Roar!
Flaming Lion King's roar grated ears as it showed its dominance. The six 5th level spiritual beasts had long stopped to watch.
You Yushan's group's spiritual beasts bent a knee and bowed their heads before the mighty lion king. While on Chu Qingcheng's side, their spiritual beasts knew when they were overpowered and shuddered as they inched backward again and again.
It only worked to further let arrogance get to Flaming Lion King's head, showing a scornful smile. It escaped his notice or, better yet, it brushed off Qiao'er's existence entirely.
And it went the same for the other six spiritual beasts.
What could a 4th level spiritual beast possibly do in this hopeless situation?
Chu Qingcheng's side's spiritual beasts were vexed. [It makes no difference even if you come, fowl. You're dead anyway.] While the enemy's beasts looked on with mockery.
Chu Qingcheng's faction was plunged deeper in despair. If the purple Thunder Skylark instilled a trickle of hope earlier, it was now thoroughly squashed.
A spiritual beast's senses were accurate. If they looked down on the chick, then it was clearly worthless…
Shriek~
Not that Qiao'er cared what any of them thought of it. It only had eyes for Flaming Lion King. It cried from behind to call out the lion king with a gaze burning with hatred and thirst for battle.
Flaming Lion King swished his head back, glaring at Qiao'er, itching to eat it and quench its anger.
[You dare challenge me?]
Qiao'er's plumes flickered and purple sparks traveled all over it. If that wasn't clear enough, then the thick bloodthirst made it abundantly obvious it wanted the lion king's head on a platter.
The lion king was royally pissed when Qiao'er didn't stop its cries.
[You wretched and filthy whelp, no Thunder Skylark can match me, but you, a chick, thinks it can? For you to challenge my authority, the punishment is death.]
Roar!
With another angry roar, Flaming Lion King started showing its violent side. The frightened six spiritual beasts were already meek, not even squawking. Qiao'er was the only exception, its eyes were fixed on the bronze lion and its screeches never stopped taunting it.
The fully incensed Flaming Lion King opened its maw and spewed a three meter big fireball.
Not even a Profound Heaven expert could block such a blow. He'd be turned to ashes.
Everyone watched on edge, worried for the Thunder Skylark's fate. Xue Ningxiang was panicking, turning to Xie Tianyang, "Brother Tianyang, big brother Zhuo's bird looks so pitiful. Please save it!"
Ugh!
Cold sweat filled the silent Xie Tianyang. He turned to the unbearably naive Xue Ningxiang with an aggrieved look, "Ning'er, if the bird is pitiful, I am even more so! Have you forgotten our time in Allbeast Mountain Range, of the fight between Flaming Lion King and Thunder Skylark? Now you are asking me to save a 4th level spiritual beast when I am nowhere near as strong as a 6th level spiritual beast?"
"But… it's just so pitiful!" Xue Ningxiang was saddened.
Xie Tianyang shook his head, "Blame Zhuo Fan. He knows it too yet insists on sending it to its death."
His words got nods from all around him, puzzled as to why Zhuo Fan took this reckless course of action.
Zhuo Fan himself tightened his fists from worry. [Qiao'er, you are the embodiment of lightning and faster than Flaming Lion King. You must dodge!]
Huangpu Qingtian snickered, "You must be thinking Flaming Lion King can't catch up to Thunder Skylark's speed, right? Ha-ha-ha, have you forgotten whose spirit animal the lion king is?"
Huangpu Qingtian gave Flaming Lion King a look.
Flaming Lion King nodded and flapped its wings.
A blazing tornado engulfed tiny Qiao'er, sealing all means of escape. Just as the fireball approached.
With its biggest advantage sealed, its fate was without a doubt certain death.
Zhuo Fan panicked inside, [How is the brash and overbearing Flaming Lion King capable of such refined skill?]
"Ha-ha-ha, you have a spirit animal and you don't know? Unlike spiritual beasts, a master can teach and train its pet martial arts according to their attributes. As I and Flaming Lion King are weak in speed, I devised this move to deal with quick enemies." Huangpu Qingtian snickered.
Zhuo Fan's anger swelled.
He had always been a lone wolf. And since he never raised spirit animals before, he was oblivious to its implications. Now he didn't even have the time to regret.
This was Qiao'er's decision and all he could do was support it. All consequences were for it to bear.
This was the demonic path he treaded!
He hatched Qiao'er from a mere egg and was practically kin. Of course it would walk the same path as him…
Boom!
The fireball exploded on Qiao'er. It combined with the fire tornado in a tremendous bang, releasing a torrent of flames.
Xue Ningxiang clutched her ears, ducking behind Xie Tianyang in fear as she observed the flaming explosion in dismay. The others sighed.
[Here lie the bones of an overconfident creature.]
Zhuo Fan gnashed his teeth, refraining from looking and clenched his fists further.
Huangpu Qingtian beamed. He wasn't in the habit of letting an opponent's weakness pass by, making sure to drive home as much hurt as he could muster through his condescending, "Zhuo Fan, you truly are empty inside. To even send that young spirit animal to its death…"
Boom!
A thunder cut his mockery short. It came from within the fiery blaze. Purple lightning streaked the skies and pulverized the flames into nothing. Qiao'er was revealed at the center of the purple lightning, its eyes were raging as before, bent on killing the lion king where it stood.
[How in god's name is that possible?]
Shock and awe was prevalent down below. The worst off were the six 5th level spiritual beasts. Not in a million years had they considered it possible for a 4th level spiritual beast to survive the lion king's head on assault.
"W-what skill is that?" Huangpu Qingtian was no different, "Since when did Thunder Skylark have such a skill?"
Zhuo Fan looked at the sky in frown. Only to see Qiao'er wrapped in a purple cocoon of lightning. The errant purple lightning hammered the flames and evaporated at mere touch.
Zhuo Fan was speechless. He found the purple shield familiar and realized where it came from. It was the same as Lightning Canyon's protective barrier. [Is it…]
He didn't complete his thought as Qiao'er was on the move again.
Shriek~
Qiao'er called out Flaming Lion King once again. But it wasn't all talk now, releasing its all in the upcoming clash.
Purple lightning snaked from its body, twisting space itself. The pressure grew from such a mighty display, to the point it felt as if the end of days was upon them.
The 5th level spiritual beasts weren't the only ones terrified of the imminent danger, even humans found Qiao'er dreadful.
[Why is a 4th level spiritual beast far more dangerous than a 6th level one?]
Even Flaming Lion King squinted, moving backward with a grave face.
Who'd have thought the same Thunder Skylark he slighted would unleash such power?
Long Xingyun's side was dumbfounded. They were more than a little familiar with Qiao'er's power.
"Little Kui, Little Jie, don't you find that lightning…" Long Xingyun stared wide-eyed.
Long Kui nodded, "Yes, it's Uncle Jiu's purple lightning. But… far stronger!"
Long Xingyun gasped, shocked to the extreme.
He had never dreamed he'd ever see the might of Godeye Long Jiu, the power he was famed for, Purple Lightning God Eye, being displayed here, and on a far greater scale and power. On a spiritual beast no less.
Huangpu Qingtian was completely floored, "Z-Zhuo Fan, t-that's a Thunder Skylark?"
"In the flesh. The one I reared myself!" Zhuo Fan grinned, sponging off another's achievements without even a twitch. He pointed at the lion and barked, "Qiao'er, put an end to that eyesore!"
Ding!
Its pair of eyes shone with bloodthirst as Qiao'er's sharp claws glinted. With a flap of its lightning wings, it zoomed for Flaming Lion King like a thunder god.
All eyes were on Qiao'er.
The next moment, the entire sky flashed purple and people's heart's seized…