Chapter 24 Dark Bird

Shrieks immediately erupted as the dense swarm of Steel Tail Scorpions surrounded the legs of the mounts. The sharp tips of their scorpion tails flashed with a cold light, stabbing at the legs and hooves of the mounts.

The Alloy Mounts could still withstand the sting of the scorpion tails; however, the legs and hooves of those steel pets weren't so lucky. Countless scorpion tails jabbed them relentlessly, causing the frightened pets to kick and jump chaotically. Several Mutators nearly got thrown off.

"Save them, charge through!" Wang Tian'er acted decisively, urging his mount forward to grab a Wang Family Mutator who was about to fall and pulled him onto his mount. The two rode together.

The others mimicked his actions, pulling Mutators who lacked Alloy Mounts onto their own steeds and quickly charging ahead.

Having ventured seven or eight miles into the Flower Path, retreating would take longer. Instead, they resolved to continue pressing forward.

Luckily, the scorpion tails of the Steel Tail Scorpions struggled to harm the Alloy pets. The group charged madly ahead, trampling countless Steel Tail Scorpions beneath them.

After running four or five miles, the path remained densely packed with Steel Tail Scorpions, shifting and writhing endlessly; nobody knew just how many of these creatures existed.

From a distance, they spotted a canyon up ahead. The canyon was connected to the Flower Path but separated by a mere strip of land. Strangely, not a single colorful Steel Flower adorned the canyon, and the Steel Tail Scorpions seemed inexplicably restrained by some mysterious force, unable to surge into the canyon despite their crowded numbers.

This sudden anomaly invigorated the group, who accelerated toward the canyon.

Just as the lead riders seemed on the verge of reaching the canyon entrance, a multicolored flash burst from underground, impaling the front-most Mutator and his mount in one deadly strike.

The man glanced at the blood-filled hole in his chest and the enormous, vibrantly colored scorpion tail skewering him. His face froze in terror as he attempted to speak but no sound escaped—only spurts of blood spilled uncontrollably.

Under the shocked and horrified gazes of the group, his body, along with his mount, was hoisted into mid-air. A massive multicolored scorpion tail swayed ominously behind him, causing his impaled body and the mount's lifeless frame to dangle and swing wildly in the air.

The group was overtaken by alarm. They knew this rider and his mount were of Alloy Level, yet they were pierced so effortlessly. It was astonishing how hard that scorpion tail must have been.

A few riders failed to steady their mounts and attempted to charge past the side of the creature, but two more multicolored scorpion tails erupted from underground, instantly impaling their mounts.

Thankfully, the two Alloy Mutators reacted swiftly, leaping off their mounts and landing amidst the chaotic swarm of Steel Tail Scorpions.

The scorpions' tails struck repeatedly against their alloy carapaces with metallic clangs that echoed incessantly. Fortunately, the Steel Tail Scorpions couldn't pierce through their Alloy carapaces.

Clearing the scorpions off their armor with quick movements, the two jumped onto the mounts of their companions who had come to pick them up.

Suddenly, the ground split open. Steel Flowers scattered into the air as an elephant-sized, vibrantly multicolored scorpion emerged from underground. Three tails stretched ominously from its back, swinging grotesquely with corpses still hanging from them.

"That's an Alloy-level Demon Armor Scorpion King... Wait—no... Demon Armor Scorpions are supposed to have only one tail... How does it have three?" Ye, blocking Lin Shen's path, exclaimed in alarm.

The scorpion king violently snapped its three tails, launching the corpses hanging from them like cannonballs. The bodies crashed into the ground with tremendous force, creating a deep crater that was immediately swarmed by Steel Tail Scorpions. Survival was beyond hope.

The scorpion king swung its tails again, attempting to impale more Mutators. An Alloy-level Mutator, unable to evade in time, raised his alloy-covered arm in defense against the tails.

But the destructive power of the scorpion tail was overwhelming. The Mutator and his mount were slammed to the ground, his alloy-carapaced arm showing multiple fractures and cracks.

The other Mutators swiftly moved to avoid the scorpion king's ferocious wrath. With its intimidating presence, the Three-tailed Scorpion King hovered threateningly in front of the canyon, paralyzing everyone into inaction.

"Damn it, you're dead meat." Furious at the sight of two Alloy Mutators from his clan being killed, Wang Tian'er unleashed a pitch-black pet capsule.

As the capsule soared mid-air, it transformed into a jet-black Black Crystal Great Bird. Its wings unfurled to a span of four to five meters, propelling forward like a streak of black lightning aimed at the scorpion king.

The scorpion king swung its horrific tails toward the oncoming Black Crystal Great Bird, but the bird extended its talons, clutching two of the scorpion tails firmly.

As the third tail struck toward its chest, the bird lowered its head in a sharp peck, snapping the multicolored alloy scorpion tail cleanly in two.

Like hooks or crescent blades, the bird's claws applied immense pressure, severing the remaining two tails instantly.

With a piercing screech, the bird flung the scorpion king high into the air using its severed tails.

Beating its wings powerfully, the bird ascended, slicing through the sky like the Moon Blade itself. In an instant, the scorpion king's robust body was split in two, crashing heavily into the ground and carving out two massive craters.

The bird let out a haunting cry toward the heavens before circling back to Wang Tian'er, hovering majestically above his head.

"Is that a Dark Bird?" Lin Shen examined the Black Crystal Great Bird. It resembled a phoenix, yet lacked its majestic plumage; it appeared like a raven, though its song echoed with the notes of phoenix calls.

The Dark Bird Base got its name due to the discovery of a nest of Crystal Base-level Dark Bird eggs nearby years ago. The Lin, Qi, and Wang families built their foundations on the strength of these birds.

Legend had it that the three families' ancestors discovered the nest and each took an egg, enabling them to establish the Dark Bird Base with the birds' unprecedented power.

Over time, the Lin Family lost its Dark Bird and fell on hard times, nearly being ousted from the circle of three. It wasn't until Mr. Lin Yin's emergence that the Lin Family managed to stabilize its position.

Even now, the Dark Bird remains the strongest pet at the base. Although the three families subsequently acquired other Crystal Base-level pets, none could match the Dark Bird's prowess. Rumor has it that the Dark Bird might surpass all standards of a perfect, top-tier Crystal-based creature.

Since Lin Family no longer possessed a Dark Bird, Lin Shen had never seen one, and everything he knew came from family lore.

The Qi and Wang families' Dark Birds had continued their lineage but were rarely seen. Nowadays, Qi Shuheng and Wang Tian'er served as the faces of their respective families, making their ties to the Dark Birds unsurprising.

Perhaps deterred by the Dark Bird's deadly aura, or because the scorpion king had been vanquished, the Steel Tail Scorpions ceased their attacks and retreated underground, clearing out within moments.

"Lin Brother wasn't lying to me; the Dark Bird truly is a top-tier Crystal-based creature," Bai Shenfei remarked as she watched the bird carefully.

"It's just a single Dark Bird. In a place like ours, it's impressive, but in somewhere like Sea Corn Base, it wouldn't amount to much," Wang Tian'er said while directing someone to collect the mutation fluid from the scorpion king's body.

Everyone saw through his intentions. Using the Dark Bird to kill the scorpion king was not solely about avenging his kin; it was likely he also wanted to claim the spoils for himself.

The scorpion king's body was certainly an extraordinary material, from its structural components to its mutation fluid. They were rare and precious assets.

Since Wang Tian'er had slain the scorpion king, no one contested his claim, allowing him to harvest the mutation fluid without interference.

Of course, the scorpion king's carcass couldn't be left behind. Wang Tian'er ordered two Mutators to drag its corpse back to the base using their pets.

As they entered the canyon, the sky had already begun to darken. After some deliberation, the families decided to rest here for the night and continue moving forward early the next day.

Lin Shen and Ye shared a tent, while Wei Wufu stood guard outside.

Lin Shen requested Ye provide him a tent; however, Wei Wufu refused to take shelter, instead sitting outside Lin Shen's tent and leaning on his backpack with his eyes closed.

"Fourth Brother, something seems off about the Flower Path today," Ye murmured inside the tent, lowering his voice.

"What feels off to you?" Lin Shen asked.

"There wasn't a trace of the Steel Tail Scorpions during the first two probes. Yet, once we ventured deeper into the point of no retreat, those scorpions suddenly attacked us with calculated precision. *A normal Base Mutation creature wouldn't have that level of intelligence.* Additionally, the Demon Armor Scorpion King had three tails, far more formidable than any I've encountered before. *The mutation creatures here are far from ordinary.*" Ye expressed uneasily.

"The creatures here do seem peculiar," Lin Shen admitted, nodding slightly.

"*But that's not the main issue at hand. The truly strange matter revolves around the Dark Bird,*" Ye said, his eyes flickering with intrigue.

"You mean the Dark Bird is unusually powerful?" Lin Shen asked, puzzled.

Ye shook his head and replied, "The Dark Bird is undoubtedly powerful; that's a given. Otherwise, the three families wouldn't have used it as the cornerstone to establish the base."

After a brief hesitation, Ye's voice lowered further: "Didn't you notice? *The Steel Tail Scorpions feared the Dark Bird. Not just them—even the Three-tailed Demon Armor Scorpion King was terrified of it. When it appeared, its movements turned strangely rigid. Otherwise, the scorpion king wouldn't have been killed so easily.*"

"Maybe it's simply because of the difference in power level. After all, there's a significant gap," Lin Shen pondered aloud.

Ye didn't directly agree or disagree. Instead, speaking enigmatically, he muttered, "Brother Lin Shen, I think I might've overheard Fourth Brother mention before... that the spot where the three families' ancestors discovered the Dark Bird eggs might be somewhere near this canyon."