Chapter 142: Rhinoceros, Eagle, and Monkey
“Mountain Lord, won’t you introduce to us this new member of ‘Falcon Beak’ you’ve invited?”
A deep, heavy voice came from ahead. Mo Lin turned his head to look — before him sat a small mountain, firmly rooted upon its western foot.
That voice had come directly from the mountain itself.
A mountain standing on its western foot?
Mo Lin followed the mountain’s slope upward, only to see its true form clearly.
This was no mountain at all — it was a rhinoceros, its entire body covered in hard rock and thick moss!
Mo Lin’s own body, when stretched to full length, already reached a hundred meters. The Mountain Lord, as the overlord of the Mountain Forest, was covered in bulging muscles, and his body was larger than a decorated hall.
Yet whether it was Mo Lin or the Mountain Lord, compared to this rhinoceros that was as massive as a small hill, both paled in comparison.
The Mountain Lord did not rush to address the Iron-Armored Rock Rhino but instead first introduced it to Mo Lin:
“This one, as steadfast as the mountain itself, is the Iron-Armored Rock Rhino — Earth Rank, Middle Grade.”
“Its hide is as if cast from black iron, and its horn sharp as a divine blade that split the heavens. Don’t let its middle grade fool you — in terms of sheer defense and impact force, among all here, it ranks at the very top.”
“When the time comes for the ‘Falcon Beak’ operation, Brother Rock Rhino shall serve as our vanguard.”
Mo Lin glanced at the Iron-Armored Rock Rhino’s mountain-like frame and nodded in agreement.
This creature’s size was even greater than that of the Mountain Lord. From such a massive body, Mo Lin could feel a surging, boundless strength.
It was easy to imagine — once this creature charged, even ten thousand troops would scatter before it.
Having it lead the charge would indeed be a weapon capable of breaking through fortresses.
“An honor to meet you.”
At the Mountain Lord’s generous praise, the Iron-Armored Rock Rhino chuckled twice, his mountain-sized body shaking as bits of rock crumbled off with a rustling sound.
“Mountain Lord flatters me. Rock Rhino has merely enjoyed the blessings of more cultivation years, thus earning a few small merits that others happen to mention. In terms of true strength, everyone present far surpasses me.”
The Mountain Lord cast a meaningful look at the Iron-Armored Rock Rhino, then at Mo Lin, and without further comment, began introducing Mo Lin in turn:
“This one is the Anaconda Demon, Mo Lin — Earth Rank, Middle Grade, with strength comparable to Brother Rock Rhino.”
“When Mo Lin was still at Earth Rank, Lower Grade, I once invited him to join me. Unfortunately, he refused.”
“Fortunately, when I met Brother Mo Lin again, he had already advanced to Middle Grade, and this time he accepted my second invitation, joining our ‘Falcon Beak,’ hehe.”
It seemed the Mountain Lord deliberately brought up one of his own minor embarrassments to ease the mood and help everyone get acquainted.
Some of the demons, including the Iron-Armored Rock Rhino, understood the Mountain Lord’s intention and laughed courteously.
But while some gave the Mountain Lord face, not all did. At that moment, a voice sounded out of place:
“Oh? An Earth Rank Lower Grade required the Mountain Lord’s personal invitation? Does this Brother Mo Lin possess some extraordinary quality that this king has failed to see?”
As that voice fell, Mo Lin noticed that all the demons present frowned slightly — but none spoke.
He noted this reaction and turned toward the source of the voice.
If the Iron-Armored Rock Rhino was like a steady mountain, giving Mo Lin a feeling of immense weight, then the demon before him gave an impression of sheer sharpness — as if nothing in its path could withstand it.
It was a silver eagle, about the same size as the Mountain Lord.
The Mountain Lord introduced,
“The Silver-Winged Eagle King — Earth Rank, Upper Grade. Swift and silent through the skies, capable of striking across a thousand miles in an instant. When it comes to speed and aerial combat, he is second to none here. The voice we heard before your arrival was his.”
Indeed, Mo Lin had already recognized it — the one who had tried to intimidate him earlier outside with the aura of an Earth Rank Upper Grade demon was none other than this Silver-Winged Eagle King.
Although both were avian, the Black Eagle Pearl that Mo Lin once encountered at the Black Wind Stronghold could not be compared with the Silver-Winged Eagle King before him.
Pearl had been formidable but only of the Profound Rank, and domesticated by humans. Though she had spirit, in terms of power, presence, and sheer size, she was utterly eclipsed by this Silver-Winged Eagle King.
However, Mo Lin was no longer the same Black Python he once was.
So, in the face of the Silver-Winged Eagle King’s veiled mockery, he merely said indifferently:
“Perhaps the Mountain Lord’s eyes are simply sharp — able to recognize true talent.”
The gathered demons naturally caught the undertone of sarcasm in Mo Lin’s words.
The Mountain Lord, a tiger, had been praised for his keen eyes, while the Silver-Winged Eagle King — famed for his vision — had just admitted he saw nothing special about Mo Lin.
Was that not a blatant insult to the Eagle King?
The Silver-Winged Eagle King’s face darkened immediately.
The others, out of regard for his pride, held their tongues. Yet not all demons cared for his face.
“Pfft!”
“Hahaha! Silver Wings, you got mocked! Heeheehee!”
All had pretended not to hear Mo Lin’s jab, but now one demon had openly pointed it out. For one who considered himself the ‘King of the Skies,’ this was unbearable.
The Silver-Winged Eagle King glared fiercely at the speaker.
“Monkey, are you courting death!?”
Following the eagle’s gaze, Mo Lin saw a monkey demon, about the size of a human, hanging upside down from a branch by its tail, clapping gleefully.
And this was…?
The Mountain Lord spoke up just in time to clarify for Mo Lin:
“The Spirit Monkey — Earth Rank, Upper Grade. Agile of body, eccentric of temper.”
Mo Lin understood. Another Upper Grade.
Not surprising — any demon qualified to attend this gathering was at least Earth Rank. And for one to openly ridicule the Silver-Winged Eagle King before all, its strength could hardly be weak.
What surprised Mo Lin, however, was that the Spirit Monkey’s body size was similar to that of a human.
Among demon beasts, most preferred large bodies.
The Mountain Lord, Iron-Armored Rock Rhino, and Silver-Winged Eagle King were all towering beings — enough to scare a mortal half to death with their mere presence.
Yet the Spirit Monkey had deliberately restrained its form.
Unlike Mo Lin, who could shrink through ability, this was the monkey’s true form.
Mo Lin glanced once more at the still-laughing Spirit Monkey and quietly took note of it.
The Silver-Winged Eagle King, however, was nearly driven mad with rage—
He had forgotten the purpose of the gathering and ignored Mo Lin, the one he had originally mocked. His razor-sharp eyes locked onto the Spirit Monkey.
“Spirit Monkey, don’t push me to slap you!”
“Heeheehee!”
The Spirit Monkey released its tail, flipped gracefully in midair, and landed lightly on the ground.
It waved at the Silver-Winged Eagle King.
“Come on, Silver Wings. A demon lives but once — do what you want, don’t hold back.”
Seeing that the Silver-Winged Eagle King was about to clash with the Spirit Monkey, the other demons hurriedly intervened:
“Silver Wings, you know what the monkey’s like — don’t mind it.”
“Yeah, Silver Wings, don’t forget why we’re gathered today. Give our elder brother some face, just this once.”
“Spirit Monkey, you too — stop provoking him!”