140 - A Single Sword Against the Hordes

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“What kind of bird is this?" the young man exclaimed, holding his weapon tightly. "Is it even a bird?"

"Now that's the interesting thing," Qin Yun began, feeling slightly amused by the existence of this creature. "There's been debate over whether these are reptiles or birds, but the consensus seemed to be trending toward being both simultaneously."

"What are you babbling about?" he replied, confused about Qin Yun's nonchalance. "Do you know those things?”

“I do have some experience with them,” Qin Yun added. “Still, there’s no records of them in the main world. I wonder what parameters led to their creation.”

As Qin Yun was pondering, the creature took a step forward. It growled in a high, hissing tone, prompting the man to wince, feeling a sharp pain assault his mind. He instinctively reached to block his ears but promptly stopped himself. Instead, he reached for the ground and grabbed a stone the size of his fist.

He wound up and threw the stone with all his might. It cut through the air, shattering all the leaves standing in its way, then collided with the creature's throat, collapsing it in one strike. The hissing noise dissipated, and silence returned. The velociraptor collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain as it struggled to breathe. However, no air ever reached its lungs, and it died just that easily.

The young man frowned, waiting for it to rise, yet it never did. But then, Qin Yun couldn't help but sigh.

“That wasn’t really the best course of action,” he lamented.

“Why do you care?” the young man said sharply. “It was about to attack, so I struck first. Showing mercy will only come back to bite you. Are you feeling pity for this creature?”

“Not at all," Qin Yun shrugged. "The strong will survive. I'm only concerned about the rest of them. These creatures should be solitary hunters, feeding on smaller animals and using trapping tactics. However, this one seemed different."

“You mean when it didn’t run away?” the man asked.

“Being hunters, I’m sure your people have extensive expertise in the subject. Doesn’t this strike you as odd?”

The young man didn't have to think about it to know that Qin Yun spoke the truth. A carnivore this size wouldn't confront two much bigger prey, especially when hunting alone. Its behaviour was bizarre, to say the least.

Just then, many other hisses rose from beyond the foliage. The noise grew louder as they approached. Qin Yun could feel the ground tremble slightly, growing stronger as time passed, but then it suddenly stopped just as countless other feathered dinosaurs emerged from the overgrown thickets.

There were many species, not just velociraptors. Some were even herbivores, standing completely fine amidst their supposed predators. Qin Yun could feel their stares boring a hole through him, but not all of these creatures' gazes were locked onto them. Some were aimed downward toward the lifeless creature lying still on the jungle soil.

The wall of dinosaurs parted, opening the way for a feathered carnivore to step forward. It strangely resembled the dead one. It possessed the same sharpened teeth and similar-looking talons. Its shape also looked similar, except for one aspect that dwarfed everything else: its size.

It easily towered over Qin Yun with a mouth the size of his torso. It could rend him apart with but a single bite. Still, this massive creature only looked downward at the lifeless body. There seemed to be something in its eyes, a glint much more prominent than in the others—a sign of intelligence.

Did it awaken its spirituality? Qin Yun thought, yet he couldn’t help but frown. Without the influence of the Heavenly Dao, that seems highly unlikely. Something else must have prompted this change.

Qin Yun looked in the distance, past the hordes of dinosaurs barring his way. His sight was blocked by the thick vegetation, but his mind peered through it, for he could sense a gaze originating from the other side.

He had felt it on him since he first set foot into this place. It had watched his every action, maybe even elicited the fauna here to do the same. But for what reason? Qin Yun didn't know, but he was interested in finding out, and his first clue was the massive creature before him.

"Sorry about this," Qin Yun said respectfully, even bowing slightly to the creature. "While I know this could never compensate for your loss, you have my greatest condolences. This young man felt threatened, and he acted on instinct. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive him."

The young man glanced towards Qin Yun, stunned by his words. He even opened his mouth to speak, finding this all preposterous, yet caught himself just in time. He didn’t know what Qin Yun intended with all this, but he chose to give it a try.

The large creature ignored his words. It opened its large maw and wrapped its teeth around the fallen creature’s torso. Then, with but a snap, its jaw closed, ripping the corpse’s flesh asunder.

There was a crunch as bone shattered under the pressure. The sharpened teeth dug deep into its flesh, making blood flow through them as it pooled inside its mouth. Once through, the creature easily raised its head, even with the added weight now in its maw, before launching its spoils into the air, snapping its jaw again.

The sight was gruesome, with bits of blood and flesh being thrown everywhere. Yet both men didn't flinch a single inch. Both were much too used to such sight. Qin Yun had seen many of his acquaintances, or even close friends, die in much more gruesome ways, and such little bloodshed didn't do anything for him. As for the young man, his birthplace was much crueller than this.

No, what held Qin Yun's attention was the glowing orb he saw for a split second as the creature's torso was rent apart. It was tiny, only slightly bigger than an alchemical pill, yet Qin Yun felt something familiar wafting from it—something that shouldn't exist down these parts. Qi, and a non-negligible amount.

It wasn't enough for Qin Yun's use, but it was something. Still, most of it was now absorbed by the creature. Qin Yun could hear the pellet snap under its teeth, its content draining down its throat. It didn't produce any noticeable change, yet Qin Yun knew the large creature had grown slightly stronger. Its own spiritual core must have increased in size, if only slightly.

After its meal, the creature turned to face them both. It eyed them, almost as if deciding whether they were fit for consumption. The young man remained at the ready, tightly holding his blade, yet Qin Yun remained relaxed, staring back at the creature, awaiting its choice.

It felt like an eternity.

Qin Yun could feel the desire in the numerous other animals surrounding them. Unlike the large one, they seemed merely hungry, while others seemed to view this as entertainment. Yet, none made the first move. They all waited for the large creature with blood dripping down its jaw to make up its mind.

"What are they waiting for?" the young man hissed softly, ready to strike or flee at a moment's notice.

"It's calculating whether the rewards are worth the risk," Qin Yun replied, not bothering to hide his words. "Unfortunately for it, there's no point in eating us. If this were back on the mainland, it might have gained something from eating me, but here? I am just a piece of meat—a much too dangerous piece of meat.”

Qin Yun smiled, feeling the piercing gaze of that creature on his skin, yet all his attention was focused on the one behind it all, hidden far away in the distance, constantly watching him.

“Has this something to do with this “qi” you people like to use?” the man murmured, keeping his eyes forward.

“Indeed. On the mainland, spiritual beasts usually feast on the insight granted to them by the Heavenly Dao. This creates a shell they use as a vessel to accumulate qi. Unlike us cultivators, most spiritual beasts do not possess any cultivation technique. The most they can do is absorb raw spiritual qi while waiting for their flesh to process it. This usually takes a long time—centuries to rise even a single rank. But, there's a way to accelerate the process—"

"—Predation," the young man said, eyes slightly narrowed, watching the blood drain down to the soil.

“Exactly,” Qin Yun replied, slightly surprised. “However, there shouldn’t be any qi for them to ingest, much less the Dao to form the shell. Something else should be prompting their evolution.”

Just as the words left Qin Yun's mouth, he saw the creature open its own. A roar erupted from its throat, creating a sound blast that struck the two of them. The young man felt the tip of his blade shake alongside the atmosphere, as did the ground beneath his feet. The creature seemed much more dangerous than it first appeared.

Following this roar, the other dinosaurs all rushed them as one. Some opened their maw, showing their teeth as they added to the cacophony. Yet, most of the danger didn't come from their sharp bits like fangs and talons but from their weight alone. With this many creatures charging all at once, they would undoubtedly be trampled.

That was if they weren't who they were.

The young man turned to the side and threw his blade away. It flew through the air before striking a nearby tree. The blade plunged deep within, up to its hilt, and remained stuck in the dense fibres.

Following it, the man leapt upward, striking the hilt with the sole of his foot, and easily grasped a thick branch more than ten metres above the ground. He stood there in silence, watching all the creatures now rushing toward Qin Yun alone, hanging safely above them. While some smaller birds were perched up next to him, they posed no threat.

As for Qin Yun, he responded calmly to this threat.

He extracted his black blade from his box and infused it with all the killing intent he possessed. Eons of slaughter were perfectly concealed within—not a single trace escaped it. The blade became the very personification of destruction, yet no one became aware of it.

Once the stampede was but a few short steps away, Qin Yun plunged the blade into the ground and only then was what was contained within finally extracted. A wave of death spilled outwards, washing over the incoming horde.

It wasn't some sort of physical force but much more of instinctual dread. Their joints locked as fear took root in their hearts, and they collapsed to the ground, tumbling as the soil broke their fall. Some even reached the edge of the blade from the momentum of their charge, but a single mere look made them lose consciousness.

In less than a second, the threat had been neutralized. All that remained was a mound of collapsed beasts as they writhed in pain, some possessing broken bones while others had been crushed under the weight of it all.

The young man was stunned, watching how easily Qin Yun had dealt with it. He couldn’t help but voice his doubts, yet Qin Yun’s response left him just as perplexed.

"They are just mindless beasts," he said. "How could they not be afraid of death when it stared them right in the face?"

However, Qin Yun showed no pride in this achievement. Instead, his gaze was locked at the back of the horde, watching the last remnant of the large creature as it disappeared back into the jungle, leaving all those it had brought with it to fend for themselves."

A wise choice...

But then, a rustling sound rang in the air. Qin Yun raised his head sharply and saw a dark shadow nestled among the leaves overhead. The reflection of the few rays of sunlight struck against a metallic object headed straight for his forehead.

He tilted his head slightly, just enough to avoid the projectile. It was an arrow. It ran past him before embedding itself into the soft soil. But still, Qin Yun didn't account for the sharp wind it created. It struck him on the side of his head, against the skin.

His skin ruptured, creating but the slightest of nicks. Only a single drop of blood left the wound before it closed itself almost instantly. Yet, Qin Yun did not pay attention to it. His gaze was locked on the figure high up on the tree. He could clearly see the bronze of its skin and its long silver hair blowing along the wind.

“I was wondering when you people would show yourself,” Qin Yun said with a slight smile.

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