Chapter 23

, constantly attacking the mantises. A larger mantis was struck down to the ground by magic and struggled to fly back up. The warriors swarmed in. Though the fallen mantis desperately brandished its blade-arms and cut down many soldiers, countless unknown plants immediately burst from the ground and bound it fast. The mantis on the ground gave a shrill cry toward his side, and Yi Lin Hanxuan only felt that the sound seemed so warm, yet so painful, filled with many tangled emotions—kinship, reluctance to part, and more. Before long, the great mantis could no longer withstand the attacks and crashed down. The mantis still flying in the sky desperately tried to rush over, completely ignoring the cluster of mages behind it eyeing it like tigers watching their prey. Just as the two mantises were about to touch, with a "whoosh," flames burst from within the smaller mantis's body, burning it to ash in an instant. In the end, the two mantises still could not go hand in hand to the Yellow Springs...

The scene shifted, and Yi Lin Hanxuan once again saw the two great mantises from before looking at him gently. After a while, the male mantis seemed to start shouting and jumping in excitement, crying, "I'm a father! Wife, I'm a father!" The female mantis stared fixedly at him, saying happily, "Yes, husband, this is our child." The female mantis gently kissed his forehead, and tears of joy fell one by one onto his face...

Seeing Yi Lin Hanxuan's body trembling nonstop, tears streaming down his face, Hal asked in concern, "Boss, are you all right?" As he asked, he looked at Duoduo, as if wanting to ask whether Yi Lin Hanxuan was in danger.

Duoduo shook his head. He could be certain Peiganbo had not used mental power to attack Yi Lin Hanxuan.

Peiganbo, too, had his eyes tightly shut, and faint tears glimmered at the corners of them.

"Wuu, I'm sorry, Peiganbo, I'm sorry." Yi Lin Hanxuan suddenly kept apologizing to Peiganbo, leaving everyone stunned when they heard it.

"This..." Duoduo was also dumbfounded. Yi Lin Hanxuan was actually hugging Peiganbo tightly, murmuring "I'm sorry" over and over.

Tears slid down. Peiganbo, who had once sworn he would only bleed in this life and never shed tears again, finally could not hold back and began to cry.

After crying quietly for a while, Yi Lin Hanxuan left Peiganbo and said to Duoduo with reddened eyes, "Teacher, please let him go."

"Why?" Aslan and Hal asked almost in unison.

"No reason. I can't subdue him." Tears still clung to Yi Lin Hanxuan's face, yet he said it with a smile.

"This..." Duoduo glanced at Luo Lun. The Twin-Winged Blood Mantis was an extremely rare high-level Magic Beast, and Peiganbo could also command Locusts and Sand Tigers. If they let the tiger return to the mountain and gave him a chance to make a comeback, they might not have such luck and defeat him next time.

While Luo Lun and the others were still thinking of ways to keep Peiganbo behind, Yi Lin Hanxuan instead moved close to Peiganbo and said softly, "Peiganbo, I'll ask Teacher Tidavi and Teacher Heifan to help treat you. I know humans have wronged you, but I still hope we can live together in peace."

"Hmph, I don't need humans to treat me." Peiganbo said stubbornly. After a moment, he added, "What's your name? I want you to say your full name with your own mouth."

"Yi Lin Hanxuan." Yi Lin Hanxuan answered crisply.

"Wrong." Peiganbo stretched his somewhat stiff neck and said, "That isn't your true name, because my spirit didn't react."

"This..." Yi Lin Hanxuan hesitated. He truly did not know what his real name was.

"I've changed my mind." Peiganbo stared straight at Yi Lin Hanxuan, then said, "As long as you tell me your true name, you will be my master."

The crowd, who had originally been talking over one another about how to deal with Peiganbo, instantly fell silent.

Just as the whole place was dead quiet, Crow and Crystal suddenly raised their heads to look at the sky at the same time. Noticing their mounts' strange reaction, Luo Lun and Duoduo also lifted their heads.

A flying Magic Beast circled downward in the sky and slowly landed. It turned out to be Fields and Dahei.

"Grandpa." Yi Lin Hanxuan and Hal shouted in unison, throwing themselves toward Fields.

"Hehe, you two little troublemakers, long time no see." Fields laughed.

"Teacher." Several academy teachers came over one after another to greet Fields. Only Luo Lun and Duoduo addressed Fields as "City Lord."

After Fields exchanged a few pleasantries with everyone, he took Yi Lin Hanxuan's hand and walked toward Peiganbo.

"Lin Hanxuan, try this name. If even this doesn't work, then we'll truly have no choice but to let him go." Fields instructed in a low voice.

Yi Lin Hanxuan nodded. Just now, Fields had quietly told him a name. It sounded very unfamiliar, but Grandpa said this should be Yi Lin Hanxuan's original name.

"Peiganbo, listen carefully." Yi Lin Hanxuan walked up to the Blood Mantis and said softly, "My name is Yang Zhao."

The moment Peiganbo heard Yi Lin Hanxuan say this name, his eyes involuntarily lit up. All the injuries on his body gradually vanished, and his form also began to shrink.

When Heifan saw the change in Peiganbo, he shouted excitedly, "It worked! Lin Hanxuan succeeded!"

Everyone excitedly crowded around Lin Hanxuan and Peiganbo. They saw the shrunken Peiganbo bend his four limbs, cross his hands, and lower his head as he said to Lin Hanxuan, "Master, from now on, Peiganbo will obey only your commands. Even if you order me to stand against the entire world, Peiganbo will not hesitate in the slightest."

"Peiganbo." Lin Hanxuan helped Peiganbo up and said, "Don't call me Master. Call me