Windrider Eagle

Only then did Yue Shen realize something was wrong. He immediately stopped what he was doing and prepared to equip his armor from his Storage Ring at any moment.

"Coo, coo, coo~"

Yue Shen slowly turned his head. An enormous bird, at least two meters long by his estimate, stood behind him. Its dark brown eyes gleamed as it studied him with apparent curiosity.

Yue Shen said nothing. Even his breathing grew much quieter.

Only after he carefully took the black token out of his pocket and saw that it was not flashing with the golden light that indicated an aggressive magical beast did he finally relax.

The purple light flashing on the token also told him that the enormous bird before him was a seventh-level magical beast.

"Hello. Is there something you need?" Yue Shen asked cautiously, his arms wrapped around the tree trunk.

A seventh-level magical beast was already considered a high-level magical beast. Yue Shen believed it could certainly understand him, even if it could not speak human language.

"Coo, coo, coo~"

The enormous bird lowered its head and gently rubbed its beak against Yue Shen's trouser leg, then crouched down before him.

"Coo, coo, coo~"

Yue Shen froze for a moment, then pointed at himself and asked, "You don't mean you want to become my mount companion, do you?"

"Coo, coo."

Seeing that Yue Shen had understood, the enormous bird nodded repeatedly in delight.

Once the enormous bird expressed its goodwill toward Yue Shen, his identification tool also displayed its species: Windrider Eagle.

"I'm really sorry, but you may have to find someone else." Yue Shen bent down and stroked its head. "Windrider Eagle, I can't choose you as my mount companion."

"Coo, coo, coo."

Although Yue Shen had refused it, the Windrider Eagle's mood did not seem to change.

Yue Shen could not help letting out a long sigh of relief.

Fortunately, the abundant light element here greatly suppressed the magical beasts' ferocity, so he did not have to worry about a sudden attack.

"Windrider Eagle, do you know where the Starshine Unicorns live?" Yue Shen asked cautiously.

After all, he was not entirely certain that he had chosen the right direction.

If he did not ask a native of the Knight Sacred Mountain like the Windrider Eagle for help now, he felt he might not even find the Starshine Unicorns within his thirty-day limit.

Besides, spending so long in such an enclosed environment was taking quite a toll on him mentally.

"Coo, coo, coo~"

After all, he was not entirely certain that the direction he was currently heading in was correct.

If he did not ask a native of the Knight Sacred Mountain like the Windrider Eagle for help now, he felt he might not even find the Starshine Unicorns within his thirty-day limit.

Besides, spending so long in such an enclosed environment was taking a considerable toll on him mentally.

The Windrider Eagle looked at Yue Shen in some confusion, then raised a wing and pointed in another direction.

"Huh?" Yue Shen could not help exclaiming. "I really went the wrong way?"

The Windrider Eagle nodded slightly, its gaze seeming to hold a trace of sympathy.

"All right, then. Thank you," Yue Shen said listlessly.

"Coo, coo, coo." The Windrider Eagle suddenly turned around, presenting its broad back to Yue Shen.

"Are you going to take me there?" Yue Shen asked, delighted.

"Coo."

Yue Shen was both surprised and delighted that the Windrider Eagle was actually willing to help him.

After confirming that no golden light had appeared on the black token and that the identification tool showed a relatively high favorability rating, Yue Shen no longer hesitated and climbed straight onto the Windrider Eagle's back.

"Wait a moment, I haven't-Aaah!"

Yue Shen's screams immediately echoed through the valleys of the Knight Sacred Mountain.

"What was that sound just now?"

Having already acquired a Red-Armored Earth Dragon as his mount companion, Gui Wu rode proudly on its back as he began searching for the other two.

"Did I imagine it?" Gui Wu did not dwell on it and urged his mount onward to continue exploring the Knight Sacred Mountain.

Before he entered the Knight Sacred Mountain, his father, Gui Ying, had instructed him to cripple that good-for-nothing's disciple during the mount selection process.

But now, he had another task.

He would cripple that fellow from the Holy City as well. It served him right for showing Gui Wu absolutely no respect earlier.

Of course, he knew that with his current strength, he was probably no match for Yue Shen. But now he had a mount.

And it was an intermediate fifth-level magical beast, with strength roughly equivalent to that of an early fourth-order human professional.

As long as he discovered that Yue Shen had yet to acquire a mount, he would attack without hesitation.

He had heard everything clearly when Wei Ping introduced them to the old man earlier. Yue Shen was merely a Fourth-Order Grand Knight. As long as he had not acquired a mount, there was no way he could defeat Gui Wu and the Red-Armored Earth Dragon together.

"Heh heh. Just accept your death."

Having already reached the area where the Starshine Unicorns lived, Long Haochen naturally could not hear Yue Shen's screams.

At that moment, however, he was feeling particularly miserable.

"You're unwilling to become my mount companion?" Long Haochen was stunned. "Why?"

"I am sorry, honored Child of Light." A Starshine Unicorn bowed its head before Long Haochen. "With the innate gifts of our Starshine Unicorn race, we are not worthy of serving the Child of Light."

"Huh?" Long Haochen froze.

He had never expected the powerful being before him, at the peak of the eighth level, to say that even it was unqualified to become his mount companion. Just what sort of magical beast companion was he supposed to find?

The Starshine Unicorn seemed somewhat ashamed. After offering Long Haochen a few words of comfort, it suggested that he try his luck at the teleportation array on the Knight Sacred Mountain.

"You may find a suitable mount companion there, though of course, the outcome will not necessarily be favorable."

After saying this, the Starshine Unicorn turned and walked toward its herd, leaving Long Haochen standing there alone.

Before long, once the herd of Starshine Unicorns had drunk their fill at the lakeside, the Starshine Unicorn King who had spoken with Long Haochen cast him a slightly apologetic glance, then left with his people.

"Well, well! Isn't this that good-for-nothing's disciple?" A disdainful voice rang out behind Long Haochen.

"You certainly made me search hard enough. And a worthless loser like you actually dreamed of obtaining a mount like a Starshine Unicorn? How laughable."

An enormous Red-Armored Earth Dragon emerged from the forest.

On its back, Gui Wu sneered. "Just as I thought. A good-for-nothing's disciple is a good-for-nothing too."

"Don't you dare insult my teacher," Long Haochen said in a low voice.

But his expression was grim. Having deliberately studied the different kinds of magical beasts beforehand, he instantly recognized Gui Wu's mount.

A Red-Armored Earth Dragon, a lesser dragon and a fire-attribute magical beast.

Although the Red-Armored Earth Dragon before him was clearly not yet fully grown, it was at least a fifth-level magical beast.