When Xu Feng took the opportunity to hurl multiple explosive pods at the confused and enraged drakes. The pods exploded on impact, spreading more of the corrosive mixture across their already corroded scales.
If words could describe the current situation of the Pyrite Drakes, it would be no different than having an open wound sprinkled with numerous salts.
The drakes could only shriek and stumble as they attempted to get rid of the pain, forgetting about their alpha drake.
The scene on the cliff was chaotic, with numerous drakes ascending to the sky, hoping to shake off whatever it was harming them.
Some younger drakes were incapacitated, unable to move a muscle as the pain was too intense for them to endure.
The alpha drake, still with his eye being pierced by Xu Feng's staff, watched in sorrow regarding his younglings' suffering. It tried to roar as a way to communicate to them that everything was going to be fine, but its current appearance betrayed him.
The bleeding of his eye, followed by Xu Feng's merciless barrage of attack and explosive pods on its critical flesh points was too much for him.
In a moment of desperation, the alpha drake attempted to rise, its massive wings flapping weakly as it struggled to stand.
"Not a chance!" Xu Feng sneered as he cast Sacred Fire on its wings. The fire was like an amplifier on its corroded wings, forcing the alpha drake to whimper and crash down.
Following that was another round of harsh beating, with its critical flesh points repeatedly being struck by Xu Feng.
The damage was minimal at first, but with Xu Feng's precision in not missing a critical flesh point, the damage amplified to an innumerable degree.
The once proud and fierce creature now looked broken, its strength waning with each passing second. As it watched the younger drakes suffer, the alpha drake let out a mournful, guttural cry.
It wasn't just a roar of pain, but one of deep sorrow and regret.
The drake's eyes, though blinded and bloodied, seemed to be pleading for mercy, not for itself, but for the others.
It lowered its head, a gesture of submission and despair as if accepting its fate and hoping that its sacrifice would spare the rest.
Seeing its actions, Xu Feng paused for a bit. He could see the raw emotion in the drake's action, the desperate attempts to shield its kin, and the sorrowful cries for their safety.
Unfortunately, Xu Feng knew fairly well that being hesitant now was a laughable matter. "You can hate me, but this is just a life cycle. You hunt to feed your kin, and now you are merely the one being hunted."
With a final resolute breath, Xu Feng tightened the grip on his staff and delivered the finishing blow.
The alpha drake's body went limp, collapsing with a heavy thud.
Its wings, once symbols of its might, lay sprawled and lifeless on the ground.
The remaining drakes, watching their leader's demise, let out heart-wrenching cries, a mournful chorus echoing through the valley.
Some of the adult drakes were more understanding and were decisive in trying to fly up to the sky to flee along with some younger drakes.
Alas, their actions couldn't escape the keen perspective of Xu Feng.
"Not so fast!" He scoffed and cast Sacred Fire on the wings of those attempting to flee.
"I didn't waste that much time in synthesizing just for you all to escape."
Flames erupted in the sky, engulfing the drakes' wings and rendering their flight impossible. The sacred fire consumed their ability to flee, forcing them back to the ground in a desperate struggle.
The smell of burnt scales and the sight of the drakes writhing in pain only fueled Xu Feng's determination.
Sometime later, the drakes finally understood one thing. Escape was an impossible task. The only way to survive was to kill the intruder.
Thus, despite the excruciating pain of their scales from being corroded bit by bit, they began to flash their claws, mustering their every strength as they glared fiercely at Xu Feng.
Their eyes, filled with a mix of rage and desperation, locked onto him, the single source of their agony and the demise of their leader.
"Yes, now you are showing me the proper reaction of a predator." Xu Feng adjusted his glasses and stood his ground, unwavering as the drakes closed in.
He could see their resolve from the fierce determination in their eyes. These were creatures fighting for their survival, driven by a primal instinct to protect their kind.
An eerie silence occurred in this inevitable clash. With both sides ready to fight, the drakes made their first move.
Enduring and withstanding the pain of the corrosion eating them alive, they lunged forward, their claws extended and jaws snapping.
'Predictable!' Xu Feng sneered inwardly as he smoothly took a few steps, avoided the assault, and readied his staff.
With a hard swing, Xu Feng struck at the chin of the drake and used it to propel himself backward, creating a good distance between them.
However, the distance was quickly closed by the drakes, who seemed to be in a complete frenzy. With a flap of their wings, some forced themselves to take the aerial sky for the high ground.
When Xu Feng attempted to cast Sacred Fire to shoot them down from the sky, another drake lunged itself forward, forcing him to use his staff to defend against the frontal clash.
The disparity between their strengths was evident, given Xu Feng had to retreat 5 steps before stabilizing himself.
"Tsk, as expected. This isn't going to be easy." He clicked his tongue but was not frustrated by the outcome. If it had been easy to exterminate these drakes on the cliff, then he wouldn't have made so many preparations beforehand.
"I supposed this can be considered round 2, right?" Xu Feng murmured, casting Blessing Valor and Blessed Protection on himself.
Who said a healer can't do close combat?
Today, he would let these drakes know that getting close to him was a mistake!