Xiao Feng regarded the Count with a hint of disdain flickering in his eyes.
Yet the Count produced a whistle-like device, placing it to his lips and blowing sharply: "Peep… peep…" In the darkness of the forest, that piercing whistle sliced through the night like countless invisible arrows speeding toward the horizon.
Xiao Feng understood—the Count was summoning his tamed beasts. Calmly, he raised the Black Angel, chambered a bullet, and sneered, "Ha! I'm hardly intimidated by some beast you conjure, Count. Clearly, you underestimate the might of my Black Angel."
Behind the Count's mask, his brows knitted tightly; confidence in overcoming a monstrous adversary like Xiao Feng was lacking. Yet to yield without a fight was not the way of the Evil Dragon Sect.
Soon, the chilling roars of the summoned beasts echoed through the air.
All members of the Gui Yao gang began a swift retreat, their fear of these beasts evident as they glanced about nervously before vanishing into the shadows.
Only the one-armed Gui Yao, the masked Count, and the onlooking Qin Tian remained on the open clearing.
Those Xiao Feng had frozen and knocked unconscious were already being carried away.
Behind Xiao Feng, the one-armed Gui Yao lifted his severed limb, slowly aligning it with his stump. Crimson tendrils of blood crept along the severed edge, knitting the wound.
Sensing something amiss, Xiao Feng turned to witness Gui Yao reattaching his arm. Surprised, he asked, "So you're a psychic too."
A cold sneer curled Gui Yao's lips. "Scared now? Hahaha… curious about my identity? Ha! If you survive this, I might just tell you who I really am. Those beasts? They frighten me as well. I'm out—this round's on me. Without the Count's interference, I'd be dead already." With that, Gui Yao vanished.
Xiao Feng felt no urgency to pursue Gui Yao; no matter how far he fled, Xiao Feng would find him. His true concern lay with the beasts—if not dealt with here, releasing them near the sanctuary would spell disaster.
The ground trembled as colossal beasts lumbered forth. Yes, they walked, not ran, their massive forms crashing through tree after tree.
Peering through the Black Angel's night-vision scope, Xiao Feng frowned sharply—before him stood a corrupted Asian elephant, grotesquely adorned with four massive white tusks, furiously battering the trees blocking its path.
Xiao Feng exhaled slowly; as long as these beasts were corrupted mammals, their ranks rarely exceeded C-tier. Glancing at the communicator strapped to his wrist, he saw a swarm of red blips converging from all directions.
The Count laughed heartily, "Fearful now? This is my greatest achievement here—two hundred C-tier corrupted elephants. Enjoy your welcome; I hope you don't end up crushed into pulp."
Xiao Feng scoffed coldly but froze momentarily. While he feared no C-tier corrupted elephant individually, their sheer numbers were troubling—and he was running dangerously low on ammo for the Black Angel.
He called out to a distracted Qin Tian, "Qin Tian, head southwest and get out of here. Staying is too dangerous."
Frozen in indecision, Qin Tian hesitated, torn between loyalty and self-preservation. If he fled, he'd betray Xiao Feng; if he stayed, he'd be helpless and possibly a liability.
After a moment's thought, Xiao Feng resolutely declared, "I'm not leaving. I'm sticking with you. If it gets too dangerous, I'll go invisible."
Only then did Xiao Feng remember Qin Tian's stealth ability, easing his concern.
Scanning the surroundings, Xiao Feng steadied the Black Angel and opened fire. A volley of three spiraling bullets thundered forth. One struck the forehead of a four-tusked corrupted elephant a hundred meters away, toppling it with a deafening crash as it barreled through several trees before finally halting.
Xiao Feng's shot left the Count stunned. Though he hadn't witnessed the beast's fall, some instinct told him it was dead.
Xiao Feng continued firing until the Black Angel was emptied, then pulled the trigger of the laser gun—only to find it powerless. His electric shock psychic ability had been wiped clean by the Emissary. Frowning, he set the Black Angel aside, suddenly feeling uncertain.
As the colossal elephants accelerated toward them, Qin Tian approached Xiao Feng, concern in his voice. "What's wrong?"
"No bullets left."
"Then what are we waiting for? Run!"
Xiao Feng shook his head. "No. If these beasts aren't dealt with here, they pose a deadly threat to the sanctuary."
"Do you have a plan?"
Xiao Feng shook his head again.
"Then why hesitate? Let's run!" Qin Tian tugged at Xiao Feng's arm.
But before they could move, a voice rang beside them: "Run? Run where? We can't afford to lose that man…" Suddenly, Pandora appeared before Xiao Feng.
Xiao Feng smiled at the unexpected arrival. "Ah, beauty, didn't realize you were looking so irresistible today."
"Shut up. If you keep quiet, I won't treat you like a mute."
Qin Tian eyed Pandora curiously, then asked skeptically, "Can she handle this?" Recalling the fierce earthdog's prowess, Qin Tian acknowledged that Xiao Feng's companions were formidable, but he doubted Pandora's strength.
The Count watched Pandora's sudden appearance with a puzzled expression.
The first elephant entered Qin Tian's field of vision. Without hesitation, Pandora sprang forward, her fiery silhouette executing a flawless flip. Twin long knives burst forth from her hands. Landing squarely on the elephant's tusks, she leapt, driving both blades fiercely into its forehead.
With a sharp, wet sound, the twin knives pierced deep into the beast's skull. Pandora then spread her arms wide; the elephant's massive head shattered with a cracking explosion, splattering gore everywhere…