Rescued

"That cracking sound..."

"Could it be that the Fairy Fish's ice shield couldn't hold up?"

The crisp sound of ice cracking pierced through the howling wind. In an instant, everyone on the Blue Stone platform was drawn by invisible threads to the direction of the Fairy Fish. A brief silence fell over the surroundings as everyone held their breath and their hearts pounded wildly.

The moment the tornado swept in, the Fairy Fish's terrifying face instantly lost all color, turning as pale as thin ice frozen for a thousand years deep in a cold pool.

She hastily activated her own innate ice element to condense a protective ice ball, but a strong sense of unease had already arisen in her heart.

The mutated ice power she had just mastered seemed so weak and powerless in front of the Bao Bao, who had already completely transformed and whose mastery of Wind Element had reached its peak.

The difference in skill is obvious; the outcome seems predetermined.

Click--!

A crisp, piercing cracking sound suddenly rang out, and a thin crack spread across the surface of the round ice shield that enveloped the Fairy Fish, with fine ice shards falling down along the crack.

The Fairy Fish's pupils contracted sharply. She frantically poured most of her water and ice elemental power into the ice shield, her fingertips constantly flashing as she formed elemental hand seals, trying her best to stabilize the crumbling ice barrier.

The tornado formed by the gale, carrying immense wind pressure, relentlessly crushed and tore at the ice shield. Instead of healing, the cracks spread rapidly like a spider web, densely covering the entire ice sphere.

The cracks grew denser, the ice body trembled incessantly, and tiny ice shards flew everywhere. The Fairy Fish's internal strength was rapidly depleted, and a metallic taste rose in his throat. He could no longer maintain the ice shield.

Suddenly, with a soft sound, the ice shield covered with spiderweb-like cracks shattered completely, and large and small pieces of ice crystals scattered and flew everywhere, crashing onto the Blue Stone ground and instantly melting into a puddle of cold water. The Fairy Fish, now completely unprotected, was exposed to the raging wind.

The battle between the two beasts took place in an instant.

As the ice puck shattered, a surge of ecstasy instantly swept over every player present, their long-suppressed excitement nearly bursting from their chests.

"The tornado won!"

All the players present were overjoyed.

In the hearts of the players captured on the Blue Stone platform, the unfathomably powerful Bao Bao was a hidden powerhouse from the Dragon Nation brought by Zhou He, who had come specifically to rescue them from their desperate situation. Naturally, they hoped from the bottom of their hearts that Bao Bao could defeat Fairy Fish.

Zhou He and his group's joy was even more pure and straightforward. Seeing that Bao Bao's strength steadily surpassed that of the high-level Magic Beast Fairy Fish, their confidence soared.

Bao Bao is Xiao Fan's mount. The stronger Bao Bao is, the stronger Xiao Fan is. The stronger Xiao Fan is, the more confident they will be in this operation.

"It seems this deadly crisis will be averted thanks to Bao Bao's formidable strength."

Everyone thought excitedly.

Meanwhile, the tornado that shattered the ice shield did not dissipate. The violent wind, carrying the force to tear everything apart, swept straight towards the unprotected Fairy Fish, and the strong wind whipped up huge waves on the surface of the pool.

The Fairy Fish reacted extremely quickly, anticipating the danger the moment the ice shield cracked. She suddenly darted backward, her body flashing with water light, and the entire Magic Beast plunged headfirst into the pool behind her, leaving only ripples that continued to spread.

As a high-level water-based Magic Beast, the water is her home ground.

By diving into the pool, she can unleash her full water-based powers and use the water as cover to escape and save her life.

The two top-tier Magic Beast clashed in a flash. Before the people on the Blue Stone platform could recover from the shock of the shattered ice shield, when they looked up again, the once turbulent pool had returned to calm, the surface of the pool was clear, and there was no trace of the Fairy Fish.

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

The Fairy Fish escaped?

A high-level Magic Beast was forced to flee in a sorry state by a single skill from this mysterious powerhouse from the Dragon Nation, who had never revealed his whereabouts.

An incredulous shock appeared on the faces of all the players on the Blue Stone platform.

Prior to this, the formidable strength displayed by the Fairy Fish had already been deeply imprinted in their hearts. That terrifying power, which surpassed Human Race players by several levels, far exceeded their comprehension.

Even these top Human Race experts were completely powerless against the Fairy Fish's attacks, and could only be passively imprisoned and at her mercy.

But now, this terrifying high-level magical beast was actually defeated head-on by a powerful human from the Dragon Kingdom and fled in panic.

It's incredibly strong, so strong that no one can find the right words to describe it.

At this moment, countless questions surged in everyone's mind.

Who exactly is this mysterious woman? Her cultivation level has reached such a terrifying level, so why has there never been a single word about her before?

It's worth noting that even Jiu Chen, who recently rose to prominence in the Dragon Nation, shocked the entire planet when he created God-Tier Skill.

But this player, who seemed far stronger than Jiu Chen, didn't reveal a single trace.

That's strange, really strange. How exactly did the Dragon Nation manage to hide such a powerful player?

They're so amazing.

After the initial curiosity subsided, the overwhelming joy of surviving the ordeal enveloped everyone.

At this moment, the despair that had been building up in the hearts of the players who had been captured and tortured by the Fairy Fish, as well as the United Rescue Team who had been captured and nearly lost their lives in the Water Prison, vanished completely.

Does the fact that the Fairy Fish escaped mean that they all survived?

This regained chance at life is enough to drive anyone on the brink of despair to the brink of losing control.

After a brief silence, cheers and roars that had been suppressed for so long suddenly resounded throughout the entire Blue Stone platform.

"The Fairy Fish escaped! We're saved! We survived!"

Some people wept with joy, their voices choked and trembling. "Waaah, we don't have to die! We're finally not going to be devoured by Magic Beast..."

Some people were still terrified and shouted with lingering fear, "From now on, even if I'm stuck at level 100 for the rest of my life, I will never set foot in the Monster Region again. I never want to experience this feeling of waiting to die again!"

A chorus of exclamations and cheers rose and fell. As the excitement subsided, the crowd came to their senses. Recalling the background of the top expert who had saved them all, and remembering their previous offenses against Zhou He and his group, their words were filled with remorse and admiration, praising the Dragon Nation and Bao Bao in every sentence.

"We were able to escape with our lives this time entirely thanks to Zhou He's benevolent heart! We had previously offended him by listening to slander, but he not only did not hold a grudge, but also specially brought such a top expert to rescue us. His magnanimity is truly ashamed!"

"As expected of the Dragon Nation, one of the top nations in terms of overall strength on Blue Star, such a magnanimous and inclusive mind explains why their servers are teeming with powerful individuals and their strength is unparalleled!"

"Looking back now, we were truly blinded by greed, actually believing that Hei Mi's divisive rhetoric and making baseless assumptions that Zhou He would use despicable means to scheme against us."

"That's right! With the Dragon Nation's current strength, if they really wanted to target servers from small countries like ours, why would they need to resort to such underhanded tactics? That tornado attack just now would have killed us all; there would have been no need for any further trouble."

That's absolutely true!

The thought that the Dragon Nation possessed a top player like Bao Bao who could directly repel high-level Magic Beast caused players from various countries to vie for his favor, showering him with praise in an attempt to ease tensions and avoid future resentment from the Dragon Nation.

Several pairs of eyes in the crowd turned to Hei Mi, who was huddled in the corner, and their anger surged again. They openly rebuked him.

"Those with wicked hearts view everything with malicious intent; the words passed down from our ancestors are absolutely true!"

"That's right! Your appearance reflects your heart. This person has dark skin, and his inner thoughts are even darker and more malicious, full of scheming!"

Hei Mi:...

Standing at the edge of the crowd, Hei Mi felt utterly exasperated.

"Are these people out of their minds? They can't even find a decent reason to insult me, so they're bringing up my natural skin color?"

Skin color is something you're born with; what does it have to do with whether someone is good or bad?

What left him speechless was that several other players from Black Nation around him were nodding in agreement with the crowd, looking as if they deeply agreed.

To save one's own life, disregarding even national sentiment and dignity—should one even bother training?

Despite his deep resentment, Hei Mi dared not utter a single word in protest. He could only stand there with his head down, enduring the accusations and insults of the crowd, and obediently accept his punishment.

He hadn't forgotten how, when he was trapped in the Water Prison, these players, blinded by despair, almost ganged up on him and beat him to death.

That overwhelming hatred still haunts him.

The current situation is unfavorable; saying too much will only lead to mistakes, and remaining silent is the only way to protect oneself.

Hei Mi lowered her eyes, silently praying in her heart.

"I only beg Your Excellency Zhou He to be magnanimous and not hold a grudge against me for what happened before, and to spare my life."

Everyone was happy, except for Xiao Fan.

Seeing the Fairy Fish shrink into the pool and seem determined not to show itself again, Xiao Fan grew anxious.

Saving people was only one of his purposes; his most important task this time was to complete the Fairy Fish's mission and obtain the Water-Avoiding Bead as a reward.

"I hope this Fairy Fish hasn't forgotten me."

Xiao Fan couldn't help but have doubts.

The Fairy Fish didn't react at all when she saw him, leading Xiao Fan to suspect that Fairy Fish had long forgotten that she was the player who had accepted his quest.

The Fairy Fish is too scared to come out after being beaten by the Bao Bao, how will he complete his mission?

Thinking of this, Xiao Fan looked at the Bao Bao beside him.

"Bao Bao, is there any way to get the Fairy Fish out of the water?"

Upon hearing this, Bao Bao was first taken aback, then looked at Xiao Fan with an incredulous expression.

The Fairy Fish were so badly beaten by her that they hid in the lake, too afraid to come out. Yet the owner refused to let her go and threatened to fish her out and kill her?

How cruel.

That's ruthless.

But...

She likes it.

"Don't worry, Master. Don't think I can't do anything to her just because she's escaped to the bottom of the water. I, Bao Bao, have plenty of strength and methods. Just watch and see. Today, the two of us, master and servant, will definitely kill this ugly fish."

Xiao Fan:...

Seeing the Bao Bao's admiring expression, Xiao Fan was completely baffled.

No, is this Bao Bao misunderstanding something?

He had no grudge against the Fairy Fish, so why would he kill her?

He wanted to complete a task to obtain the reward of Water-Avoiding Bead.

Before Xiao Fan could explain, Bao Bao's gaze had already turned to the pool in front of him.

"You humans, get over here right now, or I can't guarantee I won't accidentally hurt you."

Bao Bao shouted this at the players trapped on the Blue Stone platform.

Upon hearing this, those people looked surprised, as if something was amiss.

What do you mean by "they"?

This expert's words make it sound like she's not even human.

But what does this expert mean?

Could it be that she still won't let the Fairy Fish go?

Thinking of this, the people on the green platform looked at Bao Bao in shock.

Just how powerful is this expert? Even high-level Magic Beast are so frightened that they hide away, yet she still wants to kill them.

They'd better leave here quickly.

Those two have skills that would kill anyone who gets near them.

Thinking of this, all the players on the Blue Stone platform scrambled back to the shore.

"Your Excellency Zhou, thank you for saving our lives. We were wrong before; we shouldn't have distrusted you."

The two leaders of Mirror City and the White Nation Youth walked up to Zhou He and bowed to apologize.

Originally, even though Zhou He saved them, they wouldn't have performed such a grand ceremony.

But things are different now. The Dragon Nation such a powerful expert, so they have to give them face.

Hei Mi hid behind the crowd and didn't say a word; he dared not step forward to speak.

Zhou He knew that Bao Bao was going to make a move against the Fairy Fish, so he wanted to watch carefully and learn from it.

Seeing the skills of these Magic Beast gave him many insights.

There's no time to deal with the United Rescue Team right now.

Upon hearing this, Zhou He nodded and looked away.

The three young men from Mirror City and the White Nation Youth were a little embarrassed; when had they ever been treated like this?

But at that moment, they didn't dare say a word and could only stand aside with forced smiles.

Bao Bao's gaze swept across the Blue Stone platform, and seeing that all the players had climbed onto the shore without holding back, the wild sharpness in its eyes suddenly became apparent, and it no longer restrained its power.

She stretched out her long, slender arms, her pale palms slowly rising from her waist, the faint golden animal patterns on her body flowing subtly along her skin. Her clear, yet somewhat arrogant voice slowly echoed throughout the entire lakeside.

"Wind Rises Water Flows."

As soon as the words were spoken, a sudden change occurred in the world. The air currents from all directions seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, continuously converging towards the lake. A gale swirled and howled, bringing with it a chilling sensation. Everyone present could clearly feel the layers of wind constantly piling up and condensing, making it difficult to breathe.

Bao Bao let out a low growl, shattering the wind and mist.

"Get up!"

As soon as those three words were uttered, the once calm and still lake surface instantly went completely out of control, churning violently like a raging sea. A violent gale swept the lake water into the sky, and waves surged dozens of feet high, lifting the turbid lake water into the air, creating a magnificent curtain of water that stretched between heaven and earth.

The gaps between the waves were transparent, and through the surging water walls, everyone could clearly see the strange rocks and dormant aquatic plants at the bottom of the lake, and countless dark shadows swaying with the current. A suffocating pressure swept over the entire area.

Suddenly, a figure was swept up by a huge wave.

Upon closer inspection, everyone recognized it as Fairy Fish.

The wind power unleashed by the Bao Bao was extremely domineering and fierce. Even though the surrounding vast lake was entirely under the control of the Fairy Fish and filled with abundant water elements, when the two forces collided, the gentle water power was torn apart and suppressed layer by layer by the gale.

No matter how hard the Fairy Fish tried to mobilize the surrounding lake water, it was difficult to gather enough water to fight back. It had no way to use its home water area Wind Element to fight head-on.

After struggling several times, the Fairy Fish realized the vast difference in strength between the two sides and knew that she had no chance of winning today with her water-type power alone.

She steadied herself against the surging waves, her clear voice carrying the mist of the water, and called out to the Bao Bao on the high platform, her tone filled with resentment and confusion:

"Bao Bao! We both belong to the same lineage of Magic Beast, and should be of one mind with each other. Do you really intend to help these humans and become my enemy?"