A random monster beast pops out, and it's actually at Fifth-Layer King Rank—no wonder people say the Azure Tide Ruins are a world of the strong. Even the monster beasts here are totally badass.
"Evan, be careful! This monster beast's power is about the same as an Eighth-Layer Heaven Martial human. Don't let your guard down!" Selena immediately warned.
Evan Chu just grinned. "Relax. Even if it was Divine Martial, I wouldn't be scared—let alone Heaven Martial." With that, he flashed forward, leaving a blur as he charged.
Evan Chu took a closer look—the monster beast was almost identical to the Wolf-Tiger he killed in the Monster Beast Forest before, except this one's tail was tipped with several sharp spikes.
Evan wanted to just use Fireshift and end this beast right away, but before he could act, the monster actually spoke human words: "Humans, why have you come into our Monster Beast Forest? Didn't you promise our King you wouldn't enter again?"
"Monster Beast Forest? King? You even made a promise?" Evan was stunned to hear this.
Looks like humans once signed some kind of agreement with the Monster Beast Forest's ruler—humans aren't supposed to just wander in here. That so-called King must be insanely powerful, strong enough to scare even top human cultivators into making a deal.
If I kill this thing, it might alert other monster beasts—or even bring that King down on us. Then the five of us might be in real trouble.
Evan quickly said, "Honestly, we didn't mean to come in here. We're trying to leave, but we got lost in the Monster Beast Forest. Don't worry, brother beast—we'll head out right now."
Evan's words were loud and clear to Claire Ouyang and the others, but they couldn't help feeling confused—why was Evan suddenly acting so timid, even afraid of a monster beast? It was hard to believe this was really happening.
Landing on the ground, Evan said, "This forest really stretches as far as the eye can see. Claire, you take Luna Chu and fly up. I'll carry Selena. Then we'll have Goldwing take us out of here."
Evan arranged it this way because he didn't want Selena to use her star power. If any trace of demonic qi leaked out, it would be a huge problem.
The five of them soared into the sky. Goldwing immediately appeared, revealing his true form so everyone could climb onto his back.
"Goldwing, fly fast! This is monster beast territory—we have to stay high!" Evan shouted.
"Boss, which direction am I supposed to fly? You gotta give me a heading!" Goldwing grumbled.
Evan glanced around and said, "Just head straight ahead. Don't worry about anything else—just keep flying."
Goldwing picked up speed and shot through the air. Not long after Evan and the others left, several roars echoed from the spot where they'd just been, and a beast with a human face and animal body appeared.
"Humans! How dare you slaughter my grandson? No one escapes the Monster Beast Forest alive—you're all dead!" the beast bellowed.
If Evan had seen this monster, he would've been shocked—the beast's cultivation had already broken through King Rank and reached Sovereign Rank.
Goldwing flew incredibly fast. After half a day, they were still above the endless Monster Beast Forest, and the view ahead was nothing but more forest. The group couldn't help but feel frustrated.
"Evan, how can this Monster Beast Forest be so huge? It feels even bigger than the Heavenly Dragon Kingdom!" Luna Chu exclaimed.
"It's not just bigger than the Heavenly Dragon Kingdom—even the Mermaid Kingdom can't compare. Who would've thought this teleportation would dump us in a place like this? What a surprise," Evan replied.
As everyone marveled at the sheer size of the Monster Beast Forest, Goldwing suddenly called out, "Boss, we've got trouble—five hundred li ahead, there are thousands of flying monster beasts!"
"Flying monster beasts? What are they exactly—can you see clearly?" Evan asked immediately.
"They're probably Blood Ravens. Individually, their strength isn't that high—the strongest get to King Rank at best. But their real power is their blood poison. Their bodies and feathers are saturated with it," Goldwing explained.
"This blood poison is nasty. If it gets on you, it paralyzes your whole body, no matter how strong you are. But it only works if you already have a bleeding wound—that's their main weakness. If not for that, Blood Ravens would've ruled the world ages ago," Goldwing said.
"How do you know all this? Have you actually seen them before?" Evan asked.
"It's all in my inherited memory. Whenever Blood Ravens show up, it's always in the thousands, and they fly fast as lightning. Best to avoid them whenever possible," Goldwing replied.
Evan glanced at everyone and asked, "What do we do? Detour or keep moving forward?"
"I say we take the detour. If we can avoid them, we should," Selena said.
Evan looked around, and his face suddenly changed—he didn't know when, but the area nearby had already turned pitch black. Blood Ravens had appeared from nowhere, completely surrounding the group...
The sky was so dense with Blood Ravens that not a single ray of sunlight could pierce through. Their eyes glowed red, their feathers bristling with lethal blood poison.
Goldwing instinctively shrank his wings, trying to shield everyone. "Boss, we're completely surrounded. There's no way out!"
Selena clenched her fists, her eyes icy. "If it comes to a fight, we can't afford to hold back. These Blood Ravens are no joke."
Claire Ouyang gently squeezed Macy's hand, her face pale but determined. "Don't worry, Macy. Evan will get us through this."
Evan's gaze was cold as he scanned the encroaching Blood Ravens. "Everyone, get ready. If they attack, we strike back hard!"
The Blood Ravens hovered in the air, their screeches echoing through the Monster Beast Forest like a death knell.
Goldwing's inherited memory flashed warnings through his mind—these monsters never show mercy, and once they attack, it's a massacre.
Evan gritted his teeth, his Starforge Body tense and ready to unleash Fireshift at a moment's notice.
Just as the tension reached its peak, the Blood Ravens swooped in from all directions, blotting out the sky above the Monster Beast Forest.
The chapter ends as Evan and his group brace for their first massive aerial crisis in the Azure Tide Ruins, completely encircled by the Blood Ravens.