White clouds pressed against the ground.
Thirty thousand floating steps.
Four eyes met, killing intent surged.
The higher one climbed, the colder it grew. Brown short fur was blown apart, dancing wildly in the wind.
A knot came undone.
Bang! The bundle crashed heavily to the ground.
Whoosh! The yellow robe drifted away on the wind.
Ta Ta Kai swung both arms in wide arcs, bent low and spread his stance. Scarface thrust his claws forward, rolling prayer beads with one hand.
Everyone held their breath.
The killing intent seemed to freeze time itself. Broken blades of grass clung to the steps, lingering without moving, while leaf tips trembled fiercely.
Scrape.
A severed blade of grass scraped away across the stone steps, like a sharp knife cutting in, shattering the silence and snapping the taut string!
Bang! Scarface dove down, kicking off the ground and swooping below.
Ta Ta Kai launched himself upward with explosive force! Black shadows raced.
Heaven and earth collided in an instant! Swish swish swish swish!
They darted left and right, surged up and plunged down. Their footwork twisted, cold gleams flashed, and torn fur flew.
The group raised their hands to brush aside brown fur that had flown to their mouths. Awei picked up the bundle from the steps and headed toward Hanging Temple.
"I'd wanted to ask this for a while. Why did those two start fighting the moment they saw each other?" Xu Zishuai asked.
Thud thud thud.
Ta Ta Kai pressed down Scarface's head and slammed it against the ground again and again, each blow heavy and powerful.
"The reason..."
Liang Qu withdrew his gaze and sank into recollection.
What was the reason again?
It seemed it was not merely because River Otters were naturally combative.
"Squeak!"
His eyes bulged.
The prayer