In the dense forest, the sounds reverberated with a fierce battle. A young human, appearing to be just a child anywhere else, stood before a demonic beast of terrifying proportions. The creature was gigantic, with sharp claws and menacing fangs, emanating an ominous aura that sent shivers down the spine.
The surrounding environment was a scene of destruction, the forest trembling under the impact of the fight. Trees were being toppled, rocks shattered, and the earth split open under the force of the demonic beast's blows. With agility and precision, the young human evaded the creature's brutal attacks, balancing a fine line between life and death. Every move was calculated, and every step was taken with confidence.
While the beast charged with fury, the young human patiently waited for his opportunity. At an opportune moment, he accurately threw a deadly poisoned dart, hitting the beast. This cycle repeated several times, with the beast roaring in pain while the human persisted. Dodging the furious attacks, he continued to launch poisoned darts, increasing the lethal effect on the creature. The poison corroded its body and undermined its vitality, weakening it with each breath. Finally, the beast succumbed to the deadly poison.
Rumi's dao heart had evolved significantly. Although he possessed terrifying regeneration, he didn't have the same defensive power as Riria. However, now he had enough confidence and experience to evade a large portion of the damage, even if he suffered some injuries. In this way, he could slowly counterattack using the poison.
A few weeks had passed since the group entered the forest. After the battle within the abyss, Lian gave Rumi a drink made from the bright liquid derived from the small divine tree. Additionally, Lian prepared some pills for the four young women, who refused to drink the liquid.
This drink was able to completely heal the internal wounds caused by the intense battles, where they had to use every drop of their qi to survive. As a bonus, their bodies were further enhanced.
Now, the five of them advanced through the forest with extreme ease. They could individually fight and defeat almost any demonic beast or demon that emerged. However, something that caught Lian's attention was the absence of divine beasts in the forest.
They were nearing the center of the forest, which was their ultimate goal. Lian took advantage of the fact that the group had become true warriors and taught them some elaborate group formations.
After a few days, near the heart of the forest, a large trench stretched across the terrain, leaving a trail of destruction in its path. The ground was marked with deep furrows, like scars from a fierce battle between powerful beasts.
The air was thick with the metallic scent of spilled blood, while red stains splattered the ground, forming a dark mosaic that contrasted with the lush green of the forest. The atmosphere was charged with palpable tension, and furious roars and menacing growls echoed among the trees.
Lian cautiously approached and observed the signs of a violent chase. Deep and irregular footprints spread across the trench, indicating a desperate fleeing beast. Around the footprints, fresh claw marks and teeth embedded in the earth showed the fury of the pursuers.
The entire group noticed Lian's furrowed brows. He identified, in the trail of blood left behind, the life force of a Divine Beast. With that in mind, Lian then entered a small crater and used the qi of the earth to dig, finding something.
It was a magnificent feather with an iridescent glow that seemed to capture the essence of freedom and grandeur itself. Its colors shimmered with unknown powers. However, it was stained with blood, blood as dense and divine as that feather. It was the feather and blood of a Griffin.
Lian was very familiar with this race of divine beasts. While dragons were considered the emperors of the divine beasts, griffins were revered as their kings. The griffin symbolized the union between spirit and flesh, sky and earth, celestial and mundane, being half eagle, "the king of flying beasts," and half lion, "the king of terrestrial beasts."
During his stay on the continent, when it was still a mortal world, griffins completely dominated the forests and terrorized humans in the cities. These divine beasts had a strong temperament but were noble creatures, courageous, and endowed with great leadership.
When Zeke took absolute control of the mortal world, he made the entire race of griffins submit to him, eliminating most of them in bloody battles. However, the law of divine or demonic beasts always revolves around obedience to the strongest, and Zeke became the god and sovereign for them.
When Zeke entered the Divine Plane, he thought he had already encountered and understood the strength and terrifying power of a divine beast. But then, he spotted a true dragon flying on the horizon.
The imposing presence of the dragon completely dominated the scene, overshadowing the world around it. Its mere existence evoked a feeling of insignificance and vulnerability in witnesses.
The intense aura and unparalleled power emanated by the creature created an oppressive environment, overwhelming everyone around it. Every beat of its wings seemed to echo the laws of the world, constantly reinforcing the overwhelming supremacy of the dragon over all races.
Zeke now understood why Griffins preferred to live in mortal worlds. There was no competition when compared to a dragon. The location where Zeke had left some of his treasures in the forest was exactly where the griffins had been assigned to live.
***
The group pursued for a day and a night, following the tracks left by the griffin. Finally, from the top of a majestic hill, they spotted a gigantic crater surrounded by hundreds of demons. In the center of the scene stood an imposing divine beast.
The griffin displayed its majesty with its powerful and muscular lower body. Its wings spread wide, and its feet dug into the ground as if it were responsible for supporting the earth and the sky, keeping them apart.
However, the griffin was visibly wounded, with deep wounds scattered across its body, where blood mixed with its colorful feathers. Around it, there was a pile of demonic corpses, a testament to the fierce battle that had taken place.
Despite the injuries, the griffin maintained a brave and protective stance. It sheltered something precious under its wings, guarding it with devotion and loyalty. Determination shone in its eyes, reflecting its courage and sacrifice in defense of what was valuable to it. Even in the most desperate circumstances, its noble and impressive strength was evident.
The griffin's vitality and blood energy were nearly depleted; it was doomed. However, it seemed to anticipate something, fighting relentlessly as if waiting for it. Then, it sensed a great disturbance among the demons, with bloodshed in the distance.
In the midst of chaos and destruction, a red saber cut through the air with astonishing speed. Each strike carried a wave of devastating power, capable of reducing everything in its path to mere dust. Simultaneously, invisible blades of wind generated a rain of blood, cutting through space and everything around with deadly precision.
Suddenly, a violet power broke through the void in a straight line, swiftly approaching the griffin. Ahead, a spear could be seen, shattering all the demons in its path and causing blood to spurt profusely.
The griffin saw a swift and frightening power swiftly approach its front and then stop. It was a young and enchanting human holding the spear. Beside her, intimately connected, was another young human.
When the griffin met Lian's eyes, it felt a wave of intensity and power emanating from the young man. It was as if it was staring into a deep abyss. It sensed something different, something that surpassed its own greatness. It was facing a powerful being capable of defying the heavens themselves.
Then, the griffin understood that what it had been waiting for in the past 15 years, and for which it had fought with all its strength and unwavering conviction, was right before its eyes.