A massive sphere appeared in the sky, composed of countless black dots. Upon closer inspection, these dots resolved into sparrows, forming a dense mass that seemed to envelop something.
The beasts on the ground, witnessing the fierce aerial battle, retreated into their dens. Even the most powerful mutated beasts trembled and hid in caves, unable to withstand the intensity of the sky's conflict. Even the mutated cats and dogs that ruled the forests were no exception.
It wasn't that the ground beasts were timid; the battle in the sky was simply too ferocious, obscuring the sun. The colossal flock of sparrows above felt like Mount Tai hanging overhead, and their descent would have dire consequences.
The sky above the path of the giant sphere was plunged into darkness. From time to time, sparrows weighing over ten pounds plummeted from the heavens.
The massive sphere in the sky would suddenly leap upwards, as if attempting to tear through the sky, then plummet downwards, as if to crash onto the ground.
The hundreds of thousands of sparrows maintained a dense formation. Though they lacked a leader, their movements appeared coordinated, as if directed by an unseen hand. Their wings beat powerfully, their feathers rustling against each other, creating a vast, rushing sound like a river flowing through the sky.
Shen Feng, trapped within the center of the sparrow flock, struggled to break free. He knew that if he continued like this, his stamina would be completely depleted.
Shen Feng attempted to cease gliding, retracting his parachute instantly. He then activated his "Wind King's Barrier," creating a sturdy shield around himself and began to descend towards the ground.
Shen Feng hoped that the force of gravity would allow him to reach the ground, even if his limbs were injured. However, his wish was not granted. The sparrow formation was too dense; even without flying, Shen Feng's body was supported by the sparrows, preventing him from falling.
"Damn it, so it is possible for the Cowherd and Weaver Girl to meet. People can actually stand on the magpie bridge," Shen Feng muttered.
Previously, Shen Feng had found the story of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl meeting on the magpie bridge to be quite fanciful. Birds were too light to bear the weight of humans, let alone the Cowherd carrying a yoke with two children. He doubted that even a vast number of sparrows could withstand such a burden.
Now, however, Shen Feng began to believe the story's veracity. Here he was, a living, breathing human, being supported by hundreds of thousands of sparrows, unable to reach the ground.
"Peck, peck, peck..." Suddenly, dozens of sparrows began pecking at his barrier. The shield vibrated under the constant assault. While the barrier was strong, it couldn't withstand the relentless attack.
As the sparrows continued their pecking, the barrier developed countless cracks. Inside the sphere, the light was dim. Shen Feng was tossed high into the air by the sparrows and then plummeted down. If not for the protection of the barrier, he would have been pecked to death by now.
However, Shen Feng had no way to escape the sparrow formation. He searched his person for weapons, finding only a dagger, no other armament.
"Damn it, my luck is absolutely abysmal. I didn't bring any weapons," Shen Feng cursed. He couldn't believe he'd encountered such a situation on his way home. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so meddlesome earlier. If he had avoided the thousands of sparrows, the subsequent danger might have been averted.
Sparrows, being flock animals, would likely attack in unison if provoked.
Shen Feng silently reduced the size of his Wind King's Barrier. By shrinking the barrier, the area of attack on the shield was reduced, allowing him to endure for a longer period.
The sparrows continued to move through the sky, and Shen Feng, enveloped within them, was carried along, completely unable to control his own position.
Just as Shen Feng was preparing to make a desperate move, a high-pitched, drawn-out cry echoed from the sky: "Caw..."
High in the sky, a colossal figure appeared. It possessed long wings, casting a deep shadow below when spread. Its head was small, its neck short, but its beak was sharp and hooked, gleaming with a metallic luster.
A golden eagle with a wingspan of thirty meters suddenly appeared in the sky. It folded its wings and began to dive towards the ground. In its eyes, the number of sparrows below was irrelevant; they were merely food.
The eagle's cry instantly startled the sparrows in the lower sky. The innate fear of sparrows for their natural predators, birds of prey, surged. Golden eagles were known to snatch lambs and drop them from great heights. Its appearance above the sparrows immediately instilled fear, causing them to scatter in all directions.
As the golden eagle swooped down, its eyes fixed on the center of the sparrow formation. It searched for larger sparrows, its powerful wings beating, stunning hundreds of sparrows.
Shen Feng, at the center of the formation, hadn't yet understood what was happening when the sparrows around him suddenly dispersed. He began to fall towards the ground.
Just as Shen Feng thought he was saved, a massive claw extended from the sky. The claw was thick and its talons exceptionally sharp. It seized Shen Feng, but fortunately, the Wind King's Barrier was present, resisting the claw's scratch at the critical moment.
"What is this thing? Why did it grab me?" Before Shen Feng could react, he was being carried into the sky. This was no longer the low altitude he had been gliding at. He ascended with the creature that had captured him, his distance from the mountains and rivers below increasing rapidly. Looking up, it seemed he was not far from the clouds.
Shen Feng carefully observed the creature holding him and instantly recognized it as a golden eagle. How could this raptor, accustomed to high, desolate regions, appear near Mount Wudang? And why had it captured him? Was it treating him as food?
The situation had gone from bad to worse. Shen Feng never imagined he would fall into the clutches of a golden eagle. A golden eagle with a thirty-meter wingspan was as large as a small aircraft. Now that it had him, it was surely seeking a quiet place to enjoy its meal.
Shen Feng gripped his dagger and began to consider his counterattack.
Although Shen Feng was confident he could kill a mutated golden eagle, he was not sure he could safely descend from such a height. He had a parachute on his back, but if the golden eagle refused to release its grip even in death, he would have no chance to glide.
After much thought, Shen Feng made a decision: "As soon as we land, I will fight back. While we are still in the air, I cannot act rashly."
High in the sky, Shen Feng couldn't discern directions, and the ground landmarks were completely unclear. Having been harassed by the sparrows for a long time, he had lost all sense of his location.
Fortunately, Shen Feng had activated his "Wind King's Barrier," so he was not injured by the golden eagle's grasp.
Taking advantage of the situation, Shen Feng quickly took out compressed biscuits and mineral water from his person and began to eat and drink. Recovering his strength was paramount. After a night of flying and an hour of combat, Shen Feng was exhausted. To regain his strength for future battles, he continued to rest.
This was Shen Feng's first time at such a high altitude, with a transparent barrier surrounding him, allowing him to clearly observe his surroundings. He never expected his first high-altitude experience to be not in an airplane, but being carried by a golden eagle.
Shen Feng secretly vowed, "In the future, I will ascend to great heights through my own abilities. I am still below the clouds now, but I will surely have the opportunity to reach above the clouds someday!"
An hour later, the golden eagle suddenly began to descend. Shen Feng had recovered some of his strength. Looking down, he saw a cliff below, its sides incredibly steep, making it impossible for ordinary people or animals to reach the summit. On the summit was a massive nest.
The enormous nest was constructed entirely of low-lying vegetation, appearing soft yet neatly arranged, indicating the golden eagle's innate architectural skills.
Within the nest were three plump young birds. Though young, they were not small; compared to the colossal golden eagle, they were still smaller. These were fledglings, but their bodies were larger than those of ordinary humans, with a height of over three meters. Even a non-mutated golden eagle might not have reached such a size.
Shen Feng realized why the golden eagle had flown him such a great distance: it was to feed its young.
Shen Feng was now prepared. He would not be so easily devoured by the golden eagle chicks. He had to fight, and he would launch his attack the moment they landed.
The golden eagle circled twice in the sky, letting out cries, and then began to descend slowly.
In the golden eagle's two massive talons, one held Shen Feng, while the other clutched five or six mutated sparrows, already dead. To the golden eagle's immense size, the sparrows were too small, easily crushed.
The golden eagle landed gently in the nest, its talons immediately loosening. The three golden eagle chicks rushed forward to peck at the flesh. One particularly plump chick wobbled towards Shen Feng.
The counterattack was now!
Shen Feng instantly dispelled his "Wind King's Barrier." Thousands of wind blades condensed around him, forming a surging tide that rushed towards the colossal golden eagle in the nest.
The golden eagle was surprised that the human it had captured was not dead and had unleashed such powerful combat abilities. It felt a deep sense of threat. Although the transparent wind blades were invisible, animals' instincts were sharp. In that crucial moment, the golden eagle spread its wings, preparing to fly away.
However, despite its immense size, the golden eagle's takeoff speed was slow. As it spread its wings, the thousands of wind blades had already arrived.
Unable to dodge in time, the golden eagle was pierced through its body by the wind blades.
"Puff, puff..." The thousands of wind blades directly penetrated the golden eagle's entire body. Though the golden eagle was enormous and a ruler of the skies, its defensive and regenerative capabilities were poor. While a few wind blades could not penetrate the crocodile's defenses, they passed through the golden eagle's body without obstruction.
The golden eagle let out a pained cry, blood flowing from its body and soaking its feathers. After struggling for a moment, it suddenly plummeted down the cliff.
The three fledglings were stunned by the scene. They never expected their hunting mother to be instantly killed by her prey. They could not yet fly and had very weak offensive capabilities. They huddled in a corner, trembling, chirping softly, and watching Shen Feng with trepidation.
Shen Feng walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down, spotting the motionless golden eagle at the bottom, likely pulverized from a fall of over a hundred meters.
Turning back, Shen Feng looked at the three golden eagle fledglings. The young birds began to tremble. Despite their height of over three meters, they were now terrified of the diminutive Shen Feng, completely devoid of any thought of resistance.
"Fine, I won't eliminate all threats. Seeing as you are young and ignorant, I won't hold you accountable." Shen Feng shrugged, deciding not to kill the three young golden eagles.
Although killing the three fledglings would have been as easy as flicking his fingers for Shen Feng, he had no penchant for killing young. The three fledglings couldn't fly and would likely starve on the cliff. Thus, he would avoid adding to his karmic debt.
Shen Feng opened his parachute and leaped off the cliff. A gust of wind swept him away. He intended to find a populated area to ascertain his location and then quickly return to Yuzhou. Without navigation in the wilderness, he had no idea where he was.
After gliding for ten minutes, Shen Feng suddenly heard a familiar cry. Looking up, he saw another golden eagle in the high sky, flapping its wings and diving towards him. This golden eagle was noticeably larger than the previous one, likely the male.
"Could the golden eagles be a mated pair? I killed the female, and the male has come for revenge?" Shen Feng considered this possibility.