The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse Chapter 1475: The Vile Revengeful Bird

Approximately nine hours were spent by Rory and his companions in the formation of their immortal rings. Each of them achieved success, with Rory completing the process first and Echo being the last.

Unbeknownst to them, outside their place of seclusion, Klaus registered the precise moment each individual successfully formed their immortal rings. He recognized that his team had undoubtedly ascended in power. However, the exact extent of their newfound strength could only be ascertained once their cultivation levels were fully restored to the Immortal Lord stage.

While his team focused on their cultivation, Klaus had dispatched ten of his clones to scout extensively ahead.

Not all of these scouting missions were fruitful; six of the clones met their demise long before they could venture far enough to provide substantial information. This unfortunate outcome served as a clear warning for Klaus, indicating specific areas to avoid due to impending danger.

Fortunately, one of the surviving clones managed to locate a vast open area. This clearing offered a clear path to cross into the northeastern wilderness and subsequently enter another forest, which was the intended route to their next destination.

Consequently, once his team was prepared, they emerged from the cave.

With Klaus guiding their advance, they soon reached the open clearing and commenced their journey towards the wilderness. The objective was clear: if they encountered no hostile forces, they would soon approach the outer perimeter of the Inner Zone of the Jade Nest.

The moment they stepped into the wilderness, a subtle alteration in the atmosphere was perceptible, prompting immediate heightened vigilance from everyone. Klaus responded by creating additional clones, dispatching them forward to ensure they did not fall into any ambushes, unlike previous unfortunate encounters.

Regrettably, peril found them, not through a planned engagement, but seemingly by sheer accident—or at least, that was the initial impression.

Just as they were making steady progress through the wilderness, a sharp cracking sound pierced the air, drawing their collective gaze upwards.

Above them, the fabric of the void itself seemed to be tearing apart.

Klaus's eyes narrowed as he instantly perceived the imminent danger. He was on the verge of ordering his team to retreat when the void fractured violently. A severely damaged flying boat, its structure compromised with most of its wings ripped away, careened through the opening. It hurtled directly towards Klaus and his assembled team.

Klaus's gaze intensified, and he extended his hand, summoning forth Bloodwork.

"Rory, prevent them from crashing," he commanded.

Without questioning, Rory vanished, reappearing five hundred meters away from the tear in the void. At that precise instant, a colossal metallic bird emerged from the crack, its menacing beak thrust forward.

Klaus met the bird's charge with a strike from his scythe, their objects colliding in a clash of devastating force. The resultant shockwave propagated outwards, causing the void to fracture further in multiple locations.

For a fleeting moment, Klaus felt a tremor run through his hands before he was propelled backward. He descended from the air, landing firmly on the ground, his eyes remaining fixed on the metallic bird throughout his descent.

Meanwhile, Rory skillfully intercepted the flying boat. Inside, she found the gravely injured and near-death forms of the 7th Jade Princess and her four attendants. Two of the attendants had fallen into a deep coma, their attire in tatters.

The remaining two were clinging precariously to life, with the 7th Jade Princess showing the most signs of vitality.

The princess attempted to speak, but Rory, occupied with the critical situation, had no time to listen. Her primary focus was on Klaus, but having received his directive to rescue them, she gently tapped the 7th Jade Princess on the forehead, causing her to lose consciousness.

Next, Rory conjured five lotus blossoms, coaxing them to merge with the foreheads of the injured individuals.

Restoring them from the brink of death would require considerable time. However, Rory then turned her attention back to Klaus, who was now soaring through the air, his gaze locked onto the enormous metallic bird.

Slate, Omen, and Echo joined Klaus, their eyes also fixed on the formidable creature.

"It appears we cannot evade this confrontation," Klaus stated, a wild glint appearing in his eyes. "Our objective is to eliminate a demigod-level calamity beast, everyone."

A weak smile touched their lips, their hearts gripped by a palpable fear. Despite having successfully formed nine immortal rings each, the entity before them was a demigod.

Thus, while their strength had undoubtedly increased, they remained within the realm of True Immortals.

Engaging a demigod, who possessed not only superior strength but also a domain advantage, presented a profoundly perilous situation.

"Ah, what could possibly go wrong?" Omen quipped, a grin spreading across his face as he unleashed the full power of his nine immortal rings. His strength surged, amplifying his presence exponentially.

Three of the immortal rings detached and became one with his sword, spinning around it and causing his sword aura to erupt outwards. One ring moved to fortify his right leg, another his left, while the remaining four merged with his armor. Slate adopted a similar strategy, augmenting his abilities and creating two clones. Echo channeled six immortal rings into her staff, embedding the rest into her armor.

"Indeed, what could possibly go wrong?" she echoed, turning to face Klaus.

"Shall we proceed to slay a demigod?" They nodded in unison, and each member of the team sprang into action. Slate initiated his movement, his clones diverging in two distinct directions.

They swiftly closed the distance on the monstrous bird.

Echo manipulated her staff, casting a potent spell that manifested ten massive ice spears, which sprang to life. They launched forward like colossal projectiles, hurtling towards the demigod bird.

Klaus maintained a strategic position, observing the bird's reaction as the onslaught approached. Just as the initial spear reached its target, an unseen barrier materialized, effectively blocking the attack.

The remaining nine combatants met the same fate. Slate and Omen also found their advances halted, their projected clones dissolving into shimmering particles.

The bird's defensive maneuver was, to Klaus, rather unexpected. Nevertheless, he remained unconcerned, fully aware that attacks imbued with immortal rings were rendered ineffective.

His own squad appeared to be leveraging these rings for self-enhancement and to bolster their weaponry. Despite these efforts, they remained incapable of breaching the bird's defenses.

Curiously, the instant the bird neutralized their assaults, its attention shifted to Klaus, as if thoroughly evaluating him.

Observing this, Klaus allowed a smile to grace his lips and glanced down at the scythe he wielded.

"You desire this, do you not?" he queried, brandishing the scythe and directing it toward the avian foe. "Then come and claim it."

Accepting the implicit challenge, Slate and Omen were compelled to retreat. The bird unfurled its wings and propelled itself towards Klaus with the speed of a projectile.

A faint, chilling smile spread across Klaus's features as he unleashed a devastating strike, intercepting the bird in a second, fierce clash.

This time, the impact was felt by both combatants.

"Very well, my companion, let us engage in a bloodletting. Your ascension is imminent." They shoved each other back, and before long, a deadly confrontation erupted, Klaus and the bird blurring into a whirlwind of lethal motion.

Omen and Slate regained their footing, their immortal ring configurations subtly adjusted. Recognizing that augmenting their armor would be futile, they resolved to prioritize matching the enemy's velocity before attempting any offensive actions.

Consequently, they channeled their power into boosting their speed and rejoined the fray. Echo, meanwhile, reverted to her supportive role, focusing on ensuring her comrades' survival.

Down on the ground, Rory had succeeded in mending the external injuries sustained by the 7th Jade Princess and her entourage. She had even managed to rouse the Princess, whom she had deliberately rendered unconscious to facilitate uninterrupted treatment.

The moment consciousness returned, the Princess's gaze shot towards the aerial battle, and a profound fear flickered in her eyes.

"Normally, Evren, I would relish witnessing your predicament. However, given your current dishevelled state, let us defer the jesting until a later occasion," Rory remarked before rising to her feet.

"See to your team's well-being. I must attend to mine..." With newfound resolve, she ascended into the air, twin crescent blades materializing in her firm grasp.

Casting a final glance at the 7th Jade Princess, Rory vanished, reappearing at Klaus's side. In the subsequent second, she commenced her assault on the bird, the very creature that had relentlessly tormented the 7th Jade Princess and her group, both within and beyond the void, for the past four days.