The Iron Beak Crane is a majestic creature with a long, elegant silver-colored beak that tapers to a sharp and pointy tip. Their eyes are a warm tan color, and a striking black stripe extends from the tip of their beak down to their bodies and to the tip of their tail.
These magnificent creatures have wings that are larger than those of normal cranes and are pure white. Their bodies are built with strong bones to support the heavy alloys that make up their structure. On their heads, three long, sharp strands of feathers add to their regal appearance.
In a dramatic encounter, Yuanshan faced off against these formidable cranes. Using an arm-length demonic dragon claw, he pierced one crane's wing, impeding its movement. Swiftly, he wielded his Moon Sword to slice another crane's neck, albeit with some difficulty. The previously injured crane met its end at his hands.
The Iron Beak Cranes, while formidable, had two key vulnerabilities. First, their weak eyes were susceptible to penetration, potentially leading to fatal brain damage. Second, their flight pattern was exclusively linear, making them unable to change direction quickly and prone to crashing if forced to do so. When faced with a large group of Iron Beak Cranes, two elders used bursts of Qi to disrupt their formation, causing chaos and destruction as the cranes flew in disarray, colliding with buildings in all directions.
The cranes crashed down like violet water tides, obliterating everything in their path. As they collided with a sturdy building and soared back up, their gaping mouths and injured bodies painted a grim scene. Suddenly, they encountered Yuanshan, who unleashed his newly mastered martial art, "Qi Sword Burst". With a swift swing of his Moon Sword, a burst of Qi erupted, demolishing the building and vanquishing the already wounded cranes.
Yuanshan gasped for air as the Iron Beak Crane Tide continued its rampage for nearly four hours, leaving a considerable portion of the city in ruins. Despite his Qi Flowing Physique, he had reached a state of ultimate exhaustion. Meanwhile, the three Iron Peak Crane Kings were engaged in fierce combat with two elders from the formidable Tuo Clan, dealing even more devastation in their clash. Yuanshan wondered why the Clan Leaders of the various Clans, with their Golden Core Stage powers, had chosen not to join the battle.
He reluctantly set aside those thoughts as he desperately needed to replenish his exhausted Qi. Using his Unseen Presence martial art, which allowed him to blend into the surroundings without any detectable traces, he moved cautiously through the debris of the ruined buildings. After three minutes, he reached the camps and entered the Qi recovery section, where healers and attendants rushed around in a panicked state, tending to the wounded.
The recovery camp was filled with numerous cultivators from all over the city. In the Qi section, Yuanshan spotted many more individuals sitting cross-legged, diligently absorbing the Qi around them. He followed suit and sat down, cross-legged, focusing on regaining his Qi supply. After more than 15 minutes of dedicated absorption, he had successfully replenished around 60% of his Qi reserves.
"10 minutes later, Yuanshan's Qi reserves had been fully replenished. With his 'Unseen Presence' Martial Art still active, he slipped through the chaos to a quiet corner of the city, completely unseen.
Alone at last, he initiated a new technique, blocking all sound emanations before checking for any possible voyeurs. Confident in his privacy, he muttered to himself, 'This wasn't part of my plan. I need to change the game.'
What did he have in mind?
He had orchestrated much of the city's current turmoil with sinister plans to weaken both the Hei and Tuo clans by targeting and eliminating their elders - and even their leaders!
Stealthily maneuvering through the wreckage, he closed in on the ongoing battle between the two elders and the colossal Iron Beak Crane Kings.
Each crane was a terrifying 7 times larger than its typical counterparts, with a fifth stripe of fine hair on its head and expansive wings. Despite significant injuries, the cranes and elders stood unified, evading attacks, coordinating efforts, retaliating, and keeping their opponents at bay.
Victory seemed certain for the two elders of the Tuo Clan when Yuanshan quietly crept closer to observe the battle without interference. With a subtle hand sign, he unleashed his new high-level martial art, 'Mind Manipulation: Falter.'
This technique, comprised of three tiers — falter, disturbance, and madness — silently struck one elder, causing a subtle blankness in his expression. However, the other elder hesitated to warn his comrade, leaving both vulnerable as the Crane Kings moved in for the attack. In a moment of confusion, Yuanshan activated the 'Disturbance' technique, further faltering the elder's thoughts.
The technique's effect left him disoriented, and his heart was impaled by the Crane King's massive beak, claiming his life. With one elder dead, the battle dynamics shifted, leaving the remaining elder to face the Crane Kings alone.
As the fight raged on, uncertainty hung in the air. Yuanshan, still unnoticed, observed the unfolding clash, the city in ruins around him.
As Yuanshan observed the elder's enraged struggle to escape, he sensed the perfect moment to unleash his third technique – 'Madness.' Combining this with 'Falter' and 'Disturbance' on the elder, he turned him into a frenzied whirlwind of madness.
The elder was now completely reckless, leading to his inevitable impalement by the Crane King's deadly beak. Soon after, he succumbed to death.
Yuanshan, being no fool, avoided killing his allies while using his 'Madness' technique again on the cranes. This time, it was more effective as the cranes began fighting one another in a frenzy, ultimately leading to their mutual destruction.
Having recovered more than 70% of his Qi, Yuanshan briskly moved in the direction of the remaining elders.
Arriving at the scene, he observed the clan leader of the Tuo Clan engaged in a fierce battle with seven Iron Beak Crane Kings. Quickly extracting a hypnotic stone, he absorbed its essence. With his blood-red eyes intensified, he unleashed all three techniques – 'Falter,' 'Disturbance,' and 'Madness' - simultaneously, aiming them at the Tuo Clan leader.
Unprepared, the Tuo Clan leader coughed up blood and his onslaught grew increasingly chaotic.
But it was not long before he lost an arm due to his aggressive and reckless attack. Disoriented, the two elders stepped in to join the fight against the Crane Kings, but the powerful combined assault resulted in the death of both elders and one Crane King.
Now, only six Crane Kings remained, relentlessly attacking the badly wounded Tuo Clan leader.
Despite the overwhelming influence of the mind control techniques, the Tuo Clan leader still fought on, managing to eliminate all six Crane Kings. Standing amidst the carnage, he spared a moment to pay respects to the fallen elders before closing his eyes, gasping for breath.
As would be expected from a Golden Core Cultivator.
Yet, just a few short seconds later, his eyes fluttered open once more. With a sickening realization, he felt his head being severed from the rest of his body. His life ended quickly, adding him to the pile of fallen warriors.
With a sense of satisfaction, Yuanshan couldn't help but feel delighted as his plans were coming to fruition almost exactly as he had envisioned. The chaos he orchestrated had led to significant casualties within both the Hei and Tuo Clans, leaving them weakened. This was ideal for his grand scheme.
As he was set to join the Hein Clan, it was crucial for him to further diminish the power of the Tuo Clan. In fact, he even entertained the prospect of controlling the Hei Clan, turning them against the Tuo Clan with his assistance.
His strategic goals - sections one and two - had been executed successfully, and now, only one remaining section was left. The Iron Beak Crane Tide would soon subside, and he needed to act fast.