Li Qian's guess was correct.
Although Qizai had just finished evolving and was a lower Level than the Nightmare Crow, it had still come out on the losing end of their exchange.
However, after clashing with the Water Arrow: Thousand Arrows Attack, the Nightmare Crow's Shadow Cone was no longer much of a threat.
Qizai executed its Dragon Soaring Skill.
Its body shot through the air.
It dodged the Shadow Cone's assault with little effort.
A frustrated cry escaped Qizai.
Memories of its weakness and helplessness as a Koi Carp flooded its mind.
It had given its all to evolve and grow stronger, just to escape that feeling of powerlessness.
And now, having finally evolved and been completely reborn, it was immediately faced with such a powerful opponent.
The thought of its past frustrations filled its heart with a burning will to fight.
Bound by their Soul Contract, Li Qian naturally felt this surge of fighting spirit.
He glanced at the Nightmare Crow in the air and the mysterious red-robed man nearby. An equally intense fighting spirit flared in his eyes.
"Qizai, I can feel your indignation and anger."
He clenched his fists, utterly fearless.
"So what if he's a Cultist? So what if it's Elite Level? So what if it's the Dark Element? You're a Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon, a member of the noble Dragon Race! What is there to fear?"
"Today, we'll give them the fight of their lives!"
With that said, ignoring the mysterious red-robed man's surprise, he commanded Qizai to take the offensive.
"Gale Slash!"
Li Qian gave the order.
A massive, crescent-shaped Wind Blade, roughly three to four meters long, suddenly condensed into existence before Qizai.
The massive Wind Blade shot forward with ferocious power.
Under Li Qian's command, this attack wasn't aimed at the Nightmare Crow. Instead, its target was the mysterious red-robed man nearby.
The best way to deal with a Pet Beast is to defeat its Beast Master!
Li Qian always remembered this pearl of wisdom from his combat class teacher.
Besides, the man was almost certainly a Cultist, so there was no need to hold back.
Since the man had tried to abduct him and was now trying to kill him, Li Qian felt that any form of retaliation was justified. It was simply self-defense.
"To have such combat power right after evolving... It's already on par with a regular Mid-Tier Elite Pet Beast. A Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon indeed," the mysterious red-robed man remarked with a sigh.
As his voice fell, a Summoning Array flashed, and a python-like Pet Beast appeared out of thin air.
"Rock Python."
Li Qian recognized the python-like Pet Beast the moment it appeared.
It was an Earth Element Rock Python.
Rock Pythons are extremely good at defense.
The man's purpose in summoning a Rock Python at this moment was self-evident.
And Li Qian's guess proved to be correct.
After the Rock Python appeared, it immediately used a Defense Skill—Rock Wall.
An Earth Wall rose up, shielding the Rock Python and the mysterious red-robed man.
The massive Wind Blade struck the Rock Wall.
BAM!
A thunderous crash rang out!
The massive Wind Blade carved a deep gash into the Rock Wall.
It nearly sliced the Rock Wall in two.
The Rock Wall was all but destroyed by the attack, but unfortunately, the Wind Blade had also dissipated.
Li Qian wasn't surprised by this outcome.
Since the Nightmare Crow had reached Elite Level, it at least proved that the mysterious red-robed man was an Elite Level Beast Master.
Elite Level Beast Masters could form contracts with two Pet Beasts.
Li Qian hadn't forgotten such a basic fact.
He had targeted the man precisely to force him to reveal all his cards.
This way, he wouldn't be caught off guard by a sudden move.
Now that he had forced the man's hand, Li Qian decisively switched targets.
In this situation, it was obvious that bypassing the Rock Python to attack the man directly was now impossible.
Besides, a Pet Beast like the Rock Python had low attack and high defense. It wasn't a major threat, and attacking it would be a waste of time.
Li Qian wasn't a fool; he knew what the right choice was.
He launched another attack.
This time, Li Qian chose High-Pressure Water Cannon.
A spinning orb of water, even larger than before, shot out from the pool. It moved with incredible speed, like a cannonball fresh from the barrel.
How could Li Qian not take advantage of such a prime location right next to the pool?
His combat class teacher, Hu Minghua, had once said that a Beast Master must know how to use the terrain to their advantage and create a favorable environment for battle.
Li Qian would never forget these combat lessons.
Moreover, Qizai had to face a one-on-two situation, and using the water source for battle would undoubtedly save a lot of Energy, which was beneficial for a battle of attrition.
Li Qian believed that as long as he dragged out the fight, this mysterious red-robed man would eventually retreat on his own.
After all, this was Cloud Mist Mountain, only about fifty kilometers from Yunlan City proper.
If they were discovered by Yunlan City's Public Security Bureau, they would be in for a world of hurt.
So Li Qian was very clear that for him, the most important thing was not to defeat the mysterious red-robed man, but to stall for as much time as possible.
However, since Qizai hadn't learned any Defense Skills yet, he chose the best defense: a good offense.
The High-Pressure Water Cannon shot straight at the Nightmare Crow!
In mid-air, the Nightmare Crow's body suddenly disappeared without any warning or trace.
The next moment, it appeared in another location.
Seeing this, Li Qian's brows furrowed tightly.
'Shadow Escape. It's a movement-type Skill, and even more effective in the dark. If the Nightmare Crow keeps using it to dodge, I'll never get a chance to face it head-on.'
But Li Qian wasn't worried.
'It's just a matter of who can outlast the other.'
Li Qian didn't believe that a battle between three Pet Beasts would fail to attract attention. The commotion was too great.
Just as he commanded Qizai to continue engaging the Nightmare Crow, a massive rock came whistling toward him.
It was the Rock Python, launching an attack.
The Skill was Rock Manipulation!
The Rock Python might not excel at offense, but that didn't mean it had none. It was all relative. To an ordinary person like him, its attack was still incredibly deadly.
So as not to distract Qizai or get hurt, Li Qian dove and rolled onto the stone steps below the viewing platform.
BOOM!
CRASH!
The massive rock smashed through the viewing platform's guardrail and fell into the pool at the top of the Hundred Feet Waterfall.
A splash of water shot more than ten meters into the air.
Seeing this, Li Qian breathed a silent sigh of relief.
'That was close. If I hadn't dodged that, I'd be a goner for sure.'
Looking at the huge wave that soared into the air, an idea sparked in Li Qian's mind.
"Get over the pool and use Tornado!" Li Qian commanded Qizai through their Soul Contract.
Qizai didn't doubt Li Qian's command for a second.
It used its Dragon Soaring Skill again, its form flickering as it appeared over the pool.
Immediately, its body began to spin rapidly in place.
As it spun, a tornado about ten meters in diameter instantly formed. The cyclone stretched to the sky like a colossal pillar descending from the heavens!
WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH...
A violent gale howled, the sound utterly terrifying!