Chapter 338: Chapter 190: Annihilation, Death by a Thousand Cuts In Gu Sheng’s eyes, every single one of these people was involved in Liu Yiming’s death. Today, he was determined not to let a single one of them leave here alive! Gu Sheng pulled the trigger, and the arrow shot out like a comet. The power of the Shattering Star Crossbow was something Wu Xinyu and the others had already witnessed. If hit in a vital spot, it would almost certainly be fatal. This was far graver than a mere clawing by a giant bird. The four had no choice but to evade sideways. In this split-second moment, the giant bird had already charged, forcing everyone into a chaotic melee against it. These giant birds were massive, incredibly heavy, and their diving attacks, reinforced by immense inertia, were comparable to small cannonballs. The unluckiest of all was Liu Bin, who happened to be the one lagging behind. The giant bird dived at frightening speed, and Liu Bin, now weaponless, found himself in a passive position. He swung a fist to strike back at the bird, but the gusts generated by its flapping wings threw him off balance. With a loud "thud," he was sent flying far away. Even after sending Liu Bin flying, the giant bird showed no intention of stopping. Instead, it extended its claws toward his chest. "Swish!" Spires of razor-sharp talons, over ten centimeters long, suddenly ejected from the bird’s claws. With a sickening "squelch," they sank deep into Liu Bin’s body, leaving him a mangled heap of flesh and blood. The searing pain threw Liu Bin into a state of panic. Just as he mustered the will to fight back, the bird’s massive head swung back and delivered a skull-splitting headbutt. Blood gushed from his face as the strength he had just summoned drained away. "Help me!" In his current state, there was no way Liu Bin could break free from the bird. Desperately, he cried out to Kang Xiaofeng and Ni Chen for help. Kang Xiaofeng, Ni Chen, and Liu Bin had always been close in private, even addressing each other as brothers. But in a moment as critical as this, where life and death hung in the balance, neither Kang Xiaofeng nor Ni Chen even glanced back at Liu Bin. Are you kidding me? Forget the six Silver Bone Realm giant birds chasing after them—that alone was enough to overwhelm their capabilities. To add to their troubles, Gu Sheng was lurking in the shadows, waiting for a chance to strike. The two dared not waste an ounce of energy and focused all their efforts on escaping while remaining on guard against the unseen threat posed by Gu Sheng. "Help me!" Wu Xinyu’s cry for help reached their ears. At that moment, he was being entangled by a giant bird whose wings had been severely corroded. It was the same bird Wu Xinyu had earlier doused with poison. Despite its grave injuries, the bird bore an unrelenting grudge. It clenched onto him with the fervor of someone seeking a mutual death. Wu Xinyu’s personal combat strength was not particularly impressive. The only reason he had managed to harm the bird earlier was thanks to the life-saving poison crafted for him by his father. Now that his strong poison had been entirely exhausted, Wu Xinyu had no way to fend off the giant bird. Terrified, he screamed for help from Kang Xiaofeng and Ni Chen, who had not yet fled too far. Upon hearing Wu Xinyu’s plea, Kang Xiaofeng and Ni Chen exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and immediately turned back. Grabbing Wu Xinyu’s arm, they swiftly retreated while tossing out a barrage of hidden weapons to temporarily drive off the bird. Wu Xinyu was not like Liu Bin. Their journey into the mountains this time was known by many within the sect. If Wu Xinyu were to die here, given Wu Gui’s temperament, the two of them would face calamitous consequences even if they managed to return to the sect alive. Wu Xinyu had to survive! Just as the trio was about to escape the valley, Gu Sheng reappeared, his target now locked on Kang Xiaofeng. Kang Xiaofeng, naturally wary of Gu Sheng lurking in the shadows, immediately raised his Chopper to block the incoming arrow as soon as it was fired. The blade material of Kang Xiaofeng’s Chopper was of decent quality, and the arrow only pierced slightly but failed to injure him. "Gu Sheng! You’d better pray I don’t capture you, or I swear I’ll make you wish for death!" Kang Xiaofeng fixed a hate-filled glare on Gu Sheng, his desire to tear him apart palpable. Gu Sheng merely snorted coldly at this. "Wish for death? Perhaps I might have such a day, but you’ll never live to see it." Activating the Shadow Concealment Skill, Gu Sheng vanished from sight. When he reappeared, he was already by Kang Xiaofeng’s side. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂 "Die!" Gu Sheng’s voice was like that of a soul-reaping herald from the netherworld, chilling enough to freeze blood. Kang Xiaofeng hastily swung his blade at Gu Sheng, but Gu Sheng remained unfazed, his Ink Bamboo Saber already in position. Though Kang Xiaofeng’s Chopper was of decent quality, it was no match for the Ink Bamboo Saber’s might. It only took two strikes for the blade to be cleaved in two. Such was the power of a Treasure! Ni Chen knew full well that if left alone, he would never be able to escape with Wu Xinyu from such a predicament. Without hesitation, he brandished his short sword and lunged at Gu Sheng. Gu Sheng was forced to divert his attention to parry the attack, affording Kang Xiaofeng a brief reprieve. Otherwise, Gu Sheng’s next strike would have surely decapitated him. Having caught his breath, Kang Xiaofeng, though now disarmed, still swung his fists with full force, joining Ni Chen in an assault on Gu Sheng. At this moment, Gu Sheng’s resolve hardened. Ignoring Kang Xiaofeng behind him, he focused entirely on killing Ni Chen. Wielding the Ink Bamboo Saber, ordinary weapons posed no threat to him. Ni Chen’s short sword was destroyed in a single slash, and Gu Sheng’s follow-up strike aimed directly for his head. Given the close proximity, Ni Chen had no chance to dodge. Instinctively, he crossed his arms in front of him to block. The Bone Refining Realm’s tempered flesh, blood, and bones certainly possessed impressive durability, impervious to commonplace weapons. However, Gu Sheng’s Ink Bamboo Saber was a genuine Treasure. It had sliced through Kang Xiaofeng’s high-quality blade in two strikes. Against Ni Chen’s mortal flesh, it was even more ruthless. "Ahhhh!" The Ink Bamboo Saber descended, severing both of Ni Chen’s arms. Blood gushed out wildly, his agonized screams piercing the skies. By now, Kang Xiaofeng had closed the gap. Because Gu Sheng had obsessed over attacking Ni Chen, he had no time to defend himself. Kang Xiaofeng’s fists, like iron hammers, slammed into Gu Sheng’s back with devastating force.