Chapter 556: Chapter 348: Accumulating All the Energy_2
When she saw this energy being absorbed, Li Meilin felt fearful. Even if she wanted to stop, the energy was too powerful. Li Meilin could only feel fortunate that there were no guards paying attention to them. If they had been, things would have become troublesome.
The battle in the sky was slowly fading. Captain Song was covered in blood. His energy couldn’t last much longer, and no matter how much he used, so far, this bird hadn’t suffered any harm.
Seeing this astonishing eagle far surpass him in strength, Captain Song began regretting his previous actions. Unfortunately for him, regret had come too late. With a swing of Wan Qiao’s wings, the man was slammed onto a nearby slope. The mountain trembled violently from the impact. Boulders collapsed, and Captain Song fell into an underground crater on the hillside. His consciousness vanished the moment of the collision, and as he hit the ground, his soul dissipated into thin air along with his body.
Witnessing this, Li Meilin was stunned. She felt no pity for the captain, but seeing him lose so miserably still surprised her. At the same time, she felt relieved that this young man had focused on her and saved her. Otherwise, she would have ended up like the foreign delegation outside, meeting her demise.
After the battle concluded, the pressure on both of them increased dramatically. At first, no one noticed them because the attention was entirely on the battle above, but now, several guards scanned the surroundings. Upon seeing the grassy field, they couldn’t help but notice how much energy had merged in the area. Not to mention, the whirlwind had grown so massive that anyone who glanced at that patch of grass could clearly see it.
Li Meilin bit her lip while considering what to do. One option was to escape now and return to the Empire of Siban, but doing so seemed unlikely to succeed. Staying with this cultivating young man appeared incredibly dangerous—his allies were attacking him and calling him all sorts of names.
Seeing someone staring at the grassy field, Li Meilin felt completely uncertain about what choice to make. But before she could decide, numerous flying beasts encircled the area. Some curiously glanced down, while others looked downward with jealousy, hatred, or indifference.
It became evident that none of the guards liked this young man; however, only a few among them seemed intent on killing him. Unless they had gone mad, they wouldn’t take action. Everyone clearly understood that Yan Xiaobao was under Wan Qiao’s protection. Even if they despised it, that was the truth. Opposing Yan Xiaobao meant certain death.
The only issue was that there were beasts within the guard ranks who didn’t seem to care about their lives. These creatures desired to eliminate anything that could pose a threat to their queen or their master. To protect all that she cherished, Wan Qiao would act even if she unknowingly made an erroneous decision.
Among those surrounding Yan Xiaobao, there were two such guards. Their eyes glimmered as they believed they now had the best chance to rid themselves of the young man.
However, as they charged forward, the sound of wings flapping resonated, and energy from the wings precisely targeted these two guards. The force sent them flying backward, away from the cultivating Yan Xiaobao, who remained oblivious to what was happening around him.
"Anyone who dares wake Yan Xiaobao will be killed instantly," Wan Qiao declared, her icy gaze sweeping over the entire guard group, causing them to step back at least one step. All of them displayed their intent clearly—they had surrounded him, but they didn’t plan to attack.
After saying what she needed to say, Wan Qiao reverted back to her human form and landed in the spot where Yan Xiaobao was seated. Crossing her arms and legs, she glared at those staring at her in astonishment.
"I command all of you to return home and assist the refugees, ensuring they feel welcomed," she ordered. Upon hearing this, everyone acted immediately. Although they would have preferred to stay with their master, they knew there was no danger on the road that could harm her. As long as General Frozen didn’t show up, it was safe for her to travel alone.
After the guards left, Wan Qiao turned her gaze toward Yan Xiaobao and Li Meilin. Yan Xiaobao continued absorbing the radiance on his forehead, while his body devoured the essence of heaven and earth as if he were a bottomless swamp. He seemed insatiable, absorbing more and more.
"Does this sort of thing happen frequently with magical beasts?" Li Meilin finally asked. She was deeply curious about magical beasts, but her interest had truly been piqued when she saw a village where beasts lived like humans. Witnessing that had proven their intelligence to her, and she was constantly seeking new information.
"Dear," Li Meilin suddenly said, looking at the seated woman who was still observing the cultivating young man, "why did this young man have to save me?" She finally voiced a question that had been lingering on her mind for some time. The only response she received was a smile from Wan Qiao. "You don’t need to know," Wan Qiao sighed. "You won’t thank us. You must follow us to the capital and live with us until we deem you capable of leaving."
Upon hearing this, Li Meilin was slightly taken aback, but she nodded nevertheless. This was the best opportunity to study the magical beasts she had been obsessed with for years. Even if it meant spending most of her life in the darkest forests of Chenyuan, it was still worth it.