"You don't know the laws of the beast clan, but let me tell you: any powerful beast carries some inherited memory—a legacy of bloodline prestige. The purer the bloodline, the higher its status among beasts. Even a newborn sacred beast can make an eighth-rank spirit beast bow and submit, utterly loyal and obedient." Luna, the Sword Spirit, explained.
Evan Chu trusted Luna’s words without question—she was, after all, a thousand-year-old monster herself, so it wasn’t surprising she knew all this.
Just then, Shadow’s voice echoed in Evan’s mind: "Master, I already know what you need. Don’t worry, I’ll help you get it done—and I’ll even get you a little brother."
"A little brother? You mean you can turn that big bird into my little brother?" Evan asked in shock. If Shadow could really do that, then he was honestly just too badass.
"Of course! Don’t forget, I’m carrying the noble Bloodshadow Berserker Lion Clan bloodline—none of these ordinary monsters can compare to me." Shadow said proudly.
"But you can’t speak human language. How are you supposed to communicate with it?" Evan frowned. Even if Shadow’s bloodline was pure, if the other side couldn’t understand him, how would he make it submit?
"Don’t worry about that. You’re not a beast, so you wouldn’t know—we have our own language. Enough, the roc’s already here. Let me out!"
Evan sent out a thought, and Shadow, the Bloodshadow Berserker Lion cub, appeared in front of him. The crowd was puzzled to see a beast that looked like a puppy beside Evan.
But with their lives on the line, nobody cared about such things right now. At most, they just assumed it was Evan’s pet.
Only Rhea Yang sensed something was off. She knew exactly how powerful Shadow was—able to detoxify, swallow people whole, and even transform her physique. "Is Evan really planning to use that little guy against the giant bird?" she wondered.
Just then, the golden bird swooped down and landed, shrinking until it was only the size of an eagle. But anyone who thought this eagle-sized creature was harmless would be dead wrong.
The golden bird seemed to sense something and didn’t come close to the rocks. "All of you, come out! I’m going to kill you!" It kept repeating the same line, refusing to say anything else.
Evan glanced at Shadow and asked, "Why isn’t it afraid of you? It knows you’re here and still dares to provoke us?"
Shadow turned to Evan and sent a voice transmission: "I’ve completely hidden my aura—it doesn’t know I’m here. But monsters are always sensitive to danger, so it won’t come too close. That’s why it’s shouting from outside instead of coming in."
"So what now? Are we just going to be stuck here forever?" Evan asked anxiously.
"Master, just wait here—I’ll be right back!" With that, Shadow darted right out.
Everyone was stunned to see the 'puppy' dash out. Wasn’t that just sending it to its death? "Evan, is that your pet? How could you let it go out and die like that?" Gus Bullard couldn’t help but ask.
"Of course I’m sending it out to die. Who else should go, you or him?" Evan pointed at Gus and another nearby brother.
"Looks like we’re doomed today. Seriously, what kind of messed-up trial is this? It’s like they’re just playing with our lives." One of the students muttered bitterly, eyes full of despair.
Rhea Yang’s face was full of doubt. She walked up to Evan and whispered, "What are you up to now? Others don’t know how strong that 'puppy' is, but I do. Can it really beat the golden giant bird?"
Evan reached out and tapped Rhea Yang’s nose. "You’ll see soon enough. I still plan to marry you, so of course I’m not going to die so easily. Besides, these people are all my friends and brothers—I have to protect their lives, no matter what!"
Evan spoke quietly, but a few people overheard him—including Sterling Yates and Lily Tang. Both shot him skeptical looks, and Evan just smiled and nodded.
Lily wanted to press him for more answers, but with danger all around, she decided to wait until things calmed down. In her heart, she swore she’d make Evan explain everything later.
Sterling, seeing Evan’s reassuring nod, was suddenly overwhelmed. "Boss, if you really get us out of this alive, I’ll follow you for life—through blades, through fire, through anything…"
"Enough with that. We’re all brothers here—what’s the point of making those promises? I may be rough around the edges, but I know what’s worth holding onto and what’s worth letting go." Evan cut him off.
"Quiet down, everyone. Listen—the golden giant bird isn’t shouting anymore, is it?" This time Evan spoke loudly enough for everyone to hear. Even the youth who’d greeted him earlier looked at Evan with newfound respect.
Moments later, a deafening bird cry echoed through the stone forest, making everyone jump. Instinctively, all eyes turned to Evan.
"Don’t look at me—I have no idea what’s going on either." Evan spread his hands and smiled helplessly.
"Look! That ‘puppy’ is actually riding in on the golden giant bird’s back!" A student couldn’t help but poke his head out—and nearly fainted at the sight.
"What? The puppy’s riding on the golden giant bird’s back? No way!" Gus Bullard cried out in disbelief, unable to accept the reality in front of him.
"Just go out and see for yourselves!" Evan knew Shadow had already succeeded, so he strode out of the stone forest first.
Seeing Evan walk out, the others followed one by one—most already half-believing his words.
Sure enough, outside the stone forest, they saw a golden bird with a ‘puppy’ riding on its back, slowly approaching the group.
When the golden giant bird was still several dozen meters away, the 'puppy' jumped down and ran straight to Evan, who scooped it up in his arms.
Then Evan burst out laughing. "We’re safe, everyone! Shadow has tamed the golden giant bird—we’ve got another powerhouse on our side!"
Evan’s words hit like a thunderbolt—no one could believe it was real. There’d been no battle, just a quiet submission. If they hadn’t seen the golden giant bird standing calmly there, they’d think Evan had lost his mind.
Ignoring everyone’s shocked stares, Evan walked straight up to the golden giant bird. In a flash, he closed the ten-meter gap. "Do you truly want to be my little brother?" he asked.
"I’m willing to be your little brother, Boss—as long as you accept Goldwing the Golden Demon Roc, I’ll follow you through fire and water without hesitation!" Goldwing’s body erupted in golden light, and a man in his thirties appeared before Evan…