Chapter 173 Aerial Battle, Bone Bat Attack

"Watch out! A beast attack!" the Beast Tamer outside the cabin suddenly shouted.

Chu Han looked up and saw a dozen black moths with wingspans of several meters rapidly approaching from the clouds ahead. Their wings were covered in toxic powder, and their eyes gleamed with a ferocious light; they were the 6th-rank exotic beasts, "Bone-Corroding Moths."

These moths were extremely fast and highly toxic; once touched by the powder, one's Essence would be corroded.

"Uncle Fu, take care of them," Xiao Ya said, her red lips parting slightly. Her tone was flat, as if she were merely ordering a trivial matter.

"Yes, Young Miss," Uncle Fu replied with a bow. With a flash of his figure, he leaped out of the cabin.

He didn't use any weapons, simply striking out a few palms. His majestic Essence transformed into invisible palm winds, instantly smashing several Bone-Corroding Moths to pieces.

The young man at the Peak of Early Seventh Tier followed closely behind. His longsword unsheathed, and amidst the flashing sword light, several more Bone-Corroding Moths were slain.

Xiao Ya's several 6th-rank subordinates also attacked together, coordinating perfectly. In moments, the dozen or so Bone-Corroding Moths were cleared away.

The entire process was clean and efficient, without the slightest hesitation, fully displaying the formidable strength of this faction.

The five lone Martial Artists inside the cabin all showed a hint of wariness in their eyes, subconsciously distancing themselves from Xiao Ya's group.

Chu Han remained with his eyes closed, resting as if he were completely unaware of the battle outside, but in his heart, he had gained a clear understanding of the strength of Xiao Ya's group.

Uncle Fu at the 7th-Rank Limit, Xiao Ya at the 7th Rank Mid-stage, and the young man at the Peak of Early Seventh Tier—this group would be considered powerful even in the Southern Frontier Base City.

They likely came from some major power in the Southern Frontier.

During the rest of the journey, they encountered several more beast attacks, but they were all easily resolved by Uncle Fu's group.

Chu Han never made a move, silently sensing the dangers of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains while circulating his Essence to adapt to the high-altitude air pressure and miasma.

The Golden Roc flapped its wings and flew rapidly, getting closer and closer to their destination, the Poisonous Swamp.

Everyone in the cabin thought they would reach the Poisonous Swamp safely, but unexpectedly, the peace didn't last long. A sharp, piercing screech suddenly came from the distant horizon—a dense sound like a surging tide that made one's skin crawl.

Chu Han opened his eyes and looked ahead through the gaps in the cabin, his pupils suddenly shrinking.

Beneath the distant clouds, a massive dark shadow was rapidly approaching. The shadow blotted out the sun, and the sound of flapping wings merged into a terrifying wave of sound that even the high-altitude astral winds could not disperse.

"It's Bone Bats! How can there be so many Bone Bats?!" Outside the cabin, the Beast Tamer's voice carried uncontrollable terror, his face instantly turning pale as paper.

Everyone poked their heads out to look, and their hearts sank.

It was a swarm of 6th-rank exotic beasts, Bone Bats. Their bodies were composed entirely of pale white bone, and their wings were as thin as cicada wings yet sharp enough to tear through the air.

There were more than ten million of them, blotting out the sky like a moving dark cloud. Wherever they passed, even the light dimmed.

The individual strength of a 6th-rank Bone Bat wasn't top-tier, but their numbers were terrifying, and they were naturally ferocious. Once they targeted someone, it became a fight to the death.

Even an 8th-Rank Grandmaster would be overwhelmed if caught in their midst, let alone a group of Martial Artists riding a Golden Roc.

"Damn it! How could we be so unlucky!" Inside the cabin, a 6th-rank Martial Artist cursed out loud, his face ashen.

The Golden Roc also sensed the danger and let out a terrified cry. As its wings flapped, its flight path became incredibly chaotic. The cabin shook violently, and several Martial Artists were nearly thrown out, hurriedly grabbing onto the handrails of the cabin walls.

"Descend! Descend quickly! The airflow at low altitude is complex, and the Bone Bats' maneuverability will be limited!" the Beast Tamer roared, his Beast-Controlling Whip lashing hard against the Golden Roc's back, trying to force it to change direction.

But at this moment, the Golden Roc was already dominated by fear; how could it still follow orders?

Sensing the overwhelming ferocious aura behind it, its survival instinct made it flap its wings violently. Instead of descending, it charged toward an even higher altitude!

astral winds howled, and the clouds were torn apart.

In just a moment, the Golden Roc broke through the final layer of clouds and reached an altitude of ten thousand meters!

The air here was extremely thin, and the astral winds were as sharp as knives. Even the sunlight carried a bone-chilling coldness.

Even worse, the thin air caused the efficiency of the Martial Artists' Essence circulation to drop significantly. Their originally smooth Essence flow became sluggish, and their strength was weakened by ten to twenty percent.

"Ten thousand meters high!"

Xiao Ya's pretty face changed slightly as she subconsciously gripped the handrail beside her, a hint of solemnity flashing in her beautiful eyes.

"At this height, even a 7th Rank Grandmaster would have their bones shattered if they fell!"

Uncle Fu's expression was also terrifyingly grim. He looked up at the pursuing swarm of Bone Bats, a trace of wariness in his eyes: "Young Miss, these Bone Bats are after the Golden Roc. Its flesh and blood are extremely attractive to them."

Before he could finish, the dark swarm of Bone Bats broke through the clouds like a giant net, completely enveloping the Golden Roc and everyone on it!

"Screech!"

The Golden Roc let out a desperate cry, and its wings suddenly erupted with a layer of dazzling golden light. This was its innate ability—Golden Astral Feather Blades.

Countless golden feathers shot out like sharp blades, instantly killing hundreds of Bone Bats at the front of the swarm.

Pale white bone fragments flew everywhere, and the smell of blood permeated the thin air.

But this insignificant counterattack did not scare off the Bone Bat swarm; instead, it provoked their ferocity.

More Bone Bats screeched and lunged forward, their sharp bone claws scratching harshly against the Golden Roc's wings, making a piercing "creak" sound.

Meanwhile, the Beast Tamer outside the cabin was exposed in the most dangerous position because he had to control the Golden Roc.

Now, having lost the protection of the Golden Roc, he was instantly submerged by dozens of Bone Bats.

A shrill scream lasted only for a moment before completely vanishing, leaving only blood and bone fragments splattering across the sky.

"The Beast Tamer is dead!"

Someone cried out in alarm, and the atmosphere inside the cabin instantly dropped to the freezing point.

With the Beast Tamer dead, the Golden Roc completely lost all restraint, its survival instinct overriding everything else.

It let out a deafening cry and flapped its wings frantically, actually performing a rapid 3600-degree rotation in the air!

This sudden turn of events caught everyone in the cabin off guard.

"Ah!"

Several screams rang out as three 6th-rank Martial Artists with slightly slower reactions were thrown out by the immense centrifugal force. Their bodies fell like kites with broken strings toward the ten-thousand-meter drop below, their screams swallowed by the astral winds.

Chu Han had been prepared. The moment the Golden Roc began to rotate, he circulated his Essence, his feet sticking firmly to the Golden Roc's back.

The others also used all their skills, sticking their bodies to the bird's back to barely stabilize themselves.

But the Golden Roc's frenzy did not stop. It carried everyone, crashing around the ten-thousand-meter high sky like a headless fly, sometimes diving, sometimes climbing. Every violent jolt sent everyone's hearts into their throats.

At the same time, a large number of Bone Bats had already attacked the Martial Artists on the bird's back.