Yabao ran upwards.
But the dense fog seemed to move as well.
Like a thin veil, the mist followed the airflow, drifting in the same direction as Yabao, all the way up.
After nearly a minute of running without breaking free from the fog, Qiao Sang patted Yabaoâs back, signaling him to stop.
Yabao understood his beast master's intent, halting mid-air and cautiously observing the surroundings.
Sitting on Yabao's back, Qiao Sang's mind raced.
So running higher wouldnât work either. Was A planning to trap her here indefinitely?
Mistshadow Ark wasnât just a general-rank beast, it was lurking in the shadowsâŠ
Might as well have Yabao launch a large-scale attack to lure it out directlyâŠ
In a normal one-on-one fight, she might not win. But once Yabao unleashed his ultimate skill, Meteor Rain, the fog would surely disperse.
Then, without the interference of the thick mist, she could summon Little Treasure. With Little Treasure, plus Yabao and Lubao, taking down a wild general-rank beast wouldnât be impossibleâŠ
The only problem was that this was a wild beast territory. If Yabao used Meteor Rain, the large-scale attack might affect other wild beasts, pulling them into the fightâŠ
Just as she was thinking about this, a Little Treasure suddenly appeared beside her.
Before it could even speak, Yabao quickly retreated, creating distance. A blinding flame suddenly flashed within the dense fog, dazzling and brilliant, shooting straight toward Little Treasure.
The moment the fire vortex burst forth, Qiao Sangâs eyes widened in shock.
"This one's real!"
"Yap Yap!"
Yabao was startled.
Luckily, Little Treasure had quick reflexes, teleporting away just in time to dodge the fiery vortex.
"Xun Xun!"
After dodging, Little Treasure reappeared, looking at Yabao with an expression of disbelief and hurt.
"Yap Yap..."
Yabao felt guilty, avoiding eye contact.
"A fake Ghost Ring Phantom approached just now. Yabao thought you were a fake too." Qiao Sang quickly explained.
"Xun Xun..."
Little Treasure showed an
Oh, I see expression
, then shook his head at Yabao with a sigh.
Yabao, big bro, you're so dumb. You can't even tell real from fake.
"Yap Yap..."
Yabao wanted to refute, but thinking about his earlier attack, he found himself speechless.
"Alright."
Qiao Sang ended the topic and said seriously, "The priority now is to lure out Mistshadow Ark. Otherwise, weâll be trapped here."
With that, she was about to instruct Yabao to unleash Meteor Rain.
"Xun Xun~"
Just then, Little Treasure raised his left paw and called out, as if presenting a great achievement.
Qiao Sang looked over and saw that Little Treasure's left paw was connected to a three-dimensional shadow control thread, extending downward, piercing through the dense fog.
Qiao Sang: !!!
"That other end⊠it's connected to Mistshadow Ark, isnât it?" Her face showed clear astonishment.
"Xun Xun~"
Little Treasure nodded.
Amazing!
Qiao Sangâs eyes lit up.
"How did you think of using shadows to latch onto it?"
"Xun Xun~"
Little Treasure, seeing his beast masterâs reaction, knew he had done something incredible. He called out smugly, looking relaxed and confident, as if to say,
Oh, I just casually did it
.
He explained that the creature was at the edge of the fog, so he linked his shadow to it, hoping to pull it along and avoid getting lost.
Having a smart pet beast was such a blessingâŠ
Qiao Sang was overjoyed, but then a thought struck her. She asked in confusion, "And it just let you attach your shadow to it?"
"Xun Xun~"
Little Treasure waved his paw dismissively. That thing was sleeping, completely unaware.
Wait...sleeping? Meaning, this fog was unconsciously released? That couldnât be rightâŠ
Qiao Sang felt something was off.
"Gang Gang!"
At that moment, the still-held Gangbao called out seriously.
Only then did Qiao Sang realize she was still holding her. She quickly loosened her grip.
"Gang Gang!"
Gangbao flapped her wings, flying to the side, her expression stern as she repeated what she had just said.
Qiao Sang was silent for a moment before asking in a strained voice, "Are you saying⊠there are two Mistshadow Ark's here?"
"Gang Gang!"
Gangbao nodded solemnly.
That explained it! No wonder Little Treasure's shadow bind didnât trigger a response, there were two of them!
This was bad. Facing one general-rank beast was already a gamble. Two? No wayâŠ
Qiao Sang didnât doubt Gangbaoâs words at all. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm.
There was still one way outâŠ
She turned to Gangbao, speaking quickly.
"Weâre leaving. Teleport us out. Iâm not sure if weâll end up back at your home, but I promise Iâll bring you back next time."
Little Treasure wasnât familiar with the terrain, and with the thick fog, he couldnât pinpoint a precise teleportation coordinate. But safety was the top priority now.
"Gang Gang!"
Gangbao nodded without hesitation.
She was always rational, she knew escaping was the best option.
Qiao Sang sighed in relief and turned to Little Treasure.
"Little Treasure-"
Just then, the dense fog surged, and a gust of wind blew Gangbaoâs hat off, sending it tumbling into the mist.
Gangbao felt the chill on her exposed head, saw the hat falling, and her pupils shrank. Instinctively, she flapped her wings and chased after it.
Qiao Sang: !!!
She was dumbfounded.
Gangbao had always been smart and cautious. How could she risk herself for a hat?
This wasnât like her at allâŠ
She had no time to think further. She quickly tried sensing Gangbaoâs position.
NothingâŠ
Qiao Sang tensed.
Unlike Little Treasure, Gangbao was still just a low-level beast. She couldnât turn invisible, teleport, or shift through space.
If she encountered Mistshadow Ark and got injured in the mist, she wouldnât even be able to recall her to the Beast Tamer CodexâŠ
Qiao Sang clenched her fists, making a swift decision.
"Yabao, Meteor Rain!"
"Yap!"
Yabao let out a loud cry, tilting his head slightly. A terrifying energy sphere shot from his mouth, soaring high into the air.
The moment its reached its peak, it exploded.
A fiery rain fell, violently tearing through the dense white fog.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amid deafening explosions, a sea of burning red emerged below.
---
"Gang GangâŠ"
Gangbao regretted it the moment she dived down.
It felt like she had been possessed, why would she chase after a hat?
She never even liked wearing it. Losing it shouldâve been a good thing.
Even if she wanted to cover her bald spot, she could just buy a new one.
Why did she chase after it�
Gangbao analyzed logically, but her flight speed didnât slow, in fact, she sped up.
Soon, she spotted a flash of lavender, the hat.
"Gang Gang!"
Her eyes brightened, accelerating as she grabbed the hat in her beak.
Suddenly, realization struck. Her body froze.
A pair of massive red eyes, several times larger than her entire body, stared at it coldly.
"Gang GangâŠ"
For a moment, Gangbao's mind went blank.
No matter how smart she was, she was still a young beast, not even a year old. She had never faced such an overwhelming presence.
Clutching the hat tightly, Gangbao felt utterly insignificant.
Then, the temperature around her spiked.
Gangbao seemed to understand.
She looked up blankly.
A massive wave of fire rained down.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Ark-!"
With the endless explosions, the once-cold red eyes turned to pain.
Gangbao's eyes lit up. She flapped her wings, trying to hide under Mistshadow Ark's enormous head.
But in the next moment, a shadow of fire swept over it.
Instantly, Gangbao found itself in a familiar, warm place.
"Are you okay?" Qiao Sang asked.
"Gang GangâŠ"
Gangbao looked up at her, dazed and dumbfounded.
Oh no⊠She might be in shock.
Qiao Sangâs heart sank.
"Little Treasure!"
Forget it, everything could wait. They had to escape!