# Chapter 374: The Celestial Eagles' Mutiny

Beyond the Bai Mountain range, further to the west, stretched the endless expanse of Xi Ling — a vast sweep of rolling peaks and ancient valleys wearing their primordial face, with mountains that soared to the clouds and trees whose canopies had stood for centuries.

For a long time, Xi Ling had been an absolute no-fly zone. Even aircraft routes were diverted around it — all because of the massive flock of White Demon Eagles that made their home there.

White Demon Eagles were notoriously fierce, with an almost fanatical drive to defend their Domain. Anything that crossed their airspace — be it a Commander-class creature or even a Sovereign — would be swarmed on the instant, with no quarter given until one side lay dead. Even a stray demon sparrow that wandered too close would meet the same hostility.

Ferocious and tightly unified, they were the single greatest threat on Hangzhou's western flank.

Close as they lived to human territory, however, they had shown no signs of aggression in decades — as if, so long as no one encroached on their lands, they were perfectly content to keep to themselves.

Over the years, the Western Fortress had gradually lowered its guard against the White Demon Eagles, nearly mistaking them for a harmless flock. Then Hangzhou's plague broke out, and the White Demon Eagles chose exactly that moment to strike.

At the Western Fortress, Military Mages had formed square formation after square formation, standing atop hastily erected stone combat towers and watching the horizon where creatures swarmed like a dense wall of white clouds rolling toward them...

Honestly, it had been years since any of them had seen this many Demon-Beasts breach human territory.

"Move out — follow me and take the fight to the skies." A Military Commander who looked strikingly young swept his arm out, ordering every last one of his men to mount their Celestial Eagles.

White Demon Eagles weren't exceptionally high-ranked, but their greatest advantage was simple: they flew. Ground-based Mages couldn't touch them.

Airborne assaults on cities had always been the hardest to repel. Fortunately, the Western Fortress maintained a permanent garrison of elite Military Mages, with a large contingent of Celestial Eagles kept on standby at all times — the Mages could mount them and intercept the White Demon Eagles mid-air before they reached the walls.

"Haven't had a good fight in ages." A junior officer licked his lips, looking almost hungry for blood.

"On my order — take off!!" The young Military Commander's command rang out.

Every officer sat squarely astride their Celestial Eagle and issued the command to their mounts.

But something completely unexpected happened.

Every single Celestial Eagle stood motionless. Not one spread its wings.

Under normal circumstances, a command meant instant takeoff. These Celestial Eagles had been tamed over long years by Mind Element Mages — outside of direct combat, they were absolutely obedient to their handlers.

"Get the beast tamer over here — what in the hell is wrong with these eagles?!" the Military Commander snapped, frustration bleeding into his voice.

They were battle-ready, poised to launch into the sky and tear into the Demon-Beasts threatening Hangzhou — yet the Celestial Eagles stood as if they'd all agreed beforehand, not a single one willing to move.

"Commander, sir — you needed me?" A beast tamer arrived at a jog, still straightening his uniform.

"Take a look at these Celestial Eagles and tell me why they won't follow orders," the Military Commander said.

The beast tamer stepped up beside one of the eagles, laid a gentle hand against its flank, and closed his eyes — quietly reaching into the creature's state of mind.

After a moment, he opened his eyes. He glanced toward the white shapes sweeping across the horizon, and something seemed to click. "They're afraid."

"Afraid of what?" the Military Commander shot back.

"Celestial Eagles and White Demon Eagles belong to the same eagle-demon Clan. No matter how thoroughly we've tamed them, their blood is still eagle-demon blood at its core. The presence of the White Demon Eagle Clan is crushing any will to resist..."

"Worthless creatures," the Military Commander snarled.

"No matter how thoroughly we tame Celestial Eagles, they can't escape the laws of nature. And moreover—" The beast tamer was stroking one eagle whose eyes still flickered with a faint, stubborn defiance. The words died on his lips.

Then, without warning, the color drained from the beast tamer's face. He'd felt something terrible surge through the eagle beneath his hand, and his gaze snapped to the approaching horde with an expression of pure disbelief.

"Moreover what? Say it plainly!" The young Military Commander had run out of patience.

Without Celestial Eagles in the fight, how many Mages in the entire garrison could even fly?

This was a serious problem.

"The moment a single Commander-class Four-Claw Demon Eagle appears, our entire aerial combat capability collapses. Celestial Eagles simply will not face a Four-Claw."

"I don't need the commentary," the young Military Commander cut in. "If our air forces are crippled, the enemy flies straight over our lines and into the city."

The beast tamer's eyes were still shadowed with unease. He shook his head and glanced again at the restless eagle beside him.

That eagle's eyes had shifted from their usual docile black to a burning, bloodshot red. It beat its wings in frantic rhythmic bursts — not to rise into battle, but to fling the rider from its back.

**KRAAAA—!!**

**KRAAAA—!!**

All at once, every Celestial Eagle erupted in frenzied cries, eyes locked on the swarm bearing down from the horizon — as if answering the call of some distant Sovereign.

"What's happening?!"

"My eagle won't respond!"

"Mine either!"

Wings hammered the air in wild, lurching strokes. The Celestial Eagles writhed and thrashed, straining against the temporary chains fastened to their legs — the only thing keeping them from launching themselves skyward on their own.

"Mutiny — they're going to mutiny!!" a veteran officer shouted.

"What?!" The young Military Commander swept a glance across the scene. The Celestial Eagles' eyes had changed completely — defiant, savage, with something that looked unmistakably like hatred toward every human around them.

"This is catastrophic!!" The beast tamer had lost all control of the situation.

"Someone explain what is happening right now!!" the young Military Commander bellowed.

Celestial Eagles were creatures of obedience. This open defiance made no sense.

"I told you — if a Commander-class Four-Claw Demon Eagle appears, every Celestial Eagle of the same subspecies with inferior bloodline will be paralyzed by fear and unable to face it. But if a Sovereign-class eagle appears..." The beast tamer's face had gone the color of ash. "Under a Sovereign's aura, they don't just freeze. They **mutiny**!!"

A Sovereign-class creature!!

The Military Commander, who moments ago had radiated confidence, went utterly still.

A Sovereign-class creature. There was actually a Sovereign-class creature out there.

"Kill them — kill all the Celestial Eagles, now! If you wait, every one of them will turn! These creatures have no way to resist a Sovereign's dominance!!" the beast tamer cried in a frantic rush.

The other officers stood frozen.

That a Sovereign-class creature could inspire this degree of terror — enough to turn Celestial Eagles raised from hatchlings under military discipline, creatures that had obeyed orders like soldiers their entire lives, into enemies...

"What are you all standing there for?! Do you want this fortress destroyed?! Kill those eagles before they fully turn!!" The beast tamer erupted when he saw the officers hesitate, mercy and desperate hope warring on their faces.

"Kill them. Do it now." The young Military Commander bit down hard, and gave the order — brutal, final, and utterly without alternative.