After the Wind and Fire Giant Bird changed its combat style, it became much harder to deal with. Hit-and-run tactics wore Lin Tianhao and Gu Sheng down, testing their patience to the limit. Moreover, the bird’s razor-sharp claws and beak possessed hardness akin to that of Yellow Level top-grade treasures. The two dared not be careless, staying vigilant at all times. Over time, both their physical stamina and mental energy drained significantly.
On top of that, the Wind and Fire Giant Bird began using its unique beastly aura to drive other demon beasts to attack them. The disciples of the Haoyang Sect had to constantly guard against the Wind and Fire Giant Bird while also fending off the oncoming beast tide. Their formation became disorganized amid the chaos, with some individuals even sustaining injuries.
The situation quickly worsened.
"Brother Lin, this isn’t working. Can you think of a way to draw the Wind and Fire Giant Bird’s attention? If you can disrupt its rhythm when it tries to retreat after charging down, I’ll have a good chance of shooting it down!"
Gu Sheng, holding no reservation at this critical moment, took out his Zhuge Repeating Crossbow.
Lin Tianhao, also feeling somewhat fatigued, swallowed a recovery pill and glanced at the Wind and Fire Giant Bird diving toward him once again. A fierce determination flashed across his face.
"Alright! I’ll hold it off!"
Lin Tianhao retrieved a gray-brown pill from his storage pouch and ate it. Instantly, his aura surged dramatically, his physique expanded slightly, and his strength magnified significantly.
This time, as the Wind and Fire Giant Bird charged down, Lin Tianhao neither dodged nor evaded, brandishing his spear to meet the attack head-on. Meanwhile, Gu Sheng seized the opportunity to activate the Shadow Concealment Skill and faded into hiding.
Noticing Gu Sheng’s presence vanish, the Wind and Fire Giant Bird grew bolder. It extended its talons straight at Lin Tianhao’s spear.
Fueled by the pill’s enhancement, Lin Tianhao’s combat ability skyrocketed. His spear halted abruptly in mid-air as it made its forward stab.
In that single breath of time, not only did Lin Tianhao evade the talons’ grasp, but he also unleashed sudden force. His spear shot forward like a dragon, piercing directly into the Wind and Fire Giant Bird’s abdomen.
The Wind and Fire Giant Bird hadn’t anticipated that Lin Tianhao’s attack power would be so fearsome, with this strike penetrating its body completely.
Reeling from the pain, the Wind and Fire Giant Bird swept its talons fiercely, attempting to repel Lin Tianhao. It failed to anticipate Lin Tianhao’s reckless approach—he charged forward without retreat as if his life meant nothing.
"Now’s the time!"
Gu Sheng, hidden in the shadows, saw the Wind and Fire Giant Bird locked in place. After aiming for the bird’s head, he swiftly pulled the lever on his crossbow, sending ten arrows flying.
"Hiss!"
Seeing the ghastly wounds on Lin Tianhao’s chest, Gu Sheng couldn’t help but gasp sharply, his back tingling with chills. He hurriedly retrieved a pill from his own storage pouch and fed it to Lin Tianhao.
The Holy Pill Sect’s alchemy skills were unmatched across the entire Red Cloud Prefecture. Even though Lin Tianhao had his own healing pills, they were nowhere near as effective as Gu Sheng’s.
Given that Gu Sheng had already benefited significantly from this Spirit Stone mine vein, he didn’t hesitate to use one of his pills.
"Brother Gu, I can’t continue fighting. You’ll need to step in and assist my junior disciples from here on out."
After bringing Lin Tianhao to a relatively safe location, Gu Sheng grinned and replied, "Of course. Rest here for now; I’ll go help them out!"
The demon beasts in this mountain valley, having lived long in concentrated spiritual energy, boasted strength greater than ordinary beasts of the same level. However, with the formidable Wind and Fire Giant Bird taken care of, the remaining beasts, though still troublesome, were merely Golden Bone Realm demon beasts. With Gu Sheng joining the battle, the Haoyang Sect disciples found themselves under much less pressure and soon regained their earlier cohesion.
After half an hour of intense fighting, the spiritual energy in the valley had been mostly scattered. The ground lay covered with the corpses of demon beasts, blood pooling everywhere, saturating the air with a heavy, suffocating stench. Fortunately, Gu Sheng and the others were far from ordinary humans; otherwise, this environment might have left them retching out their guts.

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