It was strange, the vulture that dodged Xiao Yu’s attack did not continue its assault, but instead circled in the sky, emitting piercing cries that were deeply unsettling.
However, unsettling as it was, at least it wasn’t attacking her anymore.
Xiao Yu, having gotten up from the ground, brushed the dust off her clothes and let out a long sigh of relief. But her moment of ease was short-lived. The bushes nearby were pushed aside, and a giant, grey-furred rat burst forth. Its scarlet eyes, coupled with the horn on its head like a rhinoceros’s, were truly terrifying.
Initially, Xiao Yu had found the rhinoceros turned into a rat somewhat cute. But when it grew to the size of a small car, any cuteness vanished, replaced by sheer terror.
“Ah… unlucky, unlucky, unlucky…”
Xiao Yu ran ahead, the giant rat chasing her. At this moment, Xiao Yu deeply regretted her actions. Why, out of all things, did she have to turn the creature into a rat? Now, she couldn't get rid of it.
Gradually, the clever Xiao Yu noticed something was amiss. With a rat that large, at her speed, she should have been caught long ago. Why was it still following her, with the distance between them never changing? And what about the large vulture overhead? Why had it only attacked her once and then stopped?
All of this pointed to something highly unusual. A conjecture then formed in Xiao Yu’s mind.
To verify her hypothesis, Xiao Yu decided to take a risky gamble.
She stopped in her tracks, turned around, and lunged back towards the giant rat behind her.
The moment they collided, Xiao Yu found her body passing through the rat’s. Her outstretched hand touched something furry.
When Xiao Yu brought the furry object in her hand to her face, she saw that it was the rhinoceros she had previously turned into a rat, still the size of a normal mouse.
As Xiao Yu held the rat’s true form in her hand, the giant rat that had been chasing her dissolved. Xiao Yu then squatted down, cradling the mouse, and attempted to dig into the soil beneath her feet. However, no matter how hard she tried, although the texture and smell were the same as ordinary soil, she couldn’t dislodge it.
Now Xiao Yu understood completely. She hadn’t been magically transported to a rainforest, but had fallen victim to some illusionary magic, trapped within a phantasm.
This explained all the previous absurdities.
At this moment, Bai Qi, standing outside the antique shop, observed the unfolding events within. He raised an eyebrow and, with a playful look, said to the mysterious person beside him, who was wearing a fishbowl on his head, “It seems your illusion cube has a lot of room for improvement.”
“Y-yes, Your Majesty, I’m sorry. I… I’ve failed your trust.”
Bai Qi had spoken casually, but the mysterious person perceived it differently. The gap in both power and status between them was like heaven and earth. If Bai Qi wished, he could crush the mysterious person with a flick of his wrist.
Precisely because of this awareness, the mysterious person feared that his poor performance might displease Bai Qi, thereby endangering his life. Even though Bai Qi had shown no intention of killing him yet, apologizing profusely was always the safer option.
Although Bai Qi hadn't used his mind-reading abilities on the mysterious person, he could tell from his expression and incessant apologies that the man was genuinely terrified, fearing that a single frown from Bai Qi could lead to his demise.
Bai Qi could only think, *You worry too much.*
The reason Bai Qi had dispatched the Evil Seven this time was to see if any of them possessed potential that was worth investing in.
However, it seemed Bai Qi had overestimated them. The rhinoceros, the vulture, and the mysterious person were nothing more than pure clowns who were incompetent, foolish, and utterly reliant on props.
As for the Death Shooter, Black Spider, Scarecrow, and Scorpion, they were, to put it mildly, slightly better than the aforementioned three, but only slightly.
Checking the time, Bai Qi realized he had given these good-for-nothings too much time to prove themselves, and they had failed to seize the opportunity. Xiao Yu, after all, was a true child of destiny. Even if the aura of justice was no longer as potent as it once was, Bai Qi still didn't want to waste too much time. Delays could lead to unforeseen complications, and it was best to resolve this battle quickly.
Just as Bai Qi was preparing to personally apprehend Xiao Yu.
*Boom!*
A massive explosion erupted from within the antique shop, the tremors from which were felt even by Bai Qi standing outside.
Bai Qi’s heart tightened. Excluding the rhinoceros and vulture, who had been turned into animals, and the mysterious person and Death Shooter, who were by his side, only Scarecrow, Black Spider, and Scorpion remained inside the antique shop.
Bai Qi didn’t care about the deaths of these individuals; he simply didn’t want their clumsy actions to cause harm to Xiao Yu.
The Death Shooter, who had remained silent until now, noticed a hint of anxiety on Bai Qi’s face and felt a degree of confusion. Why was Bai Qi so concerned about this mere girl, who was barely out of her teens?
Despite his confusion, the Death Shooter dared not question Bai Qi directly and continued to observe in silence.
In an instant, Bai Qi appeared before the entrance of the antique shop. With a wave of his hand, the front wall, along with the slightly deformed door, was violently torn apart by Bai Qi and tossed aside.
Disregarding the dust and smoke billowing within, Bai Qi looked up, ready to enter the shop to investigate.
Just as Bai Qi took his first step, the smoke and dust shifted slightly. Then, Black Spider, with burns on multiple parts of his body, slowly emerged from the dust. In his hand, he carried a bag woven from spiderwebs, containing the bound and gagged Xiao Yu.
Perhaps having witnessed the power of Xiao Yu’s magic, Black Spider had not only used his silk to restrain her limbs after capturing her but had also sealed her mouth.
With her limbs bound and unable to utter incantations, Xiao Yu was truly rendered powerless.
“Your Majesty, I have brought you the person you desired.”
Upon seeing Bai Qi, Black Spider knelt on one knee, disregarding his injuries, and held the Xiao Yu, bound by spiderwebs, above his head.
“Well done.”
Bai Qi summoned two shadow ninjas and had them escort Xiao Yu into the Shadow Realm. He then cast a spell, healing all of Black Spider’s injuries and bestowing a reward. Having completed this, Bai Qi vanished without a word.
As Bai Qi departed, several shadow ninjas appeared inside the antique shop and took away Tseru, who was stuck to the wall by spiderwebs.
Long after Bai Qi had left, Black Spider remained kneeling. It wasn’t until Scarecrow and Scorpion emerged from the antique shop, each carrying the rhinoceros and vulture, now transformed into a rat and a bird respectively, that he rose.
Xiao Yu’s magic seemed potent, capable of turning a living person into an animal. It was akin to a weakened form of the Monkey Talisman.
However, it was still a weakened version. This magic had a time limit. Once the duration expired, the person transformed into an animal would revert to human form, provided they were still alive.