Chapter 417: Entering Mt. Wanren

Chapter 417: Entering Mt. WanrenZhang Lie noticed that fear shone from the eyes of the crag eagles, as though some huge disaster was about to befall them.

After being rallied by the black-winged crag eagle, the rest of the flock had hardly panicked or been fearful when attacking the rock giant and Zhang Lie. After the sudden birdcall, however, the crag eagles all rushed back to their eyrie at their fastest speed.

Even then, it was already too late.

A huge gust of wind swept toward them as golden wings covered the sun. The birds' gigantic wings were at least thirty meters wide, and their beaks were sharp and cruel. They were able to create huge gusts with casual flaps of their wings, and their golden feathers glittered when backlit by the sun.

"How large these birds are," the rock spirit murmured.

There were two such birds around. The moment they saw the fleeing crag eagles, their eyes gleamed. They chased the crag eagles, gulping them down whole whenever they caught one.

Yu Xuanguang yelled out to his tribe, "Run! I'll deter them!" He morphed into a black beam of light that shot toward the golden birds.

"No, Father!" Yu Huantian called out.

A gray-winged crag eagle pulled him back. "Run! Don't waste the chief's sacrifice!"

Yu Xuanguang clearly wasn't a match for the two golden birds. He had been slightly injured after the fight with Zhang Lie, and all he could do was hold out against the two golden birds' attacks as they toyed with him.

Unable to watch on, Zhang Lie materialized a black bow, pulled it taut, and sent a corrosive arrow flying into the air, where it hit one of the golden birds' wings.

The injured golden bird shrieked; the corrosion created a gaping hole in one wing. The other golden bird swept toward Zhang Lie in rage. The rock giant leapt forward like a bullet, whooshing through the air as it met the golden bird's advance.

Rocks imbued with spiritual energy pelted the golden bird and slowed its advance, dizzying it in a matter of moments.

"[Fists of the Silent Sea: Fade]! As Zhang Lie punched forward, his genetic energy manifested in the form of a magical serpent, one which wrapped around the golden bird's body.

It coiled around its neck and opened its maw, revealing sharp fangs. As it bit down, black energy assaulted the bird's body from the inside out, causing the bird to shriek in pain.

Zhang Lie leapt up, and a violet shortsword materialized in his hand.

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He thrust the shortsword into the golden bird's brain, infusing his genetic energy into the blow until the golden bird's head burst open like a watermelon, and its huge body dropped from the skies.

[You successfully killed a peak-grade golden roc. By consuming the flesh of the peak-grade golden roc, you may receive one to ten peak gene fragments.]

The other golden bird shrieked in panic as it flew away, dodging a few attacks from the rock giant.

Yu Xuanguang fell from the skies in an unconscious heap. Zhang Lie caught him and put him down.

After the other peak-grade golden roc flew off, the crag eagles returned to the skies. Yu Huantian stared at his own father; it was clear that they wanted to take Yu Xuanguang back.

The rock giant blocked Zhang Lie with his body as he shouted, "What, do you still want to fight?"

Yu Huantian called back, "Return my father to me!"

The rock giant snorted. "If not for us, your father would have died long ago! Aren't you going to thank us at all? How thick-skinned you all are!"

Just as tensions were rising, a white-winged crag eagle flew toward the sky.

Zhang Lie wasn't certain if this were also a crag eagle, because she seemed far too different from the others. She had long legs covered with white, downy feathers. Her feet were claws and her arms were wings, just like the other eagles, but her head was a human's, and she had long, white hair.

"The elder would like to invite you into the eyrie," she called out, looking at Zhang Lie.

Yu Huantian turned to her. "Why is the elder allowing a rock monster into Mt. Wanren? Just because it sent a golden roc fleeing?"

The white-haired crag eagle replied, "I convey only the elder's will."

Yu Huantian lowered his head, gritting his teeth in dissatisfaction, as the crag eagles dispersed.

"Here." Zhang Lie tossed Yu Xuanguang's body up into the air, and Yu Huantian hurriedly caught him. He looked at Zhang Lie and the rock giant with a complicated expression on his face.

The two of them slowly approached Mt. Wanren, where they saw many crag eagles living on the sloping mountain. Most of them were human-faced, like the white-haired crag eagle they had just seen.

Zhang Lie asked, "Why are there so many human-faced crag eagles?"

The rock spirit asked, "Didn't I tell you?"

"Tell you what?"

"Male and female crag eagles are distinct in appearance. The males have a bird's head, and the females have a human's head."

"I see."

The crag eagles they saw along their way were very curious about them—or, more specifically, about the rock monster.

"So this is the rock monster! It's huge!"

"Apparently, the rock monsters of legends were over five hundred meters tall—I bet this one hasn't reached full maturity."

"I heard that it was a rock monster who toppled Mt. Wanren!"

"Don't look! Be careful of being eaten by a rock monster. I heard that crag eaglets were their favorite food!"

Zhang Lie's face turned dark as he twisted toward the rock giant again. "Are you hiding something from me? You have to be!"

The rock spirit blinked. "What do you mean, lord?"

"Don't you hear what these crag eagles are saying? Your clan's apparently a clan of monsters!"

The rock spirit chuckled. "I really don't know what's going on, lord. If I did, would I dare hide it from you?"

The rock giant and Zhang Lie were about to step onto Mt. Wanren when the white-haired crag eagle stopped them. "This rock monster cannot join us."

"That's racial discrimination!" the rock giant boomed.

Zhang Lie rolled his eyes at him. "And where did you learn that phrase?"

"From Chu Feng, of course!"

Zhang Lie facepalmed.

The white-haired crag eagle smiled. "I hope you'll understand. I don't mean to discriminate, but you've all seen how Mt. Wanren is tilting. I fear that the mountain will not bear the weight of this rock monster."