Chapter 463: The Ice and Fire Quartet

Chapter 463: The Ice and Fire Quartet

Not long after, the explosion subsided, and the smoke and dust slowly dispersed.

Li Qian witnessed that at this very moment, a large crater with a diameter of about twenty meters appeared at the center of the blast.

Inside the crater, the Black Tiger with Wings was covered in wounds, its blood dripping, looking extremely disheveled. There was no trace of its previous majestic demeanor, and even one of its wings was broken, exposing the bone.

Through the azure protective light shield, Li Qian and Pan Bingbing saw that the Black Tiger with Wings had a wound on its abdomen, roughly the size of a millstone, and through this wound, they could even see its internal organs!

With such severe injuries, if the Black Tiger with Wings wasn't an Extraordinary Being, or even an Emperor-ranked Extraordinary Being, it would have died long ago.

But at this moment, not only did it not perish, but the countless shocking wounds on its body were visibly healing at a speed perceivable to the naked eye.

"This Companion Beast seems to be a mutated Thundercloud Tiger..." Pan Bingbing observed, and after a while, he finally figured something out and revealed the true identity of the Black Tiger with Wings.

"The Thundercloud Tiger is a Lightning-type Companion Beast, and its body surface should be..." Li Qian was skeptical and was about to refute, but soon enough, he also noticed something.

On the back and ribs of the Black Tiger with Wings, purple patterns seemed to be spreading, which was a distinctive feature of the Thundercloud Tiger.

Previously, it had been obscured by its black fur, making it not very clear, but now they finally saw it, confirming its identity.

Seeing that Li Qian had noticed something, Pan Bingbing thought for a moment and continued to explain to him, "The people from the evil cult are almost all of the same nature. They will unhesitatingly conduct all sorts of mutation experiments on their Companion Beasts. This Thundercloud Tiger must have undergone mutation experiments and successfully mutated with the Dark attribute, causing its fur to change color as well!"

"So that's how it is!" Li Qian listened to Pan Bingbing's explanation and nodded slightly, but at this moment, his face was still very unpleasant.

It was common knowledge that the evil cult's mutation experiments were not orthodox cultivation experiments; one could even say that they were completely opposite to orthodox cultivation experiments.

When they conducted mutation experiments, they tested them with extreme, crazy, and twisted methods, with the goal of maximizing the existing combat power of the Companion Beasts.

Of course, such mutation experiments definitely had their flaws, and the biggest flaw was that there were many side effects.

Some Companion Beasts would lose their sanity and become bloodthirsty; some would have their lifespans greatly reduced; some would even die on the spot..."

It was also because Li Qian knew of the cruelty of the evil cult that his face instantly turned extremely unpleasant. Previously, the Sunbird in his Blazing Sun Cultivation Base had encountered such a situation.

"Dean Pan, can you make a move now?" Understanding how this mutated Thundercloud Tiger came to be, Li Qian's face was solemn. He furrowed his brows and asked.

Dean Pan listened to Li Qian's words, understanding his thoughts, and soon fell into deep thought. After a moment, he shook his head lightly, "Let's wait a little longer. Even with these two fish, the weight still isn't quite enough."

Hearing this, Li Qian didn't say much more. He was well aware that these hidden cultists lurking in the shadows were like rats in the sewers, and they wouldn't reveal any traces in normal times. Even if they could track down some, they were mostly small fry. Now that they had finally found an excellent opportunity, Dean Pan was probably thinking of making a big catch in one go.

"Should I reveal more of my trump cards?" Understanding Dean Pan's intention to expand the results, Li Qian thought for a moment and then spoke, reaching for the small sword pendant hanging from his neck as he spoke.

Dean Pan glanced at the small sword pendant hanging from Li Qian's neck, slightly surprised. He hadn't expected Dean Pan to have given him a Guardian Companion Beast.

Shaking his head at Li Qian, Dean Pan shared his thoughts, "There's no need to use the Glorified Sword just yet. The Vast Fang's sub-entity robot should be able to handle the mutated Ten-Thousand-Vine Demon without much problem. If there are enemies lurking in the shadows, we can force them out by remaining still."

As it turned out, Dean Pan's guess was correct. During their conversation, explosions from the battle between the Vast Fang's sub-entity robot and the mutated Ten-Thousand-Vine Demon began to constantly transmit from behind their battlefield.

Even as a mutated Companion Beast with an additional attribute, the mutated Ten-Thousand-Vine Demon still couldn't avoid the combat power gap brought about by its level and Beastmaster Talent.

Although the mutated Ten-Thousand-Vine Demon was constantly using skills, all sorts of Wood-type and Poison-type skills were unleashed without restraint, but facing the nearly hundred-meter-tall Vast Fang's sub-entity robot, it was almost entirely suppressed and had little power to retaliate.

Moreover, it was very evident that the Vast Fang's sub-entity robot was constantly closing in on Li Qian's side of the battlefield, clearly intending to provide support.

Of course, it was doing so with Dean Pan's consent, putting pressure on the possible enemies lurking in the shadows. If it came to support them, there was a high probability that the two of them could break free.

At that time, Dean Pan would be betting that the enemies lurking in the shadows would not want to see this scene unfold.

Dean Pan was betting, and so was Li Qian. As it turned out, they were both right, for there really were enemies hiding in the shadows. Seeing that the Vast Fang's sub-entity robot was about to join Li Qian, the enemy hiding in the shadows could no longer stay put.

"The Blood Demon Cult's brats are all useless!" As the Vast Fang's sub-entity drew closer and drove the mutated Ten-Thousand-Vine Demon into retreat, the situation subtly changed. Just as the slender figure was pondering whether to retreat immediately, a sinister voice suddenly rang out from the darkness.

"Finally, we've caught some prey. It's the Black God Cult's little one..." In the instant this voice sounded, a trace of joy appeared on Dean Pan's face within the azure light shield.

After muttering to himself, he restrained himself and didn't reveal any clues, remaining quietly hidden, waiting for the enemy to come to him.

At this very moment, at this distance, if he made a move directly, Lu Yuansong still had a chance to escape.

But if they waited a little longer, until he took the initiative to approach and launched an attack, then it would be a different story.

The wait didn't last long. After about a minute, a huge figure suddenly descended from the sky, flying straight towards the azure light shield.

Li Qian was highly focused, his eyes fixed on the black shadow that flew towards him. He soon discovered that the enormous shadow was a huge, yellowish-brown toad.

The yellowish-brown toad was extremely ugly, with hideous flesh tumors all over its body, and a person standing on top of its head.

The person wore a light gray robe, appearing slightly hunched and thin, and wore a white Phantom Beast mask, concealing their true appearance.

This person was undoubtedly the second elder of the Black God Sect that Pan Bing, the dean, had mentioned—Lu Yuan Song, the big fish they had finally lured out after lying in wait for so long.

Li Qian narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the enormous toad that descended from the sky and flew towards him. Instead of feeling worried, a faint smile appeared on the corners of his lips.

Just as the giant toad flew down, the light barrier inside the summoning array suddenly lit up, and a powerful surge of energy erupted, gushing out.

In the instant the violent energy surged, four massive silhouettes appeared out of thin air, occupying the four cardinal directions.

Li Qian saw these four massive silhouettes, and although he had already guessed their identities, he couldn't help but feel his heart race. These four massive silhouettes were none other than the four Holy Spirit Rank companion beasts summoned by Dean Pan Bing!

It was well-known that there was a distinction between Holy Spirit Rank beastmasters and Holy Spirit Rank beastmasters. Those who owned a single Holy Spirit Rank companion beast were referred to as Holy Spirit Rank beastmasters, while those who owned a full team of six Holy Spirit Rank companion beasts were also called Holy Spirit Rank beastmasters.

However, everyone knew that the gap between the two was like that between heaven and earth. Dean Pan Bing could be considered a Holy Spirit Rank beastmaster with a full team, and the only reserved contract slot was specifically prepared for a Legendary Rank beast.

Li Qian couldn't help but feel his heart race as he looked at these four Holy Spirit Rank companion beasts.

The four Holy Spirit Rank companion beasts were the Ice Phoenix Bird, the Flame Matriarch Dragon, and two unfamiliar beasts. One resembled a llama but had four horns on its back, while the other resembled a giant fish but had enormous bat wings.

After the initial shock and excitement, Li Qian was filled with joy. With such a terrifying display, he believed that the second elder of the Black God Sect, Lu Yuan Song, had no chance of escaping.

The appearance of the four Holy Spirit Rank companion beasts meant that Dean Pan Bing had gone all out and clearly intended to kill.

According to Dean Pan Bing's own words, this was a big fish that couldn't be allowed to escape. Any cult organization with elders of the Holy Spirit Rank was a core strength of the organization. Eliminating one of them was like cutting off an arm, or at least a finger.

Li Qian believed that with careful planning, complete preparation, and a higher power level, Dean Pan Bing's battle would definitely not go wrong, and his prediction proved to be correct.

Just as the four Holy Spirit Rank companion beasts appeared, the second elder of the Black God Sect, Lu Yuan Song, who was standing on top of the giant toad, was directly shocked and scared. His face changed dramatically, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Damn it! It's Pan Bing from Sha Zhou Beast University!"

"You guys, with such malicious schemes, actually set up an ambush here to trap me!" He dared not be negligent and, at this critical moment between life and death, summoned all his companion beasts.

He summoned three companion beasts, but only one barely reached the Holy Spirit Rank—a vulture-like beast that exuded a fierce aura.

"Hahaha..."

Dean Pan Bing heard Lu Yuan Song's terrified voice and burst into laughter. "Malicious? In front of you evil cultists, we don't deserve to use the word 'malicious.' We're just returning their tactics to them!"

"I've been waiting here all along, just for you, you fool, to walk into my trap." As he spoke, Dean Pan Bing removed his disguise, revealing his true self.

Li Qian also tore off all the white bandages on his body, his face filled with hatred as he looked at the enemy surrounded by the four Holy Spirit Rank companion beasts.

At that moment, without any hesitation, Dean Pan Bing directly commanded the four companion beasts to launch an extremely powerful combined attack.

"Ice and Fire Quartet!" he shouted, and as his voice fell, four pillars of light, two red and two white, suddenly shot into the sky.

The four pillars of light were all over a hundred meters tall and about ten meters in diameter, trapping Lu Yuan Song, the second elder of the Black God Sect, who was riding on the giant toad, and the companion beasts he had summoned in the middle.

Just as the four pillars of light rose into the sky, not far away, whether it was the battle between the Vast Fang's sub-entity robot and the mutated Man-Eating Vine, or the struggle between the Sunbird and the several Dominator Rank companion beasts, they all paused for a moment.

As for the two figures, one fat and one thin, whose identities were exposed by Lu Yuan Song, seeing this scene, they were instantly terrified.

Facing such a terrifying attack, they couldn't muster any resistance, and they had made up their minds to flee. Li Qian, quick-eyed and quick-handed, directly drew the Glorified Sword and threw it out with force. The Glorified Sword quickly expanded and took shape in mid-air, transforming into a golden armored general holding a treasure sword in the blink of an eye.

The golden armored general understood Li Qian's intention and immediately used the powerful move 'Splitting Mount Hua.' He slashed out a golden sword beam, blocking the path of the fat and thin figures.

Since they were members of the Blood Demon Sect, it was highly likely that the Blood Spirit Pest in his mother's body was planted by them. Regardless of whether it was true or not, killing them would not be a mistake, so Li Qian naturally wouldn't let them off easily.

As for the Vast Fang's sub-entity robot and the Sunbird, they continued to pursue and attack relentlessly, attempting to expand their battle achievements.

Of course, these targets were secondary for this operation. The plan to lure the snake out of its hole was successful as long as they could catch Lu Yuan Song, the big fish.

Even if a few small fry escaped, it wouldn't have much impact, and they might not even be able to get away.

The ambush on the airship was indeed the most crucial part of this operation, but this most crucial part didn't only involve the tactics they could see.

Chief Inspector Zhong had other arrangements, and there was another encirclement waiting for them on the outskirts of the battlefield. Whether they could break through it was another matter.

Of course, even if they managed to break through, with their strength, they would still suffer heavy casualties, with only one in ten surviving.

In reality, for these cultists who usually hid in the shadows and caused destruction, their fate was more or less sealed the moment they launched their attack.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end