“Krraaaaaaa!!!!”

He sighed in defeat, “I just can’t catch a break.”

****

Up above, they could all see a behemoth of a beast diving toward them.

It was similar to a crow with its pitch-black feathers, beak, talons, and eyes. The wind could be seen parting from in front of it, bringing its speed to new heights.

A terrifying pressure descended on the group, shocking them and almost requiring the need of a few new pairs of robes.

Yaomu Shou looked to Long Di still in the tree, “Pick the rest of the fruits! I’ll draw its attention!”

Long Di looked at her for a moment before nodding in agreement. “Be careful!”

Seeing that Long Di continued picking the fruits, the fire of the Monarch Gale Crow was stoked!

“Krraaaaaaa!”

With an ear-piercing cry, it suddenly halted its descent with its wing outstretched!

Xiannu Liang’s face paled in fright when she saw this. “Everyone get down!”

No one asked any questions. They all instantly crouched down and Long Di hugged the branch he was on with full strength!

The Monarch Gale Crow’s wings shuddered and the air all around went still before…

Whoosh!

A strong wind descended upon everyone present!

Everyone could see rocks, patches of grass, and even plants being lifted by the wind!

“Ugh!” Jia Yan, touted to have the greatest raw physical strength relatively speaking, was having trouble keeping himself in place. His axe was currently lodged in a large boulder.

The veins on his arms and forehead were bulging as time went on.

The fierce wind was attempting to sweep them from the ground.

“What’s happening!?” Yaomu Shou could barely keep her eyes open under the constant buffeting of the winds. Most of her rapier had already dug deep into the ground, anchoring her in place.

Zi Yu, who had nothing to secure herself with, grabbed hold of Yaomu Shou and held on for dear life!

“It’s one of the Monarch Gale Crow's special abilities!” answered Xiannu Liang who was wrapped around the waist by several layers of vines.

Jia Yan, whose axe was lodged into a nearby boulder, struggled to ask, “W-What’s it doing!?”

However, his question was drowned out by the growing tempestuous winds!

Everyone slightly lifted their heads to see what was happening, and their pupils shrank in realisation.

Everything that was dragged upwards was being ripped apart by invisible wind blades!

The sight made their blood run cold. They wouldn’t be able to survive such an attack!

“Kraaaa!”

“No!”

The caw brought about a sudden surge of strength in the gale that threatened to swallow them!

The boulder that kept Jia Yan in place was slowly being lifted and him along with it! Yaomu Shou’s rapier was being dragged out of the ground with each passing second, placing both her and Zi Yu in danger!

Pap! Pap! Pap!

Snapping sounds could be heard as the vines that held Xiannu Liang in place were snapping and no matter how many times she regenerated them, it was of no use!

The only people who were safe were Shen Ling and Mina, who were currently ensconced in a cocoon of darkness.

Mina had seen when Shen Ling was preparing to retreat and requested to go with her. However, she never expected that she would be pulled into such a space.

Her divinity was the only thing allowing her to keep her bearings. However, she could see the light being consumed by the second and her expression changed to one of shock!

‘Who… or what is this girl? At the same time, she gives me such a familiar feeling. How is that possible!?’

Shen Ling didn’t notice Mina’s behaviour. Her entire attention was focused on what was happening outside. Residing in the Abyss, she was able to very vaguely see what was happening, but this feeling of powerlessness was something she hated!

Long Di was holding onto the branch of Emerald Ever Dew Engendering Elk tree as it was the only thing that was safely able to withstand the fierce winds.

However, seeing that everyone was losing their ground, quite literally I might add, he sighed in exasperation.

“Good grief…” and with that, he let go.

The wind immediately picked him and sent him barrelling towards the Monarch Gale Crow like an unruly scandal bag!

When the Monarch Gale Crow saw Long Di en route towards it, the intensity of the winds it commanded increased as a cruel glint flashed in its eyes.

Long Di stared emotionlessly at it as the winds started to tear his skin apart. His gaze flashed towards these wounds in an instant.

Similarly, his shadow silk robe was being slashed by the wind blades, but they only caused tendrils of darkness to erupt from the impacted areas, keeping Long Di relatively safe.

‘Wow, that looks cool. Still… I guess my body isn’t as strong as I would like it to be. Then again… the pressure coming off of this thing is a bit weaker than Lord Whiskers. That’s problematic…’

Long Di’s thoughts weren’t wrong. Lord Whiskers after the lightning tribulation brought him infinitely close to the level of a rank 6 magical beast!

One had to be aware that Lord Whiskers was an Overlord Class magical beast. Meaning that it had a suppressive effect on all other magical beasts of the same rank except another Overlord Class.

For him to grow even stronger was like a tiger growing wings. Yet this Monarch Gale Crow was a bit weaker than Lord Whiskers.

This meant that this Monarch Gale Crow was an Overlord Class Rank 5 magical beast as well!

Krrsssh!!!

Knowing that he would be the laws of this realm, Long Di activated his Profound Myriad Heavenseize Physique.

Divine lightning exploded from his body in an instant, charging toward the Monarch Gale Crow.

“Kraaaa!!”

A sense of mortal danger engulfed it as the magical beast halted its attack and flew higher from the range of the Heavenly Levyance tribulation lightning.

Because the winds were no longer lifting him up, Long Di’s ascent quickly turned into a descent.

“Xiannu Liang!”

A shout from below was all he heard before he could see a thick brush of grass madly growing under him.

Foop!

The cushion of grass broke his fall as he fell through. He quickly wiggled his body to reach the ground before his head popped out of the dense thicket.

Everyone, including Shen Ling and Mina, was now back from their defensive states.

“Where is-”

“It’s coming back!” Yaomu Shou yelled.

“Caaaawwww!!!!”

As if to drive her point home, its deafening cry came once more.

D-D-D-Dum!

Several blasts erupted as everyone’s cauldrons burst into existence!

“We’ll delay it for now! Get the rest of the fruits!” Yaomu Shou’s grip around her sword tightened.

Long Di nodded and sprinted toward the tree to relieve it of the rest of its fruits.

“Krarraaaaaaaaa!!!”

Of course, the Monarch Gale Crow saw this and changed its course, heading towards Long Di.

Fwap! Fwap! Fwap! Fwap!

Just like before, it paused mid-air, flapping its wings, sending invisible blades of wind flying toward him. As an Overlord Class magical beast, it possessed a fair bit of intelligence and saw Long Di’s tribulation lightning as something to avoid at all costs.

Realising this, it would maintain its distance when dealing with him, since his explosive attack had an easy-to-see range.

Even though it didn’t believe Long Di could do too much of that blast, that attack still filled it with trepidation.

“Bastard!” Yaomu Shou cursed before swinging her sword.

Shing!

Her sword shone as a sword light flew toward the magical beast!

A look of scorn appeared in its eyes as it made no move to dodge it.

Shu!

Pssssh!

Her eyes widened in shock as her sword light shattered like glass on its feathery defences!

By then the wind blades were right above Long Di, preparing to rip him to pieces!

Vrrrm!

A surge of spiritual force erupted as the Destiny Scale appeared behind him.

Shi! Shi! Shi! Shi!

The wind blades slammed into the Destiny Scale, desperate to slice it apart, but this failed to do much of anything.

The ground all around it was being sliced through like tofu. Seeing this, beads of sweat ran down Long Di’s brow. He was moving too fast and couldn’t grab back the Destiny Scale.

‘Since it’s taking my divine lightning, it should pay me back for my efforts.’

This was his thought as he continued for the tree!

The Monarch Gale Crow couldn’t allow him to get too close to the tree lest its attack would end up damaging the tree as well!

Shu!

Before it could let loose another bevy of attacks, however, several streaks of sword light, a single axe, a fan and a… a log!? A log came flying towards it!

This was an Overlord Class magical beast! A ruler of its domain that no one within the same rank dares to challenge!

Yet these plebeians dared to send weak sword lights, a broken down axe, a rusty old fan and a log… A LOG! It was a damn log of all things to attack it!

With little time to act, all the attacks landed at the same time.

Boom!

“Krraaaaaa!!”

“Bullseye!” Yaomu Shou was celebrating upon hearing its apparent cry of pain.

“I told you every single bit helps!” She said, turning to Xiannu Liang, the bearer of the log.

Long Di, who was now picking the fruits, saw their guards being let down and quickly warned them. “Don’t let your guards down you basic pieces of-”

Shu!

A shadow rushed from the explosion above as the Monarch Gale Crow descended upon them.

Its blood-thirst and killing intent was radiating from it in waves!

Eeeengh!

An air tearing whistle rang out as a spear comprised of tribulation lightning flew towards it!

‘Danger!’