Chapter 300: Human Head Owls

As they spoke, the surroundings suddenly dimmed. A deafening screech pierced the air as the flock of Human Head Owls surged toward Ge Yuan. Their fury was unmistakable—clearly, Ge Yuan's theft of their spiritual herbs had enraged them.

Among them, one owl stood out. Though slightly smaller in size, its speed far surpassed the others. Its feathers, as hard as blackened steel, shimmered like forged iron.

With a powerful flap of its wings, the Human Head Owl transformed into a streak of black lightning, appearing above Ge Yuan’s head in an instant. Its terrifying speed left onlookers in shock, and its razor-sharp talons gleamed with a cold light as they slashed down toward Ge Yuan.

The sudden outburst of power from this Human Head Owl startled even Qin Sang. Its aura was utterly terrifying—it was at the late stage of the Demonic Spirit Realm!

The other owls were much weaker by comparison. Only two had reached the early stage of the Demonic Spirit Realm, while the rest were merely Ordinary Demon Realm creatures, far less threatening.

No wonder Luo Xingnan and his group had struggled to gain the upper hand. Against a late-stage Demonic Spirit beast, it was a feat in itself that they had avoided being killed outright by the owls' razor-sharp talons.

Yet, something seemed off—someone was missing.

Only Luo Xingnan, Wandering Man, Shangguan Lifeng, and the white-robed scholar remained.

The elder surnamed Gong was nowhere to be seen!

The one most alarmed, however, was Ge Yuan himself.

This particular Human Head Owl was overwhelmingly powerful, surpassing him by two entire realms.

Even in normal circumstances, escaping from its grasp would have been incredibly difficult. But now, after being struck down by the jade trident hurled by Luo Xingnan, Ge Yuan was in his most vulnerable state, his breath erratic and unsteady.

Whoosh!

The Human Head Owl spread its massive wings, unleashing a gust of demonic wind infused with its power, pinning Ge Yuan firmly to the ground. Any hope of escape was swiftly crushed under the pressure.

Ge Yuan was overwhelmed with fear as death loomed near, the owl's talons mere moments away from ending his life.

At this critical juncture, Wandering Man acted with lightning speed, hurling a yellow bronze ring into the fray.

Whizz, whizz...

The bronze ring emitted a brilliant yellow light and split into dozens of identical shadows mid-air. These shadows struck the Human Head Owl without fail.

Unexpectedly, the attack staggered the owl, forcing it back as it let out a furious roar. The other owls, as though aware of the bronze ring's power, screeched in alarm and retreated.

Seizing the opportunity, Ge Yuan scrambled to his feet and transformed into a streak of light, fleeing without looking back.

Qin Sang narrowed his gaze, noting that the four had maintained a tight formation throughout the battle. Each of them wielded an identical yellow bronze ring.

It's a set of forbidden artifacts!

Understanding dawned on Qin Sang. So that’s it. No wonder they seem relatively composed in the face of a late-stage Demonic Spirit Realm demonic beast. It's this set of forbidden artifacts that gives them the means to hold their ground.

Without it, they would likely have met the same fate as Sheng Yuanzi.

"What are you doing?" Luo Xingnan glared angrily at Wandering Man, displeased by his unilateral decision to save Ge Yuan.

Wandering Man remained calm. "Daoist Luo, the outer array's weak phase is about to end. Time is running out. An extra pair of hands means an extra edge. The priority is to suppress these beasts, secure the herbs, and finish the task at hand!"

At the same time, Wandering Man’s voice echoed in Qin Sang’s mind, explaining that the elder surnamed Gong was already dead.

Like Ge Yuan, the elder had triggered the barrier while gathering herbs, alerting the Human Head Owls.

However, his luck had been far worse. He became their first target, his skull pierced by the talons of a Human Head Owl before he could even resist.

Witnessing this gruesome scene, the others were struck with fear and dared not act individually. Hastily, they regrouped to withstand the demonic beasts’ assault together. Wandering Man then brought out this set of forbidden artifacts known as the Golden Ring Array, barely stabilizing their position and fending off the owls’ relentless attacks.

Yet, even with the Golden Ring Formation, killing the Human Head Owls was almost impossible. Moreover, time was not on their side.

Their only option was to use the power of the forbidden artifacts to trap the Human Head Owls, retrieve the herbs, and make a swift escape!

Luo Xingnan snorted coldly, begrudgingly accepting Wandering Man’s explanation. With a wave of his hand, he manipulated the bronze ring to create countless phantoms, resuming his attack on the Human Head Owls. Simultaneously, he brushed his palm over the ring, splitting it into two and tossing them to Qin Sang and Ge Yuan. His tone left no room for objection as he commanded, "You two, join forces to hold back these demonic birds. I’ll gather the herbs!"

"Hold on!" Wandering Man interjected, stopping Luo Xingnan in his tracks. "Daoist Luo, these demonic beasts are formidable. Without you here to anchor our defense, we might struggle to keep them suppressed. For safety’s sake, I suggest letting Daoist Master Qingfeng gather the herbs. We can divide them evenly on the spot afterward."

Luo Xingnan’s expression froze as realization dawned on him. His gaze swept over Qin Sang, Ge Yuan, and Wandering Man, growing increasingly furious. He bellowed, "You old fox, are they your people?!"

"They belong to no one," Wandering Man replied evenly, "I merely happen to know the two of them."

"Good! Very good!" Luo Xingnan laughed angrily, repeating himself twice before growling darkly, "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind! Fine, I’ll concede this time! Old fox, you’ve got guts to scheme against me! Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you?!"

"You overestimate me, Daoist Luo." Wandering Man showed no fear of Luo Xingnan’s murderous glare. Turning to Shangguan Lifeng and the scholar, he continued, "Fellow Daoists, we all came here risking our lives for treasures. Unlike Yu Kong, I hold no deep grudge against Daoist Luo. I’ve never intended to harm him, so where’s the scheming? Based on my observations, seven spiritual herbs remain intact in the mountain, protected by powerful barriers that even these beasts dare not breach. There are six of us—more than enough for each to claim one herb. Daoist Luo, wasn’t this your agreement earlier? Why are you so furious now that I’ve brought it up again? Or... was your earlier promise just empty words?"

"You..."

Wandering Man’s pointed questions struck a nerve, and Luo Xingnan’s face darkened with rage and alarm.

Before Luo Xingnan could retort, Wandering Man ignored Shangguan Lifeng and addressed the scholar directly. "What do you think, Daoist?"

The scholar hesitated, glancing between Luo Xingnan and Shangguan Lifeng. Under Luo Xingnan’s piercing stare, he wavered before finally siding with Wandering Man. "I find Wandering Man’s suggestion reasonable."

Instinctively, the scholar shifted closer to Wandering Man.

Still, Wandering Man didn’t want to push Luo Xingnan too far, lest he acted irrationally. He added, "Breaking the barrier will require some effort. Daoist Master Qingfeng might struggle alone. Daoist Luo, why not assign someone to assist him? Two people working together should suffice. Besides, we owe it to you for leading us here. Of the seven herbs, taking two for yourself would be more than fair. What do the rest of you think?"

With the elder surnamed Gong dead, Luo Xingnan had only Shangguan Lifeng left on his side. Wandering Man’s implications couldn’t have been clearer.

While others might harbor greed, they lacked the power to contest. They nodded one after another, voicing their agreement.