The bird of prey stared at Ye Xi and then fiercely flapped its wings, taking to the skies. Another gale ripped through the meadow, flattening the grass. Some of the long stalks even snapped and spun in the air as part of a chaotic whirlwind.
And then the bird began to move its body in Ye Xi’s direction.
“Nonono!” The two trial participants instantly turned ghastly white.
The wounded trial participant crawled to his feet, wanting to chase after the bird of prey.
The uninjured one ran after the bird of prey while yelling, “You beast! Didn’t you want to eat us? Come on! Eat me! Don’t fly that way!”
Ye Xi’s lips went white as he watched the bird of prey getting closer and closer. His face was almost ice-cold with composure as he pulled the bow string to its very limit.
Just when Ye Xi was about to release the arrow, a familiar figure shot out from behind and he jumped at the bird of prey, slashing at it with a bone saber.
Caught off guard, the bird of prey lost several feathers.
The man landed on the ground and rolled to dissipate the force of the impact, after which he immediately jumped back into the air and hacked at the bird of prey’s belly.
The bird of prey was enraged at losing several feathers to this two-legged beast’s attack. It flapped its wings and pecked at the human.
“Uncle Bulrush…” Ye Xi murmured in shock as he released the bow.
The bird’s beak was about to strike Calm Bulrush’s head when he suddenly twisted his body, narrowly avoiding a lethal strike. But the sharp beak still managed to brush the back of his head, leaving a deep wound.
Calm Bulrush landed, squatted on the ground, and then jumped back into the air like a nimble cheetah, hacking at the bird’s ankle with his bone saber.
The bird of prey immediately snatched at Calm Bulrush with its claws, and Calm Bulrush’s only choice was to dodge.
Seeing that Ye Xi hadn’t run, Calm Bulrush roared, “Ye Xi! Hurry and leave with the others!”
Ye Xi felt his heart grow cold. Even Calm Bulrush, a Level 2 Warrior, was no match for this bird of prey.
Just where had this bird of prey come from, and why had it appeared here?
The two trial participants stood nearby, and though their expressions were pale, they stared at the bird of prey, seemingly waiting for the chance to jump up.
Ye Xi frowned. Not even Calm Bulrush was a match. Even if all of the trial participants tried to attack, they would just be sending themselves to their deaths.
Ye Xi called out at the two of them, “Hurry and run already!”
They hesitated, opening their mouths to speak, but Ye Xi glared at them and bellowed, “Are you no longer listening to me? Run! Right now! Get back to the tribe and get help!”
The uninjured trial participant clenched his teeth, pulled on his companion, and the two began to run out of the meadow.
As Calm Bulrush dodged another attack from the bird, he saw that Ye Xi hadn’t run and angrily shouted, “Ye Xi, hurry and run too!”
The bird of prey was growing impatient after several rounds of missed attacks, and it incessantly pecked at Calm Bulrush.
Ye Xi yelled back, “I’m not running!”
Calm Bulrush had come out for his sake, clearly knowing that he was no match for the bird of prey. Even though he knew that he could die, he had still come out without hesitation! How could he abandon Calm Bulrush and escape by himself? He would be giving up on himself if he did this!
Ye Xi nocked an arrow back on his bow and took aim at the bird’s eye.
If the bird of prey were blinded in one eye, its attacks would presumably weaken.
Calm Bulrush’s weapon was a two-foot-long bone saber, so he had no way of making long-distance attacks. He could only run back and forth across the meadow to avoid the bird of prey’s attacks.
The bird’s attacks intensified, and its claws almost snatched Calm Bulrush’s head. Calm Bulrush reacted very quickly and bent down, but the claws managed to gouge deep wounds across his back.
Blood instantly gushed out.
Cold sweat beaded on Ye Xi’s forehead. The bird was constantly moving, and he was constantly having to adjust his aim.
Calm Bulrush suppressed his plan and rolled on the ground, his hand swinging around to slash at the bird of prey’s claw.
The bone saber sliced a wound open on the claw, causing some blood to splash out.
“Creee!” The bird grew frenzied, flapping its wings and pecking at Calm Bulrush.
Calm Bulrush’s eyes were cold and collected, and he stared at the bird to find any weaknesses. He would often trade wound for wound to attack its weak point, and more and more injuries began to build up on his body.
Just as Calm Bulrush cut another wound on its claw while the bird’s beak was on the verge of striking Calm Bulrush’s head…
Swoosh!
An arrow howled through the air and toward the bird’s left eye!
But then it brushed past the corner of its eye and struck a distant tree trunk.
If it had been a little closer, it would have struck the eye!
Ye Xi pursed his lips, his heart filled with regret.
As blood trickled from the corner of the bird’s left eye, it grew completely enraged, its brutal eyes filling with blood as it turned on Ye Xi.
Not good! Calm Bulrush mentally shouted.
As the bird of prey flapped its wings to head toward Ye Xi, Calm Bulrush bellowed, jumped into the air, and slashed at its belly.
The bird gave a vicious screech and madly pecked at Calm Bulrush.
Calm Bulrush barely managed to hold out, his body turned into a bloody mess by the incessant pecking.
Ye Xi’s heart trembled, and then an idea flashed through his mind. He took in a deep breath and jumped down from the tree, ignoring the pain in his legs from the impact as he began to search the surrounding jungle.
Right now, the only hope was poison!
His mind had already blocked out any outside disturbance, and he pushed his improved vision to its limits.
Where was it? Where was it?
His face was as white as snow, his eyes gleaming like cold blades as they scoured every inch of the jungle. He forced himself to forget that struggle in the meadow, the one-sided slaughter of Calm Bulrush.
Found it!
Ye Xi’s eyes exploded with intense light as he stared at an ordinary piece of green grass like it was some priceless treasure.
This was… the poisonous blackbone grass!
Ye Xi lunged on it like someone who had been starving for ten days and nights. He wrapped his hands in his snake skin so that he could pull the leaves out of the ground.
He then took the last arrow from his quiver, crushed the blackbone grass leaves, and squeezed the juice onto the arrow head.
And then he gripped the arrow and ran back as fast as he could!
Calm Bulrush, you have to hold on! Ye Xi clenched his teeth.
In the meadow, Calm Bulrush was covered in blood and gasping for breath.
The bird of prey noticed that Ye Xi had returned, and stopped playing with Calm Bulrush. It flapped a wing, which struck Calm Bulrush like it was made of iron.
Calm Bulrush was already at the end of his tether, so he could only grunt as he was sent flying backward with such force that he broke through two trees before slamming into the trunk of the last one, vomiting blood, and crumpling to the ground.
The bird of prey turned its cruel eyes on Ye Xi.
Ye Xi’s mind was devoid of stray thoughts, his eyes flat and calm as he took the bow from his back and nocked the arrow. He had abandoned all emotions, including fear and worry.
He did not think about whether Calm Bulrush was dead or alive, or that this arrow was his last and that he would have no other chances.
The bird of prey flew closer and closer.
The bow string was pulled to the limit, groaning under the weight.
Now was the moment!
Swoosh!
The arrow flew toward the bird, and the head buried itself in its eye!
Keeee!!!!
The bird of prey let out a deafening screech!!!
Leaves rustled down, and all the insects that had not fled by now were instantly killed by this screech.
Ye Xi felt an intense pain from his brain, and his vision began to go dark. There was a terrible pain in his eardrums and he couldn’t hear a thing.
A warm and fishy-smelling liquid was running out from the corners of his eyes, his nose, and his ears.
His organs ached like someone had punched him, and something was surging up from his throat and fighting to push past his lips.
Ye Xi shook his head back and forth, but his vision remained dark and his ears remained deaf.
In his blurry vision, he saw a massive shadow flying toward him.
Ye Xi mentally shivered, and he tried to move his legs in the opposite direction.