Chapter 63: Gale Sparrow, the Brain-Devouring Fiend

The Stormswift Sparrow typically boasts a wingspan of around two meters. Its belly is a vivid yellow, while the feathers on its back and wings shimmer in blue-black hues. The head is mostly black, but only those that reach the Gold Realm will develop a golden crest atop their heads.

However, even after advancing to the Gold Realm, their size remains unchanged, almost indistinguishable from their counterparts. Without careful inspection, they are nearly impossible to tell apart. Lin Huang had caught a glimpse of that golden-crowned Stormswift Sparrow by chance, but it swiftly concealed itself within the flock and vanished from sight.

The Stormswift Sparrow, by all appearances, is not a particularly ferocious bird. Its talons, though sharp, seem slender and frail. The beak, while remarkably pointed, is short and fine.

To underestimate their combat prowess based on their seemingly gentle appearance would be a grave mistake.

The Stormswift Sparrow’s claws, though delicate in appearance, are as steady as steel; capturing prey weighing up to three hundred kilograms is effortless for them. Their beaks may be short and fine, but their striking power is astonishing, and their attack frequency far exceeds that of a pile driver. In mere seconds, they can easily bore a hole into the skull of monsters like the Sand Devourer and feast on the brain within.

Brains of all kinds are the Stormswift Sparrow’s favorite delicacy. If a feast of brains does not suffice, they will tear open their prey’s body and peck at the fat and organs, always seeking foods with a sticky, gooey texture.

When a ship is beset by a flock of Stormswift Sparrows, it faces greater peril than from most other avian predators.

For the Stormswift Sparrow’s rate of attack is truly terrifying.

Seeing the sparrow flock completely surrounding the ship, Lin Huang felt a flicker of concern. He had no desire for his own brains to be devoured by these brain-hungry fiends.

He had researched the safety of the Magic Crystal Airship before booking his ticket; its safety rating was an impressive 99.8%, with accidents exceedingly rare. Yet this time, they faced a special flock, and among them lurked a golden-crowned king sparrow. This presence made Lin Huang uneasy.

In the sky, after encircling the airship, the flock swiftly launched their assault. Some struck at the bubble layer encasing the ship with their talons, others pecked at it with their beaks.

The airship quickly began to lurch and jolt from the attacks.

With each assault, arcs of purple lightning danced across the surface of the bubble layer, hurling many Stormswift Sparrows away. Some fell straight to the ground.

Lin Huang watched through the window and finally breathed a sigh of relief. The bubble layer, constructed by unknown means, seemed to include an electrified defense grid. Every sparrow that attacked the bubble was electrocuted and repelled, and many dropped from the sky.

The numbers of Stormswift Sparrows dwindled, yet the crisis was not over. The golden-crowned king sparrow now joined the fray, launching repeated attacks on the bubble layer with astonishing speed. The surface of the protective layer crackled with electricity, striking its body, yet the king sparrow was utterly unfazed, its assault unrelenting.

The airship vibrated ever more violently under the king sparrow’s barrage. The window of Lin Huang’s cabin shook incessantly; through it, he could clearly see the king sparrow’s attacks and felt that the protective layer might be breached at any moment. Images flashed through his mind of the barrier shattering, Stormswift Sparrows flooding in, and the passengers’ brains being devoured in a frenzy.

“Let this feast of brains remain a nightmare,” Lin Huang muttered, forcefully banishing the vision from his mind.

In the airship’s cockpit, a white-haired elder watched the golden-crowned king sparrow’s frenzied assault on the defensive bubble, preparing to intervene. But before he could act, a figure shot out from the ship’s top and soared into the sky. The elder halted, shaking his head with a smile. “Young people these days are always so impatient.”

“There’s a Transcendent aboard?” Lin Huang was startled by the sudden emergence of the figure, who, upon closer inspection, turned out to be a young man with golden wings unfurled behind him. “A flying-type gold-grade weapon.”

Flying-type armaments are exceedingly rare, their prices at least ten times higher than those of the same rank. Gold-grade flying armaments are the most agile of all, their value nearly rivaling that of treasures. Anyone able to afford such gear must possess considerable influence.

The young man with golden wings, soaring skyward, seemed familiar to Lin Huang. He soon recalled that this was Li Yanxing, recently mentioned in the bar—a super-stronger ranked fifth on the Gold Hunter leaderboard.

Li Yanxing appeared frequently in the media; Lin Huang had seen his face countless times in news reports, so recognizing him in person was easy.

Though Li Yanxing was already twenty-seven, his youthful appearance suggested he was barely in his early twenties. Tall and slender, with the enormous golden wings accentuating his allure, he cut a striking figure.

Many married women and unmarried girls aboard the airship looked out their windows as he ascended, their eyes filled with admiration. It must be said, his formidable strength, physique, and handsome features made him irresistibly attractive to many women.

“Beast, prepare to die!” Li Yanxing thundered, his figure flashing like a golden bolt of lightning as he streaked toward the king sparrow.

As he pierced the bubble layer, Lin Huang noticed a token at his waist glowing briefly.

Lin Huang surmised that the token was either a special item exclusive to nobles or one provided by the captain. Either way, it was surely the key to his free passage through the bubble layer.

In the sky, Li Yanxing gripped a black long blade and struck a diagonal blow at the golden-crowned king sparrow.

Though the blade was black, it was clearly not a black iron-grade sword, but an authentic treasure.

Lin Huang watched the strike with wide eyes. The diagonal slash traced a golden arc of life force through the void, sweeping toward the king sparrow’s neck like a crescent moon.

In the next instant, the king sparrow’s head separated cleanly from its neck, blood gushing forth. Before the corpse could even begin to fall, Li Yanxing waved his hand and tucked it into his storage space.

He spared not a glance at the remaining Stormswift Sparrows. With their strongest leader slain in an instant, the flock scattered in panic, knowing they had provoked a terrifying foe.

Li Yanxing turned and beat his wings, returning to the airship’s top.

Lin Huang observed as he passed through the bubble layer—the token at his waist glowed again, confirming Lin Huang’s earlier deduction.

With the Stormswift Sparrow crisis resolved, the airship’s flight stabilized. The crew swiftly issued an all-clear announcement, and people poured out from their cabins, filling the ship with lively bustle once more.

This time, Lin Huang did not join the crowd. Instead, he pondered the blade technique Li Yanxing had just displayed.

Though Li Yanxing had used only a single strike, Lin Huang was certain that the complete sword technique, if converted into a skill card, would be at least of rare grade.

He tidied up the living room in his cabin and began practicing the strike he had witnessed...

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[The Stormswift Sparrow is modeled after the native Earth bird, the Great Tit. If you’re interested, you can look it up; search for “brain-eating demon Great Tit.” I assure you, it’s a terrifying-looking bird—view at your own risk!]