In the urgency of the moment, the Demon Bear retracted its forelimb, blocking the massive axe strike from Zhang Chunfeng. As the axe blade collided with its forelimb, a substantial bear paw fell to the ground.
Zhang Chunfeng withdrew his large axe, gathered his strength again, and with the Demon Bear now missing a forelimb, it roared in pain. Seizing the opportunity, it opened its mouth to bite at Zhang Chunfeng's neck.
Reacting swiftly, Zhang Chunfeng, now re-energized, swung his large axe from below at an oblique angle as the Demon Bear lunged at him once more.
In an instant, the Demon Bear's body was cleaved into two sections, crashing to the ground.
With just three or four moves, Zhang Chunfeng had already slain his opponent.
The Demon Clan was originally known for its formidable physical strength, often putting humans at a disadvantage in close combat. However, Zhang Chunfeng's physical strength now matched that of the Demon Clan, allowing him to engage in hand-to-hand combat. Moreover, wielding a weapon, he far surpassed the Demonic Beasts that relied on fangs and sharp claws.
The battle continued, with two more Demonic Beasts targeting him. In haste, Zhang Chunfeng picked up the severed bear paw, thinking it would make a delicious treat for Wang Hong.
At this moment, water arrows and wind blades shot towards him, but he deftly blocked them with his shield.
On the battlefield, the human forces held the upper hand in terms of numbers at the Foundation Building level. Though there were casualties, more Demon Clan members were being cut down.
Having conducted detailed reconnaissance before the battle, Jin'an City had a clear advantage, knowing their enemies well.
The Demon Clan was in full retreat, falling back towards the city walls.
Taking advantage of the situation, human cultivators pursued from behind, while flying on the Flying Boat in the sky, dozens of Spirit Energy Cannons once again attacked the city walls.
Suddenly, a large black bird emerged from a Stone Tower, its wings spanning five yards, flying towards the giant boat.
"A three-tier Iron Feathered Eagle!"
Someone in the crowd recognized it and exclaimed. People, regardless of their ongoing battles, fled in panic.
The three-tier Iron Feathered Eagle was on par with a Golden Core cultivator. If caught in the shockwaves of a battle with a Golden Core cultivator, even if not killed, they would be severely injured.
Seeing everyone flee, Zhang Chunfeng naturally followed suit.
The Iron Feathered Eagle had not fully approached yet, but the pressure it emitted made it difficult for those in combat, both human and demonic, forcing them to temporarily cease fighting.
As for the Qi Cultivation Disciples on the Flying Boat, they were the first to bear the brunt. Many disciples were bleeding from their noses and mouths, and some had already collapsed.
The Iron Feathered Eagle flew in the sky, releasing a feather that shot out like a sharp arrow towards one of the Flying Boats.
After reaching the third tier, Demon Clan members could refine a part of their bodies into a Lifebound Magical Treasure similar to a Golden Core cultivator.
The feather shot by the Iron Feathered Eagle was its lifebound feather, refined and nurtured over hundreds of years, its power rivaling a cultivator's refined magical treasure.
At this moment, from the besieged Flying Boat, a figure in fiery red emerged. Surprisingly, it was a female cultivator adorned in a long crimson dress with flame patterns.
With delicate jade-like hands extended, she released a red streak of light, meeting the incoming feather with precision.
The red streak clashed with the feather in mid-air, creating sparks. As it turned out, the red streak was a red Flying Sword.
Subsequently, the Flying Sword and the feather entangled in a high-altitude struggle, attacking each other fiercely.
Though both seemed relatively small, they emanated immense power. Every collision sent shockwaves resonating through the ground below.
Separated by dozens of yards, the human and the demonic combatants manipulated their treasures in a prolonged battle.
The ongoing struggle affected the onlookers below, Foundation Building cultivators, with the dispersed shockwaves causing dizziness and nausea.
Just then, the woman in the red dress opened her small mouth, and a ball of flames shot out from it.
Upon its release, the temperature in the vicinity skyrocketed. Even Zhang Chunfeng, standing a hundred yards away, could feel the intense heat, instinctively taking a few steps back.
With this level of fire intensity, a mere touch could turn anything into ashes.
The ball of flames immediately joined the battlefield. Most feather-type treasures dreaded fire, being inherently weaker against flame-type treasures.
The flame, beside the Iron Feathered Eagle's lifebound feather, flickered for a moment, then accelerated towards the eagle.
In response, the eagle quickly released several feathers to block, simultaneously surveying its surroundings for the best escape route.
Though these feathers had been refined by the Iron Feathered Eagle, they were far from the level of treasures. Upon contact with the flames, they ignited in the air.
Flaming feathers scattered, and fire danced, sparks falling to the ground triggered an instant blaze, causing those below, both humans and Demonic Beasts, to flee in panic.
Soon, these feathers were burning out, their spiritual energy depleting rapidly.
Seeing the unfavorable situation, the Iron Feathered Eagle turned and fled. It feared that in a little while, it might become a roasted Iron Feathered Eagle.
Witnessing the eagle's retreat, the Golden Core cultivators in the rear shouted.
Then, the Spirit Energy Cannons on the Flying Boat began to bombard the crude city walls, creating holes in them.
Foundation Building cultivators rushed through the openings onto the city walls, chasing the retreating Demon Clan.
The fleeing Demon Clan employed various methodssome burrowed underground, some flew into the air, while others ran on the ground. Pursuing them proved to be quite challenging.
Seeing the situation unfold, the few remaining third-tier Demonic Beasts in the area also fled.
The Golden Core cultivators from Jin'an City decided not to pursue further. While battling within the same tier provided a chance to defeat opponents, killing them outright was difficult.
Their objective was to occupy the Spirit Stone vein, and with that achieved, they had no intention of escalating the conflict.
Having successfully captured the Spirit Stone vein, the group entered the mine. Some were genuinely curious, while most harbored intentions of casually taking a few Spirit Stones.
However, to their disappointment, the Demon Clan had damaged the mining tunnels. Reopening them would require time and effort.
Jin'an City's forces had sent out the majority of their Foundation Building cultivators for the Spirit Vein assault, leaving only five hundred defenders within the city.
Wang Hong, too, had been assigned a task. Clad in the uniform of a city guard, he led a group of Qi Cultivation cultivators to patrol a section of the city wall.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Demonic Beasts from the Boundary Mountain Range were quietly converging on Jin'an City from all directions.
Due to the shortage of manpower, patrols around the city had been temporarily suspended, allowing Demonic Beasts to approach undetected.
As a result, the Demonic Beasts gradually neared Jin'an City, while the city remained oblivious to the impending danger.
[Read at /shanefreak, and heartfelt thankyou for your support!]