At the top of the tower, in the grand hall, six great figures were discussing matters of humanity’s very survival. A similar scene was playing out in every other major city across the Dongxia Federation.
Far below, Li Qian knew none of this. He was sprinting for his life, fleeing toward the city. He didn’t look completely wretched, but he was certainly a far cry from graceful.
In truth, his composure had largely returned compared to when he first saw the colossal wave bearing down on him.
This change of heart was mainly due to new developments in the battle out at sea.
The battle was progressing just as Li Qian had anticipated. Before humanity’s meticulously raised Pet Beasts, the three wild ones were simply no match.
Before long, they were being thoroughly overwhelmed. The Sharp-beaked Howling Shark, in particular, was in a wretched state. A section of its sharp dorsal fin had been snapped off, and it was bleeding profusely from the significant injury.
Its opponent was none other than the Natural Spirit.
Even with the terrain working against it, the Natural Spirit was still the most formidable combatant of the three.
It unleashed a wide array of Wood Skills with a mastery that could only be described as flawless.
Even though offense wasn’t its specialty, its attacks were more than the Sharp-beaked Howling Shark could handle.
Next was the Cloud Whale Beast, facing the Plasma Throne. The latter also had the upper hand, sending down massive bolts of lightning that made the whale cry out in misery.
It was reduced to pure defense, unable to pose any real threat to the Plasma Throne.
Finally, there was the Azure Dragon Turtle. As a turtle-type Pet Beast, its shell gave it defensive capabilities far exceeding those of the Sharp-beaked Howling Shark and the Cloud Whale Beast.
Furthermore, its opponent, Hai Qiya, was also a Water-type Pet Beast, meaning most of its attacks were also Water Element. While it could still suppress the Azure Dragon Turtle, it posed a much smaller threat.
The three Emperor-level Pet Beasts, clearly belonging to human Beast Masters, were easily overwhelming their three wild counterparts.
Seeing this, Li Qian knew his safety was no longer a concern. He slowed his pace, glancing back over his shoulder as he continued his retreat, a faint doubt rising in his mind.
’Logically, any Pet Beast, whether contracted to a human Beast Master or wild, should have considerable intelligence by the time it reaches the Emperor Level. So why are these three wild Emperor-level Pet Beasts attacking so stubbornly when they must know it’s completely futile?’
It was truly bizarre. Li Qian suspected there had to be some hidden reason, but considering his own limited strength, he decided not to dwell on it.
’Secret or no secret, it’s not something I’m in a position to think about right now.’
Having come to this conclusion, he continued to retreat into the city, his pace slower but not stopping.
He ignored the foolhardy citizens and tourists who were sneaking closer to watch, deciding that of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing was indeed the best.
Only after he was deep inside the city, about a kilometer from the beach, did he finally stop.
Without hesitation, he summoned Qizai. The beast carried him high into the sky, giving him a bird’s-eye view of the battle.
Once in the air, his view became completely unobstructed. Li Qian glanced around and discovered that quite a few other Beast Masters had the same idea, riding their own Flying Pet Beasts to watch the fight.
Even in this environment, the appearance of Li Qian and Qizai drew more than a few stares.
There was no helping it; a Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon was just that conspicuous. Thankfully, the more thrilling and intense battle below commanded their attention, and it wasn’t long before their gazes returned to the action.
Near the coast, the battle raged on. Li Qian, like the many other spectators, settled in to watch with great interest.
The tide of battle hadn’t shifted; the three meticulously raised Emperor-level Pet Beasts were still soundly thrashing their wild counterparts.
Li Qian watched with rapt attention. He had a nagging feeling this one-sided situation wouldn’t last.
’The three wild Emperor-level Pet Beasts aren’t idiots,’ he thought. ’Knowing they’re outmatched, they won’t just stay here and fight to the death.’
As it turned out, he was right. Shortly after, with their defeat all but certain, the three wild Emperor-level Pet Beasts chose to retreat.
"Thinking of retreating now? Isn’t that a bit of wishful thinking!" At the top of the tower, the little old man in a tank top and shorts sensed something. He glanced outside and let out a derisive scoff.
As the thought crossed his mind, Hai Qiya shot through the water in pursuit, its speed far surpassing that of the Cloud Whale Beast.
So, the Emperor-level Hai Qiya was his Pet Beast!
At the same time, the old woman, Shi Yulian, also sensed the fleeing enemies. She snorted coldly. "This isn’t a place you brutes can just come and go as you please."
As her voice fell, the Plasma Throne in the sky let out a piercing Cry as even more massive bolts of lightning, like divine retribution, came rumbling down.
Without a doubt, the Plasma Throne was her Pet Beast.
"Lilith, we can’t be outdone." The elegant middle-aged man, sensing the shift in his two old friends’ moods, allowed a faint smile to grace his own lips.
His voice was quiet, gentle even, but the words had barely left his lips when the Natural Spirit, beating its translucent wings, suddenly brandished its Magic Staff.
With a swing of the staff, blazing orbs of light materialized and shot forth at speeds nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.
There were countless orbs, densely packed together, raining down like a hailstorm and leaving the ordinary Beast Masters below utterly stunned.
’To unleash so many Energy Balls at once... and each one looks incredibly powerful. A Skill that terrifying, with such a wide area of effect... it’s impossible to dodge.’
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!...
The dense barrage of Energy Balls rained down, slamming into the Sharp-beaked Howling Shark all at once and forcing a pained, agonizing howl from its throat.
The sound was so piercingly sharp that some of the citizens and tourists, who were still too close, couldn’t help but cover their ears.
Li Qian was far enough away to be unaffected. He looked at the unfortunate bystanders below and couldn’t help shaking his head. ’If you want to watch the show, you’d better have the strength to handle the consequences.’
BOOM!
When the barrage of Energy Balls finally ceased, the Sharp-beaked Howling Shark was sent flying, crashing into the sea in the distance.
Li Qian saw its condition and knew that to call it ’wretched’ would be a massive understatement.
Its body was a ruin of bloodstains. In some places, its skin was split open to reveal raw flesh; in others, the wounds were deep enough to expose bone; and entire sections were charred black as coal.
If not for the astonishing Life Energy of an Emperor-level Pet Beast, it would have been long dead.