Xiao Qing's voice carried a hint of tension: "Upstairs!"
Chen Xiao looked up and saw a dark, hunched figure huddled in a corner at the top of the cave...
The cave was about seven or eight meters high. In the round corner of the cave, which was the furthest place from the stove in Chen Xiao's hand, a protruding rock served as the best barrier to block the firelight.
And in this very corner, Chen Xiao and Xiao Qing finally got a clear look at the dark figure!
The two of them gasped simultaneously!
What is this thing?!
Its long wings were folded and curled up, its body was covered with black feathers, and it hung upside down from the cave ceiling with its head down... It could be clearly seen that its feet were three-lobed and had sharp hooks that hooked onto the cracks in the rocks, allowing its body to hang firmly on them.
At the tips of its wings, there are forelimbs that resemble human hands, and the ends of its slender claws are sharp black bone hooks!
The most terrifying thing was its head... This head immediately convinced Chen Xiao that it was definitely not a bird!
The head was triangular, but without a single hair. The shape of its features easily reminded Chen Xiao of an animal he often saw in the countryside during the summer...
bat!
However, this head was somewhat different from a bat's. First of all, a bat's head is definitely not this big, and it was baring its teeth at Chen Xiao and Xiao Qing below, revealing a mouthful of sharp fangs. Its eyes bulged out like a frog's, and it was emitting sharp cries, the sounds of which seemed to contain both intimidation and fear.
Besides... bats shouldn't have those long black feathers!
Judging from its appearance, this monster, curled up there, is about a meter long!
Based on Chen Xiao's common sense, it was impossible for such a large, bat-like creature to exist in the south, at least in the region where K City was located!
"It seems to be very afraid of us." Xiao Qing moved her feet carefully, holding the soft sword in her hand.
Sure enough, as the two turned around, the monster above also carefully changed its angle, but its feet remained hooked on the crevice in the corner of the rock, and its screams grew sharper and more piercing with each shriek...
Suddenly, an idea popped into Chen Xiao's mind.
"Oh no! It's calling for its companions!"
No sooner had these words been spoken than a splashing sound could be faintly heard coming from outside the cave!
"Door!!" Chen Xiao rushed towards the door, but as soon as he reached it, he saw several dark figures darting towards him in the night!
He only had time to brace the door with his body to try and close it when he heard a series of bangs from outside!
The series of impacts was surprisingly powerful! Chen Xiao stumbled, almost failing to hold the door open! The door was flung open a crack, and immediately a sharp claw reached in through the gap! Chen Xiao was caught off guard. The sharp claw tore at his shoulder, causing him to groan in pain! A bloody gash appeared on his shoulder, tearing through his clothes and flesh!
As if stimulated by the smell of blood, a series of sharp howls, each louder than the last, came from outside!
Finally, Chen Xiao managed to brace the door shut. Behind him, Xiao Qing's shout rang out!
Watch out behind you!
Chen Xiao had just turned around when he saw a black shadow rushing towards him. He only had time to turn his head to the side...
Seize it!!
Sharp claws slammed into the wooden door, leaving a deep gash in the thick wood and even tearing out wood chips! The monster hiding in the corner had already rushed down, but missed its grab, it opened its mouth wide and bit down hard on Chen Xiao's neck!
At this moment, Xiao Qing had already arrived at his side, raised his hand, and thrust his sword forward with a whoosh!
Clang!
The sword strike was swift and precise, its blade perfectly positioned beside Chen Xiao's neck! The monster bit down on the sword. Chen Xiao quickly ducked away. Xiao Qing sneered, "Die!"
With a slight flick of the wrist, the sword spun, and a scream of agony rang out from the monster…
It bit into the sword blade, but as the blade spun, it instantly tore its mouth to shreds! With a painful scream, the monster sprang back up and quickly rushed to the top corner of the cave.
On the ground, several pieces of flesh lay scattered, resembling its tongue, along with two severed, sharp fangs!
Having succeeded with his sword, Xiao Qing was not willing to give up. He suddenly rushed towards the wall, used the momentum to leap onto the wall in a few steps, and then thrust his sword in mid-air towards the monster in the corner!
Her leaping sword strike was incredibly graceful, like a large bird! The sword flashed, truly showcasing the skill of a top-tier expert! Though the monster was agile, how could it possibly dodge? It was instantly pierced by the sword!
This only ignited its ferocity. It let out a shriek, spread its wings, and pounced fiercely at Xiao Qing!
Chen Xiao, who was standing to the side, saw that the monster was about to pounce on Xiao Qing, so he quickly went up and grabbed her, rolling away on the ground. In the midst of the chaos, he also kicked the monster.
Bang!
The monster was kicked to the corner of the wall, its head slammed open and bleeding profusely. This time, it finally had no strength left to fight back.
Its face and mouth were ripped apart by the sword, it was stabbed in the chest, and then struck by Chen Xiao's horn. Its head was split open and covered in blood. After struggling a few times, it could no longer get up.
Chen Xiao cautiously walked over and kicked it twice. The monster struggled, but could only weakly scream at Chen Xiao, revealing its bloodied and mangled mouth, before it could no longer move.
Both young people were still somewhat shaken. Although Xiao Qing was highly skilled in martial arts, she had clearly struck the monster with her sword, but the creature was so ferocious that even after being fatally wounded, it lunged at her instead, leaving Xiao Qing at a loss—no matter how good she was, she was still just a girl, and it was inevitable that she would be somewhat panicked. If Chen Xiao hadn't rushed over and caught her, she might not have been harmed by the monster, but she would certainly have suffered facial disfigurement.
"Damn it... what the hell is this thing!" Chen Xiao breathed heavily—not from exhaustion, but from excitement.
"The body is like an eagle, the wings are like a bat, the head is like..." Xiao Qing frowned and thought for a moment, "...like a combination of a monkey and a bat."
At that moment, the wooden door beside them was being smashed open with a series of loud crashes, each one more powerful than the last! It was as if the monster outside had gone mad and was trying to break down the door!
With a series of thuds, the thick wooden door trembled, and dust fell in clumps from the door frame...
Chen Xiao suddenly had a thought. Staring at the dying monster on the ground, he gently pressed a button on his headset...
Soon, what he had only thought about without much hope actually turned out to be a surprise when the detector actually reacted to the monster!