Three days passed quickly. Li Fan, holding a magnifying glass, finally discovered a fingernail-sized, bright blue crystal in Hui Hui’s chest cavity.
Li Fan named it the Azure Dragon Qi Jade.
He also conducted some tests on the effects of the blue flame jet.
The temperature was significantly higher than that of the red flame jet, producing no black smoke, only a small amount of blue crystal shards.
Another unexpected benefit was that the high temperature put less strain on the carapace.
The most direct manifestation was that even under prolonged high-temperature jetting, the softening of the carapace at the wingtips remained very slight.
As for the protective dragon qi generated during ultra-high-speed sprints, there hadn't been an opportunity to test it yet.
The impact on the environment, however, exceeded Li Fan’s expectations.
The crystalline rock walls of the small cave had melted into a deep blue gel due to the prolonged high-temperature influence of the blue flame jet.
This gel dripped like candle wax, and after cooling and accumulating, it formed a new landscape resembling a karst cave.
After delivering meat to the monsters and seeing no abnormalities nearby, Li Fan decided to continue his exploration and investigation of the Elder’s Recess with Dilu that afternoon.
Connected to the current cave was a volcanic cave filled with lava.
Not only was the natural environment harsh, but a Lavasioth also swam around, inhabiting the lava.
Li Fan wasn’t afraid of engaging in combat, but based on his understanding over the past few days, the frequency of monster invasions in the Elder’s Recess was far beyond his expectations.
In a nutshell, the monsters here were incredibly nosy.
Flying in the sky, rolling on the ground, swimming in the lava.
As long as a fight was happening and it was detected, they were bound to join in.
Li Fan speculated it might be due to their abundant life energy.
Thus, he returned uphill and proceeded with his investigation along the tire tracks.
“Roar~”
Li Fan and Dilu hadn’t gone far when they heard a roar from above. They immediately ran towards an area shielded by the rock wall.
“Again, will it ever end?”
Shortly after Li Fan spoke, a large number of oval particles rained down from the sky.
*Splat~* The oval particles landed, flattening at the bottom to form a triangular shape, with wisps of hot steam rising.
*Hiss~* The particles quickly glowed orange-red.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*…
Flames erupted, and thick smoke billowed.
A series of explosions occurred on the slope where Li Fan and Dilu had just been.
“This is the sixth time we’ve been attacked by a Brachydios, meow.”
Dilu, with a sigh, opened her book and began to record.
“This Brachydios seems to have figured out our usual routes.”
Li Fan offered his conjecture.
For the past three days, their routine had been hunting, checking the lower cave, and returning to camp to rest. Their activity area was quite fixed.
“So, we’ve been targeted, meow.”
Dilu exclaimed, suddenly understanding.
“Roar~”
The roar of the Brachydios, approaching from afar, sounded again, clearly indicating another dive-bombing attack.
*Splat~ Splat~ Splat~*…
“Hmm… although this time the deployment is closer, the number of Dragon pods seems to have decreased.”
Li Fan said, a little puzzled.
“It should have landed… on the rock wall above, meow.”
Dilu looked up and offered her guess.
“Above… run!” Li Fan grabbed the cat’s paw and lifted Dilu off the ground, starting to sprint.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*~
A series of explosions sounded from above, and a large amount of rock began to fall and collapse.
*Clatter~ Clatter~*…
Amidst the flying, rolling, and billowing dust, the sound of hooves pounding the ground could be heard.
Qing Tian, the Great Boar King carrying one person and one cat, burst out of the dust.
“Roar~” The Brachydios roared again.
“Return to the lower cave!”
*Screech!* Qing Tian executed a smooth drift and sharp turn, changing direction and speeding off again.
Seeing that it could no longer carry out bombing attacks, the Brachydios in the air immediately flew away.
“It seems I can’t keep a low profile anymore. Otherwise, I won’t be able to conduct any investigations.”
“But that will trigger chain reaction invasions, meow.”
Dilu, covered in soot, reminded him.
“As long as I’m fast enough, there shouldn’t be a problem. Besides, after capturing it, I should be able to get a lot of useful information.”
Li Fan said, stroking his chin.
After confirming the Brachydios had left, the pair, forced to abandon their investigation, could only return to the camp.
“Brachydios?”
Yudora looked puzzled upon hearing Li Fan’s encounter.
“You haven’t been bombed by that Brachydios?”
Li Fan asked curiously.
“No, lately, apart from hunting, I’ve just been guarding the camp. I haven’t had a chance to encounter it.”
Yudora informed him.
“Brachydios’s scales are too dangerous. Even when encountered in other areas, the advice from the stronghold is only to run away.”
Aibo reminded him.
“But it’s severely affecting my exploration. I have to take action.”
Li Fan stated his reason.
“I see. Since you’ve decided… then I’ll issue a contract.”
Aibo pondered for a moment, then placed her book on the stone table and began writing the contract.
Li Fan and Yudora, meanwhile, entered into combat discussion.
To minimize the impact on the surroundings, fighting the Brachydios on the ground was the best option, but the problem was that it rarely landed.
“How about I float to a higher position and knock it down first?”
Yudora suggested.
“No, that’s too dangerous.”
Li Fan stopped her.
Even in the Coral Highlands, he wouldn’t worry about Yudora flying.
But in the Elder’s Recess, rashly ascending would be akin to suicide.
“But if we don’t take risks, the Brachydios will never land willingly… How about we ask Xiao Bendan and Wanpi for help?”
Yudora tentatively asked in a small voice.
“The impact would be too great. If it attracts Elder Dragons, this area won’t be peaceful anymore.”
Hui Hui was generating dragon jade in a nearby lower cave, and Li Fan didn’t want to attract too much attention.
“If only a bigger anomaly happened at the same time…”
Yudora sighed.
“A bigger anomaly?”
“Yes, then no monsters would go to fight the Brachydios.”
Yudora expressed her opinion.
“Thank you for the reminder, I have an idea.”
Li Fan stated with certainty.
The next day, the capture plan was not rushed.
Li Fan climbed to a high vantage point, donned his Ghillie Mantle, and observed the distance with his binoculars.
Three nights later, the camp experienced a minor earthquake.
The following morning, the entire team organized their equipment and launched the capture operation against the Brachydios.
“Li Fan! Yudora! Dilu! You must return safely, I’ll be waiting for you!”
Aibo, who remained at the camp, called out.
“We will! Remember to prepare roast meat!”
Yudora responded with great confidence.
“The scale of this event will be huge, but the bigger the scale, the more beneficial it will be for us.”
Li Fan informed them as they advanced.
“I’m already looking forward to it, meow.”
Dilu said happily.
However, an unexpected situation halted the hunt.
The anticipated bombing attack did not materialize; the Brachydios was gone.
The two people and one cat, who waited for four hours, were quite dejected.
“What is it thinking…”
Yudora, looking up, had a sore neck, but couldn’t find any sign of the Brachydios.
“Wait… listen carefully…”
Li Fan said, tilting his head to listen.
“I only hear the wind, meow.”
Dilu said helplessly.
“Hmm… I don’t hear anything.”
Yudora listened intently for a long time but found nothing.
“It’s the Brachydios… and a Rathalos… they’re fighting!”
Li Fan immediately made a judgment.
“Huh? The reason it didn’t attack nearby is because they’re already fighting.”
Yudora realized.
“No more waiting, let’s go!”
Li Fan immediately released Xiao Bendan and Wanpi.
Using silk threads to wrap around their claws, they set off towards the combat zone.
In a valley surrounded by rock walls, the Brachydios was engaged in a fierce battle with a Rathalos whose carapace was a pale blue.
Crude roars echoed through the valley.
The sudden arrival of the Gold and Silver Rathalos startled both monsters, who were in the thick of their fight.
The Azure Rathalos understood the Rathalos’s situation and immediately flew away, citing family matters.
Seeing that the newcomers were not to be trifled with, the Brachydios also intended to escape.
However, as soon as it made a move, it saw the Gold and Silver Rathalos suddenly split apart, blocking its retreat from front and back.
“Roar…”
The Brachydios let out a low growl, indicating it didn’t like sparring with unfamiliar monsters.
“We’ll get acquainted after a fight.”
“Roar!” The Brachydios stared intently and then let out a furious roar.
“You hate the aura on me… it seems there are still monsters on the New World who know what’s good.”
Li Fan suddenly understood that the armor of the Nakarkos was the reason for its aerial assaults.
However, with the situation as it was, combat was unavoidable.
“Time is short, let the operation begin.”
Li Fan said, taking out his Pokedex and tapping furiously.
*Boom~ Boom~ Boom~*…
Amidst the tremors, a dull rumble was heard.
The rolling Devilstorm, tumbling down the slope, sensed the vibration approaching from behind.
Acting on instinctual alertness to danger, its curled-up body immediately sprang up, leaving the slope and leaping onto the nearby rock face.
Its body, a strip covered in golden rock fragments, unfurled. The Devilstorm looked back, and a horrifying sight appeared before its eyes.
On the slope behind it, a giant bone serpent had squeezed in.
As the bone serpent slid at high speed, the fan-like protrusions on its spine, like giant blades, continuously cut and widened the slope.
The Devilstorm also used rolling to modify frequently used areas for smoother passage.
In its eyes, the giant bone serpent’s ability to carve out paths was like that of a divine being.
“Roar!”
The Devilstorm let out a roar filled with reverence.
It declared that no matter whose gift it was, it was grateful for the path being carved out for the Devilstorms.
*Boom~ Boom~ Sizzle!*
The giant bone serpent suddenly stopped.
The momentarily stunned Devilstorm was about to flee.
*Whoosh!*
A golden silk thread shot out from the gap between the bone serpent’s joints, entangling the Devilstorm’s claws.
*Clatter~ Clatter~*…
A series of rapid footsteps approached from a distance.
*Crack!* Two adjacent snake bone segments suddenly separated, and Shanshan, shining golden, emerged.
Shanshan raised its forelimbs, hooking its scythes, first pointing forward, then pointing to the distant mountain range composed entirely of Dragon Crystal, forming sharp spires.
It indicated that it wanted to ask if this path, when it reached its end, would lead to that mountain range.
“Roar…”
The slightly trembling Devilstorm let out a somewhat dazed growl.
Shanshan’s compound eyes flickered with purple light. After a moment of thought, it walked back into the giant snake from between the two separated bone segments.
*Snap~* The two separated bone segments immediately closed.
*Whoosh~* The golden silk thread on the Devilstorm’s claws softened and detached.
*Boom~ Boom~ Boom…*
The rumbling sound started again, and the giant snake continued to slide forward.
“Uh… Li Fan, is it not time to act yet?”
Yudora, gripping the Great Sword of the Gale God with both hands, asked tentatively.
“Looking at the distance, Shanshan will be in position soon.”
Li Fan informed her, observing with binoculars.
“Is it safe for Shanshan to do this?”
Yudora asked with some concern.
“Don’t worry, Shanshan is an insectoid. It doesn’t even have Dragon element energy, so it won’t be tracked. Even if it gets caught in a fight, no one can threaten Shanshan.”
Li Fan was extremely confident about this.
What the team urgently needed was to stabilize the area around the camp.
This would not only ensure Hui Hui’s safety but also allow them to explore without constant worry.
He had considered using sheer combat power to dominate the current area.
But once the area entered a state of high-frequency combat, it would attract more monsters.
Then, as soon as one was defeated, another would arrive, and eventually, Elder Dragons would be alerted.
Instead of that, it was better to create a more prominent high-frequency combat zone himself and draw all the attention there.
*Crash! Sizzle~*
The giant bone serpent, Xucheng, composed of parts of the Snake King Dragon’s skeleton, coiled around the largest crystalline peak in the Elder’s Recess, climbing it.
After coiling around three times, the Snake King Dragon’s skull was level with the crystalline peak.
Such a spectacle was an epic event for the local nosy monsters.
Even the Brachydios, trapped in a rocky corner, couldn’t help but lift its head and look towards the crystalline peak.
“Why are you looking too?”
Li Fan felt the time was ripe. He lowered his binoculars and turned around, seeing the Brachydios gazing afar, and felt a bit speechless.
“Roar!” The Brachydios expressed its unwillingness, asking why it couldn’t look when everyone else was.
“You’re quite fond of reasoning. Do you know the Nergigante? Sss, sss, sss, the one covered in spikes.”
Li Fan demonstrated with actions.
“Roar… Roar!”
“We fought once, and I almost died, but you’re still not convinced… Fine, since you’re willing to communicate, then the next steps will be simple. See this ball? I’ll open it in a moment. Don’t resist.”
Li Fan explained.
“Roar!” The Brachydios again asked why.
“Uh… then I’ll have to follow the procedure.”
Li Fan, suspended by silk threads from Wanpi’s claws, sighed softly and then drew his Thunderclap Divine Blade.
The Brachydios lowered its head, its yellow pupils filled with endless gloom.
“Roar! Roar! Roar!”
The three dragons roared together, and the battle began.
The Brachydios swung its head, sending a large number of Dragon pods flying out and landing on the ground.
Then, it rapidly descended, initiating a dive-bombing attack.
“Knowing it has no chance of winning in the air, it proactively chose to fight on the ground.”
Li Fan felt that this Brachydios had good combat awareness, which was the best response at the moment.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*~
The Brachydios continued to appropriately shed Dragon pods, constructing a defensive barrier, while looking up at the aerial movements.
Xiao Bendan and Wanpi circled above, continuously spitting fireballs downwards. Li Fan reminded them at this moment: “Yudora, don’t be impulsive. Being hit by a Dragon pod explosion is very dangerous.”
.
Zhao Lala reminds you: Remember to collect after reading.