Chapter 414: Chapter 231 Battle with the Wind and Fire Giant Bird According to Lin Tianhao, that Wind and Fire Giant Bird possesses strength comparable to the second layer of the Marrow Refining Realm. Beast blood creatures naturally have the advantage of physical prowess compared to humans, and coupled with their ability to fly, the challenge becomes even greater. Gu Sheng had yet to truly face off against someone of the Marrow Refining Realm, so he lacked confidence. His expression grew solemn as he nodded firmly, "I understand! This is a matter of life and death; I won’t be careless!" After reminding everyone, Lin Tianhao went to the side, took out a pill, and swallowed it to begin his recovery. Three hours later, once everyone had regained their peak condition, Lin Tianhao finally led the group towards the mountain valley. As soon as they entered the valley, Lin Tianhao’s demeanor became intensely serious. He quickly switched to combat mode and immediately pulled his weapon out of his storage pouch, adopting a stance of utmost vigilance. Gu Sheng, who was already feeling a bit tense, followed suit and unsheathed his Water Cold Sword. "Roar!" "Boom, boom, boom!" Just as Gu Sheng and his group stepped into the valley, they hadn’t gone far when they were met with the reverberating howls of beasts. Shortly after, there was the chaotic sound of dense, disorderly footsteps, and the earth beneath them trembled faintly. "They’re here! Everyone, remain on high alert!" As Lin Tianhao’s voice fell, the Spiritual Mist ahead dispersed, revealing a group of bulls two to three meters long, their bodies rippling with powerful muscles. They had short, sharp horns on their heads, and their fur was a deep blood-red as they charged madly toward them. The Qi Blood Power radiating from these bulls was extremely potent, no less impressive than the disciples of the Haoyang Sect. Gu Sheng counted a total of twelve of these mighty bulls, each exuding an imposing air. If he had encountered one of them alone, dealing with it would have taken considerable effort. And this was just the beginning. From deeper within the valley, Gu Sheng could hear the calls of other beasts. Just as he was preparing to strike, he was stopped by Lin Tianhao. "These bulls are just appetizers; leave them to the others. Our real opponent hasn’t shown up yet." Lin Tianhao’s team consisted entirely of the most elite disciples of the Haotian Sect. Before their arrival, Lin Tianhao had already laid out a solid battle plan for them. At this moment, there was no need for Lin Tianhao to give further instructions. They automatically divided into groups, with one-third of the disciples wielding their weapons and charging forward. The bulls were strong and fought fiercely against the Haoyang Sect members. However, these beasts, for all their brute strength, lacked intelligence, and their combat methods were overly simplistic. Under the well-coordinated assaults of the Haoyang Sect disciples, the bulls were quickly eradicated. Just as the bulls were slain, a group of stocky wild boars charged out from deeper within the valley. The wild boars were no smaller in size than the previous bulls, and each boar had two tusks reaching a length of seventy to eighty centimeters protruding from their mouths. These tusks gleamed like steel under the sunlight, radiating an icy light that sent a chill through anyone nearby. Facing the boars’ charge, the Haoyang Sect disciples remained as composed as ever, maintaining formation. Their rhythmic movements in offense and defense gradually wore the boars down. Just as these boars were nearing their defeat, an overwhelming cacophony of beastly roars emanated from the depths of the valley. Among the roars, Gu Sheng could recognize at least five distinct calls. Soon, the ground trembled more violently, and the remaining Spiritual Mist within the valley was swiftly dispersed, revealing over a hundred beast blood creatures, all exuding powerful auras, charging forward in unison. The combined presence of these beast blood creatures formed a dense, black wave rolling forth, carrying an enormous pressure. Seeing this spectacle, Lin Tianhao’s expression became calm instead. "They’re all here! Stick to the original plan and proceed!" Faced with an onslaught resembling a small-scale beast tide, not a single disciple of Haoyang Sect showed a hint of fear. Their eyes were resolutely firm as they methodically retrieved fist-sized red spherical objects from their backpacks. These spheres, resembling special treasures, emitted a palpable wave of energy that intrigued Gu Sheng. "These are called Earth Explosion Stars. They’re disposable top-grade Yellow Level explosive devices with formidable power. If we have enough quantities, we can even blast a Marrow Refining Realm cultivator to death! What we’re using here is only the weaker version; the genuine Earth Explosion Stars are exclusive to the military. It’s said that a single one of those can obliterate even a ninth-layer Marrow Refining cultivator, turning them to ash!" Seeing Gu Sheng eyeing the red spheres with curiosity, Lin Tianhao proactively offered an explanation. "Can a ninth-layer Marrow Refining cultivator be blasted to ash?" Gu Sheng was utterly shocked. He couldn’t fathom the strength of the authentic Earth Explosion Stars, nor what rank such items might hold. When Lin Tianhao saw Gu Sheng’s expression, he wasn’t surprised, as he himself had been equally astounded when he first learned of this information. In the Red Cloud Prefecture, a ninth-layer Marrow Refining cultivator was already considered the pinnacle, yet to have objects capable of annihilating such figures readily was almost unimaginable. As the beast blood creatures approached within three hundred meters, the Haoyang Sect disciples promptly hurled the weakened Earth Explosion Stars. Upon hitting the ground, the Earth Explosion Stars caused violent detonations. Soil flew everywhere, and a significant number of fierce beast blood creatures were instantly blown away. "Damn! Isn’t this just a hand grenade?!" Witnessing the Earth Explosion Stars’ power, Gu Sheng immediately envisioned the scene of a hand grenade explosion, finding the resemblance eerily similar! However, these Earth Explosion Stars seemed far cruder, functioning solely as explosive devices without residual damage. At this moment, Gu Sheng’s mind was flooded with ideas, and the appearance of the Earth Explosion Stars further solidified his determination to learn the Casting Skill!