Chapter 17: Mountain Vulture

The Mountain Vulture tore through the sky like a golden rainbow piercing the heavens, shrieking as it descended!

Its scarlet-gold wings churned with countless ferocious air currents, shredding the drifting clouds and leaving countless swirling vortices in its wake.

Though a low-level magical beast, the Mountain Vulture possessed immense strength, capable of ripping tigers and leopards apart bare-handed and snatching elephants to carry them skyward!

It was often on steep, craggy mountain peaks that people stumbled upon the massive skeletons of elephants and rhinos which could never have reached such altitudes themselves – all the handiwork of this beast.

Thus, among the primary transformation arts, the most commonly used were the Vulture Transformation Art to become a Mountain Vulture, the Bear Transformation Art to become an Icy Plains Giant Bear, and the Shark Transformation Art to become a Tiger Shark – though the latter only really saw use during invasions by the Seafolk.

Wind roared, thunder rumbled, the sea of trees rustled, and the frenzied shadow of the Mountain Vulture blotted out the sky and land!

“That kid… he’s in big trouble now…”

“To have such nerve, provoking our leader… is his head not right?”

“Aha, perfect chance to give him a lesson…”

The three members of the Hyena Gang shared identical glints of schadenfreude in their eyes.

But next, a scene unfolded before them that left them utterly dumbstruck: The Mountain Vulture, swooping down on the wind, suddenly jerked its body sideways just as its talons were about to seize Li Yi. It veered sharply upward, putting distance between them.

It did this several times in a row, as if having some sort of fit.

“What? A magical trap?” The tall, thin man voiced his doubt; he seemed to possess some crude ocular technique, his eyes faintly glowing. “No… that’s not it… no traces of mana flow… Boss, do you know?”

Through the Soul Link, Yang Kai sensed something. His expression shifted to one of utter disbelief.

“This… it’s simply…”

He could distinctly feel it. Every time the vulture got near Li Yi, a wave of terror and trembling spontaneously rose within the Mountain Vulture’s soul. It was like a mouse encountering a cat. Or perhaps, more accurately, like a beast facing an Ancient Dragon.

Li Yi, meanwhile, seemed thoughtful. His suspicious gaze fell upon a single crimson, fire-like strand amongst his own hair, and understanding dawned.

He had hairs from Feixue stuck to him.

And Feixue, though still a juvenile, was a Transcendent Magical Beast, the equal of legendary Dragons – the Blood-Shedding Manticore!

Even a wisp of its aura, for a low-level magical beast like the Mountain Vulture, the soul impact was unimaginable.

A thought struck him. His eyes gleamed faintly, and a mocking smile lifted the corner of his mouth.

He paused for a moment, then uttered three words only he understood.

“Tyrant’s Will?”

“Kill him!” More than just running out of patience, Yang Kai’s wariness deepened. His lips moved silently as he chanted an obscure incantation. “Blood of Fury, Ignite!”

As the sound faded, bloody light erupted! A piercing vulture’s shriek tore through the sky!

A blood-red collar inscribed with runes around the vulture’s neck flared brightly. Its sharp eyes instantly turned bloodshot crimson. Tendons writhed beneath its skin like serpents, and even its feathers seemed to crawl and ripple, transforming it into a fearsome, terrifying sight.

The reason Mountain Vultures were classified as low-level magical beasts was their inability to wield true magic and their lack of the innate talent possessed by advanced aerial magical beasts: the “Heart of Birds of Prey”.

Yang Kai’s “Fury Collar” was designed to mimic this “Heart of Birds of Prey”. It fanned the creature’s violent instincts, dulled its intelligence, and amplified its physical strength!

Like a beast under the effects of a Bloodlust spell, the vulture’s fear was swept clean away, leaving only icy killing intent.

The scarlet-gold shadow shot downward! Like a vicious bolt of lightning, fierce and savage, it ripped through the air!

“Hah!”

As the massive talons swept close, a sharp glint flashed in Li Yi’s eyes. A thunderous roar erupted from his throat.

Though his voice wasn’t loud, an invisible blast wave radiated outward, spiraling and washing over the surroundings!

Grass, stones, even the breeze remained unchanged.

But Yang Kai and his men all clapped hands to their heads in agony simultaneously. Several small birds perched on branches nearby plummeted lifelessly to the ground.

Following them to the ground was the enormous body of the Mountain Vulture.

Its momentum was too great. It bounced several times upon impact, scattering gravel as it carved a long drag mark into the earth.

“Psychic Shock! That’s Psychic Shock! How is this kid’s spirit so strong?!” The sharp-faced man cursed through gritted teeth, tears streaming uncontrollably from his eyes as he wailed.

Before the Spell Apprentice Realm, one could project their spirit outwards, unleashing a Psychic Shock.

Only upon reaching the Spell Apprentice Realm could one achieve the ability to stun enemies with a single thought and a burst of spiritual pressure.

And Li Yi… not only was his spirit remarkably strong, it harbored within it the vast, indomitable quality of Dragon-Turtle Qi mixed with the savagery of Ancient Alligator Qi. This blended, formidable aura was truly unmatched!

For magical beasts, such spiritual pressure was akin to Mount Tai pressing down upon them!

“Damn it! That Psychic Shock actually severed the connection from the Soul Ring!” Yang Kai cried out, a mix of shock and fury on his face.

Though now, the Soul Ring was fairly useless.

Under several pairs of eyes wide with disbelief, Li Yi strode forward nonchalantly, fingers moving lightly at his sides, approaching the gigantic bird.

Despite being a formidable bird of prey, its spiritual power was far from outstanding. Under the crushing weight of the Dragon-Turtle’s majesty and the Ancient Alligator’s malice, the Mountain Vulture struggled to even twitch a wing, paralyzed where it lay!

Greenish light flared brightly in Li Yi’s palm, illuminating the panic-filled pupils of the Mountain Vulture.

“No!”

Yang Kai’s furious bellow blended with the piercing shriek of the Mountain Vulture and the sharp bang of exploding Mana Missiles.

…

“You dared hurt my Mountain Vulture?! You’re dead! You are already dead!” Yang Kai repeated, eyes bloodshot, his voice verging on madness. “I WILL kill you! I WILL kill you!”

“Boss, this kid seems a bit strange… maybe we should…” The tall, lean man wore a cowardly expression. If he could knock out a Mountain Vulture, what chance did the three of them have? They’d be appetizers!

He couldn’t even finish before a sharp slap scorched his cheek.

“Look at yourselves! Look at your faces!” Yang Kai swept his gaze over his cowering companions, injecting them with a forced courage. “Fear what?! I still have the Flame Servant! Besides!” he emphasized, his voice turning grim, “this person is here to cause trouble! Can we just hide?!””

Especially that last sentence made the Hyena Gang members reveal their viciousness.

If they couldn’t hide, they’d have to fight!

“He’s just a kid with a few strange tricks. Nothing to be afraid of!”

“He’s not even a Spell Apprentice! What’s there to fear?!”

“Exactly! There are four of us! And we have the Flame Servant!”

Yang Kai twisted the crimson ring, chanting the summons. The remaining three twisted through gestures, mana gathering at their fingertips as they each released shrieking Mana Missiles!

The tall man, who had specifically trained his Magic Gestures, lifted his hand and fired three missiles simultaneously!

Li Yi tucked his body into a defensive stance just as his own hands lifted. A wall, deep as ink and black as night, burst forth from the ground before him.

“Ink Earth Wall?”

The three Hyena members grinned excitedly. The Ink Earth Wall, sometimes called the Earth Wall, offered much less defense than higher-tier protective spells like Stonewall! At best, it could block about four Mana Missiles. That kid was being way too arrogant! Time to teach him his lesson!

Acting in perfect, unspoken sync – strike when the opponent is down! – they hurled several more furious Mana Missiles that screamed through the air.

Their triumphant grins soon warped into confusion and terror.

“This… is an Ink Earth Wall?! How can it be tougher than Stonewall?!”

“Am I seeing things?!”

“It’s weird… very weird…”

That Ink Earth Wall somehow withstood nearly ten Mana Missiles and still stood firm!

The sight completely overturned their understanding of basic magic.

The shrieking sound resonated suddenly in their ears. Several retaliating Mana Missiles howled towards them with deep, threatening rumbles!

“Hah!”

The trio reacted fast, fingers flying through gestures. Ovoid bubbles of shimmering air snapped into existence around their bodies – the Air Shield Technique, a defensive spell as common as Ink Earth Wall!

“My shield!…”

“This kid… he must have a Metamagic Specialization! Could he be one of Heaven’s Pride?!”

The three felt their minds shake. Dismayed cries burst out as the Air Shields buckled relentlessly under the battering Mana Missiles, seeming to strain to the breaking point.

Visible to the eye, the Mana Missiles were blueish-white, immensely powerful, humming with low vibrations that pounded on the spirit!

BAM!

An explosion wave rolled outward, washing over everything. The three men were thrown to the ground.

The Ink Earth Wall, however, remained standing, strange tortoise shell-like patterns faintly visible on its surface.

This Ink Earth Wall wasn’t built with ordinary mana – it was forged entirely from Dragon-Turtle Qi.

By the same token, those potent Mana Missiles had sprung from that same source.

BOOM!

A tremendous crash shook the Ink Earth Wall. Countless cracks instantly snaked across its surface!

Looking up, they saw a massive humanoid figure composed of fire slam heavily into the wall, sending it teetering dangerously.

Greenish flames boiled over its body. Where they met the magical wall, they began to burn and consume its very mana!

Sacrificial Flame!

“Flame Servant?! And it had to be that one?!” Shock flickered deep within Li Yi’s eyes. “Its power… it’s equivalent to a Mage at the threshold of the eighth level! To get help like this… the reward for the attack on Zhangsun must have been immense…”

“You hurt my Mountain Vulture. You deserve death!” Yang Kai strode forward, emanating lethal force, his face twisted and savage. “I’ll break all your limbs and hang you from a tree!”

CRUNCH!

The Flame Servant struck the wall a second time. The expanding web of cracks finally overwhelmed the structure. With a roar, the Ink Earth Wall crumbled into rubble.

The residual force from the blast hurled Li Yi backward. After skidding several meters, he managed to grab the rough edge of a large boulder, just barely stopping his slide.

Mana surged in his hand. He twisted back and fired three Mana Missiles!

THUD!

The Mana Missiles detonated, their force blasting outward. Yet the body of the Flame Servant remained completely unmoved.

“Sacrificial Flame… it incinerates mana, a natural weakness for Mages. It truly is formidable…” Li Yi muttered, his expression thoughtful, eyes gleaming with sharp light. “Looks like I need to use that secret method…”

Li Yi raised a hand. Fierce mana gathered densely at his fingertip.

“THUNDERCLAP STRIKE!”