"Interesting," Yu Huantian hissed, flapping his wings as he attacked from above, its claws striking the rock giant's body.

Again, it did nothing to the rock giant.

The rock giant scratched its head. "Just what are these fellows trying to do?"

Zhang Lie shrugged. "Trying to attack you, it looks like."

The rock giant reared back in shock. "What? This is an attack? I thought they were just helping me scratch an itch!"

Zhang Lie shook his head. "Don't say that—it'll upset the poor fellows!"

Yu Huantian snarled in thunderous rage. He turned toward his trembling kin and shouted, "What are you waiting for? Can't you see I'm being attacked? Help!"

Zhang Lie turned his head and asked, "Did you attack him?"

The rock giant slowly replied, "Why would I attack him?"

A gray crag eagle mumbled feebly, "But that's a rock monster you're attacking!"

A white-gray crag eagle added, "Furthermore, it doesn't look like he's attacking you..."

Yu Huantian puffed up, and his beady eyes seemed to pierce through the other crag eagles. "Get down here and help me!"

As the crag eagles finally took the offensive, filling the sky with a flurry of wings and feathers, the rock giant raised its arms to shield Zhang Lie.

Now that they were indiscriminately attacking Zhang Lie as well, he wouldn't stand still any longer. Zhang Lie raised his arms to the sky, and the image of a dragonturtle appeared before him. The two gravity-controlling tablets appeared by either side of the flock of crag eagles, twisting the local effect of gravity around the flock.

The crag eagles who were swooping down from the air reacted to the changing gravity with panic.

"What's this?!" They were unable to maintain their balance and kept on crashing into each other in mid-air, until the entire flock seemed to drop to the ground dazed.

The rock giant praised Zhang Lie, "As expected of our lord, to be able to deal with an entire flock of crag eagles in one fell swoop!"

Yu Huantian thundered, "You vicious rock monster! How could you defeat all my companions at once!"

Zhang Lie pointed at the lone crag eagle remaining in the sky. "This fellow's like a mosquito. Can you knock him down?"

"Of course."

The rock giant picked up a rock on the ground and sent it flying toward the air, so quickly it could easily have been a projectile from a missile launcher. Yu Huantian barely avoided the attack thanks to his reflexes, but his eyes were filled with fear. Had he been just a bit slower to react, he would have been struck down.

Zhang Lie sighed. "You missed him by just a bit. Continue!"

Yu Huantian wasn't a complete fool. Knowing that he was no match for the rock giant, he flew higher up into the sky and let out a long screech, one which echoed throughout Mt. Wanren.

The rock giant asked, "Do I still need to strike him down?"

Zhang Lie reclaimed the two runic tablets from the sky. "There's no need. We just need to find people we can talk to and who will listen to us."

A flock of crag eagles again appeared in mid-air. In their midst was another black-winged crag eagle, a long ribbon of black cloth tethered to his waist. The black-winged crag eagle looked at Yu Huantian, then at the crag eagles that were lying dazed on the ground.

"How long has it been since the last rock monster was sighted here? For what reason have you approached Mt. Wanren once more? Do you want to kick us while we're down and destroy us once and for all?"

The rock giant called out, "First, I'm not a 'rock monster', and second, I'm not the one who has an interest in you. My lord is."

Zhang Lie leapt up to the head of the rock giant. "Everyone, I have a question for all of you!"