“Ning’er, we can’t just interfere in a battle of 6th level spiritual beasts!”
Xue Ningxiang felt regret the moment she spoke up. Over these few months, Xie Tianyang never refused any of her wishes.
“Ignoring the fact that our strength is not nearly enough, just from how fiercely these 6th level spiritual beasts are clashing, one can tell it is not over food, but territory. You couldn’t interfere even if they were people, not knowing who is wrong or right! We can’t just risk our lives for them.”
Zhuo Fan lifted an eyebrow as he gave Xie Tianyang a deeper look.
[In the end, he comes from the seven houses and knows what battles between great powers implies. If I didn’t need the Thunder Skylark so badly, I wouldn’t get involved either.]
“But…”
Xue Ningxiang’s expression was filled with worry, “But that birdie isn’t fighting over territory, it’s to protect her young…”
Zhuo Fan looked again and saw a nest below the Thunder Skylark holding five huge eggs.
Flaming Lion King was powerful enough, but the Thunder Skylark’s speed was astonishing. It could leave just like that if it wanted to, but the lion king caught it between a rock and a hard place, battering it again and again until it was filled with wounds all because it was worried about harming her eggs.
Now that Zhuo Fan got the whole picture, he hatched a plan to help the Thunder Skylark.
“She is one big mother.” Zhuo Fan sighed, “Ning’er, worry not. See how I get that birdie out of trouble.”
Xue Ningxiang became overjoyed while Xie Tianyang was skeptical, “Hypocrite, since when were you so selfless?”
[This guy has a callous heart and betrays his friends at a drop of the hat. Since when did he start sticking his head out for someone else, a savage beast no less?]
“Oh, Xie Tianyang, how can you understand me? I am in fact a man with love in his heart. Wait for a bit, I will need your help soon.”
“Screw you! If you have love, I’m a saint!” Xie Tianyang retorted in derision, but then he said in shock, “I got it. You want the Thunder Skylark!”
Zhuo Fan perked an eyebrow and nodded, “Ha-ha-ha, you’ve started using your head more since teaming up with me.”
“Curses! I almost got used by you, again.” Xie Tianyang spat, “If you want to get the Thunder Skylark, leave me out of it.”
Zhuo Fan shrugged then gave Xue Ningxiang a long look.
Xue Ningxiang nodded and showed her doe eyes as she shook Xie Tianyang’s arm, “Big brother Xie, go with big brother Zhuo. The birdie and her young are so pitiful!”
Xie Tianyang felt like crying.
[The birdie is pitiful? One flap from it will tear me apart. Why aren’t you feeling sorry for me?]
Lacking any choice in the matter, Xie Tianyang nodded. He was still feeling guilty for what happened to Xue Ningxiang and would agree to any of her requests.
At his nod, Xue Ningxiang exploded into a sparkling smile and Zhuo Fan grinned at the side.
“Zhuo Fan, watch it. If you throw me away, I will make you pay!” Xie Tianyang glared but Zhuo Fan just shook his head, “Take it easy, when I use someone I make sure they won’t ever get the chance to come back to bite me.”
“What?” Xie Tianyang exclaimed.
Zhuo Fan just laughed and patted his shoulder. After warning Xue Ningxiang to hide and not get discovered, Zhuo Fan and Xie Tianyang sneaked towards the eggs.
The two were able to sneak thanks to the Energy Concealing Pill. As the beasts raged, lightning and flames collided, rocking the valley like a boat.
Zhuo Fan and Xie Tianyang crept up cautiously below the raging storm. Each time the boom drew closer, it gripped their hearts in a vise and soaked their brows with sweat.
One stray fireball or lightning could become the end for them both.
Luckily enough, they reached the eggs without a scratch. Below the Thunder Skylark, it was both the most dangerous and safest place.
“What now?” Xie Tianyang looked above at the flashing figures engaged in a fierce battle.
Zhuo Fan explained his plan with a smile, “While the Thunder Skylark isn’t paying attention we will hide the eggs. When it finds out that its eggs are gone, it will no longer fight and rush to search for its young. Since it is faster than the lion, we will thus save its life.”
“Good plan!” Xie Tianyang spoke in a low voice and gave him a thumbs up.
Zhuo Fan then indicated to lift the nest together.
While the heavens were swept by a storm, two bandits were making away with the entire nest from right under everyone’s noses.
Seeing this, Xue Ningxiang sported a wide smile.
Suddenly, Flaming Lion King gained altitude, breaking away from the bird while the Thunder Skylark kept a closer eye on its movements.
As Zhuo Fan was carrying the nest, he found that the shadows on the ground were much bigger and that the sky had turned silent. Startled, he stopped and looked up.
He was met with the large eyes of the Flaming Lion King. He also noticed that the lion’s eyes were ridiculing him.
Zhuo Fan shouted in panic, “That savage found us, run.”
“But the eggs…” Xie Tianyang was nervous.
“What eggs, just throw them.”
Ignoring Xie Tianyang, Zhuo Fan tossed the nest and the five eggs to the ground. Since they were spiritual beast eggs, they wouldn’t break so easily.
Startled by Zhuo Fan’s yell, the Thunder Skylark looked in time to see her five young thrown on the ground and rushed in anger.
Boom!
Then, a ball of fire passed close to the Thunder Skylark. The Flaming Lion King wasn’t aiming for it but the five eggs.
With a cry, the Thunder Skylark flew like lightning and used her body to block the fireball.
Zhuo Fan let out a mental sigh. Not for Thunder Skylark’s sacrifice, but the lion’s cunningness.
It knew that the Thunder Skylark was fast as lightning which proved it difficult to land a heavy blow. But those eggs couldn’t move and were the perfect means to cripple the Thunder Skylark’s speed.
Attacking what one defended was the best plan!
The Flaming Lion King laughed in glee and spat another ball of flame.
Thunder Skylark used her lightning to stop it but, with the eggs scattered, another ball of fire was closing in on another egg. Thus she was forced to fly all over to defend them.
The Flaming Lion King, which was hovering above, roared and sneered.
“We made it worse! We hastened the Thunder Skylark’s end.” Darting back to Xue Ningxiang, Zhuo Fan sighed. Despite not liking it, he spoke with determination, “Let’s go. If we wait for Thunder Skylark to die, the crazy lion will come after us.”
Zhuo Fan and Xie Tianyang grabbed Xue Ningxiang’s arm, but she stood rooted to the spot, watching the Thunder Skylark darting to and fro as tears fell down her cheeks.
Zhuo Fan sighed, he had no way to help the bird now.
“Let it go Ning’er. We need to leave!” Zhuo Fan furrowed his brows and urged, but Xue Ningxiang shook her head.
Boom!
After fending off two dozen fireballs, the Thunder Skylark let out a mournful cry and fell tired and wounded in a large crater.
The Flaming Lion King charged with its claw aiming for the bird’s throat.
“No!”
Xue Ningxiang broke away from the two’s grasp and rushed to defend the Thunder Skylark. The cold wind from Flaming Lion King’s attack fanned her fine black hair. But her eyes remained unwavering.
Zhuo Fan and Xie Tianyang rushed over, alarmed.
Both forgot that they would soon be two more corpses added to the pile, that it wouldn’t make a difference. Even Zhuo Fan lost his calculative mind.
The three only knew to not abandon the other!
“Ning’er, I will accompany you in death!” Xie Tianyang roared as he threw himself in front of her.
Zhuo Fan flashed in front of the two but his eyes were fixed on the Flaming Lion King.
He was the Demonic Emperor. Even in death, he would stare down his enemy.
[Dumb humans, your flesh won’t stop this king’s claw!]
The Flaming Lion King opened its mouth and sneered. As its claw drew close, its killing intent made the trio shiver.
But just when the claw was about to touch Zhuo Fan’s face…
An azure flame came out of Zhuo Fan’s forehead and a shocking power shrouded the entire Allbeast Mountain Range. The spiritual beasts were left shivering and lowered their proud heads.
Even those fighting bent their knees.
Flaming Lion King stopped its claw and watched the swaying flame as it trembled in fear…