As soon as the sun set, the sky gradually darkened. Without Seventh Sister or the others having to prompt them, the holy beasts used their usual method to bring Jian Tongyao back into the cave. The Light-Type Energy Barrier outside was barely perceptible; she felt the faintest trace of it only as she passed through.
Over the past two days, she had witnessed the holy beasts' daily habits. At sunrise, they all left the cave together, then frolicked around the river. At noon, the holy beast leading them would give a "signal," and their discipline would become apparent. Whatever each beast had been doing on its own, at that moment, they would all gather not far from Death Valley and begin fighting, exhausting every last drop of their Spiritual Power before retreating together.
Jian Tongyao had observed that without Seventh Sister's intervention, a few holy beasts would occasionally become separated from the group during the retreat. Those supposed casualties probably happened then.
"Senior, have you always lived here?"
"Woo, woo-"
Little Light rested its head across her legs, its two bright, lively eyes fixed on Ding Ding. Wherever Ding Ding flew, its gaze followed, as though it were keeping watch against a thief.
Jian Tongyao thought back to when they had come to Death Valley to retrieve the Love Flower Seed. They had not seen a single holy beast then. Presumably, these beasts had only emerged in recent years, after the Death Spirit Masters had left an indelible mark on the Seven-Colored Continent.
Looking at it that way, this clan of holy beasts had remained here, holding Death Valley in check. They could certainly be considered an army of righteousness.
Thoughts whirled through Jian Tongyao's mind: Seventh Sister's earlier mysterious expression, then the bones of the holy beasts that had