Chapter 440: Chapter 244 Six-character Great Bright Mantra The Lightning Bird, infuriated and humiliated, spat out streaks of lightning. In a moment of desperation, Gu Sheng summoned the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll. The scroll seemed to understand his intent, its golden light flowing as it instantly expanded and shielded against the lightning attacks. The unblocked lightning strikes hit the ground, leaving behind large craters with white smoke billowing from their depths. Some thunder fire struck the Iron Thunder Wood, triggering a new round of explosions. "Boom!" A bolt of thunder fire hit Dyson’s left leg, turning it pitch black, followed by his agonized screams. Despite the protection of martial artist Qi Force, Dyson’s left leg was nearly carbonized. "Move closer to the center!" Gu Sheng shouted, seizing the opportunity to kill the Lightning Bird. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" The Lightning Bird, vicious and unrelenting, directly attacked the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll. Its powerful beak carried a ferocious ignition force but only managed to leave marks on the golden surface of the scroll, which quickly vanished. Failing in its first strike, the Lightning Bird attempted several more before switching tactics. Its injured wings made the sky no longer its advantage. Descending to the ground, it launched at the group from cunning angles. With the Great Moon Pupil Skill enhancing him, Gu Sheng could clearly see through its intentions. Swiftly redirecting the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll, he blocked the Lightning Bird’s assault. He always managed to fend off the bird’s attack in time. Had he not been tied up, he would have already slain the Lightning Bird. For now, his priority was protecting his comrades. While the fight raged on furiously, Zhao Honglie watched silently in contemplation. "The Demon Suppression Golden Scroll is indeed a treasure!" He made up his mind—no matter the cost, he would claim the scroll. "Gale Nine Swords!" Gu Sheng activated Gale Nine Swords, the autumn-water-like sword gleaming with agility, seemingly merging into the air and becoming part of the wind’s flow. "Clang!" A fierce sword beam struck the Lightning Bird, peeling off only a layer of its protective barrier. "This beast still has an electric shield!" Lin Miaomiao exclaimed in amazement. "Damn it!" Gu Sheng opened an iron box and retrieved the Thirsty Blood Battle Axe. "Bang!" After several exchanges, the battle axe finally struck the Lightning Bird’s wing. Strike while it’s weak! Seizing the chance with the bird’s wounded wings, Gu Sheng delivered three consecutive axe blows, performing the perfect Wrathful Blood Three Strikes. Violent as chopping wood, it nearly severed the Lightning Bird at its waist, leaving only a thin layer of skin connecting its body. Stowing away the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll, Gu Sheng began to heal Dyson. With two Bu Yuan Pills ingested, Dyson’s injuries visibly recovered within moments. The Lightning Bird was divided, and everyone received a portion. The group resumed their journey. "I heard this wave of beast tides includes at least a dozen Blood Beast monsters," Huang Miaoyin said. At this point, Dyson wanted to return quickly, as his mission was already accomplished. After gradually taking down several Silver Bone Realm Blood Beast monsters and gathering some Three-pattern Iron Thunder Wood, Gu Sheng began preparing a campfire meal. Hotpot was the standard option, while barbecue offered a contrasting flavor. Gu Sheng had prepared many modern spice packs—spicy, fragrant spicy, non-spicy, purely numbing, and more, catering to all preferences. The Lightning Bird’s cultivation had reached the Marrow Refining Realm, making its flesh tough. It required refining with spiritual energy before it could be eaten. Gu Sheng held a Spirit Stone in hand, channeling his own spiritual energy to extract streams of energy that struck the bird meat like beams of light. The initially firm bird meat expanded. Everyone skewered the bird meat, sprinkling cumin powder and various seasonings over it. The bird meat roasted with sizzling oils, its aroma spreading across several kilometers with the Qing Feng. Even Zhao Honglie on Qingfeng Cliff couldn’t help swallowing his saliva. "Eat, eat. Soon, you’ll all be my blood food!" Zhao Honglie’s face lit up with excitement. The savory bird meat melted in their mouths, its essence quickly refined into a part of their vital energy. Gu Sheng felt a warmth coursing through his body, rapidly flowing into his Dantian and merging into the depths to form a Qi Sea. He sensed the energy was immensely beneficial for his cultivation. Probing his entire body with Divine Thought and activating the Great Moon Pupil Skill, he suddenly felt a presence approaching. "Zhao Honglie!" This man was terrifying—especially in the Red Cloud Secret Realm, where even he and Lin Tianhao had suffered heavy injuries. "Run!" They had no time to collect their belongings. Everyone mounted their leopard horses and galloped away. "You think you can escape? No way!" Zhao Honglie summoned a black bird—the legendary Ink Shadow Black Hawk, now his steed. The Ink Shadow Black Hawk descended like a black cloud, swiftly pressing down on Gu Sheng’s group. "You guys retreat first and inform the elders!" Gu Sheng’s team had fought Zhao Honglie before. Without hesitation, everyone except Gu Sheng retreated. "All of you are my blood food!" Zhao Honglie unleashed the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, forming a black net filled with countless wandering souls, bearing down on Gu Sheng. Gu Sheng immediately summoned the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll, while the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell emerged from his forehead, spinning with golden swastika symbols that struck the Ten Thousand Soul Banner, rapidly depleting its energy. "Die!" Zhao Honglie continued urging the Ten Thousand Soul Banner. For him, the Demon Suppression Golden Scroll and Vajra Demon Suppression Bell were the true prizes; blood food was merely a bonus. Though Golden Bone Realm blood food was delectable, its importance paled in comparison to the scroll and bell. Facing Zhao Honglie’s unfathomably deep cultivation, Gu Sheng chose a different path. Instead of deploying Gale Nine Swords as usual, he sat cross-legged and focused entirely on channeling the Great Prajna Sutra. He faintly sensed a connection between the sutra and the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell. "Buzz..." A tremor resonated as the Vajra Demon Suppression Bell radiated intense light, accompanied by the sound of chanting scriptures. "Om Mani Padme Hum..."