The sudden turn of events startled everyone, especially Little Tiger whose furious roar carried such immense resolve and authority that it made the entire valley vibrate.

Just as the crowd was preparing to deal with the figure in red robes seated on the ice platform, a Silver-Backed Iron Tiger suddenly leaped out. Everyone flinched, but upon realizing it was merely an immature demonic beast, an unrestrained joy flooded their hearts.

Young specimens of high-level Phantom Beasts were the hardest to capture; successfully binding one to a contract was something anyone would dream of.

This was precisely why Steven had been so greedy upon seeing Little Tiger initially.

Although everyone present was Dragon Riders, the cultivation of their Wyverns could only increase so much—they remained merely Tier Three demonic beasts. High-level Phantom Beasts, however, were different; they were growing entities...

Greed shone in everyone's eyes.

Little Tiger roared, its form flashing like lightning. It crossed the one-hundred-meter distance in the blink of an eye, leaping high into the air to pounce directly at the person in red on the ice platform!

The Dragon Rider on the high platform had intended to kill the red-robed figure, but seeing Little Tiger charge ahead, he assumed it meant to strike first, and naturally, he would not allow that.

The Qilin was said to be a treasure trove; if the other party attacked first, they must be aiming to claim the spoils! It was just like a group spotting a gold ingot, and before anyone could move, an outsider rushed in—even if that outsider was merely passing by, they would surely be stopped!

Seventeen or eighteen Dragon Riders, all uniformly at Ninth Level, unleashed their power. A dozen streams of Battle Qi instantly appeared in the air. Little Tiger dared not meet them head-on, twisting its waist mid-air to land gracefully on the very edge of the ice platform.

Chen Feng arrived beside the small lake at that moment.

“Damn? Senior…” Austin’s eyes showed deep reverence when he saw Chen Feng.

Rodriguez, guessing Chen Feng’s identity from Austin’s expression, was instantly ecstatic: “Senior…”

Chen Feng felt deeply uncomfortable hearing Austin call him Senior, and hearing an old man echo the title sent a shiver down his spine.

However, he had no time to address them; Little Tiger’s safety was paramount. Without replying, he leaped onto the ice platform.

Upon stepping up, he immediately felt a profound chill, a coldness that pierced to the bone rising from beneath his feet, causing him to involuntarily shudder.

The Dragon Riders were astonished to see a mere First Level Fighter accompanied by a massive shovel standing next to the Silver-Backed Iron Tiger, but their surprise quickly dissolved into roaring laughter.

The pressure previously exerted by Luo Bo instantly vanished into thin air.

That Dragon was nearly dead, and the Qilin was already severely wounded; even if they didn't kill it immediately, it wouldn't last much longer, so everyone had relaxed.

“This fellow is only a First Level Fighter!”

“A First Level Fighter? Haha, did he come here to die? And with a shovel, is he perhaps a farmer…”

…………

A First Level Fighter truly amounted to nothing in the eyes of a group of Ninth Level Dragon Riders. He and the Silver-Backed Iron Tiger jumping onto the platform, apparently also aiming for the Dragon and the Qilin, seemed utterly ludicrous given his strength.

Moreover, Chen Feng’s attire was distractingly conspicuous: skin-tight, dark green leather emphasized a body that looked somewhat frail, and the utterly absurd, massive shovel strapped to his back…

It was hard for the crowd not to laugh.

“Kid, hurry home and drink your milk; this isn't a place for you!” a Dragon Rider commented.

This remark provoked another wave of loud laughter.

“Flando! Go capture that Silver-Backed Iron Tiger; we’ll take care of this Qilin first!” the former leader said.

A man stepped out from the crowd, muttering, “He makes me do such trivial things… you just want to snatch a few more Dragon Scales while I’m busy…”

The leader kicked Flando’s rear end, mocking him, “Stop spouting nonsense! Go now! You have the strongest taming ability here; should I go instead?”

Hearing this, Flando chuckled and walked toward Little Tiger and Chen Feng.

“Roar…” Little Tiger let out a low growl, its thick tail hanging low, eyes flashing fiercely.

In Little Tiger’s simple mind, the murderer of its parents had to be avenged by its own claws; it would never entrust it to another. If it hadn't jumped out just then, the red-robed figure would have died. Thus, it charged out without a second thought.

Now, facing numerous Ninth Level Dragon Riders, it realized successfully breaking through their defenses would be extremely difficult!

Chen Feng felt the deep resolve within Little Tiger to kill the person in red. Even the most even-tempered human could hardly remain calm upon seeing a parent’s murderer, let alone a beast brimming with wild instincts.

Chen Feng understood Little Tiger’s fierce desire for vengeance but also realized the beast did not actually wish to make enemies of these people. He spoke up: “Esteemed friends, this person in red holds an irreconcilable grudge with my demonic beast. Could you do us a favor and let it have its revenge? After the vengeance is exacted, you may dispose of whatever remains of the red-robed man as you see fit.”

Chen Feng knew what the crowd truly coveted were the treasures on the Qilin’s body, so he immediately clarified his stance: he didn't want the wealth; he only sought vengeance.

“Stop talking crap; do you think we’re idiots?” Flando angrily repeated the insults he had just received, “I’m here to capture the Silver-Backed Iron Tiger. You step aside, or we’ll take care of you too!”

With that, Battle Qi surged around Flando’s body. He stamped his feet hard on the ice platform, leaping up. He brandished a chain-like object, swinging it toward Little Tiger’s neck!

“You’re asking for death!” Chen Feng uttered the words, but before he could move, Little Tiger had grown restless. Its four paws pushed violently against the ice, sending it soaring into the air.

Although the surface of the ice platform was smooth, it posed no obstacle whatsoever to those possessing Battle Qi.

Little Tiger sprang up, letting out a low growl, and instantly shot a wind-elemental blade wave aimed directly at Flando’s throat.

“Petty tricks!” Flando twisted his body in mid-air, using the momentum to flip himself over, dodging Little Tiger’s blade wave. The chain in his hand snapped taut and directly encircled the beast’s neck!

As masters of Wyverns, Dragon Riders understood the habits of demonic beasts very well, and Flando was a strong practitioner in this area; subduing Little Tiger should have been easy.

Flando looked smug. He had captured a high-level Phantom Beast with his first move, the entire process taking barely a second—an achievement anyone would feel proud and boastful about!

“Well done, Flando!” Seeing the chain secured around Little Tiger’s neck, the crowd cheered in unison.

However, before the smile could fully bloom on Flando’s face, he felt a ripping, soul-tearing pain erupt from his back. The consciousness in his brain slowly began to slip away as a domineering, scorching wave of Battle Qi instantly shattered every internal organ along his spine!

Forcing himself to turn his head, he saw a cold-eyed youth standing right behind him, his right fist pressed against his back!

“You…” Flando managed to gasp out a single word before his neck snapped sideways, and he slumped to the ground. As he died, his eyes were wide open; perhaps until the very end, he couldn't comprehend how a First Level Fighter he’d treated as nothing could shatter his defenses with a single punch, nor how the youth had managed to appear behind him…

This was actually the result of coordination between Little Tiger and Chen Feng. Individually, beast and human possessed the strength to kill a Ninth Level Dragon Rider, but achieving such swift execution required collaboration to maximize their offensive power.

All the Dragon Riders froze, crying out in unison, “Flando…”

ps: 1. Classmate Ziye Xing’s cameo finally appears! Thanks again to all the brothers and sisters who have consistently supported this book (Right, are there any girls reading this? I’m actually curious…). 2. Regarding updates: I have already made a statement once. Qidian’s rule is that the new book phase cannot exceed 200,000 characters; we are already over 160,000, with eight days left in this phase. Therefore, I have made every effort to keep the word count to a level that satisfies everyone! Thanks again for your support! 3. Regarding the Japanese and other issues: This author (Lao Ya) is not an ultranationalist; these matters will be reflected in future chapters. 4. Regarding Yan Long’s time-travel issue: Sigh, perhaps there’s no need to elaborate. Yan Long said if he hadn't time-traveled, he’d be driving a tractor and dating pretty girls… the era of travel should be clear by now. The reason for not detailing it is a future plot point, and apologies to those who didn't understand! 5. Regarding deleted posts: Lao Ya has never deleted a single post. If any posts have gone missing, Lao Ya is unaware and apologizes!

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