Chapter 165: Simultaneous Release

Qiao Sang was deep in thought, strategizing.

The terrifying and eerie nature of ghost-type beasts was well-known. As long as they remained invisible, without proper countermeasures, they were almost invincible among lower-tier beasts.

The counters to ghost-types were dark-types and other ghost-types.

Dark-types dealt double damage to ghost-types, while ghost-types were a unique attribute that both countered and were countered by themselves.

Unless a beast had overwhelming strength or specific countering skills, it was tough to defeat them.

The fact that they could disappear and reappear at will was enough to make anyone's head spin.

“Shouldn’t we take this chance to leave while it’s not around?” Fang Sisi nervously glanced around, terrified that the Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada might reappear at any moment.

“Do you really think a ghost-type beast that actively attacks humans and has the upper hand in battle would suddenly leave?” Qiao Sang replied with a serious expression.

Fang Sisi hesitated.

“Well… maybe it had something urgent come up at home?”

Qiao Sang stared at her with clear eyes until Fang Sisi, growing more uneasy, finally averted her gaze and nervously scanned the surroundings again.

“So, what do we do now?” Fang Sisi asked in a low voice.

“We do need to leave, but we must move carefully.” Qiao Sang said seriously.

“You go in front, I’ll stay behind. Let Yabao’s clones surround us as we move forward. If the Three-Eyed Ghost Cicada suddenly appears, I’ll hold it off while you run. Once you're outside, call for help.”

Fang Sisi was stunned at first, then tears welled up in her eyes.

She said, touched, “How could I leave you here alone? We should leave togeth—”

Before she could finish, Qiao Sang interrupted, “Or do you want to stay behind, and I’ll go get help for you?”

Fang Sisi: …

“Then… Jo-Jo-Jo-Qiao Sang…” Fang Sisi’s voice suddenly turned stiff, her eyes darting toward something behind Qiao Sang as she tried to signal her with an awkward expression.

Qiao Sang’s heart skipped a beat. She was just about to turn around when her body was suddenly lifted by an unseen force, moving through the air.

She turned her head and saw that Yabao had grabbed her by the mouth and was running toward the top of the waterway.

He scared her half to death; she thought it was the Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada. Qiao Sang breathed a sigh of relief.

Boom!!

At that moment, a loud explosion erupted behind her.

At the same time, Yabao stopped mid-air in the sewer and swung Qiao Sang onto his back, placing her securely in position, just in time for her to see the source of the loud noise.

Qiao Sang’s face paled, her lips turning slightly white.

A large crater had formed in the spot where she had been standing. If Yabao hadn’t grabbed her in time, she might not have died on the spot, but she’d definitely be spending the next couple of weeks in intensive care.

Hovering above the crater was the Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada, flapping its wings ominously.

Qiao Sang’s heart raced with fear.

Were wild beasts always this brutal?

No wonder the internet warned that entering secret realms was dangerous. Without a Beastmaster rank of at least D, one shouldn’t even consider it.

Wild beasts had no qualms about attacking humans...

Qiao Sang glanced at Fang Sisi, who was staring at her in shock. She patted Yabao’s back and said, “Use telekinesis to bring her up.”

She felt a little helpless.

This idiot, on the one hand, she had the sense to scream and run when she saw a ghost-type beast.

But on the other hand, she was standing less than a meter away from the Three-Eyed Ghost Cicada, staring blankly at it.

“Yap.”

At his Beastmaster’s command, Yabao’s eyes glowed blue.

In the next second, the Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada was lifted by telekinesis to hover at the same height as Yabao in mid-air.

Qiao Sang: ...!

Where was their coordination?

Hadn’t they developed a near-telepathic bond after Yabao evolved into a Flame Hound?

Qiao Sang quickly regained her composure. Even though the target wasn’t who she had in mind, this was still an opportunity.

“Keep spinning it in circles!”

Telekinesis controlling the Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada was unexpected, but after much skill training, Yabao’s proficiency in telekinesis had reached a high level.

Even though the Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada was a rank higher, once caught in the telekinetic hold, it couldn’t easily break free.

“Cicicicici…”

The Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada, trapped in the telekinesis, spun in circles, quickly becoming dizzy.

It fought to suppress the disorientation, gathering energy to launch a Shadow Ball at Yabao.

But due to the spinning, the Shadow Ball missed its mark, striking the cement above instead.

Unlike the ceiling that had resisted earlier attacks, this time, the Shadow Ball caused debris to rain down.

A large chunk of cement hurtled toward Qiao Sang’s back, forcing Yabao to instinctively shift to the side.

That small movement allowed the Three-Eyed Ghost Cicada to break free from the telekinesis.

“Ember!”

Qiao Sang had been keeping a close eye on the Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada and issued the command just in time.

A ball of flame, over 20 centimeters in diameter, appeared in Yabao’s mouth.

In the next moment, the flame, as though it had a life of its own, accurately struck the Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada.

“Cicada!!!”

The Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada crashed to the ground.

Qiao Sang wasn’t surprised that the attack had hit. If the beast hadn’t been spinning in circles from the telekinesis, the Ember probably wouldn’t have landed on such a fast-reacting opponent.

But now, the Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada was dizzy and disoriented, making it an easy target.

The Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada didn’t get up right away after being struck by the flame. One reason was that the mastery of the Ember technique far exceeded the power of an ordinary mid-tier skill.

The other reason was its small size. Though its attack power was strong, and it was faster than most high-tier beasts, its small size made its defense relatively weak.

“Ember…” Qiao Sang was about to call for a follow-up attack with an Ember Storm but stopped when she saw a chunk of debris fall from above.

For some reason, the ceiling of the chamber seemed to have reverted to normal, breaking apart after being hit by the Shadow Ball.

Qiao Sang hesitated, but Yabao didn’t.

The moment the Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada fell, Yabao summoned his clones, surrounding the creature.

Fifteen Yabao clones prepared to launch simultaneous Ember attacks.

But just then, a Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada suddenly appeared behind Qiao Sang, gathering a Shadow Ball in its mouth.

Yabao’s sharp ears twitched, and he quickly turned, changing direction.

Realizing what the Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada intended, Yabao’s mind raced. Fueled by a surge of determination, it emitted a brilliant blue light.

The surrounding air currents swirled, and an invisible force crushed the Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada still gathering the Shadow Ball, slamming it down into the water below.

Thud!!

The phantom cicada didn’t even struggle as it hit the water and dissipated.

It was a clone!

Boom!!!

At that exact moment, a loud explosion echoed through the chamber.

Qiao Sang hadn’t even recovered from the shock of nearly being attacked again. Hearing the noise, she instinctively turned her head.

A Three-Eyed Phantom Cicada lay unconscious on the ground, surrounded by Yabao’s fifteen clones.

Qiao Sang stared in disbelief, her heart racing.

“Did… did we do it?!”

Had Yabao really succeeded in simultaneously releasing different skills for both the original and the clones?!