"No, I won't go! We'll go together!" Mu Xue cried out, but her voice was torn apart by the gale. She desperately tried to rush back, but Ning Yu stopped her with a sharp look in his eyes.

"Go! This is an order!" Ning Yu roared, his voice filled with despair. He desperately hoped that Mu Xue could understand his good intentions and survive.

Looking into Ning Yu's resolute eyes, Mu Xue finally understood that staying would only be a burden to him. She bit her lip hard, letting her tears flow freely. Finally, filled with grief and reluctance, she turned and ran wildly in the opposite direction from the strange bird.

"Roar—" Seeing its prey escape, the strange bird let out an angry roar, flapped its wings, and chased after Mu Xue in the direction she had fled.

"Don't even think about it!" Ning Yu's eyes widened in fury at the sight. He rushed forward without regard for anything else and threw the dagger in his hand at the strange bird with all his might.

The dagger sliced ​​through the air with a sharp whistling sound, striking the strange bird's wing precisely. However, this was merely a scratch on the massive bird, which didn't even pause for a moment, continuing its pursuit of Mu Xue.

"Damn it!" Ning Yu cursed under his breath. He knew he was powerless to stop the strange bird and could only watch helplessly as it chased after Mu Xue's figure into the distance. His heart was filled with helplessness and despair.

The strange bird abandoned its pursuit of Mu Xue, turned around, and, filled with rage, swooped down towards Ning Yu. Ning Yu was powerless to dodge and could only watch helplessly as the strange bird's sharp claws came slashing at him.

With a "swoosh" sound, Ning Yu's left shoulder was ripped open by the strange bird's claws, leaving a deep wound that exposed bone. Blood instantly stained his clothes.

The intense pain made Ning Yu groan, but he did not fall down. Instead, he gritted his teeth, endured the excruciating pain, and brandished the dagger in his hand, stabbing it into the monster bird's abdomen with all his might.

However, the strange bird had amazing defensive capabilities. Ning Yu's dagger only left a shallow white mark on its abdomen, and could not hurt any vital organs at all.

Enraged by Ning Yu, the strange bird let out a deafening roar, and with a sudden flap of its wings, it knocked Ning Yu to the ground.

Ning Yu fell heavily to the ground, feeling as if all the bones in his body were about to shatter. The intense pain made his vision blur. He struggled to get up, but found that he had no strength left.

The strange bird looked down at Ning Yu, who lay sprawled on the ground, its eyes flashing with chilling killing intent. It slowly opened its massive beak, letting out a sharp cry, preparing to deliver the final blow to this insignificant human…

“Ning Yu…” A faint voice suddenly came from afar. The voice was full of worry and anxiety, but it was like a ray of hope that illuminated Ning Yu’s despairing heart.

He strained to lift his head and looked in the direction the sound came from, only to see a familiar figure rushing towards him… “Ning Yu!” Mu Xue shouted hoarsely, running desperately towards Ning Yu’s location. Her eyes were filled with fear and worry, her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest.

The strange bird let out a sharp cry, abandoned the already severely injured Ning Yu, and with a flap of its wings, swooped down towards Mu Xue. Its enormous shadow enveloped Mu Xue, as if death itself had arrived.

Ning Yu struggled to stand up, wanting to warn Mu Xue to be careful, but the intense pain prevented him from moving, and he could only watch helplessly as the strange bird pounced on Mu Xue.

"No!" Ning Yu closed his eyes in despair. He couldn't bear to see Mu Xue torn to pieces by the strange bird in front of him.

At the critical moment, a dark shadow flashed by, accompanied by an angry roar, knocking the strange bird away.

Ning Yu opened his eyes and was surprised to see a tall figure blocking Mu Xue's path, confronting the strange bird.

It was a colossal beast, even larger than the strange bird, its body covered in black scales that shimmered with a metallic sheen. It had a pair of scarlet eyes that radiated a chilling killing intent, like a demon from hell.

The giant beast opened its blood-red maw, revealing sharp fangs, and let out a deafening roar before swooping down on the strange bird.

The two enormous creatures wrestled together, stirring up gusts of wind, sending sand and stones flying, and darkening the sky.

Mu Xue was stunned by what she saw. She had never seen such a terrifying creature before, and she never expected that someone would come to save her.

"Are you alright?" A deep voice sounded in Mu Xue's ear, pulling her back to reality.

Mu Xue turned her head and saw a tall figure standing beside her. She couldn't see his face clearly, but she could see a pair of deep eyes, like a vast starry sky, full of mystery and power.

"Who are you?" Mu Xue asked warily.

The man didn't answer, but simply reached out and handed a black crystal to Mu Xue, saying, "Eat it."