The ground trembled again, this time with a searing heat that licked the moss-covered stones underfoot. The sky above, once pale blue, now burned with hues of scarlet and gold as clouds twisted like torn silk, reflecting the eruption deep within the forest's heart.
From a cracked ridge just beyond the cave's mouth, plumes of smoke spiraled upward, curling around the twisted branches of leafless trees that looked scorched by ancient battles. The path beneath Jian Dao and Mike, lined with shattered crystal fragments and charred roots, vibrated violently.
Then—an explosion. Lava spewed in a brilliant arc, staining the shadows orange. From within that molten column, a monstrous shape surged upward. Its wings—long, jagged, and wreathed in fire—sliced through the sky. Screeching loud enough to rattle bird nests from nearby canopies, the creature soared into view.
Mike flinched back, his boots crunching a dried fern. "Master…"
Jian Dao's gaze followed the beast, his expression grim. "No… that's no ordinary creature."
A gust of scorching wind swept through the forest, rustling the branches of pine-like trees now glowing faintly red from the heat. Ash drifted down like snowflakes, settling silently on their shoulders.
"That's a D-class monster," Jian Dao continued, voice low, "the King of Eagles… but—its right eye…"
Mike's breath caught. He stared harder. The right socket of the creature glowed with smoldering scar tissue. "It's missing…"
"You said the eagle you fought was A-class!" Mike exclaimed, voice barely audible over the wind. "Are there… monster ranks too?"
Before Jian Dao could answer, Zhou Chun stepped from behind a jagged stone, his robe fluttering like torn silk in the hot breeze. Suspicion danced in his eyes.
"What is this talk of revenge?" he demanded. "You know this beast?"
Wei Ping stood still, the edges of his emerald cloak flicking as if the air itself refused to touch him. "Be careful. Its aura has shifted."
Mike gritted his teeth. "So what if it's strong? I won't back down."
A hand settled on his shoulder, cool and steady. "Don't be reckless," Jian Dao said. "Listen well."
Around them, the forest seemed to hold its breath. Even the rustling leaves stilled.
"Monsters are ranked, just like us. But unlike humans, their power lies in pure instinct and legacy. The ranks go like this:
E, Z, X—the lesser beasts.
A and B—they gain the title 'Demon'.
D-Class is called the King of its kind.
And S-Class… Supreme King. The rarest, most terrifying."
He gestured toward the beast hovering above the ravine, its molten feathers scattering cinders onto the jagged stones below. "That is the King of Eagles."
A shadow fell over the forest as the eagle dove. Flames curled in its wake. Trees ignited. Roots cracked open. The world roared.
Wei Ping threw his hand forward, fingers sketching a golden sigil mid-air. A radiant shield bloomed, humming with layered runes. "Hold it back!"
Zhou chun, twin blades flashing silver as he lunged. Sparks flew when steel met talon. The eagle shrieked in fury, sending tremors through the cliff's edge. Rock splinters flew into the air like dagger shards.
From behind a scorched tree trunk, Mike watched, wide-eyed. A pine cone rolled past his foot.
"Master… this is insane," he whispered.
Jian Dao barely blinked. "To you, maybe. I've seen skies torn open and seas turned black."
In the distance, Zhou ducked under a fiery wing and carved a shallow cut across the beast's flank. The eagle roared, its flames intensifying until even the nearby stones began to glow red-hot.
Wei Ping winced, his robes singed at the edges. "We're outmatched!" he shouted. With a sharp twist of his wrist, a hidden glyph beneath his sleeve lit up. Stone cracked behind him, revealing a tunnel.
"We're gone!" Zhou called out, limping after Wei. Their voices faded, echoing off the obsidian cave walls.
Mike stared after them, coughing as smoke wafted by. "They… they really ran!"
Jian Dao turned slowly toward the eagle. The heat rippled through the air, bending the outline of rocks and trees around them.
"Don't laugh," he muttered. "We're next."
The eagle hovered briefly, then swooped down. Leaves exploded into flame as it landed on the cracked earth, eyes burning like twin suns.
But Jian Dao didn't flinch.
He took one step forward, his boots crunching over a shattered feather. "Show yourself, old friend."
Mike's hands clenched. "Master, what are you—"
"Shhh…"
A long silence. Then—the beast's wings folded.
Light swirled. Fire withdrew.
And standing there, tall and broad-shouldered, was a man. His skin bore burn marks that glowed faintly. His cloak was made of ember-threaded feathers. One eye, golden and blazing. The other—a dark void.
"You dare summon me with that name?" he growled. "You stole my eye, Jian Dao."
Jian Dao smiled faintly, brushing ash from his sleeve. "And you still haven't thanked me."
Huo Chuntian surged forward, a fist blazing like a miniature sun.
Jian Dao sidestepped easily, cloak fluttering as a breeze carried the scent of burnt bark and sulfur.
"Relax," he said. "There's someone you need to meet."
The man growled. "That weakling? I'll burn him with a breath."
Jian Dao gestured to Mike, who stepped into the faint light leaking through a crack in the cave ceiling. Dust danced in the air. His shadow stretched long behind him.
"His name," Jian Dao said, "is Mike Yeager. Son of Eldon Yeager."
The embers in Huo's remaining eye dimmed. His jaw stiffened. He stared.
A rustle came from a nearby sapling, still unburnt. A single leaf dropped.
And Huo's voice, for the first time, broke with surprise.
"Eldon… had a son?"
Jian Dao stepped closer. His tone turned cold, serious.
"Let me tell you… what