Li Qingzhou and Zhang Huai held their breath, hiding in the dark alley, observing the ghost cats on the street.
One of the ghost cats noticed the scattered cat food. It sniffed it, then pawed at it cautiously. After confirming it was safe, it began to eat. Only when it had finished the small pile of food in front of it did it raise its head.
"Meow meow..."
The satisfied ghost cat called out to its companions, spreading the word that food had been found.
"Meow."
"Meow!"
Several meows echoed from different corners of the alley, and soon, a few dark shadows leaped out.
Before long, four ghost cats gathered around the food. They sniffed it cautiously but didn't dare to eat it—because their leader had yet to arrive.
The black iron level 5 ghost cat finally appeared, walking slowly and gracefully with the poise of a king. The other four cats immediately moved aside to make room for their leader.
The black iron level 5 cat sniffed the food and then began to eat in large mouthfuls.
"Now!" Li Qingzhou whispered.
Zhang Huai nodded and released the rope in his hand.
A large iron cage dropped swiftly from above, covering the ghost cats.
"Meow meow meow..."
The cage trapped the ghost cats—but only four of them. The black iron level 5 leader had escaped just before the cage hit the ground, using its Swiftness skill.
Li Qingzhou immediately summoned his red fox, Ping An, and gave chase. "Keep an eye on them, don't let them escape!" he called to Zhang Huai.
"No problem!" Zhang Huai responded, summoning a wild bull to guard the cage. He watched Li Qingzhou run off and sighed, "Being smart really does pay off. When will I have a brain like his?"
The escaped ghost cat sprinted down the alley with Ping An in pursuit. Despite Ping An's efforts, the ghost cat was too quick and agile, dodging every attack. Even Ping An's Sand Escape skill missed entirely.
Li Qingzhou followed into the alley, squinting to make out shapes in the dim light. The alley was a dead end, cluttered with piles of junk.
"Woo..."
The ghost cat crouched low, its back arched and tail erect, staring fiercely at its surroundings. It had realized it was trapped and prepared for a fight.
"Sand Escape!" Li Qingzhou commanded.
A gust of wind and sand rose in the alley, disorienting the ghost cat. It was no match for Ping An, who was at black iron level 8, compared to its own level 5. The difference in strength was clear.
Realizing it couldn't win, the ghost cat activated Swiftness again, attempting to jump over the wall and escape.
"Hmph, too predictable," Li Qingzhou sneered. He had already anticipated this move. The wind and sand gathered, ready to trap the cat mid-air.
But as Li Qingzhou looked up at the wall, his eyes widened, and a wave of dizziness washed over him.
"What is that?" he muttered, alarmed.
There was a finger-wide crack in the wall, pitch-black like ink. It was a darkness so pure it stood out even in the night. Li Qingzhou felt a chill run down his spine, a silent fear creeping over him.
"Meow!"
As soon as the ghost cat's claws touched the black crack, it let out a horrifying scream and instinctively tried to pull away. But its claws were stuck, as if trapped in quicksand.
A black mist enveloped the ghost cat, and it began thrashing violently as if in agony. Soon, its movements ceased entirely.
The ghost cat slid off the wall and landed softly on the ground. When it opened its eyes, the once bright pupils were now pitch-black—an unsettling, ominous black.
"Meow."
The ghost cat growled, its body turning into a dark blur. With a series of explosive sounds, it appeared right in front of Ping An, its claws glowing with eerie black energy.
"Boom!"
The ghost cat's attack shattered the gravel shield Ping An had conjured, scattering sand everywhere. Ping An barely managed to step back in time to avoid the blow.
Li Qingzhou broke into a cold sweat. The ghost cat's speed and strength had significantly increased—it had reached the bronze level. What worried him even more was the black energy surrounding it. His instincts told him that this energy was extremely dangerous.
Before Ping An could recover, the ghost cat moved again, leaving behind only an afterimage. This time, Ping An didn't have time to dodge.
"Boom!"
Ping An was knocked into the air but had quickly wrapped itself in gravel, avoiding serious injury. Thankfully, the black energy hadn't touched it directly.
Li Qingzhou could only see flashes of movement—he couldn't track the ghost cat's attacks. He wanted to issue commands, but it was impossible to keep up.
The ghost cat, however, didn't continue its assault. It retreated back to the wall with the mysterious black crack.
"What is that crack?" Li Qingzhou wondered. He had never encountered anything like it, and it wasn't mentioned in any of the school's teachings.
The ghost cat was too fast to engage up close, and that black energy was far too dangerous to risk contact with.
"Attack from a distance with Sand Escape!" Li Qingzhou ordered.
Arrows made of gravel materialized and shot toward the ghost cat, but the cat's agility, combined with the black energy enhancing its speed, made it impossible for the arrows to hit.
A dark blur suddenly rushed toward him, and before Li Qingzhou could react, the ghost cat's snarling face and sharp claws were right in front of him. This time, the ghost cat had chosen to attack him directly—the beast master.
Compared to their beasts, masters were weaker and easier targets.
Though frightened, Li Qingzhou managed to dodge the attack and quickly stepped back. His regular exercise had sharpened his reflexes, giving him the speed to avoid the blow.
"Meow."
The ghost cat hissed in frustration, missing its mark, and once again retreated to the wall with the black crack.