Chapter 565: Sudden Change

They packed up and set off.

Qiao Xixi held the tiger cub and sat with Jin Ling on the back of a male from the Phoenix Wing Clan, but she kept looking back from time to time.

Jin Ling pulled her closer into his arms. “Are you worried about Yun Ji?”

Qiao Xixi nodded. “It’s been so long, and they still haven’t caught up. I wonder if they ran into some trouble.”

“Maybe he is already waiting for us at Elephant Beast City. Don’t worry.”

Qiao Xixi nodded again. Little Demon hadn’t mentioned anything happening to Yun Ji, so it shouldn’t be a big deal.

The closer they got to Elephant Beast City, the hotter the weather became. The tiger cub, irritated by the heat, squirmed restlessly in Qiao Xixi’s arms.

“Be good, An’an. Let’s drink some water first. I’ll fan you in a bit, and it won’t be so hot anymore, okay?”

Guided by Qiao Xixi’s hands, the little one drained an entire waterskin. Only after the cool Spiritual Spring water settled in her stomach did she feel a bit more comfortable.

Qiao Xixi handed another waterskin to Mo Yan. “Mo Yan, you have some water too.”

Mo Yan obediently took the waterskin. “Thank you, Clan Leader.”

Jin Ling glanced up at the glaring sun and signaled the Phoenix Wing Clan male to lower their altitude so they would be more comfortable.

“Father, why is it so hot here? There are hardly any trees or forests.”

As a merfolk, Xiya preferred cooler temperatures. Being scorched by the blazing sun, the skin all over her body had become tight and dry.

Xijing could only pull her into his embrace, shielding her from the sun’s harsh rays.

“This place is a bit different from other areas. Have some water for now; we’ll be there soon.”

Xiya had no choice but to gulp down the Spiritual Spring water in large mouthfuls.

Qiao Lie and Qiao Ang were also suffering from the heat. They naturally favored the cold, making them extremely unaccustomed to such a scorching sun.

Seeing that all the cubs were uncomfortable, Qiao Yi led the way downward. By flying at a lower altitude and putting some distance between themselves and the sun, they felt a bit better.

“Clan Leader, look! Is that Elephant Beast City?”

Hearing this, Qiao Xixi looked up. In the distance, she could see a city standing tall on a vast, flat plateau.

“We’re finally almost there.”

As soon as she spoke, a sudden wave of blistering heat hit them right in the face.

The intense wave caused the Phoenix Wing Clan males to shudder in mid-air. Jin Ling and the others reacted instantly, unleashing their beast soul energy to block the heatwave.

But even so, the surrounding temperature skyrocketed at an alarming rate. Qiao Xixi was so hot that cold sweat continuously poured down her face. Her vision blurred, making her feel as though she were melting.

“Why is it so hot over here?”

“Host, something isn’t right here. Leave quickly… BZZT BZZT… Hurry, leave first… BZZT BZZT!”

Little Demon’s intermittent voice echoed in her mind.

“Little Demon, what’s wrong?” she asked in her mind.

“Something’s wrong. I’m being interfered with—BZZT, BZZT! BOOM!”

An explosive sound suddenly erupted in her mind. Startled, Qiao Xixi shouted, “Turn around! Turn back and retreat immediately!”

But it was already too late.

The overwhelming heatwave surged toward them like a tidal wave. The excessively high temperature burned everyone, leaving them in agonizing discomfort.

“Land first!” Qiao Yi yelled. An accident in the sky would be far more dangerous than on the ground.

The Wing Clan members began to descend. As soon as they landed steadily on the ground, Qiao Xixi and the others quickly jumped off their backs.

However, even after reaching the ground, the scorching heat showed no signs of receding.

“Why is it so hot here?”

“Meat tastes better after it’s dehydrated from the heat.”

An arrogant burst of laughter suddenly rang out from the sky. Qiao Xixi looked up and saw a massive flock of Vulture Beasts flying toward them, blotting out the sun.

A violent tremor suddenly shook the ground. Qiao Xixi turned her head, only to see a massive group of Elephant Beasts and a Wild Bull Beast Group charging their way.

Qiao Yi and Sunxuan rushed to the front, while Sunxiao and Jin Ling stood behind them, guarding Qiao Xixi and the cubs securely in the center.

“Protect Xixi and the others. Get them out of here first!”

Jin Ling and the others quickly shifted into their beast forms. He had Qiao Xixi sit on his back with the tiger cub and Mo Yan.

Feiyan gently picked up Qiao Ang and Qiao Lie in his mouth, placing them securely on his own back.

With a sweep of his long tail, Sunxiao wrapped Xiya and Sangqi securely within his coils.

Sangze and Xijing positioned themselves at the front and rear, paving the way for Qiao Xixi’s group.

“Kill all the adult males!”

A Vulture Beast let out a sharp, long screech and rapidly dive-bombed toward Jin Ling and the others. The beast soldiers swiftly surged forward to meet them in battle.

Lei Lie and his men watched the charging Elephant Beasts, their expressions turning exceptionally grim.

“Why do these Elephant Beasts have dark energy on them? Could there be monsters in Elephant Beast City too?”

No one could answer that question.

Qiao Yi and the others possessed formidable combat prowess. Through their fierce retaliation, they managed to forcibly tear open a gap in the encirclement for Qiao Xixi’s escape.

“Xixi, go quickly!”

The sudden disconnection from Little Demon made Qiao Xixi feel that something was terribly wrong. She formed a hand seal, summoning a gust of wind that briefly blew away the oppressive heatwave.

Sangze charged through the gap, his sharp claws slashing the throats of the Vulture Beasts one by one.

“Go this way!”

Following closely behind Sangze, Jin Ling and the others broke out of the encirclement. Behind them was a defensive barrier formed by Qiao Yi and the intercepting warriors. Half of the Vulture Beasts in the sky were also blocked by the Wing Clan’s beast soldiers.

Right at that moment, a massive face suddenly materialized in the sky.

As if sensing something, the tiger cub tilted her head up to look at it. She babbled and pointed her little finger at the sky, letting out tiny cries.

However, Qiao Xixi was entirely focused on their surroundings, fearful of any incoming danger, and completely missed the tiger cub’s actions.

Mo Yan, on the other hand, immediately followed the tiger cub’s pointing finger and looked up. But by the time he raised his head, the face had already vanished.

“An’an, what did you just see in the sky?”

“Awoo… face, face.”

“A face? A human face?”

The tiger cub nodded.

Mo Yan was utterly bewildered. He didn’t understand why a face would appear in the sky, but looking at the tiger cub’s certainty, it didn’t seem like she was lying at all.

Seeing that Qiao Xixi and her group had broken through the encirclement, the Vulture Beasts didn’t linger in their current fight. They immediately turned around and gave chase.

Just when Qiao Xixi thought they had distanced themselves from the Elephant Beasts, another heavy tremor rumbled beneath their feet.

Qiao Xixi’s heart skipped a beat. Looking up, she saw a massive herd of antelope beasts charging toward them from the front.

The antelope beasts had bloodshot, bulging eyes. They looked like deranged, mindless beasts that had entirely lost their sanity.

“Avoid them!”

But just as they tried to change direction, a huge herd of Horse Beasts charged at them from the other side.

From all directions—even from above—more and more beast packs swarmed in, nearly trapping them in a total blockade.

“This won’t work! It’s too hard to break through on the ground. Xixi, take the cubs into the sky immediately to hide!”

Sunxiao quickly moved to Qiao Xixi’s side and placed Xiya and Sangqi onto Jin Ling’s back. Feiyan also ran over, handing Qiao Ang and Qiao Lie over to Qiao Xixi.

In an instant, Jin Ling’s back was crowded with cubs.

Qiao Xixi knew that Sunxiao would never suggest this unless they were completely out of options.

“I understand.”

She hastily pulled Bubble Fruits from her pocket and shoved them into the cubs’ hands before quickly forming a hand seal.

“Great Winds, arise!”

A powerful gale howled past, sweeping all of them up into the air.

In the very second they were lifted by the wind, the swarming beasts from all directions completely converged, nearly swallowing Jin Ling and the others whole.