Beastmaster: I'm really not a training master

Chapter 1006 The Strange Wolf Beast
"Protecting my master's safety is my duty." Long Ying's deep and firm voice echoed in the grove, his metallic tone revealing an unquestionable loyalty.

Li Qian reached out and gently stroked the cold, mechanical scales of the Dragon Shadow, feeling the power contained within. This was a special mechanical pet designed for him by the Sand Island Beast Taming University, capable of freely switching between human and dragon forms. The Dragon Shadow usually followed him in human form as a guardian, but in battle, it could transform into a majestic mechanical dragon.

At this moment, the dragon shadow remained in human form, its two-meter-tall metallic body standing tall and straight like a pine tree, its silver-gray shell gleaming coldly in the moonlight. Its eyes were two dark blue bands of light, constantly scanning the surrounding movements.

"Something is approaching." Long Ying suddenly lowered his voice, his mechanical fingers slightly bent, entering a state of alert.

Li Qian, Lu Ming, and Christina immediately held their breath and huddled behind the dense bushes. He and Christina had just experienced a sudden change, and their faces still showed expressions of confusion.

In the distance, another deafening roar ripped through the night sky, accompanied by heavy, swift footsteps, approaching from afar before fading into the distance. The creature seemed to be rushing towards Falling Glow City.

"What exactly is that thing?" Lu Ming's voice trembled as he gripped the tree trunk beside him tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.

Christina had already taken out a portable energy detector, her brow furrowed: "The energy reading is abnormal, far exceeding the range of ordinary pets."

Li Qian took a deep breath, his gaze following the direction the terrifying creature had disappeared into the distance, his face filled with worry. He knew it was time to explain everything that had happened to his companions.

“This is a phenomenon of dimensional plane fusion.” Li Qian’s voice was deep and serious. “The special formation that the four people from the Ancient God Sect used before was to draw the dimensional plane into fusion with the present world.”

Lu Ming's eyes widened: "Dimensional plane fusion? Isn't that something that will happen in a hundred or two hundred years?"

“I’m afraid it won’t last that long…” Li Qian gave a bitter smile. “According to relevant research from Shazhou Beast Taming University, it’s probably only a matter of the next ten or twenty years.”

Christina seemed to remember something: "So that's why you went to such lengths to stop it?"

Li Qian nodded, but his gaze unconsciously drifted towards Luohui City, his face showing even greater worry: "Teacher Ling is still there."

His words silenced Christina and Lu Ming. Although they didn't know Teacher Ling, they knew that the latter was extremely important to Li Qian, and not just a trump card.

“Teacher Ling is so powerful, she’ll be fine,” Lu Ming tried to reassure her, but his voice lacked confidence.

Christina suddenly exclaimed, "Communications are back! The interference that was causing the dimensional fusion is gone!"

She quickly operated the wrist communicator, a look of joy gradually spreading across her face: "We've received news that over a dozen legendary-level beast tamers have arrived in the Falling Radiance City area! There are even two divine-level beast tamers on their way to provide support!"

This news immediately eased the atmosphere in the group. Legendary-level Beast Tamers were already outstanding, while God-level Beast Tamers were like pillars supporting the sky and beams of the sea. With their help, the situation should be under control.

However, Li Qian's brow remained furrowed. He understood Teacher Ling's personality—on the surface, she appeared cold and ruthless, but in reality, she possessed a strong sense of responsibility.

"Watch out!" Long Ying suddenly warned, his body instantly transforming.

The sound of mechanical restructuring was exceptionally clear in the silent forest. In the blink of an eye, the humanoid guard had transformed into a three-meter-long mechanical dragon, protecting the three behind it. Layers of metal scales unfolded, revealing the energy weapon system hidden beneath.

Directly ahead, a strangely shaped creature lunged out of the darkness. It resembled a wolf but was not quite a wolf; its entire body was covered in a dark purple crystalline substance, its eyes were empty and lifeless, and the saliva dripping from its mouth corroded the ground, making a sizzling sound.

“He’s completely lost his mind.” Li Qian observed him gravely.

Judging from the energy fluctuations emanating from this strange wolf-beast, although it was only at the mid-level of the Saint Spirit realm, it exuded a dangerous aura and launched an attack regardless of the difference in strength.

The dragon's shadow charged forward, its mechanical tail whip whistling through the air as it precisely struck the strange wolf-beast's flank. Surprisingly, a blow that would normally render a Saint-level pet incapable of fighting left only a white mark on the crystal's surface.

"The defense has increased by at least two levels!" Christina exclaimed, as the detector in her hand emitted a piercing alarm.

Enraged, the strange wolf beast's entire body suddenly emitted a blinding light from its crystals, and a beam of energy shot straight towards the dragon shadow.

The dragon shadow neither dodged nor evaded, its chest armor unfolding to form an energy shield. The shockwave from the collision of the two energies sent the surrounding trees swaying wildly.

"Analysis complete. Weakness is three inches below the neck." Dragon Shadow's mechanical voice remained calm and composed. "This creature has been corrupted by alien energy. We recommend complete elimination."

Li Qian hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly: "Execute the cleanup procedure."

Upon receiving the command, Longying's eyes flashed with blue light, and its back armor opened, revealing two rows of miniature missiles. But just as it was about to launch a fatal attack, the eerie wolf suddenly let out a mournful howl, its movements froze, and the madness in its eyes gradually faded, replaced by confusion and pain.

It glanced at the mechanical dragon before it, then looked down at its mutated body, let out a mournful cry, and slowly collapsed to the ground. The crystals on its body gradually faded, reverting it to its ordinary wolf-like pet form, but it was already on the verge of death.

"The strange energy support has disappeared, and it has regained its senses, but its life energy has also been exhausted," Dragon Shadow reported, and the weapon system then shut down.

The three approached in silence. The wolf-shaped pet was breathing heavily, its eyes filled with pleading, as if begging for release.

Li Qian knelt on one knee and gently stroked its head: "Rest in peace, your suffering is over." The dragon shadow precisely unleashed a beam of energy, ending its torment. Silence returned to the forest, broken only by the heavy breathing of the three.

“The impact of the dimensional fusion is more terrifying than we imagined,” Christina said in a low voice. “It’s not just a physical invasion, but it also brings terrifying alien energy.”

Lu Ming slammed his fist into a nearby tree trunk: "Those lunatics from the Ancient God Cult! They knew the consequences, yet they still actively facilitated this!"

Li Qian remained silent, but his hands were clenched into fists. The Ancient God Cult was an extremist organization that worshipped so-called "ancient gods" from other dimensions, believing that dimensional fusion could enable humanity to "evolve." They had already caused similar incidents in several cities, but none on the scale of the disaster in Luohui City.

Two hours later, just as the three were discussing whether to continue waiting or try to move towards Luohui City, a familiar cry came from the sky.

"It's Teacher Ling's Bright Peacock King!" Lu Ming pointed to the sky in surprise.

A pure white figure pierced the night sky and gracefully landed in the forest clearing. It was Teacher Zero who dismounted from the back of the Bright Peacock King, but her appearance at that moment made Li Qian's heart tighten.

Zero's left sleeve was torn, and her arm was wrapped in a makeshift bandage, oozing blood. Her usually neat short hair was disheveled, and there were several abrasions on her face. Her battle uniform was damaged in many places, clearly indicating that she had been through a fierce battle.

"Teacher Ling, you're injured!" Li Qian rushed forward and took out emergency treatment medicine from his storage equipment.

Teacher Ling waved her hand, revealing a tired but relieved smile: "It's just a superficial injury, nothing serious. I'm relieved to see you're safe."

She briefly recounted her experiences after their separation. Initially, she faced a tough battle against Gu Tianshu. This guy was not only incredibly strong, but also possessed unpredictable attack methods.

In the critical moment, Teacher Zero changed his strategy, shifting from direct confrontation to hit-and-run tactics, relying on the fearless nature of his puppet beasts to buy time until the first batch of legendary beast tamers arrived at the scene.

“We didn’t come away empty-handed.” A sharp glint flashed in Teacher Zero’s eyes. “With the help of the later reinforcements, I left behind a legendary beast tamer from the Ancient God Cult. Hopefully, we can get more information from him.”

But Li Qian couldn't be happy. Looking at the wounds on Teacher Ling's body, a strong sense of unease welled up inside him.

"Teacher Ling, please don't take such risks next time," Li Qian said in a low voice. "What if something happens to you?"

Ling smiled and patted Li Qian on the shoulder: "Don't worry, I value my life very much. If things become uncontrollable, I will prioritize my own safety."

Led by Zero, the group of four returned to Falling Glow City. The closer they got to the city, the more horrifying the surrounding scenery became. The once lush suburbs were now a scene of devastation, with cracked earth, fallen trees, and signs of battle everywhere.

When they finally reached the edge of the city, the sight before them made everyone gasp.

The city of Luohui was almost completely reduced to ruins. Buildings collapsed, streets cracked, and smoke and dust filled the air. Rescue workers crisscrossed the rubble, searching for survivors. Occasionally, the sounds of battle could be heard in the distance—the cleanup operation was far from over.

"The losses are more severe than expected." Teacher Ling said gravely, "The city's mechanical defense system was paralyzed in the initial impact and played a limited role."

At the makeshift command center, they learned another piece of news—Arabu had escaped in the chaos.

“He was essentially used by the Ancient God Cult,” Teacher Zero analyzed. “Arabu embarked on the path of revenge because of the massacre 158 years ago. The Ancient God Cult certainly promised to help him get revenge, but in reality, they were just using him to infiltrate Falling Glow City and create chaos.”

Christina sighed, "Not only did we not get revenge, but we also caused the deaths of many more innocent people."

Li Qian silently gazed at the ruins before him, a complex mix of emotions welling up within him. He bid farewell to Elder Cade, who was in charge of the operation, and prepared to return to the Sand Island Beast Taming University.

Cade tried to persuade him to stay: "Li Qian, I apologize for the poor hospitality this time, and there are a few things I need to explain to you..."

But Li Qian declined, saying, "I have things to do at school, I'm sorry." He didn't listen to Cade's explanation, as it wouldn't change anything.

On the return journey, aboard the small airship released by Teacher Zero, Li Qian could see the ravaged land below through the porthole. He sighed, "I wonder what the future holds for the Gaochang people?"

The next morning, the small airship arrived at Sand Island Beast Taming University. The campus remained calm, but unlike usual, the number of patrolling mechanical beasts had increased significantly, and there was also a warning network of flying beasts in the air.

Returning to familiar surroundings, the four of them felt as if they had been in another world. It had only been less than two days since they left, but it felt like an eternity.

Li Qian did not rest and went directly to the jade research base.

He continued his research into the evolutionary process from the Thousand Vine Demon to the Flower Fairy, and now he was extremely eager to improve his strength as soon as possible.

The dragon shadow then returned to the shape of a bracelet and wrapped around his wrist.

(End of this chapter)