Chapter 43: The Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird (Part-2)

Ryan did not strike early. He waited until this final moment, until the distance was compressed to its absolute limit, before unleashing the attack.

The timing was perfect.

The angle was flawless.

There was no room to dodge, no time to react, and no space to retreat.

This was a textbook ambush, executed with precision and calm. Ryan had grasped the moment so well that even he felt a surge of satisfaction. If this strike were graded, it would earn nothing less than ninety-nine points.

Had the target been a fellow Exalt realm expert, Ryan was confident this blow would have carried at least a ninety percent chance of instant death. Even if it failed to kill, severe injury would have been unavoidable.

Unfortunately, his opponent was neither human nor ordinary.

It was a fifth-rank monster, a flying beast famed for its speed.

“Gyaa—!”

At the exact moment the Wind Blade tore through the air, the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird reacted.

Its eyes widened in horror as it sensed the lethal threat. With a shrill cry, it locked eyes with Ryan, shock and fury flashing through its gaze.

Its wings snapped open.

In that instant, its body blurred and turned into a streak of shadow.

“Whoosh!”

The Wind Blade sliced cleanly through where the bird had been.

The shadow split in half, dissipating like smoke scattered by the wind.

The blade continued onward without losing momentum, carving straight through a thick tree behind it, splitting the trunk cleanly in two before the halves crashed to the ground.

The power of the Wind Blade was undeniable.

But the target had escaped.

A moment later, the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird reappeared several meters away in midair, wings beating violently as it glared at Ryan with blazing red eyes. Its furious cries echoed through the forest, clearly enraged by the ambush.

Ryan froze. “It had dodged?”

His eyes widened in disbelief.

At that distance, at that timing, it should have been impossible.

Ryan replayed the moment in his mind.

The bird’s speed just now was utterly absurd, far beyond anything he had anticipated. If it could maintain that level of movement freely, then even with Phantom Step, Ryan would never be able to touch it.

Not even a feather.

His confidence wavered, and his foot shifted back instinctively, retreat flashing through his thoughts.

But then, something caught his attention.

The Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird looked… weaker.

Compared to its earlier state, its aura had clearly diminished. The radiant sheen of its golden feathers had dulled, and its presence was no longer as overwhelming. The vitality it had displayed before was gone, replaced by a faint sluggishness.

Ryan’s heart skipped. “Don’t tell me…”

A realization struck him.

That terrifying burst of speed earlier must have been a life-saving technique. A forced eruption, not something it could maintain freely.

And using it had come at a cost.

To test his theory, Ryan raised his hand again and released another Wind Blade toward the bird in midair.

This time, the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird dodged more cautiously. Its body blurred, but the movement was noticeably slower. It veered aside and barely avoided the blade, retreating further into the air.

Ryan did not expect the attack to land.

But the result made his eyes light up.

He smiled, clenching his fist. “Just as I thought.”

The bird’s current speed was no longer overwhelming. It was fast, yes, but now it was roughly on par with Ryan’s Phantom Step, no longer the untouchable terror it had been moments ago.

That meant one thing.

It could be fought.

If the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird could freely maintain that earlier speed, Ryan would have no choice but to flee. Facing an enemy faster than oneself, one that could strike and retreat at will, was nothing short of a nightmare.

But now, the situation had changed.

Still, Ryan did not let his guard down.

He did not know whether that explosive speed could be used again, or how many times it could erupt. If the bird suddenly unleashed it during close combat, even a moment of carelessness could mean death.

This was no longer a simple hunt.

It was a dangerous game of patience, judgment, and survival.

“Huh—!”

While Ryan was still thinking, the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird suddenly let out a sharp cry. Its majestic golden body snapped into motion, wings beating violently as it transformed into a streak of shadow and lunged straight at Ryan with a lightning-fast peck.

Worthy of a fifth-rank monster, even its ordinary speed far surpassed that of the Wind wolf King by several levels.

If an ordinary Exalt faced such an assault, escape would be impossible. Even a typical Upper Exalt would be forced to retreat under this kind of pressure.

The terror of the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird was fully revealed.

And this was only its normal speed.

Yet Ryan was no ordinary opponent.

His body had been strengthened by an unknown number of attribute pills, his God’s Boots granted a thirty percent speed boost, and his Phantom Step, a Sky rank movement art, had already reached full mastery.

Layer upon layer of enhancements stacked together, his speed was not inferior to that of the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird.

As the bird struck, Ryan activated Phantom Step. His figure flickered, leaving afterimages as he shifted diagonally and narrowly evaded the deadly peck.

As long as the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird did not unleash that terrifying burst from earlier, its current speed alone could no longer suppress Ryan.

On the contrary, Ryan was becoming the greater threat.

“It wouldn’t be polite to only receive and not return!”

Seeing the bird counterattack, Ryan refused to let it vent its rage freely. With a flick of his hand, a Wind Blade condensed and slashed toward the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird.

Unfortunately, the Wind Blade’s speed was still insufficient. With a slight twist of its body, the bird dodged easily and immediately launched another assault.

Thus, man and beast became locked in a relentless exchange.

The bird pecked and swooped, and Ryan evaded and countered. Wind Blades whistled through the air, Phantom Step flickered continuously, and shadows crossed again and again.

After half an hour of fierce fighting, neither side had gained the upper hand, and neither had suffered serious injury.

By now, however, the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird’s aura was visibly weakening.

And Ryan was no better off.

Even with his enhanced physique, he could only sustain intense martial art usage for so long.

Repeated activation of Phantom Step and continuous Wind Blades were beginning to take their toll. His breathing grew heavier, and his muscles ached under the strain.

The situation was actually worse for Ryan than for the monster.

“This can’t go on,” Ryan thought grimly.

If the stalemate continued, he would be the first to collapse. A monster’s endurance far exceeded that of a human.

Even with his pills and enhancements, Ryan could not outlast a fifth-rank beast in a prolonged battle.

He needed to end this quickly.

But the Golden-Blood Polar Shadow Bird was a flying monster, fast and agile. Wind Blades alone could not reliably hit it. What method could he use to break the deadlock?

Originally, Ryan had entered the level five area to both level up and increase the proficiency of Wind Blade. Against a flying enemy, Wind Blade was the most suitable skill he had.

But a blade that could not hit its target was meaningless.

“If only I could fly,” Ryan thought.

Unfortunately, the flight belonged to Upper Exalt, those above level-40. Though his combat power rivaled one, he was still only an Exalt. That path was closed to him, atleast for now.

So what now?

His gaze fell on the Wind Blade in his hand, his thoughts racing.

Did Wind Blade really have to be released immediately?

Could it not be controlled?

Could it not be altered?

No. A Sky rank martial art should not be so rigid.

With a thought, Ryan condensed a Wind Blade in his palm, but instead of throwing it, he rotated his wrist and gathered energy again.

Another Wind Blade formed.

Two blades hovered in his grasp.

His eyes lit up. “Just as I thought!”

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