Chapter 548 - 54: A Perilous Escape and a Successful Retreat

Without a word, the other four tacitly moved closer to Song Changsheng, drawing their Magical Artifacts and bracing for a fight.

Song Changsheng had caught a whiff of this putrid stench before they arrived, but it had been so faint that no one had thought anything of it. Now, however, the smell permeated the air.

"Something’s getting closer," Song Changsheng said grimly, pulling Zhuang Yuechan behind him.

"They’re here." A sharp glint flashed in Xu Yunhe’s eyes. His Cyan Blade left its sheath, carving an arc through the darkness. With a sickening SCHLICK, it pierced a dark silhouette.

"It’s a hit. Let’s go see what it is."

As they moved closer for a look, their stomachs immediately churned.

Lying on the ground was a massive Demon Bird, shaped something like a vulture. It was lifeless, its body extensively rotted from head to tail. A dark red slime oozed from it, releasing waves of a sickening stench.

There was hardly a single patch of healthy flesh on its body. Some parts had rotted away completely, leaving only blackened bone.

Even for a group accustomed to gory scenes, the sight of this thing was enough to make them feel sick.

"Was that really what just tried to attack us?" Zhu Yiqun asked in disbelief. Judging from the corpse before them, there was no way it could have been alive.

"I’m afraid this place is more than just a supply depot for the Blood Demon Sect," Song Changsheng said, his expression grim. Everything they had encountered since entering had been too strange. First, there were those bizarre insects that could blend into the darkness.

Then there were the lamps burning Merfolk oil, and the palace where masters from the Demon Suppression Hall had been used as blood sacrifices.

And now, just as they were about to leave, they’d run into this completely putrefied Demon Bird.

’No matter how I look at it, this place isn’t as simple as Soulless claimed.’

"What the hell else is hidden in this godforsaken place," Zhu Yiqun cursed under his breath. Suddenly, the treasure didn’t seem so appealing anymore.

"We can’t stay here. Let’s leave at once."

Song Changsheng didn’t care about the secrets hidden in this Small World. He had already obtained what he came for; now, he just wanted to return safely to the Daqi Cultivation World.

But the words had barely left his lips when dozens of rotting Demon Birds swarmed out of the darkness. A deathly aura emanated from them, and their eyes, as scarlet as the insects’, stared down at Song Changsheng’s group as they beat their wings, hovering high above.

"None of them are alive."

Song Changsheng narrowed his eyes. He couldn’t sense any trace of life from these Demon Birds; it felt like he was facing a flock of walking corpses.

"They’re coming from over here, too!" Xu Yunhe suddenly cried out in alarm.

"On my side as well," Zhuang Yuechan’s voice rang out at almost the same instant.

The shapes of more Demon Birds began to emerge from the darkness near Chi Huo Old Ghost as well. "Young Master," he said urgently, "their numbers are growing!"

"We can’t be sitting ducks! We fight our way out!"

A cold glint flashed in Song Changsheng’s eyes. With a wave of his hand, he summoned the Book Language Sword, and its sharp Sword Qi instantly shredded the foremost Demon Birds.

Then, just as he had on the way in, he took the lead and charged forward.

As if enraged by his actions, the Demon Birds charged at them in a frenzy.

Fortunately, these Demon Birds weren’t very strong, only at the mid-to-late Tier One level. With the group’s combined strength, handling them was relatively easy, and they quickly carved a bloody path forward.

Gradually, however, things began to feel wrong. The further they pushed, the stronger the Demon Birds became. Some had even reached the Tier Two Level, making the fight increasingly difficult. Before long, they were completely surrounded.

"Fuck! The insects were bad enough, but why are there so many of these things too?" Zhu Yiqun roared, furiously swinging a large black pot and smashing it into the creatures.

"These must be abominations the Blood Demon Sect deliberately cultivated. I’ll clear a path. The rest of you, conserve your Spiritual Power."

Song Changsheng swiped a hand over his Qiankun Bag, and a pitch-black iron pot appeared in his palm.

’He had many Magical Artifacts, but when it came to area of effect, the Supreme Profound Thundercloud Pot was second to none!’

With a wave of his hand, he tossed the Supreme Profound Thundercloud Pot into the air. A mass of leaden clouds poured out from it as thunder boomed and lightning crackled.

Song Changsheng formed the hand seal for the Thunder Attraction Technique and pointed forward. A colossal thunderbolt crashed down with a deafening ROAR. In an instant, hundreds of Demon Birds were incinerated by the Celestial Thunder, blasting a hole in the once-impenetrable encirclement.

"Go!"

Seizing the opportunity, the group fought their way out of the gap.

But the Demon Birds continued their relentless pursuit. The good news was that most of them couldn’t match their speed and were quickly left behind. The bad news was that nearly a hundred of the Tier Two Level creatures remained on their tail.

This was still far too many for Song Changsheng’s group to handle. Their only option was to flee for their lives toward the Space Tunnel.

"We can’t keep this up! We still have to get through those endless insects up ahead! If they bog us down, the Demon Birds will catch up and we’ll all die horribly!" Zhu Yiqun wailed, draped unceremoniously over his flying black pot.

"My Spiritual Fire can suppress them. As long as we’re fast enough, we should be fine." Song Changsheng’s voice was faint. The Supreme Profound Thundercloud Pot was a Low-Grade Treasure, after all. At his current level of Cultivation, using it at full power without the aid of an Artifact Spirit was a significant strain, and the Mana consumption had been immense.

"You’ve exhausted too much of your power. You can’t keep clearing the way. Let me take over."

Seeing the pale cast of his face, Zhuang Yuechan felt a pang of concern. She took his hand and spoke softly.