Chapter 40: Why Don’t You Fire an AK at It!
Su Wudeng piloted the aircraft away, the roar of its thrusters gradually fading into the distance.
Amber and the assorted cubs watched the ship disappear with wide, curious eyes. The moment the aircraft vanished from sight, the little ones instantly burst into life, running around the meadow.
The Snow Crystal kittens were timid and chose to stay close to the wooden cabin. The scent of Su Wudeng was strongest there, making them feel incredibly safe. Their soft paws pressed into the damp earth, leaving shallow little imprints behind.
Some of the braver kittens stretched their fluffy heads out to sniff the grass, tentatively taking small, experimental bites. The crisp scent of the blades mixed with the earthy smell of the soil. Chewing on the tough stalks turned out to be surprisingly fun.
A few stalks of wild grass were taller than the kittens. One particularly ambitious fluff-ball jumped up to bite a tall blade, only for the stalk to whip back and smack it in the face, causing the kitten to let out a tiny, aggrieved squeak.
Sunlight filtered through the canopy, casting mottled, golden shadows across their snow-white fur.
Baiyun was feeling lazy. He had zero interest in running around, choosing instead to squint his sapphire eyes and bask in a warm patch of sunlight.
Snowball, on the other hand, was feeling incredibly brave. He locked his eyes on a passing butterfly, wiggled his rear end to build momentum, and launched himself into the air! He batted his tiny white paws wildly, completely missing the butterfly but scaring it away in the process.
Seeing Snowball’s heroic leap, the other kittens eagerly joined the hunt, tumbling over each other in a chaotic, fluffy pile.
The husky pups were having an absolute blast, running straight for the nearby stream to play in the water. The water was crystal clear, and the pups splashed around excitedly, sending droplets flying everywhere.
Amber cast a watchful eye over the chaotic mob of babies and let out a sharp bark.
“Woof!” You guys stay right here and play! Don’t wander off! I’ll be right back!
With the kids secure, Amber happily trotted off into the forest. He needed to find the fat squirrel! He was going to collect the pine nuts!
The Master had promised to make roasted pine nuts, and just thinking about the savory, buttery crunch made Amber drool.
He had it all figured out. Last time, he had brought the squirrel a massive, delicious piece of soft nut-bread. So asking for a few pine nuts in return shouldn’t be an issue, right? It was a perfectly fair trade!
Up in the canopy, Bengbeng the squirrel was already poking his head out of his tree hollow. His tiny black eyes were wide with shock as he stared at the commotion near the cabin.
“Holy nuts, is this real?”
He blinked hard, convinced his eyes were playing tricks on him.
His gaze locked onto the pile of snow-white kittens tumbling in the grass. He remembered with absolute clarity that, not long ago, those poor little creatures had been dumped in the forest, left to freeze and starve to death.
But look at them now! They were lively, energetic, and their fur was thick and glossy. It was obvious they were incredibly well cared for.
“Did that two-legged beast really save all of them?” Bengbeng whispered in disbelief. “And they look so plump!”
His gaze shifted to the stream. The tiny, silver swords resting on the husky pups’ backs glinted in the sunlight.
That meant they had safely survived their transition phase!
“She’s raising an entire litter of huskies by herself?!” Bengbeng was stunned. Huskies were notorious for their bottomless appetites and chaotic energy. Raising even one was a nightmare.
Yet these pups were strong, stocky, and brimming with health.
“And then there’s the snow leopard that just flew into the sky…”
A lightbulb went off in Bengbeng’s tiny head. “Wait. My uncle’s aunt’s second cousin said that snow leopard was nearly killed by human hunters! Could it be…”
“Did the snow leopard find this human after being shot, and she saved it too?!”
“!!!”
“No, wait! What about Aihua the Iron-Eating Beast?! Aihua was critically wounded, dying of blood loss while trying to give birth!”
Bengbeng vividly remembered how horrific Aihua’s condition had been. She had been literal minutes away from death.
“I don’t see Aihua anywhere! There’s no way the human managed to save her too, right?!”
He shook his head violently, trying to dismiss the insane theory. “This is getting ridiculous. How could one human possibly save so many dying Spirit Beasts?!”
Just then, he spotted Amber trotting toward his tree.
Amber skidded to a halt at the base of the trunk, looking up and barking. “Hey, little squirrel! Can you give me some pine nuts?”
Bengbeng didn’t answer the question. Instead, he scrambled down a branch and demanded impatiently, “You answer me first! Was Aihua the Iron-Eating Beast saved by your contracted human?!”
Amber puffed out his chest, nodding proudly. “Of course she was! My Master is amazing!”
“Stop trying to change the subject. Do you have pine nuts or not? I brought you bread last time. You’re not going to be stingy and hold out on me, are you?”
Amber squinted his intelligent blue eyes suspiciously. He thought the squirrel was trying to default on his debt. He stared pointedly at the hollow behind Bengbeng.
But Bengbeng was too shell-shocked to care about the accusation. He stood frozen on the branch, a single thought echoing in his mind: They were all saved.
A profound realization struck the squirrel. “So… this human specializes in rescuing injured pets, acting as a midwife for pregnant mothers, and running a daycare for the cubs?!”
He felt like he had just uncovered the greatest secret in the forest!
Below the tree, Amber was still demanding his pine nuts.
But Bengbeng’s entire demeanor had changed. His eyes sparkled with newfound purpose. “You want pine nuts? Fine. But you have to swear to me—did your Master really save all those critically injured beasts?”
Hearing the question, Amber stood tall, his tail wagging proudly. “Whenever my Master takes action, there isn’t a single beast in the galaxy she can’t save!”
Okay, he might have been exaggerating slightly.
“Plus, her grilled fish is incredible! And today, she promised to make roasted pine nuts! If you give me some now, I’ll bring you a handful of the roasted ones later.”
That snapped Bengbeng out of his daze.
He scoffed disdainfully. “As if! Raw pine nuts are the pinnacle of flavor! There’s no way a human could make them taste any better!”
Despite his complaints, Bengbeng reached into his hollow, scooped up a massive handful of premium pine nuts, and tossed them down to Amber.
“Take them! Consider us even for the nut-bread!”
As the nuts rained down, Bengbeng suddenly swallowed hard. “Wait… speaking of that bread… do you have any more?”
Just thinking about the soft, sweet, nutty flavor of that human bread made his mouth water. He had never tasted anything like it.
Amber caught the pine nuts expertly in his mouth and grinned. “Now that’s more like it!”
“What, you want more bread? Just wait here. I’ll bring you some next time.”
With his prize secured, Amber turned and sprinted back toward the cabin like the wind.
He dumped the pine nuts onto the porch and immediately went back to chaperone duty.
He periodically raised his head, doing a quick headcount of the chaotic fluff-balls. One, two, three, four, five… Satisfied that no one was missing, he went back to rolling in the grass.
Suddenly, something caught Amber’s eye. He scrambled to his feet, his eyes shining.
“Wow! What a pretty flower!”
Growing right by the edge of the stream was a gorgeous flower with snow-white petals and a golden stamen, blooming vibrantly in the sunlight.
Up in the canopy, Bengbeng felt like he had just received a divine revelation. He had to tell his brothers and sisters!
If anyone got hurt in the future, they knew exactly which human to go to!
He didn’t waste a second. Bengbeng leaped from branch to branch, sprinting deep into the heart of the forest.
“Hey! Have you guys heard?!” Bengbeng chattered mysteriously to a group of foraging squirrels. “There’s a two-legged beast living at the foot of the mountain, and she opened a maternity ward!”
“What?” a younger squirrel asked, tilting its head. “What’s a maternity ward?”
Bengbeng puffed out his chest importantly. “It’s a magical place that specializes in taking care of pregnant mothers and delivering newborn babies!”
“I heard they provide unlimited food, a warm place to sleep, and full medical care! And the craziest part? Everyone is welcome, and she guarantees everyone survives!”
“Is that actually true?” an older squirrel asked doubtfully.
“Of course it’s true!” Bengbeng slapped his tiny chest. “I saw it with my own eyes!”
The rumor spread like wildfire. The squirrels told their cousins, the birds overheard and carried the news across the canopy, and soon, the entire forest was buzzing with the incredible gossip.
Even the reclusive rabbits perked up their long ears, listening intently to the unbelievable claims.
“Is it real?” a heavily pregnant rabbit mother asked, her eyes wide with desperate hope. “Is there really a safe place like that?”
“It’s absolutely real!” a robin chirped from a branch above. “I flew over and saw it myself! There are tons of babies down there, and they’re all perfectly healthy and happy!”
Across the forest, countless pregnant mothers and starving parents looked at their weak, crying cubs and fell into deep thought.
Unlimited food, shelter, and medical care? Everyone is welcome? They guarantee survival? !!! Is this real life?!
Meanwhile, high in the majestic, towering peaks of the snow-capped mountains.
Jagged rock faces were draped in thick sheets of ancient ice, gleaming with a deadly, cold light under the winter sun.
Su Wudeng looked down at the desolate, freezing landscape through the aircraft’s monitors.
Suddenly, the radar flashed, alerting her to two massive thermal signatures moving rapidly across the ice below.
She tapped the screen, bringing up the optical feed.
Two massive, heavily muscled snow leopards were working in perfect synchronization to corner a terrified, agile mountain antelope. Trapped against a steep drop-off, the antelope had nowhere left to run.
“That’s them!” Yingying snarled, slamming her paw against the dashboard. “The male on the left is Xuefeng! The female on the right is Shirley!”
“Copy that!” Su Wudeng slammed the flight stick forward, sending the aircraft into a steep, rapid dive.
They had been hovering at a high altitude, and the two leopards were so hyper-focused on the kill that they didn’t notice the massive ship plummeting toward them until it was too late.
Xuefeng and Shirley moved in for the final strike, muscles coiling to rip the antelope’s throat out.
Suddenly, a deafening roar shattered the silence of the mountain, accompanied by a crushing wave of downward pressure.
Startled by the violent disturbance, the two leopards snapped their heads up.
A massive, sleek black aircraft was hovering directly above them, its engines screaming.
Before they could react, the ship’s stabilizing thrusters fired, blasting a localized hurricane of compressed air straight into the snowpack. The sheer force of the downdraft slammed both snow leopards and the antelope flat against the ice.
The antelope, driven by pure survival instinct, recovered first. It scrambled to its hooves and bolted, vanishing into the blinding white expanse of the snowfield in the blink of an eye.
Xuefeng and Shirley were completely disoriented. They scrambled to their feet, backing away and glaring up at the hovering monstrosity with bared teeth.
“What the hell is that thing?!” Xuefeng snarled, his fur bristling against the artificial gale. “How is it generating so much wind? Is it a new species of mutant beast?!”
Shirley’s eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. She crouched low, a deep, threatening growl rumbling in her chest. “Whatever it is, stay alert.”
The two leopards quickly exchanged a tactical glance before fanning out, slowly circling the landed aircraft.
This was their territory! They wouldn’t tolerate any strange intruders!
The aircraft settled heavily into the snow, its engines powering down to a low hum.
With a hiss of hydraulics, the side hatch slowly opened.
A snow leopard leaped lightly from the cabin, landing silently on the powder.
The winter sun broke through the clouds, casting a harsh light over Yingying’s sleek, titanium-alloy combat armor. The metal plating gleamed with a cold, deadly luster.
The custom-forged blades extending from her paws looked elegant, yet terrifyingly lethal.
The tactical visor resting over her eyes didn’t just block the biting wind—it was fully active. The lenses glowed with an icy blue light as the onboard computer instantly mapped the 3D terrain and hard-locked onto both targets.
Yingying casually flicked her tail, the mechanical hatch closing shut behind her.
She took two slow, deliberate steps toward the traitors. The ambient moisture in the air instantly froze around her, wrapping her in a thin, chilling shroud of white mist.
“What the f—?!” Xuefeng froze in his tracks, his eyes bulging out of his skull. “It’s you! Yingying?!”
Shirley was equally stunned. It had never crossed her mind that Yingying might have survived the poachers.
“How are you not dead?!”
The cheating couple stared at her in utter disbelief. They had personally driven her into a lethal ambush! How was she standing in front of them right now?!
And more importantly… what the hell was she wearing?! She looked like a cyborg!
Shirley recovered her wits first, baring her fangs maliciously. “You got lucky once, and you’re stupid enough to come back. Fine. This time, I’ll finish the job myself.”
She glanced at Xuefeng. “Don’t just stand there! Attack together!”
“There’s no way she fully recovered from her wounds in just a week!”
“It’s two against one! She doesn’t stand a chance!”
As for the human in the ship? Ha! The coward was hiding in her metal box, too terrified to step outside! They had nothing to fear!
The moment the words left Shirley’s mouth, both leopards simultaneously triggered their elemental cores.
A blizzard of razor-sharp Frostblades materialized in the freezing air, howling toward Yingying from both sides. The sheer volume of the icy projectiles blackened the sky, instantly enveloping her position.
But Yingying was a Commander-level Ice-type herself, and her sensory perception was incredibly sharp.
In the fraction of a second before the barrage hit, Yingying’s leg muscles coiled like industrial springs. She launched herself into the air with terrifying speed, effortlessly dodging the deadly crossfire.
She landed lightly and instantly went on the offensive, weaving between the two leopards with blinding agility.
Just as Xuefeng and Shirley thought she had maxed out her speed, Yingying seemed to vanish entirely.
The two leopards froze. A suffocating sense of mortal peril gripped their hearts.
“Impossible! How is she this fast?!”
Neither Xuefeng nor Shirley could track her movements. All they saw was a blurry, silver phantom streaking across the snow.
They fired blindly, their Frostblades tearing up empty powder.
In the blink of an eye, Yingying had already flanked them.
She stopped on a dime, pivoting perfectly. She opened her jaws, and a massive, hyper-condensed Frostblade materialized with a blinding flash of blue light.
The blade tore through the air.
Xuefeng and Shirley shrieked in agony as the massive projectile cleaved through their defenses, ripping deep, bloody gashes across their flanks.
It was too cold! Too fast! The sheer elemental density of Yingying’s attack felt like it was freezing their blood in their veins.
The entire flawless counterattack was captured perfectly by the hovering camera drone.
The millions of viewers watching the livestream absolutely lost their minds!
“HOLY SHIT! YINGYING IS SO BADASS!”
“That movement was flawless! The agility! The precision! I’m screaming!”
“Ahhhh! Vengeful Yingying is the coolest thing I have ever seen! The cold, calculating stare through that visor… I’m swooning!”
“YINGYING! YOU ARE A LITERAL GODDESS!”
“RIP THEM TO SHREDS, YINGYING!”
The battle intensified, and the cheating couple’s situation rapidly deteriorated.
Panic set in. Why was Yingying so overwhelmingly powerful?!
Their eyes couldn’t even follow her. All they saw was a metallic blur dancing through the storm.
“This is impossible!” Xuefeng gasped, blood dripping from his muzzle. “How can she move like that?!”
Shirley’s desperate gaze locked onto Yingying’s paws. “It’s the gear! Look at her feet!”
What terrified them even more was that on the rare occasions their Frostblades actually managed to graze her, the attacks harmlessly shattered against her invisible kinetic shielding.
Was she completely immune to damage because of that weird armor?!
There was no time to analyze the tech. Their own blood was already staining the snowfield a vibrant red.
True fear finally clawed its way into their hearts.
“No… how did she get this strong?!” Xuefeng cried out in despair.
Shirley wasn’t doing much better. Her elegant coat was shredded, covered in deep, bleeding lacerations.
But Xuefeng was taking the brunt of the assault. Yingying was hyper-focusing her rage almost entirely on him. He was completely outmatched, unable to mount any form of defense.
Every time Shirley tried to intervene and relieve the pressure, Yingying would instantly pivot, slap her away with a brutal, armor-reinforced strike, and go right back to dismantling Xuefeng.
Slowly but surely, Shirley began backing away.
She relegated herself to the absolute perimeter of the fight. Watching Xuefeng get systematically beaten to a pulp, her survival instinct overrode any lingering loyalty.
She’s insanely strong now. She’s completely toying with us! Why does her aura feel heavier than the Lord of the Core Zone? No… she might even be strong enough to challenge the Golden Gradient Tiger!
Shirley made her decision. I have to get out of here. If I stay, she’s going to kill me too!
Just as Yingying slammed another devastating Frostblade into Xuefeng’s ribs, sending the male leopard howling in agony, Shirley saw her opening.
Without a single glance backward, she turned and fled.
She burned every ounce of elemental energy she had left, sprinting madly toward the treacherous depths of the mountain range.
By the time Xuefeng realized what had happened, it was too late.
He stared in absolute disbelief at the retreating figure of his mistress. “She… she ran?!”
What do I do?!
Without Shirley, he didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell!
Total, crushing despair consumed him.
Watching from the safety of the cockpit, Su Wudeng was equally stunned. “She just bailed on him?!”
“And her timing was immaculate! She booked it the second Yingying was distracted!”
The livestream viewers were just as shocked by Shirley’s complete lack of loyalty.
“LMAO! They got completely curbstomped in a 2v1, and the sidepiece just dipped!”
“Our Yingying is built different!”
“Don’t stop, Yingying! Beat the absolute brakes off this trash male!”
“This is what happens when you cross the Empress! Now you know true fear!”
“You get what you deserve! That’s the price of cheating!”
“Finish him, Yingying! Exact divine justice!”
“Wow, Yingying’s gear is performing flawlessly! The kinetic shielding is OP!”
“Watching Yingying absolutely style on them is so satisfying. Take all my tips, Shop Owner!”
Xuefeng was a bleeding, broken mess. He lay panting heavily in the snow, his eyes wide with stark terror. “Yingying, I was wrong! I know I messed up! Please, just let me go!”
Let him go? Yingying sneered.
She and her unborn babies had nearly died because of this treacherous coward. They had been hunted like dogs and driven straight into the guns of the poachers. If Sister Su hadn’t miraculously arrived in time, she would be a skinned pelt on a black-market auction block right now.
The more she thought about the sheer agony she had endured, the hotter her rage burned.
In an instant, an impossibly sharp, massive Frostblade materialized in the air.
With a brutal swipe of her paw, the blade tore through Xuefeng’s remaining defenses, leaving a fatal, gaping wound across his chest.
Xuefeng let out one final, agonizing wail before collapsing heavily into the snow. He didn’t move again.
Yingying landed lightly on the bloody powder, her chest heaving slightly.
She looked down at her bloodstained titanium claws, a profound sense of catharsis washing over her. She had exacted her revenge with her own two paws. She had executed the traitor herself!
The suffocating knot of anger and betrayal that had been choking her for weeks finally unraveled. She felt lighter than air.
The freezing wind howled across the summit, kicking up a spray of white powder. Yingying raised her head, staring out across the blindingly bright, majestic peaks of her homeland. For a moment, she looked slightly lost.
“Yingying!”
A voice called out from behind her.
It was Su Wudeng. She was leaning halfway out of the aircraft’s hatch, waving enthusiastically. “Yingying, get up here! Let’s go!”
Yingying’s gray eyes instantly lit up. Driven by pure, joyful instinct, she sprinted toward the ship.
With a powerful leap, she launched herself through the hatch, slamming directly into Su Wudeng’s chest!
The massive kinetic impact knocked the breath out of Su Wudeng, sending her tumbling backward into the co-pilot’s seat with a giant snow leopard sprawled on top of her.
“Oof! Easy, big girl, you almost broke my ribs!”
Yingying aggressively nuzzled her face into Su Wudeng’s neck, letting out a series of high-pitched, incredibly un-majestic whimpers.
“Sister! I did it! I got my revenge!”
Su Wudeng laughed, wrapping her arms around the massive, fluffy beast and rubbing her ears. “Yes, you did. You did amazing.”
“It’s finally over, Yingying,” she whispered softly.
The livestream of Yingying’s brutal, high-tech revenge sent shockwaves across the entire planetary internet.
Viewership numbers skyrocketed into the tens of millions. But what shocked the internet the most wasn’t the drama—it was the terrifying combat potential of Yingying’s tactical gear.
“Holy shit! That was a massacre!”
“Yingying’s armor is literally a cheat code! The dimensional scaling on that kinetic shielding is insane!”
“Flesh is weak, but steel is eternal! Cyber-Leopard Yingying is a god!”
Yingying’s dedicated fan base immediately went to work. Within an hour, dozens of highly produced, dramatic edits of her story were flooding social media, complete with epic orchestral soundtracks.
The videos chronicled the entire saga: starting with her bloody, desperate escape from the poachers, her rescue and miraculous surgery by Shop Owner Su, her glorious rebirth clad in state-of-the-art combat armor, and culminating in her return to the summit to violently reclaim her throne!
The edits were accompanied by dramatic, over-the-top voiceovers:
“Betrayed by her own kind, left for dead in the snow… the Human Emperor descended to forge her a body of indestructible steel!”
“My fate belongs to me!”
“From the brink of death to absolute invincibility: The Legend of Empress Yingying!”
The viral edits drew millions of new eyes to the Pet Love Home’s page.
“Who the hell had the genius idea to give a Commander-level Snow Leopard military-grade power armor?!”
“With that kind of hardware, she could solo entire ecosystems!”
“So this is the true potential of Beastmaster technology!”
“Yingying: My ultimate technique is swiping Shop Owner Su’s credit card!”
“Honestly, with that gear, I bet Yingying could 1v1 the Golden Gradient Tiger for the title of Apex Predator!”
“Xuefeng’s last words: ‘She’s hacking, bro!'”
“Shirley: ‘Fuck this, you humans might as well have just given her an orbital laser! I’m out!'”
The internet memed the event into oblivion.
The trending charts updated instantly:
#The Empress Returns# #Yingying: My Cheat Code Is The Shop Owner# #Human Emperor, Forge My Immortal Bones# #Can I Buy That Armor? Link Please#
Back on the summit, the freezing wind howled against the hull of the aircraft.
Su Wudeng hugged Yingying tightly, feeling the steady, powerful rhythm of her heartbeat.
“So, Yingying,” Su Wudeng asked softly. “What do you want to do now? Do you want to stay here, or come back with me?”
Su Wudeng hesitated for a moment before adding, “This mountain is your true home. It’s your domain. You can raise your cubs here safely, just like you planned.”
Perhaps, for a creature like Yingying, the wild was where she truly belonged.
However, Yingying shook her head with absolute, unwavering certainty.
“No. I want to be with you, Sister.”
“Will you form a contract with me?”
“If it wasn’t for you, my babies and I would have died on this mountain.”
“I want to stay by your side forever. I want to protect you.”
The forest at the base of the mountain wasn’t safe. The human world wasn’t safe either.
She couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her sister unprotected.
Su Wudeng looked at Yingying in utter shock. “Are you sure?”
Yingying didn’t answer with words. Instead, she leaned forward and gently pressed her wet nose against Su Wudeng’s cheek.
Instantly, a profound, warm surge of spiritual energy flowed between them—Yingying had forcibly initiated a soul contract!
Only an absolute fool would reject a Commander-level beast practically begging to be contracted.
Su Wudeng let out a soft, happy sigh. “Alright, Yingying.”
“We’re family now.”
“Whenever you feel homesick and want to run in the snow, we can come back anytime.”
“But for now… let’s go home.”
“It’s time to deal with those poachers.”
Yingying happily hopped into the co-pilot’s seat and strapped in.
Hearing the word ‘poachers’, a dangerous, frigid light flashed in Yingying’s eyes. She hated those humans just as much as she hated Xuefeng!
“Sister, how are you going to deal with them?”
Su Wudeng smirked. She tapped a command on the console, and a massive holographic map of the entire forest projected into the cockpit. The perimeter of the Secret Realm was lined with dozens of flashing red dots.
“You see these red dots?” Su Wudeng pointed at the map. “These are automated, military-grade defense turrets I deployed while you were sleeping. Each one is equipped with a biometric targeting system and high-yield plasma cannons.”
“They are programmed to automatically identify and liquidate any poachers attempting to breach the perimeter.”
She zoomed in on one of the red dots, displaying the terrifying specs of the weapon platform.
“The moment a poacher steps into the kill-zone, the grid activates.”
“Nothing flesh and blood can survive that level of concentrated, overlapping crossfire.”
Yingying’s eyes sparkled with awe. “Sister, that is so badass!”
“It’s just like the armor you gave me!”
“However,” Su Wudeng added, her tone turning serious. “If the poachers bring along exceptionally powerful, high-tier Spirit Beasts… the turrets might not be enough to stop them instantly. In that case, I might need you to step in, Yingying.”
Yingying immediately sat up perfectly straight, puffing out her chest. “Don’t worry, Sister! With this new armor and my elemental mastery, taking out some pathetic poacher hounds will be a walk in the park!”
She had only been forced to flee previously because her pregnancy had drained her core strength. Now, she was fully recovered, and with the cybernetic enhancements, she was exponentially stronger than before!
If any foolish Spirit Beast dared to challenge her, she would gladly show them why the Frostblade Snow Leopard was the absolute ceiling of the Commander tier!
Su Wudeng laughed, rubbing Yingying’s head affectionately. “That’s my girl! You’re the best!”
Meanwhile, at the outer edge of the forest.
Two heavily armed men riding massive, silver-furred ‘Wind Wolves’ crept into the treeline. They carried high-caliber hunting rifles slung over their shoulders.
“I don’t know about this, Boss,” the younger brother muttered nervously. “Number Three and Number Four went in hours ago and haven’t checked in. They probably got themselves killed. Should we really be rushing in completely blind?”
The older brother patted the thick neck of his Wind Wolf, his expression dismissive. “Relax. I’ve scanned this entire sector. There are no high-level aura signatures anywhere nearby. Stop scaring yourself.”
“Besides, with the speed of our mounts, we can easily outrun anything we can’t kill.”
“Knowing those two idiots… they probably stumbled onto a high-value target, got greedy, and killed each other fighting over the loot.”
“Aren’t you curious what kind of prize could make two veterans turn on each other?”
The younger brother licked his lips, a greedy, ugly light flashing in his eyes.
“You make a good point. Let’s move!”
Suddenly, the dense bushes about thirty yards to their right rustled violently.
The two brothers exchanged a sharp look, instantly raising their rifles.
The older brother reacted with lightning speed, snapping his rifle to his shoulder and firing blindly into the brush.
BANG!
A piteous shriek echoed through the trees.
A small, spotted fawn stumbled out of the undergrowth and collapsed onto the dirt, blood violently pulsing from a shattered hind leg.
The fawn scrambled frantically to escape, but the ruined limb rendered it helpless.
In a desperate bid for survival, the terrified fawn triggered its latent elemental ability. The weeds and vines surrounding it rapidly elongated, weaving together in an attempt to camouflage its bleeding body.
But it was too young, and its spiritual reserves were pitifully small. It couldn’t generate enough foliage to hide completely.
In fact, the sudden burst of localized plant growth only made its position more obvious.
The two brothers lowered their rifles, exchanging a cruel, mocking laugh.
“Well, look at that. I haven’t had fresh venison in months,” the older brother chuckled, smacking his lips. “You want to roast it?”
The younger brother laughed maliciously. “Let’s make it a game. First one to put a bullet through its eye wins. Loser has to dress and grill the meat.”
“You’re on!” the older brother grinned.
The two men leisurely raised their high-powered rifles, aiming down their scopes at the trembling, bloody patch of grass.
They didn’t even bother dismounting. They just sat in their saddles, cruel smiles twisting their faces.
Just as their fingers began to squeeze the triggers… a faint, mechanical hum echoed from the trees above them.
Two pinpricks of brilliant, ruby-red laser light materialized out of the shadows.
The dots tracked downward with perfect, robotic precision, locking flawlessly onto the center of both men’s foreheads.
