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Chapter 277 - Captured
🕑 Added 2025-04-01 07:00:14 +0000 UTCRoar roar roar!
The Demonic Lion seemed to be communicating, but they couldn't understand a word. This made Anda think of Leyvi again. His Universal Language ability would have been incredibly helpful right now.
Roar roar roar! The lion repeated, its tone sounding almost... annoyed.
Anda grabbed Tamina's hand and pulled her aside. "Let's move out of the way, Tamina. I think we're blocking its path." Though she couldn't understand the lion, she could sense its emotions—mild irritation and impatience.
Anda was right. As soon as they stepped aside, the Demonic Lion lumbered past them with a series of grumbling growls that sounded like complaints.
Curious, Anda tugged Tamina's hand again. "Let's follow it and see where it's going."
Tamina nodded, her curiosity piqued as well. "Agreed. Let's see what this lazy lion is up to."
Soon, they arrived at a forest enveloped by clouds, giving it the appearance of a forest trapped in a white cage. The Demonic Lion lumbered into the forest, still moving with its characteristic laziness. Curiosity piqued, Anda and Tamina followed the fat lion into the cloud-covered forest.
The forest here was unlike anything they had ever seen, shaped by the pervasive influence of the mystical clouds. Long vines with broad leaves stretched upward, intertwining with the clouds to form intricate vine bridges and networks high above the forest floor. Animals of all kinds used these vine networks to move around, while others had made their homes nestled atop the mystical clouds.
"What an interesting forest," Anda murmured, her eyes darting around as they continued to follow the lion.
Before long, they reached a clearing filled with strange trees. Their low-hanging branches bore fruits that looked like small, apple-sized clouds. The Demonic Lion plodded over to one of the trees, plucked a cloud fruit, and devoured it in one bite. A loud burp echoed through the clearing, and the lion turned around, lazily making its way back the way it had come. It wasn't just the lion—other demonic beasts wandered in, ate the cloud fruits, let out satisfied burps, and then ambled off lazily. It was clear that these creatures sustained themselves on the cloud fruits.
The sight left Anda and Tamina even more bewildered.
"Is this cloud fruit some kind of treasure, Anda?" Tamina asked, plucking one of the fruits and turning it over in her hands. It felt soft and cool, like holding a piece of the sky.
"I don't know. It's my first time seeing something like this. Want to try it?" Anda replied, plucking one for herself.
"But I'm scared. Don't you see all those Demonic Beasts? They're fat and lazy," Tamina said, eyeing the fruit with suspicion. Her instincts told her it wasn't a treasure, but something else entirely.
"Are you saying we're going to become fat too?" Anda asked, her voice tinged with horror. She let go of the cloud fruit, and it floated gently to the ground. The thought of gaining weight filled her with dread. She imagined Leyvi laughing at her, playfully slapping her belly and calling her a "fat panda."
"Nooooo!" Anda shouted, shaking her head aggressively as if trying to dispel the mental image.
Tamina stared at her, dumbfounded. What kind of fantasy did she just imagine to react like that? she wondered, raising an eyebrow.
"Tamina, let's take some but don't eat them until we experiment with their effects," Anda suggested. She picked up the cloud fruit she had dropped earlier and stored it away, then began plucking more from the trees. The cloud fruits were abundant, scattered everywhere like natural treasures. Even if they took thousands of them, there would still be plenty left.
After Anda and Tamina had gathered several hundred cloud fruits each, a voice suddenly reached them, cutting through the serene atmosphere like a thunderclap.
"Alright, human ladies, I think that should be enough. Any more than that would disturb the ecosystem here."
Anda and Tamina froze, their bodies stiffening as goosebumps prickled their skin. Every hair on their bodies stood on end, and beads of sweat formed on their foreheads.
There really is someone here! they thought in unison. It had to be the owner of the sky island—or perhaps even the mystical cloud sea itself!
Without a word, the two ladies reached a silent agreement: they needed to run, and fast. But just as they were about to mobilize their Qi and make their escape, mystical clouds materialized around them, wrapping them in a soft yet unyielding grip. The clouds shifted to orange and brown, draining the Qi they had gathered to fuel their escape.
"Why are you human ladies trying to run away? I consider you my guests, so I let you take some of my fruits. Don't run away now. That's not fair. Let's have a little chat," the mysterious voice complained, its tone a mix of amusement and mild irritation.
Anda and Tamina exchanged horrified glances. It's over! Who knows what's going to happen now that we're caught? At the same time, their spiritual senses frantically scanned the area, trying to pinpoint the source of the voice.
The mystical clouds gently lifted them off the ground and began moving them through the forest, navigating effortlessly around obstacles as if guided by an unseen hand.
"Sorry, Tamina. I got you into this," Anda whispered, her voice filled with guilt.
Tamina shook her head. "No. It's no one's fault. We both agreed to this."
But that wasn't the real reason for Anda's apology. She might have to use Little Fiery's Pillar of Refinement as a last resort to escape later. So, the attack would undoubtedly kill Tamina in the process, and the thought filled her with some remorse. However, if it had to be done to stay alive, she would still do it.
"What are you two stupid human ladies talking about? Acting like I'm a villain? I already said you are my guests, so I won't mistreat you at all. How about this? I'll let you go after we talk business," the mysterious voice said, sounding genuinely annoyed.
"Huh?" Anda and Tamina blinked at each other, their expressions a mix of confusion and relief. Did they hear that right? They were going to be let go? This wasn't about eating them, turning them into fat slaves, or something equally horrifying?
For a moment, they wondered if the voice was lying, but logically, someone with this level of power had no reason to deceive them. The realization brought a wave of relief, though their hearts still pounded with lingering anxiety.
After the mystical clouds guided them through the forest, they emerged into a vast, breathtaking garden. Like the rest of the island, the garden was seamlessly integrated with mystical clouds, creating an ethereal ecosystem. Flowers that appeared real at first glance revealed themselves to be intricately crafted from clouds upon closer inspection. Their vibrant colors—fiery reds, deep blues, earthy browns, shimmering silvers, lush greens, icy whites, and more—hinted at the infusion of various elemental Qi: fire, water, earth, metal, wood, ice, wind, and others. The garden was a kaleidoscope of colors, each hue representing a different elemental energy.
Though the mysterious voice had assured them they were guests, Anda remained on high alert. Her focus didn't waver, and she kept Little Fiery ready as a last resort, just in case.
Soon, the mystical clouds gently deposited them in the center of the garden, next to a large, round mystical cloud surrounded by a ring of cloud flowers. The air here felt charged with energy, and the faint hum of spiritual power resonated through the space.
"So, where is the person who wants to meet us?" Tamina asked, her eyes darting around as her spiritual sense scanned the area. But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't detect any living creature in the garden.
Anda, however, stared straight at the large round mystical cloud in front of her. Her unique ability had picked up an overwhelming presence emanating from it. Normally, she had to actively focus to detect someone's existential scent, but this time, it was impossible to ignore. The scent was so potent that it filled her senses passively.
"I see, I see. So the panda human has quite a unique ability. Is this a spying ability? Even I couldn't figure out how it works. Anyway, welcome to my abode, human ladies," the mysterious voice said, its tone calm and unbothered by Anda's ability.
Anda was stunned. It detected my ability even when I wasn't actively using it? she thought, her unease growing.
Meanwhile, Tamina continued searching, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Where is the owner of the voice? I can't see anyone here besides us."
"Tamina, the person is right in front of us. In this big cloud," Anda said, gesturing to the round mystical cloud.
"Eh? In here? What should we do now? Esteemed Mysterious Senior, are we supposed to enter the cloud?" Tamina asked, her voice tinged with both curiosity and apprehension.
"Human lady, what are you talking about? Why would you want to enter my body? You still can't see what I am? Tch, tch. Your observation skills are lacking, human lady. Kekeke! How about this? If you can guess correctly what I am, I'll give you a nice reward," the voice teased, its tone playful.
