CHAPTER 885: BILAI AND THE CARDMASTER

The Qingqingni Compass was targeting Qingqing Ni… Qiao Sang’s nerves instantly tightened, though her face remained calm.

The black-haired man held the compass in his hand. His gaze swept over, narrowing as he carefully examined the girl in the distance and the several unfamiliar pet beasts beside her. Then, looking again at the compass, he stopped where he stood, his deep eyes locked onto her.

The brown-haired man beside him also halted.

Both looked to be around thirty years old. The brown-haired man, however, had naturally upturned lips, giving him a far more approachable air compared to the black-haired man.

The brown-haired man glanced at the compass, his eyes brightening slightly before turning to Qiao Sang. Smiling, he asked: “Little sister, are you here all by yourself?”

He walked toward her at an unhurried pace as he spoke.

His voice was warm and friendly, but his micro-expressions betrayed the excitement and thrill he was trying to conceal.

They had no visible pet beasts at their side, but that didn’t mean none were present, just that they weren’t visible to the naked eye. Getting rid of them wouldn’t be difficult, she could either teleport away herself or forcibly displace them.

But in the past twenty days, though she had encountered many wild pet beasts, she hadn’t faced a true crisis. No real chance to display her strength. Soon, it would be time to leave the secret realm.

If the remaining days passed like a game of grinding weak monsters, would Qinfeng Yunren think she was mediocre, unworthy of letting Qingqing Ni contract with her?

Qiao Sang’s mind raced as she sized up the two uninvited guests.

These two carried a Qingqingni Compass, so their strength shouldn’t be simple. Before she had ever seen Qingqing Ni, she herself had entered this place simply not to waste the compass and to witness the legendary beast.

But the majority of those who entered with a compass did so with one goal, capture or contract Qingqing Ni.

If that was their goal from the start, then they would have prepared thoroughly.

Suppose they wanted to force a contract. Upon finding it, the first step would be to make it show itself.

The compass could point to Qingqing Ni’s direction, but not its exact position. To trap it and force it out, Little Treasure’s Spatial Lockdown was one possible method…

The thought jolted Qiao Sang. Dropping her pretense, she shouted: “Up. Move!”

Little Treasure’s eyes flashed blue.

The next moment, Qiao Sang and Yabao were teleported several hundred meters into the air.

At the same time, the ground where they had just stood became the center of an expanding barrier, only to pause mid-formation and then disperse.

The black-haired man looked at his compass, then up at Qiao Sang in the sky. His voice was low: “Qingqing Ni is with her.”

“I know.”

The brown-haired man’s excitement flared as he called loudly up to her, “Your reaction is quick!”

A Beast Master whose brain capacity had reached 50% had extremely sharp hearing. When focusing on a direction, even words spoken a kilometer away could be heard without shouting.

Fight and show her strength to Qinfeng Yunren if possible, if not, escape first, safety above all…

Qiao Sang gazed down without answering, then raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

“Yap!”

Yabao’s face lit up with excitement at the long-missed signal, opening his jaws wide.

A scarlet energy orb filled with destruction gathered in his mouth.

But almost simultaneously, a strange pet beast appeared above him, around two meters tall, body blue, vaguely human-shaped, its face covered by a masquerade mask. It conjured a white destructive orb in its claw and hurled it downward. s̩

Qiao Sang’s pupils shrank. Instinctively she commanded: “Displace it!”

“Xun xun!”

Little Treasure’s eyes glowed blue at the masked beast.

The masquerade-faced beast vanished.

Yabao’s scarlet orb fired upward unhindered.

A searing blaze shot into the sky, exploding brilliantly like a second sun.

The brown-haired man clicked his tongue and formed seals.

A massive red star array lit up on the ground.

The masked beast reappeared within it.

Then came a rain of fire, dense blazing meteors fell like collapsing stars, burning the world.

The air boiled, the heavens bled red, and snow and ice below melted.

The brown-haired man’s expression grew serious, some excitement fading.

“You don’t think Qingqing Ni’s already contracted to her, do you?”

“Unlikely.” The black-haired man said, his pupils reflecting the flames above.

“Anyone with sense would instantly store Qingqing Ni in their Beast Codex instead of flaunting it when compass holders are around. She must just be suppressing it somehow.”

The brown-haired man relaxed.

“That’s good.”

This Secret Realm opened once every thirty years. Qingqing Ni, knowing humans sought it, would never approach willingly.

The compass pointed at this girl, who looked young, but if she truly were as young as she seemed, she wouldn’t be here alone.

All signs pointed to Qingqing Ni being under her control. That was why they intended to strike at once.

But her vigilance only confirmed it.

As the Meteor Rain neared them, the black-haired man suddenly said: “Swap.”

At his word, a four-meter clownlike beast appeared at his side, its head decked with playing cards. One card lit faintly.

In an instant, Qiao Sang and her beasts were swapped with the two men.

What the—?! Qiao Sang’s heart jolted, she nearly screamed.

“Qing-!”

Qingqing Ni shrieked in fright but the sound was abruptly smothered mid-cry, leaving Qiao Sang’s face momentarily twisted before she forced it back to calm indifference.

Don’t scream. Qinfeng Yunren was watching. Calm. It was just a scary illusion, Yabao was here, the meteors couldn’t touch her… She gripped Yabao’s fur tightly, palms sweating.

That was Spatial Swap, a high-level psychic skill allowing position exchange. Normally, it required equal numbers. But they had swapped uneven numbers from hundreds of meters away, clearly, the beast’s mastery was very high.

They gambled Yabao wouldn’t react in time. Her earlier position had been unprotected and within the Meteor Rain’s range.

“Yap…”

Yabao bared his teeth, glaring upward.

Flames roared, but not one ember touched Qiao Sang, her enemies were shielded in a translucent barrier.

The fire rained down endlessly, hammering ripples into the barrier until...

Boom!

It cracked, a hole forming, then immediately healing.

The brown-haired man, frowning, raised his Pet Identifier and scanned Yabao.

[Fire Qilu: Dual-type Psychic/Fire, General-level beast. Enjoys running in the air, arrogant personality, dislikes contact with anyone but its master. The larger its flame wings, the greater its energy reserves;

shrinking wings indicate weakened state.]

Another explosion rocked the barrier.

The brown-haired man muttered in surprise: “A mere General-level beast, yet its Meteor Rain is this strong? Has the skill already reached Ultimate Mastery?”

After all, the barrier was cast by his King-level beast, Bilai.

The black-haired man ignored him, instead asking: “Why isn’t she fleeing? Her beast can teleport.”

The brown-haired man frowned.

“Maybe she wants to deal with us. As long as we’re here, we’re a threat.”

“Then let’s end this fast.” The black-haired man clasped his hands in seals.

“I agree.” The brown-haired man followed suit, eyes alight.

Seven crimson star arrays appeared around Qiao Sang, in the sky, ground, sides, everywhere.

At the same time, the clownlike beast’s card flared white, freezing the Meteor Rain midair.

Damn, both B-rank Beast Masters, controlling the meteors by pure psychic force. That clown-headed beast was at least King-level…

Strong foes but also a chance. If she beat them, Qinfeng Yunren would witness her strength.

“Lubao!” Qiao Sang commanded.

“Lu Di!”

Lubao’s eyes sharpened. Instantly, the world froze, colder than before.

The meteors iced over midair.

The seven looming beasts summoned by the arrays froze solid into statues.

The black-haired man’s calm shattered into shock, the brown-haired man paled, horrified.

He tried to command Bilai but before he could, cold pierced him. His body locked, his last sight: his frozen comrade. Then he too turned to ice.

Qiao Sang exhaled, relief flooding her. She might not truly match two B-rank masters in combat, but Lubao’s Ice Field Domain gave her a short invincibility, letting her pose as overwhelming.

Good enough for Qinfeng Yunren to believe in her strength.

But the domain wouldn’t last. She had to retreat.

“Let’s go.”

She said evenly, then added, “Far away.”

“Xun xun~”

Little Treasure obeyed, eyes glowing blue.

At that same moment, the clownlike beast’s gaze pierced the ice, locking with Little Treasure’s violet glare before subsiding back to blue.

The beast turned away, all its cards blazing white.

Cracks spidered through the ice.

Qiao Sang and her beasts vanished.

The ice shell shattered, the meteors resumed their fall.

Seven beasts screamed before their masters recalled them.

“What was that skill?” The brown-haired man demanded grimly.

“Freezing us even inside a barrier at such a distance?”

“The barrier had a hole from earlier meteor impacts. It was patched too late.” The black-haired man said coldly.

The brown-haired man glared at Bilai, who glared back: What are you staring at? Not my fault.

He sighed, then said, “Quick, take out the compass. Maybe we can still track her.”

“Pai pai.”

The clownlike beast spoke.

The black-haired man smiled.

“No need. The Cardmaster already marked her.”

The brown-haired man brightened, only to freeze as unimaginable pressure descended.

Both men looked up.

Above loomed a colossal bird of over twenty meters, its every icy-blue feather carved from ice, gazing down with cold, merciless eyes.

Shit! The Frostbird?!