I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

【Happy New Year】

Wishing all my book lovers a prosperous Year of the Horse, with wealth and fortune galore!

As the enormous black demonic bird flew closer and closer, Zhou Yuan's gaze remained fixed on its body.

When the distance closed enough to see the details clearly, his pupils suddenly contracted—

The abdomen of the demonic bird was ripped open with a hideous gash several meters long!

The wound stretched from the chest down to the lower abdomen, with the skin and flesh rolled back, so deep that the bone was visible, and even the intestines and internal organs could be vaguely seen wriggling inside!

Blood continued to drip, leaving a long trail of blood in the air.

Such severe injuries would likely have killed a human cultivator on the spot.

It is only because the demon race has a strong physical body and tenacious vitality that they have been able to survive until now.

But this also means—

It was extremely weak!

At this moment, Zhou Yuan's bold idea became even more resolute.

"Dry!"

He took a deep breath, calmed his wildly beating heart, and focused all his attention on the space between his eyebrows.

The level-eight demonic bird was getting closer and closer. It was obviously eager to return to its lair to heal its wounds and did not notice the human who had completely concealed his aura lurking in the dense forest below.

Its flight altitude wasn't high; it just happened to be flying over the area directly above Zhou Yuan's head.

It's now!

Zhou Yuan's eyes snapped open!

The Twelve Stabs of the Divine Court!

An invisible divine sense spike shot out from between Zhou Yuan's eyebrows with lightning speed and instantly entered the mind of the demonic bird!

"Rage—!!!"

A piercing bird cry echoed through the sky!

The enormous demonic bird's body suddenly stiffened, its wings stopped flapping weakly, and its massive body plummeted straight down from the sky like a kite with a broken string!

The piercing cry echoed throughout the entire island, reaching all the way to the highest mountain peak in the distance.

On the mountain peak, countless black demonic birds heard this mournful cry filled with pain and despair.

That's the voice of their kings!

In an instant, the entire mountain peak erupted in excitement!

Countless black birds took flight.

It let out a mournful cry.

Like a dark, heavy cloud, it surged wildly toward the direction from which the sound came!

Meanwhile, Zhou Yuan's hand seals were already rapidly changing as he fired the divine sense spikes!

Golden Dragon Scissors Killing Technique!

Two enormous golden dragon phantoms instantly materialized, each ten feet long, with clearly defined scales and claws, and were incredibly lifelike!

They circled above Zhou Yuan's head, then crossed and rose upwards, transforming into a giant pair of golden scissors, which aimed at the hideous wound on the belly of the falling giant bird and ruthlessly cut it away!

"Snap—!"

The golden silhouette slashed precisely into the several-meter-long rift!

While the physical body of an eighth-level demon beast is indeed formidable, that only refers to its external scales and fur.

No matter what kind of monster it is, its internal organs are always fragile!

Moreover, at this moment, the demonic bird was stunned by Zhou Yuan's divine sense attack and had no way to activate its demonic power to protect itself!

In an instant, the golden silhouette pierced deep into the wound, severing countless intestines and even penetrating deep into the internal organs!

The already gruesome wound was torn open again, and blood gushed out like a fountain, raining blood down into the air!

"Rage—!!!"

An even more mournful cry resounded through the sky!

The level eight giant bird finally awoke from the shock to its senses, the intense pain driving it completely mad! Its enormous bird eyes burned with flames of rage and killing intent, locking onto the tiny human figure below!

"It's you?!"

"You weak humans, how dare you ambush me! Die—!!!"

Its massive body twisted violently, abruptly halting its descent. Its wings flapped wildly, and it charged straight at Zhou Yuan with overwhelming hatred!

Those claws were now covered with a thick black luster, sharp enough to tear everything apart!

Zhou Yuan had no doubt that if he were caught by those sharp claws, any of his defensive magic treasures or protective spiritual light would be torn to shreds like paper!

But he was prepared!

"Get sleepy!"

Zhou Yuan made a hand seal and stepped on a spot on the ground!

In an instant, the nine-fold sealing formation he had set up in the dense forest was activated!

A white, semi-circular light shield instantly rose from the ground, covering an area of ​​a thousand feet in radius, enveloping the giant demonic bird that was rushing towards them, as well as the space behind Zhou Yuan!

Zhou Yuan himself happened to be outside the light shield!

"boom--!!!"

The demonic bird crashed headfirst into the light barrier, creating huge ripples! The light barrier trembled violently, but ultimately did not shatter!

The Ninefold Sealing Pill Array, as its name suggests, consists of nine layers of restrictive light shields, each layer stacked and interlocking. At this moment, under full activation, the light shields also contain the effects of an illusion array!

Normally, a mere illusion array would be nothing more than a tickle to an eighth-level demon beast.

But at this moment, the demonic bird was severely injured and bleeding profusely. Overwhelmed by anger and pain, it plunged headlong into the formation and was actually deceived by the illusion. It rampaged through the formation, frantically attacking enemies that did not exist at all!

In the first wave of impact, two of the nine layers of the light shield shattered.

But the remaining seven layers quickly began to operate, with the spirit stones in the array plate continuously providing spiritual power, and began to repair the broken restrictions at an astonishing speed!

But the remaining seven layers quickly began to operate, with the spirit stones in the array plate continuously providing spiritual power, and began to repair the broken restrictions at an astonishing speed!

Zhou Yuan felt much more at ease.

The giant bird is now simply driven mad by intense pain and rage.

Once this momentum passes, it will be even weaker than it is now.

That will be the time to completely end its life!

However, before Zhou Yuan could even catch his breath, another problem was already looming—

The flock of black demonic birds that rushed down from the mountain peaks has arrived!

The sky was a dark, dense mass, like a small horde of beasts!

Leading the group were three level-six demonic birds, each exuding an aura comparable to the mid-stage of Core Formation.

Behind them followed dozens of level four or five demonic birds, and hundreds of even lower-level flying birds!

The horde of demonic birds charged madly toward the great formation. They had heard the king's lament and felt his pain. At this moment, their eyes were bloodshot, and they wished they could tear the enemy who had harmed the king to pieces!

Zhou Yuan's gaze sharpened.

This is comparable to a small-scale beast tide.

There are too many!

If they swarm him, even if he manages to fight his way out, he will inevitably be injured, or even held back, giving the dying level eight demonic bird in the formation an opportunity to take advantage.

We must deal with these fodder soldiers first!

Zhou Yuan made a hand seal, and the magical power within his body surged wildly!

Heavenly Fire Technique!

Two breaths later—

The sky in front of that flock of demonic birds suddenly changed color!

In an area nearly a thousand feet in circumference, the sky was like a red-hot iron plate, transformed into a blazing sea of ​​magma!

Immediately afterwards, countless streams of lava and fire rained down from the sky, dense and overwhelming!

Bird-like monsters are naturally most afraid of fire!

Those low-level demonic birds that rushed to the front were instantly ignited when a drop of lava splashed on them, emitting mournful cries as they turned into fireballs and fell to the ground!

Some unlucky ones were hit by several drops of lava at the same time and were instantly burned to ashes in mid-air!

However, the king's lament continued, and those demonic birds, fearless of death, charged madly into the rain of fire!

Zhou Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"Again!"

The mana consumed by a single Heavenly Fire Technique is considerable for an ordinary Core Formation cultivator, but for Zhou Yuan, who has the advantage of his equipment slots, especially the high-grade wood-attribute spirit stone that provides a continuous supply of spiritual energy—

In just two breaths, his mana was fully restored!

Another Heavenly Fire Technique!

The inferno descends once more!

Two breaths later—

The third Heavenly Fire Technique!

The fourth one!

The fifth one!

Within twenty breaths, Zhou Yuan unleashed five Heavenly Fire Techniques in succession!

This is no longer in the realm of ordinary spells; it's practically unleashing a powerful forbidden spell from the level of a mid-to-high-level spell!

In the sky, there were endless seas of lava and fire, with fire rain falling continuously!

Underground, the dense forest had already been set ablaze.

It transformed into a raging sea of ​​fire, with thick smoke billowing straight into the sky!

The demonic birds cried out and struggled in the rain of fire, falling in droves.

Although the three-headed, level-six demonic bird managed to hold on with its powerful demonic energy, its body was already covered in scorch marks, and its aura was gradually weakening.