Chapter Eleven: The Battle of the Hawk and the Serpent

Above the cliff at the edge of the Monster Beast Forest, a dozen or so giant eagles appeared out of nowhere, circling continuously, with their numbers growing by the minute.

Shrill cries echoed through the air, proclaiming their dominion over the skies.

In a nest perched on the cliff’s edge, Jiang Xuan and two other birds were sound asleep.

“Spiritual energy +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +1…”

After devouring the fifth-rank Golden Armor Serpent demon meat, just as Jiang Xuan had predicted, he was now on the cusp of breaking through to the sixth-rank monster beast cultivation.

Only half a day of rest remained before he could successfully ascend.

Behind him, the Demon Lord’s body began to sprout tiny black spots.

The fifth-rank serpent meat had rapidly restored his spiritual power, and his injuries were already fully healed.

At this moment, however, the Empress and the Demon Lord dared not sleep as soundly as Jiang Xuan; instead, they seized every moment to cultivate diligently.

Suddenly, a sharp eagle cry jolted Jiang Xuan awake from his slumber.

“What noisy disturbance is this? It’s driving me crazy, and I haven’t even reached the sixth-rank monster beast realm yet!”

Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Jiang Xuan looked up.

To his astonishment, the sky was now filled with many more kin.

Each of these giant eagles was at least fifth-rank, with the highest among them reaching the formidable ninth-rank monster beast realm!

“What’s going on here?”

Jiang Xuan rose, clutching the nest tightly with his claws, stretching his wings lazily.

The Demon Lord and Empress were equally stunned by the grand spectacle unfolding overhead.

Previously, they had only seen the Mother Eagle; no other kin had been spotted.

Now, such a massive gathering took them by surprise.

“It seems the clan gathers here periodically,” Jiang Xuan mused.

“As long as they don’t disturb my cultivation, I’ll go along with it.”

Unconcerned, the Demon Lord lay back down and resumed his cultivation.

“This isn’t right,” the Empress murmured.

“I sense killing intent. As fellow eagle beasts, I doubt they would so readily turn to conflict.”

“Could it be an external enemy?”

She did not lie down like the Demon Lord but instead approached Jiang Xuan, looking up into the sky.

What she saw struck fear into her heart.

Dangling from the cliffside were countless serpent demons.

“I was right! The serpent tribe is attacking! No wonder so many eagle beasts have appeared here!”

---

Gazing upward, the battle between eagles and serpents was on the verge of eruption. Divine spells and techniques blocked the scorching sun, while blood fell like crimson rain—an awe-inspiring sight.

“Damn it! I should have fled earlier!” the Empress gritted her teeth, her heart pounding fiercely.

“If caught in this war between the two tribes, it’s almost certain to cost me my life!”

Now, she could only hope the eagle tribe would prevail over the serpent demons.

At that moment, a shadow hurtled down from the sky.

“Mother Eagle?!”

Jiang Xuan, standing beside the nest and watching, recognized the figure and was instantly alarmed.

The Mother Eagle’s feathers were tattered, and she spat blood in great gulps.

Struggling, she returned to the nest and collapsed heavily.

“Children, you have grown. It is time to shoulder the responsibility of protecting our eagle tribe!”

“You are the eldest brother. There are many younglings on this cliff. You must protect them and the rest of our kin.”

“The serpents... their numbers are vast. We cannot match them. You must—”

“Mother Eagle!”

Before she could finish, she fainted.

Jiang Xuan sensed that Mother Eagle’s cultivation had reached the sixth-rank monster beast level.

Yet, despite this, she was gravely wounded, and the eagle tribe was already on the back foot.

This was inevitable—the eagle tribe’s reproductive capabilities paled in comparison to the serpents’, and in this sea of serpents, the eagle tribe simply could not hold their ground.

Moreover, these serpent demons were no weaklings.

“This is bad, bad... am I going to die here?”

“No, if I don’t leave now, I might never get another chance!”

The Demon Lord, seeing Mother Eagle lying injured in the nest, immediately contemplated fleeing, fearing he would be caught in the crossfire.

The Empress was also calculating her options.

“Though I have reached the fourth-rank monster beast level, the risk of joining this battle is too great. Besides, what grown status do I truly possess?”

“If it truly comes to a dead end, I won’t foolishly stay here!”

Jiang Xuan rolled his eyes at this.

The saying “those not of our kind harbor different hearts” was uncannily accurate. If not for their reincarnations as birds, perhaps they would not harbor such selfish thoughts in the face of disaster.

Still, this time, Jiang Xuan found himself oddly aligned with their intentions.

They were reincarnated beings—wasn’t he, Jiang Xuan, too?

---

“Ding!”

“Host, the eagle tribe is engaged in battle with the serpent tribe. As an eagle beast, you bear the mission to protect your younger siblings and kin!”

“Successfully defending our tribe will grant you 10 drops of Golden Eagle Essence Blood, 5 drops of Solar Crow Essence Blood, and the divine skill ‘Three-legged Yang Fire’!”

As Jiang Xuan considered fleeing, the system’s voice rang out unexpectedly.

Only then did Jiang Xuan realize he had been bound by some force.

“Ten drops of Golden Eagle Essence Blood? That could directly evolve me into a Golden Eagle!”

“Although the risk is high, with such rewards, it might be worth a try.”

Grinning slyly, Jiang Xuan formed a plan.

Since resting could increase his cultivation, it would be pointless for him to join the fierce battle above in his current state; he would be nothing more than cannon fodder.

Glancing at the unconscious, severely injured Mother Eagle, Jiang Xuan spread his wings and released his spiritual power.

“You two, hurry and help me! Let’s build a spirit-gathering formation!”

A vast surge of spiritual energy poured forth, slowly sealing the cave where the nest was located.

“That brat! Is he trying to trap me here? Such wicked intentions!” the Demon Lord growled, seething with anger, immediately assuming a battle stance to attack Jiang Xuan.

“What’s that fatty thinking? Spreading this little spiritual power—does he think he can stop the serpents that are already upon us? Idiot!”

The Empress rolled her eyes at Jiang Xuan’s actions and curled back down, preparing to cultivate.

“Damn! You two are really... Damn it! Must I curse you?”

“Fine, fine! When I break through to sixth-rank monster beast level, if I don’t curse you both to death, my name’s not Jiang!”

Hearing the Demon Lord and Empress’s unspoken thoughts, and knowing they couldn’t understand his current bird language, Jiang Xuan became exasperated.

As a monster beast, the ability to speak human language would only come after breaking through to the sixth-rank.

Just as Jiang Xuan prepared to use his evolution points to break through, several cries for help suddenly sounded in his ears.

“Help! Serpent demons are here!”

“Stay away! I can’t fly yet!”

“Better to rely on myself than on others, I’ll fight with you!”

“Ah! My feathers!”

“...”