"Trying to run? Leave your life behind first!" Evan Cross shouted as soon as he saw the Galeclaw Eagle trying to escape. He flashed forward, chasing after it at full speed.
In an instant, the Galeclaw Eagle shrank to a black dot, vanishing before Evan Cross's eyes. "This Galeclaw Eagle's speed really is terrifying—no wonder it's called 'Galeclaw.' But if it thinks it can outrun me, it's still a little short!" Evan thought hotly.
Locking onto the direction the Galeclaw Eagle fled, Evan unleashed short-range teleportation. In a flash, he crossed hundreds of miles—no matter how fast the Galeclaw Eagle was, it couldn't hope to outpace him.
Evan quickly closed the gap, teleporting again to land more than ten miles ahead of the Galeclaw Eagle. The beast sped straight toward him, unable to shake its pursuer.
But when the Galeclaw Eagle saw Evan standing in its path, it was struck speechless by shock. Its wounds were already severe, and the frantic flight had only made things worse. Now, faced with this human, a wave of despair surged in its heart.
"Even if I die today, I'll drag you down with me!" the Galeclaw Eagle swore fiercely to itself. Instead of fleeing, it steadied itself, staring coldly at Evan Cross.
Evan was momentarily stunned by the Galeclaw Eagle's move. Was this thing too scared to run? Or was it gearing up for a final, desperate gamble?
"Old bird, weren't you the big shot around here? Why'd you bolt faster than anyone at the first sign of trouble? If you surrender quietly, maybe I'll spare your life. Otherwise, I'll make sure not even your bones remain!" Evan taunted, voice full of swagger.
The Galeclaw Eagle glared at Evan and roared, "Who the hell are you? I've got no grudge with you—why are you hell-bent on killing me? And why has the Savage Earth Dragon become your lackey?"
"Good question. I'm here to take your life. We may not have a personal feud, but I need the demon core inside you. As for the Savage Earth Dragon, it's a member of the dragon clan. I've got deep ties with the dragons, so naturally I let it go. It saw my strength and willingly chose to follow me!" Evan declared, eyes blazing.
"Dream on if you think you can take my demon core! Don't get cocky just because your defenses are tough—today I'll show you what real power looks like!" the Galeclaw Eagle snarled.
"Real power? You mean you haven't been fighting for real until now? Well, now I'm actually looking forward to it!" Evan Cross replied, utterly unimpressed. This Galeclaw Eagle looked like it was out of options.
Suddenly, golden light blazed from the Galeclaw Eagle, and a crushing aura swept toward Evan Cross. For the first time, he sensed a hint of real danger and instinctively grew cautious.
"Careful, Evan! That thing's burning the energy in its demon core. Looks like your plan to take its core is shot—once a beast starts burning its core, the power is terrifying. Watch out for a self-detonation!" Sword Spirit Luna warned urgently.
Evan's heart skipped a beat—he knew all too well how deadly a self-detonation could be. Even with his Sixth-Layer Starforge Body, he couldn't survive an eighth-layer Saint Martial Realm beast blowing itself up. He was already preparing to retreat.
But things didn't go as Evan expected. The Galeclaw Eagle wasn't planning to self-destruct—it was burning the energy inside its demon core to boost its strength. It was a desperate, self-destructive move, but if it survived, it might just live another day.
Self-detonation meant total death, and with its cultivation at this level, the Galeclaw Eagle refused to die so easily. Instead, it chose to power up, ignoring the backlash that would come later. Right now, all it wanted was to tear this arrogant human apart.
Suddenly, a golden thunderbolt as thick as a water barrel blasted from above. This bolt was nearly ten times larger than the last—its power was unimaginable.
Evan dodged frantically, but it was as if the lightning knew exactly where he'd move. The moment he steadied himself, the bolt struck him dead-on.
Instantly, a wave of numbness and searing pain like nothing he'd ever felt before tore through Evan. He couldn't help but cry out in agony as the lightning hurled him hundreds of meters through the air.
"What insane lightning power!" Evan Cross couldn't help exclaiming. A trickle of pale-gold blood appeared at the corner of his mouth—Glasswind couldn't hurt him, yet the Galeclaw Eagle's thunder had actually drawn blood.
The energy from this demon core was no joke. Evan wondered if the lightning inside the Thunder Pool could reach this level of strength. Clearly, he'd underestimated his opponent.
The Galeclaw Eagle caught sight of the pale-gold blood trickling from Evan's lips and was briefly stunned—it had never seen blood like that before. But there was no time to dwell on it; it flashed forward, closing in on Evan.
With a sudden lunge, its massive talons slashed toward Evan, aiming to tear this 'insolent human' to pieces. Evan wasn't about to let that happen—he dodged aside at the last possible instant, barely escaping with his life.
Seeing its attack fail, the Galeclaw Eagle threw back its head and let out a deafening screech. The cry echoed for hundreds of miles, louder than thunder on a stormy night.
"Quit your ghost wailing! If you've got the guts, hit me with another thunderbolt! I'm not scared!" Evan Cross shouted back, determined to provoke the beast. He figured the Galeclaw Eagle could only burn its demon core for so long—if he pushed it hard enough, the backlash would cripple it.
Sure enough, the Galeclaw Eagle trembled with rage at Evan's words. Another barrel-thick thunderbolt blasted from its beak. Evan had learned from the last hit—he teleported the instant the beast opened its mouth, trying to dodge.
But this time, Evan found his teleportation range cut to just fifty meters, as if the space around him had been locked down. The shock hit him hard.
He'd never imagined lightning could seal space like this. The thunderbolt struck him dead-on again, blasting him hundreds of meters away.
After stabilizing himself, Evan couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood. This bolt was even stronger than the last—his whole body felt numb and barely responsive.
The sensation stunned him. If the Galeclaw Eagle hit him with its talons now, the outcome would be unthinkable. With a body that massive, one swipe could easily tear him to shreds.
But just then, the Galeclaw Eagle's body convulsed violently. A spray of blood shot from its beak, and it suddenly plummeted from the sky.
Evan had no idea what was happening, but his body was still paralyzed, leaving him anxious and helpless. As the Galeclaw Eagle crashed to the ground, the Savage Earth Dragon appeared before Evan, ready to shield its Golden Dragon Lord...