepared the Inverse Scale Flying Blade, ready to begin the hunt.
The Thunder Blade couldn't fly and couldn't attack airborne targets, but the Inverse Scale Flying Blade was different; it could bring down anything, even if it was in the sky.
His figure moved like lightning, his feet crushing tiny pebbles as he approached the volcano at an incredible speed. The surrounding air seemed to grow scorching hot, and the small Flame Birdss, sensing the threat, let out sharp cries, flapping their wings to fly high, attempting to block Liu Yun's path. However, for Liu Yun, these were merely appetizers before the main course.
Flame Birdss were small Undying Birds, and it was perfectly normal for a Beast General-level monster to have several hundred smaller kin around it.
Liu Yun's figure stretched out, pouncing on the flock of Flame Birdss like a leopard, his long blade cutting brilliant arcs through the air. Each swing was accompanied by a fierce blade wind.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
The blade light wove like a net, and the small Flame Birdss, defenseless against this dense blade net, were cut into two, feathers and flames scattering. The air was filled with the smell of char and blood. Liu Yun's movements were fluid and seamless, each attack precise and deadly, and he quickly killed countless Flame Birdss.
Watching his subordinates fall one after another, the giant Flame Birds, the Undying Bird, was finally enraged. It let out a deafening cry, flapping its wings violently, instantly creating a fierce wind, and flames, like a tornado, swept towards Liu Yun. Liu Yun's expression was grave, but he did not retreat. He quickly mobilized the Mental Energy within his body, forming a transparent shield to block the fiery tornado.
"With my Mechanical Race Clone assisting, the Inverse Scale Flying Blade is unstoppable!"
Liu Yun let out a low shout, and the short blade glowed brightly, then transformed into a slender light blade that sliced through the air at an incredible speed, aiming directly for the Flame Birds's vital spot. Seeing this, the Flame Birds flapped its wings fiercely, nimbly dodging in the air, but the light blade seemed to have a will of its own, pursuing relentlessly. Finally, when the Flame Birds was too slow to turn, it precisely pierced its left wing.
This was the embodiment of the Automaton Race's computing power; Liu Yun didn't have to worry about controlling the flying blade at all, and the opponent couldn't evade it!
However, this was not Liu Yun's true strength; he was currently just a Puppet of computing power, unaware of what he was doing.
"Hiss—"
The Flame Birds let out a pained shriek, its massive body struggling violently in the air. In its agony, the Flame Birds frantically flapped its wings, stirring up gusts of scorching wind. At the same time, its originally crimson eyes suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, as if containing the wrath of heaven and earth and the power of nature.
With a deafening roar, the Undying Bird actually spat out brilliant bolts of lightning from its mouth. These lightning bolts wove into a net in the air, carrying destructive power, and shot towards Liu Yun.
Liu Yun was greatly alarmed upon seeing this; the Flame Birds could actually command the power of lightning, which was terrifying! Among high-level Beast Generals, this was an extremely rare power, no wonder it had become a major problem for those who came and went.
Facing the net of lightning spat out by the Undying Bird, Liu Yun knew he couldn't take it head-on. He quickly mobilized all his Psychic, focusing his attention on the Inverse Scale Flying Blade.
The slender light blade suddenly accelerated in the air, as if it had broken through the limitations of time and space, directly smashing through the lightning's restraint, carrying an unstoppable Aura, and heading straight for the Undying Bird's vital spot.
"Psychic, extreme amplification!" Liu Yun roared in his heart. As he fully activated his Mental Energy, the Inverse Scale Flying Blade drew a dazzling trajectory in the air, moving so fast that even the air was torn into tiny cracks.
"Rip—"
With a sharp whoosh, the Inverse Scale Flying Blade accurately pierced the Undying Bird's head, instantly severing its powerful life force. The Undying Bird's massive body abruptly paused in the air, then fell powerlessly, its wings no longer flapping, and the flames and lightning also dissipated, leaving only silence and heaviness.
However, the cost of victory was heavy. Although Liu Yun successfully killed the Undying Bird, he himself was severely injured due to the excessive use of Psychic and physical strength, coupled with the impact of the lightning.
He staggered a few steps, barely steadying himself, blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth, staining his clothes. This was entirely a trade of injuries.
Just as he was about to sit down to recuperate and recover his strength, a strange light from the edge of the nearby volcano attracted his attention. Liu Yun, enduring the pain, walked towards it with difficulty, his heart filled with curiosity and anticipation.
As he drew closer, he was surprised to find a small, inconspicuous cave hidden in the rock wall at the deepest part of the volcano. The cave entrance was covered by a thin layer of frost, exuding a clear and mysterious Aura. Liu Yun cautiously entered the cave, only to find the interior spacious and bright, with a snow-white bird egg placed in the center, emitting a soft and pure light.
"This is… an Undying Bird's egg?" A surge of pleasant surprise rose in Liu Yun's heart.
This Undying Bird egg contained powerful vitality and potential; whether sold or hatched by himself, it would be of great use.
This was an unexpected bonus, so Liu Yun put it away, planning to study how to deal with it later.
It could certainly yield good Beast General genes, but if that didn't work out, perhaps it could be used for boiled eggs, fried eggs, or egg-fried rice, etc. In any case, it wouldn't be completely useless.
Just as he was about to leave the cave, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside. Liu Yun's heart tightened, and he quickly hid behind a large boulder, his gaze like a torch, watching the activity at the cave entrance.
Several familiar figures rushed in; it turned out to be Li Wei, Calone, and Panya, none of whom he recognized.
"They're up to no good," Liu Yun thought to himself, while cautiously gripping the long blade in his hand. He knew that these people's arrival was suspicious and they surely had ill intentions.
"Hmph, you don't need to hide anymore, we've already seen you!"
Li Wei, at the forefront, sneered. He was merely bluffing Liu Yun.
They had already caught and cut down the Flame Birdss, and then, knowing Liu Yun had discovered them, they headed directly for Liu Yun's mission location.
It seemed that being led astray wasn't a bad thing; they arrived just as Liu Yun and the Undying Bird were both severely injured!
Inside the nest, Liu Yun heard the voice, and he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to come out. He was indeed injured and had lost strength, but he was by no means at the point of surrendering.
"Hide first. If found, erupt and fight to the death!"
Liu Yun shielded himself with the huge bird egg, secretly using his Psychic to hide the Inverse Scale Flying Blade under the rugged, jagged rocks, ready to make a desperate stand at any moment.
This was also a symbol: a Dragon has Inverse Scales, and the Inverse Scales guard the most critical vital spot; those who touch them die!