019 Green-Tier Raptor Ambush

Li Yue raised her eyes to look at You Lie, her gaze landing on the green beast ring on his arm.

A Green-rank beastman was not weak; he was more than capable of handling ordinary Green-rank beasts. Logically speaking, following him into the water should have been perfectly safe.

Yet, when the giant crocodile python launched its surprise attack yesterday, that momentary hesitation from Lan Xi kept playing over and over in her mind. The merfolk were naturally adept in the water; how could he have failed to react in time?

That moment of hesitation felt more like he had intentionally used the beast to end her life.

At this thought, Li Yue’s face turned several shades paler. She instinctively turned her head toward the stream.

Lan Xi had already emerged from the wooden barrel and was resting quietly in the shallows. His tail fin occasionally slapped the water surface gently. He looked leisurely, yet he still made her feel uneasy.

Only when she caught sight of the empty wooden barrel on the bank did Li Yue’s eyes brighten. The water was dangerous, so she could just bathe on the shore using the barrel.

She steadied herself and said to You Lie, "No need to go into the water. I’ll just use the barrel to wash up."

You Lie followed her gaze to the empty barrel and immediately understood her concerns.

Yesterday’s events must have left a shadow on her.

He didn't ask further, only nodded. He picked up the barrel and walked to the stream, scrubbing it clean before filling it with clear spring water. He carried it steadily to the shade of a tree and even thoughtfully placed a piece of soft animal hide by the rim.

Watching his meticulous movements, Li Yue felt a warmth in her heart. She quickly said, "Thank you. How about this: for every five times you fetch bath water for me, I’ll give you a drop of my blood. How does that sound?"

She had expected You Lie to be happy, but instead, he narrowed his eyes slightly, his brows furrowing. There was not a shred of joy on his face; instead, it was filled with an inexplicable, gloomy intensity.

What kind of expression was that? Was five times too many?

She quickly explained, "Chi Yu only gets a drop for cooking five meals. Fetching bath water is easier than cooking. Five times for one drop is really not much..."

Before she could finish, You Lie turned and walked to the base of a nearby tree, standing with his back to her, clearly lacking the patience to listen further.

Li Yue’s words got stuck in her throat. Looking at his retreating figure, she felt even more conflicted.

It seemed he really did think it was too much. Should she reduce it to five times?

But as soon as the thought emerged, she suppressed it. No! If she reduced it for You Lie, she would have to reduce it for the others too.

By then, if she hadn't found her father yet and had already reached the required number of blood drops to break the soul-bonds, she would end up in a miserable state.

Li Yue bit her lip, deciding not to dwell on the issue. Taking advantage of the fact that the others were resting, she quickly took off her animal-hide skirt and carefully climbed into the wooden barrel.

The stream water was refreshingly cool, instantly dispelling the heat of the season, and she sighed in comfort.

Remembering the spiritual spring in her dimension, she shifted her consciousness and withdrew a single drop of the spring water.

There were only a few drops of the spiritual spring water in total, and since she was only testing it, she naturally couldn't take out too much.

Li Yue unwound the animal hide wrapped around her finger. The scabbed wound was still red and swollen, with faint bruises lingering around the edges.

She hovered her fingertip over the wound and carefully let the drop of spring water fall.

The moment the bead touched her skin, it transformed into a wisp of warm energy that seeped inward. There was no stinging sensation at all; instead, it felt as comfortable as being enveloped in warm water.

Within seconds, the scabbed wound faded at a speed visible to the naked eye. The mark gradually lightened, finally vanishing completely without leaving a single scar. The skin on her fingertip was as smooth as before, as if she had never been injured at all.

It really worked!

Li Yue clenched her fingers in pleasant surprise, her heart instantly settling.

With this spiritual spring water, even if she broke the bonds with them in the future, she could treat minor injuries and pains on her own. Surviving in the Beast World finally felt a little more secure.

But at the thought that only a few drops remained in her dimension, she couldn't help but frown. If only more would appear.

Her gaze drifted unconsciously back to You Lie’s back under the tree. The dimension had upgraded after their kiss yesterday; if she tried it again...

He was still in his rut; if she kissed him, it might strengthen the soothing effect. He shouldn't refuse, right?

As soon as this absurd thought popped up, she forcibly suppressed it. What if it was just a coincidence? It would only annoy him and do more harm than good.

Just then, the sound of wings flapping suddenly tore through the air, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind.

Li Yue looked up in terror, only to see a raptor with a wingspan of at least two meters diving straight down. Its iron-gray feathers glinted coldly, and its sharp talons, spread wide like hooks, were aimed directly at her, defenseless in the barrel!

She screamed and tried to dodge, but the barrel was too narrow, leaving her nowhere to retreat. She could only watch helplessly as the raptor swooped down.

"Li Yue!" Several beast husbands reacted simultaneously. Jin Ye was the first to shift into his tiger form, lunging at the beast.

Chi Yu also bared his sharp claws, trying to entangle the beast’s wings.

Lan Xi even leaped from the stream, his fish tail splashing water in an attempt to disrupt the predator’s trajectory.

But it was a step too late. The beast’s talons had already gripped Li Yue’s shoulders, dragging her violently into the air. The powerful airflow made it impossible for her to keep her eyes open.

The other beast husbands were land or water-based and could not pursue a flying predator; they could only pace frantically on the ground.

"Si Qi!" You Lie looked up at the sky, his dark red eyes filled with anxiety.

No sooner had he spoken than a white figure shot into the sky. Si Qi shifted into his beast form, his speed like a lightning bolt, instantly closing in on the iron-gray beast.

Li Yue endured the searing pain and looked at the raptor clutching her. Only then did she see the Green-rank ring on its talons. The claws were sharp as knives, digging into her shoulders until blood seeped out, making it hard for her to breathe.

She watched the snow-white crane chasing from behind, feeling both panicked and afraid. She didn't know if Si Qi, a Yellow-rank beast, could handle a Green-rank raptor.

Si Qi flapped his wings and dove, his sharp beak piercing toward the iron-feathered eagle’s left wing—the most vulnerable spot on a raptor.

His body was wreathed in a faint golden light, clearly exhausting most of his spiritual power. The strike was fast and vicious, directly piercing through the iron-feathered eagle’s plumage. Fresh blood instantly stained the gray wings.

The iron-feathered eagle shrieked in pain, its talons abruptly loosening their grip on Li Yue.

Li Yue felt her body go light, and then she began to plummet toward the ground. Her heart leaped into her throat.

Just then, a silver-white figure leaped up fiercely. You Lie’s lower body, a snake tail, tensed straight, his upper body leaning forward to catch her securely in his arms. Upon landing, he deliberately cushioned the impact with his snake tail.

"Are you all right?" You Lie looked down at the bloodstains on her shoulders, his dark red eyes filled with worry.

Li Yue endured the sharp pain in her shoulder and hurriedly pushed him away. "I'm fine! Go help Si Qi! Don't let it fly again!"

You Lie was Green-rank; with his involvement, they would surely be able to suppress the iron-feathered eagle.

You Lie looked at the blood continuously seeping from her shoulder. His fingers tightened slightly, and after a moment of hesitation, he turned and handed her to the approaching Chi Yu. "Watch over her."

Chi Yu was currently the weakest in combat among them; leaving him by Li Yue’s side was the safest choice.

Chi Yu hurriedly took Li Yue, carefully avoiding her wounds, and pulled a clean piece of animal hide from his satchel to drape over her. "Bear with it a little longer. Once Si Qi recovers, he can use his spiritual power to help you dull the pain."

He watched as the blood on Li Yue’s shoulder stained the hide, yet she bit her lip without a single moan, her gaze fixed intently on the battlefield. For some reason, his heart felt an inexplicable tightness.

Li Yue nodded, her gaze shifting back to the direction of her beast husbands.