Following its appearance, gray-white figures flew out one after another from the various sized caves on the cliff face with a rushing sound.

Ten of them.

All of them were Level 13 Bone Eagles.

They fanned out behind the Rift-Breaker like a royal guard protecting their monarch, their ghostly green soulfires simultaneously locking onto the nineteen intruders on the cliff plateau. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

Zhao Hu's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, then said in a deep voice:

"Form ranks! Beacon Guards core circular formation! Tie Dun, Scarface Liu, and A Wang, guard the left flank!"

"Wang Wu, Arrow Eye, prepare for long-range suppression! Shadow Snake, act freely! Miss Su, stand five more steps back!"

Everyone quickly took their positions without the slightest hesitation.

The Rift-Breaker looked down upon this small team from its high vantage point. Its ghostly green soulfire lingered on Lin Feng for a moment—that human sitting cross-legged at the highest point, who had yet to make a move, made it instinctively feel a trace of wariness.

But it was only for a moment.

The next instant, it violently spread its wings!

"Skree—!!!"

A highly piercing screech, like a sharp blade cutting through the air, caused the loose stones on the cliff plateau to rattle and roll down!

The ten Level 13 Bone Eagles screeched back in response. Flapping their wings vigorously, they dived down from the cliff face like ten streaks of gray-white lightning!

"They're coming! Hold steady!" Zhao Hu roared, slamming his guardian round shield heavily onto the ground. The halo of 【Iron Wall Body】 instantly covered his entire body!

The battle erupted before the Rift-Breaker had even made a move itself!

In the first wave of the dive, five Bone Eagles lunged straight for the Beacon Guards' circular formation!

"Thrust!" Zhao Hu bellowed!

Ten Long Halberds were raised simultaneously, their tips forming a forest of steel pointing diagonally toward the sky!

Puchi! Puchi! Puchi!

The sharp talons of three Bone Eagles were pierced by the pike tips, and blood splattered! However, two others managed to break through the gaps in the pike formation by relying on their superior speed!

One Bone Eagle's talons slashed across the shoulder of a Garrison Soldier!

-65! The leather armor tore, and blood sprayed out!

The soldier let out a muffled groan and his body swayed, but he didn't retreat a single step. He swung his Long Halberd horizontally, the hook of the weapon slamming hard into the Bone Eagle's flank!

-50!

The other Bone Eagle lunged straight for the heart of the formation!

Tie Dun's greatshield was already there!

"Get the hell off me!"

Boom!

The ironwall greatshield collided head-on with the Bone Eagle! The Bone Eagle was sent flying sideways, -40!

Tie Dun himself was pushed back two steps, with -15 recoil damage floating above his head!

"Arrow Eye! That one!" Wang Wu's roar sounded as his bowstring thrummed, and a black-feathered arrow pierced the left wing of the Bone Eagle that had been knocked away!

Arrow Eye's arrow followed immediately after, accurately piercing into its eye socket!

-70!

【Assisted in killing a Lv13 Bone Eagle, Experience +180】

The first one was dead!

But the battle had only just begun.

The remaining nine Bone Eagles circled in the air, diving and biting like tireless killing machines.

The Beacon Guards' circular formation was struck again and again, only to reform each time amidst Zhao Hu's roars.

Tie Dun's greatshield already bore over a dozen deep claw marks. His health was repeatedly pulled back to the safety line by Su Yurou's Healing Spell, only to drop again and again.

Wang Wu and Arrow Eye's quivers were emptying at a visible rate, but their arrows never ceased, each one aimed at Bone Eagles attempting to take flight or break through.

Shadow Snake's figure flickered in and out at the edge of the battle formation. Every time her ghostly green claw blades flashed, a line of blood was sure to spray.

New wounds had also appeared on her body; a claw mark on her left shoulder was deep enough to see the bone, but she seemed unable to feel the pain, continuing to move like a ghost.

Su Yurou's mana had already been depleted three times. [N O V E L I G H T] Her fingers trembled slightly from repeatedly uncapping potion bottles, and a trace of bitter blue liquid remained at the corner of her mouth.

But whenever someone was injured, that pale green short wand would always be raised immediately, and the white light would always fall without delay.

Five minutes later.

Of the nine Bone Eagles, only three remained.

And the Rift-Breaker finally moved.

It did not dive.

It simply stood on the cliff face and violently fanned its wings forward!

Whoosh—!!

A gray-white hurricane composed of countless tiny wind blades whistled out from beneath its wings, heading straight for the center of the battlefield!

【Skill: Rift-Breaker Wings】!

An area-of-effect attack!

"Scatter! Quickly, scatter!" Zhao Hu roared at the top of his lungs.

But it was too late.

The hurricane swept through!

The Beacon Guards' circular formation was forcibly torn open. Three Garrison Soldiers were tossed into the air by the hurricane and slammed heavily against the stone pillars behind them! -60! -65! -58!

Tie Dun's greatshield stood at the very front, bearing the brunt of the hurricane's most violent impact! -70! His health instantly plummeted to 30%!

Su Yurou's Healing Spell landed on Tie Dun almost at the same time, +50!

Another Healing Spell landed on the nearest Garrison Soldier, +50!

But the Rift-Breaker had already dived down!

Its target was the soldier who had just been blown away and hadn't had time to scramble back up!

"No—!" Zhao Hu roared and charged forward, but he was too far away!

Wang Wu's arrow struck the Rift-Breaker's flank, -50! Arrow Eye's arrow followed right after, -60!

But the Rift-Breaker only swayed slightly, its speed not decreasing in the least!

Just as those pitch-black talons were about to touch the soldier's head!

A ghostly green figure suddenly darted out from the shadows on the flank!

Shadow Snake!

She used her own body to crash into the Rift-Breaker's talons!

Puchi!

The talons pierced through her left shoulder!

-100!

Shadow Snake's health bar bottomed out instantly, with only a small fraction remaining.

But she didn't scream, nor did she even make a sound. She simply clung tightly to that talon, her ghostly green claw blades stabbing fiercely into the Rift-Breaker's lower leg!

-50!

"Shadow Snake—!!!"

Tie Dun's roar was like a thunderclap!

He charged forward recklessly, his ironwall greatshield carrying all his strength as it slammed hard against the Rift-Breaker's head!

-40!

In pain, the Rift-Breaker jerked its talons, throwing Shadow Snake violently backward.

Her body slammed into a rock, -15! Her health bar dropped again, leaving only the last thirty-some points!

"Save her! Miss Su! Save her!" Zhao Hu's roar was nearly cracking.

Su Yurou had already rushed out. She forgot the rule about "standing back," she forgot her fear; there was only one thought in her mind—save her!

The white light of the Healing Spell fell on Shadow Snake, +50!

Shadow Snake's health bar was instantly pulled back from the precarious thirty-some points to above the safety line.

She opened her eyes and glanced at Su Yurou without speaking. But in those eyes that were always cold, a faint, almost imperceptible ripple flickered.

The Rift-Breaker was somewhat dazed from that shield bash by Tie Dun, but it quickly recovered, the ghostly green soulfire in its eyes burning even more violently.

It fixed its gaze on Tie Dun.

This human who had struck it with a shield was the prey it most wanted to tear to pieces at this moment.

With a powerful flap of its wings, the Rift-Breaker took to the air again, then made a sharp turn, diving toward Tie Dun who had just steadied himself!

It was too fast. Tie Dun had no time to dodge at all and could only grit his teeth and raise his greatshield!

"Come on! You beast!"

Boom—!!

The loud crash of the talons colliding with the greatshield made everyone's eardrums ache!

The rock beneath Tie Dun's feet cracked inch by inch, and his legs sank deep into the rubble!

-90!

His health plummeted to the bottom once again!

Having failed in its strike, the Rift-Breaker flapped its wings again, its talons rising once more!

It was determined to take out this most annoying shield-bearer even if it meant risking its own life!

At this moment, Tie Dun's health was only at 10%, and Su Yurou's mana had just been exhausted, with no time to recover.

It was too late.