Chapter 268 - 155 Wind Thunder Bird

"This Stone-breaking Crossbow is mine now!"

Mu Qingyuan gave Gu Sheng a strange look and then gestured toward Mu Qinghe with a nod. "Give him an extra twenty bolts."

The distribution of the Stone-breaking Crossbow and bolts was quickly completed. Everyone else received ten specially-made bolts each, while Gu Sheng got thirty—twenty of which he had personally paid for. After receiving the bolts, Gu Sheng stored the twenty he’d purchased in the wooden box strapped to his back, leaving the remaining ten in the issued quiver hanging at his waist for easy access.

Once all the equipment had been handed out, Mu Qingyuan’s expression turned solemn as he addressed the group.

"Inside this canyon, there’s an Iron Thunder Tree and a mature Thunder Roar Fruit. However, they are guarded by a Copper Bone Realm Wind Thunder Bird. To prevent the commotion from attracting other Thunder Beasts, we must finish this fight quickly! If stronger Thunder Beasts are drawn here, we’ll all die in this place!"

The recruits’ expressions changed dramatically upon hearing about the Wind Thunder Bird guarding the area. Some of them began hesitating, and Gu Sheng noticed a middle-aged man beside him with fear clearly reflected in his eyes.

Curious, Gu Sheng asked, "Uncle, is the Wind Thunder Bird really that formidable? Why do you all seem so frightened?"

"Oh, it’s definitely formidable! Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s just a Copper Bone Realm Thunder Beast. Its wings are as tough as iron, and even someone at the Copper Bone Realm would get torn apart if they took a direct hit. Its hooked beak can tear off a chunk of flesh in one bite. Most importantly, it can fly! If you don’t have the means to restrain it, even a Silver Bone Realm expert would get played to death by it!"

Upon hearing this, Gu Sheng finally understood why Mu Qingyuan and the others had prepared so many Stone-breaking Crossbows—clearly, they were meant to restrain the Wind Thunder Bird.

Gu Sheng could roughly guess Mu Qingyuan’s plan: the Blood Refining Realm participants would use the Stone-breaking Crossbows to limit the Wind Thunder Bird’s ability to fly, while the Copper Bone Realm trio would move in for the kill.

Unlike big cats or bears, birds’ greatest advantage lies in their ability to fly. If you take that away, they’re much easier to handle.

"Uh... Can I back out?"

One Blood Refining Realm cultivator at the Perfect stage hesitated, fear gripping him as he raised a trembling hand to request withdrawal.

Mu Qingyuan sneered coldly. "Of course!" Yet before the man’s momentary relief could settle, Mu Qinghe’s blade was already unsheathed. It flashed coldly through the air, and in the next instant, the would-be deserter had been decapitated, blood spraying everywhere.

This sudden, brutal display of violence sent chills down everyone’s spines.

Holding the blood-drenched long blade, Mu Qingyuan took out a damp handkerchief and carefully wiped the blade clean. His sharp gaze swept over the group as he smirked coldly, "Anyone else want to leave? Step forward, and I’ll gladly accommodate!"

"Buzz!"

Mu Qingwen and Mu Qinghe unsheathed their long blades as well, their faint but overwhelming killing intent now enveloping the group like a wet cloth draped over their faces, suffocating them, even preventing them from breathing freely.

The Copper Bone Realm cultivators weighed their chances against Mu Qingyuan and his companions, and after assessing the disparity in strength, they decisively abandoned any thoughts of withdrawal.

If even the Copper Bone Realm fighters had to relent, it went without saying that the Blood Refining Realm cultivators were now firmly resolute, their eyes full of grim determination.

Seeing this, Mu Qingyuan let a satisfied smile spread across his face. "Follow my orders to the letter. If anyone panics and ruins my plan, I’ll show no mercy!"

With that, Mu Qingyuan strode forward to lead the group into the canyon, followed by Mu Qingwen and Mu Qinghe taking up positions at the rear.

Although the Wind Thunder Bird sounded terrifying, Gu Sheng wasn’t intimidated. He had plenty of methods at his disposal—he might not be able to take on the bird singlehandedly, but protecting himself wouldn’t be a problem. Calmly, he followed the group through the canyon.

The canyon walls on either side rose so high they nearly touched one another at the top, casting the area into dimness. Small, intermittent chirps echoed faintly from the cliffs, sending jolts of fear through the already tense group.

Fortunately, the passage wasn’t long, and within two to three minutes, they reached the canyon’s interior.

Rather than a canyon, it resembled more of an open-air cavern. The space wasn’t massive, spanning approximately seven to eight hundred square meters, surrounded by sheer, vertical rock walls with only one entrance—the passage the group had just traversed.

The environment here was noticeably different from outside.

Stepping out of the passageway, the expansive ground was predominantly overgrown with bushes standing about half a meter tall. Only in the center stood a towering tree reaching six or seven meters high, with a diameter of about fifty to sixty centimeters.

The branches of this tree were barren, devoid of any leaves, yet sparks of lightning flickered between the limbs, creating a dazzling display akin to radiant fireworks. Gu Sheng noticed a distinctly dark purple-black section in the middle of the tree trunk.

From this purple-black section of the trunk, Gu Sheng could sense a tremendous surge of power, and amidst it, faintly audible rolling thunder.

"Hiss! What a massive Iron Thunder Tree!"

The middle-aged man walking in front of Gu Sheng gasped audibly upon seeing the portion of the trunk.

Besides the Iron Thunder Tree, not far from it stood a peculiar plant roughly as tall as a person. It wasn’t quite a tree—the stems were far too slender—but it wasn’t exactly a vine either, as it stood straight on its own without support.

The odd plant bore four fist-sized, dark purple-black fruits with lightning streaking across their surfaces. The electric arcs were vivid enough to be seen with the naked eye, dancing and weaving around the fruits.

"So these are Thunder Roar Fruits, huh? Very interesting!"

Although the Thunder Roar Fruit contained lightning energy like the Iron Thunder Tree, it felt noticeably gentler to Gu Sheng. He even had a vague intuition that if the Thunder Roar Fruit were refined into a pill, its effects on tempering bones might surpass those of the Bone Strengthening Pill!