By the time he emerged from the space inside the mountain, it was already afternoon.
Loa stood at the foot of Thunder-Magnetic Mountain and got his bearings.
Northeast was the direction of the Holy Union.
He collected himself and began walking northeast.
The little fellow in his arms was still asleep.
Soft purple fur brushed against his chest, warm and snug. It slept soundly, its little belly rising and falling, occasionally twitching its nose or smacking its lips.
Loa did not walk fast.
As he walked, he kept an eye on his surroundings.
He did not know whether Bai'erluosi was dead, or whether the Blood-Eyed Mane Lion was dead. If some high-level magical beast suddenly appeared, he would have to run immediately.
He did not stop along the way.
At dusk, he crossed a ridge. When he looked back, Thunder-Magnetic Mountain was no longer in sight.
He did not rest that night, either.
He continued traveling by moonlight, drinking water when he was tired and chewing a couple of pieces of dried meat when he was hungry. The little fellow woke once along the way, opening its eyes groggily and sniffing around.
Loa took two pieces of dried meat out of his Space Ring, broke them up, and fed them to it.
The little fellow ate quickly, smacking its little mouth and swallowing everything in a few bites. After eating, it licked its paws, rubbed against Loa's fingers, then closed its eyes and went back to sleep.
A newborn cub did nothing but eat and sleep.
Loa tucked it closer against his chest and continued on.
Early the next morning.
Loa stopped by a river.
The water was clear, rushing down from the mountains with a burbling sound. Sparse woods lined both banks, with mountain ranges stretching beyond them.