Whoosh!
Strong winds howled across the skies as Smith and Yan Yue soared through the night on the back of a second-level Storm Eagle. Behind them, more than a dozen first-level Storm Eagles pursued them relentlessly.
But a second-level monster was a different beast altogether. The gap between levels was vast—and the lower-ranked eagles couldn't catch up. Not yet, at least.
However, it was clear that these monsters had no intention of letting them go so easily.
Even the beasts on the ground were trailing them.
"They're following us…" Yan Yue said suddenly, frowning as she glanced at the ground and sky.
"Are they?" Smith looked down, puzzled.
No matter where they flew, the horde below mirrored their path. And oddly enough, the corrupt wolves—who had previously been chasing Wei Lin and the other survivors fleeing via the Golden Path—had all changed direction. Now, they too were pursuing him and Yan Yue.
From their altitude, Smith could see that Wei Lin and his group were still running, but they were no longer being pursued. Every monster had turned their attention to Smith and Yan Yue instead.
"That's strange," Smith muttered. "Are they mad because we stole one of their kind? Maybe they're embarrassed?"
Yan Yue shook her head. Her face was calm, but her eyes were serious. "No... I think we were their target all along."
Smith lay back against the eagle's feathers, his energy nearly spent. His spiritual power was completely drained—especially after using illusion to control the second-level Storm Eagle. It had taken everything he had.
Still, that gamble had paid off.
They'd escaped death thanks to this creature. And since they now had every monster's attention, Smith deliberately didn't fly toward Wei Lin and the others. Instead, he guided the eagle in the direction of Huaihai City. It was the shortest route home—and by drawing the monsters away, he was also giving the rest of the class a better chance of survival.
But just when everything seemed to be going smoothly, several new flying creatures suddenly appeared in front of them.
These were not Storm Eagles.
They were even more terrifying.
Each one had two heads, covered in fiery red feathers, and emitted scorching heat with every wingbeat.
"Second-level Flame Hawks?!" Yan Yue's expression changed drastically.
"There's more of them?!"
Smith sat upright immediately. The sight of several second-level flying monsters emerging from the clouds sent a chill down his spine.
"What the hell kind of beast tide is this?!"
But then something else caught his eye.
"There are people riding them…" Smith narrowed his eyes. On each Flame Hawk's back stood a figure—silent, motionless.
Because their clothes were nearly the same color as the Flame Hawks' feathers and the night sky was dark, it had been difficult to notice at first.
"Looks like they're from the academy," Smith said, a wave of relief washing over him.
If academy reinforcements were here, maybe they had a real chance.
"No… They're not from the academy," Yan Yue interrupted, her voice cold.
Smith turned toward her, startled by the icy look in her golden eyes.
"They're from the Burning Clan."
"The Burning Clan?" Smith repeated. The name didn't ring any bells.
But before Yan Yue could explain, the figures ahead answered with action.
One of them calmly raised a finger—and a thin beam of fire shot forward like a laser, aimed directly at them.
Yan Yue reacted instantly. She stepped forward on the eagle's back, golden light flooding her palms as she summoned a radiant, rune-covered shield of holy energy.
Bang!
The fire laser struck the shield and exploded into a fiery splash, adhering to the barrier like molten lava. It began corroding the shield's structure with frightening speed.
Before she could react further, several more fire lasers shot toward them from the other Flame Hawk riders.
Puff!
Yan Yue's holy shield trembled under the relentless barrage. Though powerful, her holy attribute abilities weren't enough to bridge the gap between their strength and that of multiple second-level enemies.
The shield cracked—then shattered.
One of the flaming beams streaked forward, flying directly at Yan Yue.
"Not good…" Her pupils contracted as the beam approached. She had no time to dodge.
WHAM!
Smith threw himself at her, tackling her to the side just in time.
The fire laser missed her and struck a first-level Storm Eagle trailing behind them. The creature let out a sharp shriek as flames engulfed it, turning it to ashes in seconds.
"Go!" Smith shouted.
He slapped the side of the second-level Storm Eagle beneath them. The creature flapped its wings hard and turned around, fleeing the ambush.
Chiuuuu!
The Flame Hawks screamed and launched into pursuit.
The mysterious riders remained silent, offering no warning, no demands—only raising their fingers and unleashing another round of blinding fire lasers.
Whoosh!
The second-level Storm Eagle tried to dodge, banking hard left and right in the sky. But the intensity of the assault was overwhelming. One of the lasers grazed its wing, and the flames spread almost instantly.
Chi—!
The eagle cried in pain, spiraling downward as it lost control.
"Damn it!"
Smith clenched his jaw and, without hesitation, jumped from the falling beast—dragging Yan Yue with him.
They tumbled through the air before landing in a dense patch of trees.
Yan Yue was in bad shape. Her spiritual energy had been almost completely drained after protecting the others twice—first from the monster horde, then from the flaming ambush. Her face had lost color, and her legs trembled.
She couldn't even walk.
Smith was in no better condition. He had no spiritual energy left—not even enough to activate his Sharingan.
Still, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to help her run.
They had no choice.
Boom!
Moments later, several flaming figures dropped from the sky, landing in a circle around them.
As Smith looked up, he could finally see the attackers clearly.
Men and women, dressed in identical robes. Cold expressions. Silent eyes.
Each of them had a glowing red flame mark on their foreheads—a crest shaped like flickering fire.
"Who are you?! Why are you attacking us?!" Smith growled, shielding Yan Yue behind him.
The strangers didn't answer.
Instead, they raised their fingers once again. Fire lasers formed at their fingertips.
BOOM!
Just before the beams struck, a thunderous lightning bolt crashed down from the sky and landed squarely between Smith and the attackers.
The electric shockwaves exploded outward, nullifying the incoming lasers instantly.
A familiar voice echoed through the air.
"How dare you lay a hand on my son?!"
Smith turned toward the voice, stunned.
"Dad?!"
A man stood between him and the attackers, electricity crackling around him like a divine storm. Tall, imposing, with a sharp gaze—Jiang Lei.
"Jiang Lei?!"
The Flame Hawk riders finally reacted. Their expressions shifted slightly, and they immediately retreated.
"You think you can hurt my son and walk away?"
Jiang Lei snorted coldly and raised a hand.
Snap!
BOOM!
Several bolts of lightning fell from the clouds above, crashing down on the Flame Hawk riders and their beasts.
One by one, the enemies and their mounts were engulfed in searing light and left as smoldering corpses.
The ambush was over.
pàtréóñ(Gk31