As the winds howled against them, Mira surveyed the territory below them from atop Rhydian's massive form.
The map Mira held in her hands was comprehensive, detailing various territories occupied by nearby Heaven-Grade and Sovereign-Grade beast Clans. Maria's intelligence network had done a thorough job of gathering this information. So much so that even Mira was surprised by the level of detail.
[A/N: I recently put an auxiliary chapter to help everyone keep track of all these different terms and their meanings. But, to explain, Sovereign-Grade is the level of their bloodline. Their potential and talent. It may translate to enhanced strength and abilities based on their cultivation. For example, in the same Stage, a Sovereign-Grade would be stronger than a Heaven-Grade, but it's not a representation of their Rank. So, a Sovereign-Grade beast Clan would mean that the strongest were Rank 8, as that's the limit of their potential.]
Mira's gaze drifted to a territory to the southeast. The place was named the Thorned Ridge, a territory occupied by the Feral Thorned Snakes, a Sovereign-Grade beast Clan that was infamous for their aggressive temperament and defensive prowess.
Not far from it, there was a territory to the north called the Skystorm Peaks, the home of the Sky-Torn Hawks, Heaven-Grade beasts known for their speed and storm-controlling abilities. Their ability to manipulate the wind and lightning and their agility in the sky made them annoyingly slippery opponents.
"Rhydian," Mira's voice was calm and measured, "we'll first head to the Thorned Ridge. Let's see if those Thorned Snakes can push you to the Peak of Rank 7."
The golden wolf's eyes flashed with a predatory gleam. She let out a low growl of approval, her wings flapping harder, pushing them southwest towards the Thorned Ridge.
***
It didn't take long for them to reach Thorned Ridge. Even from the sky, Mira could see the ground littered with dangerously sharp thorns, a clear warning sign of the beasts that dwelt here.
From her vantage point on Rhydian's back, Mira studied the region. The Thorned Ridge was named for the peculiar trees that populated it, their bark covered in long, sharp thorns that, when agitated, would act like a jumping cactus causing the rest of the thorns to shoot out like a grenade. Not only was it painful, but they would also inject a toxin, which, if left untreated, could cause serious damage.
However, Mira wasn't concerned about Rhydian's safety, nor did she warn her about this; she trusted in her capabilities, and this would be a good opportunity to teach her not to randomly jump into things.
What she was worried about, however, was the fact that these beasts, once alerted, could potentially retreat underground using their burrowing ability. Then, things would become bothersome.
So, they needed to strike hard and fast.
"If you can kill them all, I'll give you a little reward," Mira said as she hopped off with Hana in her arms.
Rhydian's eyes narrowed, and she became even more determined!
Descending from the sky, Rhydian roared, an ear-splitting sound that echoed across the Thorned Ridge. It was a declaration of war, a challenge to the beasts below. It didn't take long for a response to come.
Feral Thorned Snakes, large and armored, crawled out from their burrows. Their body covered in dense thorns, eyes glowing ominously, and they were ready to defend their territory. Rhydian didn't waste any time; she swooped down, a golden streak against the rocky terrain.
*BOOOM!*
A massive shockwave reverberated across the landscape as Rhydian crashed into the Feral Thorned Snakes. Her golden body collided with the thorn-armored beasts, sending a few of them flying while others were simply crushed under her mighty form.
Dozens of trees were destroyed, causing their thorns to splinter off, but Rhydian's massive wings, combined with her thick fur and skin, brushed off most of them.
With a swipe of her colossal paw, she cleaved through multiple snakes, their bodies rupturing in violent explosions of blood and guts. Rhydian used her Qi to shovel snake remains into her mouth to try not to waste the precious energy before her as she made her way through the sea of snakes.
Mira watched from a distance, her eyes filled with appreciation for Rhydian's ferocity and power. Hana, in her arms, squirmed in excitement as she'd never seen Rhydian fight like this before. The wolf was always lazing around, sleeping or hiding, so she always figured it was useless.
Now, her opinion changed. But only a little. She still thought it was too lazy.
"Is that all you can do?! Where'd all that training go?! Stop holding back and kill them!" Mira yelled, causing Rhydian's hair to rise.
With a low growl, Rhydian leaped. Her wings flapped, creating gusts of wind strong enough to scatter the lesser Thorned Snakes (Rank 6 and below), while her golden fur bristled, igniting into flames. Lightning crackled from her body, dancing in the air and snaking down to the ground.
Each of her massive paws swept through the air, lightning zapping from her fur to the bodies of the encroaching Thorned Snakes. As they struck, the snakes' bodies spasmed violently, contorting before going limp and crashing into the thorny ground.
With one decisive swoop, Rhydian descended upon another group, her fiery, razor-sharp feathers slashing through their armored bodies. As the feathers sliced through the air, they left trails of flaming wind that consumed the severed bodies of the beasts, creating an inferno in the midst of the battle.
All of a sudden, the ground beneath trembled, signaling the emergence of the patriarch. Its colossal body writhed as it burst from the ground, thorns glistening ominously, its eyes burning with rage.
Looking around, it saw many of its dead clansmen covering the ground. Killing intent shone from deep within its eyes, and it hissed at the remaining Rank 7 snakes as well as the other Rank 8s. However, they didn't need the Patriarch to tell them what to do.
With a deafening roar, Rhydian leaped forward, her body ablaze, lightning coursing through her veins, and wind circling her like a tornado. The Thorned Snake patriarch lunged too, its massive body a projectile of thorns and poison.
Rhydian deftly swerved to evade the lunge, leaving a trail of flame in her wake that licked at the snake's scales. As she darted above the snake, her wings unfurled to their full span, and a storm of fiery feathers rained down on the patriarch.
The ground shook as the patriarch thrashed, shrieking in pain as the fiery feathers punctured its skin, cauterizing the wounds
But the remaining Thorned Snakes weren't idle.
They swarmed towards her, a hissing mass of thorns and scales. Snakes lunged for her legs, their powerful jaws snapping shut around her ankles, attempting to bind her movement. Others sprang for her wings, hoping to tear them and bring her down from the sky.
The patriarch himself woke up from the pain and came barreling towards Rhydian, his gargantuan body aimed at her unprotected back.
Yet, in the face of this frenzied assault, Rhydian did not falter. The golden wolf growled low in her throat, a rumbling warning that made the ground shake beneath them. She took flight so they would not be able to escape, even if they wanted to.
Instead of panicking at the fact that they were injecting venom into her body, Rhydian leaned into the snakes' biting and wrapping attacks, confounding their assault before she came crashing down, crushing their fragile bodies between her hard bones and the rocky ground.
Her teeth flashed, catching one snake by its throat before biting down, an audible crunch resonating through the battlefield as the serpent's life was snuffed out.
Then, Rhydian moved, a whirlwind of destruction and death. Snakes that had wrapped around her limbs were crushed under the force of her movements, their bodies snapping under the sheer pressure.
Some of them, she began devouring alive, ripping them apart and consuming their raw flesh. The sight of her disregard for their comrades' lives made the other snakes falter in fear as they could only imagine the anguish.
Despite her size, Rhydian was agile. She glided through the onslaught, turning the snakes' numbers against them. They were packed too tightly, their attacks tripping up each other more than they hindered her.
She twisted just in time to meet the patriarch's charge, her teeth sinking into his face. The large snake thrashed, but Rhydian held firm, fire coursing down her jaws and into the patriarch, charring him from the inside out.
With a last gasp, the patriarch went limp, falling to the ground as Rhydian released her grip.
However, Mira's words rang in her mind, so she didn't stop there. Sensing that there were still a few more snakes left, who had decided to scatter once things went south, she flapped her wings and sent waves of fire in their directions, burning them to a crisp.
Lastly, with she sent a wave of Qi into the ground and used what little understanding and affinity she had for Earth and crushed the remaining survivors into meat paste.
Now, seeing that there were no more snakes alive, she could finally take her time to devour their remains!
That thought brought a grin to her face.
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