Chapter 881: Qingqing?
Chapter 881: Qingqing? (Combined)
She was already within ten kilometers of Qingqing Ni? Qiao Sang felt a stir in her heart, but she wasn't particularly excited.
Now, she had seen two Phantom Beasts, and even lived with one from another planet for several months. Later, she had also encountered an ancient familiar. She believed that she could maintain a certain level of composure even when faced with such rare familiars again.
Her primary purpose in coming to Secret Realm 16 was to make good use of the Realm Key and the Gentle Breeze Compass she had obtained with great effort.
If she could find Qingqing Ni and see the legendary familiar, it would be the best outcome.
If she couldn't, it would just be a bit of a disappointment.
She had mentally prepared herself for this, but she hadn't expected to find any trace of Qingqing Ni so quickly.
Truly, the nine-billion-credit Gentle Breeze Compass was worth its price. Otherwise, who would have known that Qingqing Ni was nearby? Qiao Sang inwardly sighed and looked at the direction the needle on the Gentle Breeze Compass was pointing.
At this moment, the three rings of the compass were still slightly moving, and the central needle seemed to be affected by a magnetic field, swaying back and forth without a fixed direction.
Qiao Sang held the Gentle Breeze Compass and tried it in different directions.
When the compass faced southeast, the central needle's swaying became less pronounced.
It seemed to be in that direction...
Just as this thought flashed through her mind, Qiao Sang heard a rustling sound from the side.
She turned her head and saw that Treasure Seeker had taken out a black cloak from the Ring and was putting it on.
Qiao Sang fell silent for a moment, thinking of the low-level Electrotail. She was about to ask if it was cold, but then she looked down and saw that Electrotail was curled up in Fangy's fur, sleeping peacefully.
Good, it's not cold... Qiao Sang withdrew her gaze and yawned involuntarily.
She suddenly remembered another piece of information from the post about Secret Realm 16:
"In Secret Realm 16, there is no night, only day, so you must pay attention to the time yourself."
Could it have been a long time already? It was possible. Fangy usually went to sleep on time, but now it could stay up all night. There was no way to tell if it was night outside just by looking at Fangy... Qiao Sang glanced at Fangy and then turned to Treasure Seeker, saying:
"Mobile phone."
"Xunxun..."
Treasure Seeker reluctantly handed over the mobile phone.
It's not like I won't give it back... Qiao Sang inwardly grumbled at Treasure Seeker's expression, took the mobile phone, and checked the time:
2:29 AM.
It was already this late... Qiao Sang was taken aback. She put down the mobile phone and picked up the Gentle Breeze Compass to confirm Qingqing Ni's location again.
After confirming it was still in the southeast direction, she said:
"Fangy, let me down. You should get some sleep."
Fangy let out a faint whine.
Fangy struggled to keep its eyes open and called out, indicating that it wasn't sleepy.
It was that tired... Qiao Sang said seriously, "We are in a Hidden Realm. Only by resting well can we better handle any dangers we encounter."
She hadn't forgotten that even Lulu's Healing Light wouldn't last long with Fangy's level of sleepiness. It was better for it to sleep normally.
Fangy let out a low growl, as if reluctant to rest.
Fangy understood and moved its limbs to prepare to run down.
"Steel Blade."
At this moment, Steel Treasure called out, indicating that it would take over while Fangy rested.
Qiao Sang was about to refuse, telling it to rest as well, but Steel Treasure's voice echoed in her mind:
"Steel Blade."
Unlike Big Brother Yabao, who could just get a Healing Light from Lulu when it was too sleepy, it was best to stay airborne in this place.
Qiao Sang fell silent for a moment and said, "Take me to Steel Treasure's back."
Hearing its Beastmaster's words, Steel Treasure's originally smaller form slowly grew larger again.
“Xunxun~”
Treasure Seeker's eyes glowed with blue light, controlling her Beastmaster and Electrotail to climb onto Steel Treasure's back.
Fangy shrank in size, lying down beside her Beastmaster with her eyes closed.
“Electrotail...”
Electrotail shivered.
“Get me one of my down jackets.” Qiao Sang said upon seeing this.
“Xunxun~”
Treasure Seeker, thinking her Beastmaster was cold, quickly pulled out a black down jacket.
Qiao Sang took it and covered Fangy and Electrotail with it.
Then, she picked up the Gentle Breeze Compass and began to guide them:
“Fly forward. We won’t need to use Spatial Shift anymore.”
Ten kilometers wasn’t a great distance for Steel Treasure, especially when controlled by Speed. Using Spatial Shift now could risk an error, potentially causing the Gentle Breeze Compass to lose its response.
“Steel Blade.”
Steel Treasure acknowledged with a call, flapping her wings and controlling Speed to fly steadily forward.
The biting cold wind blew, but Qiao Sang didn’t feel the chill. Instead, the cool air refreshed her slightly drowsy mind.
As they ventured deeper into the icy region, the three rings of the Gentle Breeze Compass began to spin more vigorously.
Lulu poked her head out of the backpack and cast a Healing Light on Qiao Sang and Steel Treasure.
“Help! Help me!”
After some time, a heart-wrenching cry for help echoed from below.
Qiao Sang’s heart skipped a beat, and she patted Steel Treasure’s back.
Steel Treasure understood immediately, flapping her wings and flying toward the source of the cry.
Soon, they saw a green lion-like familiar fleeing frantically, with a pale, terrified man on its back.
Behind them, about a dozen six-meter-tall, snow-white, tree-like familiars were in hot pursuit.
They extended their snow-white, branch-like arms, which twisted and reached out rapidly.
The green lion-like familiar ran, narrowly dodging the "branches" that lunged at it.
Snow Branch Trees, Ice-Type, General-Class Beast Companions, usually found in groups... Qiao Sang recalled the information about the pursuing familiars and said without hesitation:
“Bring this person and his familiar up here.”
She then remembered something and put the Gentle Breeze Compass back in her pocket.
“Xunxun~”
Treasure Seeker’s eyes glowed blue.
The fleeing lion-like familiar and the man on its back were lifted into the air without resistance.
“Snow Branch!”
“Snow Branch!”
Dozens of white arms from the Snow Branch Trees clawed upward, intertwining and twisting as they lunged at the lion-like familiar.
This felt a bit like a white version of Shadow Control... Qiao Sang gathered her thoughts and said:
“Blade Feather.”
“Steel Blade.”
Steel Treasure flapped her wings forcefully, and the steel feathers on her body transformed into a shower of purple blades that spiraled downward.
The purple blades easily struck the Snow Branch Trees.
“Snow Branch!”
“Snow Branch!”
The Snow Branch Trees howled in pain, falling to the ground with little resistance.
The purple blades spun upward and reattached to Steel Treasure’s body.
Master-level Blade Feather, combined with the Sharpness Trait, was indeed effective... Qiao Sang was satisfied as she watched the Snow Branch Trees, which seemed so vulnerable.
Although these Snow Branch Trees are wild beast companions and haven't undergone systematic training, they don't perform at their best potential and strength. However, they are still General-Class Beast Companions. For so many of them to be taken out in an instant, it's clear that Steel Treasure's power has made a significant leap since its Evolution...
As she was thinking, the lion-type familiar and the man were brought to the same height by Treasure Seeker's Psychic Control.
The man looked at Qiao Sang with a deeply moved expression:
"Thank you, thank you for saving me. If it weren't for you, I would have been caught by those Snow Branch Trees."
"Wind."
The green lion-type familiar also looked grateful.
Qiao Sang remained calm, like a seasoned expert, and said lightly, "No problem, it was just a small favor."
Before coming, she had considered that if the crisis the man faced was too great for her to handle—like if a Royal Beast was chasing him—she would simply turn around and leave.
Fortunately, it was just a dozen wild General-Class Beast Companions.
The man's gaze fell on Steel Treasure and Treasure Seeker, then he looked up at Qiao Sang and asked:
"It's too dangerous here. Do you think I could travel with you from now on?"
Qiao Sang glanced at him, "Are you here alone?"
The man looked dejected, "I don't know many people in the Spirit Pattern Center, and those who have the qualifications to enter this Hidden Realm, I don't know at all, so no one is traveling with me."
Qiao Sang asked, "Don't you have a Flying Beast?"
The man hesitated, "I do, but it has been flying for a long time and is now resting in the Beastmaster Codex."
Wind Sprint Lion, a Fairy-type General-Class Beast Companion, can carry a person and fly at a speed of 120 kilometers per hour. With its speed, it shouldn't have been outpaced by those Snow Branch Trees... Qiao Sang recalled the information about the lion-type familiar in front of her and felt that something might be amiss.
The Wind Sprint Lion didn't appear injured, and its body was adorned with several beautiful white Spirit Patterns.
Thanks to Teacher Li Dongdong, she recognized that these Spirit Patterns enhanced the familiar's speed.
In theory, a Wind Sprint Lion with speed-enhancing Spirit Patterns and no injuries shouldn't have been unable to outrun a dozen Snow Branch Trees...
Qiao Sang's suspicions were raised, but she smiled kindly and said, "I have some business to attend to, so I'm afraid I can't travel with you. However, if you tell me which direction you're going, I can see you off."
The man quickly asked, "What do you need to do? I can come with you!"
After a moment, he added sheepishly, "I'm a bit hesitant to travel alone in this Hidden Realm right now."
Hesitant to travel alone, yet you've made it this far... Qiao Sang thought to herself, but she kept a straight face and replied, "I heard that a Potion made from Icebird feathers can greatly increase the power of Ice-type familiar skills. I want to go and see if I can get a few feathers."
The man looked stunned, "You're going to look for an Icebird?!"
Qiao Sang nodded.
Hearing this, the man looked at Qiao Sang with shock, his expression changing several times before he finally managed a weak smile, "I think I'll pass on that."
Qiao Sang asked calmly, "Where are you going?"
The man casually pointed in the direction Qiao Sang had come from, "I'll head that way."
Qiao Sang nodded slightly, "I'll see you off."
The man looked up to refuse, "No, that's not necessary. I can—"
But as he spoke, Qiao Sang nodded at Treasure Seeker.
Treasure Seeker understood his Beastmaster's intention and his eyes glowed blue.
Before the man could finish his sentence, he and the Wind Sprint Lion disappeared into the air.
"Let's go", Qiao Sang said, glancing down below.
"Steel Blade."
Steel Treasure called out, flapping its wings and continuing to fly deeper into the icy expanse.
Once Steel Treasure disappeared into the sky, several figures emerged from below.
"What should we do? That guy Zhicheng seems to have been teleported away by Spatial Shift..." the man in a white down jacket said worriedly.
"Does that person have a Gentle Breeze Compass?" the short-haired woman beside him was more concerned about something else.
"No", the man wearing a cap replied.
Just as he finished speaking, a cat-like familiar about twenty centimeters in size, predominantly black, appeared out of nowhere in the air and teleported beside them.
"What should we do now?" the short-haired woman asked.
"Let's find Zhicheng first. Without the Gentle Breeze Compass, only his Wind Sprint Lion can slightly sense the unusual wind currents", the man in the cap said calmly. "That person wasn't simple. As long as her goals don't conflict with ours, we don't need to worry about her."
...
It seems in this Hidden Realm, besides being wary of wild beast companions, one must also be cautious of people... Qiao Sang felt a bit anxious.
He had initially thought that only the person he had just rescued was problematic, but after that person was teleported away, the commotion below made him realize it was a group operation. If not for his Brain Domain reaching 50% and his improved hearing, he might not have heard anything at all. Tsk, it was a group operation. If he had chosen to go down and rescue the person, he would have certainly been ambushed. Thankfully, he was quick-witted... Qiao Sang calmed himself down, pulled out the Gentle Breeze Compass from his pocket, and continued to check the direction.
The needle still pointed southeast.
He remembered the post mentioning that there was an Imperial Snowbird on a snowy mountain in the southeast. Could Qingqing Ni be there? Calm down. Even if Qingqing Ni is there, it's not a big deal. If I encounter the Icebird, I can just run away... Qiao Sang thought, then turned to Treasure Seeker with concern.
"Treasure Seeker, you've used Spatial Shift and Psychic Power quite a few times. Use an Energy Recovery Potion to restore yourself."
"Xunxun~"
Treasure Seeker understood, took off its Ring, and pulled out an Energy Recovery Potion.
Qiao Sang felt relieved and continued to look at the Gentle Breeze Compass.
Suddenly, the three rings began to spin violently, and the central needle started to move erratically.
The outer needle, which had barely moved before, suddenly began to spin counterclockwise like a madman.
What's going on... Qiao Sang's heart skipped a beat as he remembered another piece of information from the item description:
If the three rings suddenly spin violently, out of control, and the outer needle rotates 360 degrees counterclockwise, it indicates that Qingqing Ni is quickly approaching your location.
Qingqing Ni is coming this way?
Qiao Sang's heart raced, but he didn't tell Steel Treasure to stop.
This only means that Qingqing Ni is moving in his direction, not that she is nearby.
Time ticked by, and Qiao Sang's heartbeat quickened.
The three rings spun more and more violently, and he felt like he was getting closer and closer to Qingqing Ni.
Could I really meet Qingqing Ni? Qiao Sang slowly exhaled.
Calm down. I've seen two Phantom Beasts and an ancient familiar. I shouldn't get so worked up over a familiar I haven't even met yet. It's not like I can bond with her...
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, a gentle breeze, different from the biting cold wind, blew past.
The wind caressed his face, even bringing a hint of warmth.
Qiao Sang felt the warmth and his thoughts came to a sudden halt. He looked at the Gentle Breeze Compass, where the three rings and needles were all spinning wildly in 360-degree rotations. His pupils dilated, and he instinctively called out:
"Wait!"
"Steel Blade."
Steel Treasure stopped in mid-air.
"Xunxun."
Treasure Seeker also paused in the middle of drinking the Energy Recovery Potion.
"Qingqing?"
Then, a clear and innocent voice sounded from behind. (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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