Chapter 931: Swallowed

Read at: https://blogspot-translatedstories.blogspot.com/?m=1 

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Since psychic control wouldn’t work, the only option was to use the two-dimensional mode of Shadow Control. The three-dimensional mode wasn’t strong enough and would definitely fail. She could also use Lubao’s Ice Field Domain, but that consumed too much energy. Using it just to restrain the Molten Armored Dragon for a few seconds without being able to finish it off would be a huge waste… Qiao Sang’s mind raced.

In the blink of a thought, the Molten Armored Dragon raised its sharp claws high. Silver-white light gathered again, and it slashed fiercely toward Yabao.

This Molten Armored Dragon actually knew how to deliver a finishing blow! Qiao Sang snapped back to awareness and shouted: “Dodge!”

Panting heavily, Yabao endured the pain and teleported more than ten meters away just as the deadly claws were about to hit.

When he landed, he locked his eyes on the towering Molten Armored Dragon looking down at him.

Yabao looked absolutely miserable, his whole body was injured, patches of fur burned away here and there. Although his expression was still fierce, he seemed like a spent arrow, already at his limit, unable to inflict any real harm no matter how he struggled.

Little Treasure had never seen Big Brother Yabao like this. He froze, and a confusing wave of emotion surged in his chest.

The Molten Armored Dragon opened its mouth toward Yabao’s direction. A terrifying silver-white energy rapidly condensed deep within its throat.

At that moment, his beast master’s voice sounded in Little Treasure’s ears: “Taunt!”

“Xun! Xun xun!”

Upon hearing the command, Little Treasure, who didn’t even know where the sudden courage came from, teleported to the side, yelled arrogantly, and hooked a claw at the Molten Armored Dragon, provoking it to come at him instead!

Taunt, an intermediate skill. It wasn’t a high-level one, but its effect was remarkable, often working even against opponents one major tier higher. As long as the Molten Armored Dragon fell for it and focused fire on Little Treasure, then with Little Treasure’s bizarre movement ability and tiny size, he could definitely hold out even against a crushing difference in power… Qiao Sang analyzed rapidly.

The Molten Armored Dragon glanced sideways at Little Treasure. The veins on its forehead bulged. It abruptly tossed the other Molten Armored Dragon it had been holding into the lava and turned its head.

The terrifying energy in its mouth transformed into a silver-white beam and blasted toward Little Treasure.

“Xun xun!!”

Little Treasure’s focus reached an unprecedented level. He constantly teleported, desperately avoiding the beam, terrified of being hit himself, but also terrified of accidentally teleporting near his beastmaster or Yabao and causing them to get caught in the attack.

The Molten Armored Dragon was completely enraged, sweeping its silver beam horizontally toward every location Little Treasure teleported to.

The energy was so powerful that the ground shook with every sweep. Rocks constantly fell from the mountain walls.

Meanwhile, a soft blue light emitted from Lubao’s body, shining onto the injured Yabao.

It worked… Qiao Sang let out a slow breath, eyes fixed on the Molten Armored Dragon. But her words were directed at Xu Gehong: “If you’re not going to help in the battle, take Guo Ruiqi and leave first.”

Gangbao was also a strong combatant. If not for worrying that Guo Ruiqi couldn’t fight at all and hadn’t received any beast energy feedback, Gangbao would definitely have fought instead of staying low-profile, trying not to attract the dragon’s attention while letting Yabao and the others draw fire.

Mikayla was silent for a moment. “…I’m not leaving.”

Her mission was to protect Qiao Sang. How could she leave?

She looked toward the Sleepbird beside her.

Before she could speak, Guo Ruiqi said trembling: “Senior Xu… Let’s not stay behind and drag Senior Qiao down.”

Even he could see that his presence was limiting Qiao’s ability to fight freely.

You are the one dragging her down, not me… Mikayla gave him a look and said: “Hidden Shield, take him somewhere safe.”

A pair of glowing blue eyes appeared out of thin air.

In the next second, Guo Ruiqi vanished from Gangbao’s back.

Qiao Sang looked toward Xu Gehong.

“Don’t worry. With Hidden Shield, he’ll be fine.” Mikayla said. 

“I’m staying to help you.”

She paused, then shouted: “Sleep Bird!”

“…”

The Sleep Bird was confused. The Sleep Bird did not understand.

Why did this human renting it refuse to let it escort the other human away, and instead leave her own pet to battle?

It didn’t understand, but it still flapped its wings hard. More than a hundred blades of compressed air instantly formed and shot toward the Molten Armored Dragon.

At this moment, the Molten Armored Dragon had stopped attacking and was scanning its surroundings cautiously, uncertain.

This state appeared the moment Hidden Shield’s blue eyes manifested.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

All the blades struck the Molten Armored Dragon.

Qiao Sang didn’t know why it suddenly stopped attacking, but she knew this was her chance. Her eyes brightened.

“Fusion!”

“Yap!”

Under the healing light, Yabao, restored to full strength, teleported to a spot dozens of meters in front of the Molten Armored Dragon and opened his mouth.

Three different fire energies sprayed out in sequence, then merged.

The twisting, spiraling blaze wrapped around a gold-tinged beam and shot straight for the dragon’s left eye!

At the same time, Qiao Sang issued another command: “Ice, leave the left eye!”

“Lu Di!”

Lubao shouted. A surge of chilling energy erupted from her entire body.

In an instant, the upper half of the Molten Armored Dragon froze solid, its left eye the only part spared.

“Molten!”

The fused flame attack struck its eye. A loud explosion followed.

The Molten Armored Dragon let out a heart-piercing scream.

The lava surged. The beast thrashed violently, cracking the ice encasing it.

Finally, a successful hit. Qiao Sang felt joy surge in her chest.

Even if fire attacks weren’t very effective on it, damage to the eye was unavoidable!

“Wing Blade!” She shouted, pressing the offense.

Right now, the greatest possible damage would come from Gangbao’s Holy Sword, but Gangbao was only early-stage General-level. She had already used Holy Sword once; using it again would completely drain her energy.

“Gang Zhan!”

Gangbao spread her wings. Her feathers glowed purple, then all shot out at once.

The Sleep Bird, seeing another flying beast suddenly turn bald, froze mid-attack, stunned.

In that instant, from within the lava, a massive tail swept upward, sending out a silver-white shockwave.

The Sleep Bird’s power was nowhere close to the Molten Armored Dragon’s. It was sent flying hundreds of meters away.

Thousands of purple blades became deadly weapons and struck the Molten Armored Dragon’s head.

Then a flash of fire, Yabao bit down hard onto its skull.

“Gigantic Ice Spike!” Qiao Sang shouted.

“Lu Di!”

A frost layer spread across the ground beneath Lubao’s feet as she opened her mouth.

A mountain-sized ice spike formed above the Molten Armored Dragon and fell downward.

Right before it struck the dragon’s head, Yabao teleported away.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

More giant ice spikes formed one after another, smashing into the dragon’s head and shattering.

There were so many that even when they broke into the lava, they did not immediately melt away.

Soon, the Molten Armored Dragon sank beneath the lava and vanished.

Did we succeed…? Qiao Sang stared at the gradually calming lava, her heartbeat racing.

Suddenly, Xu Gehong’s expression changed. She shouted: “Shield!”

Instantly, a translucent barrier formed around Gangbao, enclosing her completely.

The moment the barrier sealed, countless magma pillars erupted violently from the lava and the ground.

Their reach and number were so extreme that they covered almost every inch of space.

Qiao Sang saw nothing but red all around her.

The rocks above were blasted apart, revealing a pitch-black sky.

Yet not even these terrifying magma pillars damaged Gangbao’s shield.

Meanwhile, outside the barrier, Yabao and Little Treasure were struck by the magma pillars and engulfed.

“Xun!”

Little Treasure screamed once, then fainted instantly.

Within the molten eruptions, Yabao’s pained expression twisted.

Even though he had the Fire Absorption trait, which allowed him to absorb fire energy to strengthen his own fire skills, the Molten Armored Dragon was not just one level above, it was a late King-level monster.

At higher levels, every minor level difference meant a massive gulf in power.

Yabao tried desperately to absorb the flames, but the energy was far too overwhelming. Burns continued appearing across his body.

The trait helped keep him conscious, but just barely.

Then, a massive burst of fire shot upward from where Little Treasure had been struck.

Even now, under Taunt, the Molten Armored Dragon only saw Little Treasure.

“Yap!”

Yabao, facing Little Treasure’s direction, saw the attack. His pupils shrank sharply. Without hesitation, flames erupted violently across his body.

He pushed off with all four limbs, becoming a streak of fire as he charged straight into the massive blaze and rammed the Molten Armored Dragon back into the lava.

Two flares plunged into the molten depths.

The magma pillars slowly receded, turning into sparks falling across the area.

When the last magma column faded, the shield dissolved.

Qiao Sang finally saw the scene outside.

Her eyes first fell upon unconscious Little Treasure, covered in wounds, drifting toward the lava.

Her heart clenched.

Before she could speak, Gangbao flashed forward in a violet streak, catching Little Treasure just thirty centimeters above the lava’s surface.

Without hesitation, Lubao’s gem glowed blue, healing him.

Qiao Sang sighed in relief, then immediately scanned the area, her face sinking.

Where was Yabao?!

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Deep in the lava, Yabao bit down on the Molten Armored Dragon’s body with iron determination. No matter how the dragon struggled and roared, he refused to let go.

“Molten!”

The Molten Armored Dragon raised its glowing white claws and slashed at Yabao.

Yabao’s body trembled violently but he did not release his bite.

Then the dragon whipped its massive tail, glowing with silver-white energy, smashing Yabao away.

The surrounding lava churned violently from the force.

Unable to withstand it anymore, Yabao fell deeper into the lava.

The Molten Armored Dragon glanced at the place where it had been bitten, its expression twisting in pain. It plucked the embedded tooth from its flesh.

“Molten!”

It stared at the tooth, then at Yabao sinking below. Suddenly realizing something, its eyes widened in panic.

It dove down at full speed.

Yabao sank deeper and deeper, his vision blurring.

Little Treasure… must be safe now. Lubao would heal him. And then… his beast master…

As his thoughts flashed, he saw, through the blurring lava, the very opponent they couldn’t defeat earlier rushing toward him with panic on its face.

Why… that expression? It beat them so easily…

How annoying…

Just then, a heavy impact struck his back.

A suffocatingly hot presence emerged beside him.

The extreme heat jolted Yabao back to consciousness.

He forced his eyes open.

What he saw was a burning, black-red flame, one that looked capable of scorching the soul.

“Molten!”

The Molten Armored Dragon roared, furious and frantic.

Don’t touch it!

Yabao twitched an ear, turned his battered face toward the Molten Armored Dragon, and managed a provoking grin.

Then he turned sharply, mustering the last of his strength and swallowed the black-red flame whole.

“MOLTEN!!!”

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“How is this possible?! Yabao can’t return to the Beast Codex!” Qiao Sang’s face paled.

She could sense that Yabao was below the lava, but she never expected he would be unable to return.

There were many reasons why a beast couldn’t return to the Codex: A sealed space. A shadow-binding skill from a ghost-type pet. Excessive distance. Damage to the beast master’s brain domain. Or, the beast’s energy was so unstable that returning through the Codex risked detonating, harming the beastmaster.

The last possibility could be ruled out. She sensed no instability in Yabao earlier.

Ghost-type binding was impossible.

He wasn’t too far.

Her brain domain wasn’t injured.

That left… a sealed space.

Could there be another space beneath the lava?

But if that were the case, she shouldn’t have been able to sense Yabao at all.

Thoughts surged chaotically.

Qiao Sang turned to Little Treasure, now healed, and said: “Let’s try sensing below together.”

“Xun xun!”

Little Treasure nodded.

“Molten!!!!!”

But before he could activate the shared sensing, a furious and familiar roar erupted from the lava.

The entire molten lake shook.

That was… the Molten Armored Dragon’s roar. Qiao Sang froze, unease spreading.

Mikayla frowned.

“Find Fire Qilu.”

“Pppstt.”

At her command, an invisible wave spread across the lava, permeating every corner.

Three seconds later, badly injured and missing a tooth, Yabao was lifted from the lava by an invisible force.

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T/n: The necromancer y'all caught was quite effective. Hi again guys😭😭😭👋 I've been kidnapped by my preparations for my Final Demonstration, countless revisions on my lesson plan, and other things like making my instructional materials (why is this even needed when we're trying to integrate technology???) And still checking and recording activities. I don't like this anymore😭 Give me back my 1st year freshman freedom😞 Y'all, sorry for yapping.

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