Stones flew from a distance, drawing closer and closer. Lu Fei's pupils contracted.
He reacted swiftly.
The moment their gazes met, Lu Fei and Tie Tou Wa looked at each other with unspoken understanding.
This was the first time Lu Fei had felt such a telepathic connection with Tie Tou Wa in the face of danger!
"Tie Tou Wa! Use [Qi Zi Zhan]!"
This was Tie Tou Wa's strongest skill, a mid-level ability. It involved swinging its weapon and tracing seven characters in the air, inflicting [Qi Zi Zhan] damage on all enemies in its path!
It was a powerful move, but it had a lengthy cooldown period after use.
This time, Tie Tou Wa did not hesitate. It stomped its foot, leaping into the air. Facing the imminent flying stones, it spun like a whirlwind, its broken sword a blur.
The skill vortex of [Qi Zi Zhan] formed an invisible barrier, shattering the incoming stones!
What seemed like a fierce attack was instantly neutralized!
"Well done, Tie Tou Wa!" Lu Fei shouted.
This was an unprecedented sense of accomplishment, the feeling of achieving victory through perfect coordination with his contracted beast.
As he was still reveling in his joy, a lazy voice drifted over once more.
"Not bad. Prepare for the next wave of attacks."
Lu Fei was startled at first, but quickly assumed his stance, ready for the next assault.
Tie Tou Wa before him stood with unwavering resolve. A combat enthusiast, the feeling of being pushed to its limits brought no pressure, only enjoyment!
The drunkard lay on the grass, savoring his wine.
He mumbled as if to himself:
"Xiao Gu Diao, use [Xuan Feng]."
"Wan Pi Hou, use [Tou Zhi]."
As the words fell, from the treetops, a monkey with hair styled like a pile of dung hopped out, chattering. Simultaneously, it rapidly threw a pile of unidentified objects, moving with lightning speed.
Lu Fei and Tie Tou Wa stood ready. With the experience from last time, if it were just these objects flying, he was confident they could be shot down!
However, at that moment, a crisp cry echoed from the sky. It was the Xiao Gu Diao. Their evolved form was the Gu Diao that Lu Fei had seen in the Jade Dragon Forest.
The Xiao Gu Diao flapped its wings rapidly, and the next moment, whirlwinds formed from its wings. These whirlwinds caught up with the unidentified objects thrown by the Wan Pi Hou.
Suddenly, the flight speed of the objects, which were previously hurtling towards Lu Fei and his companion, doubled!
Lu Fei resorted to his old tactics.
Tie Tou Wa again took its stance, leaping into the air, and unleashed another [Qi Zi Zhan].
*Bang bang bang!*
The unidentified objects slammed into the [Qi Zi Zhan] vortex, colliding violently.
After a moment, Tie Tou Wa's brow furrowed.
First, its arm was grazed, then its thigh, and more and more bloodstains appeared on its body!
The barrage of objects finally ceased. However, Tie Tou Wa could no longer sustain itself, its strength depleted. It fell from mid-air.
Yet, it did not hit the ground. Instead, it held its broken sword with one hand, knelt on one knee, its gaze resolute, teeth gritted!
Repeatedly using [Qi Zi Zhan] was extremely draining. The power of the second use was significantly weaker than the first, and coupled with the combined assault of Xiao Gu Diao and Wan Pi Hou, its potency had multiplied!
"Handsome guy! You haven't even finished the beginner training, and you're jumping to advanced. A pincer attack from two contracted beasts, how is this supposed to work!"
Lu Fei protested.
The drunkard ignored him.
He said indifferently, "You said you wanted to learn from me, so you have to listen to everything I say. If you're not happy, you can leave now."
"Besides, it's your own lack of comprehension, why are you blaming me?"
Lu Fei opened his mouth, but retracted the words that were about to be spoken.
Suddenly, his gaze grew distant, a thought flashing through his mind.
The drunkard glanced subtly at the disheveled youth in the distance, whose clothes were even more tattered than his own. A slight, imperceptible smile curved his lips.
He slowly stood up and left on his own.
"I'm hungry. I'll go back and cook. We'll continue tonight."
Lu Fei stood frozen, meticulously replaying the details of the previous battle. If the attacks from Xiao Gu Diao and Wan Pi Hou had not been forcefully blocked by Tie Tou Wa's [Qi Zi Zhan], perhaps they wouldn't have been in such a sorry state!
"Yes! How did I not think of that!"
Lu Fei shouted:
"Don't go! Do that attack again!"
The drunkard stopped, letting out an "oh."
"What? Have you figured it out?"
Lu Fei nodded, then looked at Tie Tou Wa, "Tie Tou Wa, can you still hold on?"
Tie Tou Wa pushed itself up with one hand, roaring at the sky.
Its fighting spirit intensified!
The drunkard glanced at the Xiao Gu Diao and Wan Pi Hou.
The next moment, the Wan Pi Hou chattered and quickly threw countless unidentified objects, even more than before!
In the sky, the Xiao Gu Diao's [Xuan Feng] arrived as expected!
The unidentified objects intertwined with the whirlwinds, sweeping down like a storm!
Lu Fei quickly issued combat commands, but this wave of attack was not directed at the immediate threat!
"Tie Tou Wa! Use [Yin Arc Zhan] to cut down the large tree beside us!"
Tie Tou Wa was stunned for a moment. It was clearly puzzled.
Why, with an attack imminent, should it chop down a tree?
But with a furrowed brow, it still followed Lu Fei's combat command.
The powerful single-target damage of [Yin Arc Zhan] instantly cleaved the nearby tree!
*Rumble.*
The tree fell precisely in front of them.
"Tie Tou Wa! Now, use [Yin Arc Zhan] again!"
[Yin Arc Zhan] was a beginner contracted beast skill. Although its power was not as strong as [Qi Zi Zhan], and its range was far inferior to [Qi Zi Zhan], its advantage was its extremely short cooldown, only one second!
In an instant, Tie Tou Wa unleashed multiple consecutive [Yin Arc Zhan]. During the tree's descent, it was cut into several pieces by Tie Tou Wa's [Yin Arc Zhan], and finally, they all landed in front of Lu Fei and Tie Tou Wa.
Having done this, Tie Tou Wa stood hunched over, panting. Blood seeped from its tiger's mouth again; the continuous attacks had pushed its stamina to its limit.
A faint smile touched Lu Fei's lips.
This was enough.
The unidentified items thrown by the Wan Pi Hou followed in quick succession, but they were blocked layer by layer by the tree stumps chopped down by Tie Tou Wa!
A seemingly fierce attack was thus neutralized!
Tie Tou Wa's eyes widened in surprise, but quickly brightened with a hint of joy. It understood Lu Fei's intention now, and its gaze towards Lu Fei held an unprecedented depth.
"Not bad. Not too foolish,"
The drunkard commented casually.
Then, he turned and left.
"We will continue training tonight. Three contracted beasts will join you for extra practice."