Wherever Ning Zheseng passed, everyone bowed, not daring to meet his eyes. He tilted his head back haughtily, his stride exuding an aura of absolute dominance. Soon, he reached the very front of the crowd. Staring openly at the Flame Eagle, he chuckled.
"There are so many of us, yet you don’t even know how to run. It seems you’re just a stupid bird."
"Young Master Ning, should we wait a bit? They might still need some time," Niu Tong asked respectfully.
The reason Ning Zheseng had entered this place was that just as Ye Xuan and the others had gone in, the items Ning Zheseng had been waiting for finally arrived. He and Niu Tong had simply come in a step ahead.
Ning Zheseng flashed a mocking smile. "What are we waiting for? We can attack right now."
"Right now?" Niu Tong’s brows furrowed tightly. The people here were simply no match for the Flame Eagle.
"Yes. Let the men from these subordinate families lead the vanguard."
"Understood!"
Niu Tong agreed. He could not possibly defy Ning Zheseng. He turned to survey their surroundings and shouted, "Everyone, hear my command! Form up and prepare to attack!"
At his words, the men from the subordinate factions began to fall into formation. There were a total of eight subordinate families in Niu Family Town, and at this moment, every single one of them was present. Each family had brought five hundred men, making for a total of exactly four thousand people on the scene.
Four thousand men formed a dense, teeming crowd, yet everyone wore a grave expression. They had absolutely no will to fight. That was because they were all cannon fodder. Even the strongest among them had only reached the Frenzy Spirit Realm. How could a Cultivator at the Frenzy Spirit Realm dare to pluck a feather from a Rank Four Beast?
"Are we really going to charge in later? Isn’t this just a suicide mission?"
"Sigh, we’ll die if we don’t charge anyway. We’re just the cannon fodder chosen by our Patriarchs. Just accept your fate."
Amidst the crowd, Ye Xuan and Tang Long found themselves in a dilemma, unable to advance or retreat. Pulling back now would make it far too easy to expose themselves.
"Ye Xuan, what should we do?" Tang Long asked.
Ye Xuan replied calmly, "Let’s blend in with the crowd for now and watch how things unfold."
Tang Long nodded. "That’s all we can do. However, this Young Master Ning is only at the Frenzy Spirit Realm. Where does he get the confidence to hunt the Flame Eagle?"
"He’s probably relying on that old man." Ye Xuan shifted his gaze to the old man wearing a bamboo hat. Although the old man had struck once earlier, Ye Xuan knew the other party hadn’t used his full strength. This old man was extremely dangerous!
"First group, charge!" The eight family Patriarchs let out a simultaneous cold shout.
With a sweeping wave of their hands, about a hundred disciples stepped out from behind them and charged at the Flame Eagle from eight different directions. When they closed in to about fifteen meters from the Flame Eagle, the creature suddenly spread its wings.
SLASH!
Blood sprayed into the air. The Flame Eagle’s wings sliced like peerless blades, disemboweling the weaklings in their path. In an instant, massive casualties littered the ground.
"Archers, cover them! Fire!"
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH.
Arrows tore through the air. The archers of the eight great families launched their long-range assault. A dense shower of arrows rained down from the sky, striking toward the Flame Eagle. Yet, the creature didn’t even bother to block, allowing this swarm of ants to attack as they pleased.
THUD THUD THUD.
The arrows struck the Flame Eagle’s body but failed to pierce even its skin. The gap in power was simply too vast.
SCREECH!
Perhaps enraged, the Flame Eagle let out a piercing cry. Spreading its wings, it unleashed a massacre upon anyone who dared to approach. In just the span of a few breaths, the first group was nearly wiped out entirely.
"Second group, third group, charge!"
Soon, two more groups surged forward. Although the Flame Eagle was formidable, two fists struggled against four hands. A few Cultivators still managed to close in on it.
"Die, you beast!"
There was no sympathy, no mercy. The blades in their hands thrust viciously toward the Flame Eagle’s underbelly. Everyone knew that today, it was either them or the Flame Eagle.
As the weapons landed, sparks flew amidst the harsh ringing of clashing steel.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
The swords and sabers in their hands either chipped or shattered outright.
"This... it’s too tough! How are we supposed to fight this!"
"Sigh, we’re just throwing our lives away."
Someone cried out in sheer despair. But no sooner had his voice faded than the Flame Eagle swallowed him whole. Seeing that this wave of men was also on the verge of being annihilated, Niu Tong finally couldn’t hold back.
"Young Master Ning, are you still going to send them in? As you can see, even if they charge, they’re only marching to their deaths."
Although these men were merely from the Niu Family’s subordinate factions, if too many died, he would have to waste time cultivating a new batch. The losses would outweigh the gains.
Ning Zheseng smiled and said, "Who said they’re only marching to their deaths? They’ve successfully verified something for me."
"What is it, Young Master Ning?"
"This Flame Eagle cannot fly."
"You’re right. If it could fly, it would have flown away ages ago."
While the two were conversing, the eight family Patriarchs let out another low roar.
"Fourth group, charge!"
From all directions, another five hundred men rushed forward. Among them were Ye Xuan and Tang Long.
"Tang Long, don’t charge too far ahead. Find an opening later and just play dead," Ye Xuan whispered.
"What about you?"
"I’ll look for a chance to get close to the Flame Eagle. My only target is the Hidden Green Grass. Once I have the herb in hand, I’ll retreat."
Ye Xuan suddenly felt a touch of gratitude toward Young Master Ning. If he hadn’t orchestrated this massive wave of cannon fodder, Ye Xuan would never have gotten the opportunity to approach the Flame Eagle alone. He pressed forward, steadily closing the distance to the beast.
Suddenly, Young Master Ning spoke up. "That’s enough. Everyone, fall back."
To the cannon fodder, his voice was nothing short of heavenly music. The men at the front immediately turned and fled faster than anyone else. Without these people drawing the Flame Eagle’s attention, Ye Xuan’s situation instantly turned perilous.
A darkness fell over his head. The Flame Eagle opened its massive beak, intent on swallowing him whole. Ye Xuan didn’t even look up. The moment he saw the black Shadow, he executed a rapid combat roll to dodge.
BOOM!
The Flame Eagle’s beak slammed into the ground, gouging out a deep crater. If that had landed on his head, it would have been certain death.
Without pausing for even a second, Ye Xuan rapidly retreated. Now was clearly not the time to snatch the Hidden Green Grass; it was better to fall back. Soon, Ye Xuan and Tang Long seamlessly blended back into the crowd.
"Are you all terrified? Rest easy, you won’t need to throw your lives away anymore. My items have arrived." Ning Zheseng spoke up once more.
As his voice faded, the heavy rumble of wooden wheels echoed from the forest behind them. Massive Crossbow Wagons were pushed into the clearing one after another. Each Crossbow Wagon weighed a staggering two tons and required the combined effort of ten Cultivators to move.
"What in the world is that!"
The crowd was stunned. It was their first time seeing such contraptions.
"Could it be... the Giant Crossbow!"
The Giant Crossbow was crafted by Master Forgers. The Crossbow Wagon alone weighed four thousand catties, and a single Crossbow Arrow weighed an astonishing five hundred catties. This siege weapon was designed specifically to hunt massive Beasts. Only the great families were worthy of possessing them.
The moment the Crossbow Wagons arrived, they immediately surrounded the Flame Eagle. Ning Zheseng walked up to one of the Crossbow Wagons, a bloodthirsty smile curving his lips.
"This is the Ning Family’s Giant Crossbow. Now, I will personally demonstrate how it is used.
"Load the Crossbow Arrows!"