Chapter 450: Disaster White Tiger

Chapter 450: Chapter 290: Disaster White Tiger

Looking at the distinct grains of rice in his bowl, Su Zhi felt a warmth spread through his heart.

The villagers rarely got to eat white rice and flour throughout the year, yet they provided it for him at every meal. They had also prepared the food for his three Pet Beasts with great care, even if some of it wasn’t quite right for them.

In this place, isolated from the Current World, someone was treating him like family.

“Yu Bao? Why have you stopped eating?”

Su Zhi asked, curious. “We’re launching the final assault against the Earthquake Beasts with Elder Jing tonight. You have to eat your fill to be ready for a fight.”

“Woof,” Yu Bao whimpered, staring at the Earthquake Beast, seemingly lost in thought.

Suddenly, it hopped over to the Earthquake Beast’s mouth in a few quick steps and, with considerable effort, squeezed inside.

Wu Bao and Shan Bao looked at each other, question marks practically appearing over their heads.

Su Zhi was also confused by Yu Bao’s actions, but his brows furrowed when he received a message from Yu Bao through the Beast Taming Space.

“We need to find Elder Jing right now!”

…

「In town.」

“So, that’s the situation. Yu Bao deduced that given the Earthquake Beast’s massive size and complex structure, it should have various functionally differentiated organs inside. It decided to search for them and actually found a crystal responsible for information transmission.”

Su Zhi looked at Tuoba Jing, who sat across the table.

“Using its ability to control Earthquake Beasts, Yu Bao tried to read the memories within that crystal. It saw the scenes I just described: Earthquake Beasts are massing in a cavern, and an indistinct figure is in their midst, continuously absorbing Earth and Gold Element Energy.”

Tuoba Jing’s voice was grave. “How can you be certain it’s happening ‘right now’?”

Su Zhi replied, “That’s the feeling Yu Bao got while reading it. I trust Yu Bao’s judgment.”

“I trust Yu Bao as well.”

Tuoba Jing suddenly chuckled. “But have you considered that this might be a trap? Functionally speaking, it would be enough to transmit information one-way to the Earthquake Beast. Creating this two-way crystal is an unnecessary step that leaves behind a vulnerability, as if it were intentionally left to lure you in.”

“…I have.”

Su Zhi nodded and took a deep breath.

‘It’s an open conspiracy. The Earthquake Beasts and the entity behind them are preparing their plan with great fanfare, even leaving clues to let us know they’re about to make their move.’

‘The situation was a true dilemma.’

‘Go? Or not go?’

“The Earthquake Beasts don’t necessarily know when we will arrive. If we launch a surprise attack now, we still have a chance of victory,” Tuoba Jing’s unhurried voice drifted over.

Su Zhi looked at Tuoba Jing.

The man slowly rose to his feet and put on the Beastmaster’s long robe he had not worn for several days.

“Even if there is no chance of victory, this is our inescapable duty as Beastmasters. Since ancient times, has anyone ever heard of Beast Taming without bloodshed? I have already died once. What does it matter if I die again today?”

Tuoba Jing smiled as he looked at Su Zhi.

“I have made my resolve. And you, young friend?”

Su Zhi said nothing, only giving the elder a firm fist bump. Tuoba Jing smiled in response. He knew as well that no words were needed now; their eyes had already said it all.

The gaze of a Beastmaster, spanning two hundred years, had never changed.

“Hundred Rivers, what brings you to us?” Tuoba Jing said with a smile, turning his gaze to the door.

After a moment of silence, the door was indeed pushed open.

Wang Baichuan clenched his fists and bit his lip. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then quickly strode before Tuoba Jing.

“I… I want to go with you!”

Tuoba Jing shook his head. “You cannot.”

“But—”

“Hundred Rivers.”

“…”

“A meaningless sacrifice is the height of irresponsibility. And you still have a long road ahead of you. In the end, we are merely passersby… but you are a child of this land.”

Tuoba Jing pulled Wang Baichuan to his feet and patted his shoulder.

“However, I do have two important tasks to entrust to you.”

Wang Baichuan immediately looked up. “Tell me!”

“First, have some of the villagers go to the open country northwest of town. The terrain there is open, the Earthquake Beasts have never been there, and it’s the safest location.”

“Yes, sir!” Wang Baichuan replied, his eyes fixed. “And the other?”

Tuoba Jing smiled. “The other is to lead everyone in living on, and to live more brilliantly than ever before. I’ve told you that you are gifted and intelligent, and everything that has happened recently has only confirmed my judgment. I believe you can do it.”

Wang Baichuan opened his mouth, as if he was about to say something instinctively, but he forced the words back down and nodded.

Wang Baichuan turned and left. The sound of his footsteps quickly faded into the distance.

Tuoba Jing and Su Zhi looked at each other.

“It’s time we set out as well.”

·

「Afternoon, near a certain cavern.」

Holes of varying sizes dotted the landscape. The small ones were two or three meters in diameter, while the large ones were dozens of meters across. Viewed from above, they were a shocking sight, like a dense patch of ulcers on the earth.

The dense dots next to these “ulcers” were none other than Earthquake Beasts. They squirmed slowly, evoking a primal, physical revulsion.

This was the very destination Yu Bao had reached when it tracked the swarm of Earthquake Beasts last time.

This time, however, the number of caverns had increased, and the largest one was clearly for the Great Earthquake Beast to enter and exit.

“Clara…”

Accompanied by a muffled, low roar and the THUD of heavy footsteps, the Great Earthquake Beast slowly approached the cavern.

“Woof!” From the tall grass in the distance, Yu Bao wagged its tail toward the sky.

‘Earthquake Beast One, ready to go!’

Su Zhi nodded. “Proceed according to the plan.”

“Woof.”

Under Yu Bao’s control, the Earthquake Beast slowly walked into the cavern.

No Earthquake Beasts blocked its path; some even proactively cleared a way for it. Yu Bao controlled the Great Earthquake Beast as it advanced, a smug look all over its face.

‘Heh, gotta say, this ‘make way for your master’ feeling is pretty awesome!’

Yu Bao didn’t hurry downward. It first took a stroll around the area before once again arriving at the last “save point”—the “great hall.”