The Thunder Swift Bird, a peak-tier beast, boasted lightning-fast speed that ranked among the top three aerial beasts of the same tier in the Yuhua Region. Its well-developed thigh muscles, agile movements, and striking appearance made it an object of admiration for many Beast Masters.
Qiao Sang stood in shock, staring at the severely injured Thunder Swift Bird before her. She could hardly believe this was the king among peak-tier flying beasts, as its form was hardly recognizable. Her body instinctively tensed at the sight. There was no doubt that such a beast, unlikely to appear on Huangming Mountain, was worth five million Alliance Coins.
Qiao Sang silently observed the two beasts before her, betraying no reaction save for her tightly clenched fists, betraying her anxiety.
One Thunder Swift Bird, one Stone Helmet Spirit, and one Silver-tailed Sea Serpent. Had these not belonged to a wanted criminal, perhaps she would have wanted to take a picture with them. But now, an unprecedented sense of danger washed over her, making her realize that this world was far more perilous than she had imagined.
From a distance, the Thunder Swift Bird caught sight of someone it had never seen before. It paused, surprised at the stance of the Fire Tooth Dog, only to feel a strange excitement welling up inside. Qiao Sang thought she saw the Thunder Swift Bird limping, dragging its injured leg as if its wounds had worsened.
It approached the Stone Helmet Spirit, glaring with sharp eyes at the Fire Tooth Dog in dissatisfaction.
“Stone Helmet!”
“Stone Helmet!”
The Stone Helmet Spirit hurriedly explained what had just transpired.
“Thunder Swift!”
In a feigned display of rage, the Thunder Swift Bird flapped its wings, but a sharp pain shot through it, causing its wings to falter halfway. Glancing at its left wing, devoid of feathers, true anger flashed across its face.
“Thunder Swift!”
The Thunder Swift Bird turned and called out ferociously at the Fire Tooth Dog, preparing to charge.
“Stone Helmet!” The Stone Helmet Spirit quickly stepped in front, alarmed.
“Thunder Swift! Thunder Swift!”
The Thunder Swift Bird looked fierce, as if ready to unleash its fury, yet its claws remained firmly in place, unwilling to advance. Qiao Sang watched the two beasts struggle, her expression perplexed.
The Stone Helmet Spirit’s concern seemed genuine, but something about the Thunder Swift Bird felt off.
If a peak-tier Thunder Swift Bird truly wanted to attack the Fire Tooth Dog, one could understand its hesitance due to its injuries. But where were its lightning skills? Were they merely for show? Did it fear that the lightning would also harm its own Beast Master?
As thoughts raced in her mind, Qiao Sang suddenly called out, “Tooth!”
It must be said that during their time together, the bond between the Fire Tooth Dog and Qiao Sang had only deepened. Hearing her voice, the Fire Tooth Dog instinctively opened its mouth, poised to bite down on the man’s neck.
“Stone Helmet!!!”
The Stone Helmet Spirit let out a deafening wail at this sight.
The Thunder Swift Bird, intrigued, turned its attention to the Fire Tooth Dog. Just as the flames on the Fire Tooth Dog’s teeth hovered dangerously close to the man’s neck, the Stone Helmet Spirit breathed a sigh of relief.
Yet the Thunder Swift Bird displayed disappointment, its anger rekindled as it yelled again at the Fire Tooth Dog, and the Stone Helmet Spirit quickly moved to block it.
Observing the contrasting reactions of the two beasts, Qiao Sang deduced that while the Thunder Swift Bird appeared furious, it was actually seeking to provoke the Fire Tooth Dog into truly biting.
Not every beast-master relationship resembled that of family or companions. Some Beast Masters treated their beasts purely as tools for profit, ruthlessly squeezing them for gain. If a less experienced Beast Master failed to bond with their beast, it was entirely possible for a hot-tempered beast to choose to dissolve the contract, even at the cost of injury.
However, the higher-level Beast Masters, who developed their Brain Domain and possessed strong Beastmaster Codexes, ensured their beasts could not easily escape their contracts, even if the beasts were harmed. Once a Beast Master awakened their Codex to three pages, equivalent to a D-tier Beast Master, the beast they contracted was sealed into a lifelong agreement, with no chance of cancellation unless the beast's level drastically surpassed that of the Beast Master.
But such occurrences were unlikely. High-level beasts not yet contracted were typically found in secret realms; they had matured enough in thought that unless overpowered, no contracts could be made.
Only a Beast Master strong enough could contract such high-level beasts. Yet even if a contract was established through sheer force, the beasts might still resist. A beast raised from a young age could easily diverge from its master due to various reasons.
Thus, it was common for Beast Masters, even at the A-tier level, to prefer contracting low-tier beasts to nurture them over time. But a certain group of people dared to tread a different path. They took risks by contracting high-level beasts to quickly increase their strength.
Qiao Sang surmised that five million might very well be one of those.
The Thunder Swift Bird clearly exhibited a difference in behavior compared to the Stone Helmet Spirit. If the Stone Helmet Spirit had been contracted as a low-tier beast, while the Thunder Swift Bird was contracted after achieving high status, everything began to make sense.
The Thunder Swift Bird, unwilling to break its contract even at the risk of backlash, might be trying to leverage an attack to cause the contract to dissolve.
Feeling clearer-minded, Qiao Sang relaxed slightly as she glanced at the two struggling beasts. “You both better not start fighting. If you scare me, I’ll have the Fire Tooth Dog snap your Beast Master's neck.”
For a moment, the Thunder Swift Bird froze in surprise at her words, only to get ready to charge forward again, displaying its fury.
“Stone Helmet!”
The Stone Helmet Spirit once again sprang up to block the path.
This time, the Thunder Swift Bird manipulated the situation differently.
It raised its head to the sky and let out a long cry, and suddenly a fierce lightning bolt descended from above, striking the ground where the Stone Helmet Spirit had been just moments before.
The Stone Helmet Spirit, startled, quickly dodged out of the way, but the lightning struck the ground with ruthless force, leaving a deep pit in its wake. Re-emerging behind the Thunder Swift Bird, the Stone Helmet Spirit was filled with indignation.
“Stone Helmet! Stone Helmet!”
It angrily reprimanded the Thunder Swift Bird, as its master had forbidden it from unleashing skills haphazardly on the mountain; arbitrary lightning would attract unwanted attention. The audacity of that despicable human had just uttered such words, and yet the Thunder Swift Bird acted so recklessly.
This was clearly intentional!
The Stone Helmet Spirit seethed in anger but refrained from retaliating. The Thunder Swift Bird, its eyes glinting, spotted Qiao Sang and waved its good wing in her direction.
In an instant, a lightning sphere about twenty centimeters in diameter condensed in the air.
Qiao Sang’s heart lurched, and she decisively turned to run behind the man, using him as a shield.
Seeing this, the Thunder Swift Bird twisted its mouth in annoyance and redirected its lightning sphere toward the Stone Helmet Spirit.
“Stone Helmet!!”
This sudden change in direction was too quick for the Stone Helmet Spirit to prepare, and it bore the brunt of the attack.
Though the Thunder Swift Bird wasn’t at its full strength, the power behind its lightning was real, cracking the Stone Helmet Spirit’s helmet with a deep fissure.
“Stone Helmet!!!”
The Stone Helmet Spirit reached up to touch the crack, then let out a heart-wrenching wail.
Filled with rage, it glared at the Thunder Swift Bird, extending its right claw forward as a dark shadow sphere formed in its grasp.
“Stone Helmet!”
“Thunder Swift!”
Qiao Sang couldn't help but sigh while watching the two energetic figures mercilessly unleashing their powers. Truly, without a Beast Master, beasts were like a scattered bunch of sand...
…
P.S.: A new month, thanks to Luo Yu Mo Ran for the reward!
Don’t be bothered by the length of the plot; it will wrap up tomorrow…
(End of chapter)