RITAAB 76.1

Chapter 76 【o(￣︶￣)o】 PART 1

Although the surrounding beast-shifters were scattered, once they started clearing them out, they realized there were far more of them than expected. It took over two days just to finish the cleanup, but finally, they could focus on the main target.

Qi Yue suddenly remarked, “It’s like a mini-boss, or maybe an elite monster.”

Qin Jiulin responded, “That’s a pretty accurate description. It’s not quite a mini-boss, but it’s definitely elite. We’ll probably encounter more elite monsters like this in the future.”

Qi Yue said, “I’m already prepared.”

Liu Zhongyuan asked, “Prepared for what?”

Qi Yue blinked. “Prepared to watch you guys show your might.”

Qin Jiulin sighed, “…Stop messing around.”

Liu Zhongyuan laughed, “Hahaha… Just watch closely then. If this beast-shifter can trouble us, how will we keep moving forward after this?”

Qin Jiulin could handle this beast-shifter on his own, but Liu Zhongyuan absolutely wouldn’t allow it. Since that was the case, Qin Jiulin didn’t see a reason to refuse either, especially since Liu Zhongyuan’s scales were virtually indestructible.

Besides… speaking of which, Liu Zhongyuan was a giant snake, and this beast-shifter was also snake-like. Based on its strength, if this snake-like beast-shifter could fully shift into its beast form, it would definitely be on Liu Zhongyuan’s level.

What a pity, truly a pity…

Liu Zhongyuan transformed into his giant snake form and moved toward the beast-shifter. Qin Jiulin quickly shifted into a giant tiger and followed, though he didn’t ride on Liu Zhongyuan’s back but trailed behind him.

Originally, Qin Jiulin had planned to ride on his back, but Liu Zhongyuan wasn’t keen on the idea. Since that was the case, Qin Jiulin had no choice but to adapt and cooperate.

After all, it was because Liu Zhongyuan was worried about him, right? Qin Jiulin thought to himself.

Looking up, Qin Jiulin could see the massive silhouette of the giant snake ahead, and it gave him a sense of security. If possible, maybe they could continue like this indefinitely.

However… Qin Jiulin didn’t know much about Liu Zhongyuan. Agreeing to be in a relationship with him before was a bit rushed, but it didn’t matter. They had plenty of time, and he could slowly figure things out.

Qin Jiulin quickly caught up to the giant snake, and at that moment, the snake-like beast-shifter had already noticed Liu Zhongyuan’s massive form. Perhaps sensing a threat, it became agitated.

It roared continuously in Liu Zhongyuan’s direction, but showed no signs of retreat or fear. Beast-shifters don’t experience fear; they only charge forward.

As expected, it didn’t take long before the beast-shifter rushed toward Liu Zhongyuan, roaring and screeching as it ran, producing an irritating sound.

After only a short distance, Qin Jiulin saw the giant snake’s tail slam down on a spot ahead, but it clearly missed the beast-shifter. When Qin Jiulin looked up, he saw the beast-shifter leaping into the air, landing a claw on Liu Zhongyuan’s scales!

However, it only managed to leave a few scratch marks on Liu Zhongyuan’s scales. It wasn’t a big deal, as it didn’t hurt him at all. But Qin Jiulin noticed that three of the beast-shifter’s sharp claws had broken off.

One of the broken claws even fell right in front of Qin Jiulin. He glanced at it and thought that it was sharp enough to make a nice dagger. The claw was impressively long.

With a casual swipe of his paw, Qin Jiulin pushed the broken claw into a corner. They would collect it later—such materials shouldn’t be wasted.

Qin Jiulin didn’t waste any more time and quickly rushed over to fight alongside Liu Zhongyuan. Liu Zhongyuan’s attack style was simple, or rather, limited. After all, how many attack options does a snake have?

The beast-shifter was too small, too agile, and too fast to hit. All Liu Zhongyuan could do was create opportunities for Qin Jiulin to attack, while also covering him and preventing the beast-shifter from ambushing him.

Given Qin Jiulin’s strength, he could handle this beast-shifter alone. But with Liu Zhongyuan assisting, it was even easier.

Liu Zhongyuan’s powerful abilities made him an excellent support. Qin Jiulin moved swiftly across Liu Zhongyuan’s scales, dodging the beast-shifter’s attacks and looking for a chance to strike.

Finding an opening wasn’t too hard, especially since the beast-shifter was already showing signs of madness. As long as Qin Jiulin stayed calm, it wasn’t difficult to spot a weakness.

Of course, the challenge was to avoid getting injured by the beast-shifter in the process, which required a certain level of skill. Fortunately, Qin Jiulin had plenty of experience dealing with beast-shifters like this.

The beast-shifter’s frenzied attacks never touched Qin Jiulin, and during these evasive maneuvers, he quickly grasped the beast-shifter’s attack patterns.

When a claw swipe came at him, Qin Jiulin dodged, and the beast-shifter’s claw embedded itself into the wall behind him. The wall only held it for a second or two, but that was all Qin Jiulin needed.

In that brief window, Qin Jiulin turned and bit down on the beast-shifter’s other arm—not enough to kill it, but enough to sever the arm that wasn’t stuck in the wall.

After landing his attack, Qin Jiulin didn’t press the advantage. Instead, he quickly retreated, and just as he expected, the next moment the beast-shifter’s claw burst through the wall without warning. Had Qin Jiulin been even a second slower, that claw would have slashed his face, and it would have been more than just a scar.

Liu Zhongyuan broke out in a cold sweat, but fortunately, Qin Jiulin was completely unharmed. He spat out the severed arm, feeling uneasy about the cold, scaly texture. Thankfully, the scales and flesh weren’t poisonous, so there was no risk of being poisoned.

Liu Zhongyuan noticed the bloodstains on Qin Jiulin’s fur, knowing they came from the beast-shifter. Though Qin Jiulin wasn’t injured, the back-and-forth exchange had been far too dangerous.

If only he could shrink his size a bit… Then he could wrap the beast-shifter up and crush it to death. After all, the beast-shifter’s claws couldn’t hurt him.

The scratches on his scales were nothing more than a tickle to him.

The beast-shifter, now missing an arm, became even more frenzied. Its eyes, once dull yellow, were now clouded red. It seemed to have gone completely berserk.

But Qin Jiulin had seen this kind of battle before. He just needed to be more cautious now. The beast-shifter, in full view of them, bit down on its severed arm, tearing off the remaining piece still attached to its shoulder, and ate it.

Even Qin Jiulin, after surviving so many years in the post-apocalyptic world, had never seen anything like this. Though momentarily shocked, he quickly regained his composure.

Liu Zhongyuan took advantage of the moment, slamming his tail down, but the beast-shifter was now even faster due to its berserk state, and the attack missed entirely.

Perhaps realizing that Liu Zhongyuan couldn’t kill or eat it, the beast-shifter’s focus shifted entirely to Qin Jiulin. After all, to the beast-shifter, Qin Jiulin seemed like the most attainable prey.

The beast-shifter, its mouth full of shredded flesh, locked its eyes on Qin Jiulin. Even Qin Jiulin felt pressure under its intense gaze.

The beast-shifter’s speed was incredible. Even Liu Zhongyuan could no longer keep up with it. By the time Liu Zhongyuan noticed, Qin Jiulin and the beast-shifter had already moved their fight to another side of the battlefield.

Liu Zhongyuan was astonished—not only by how much faster the beast-shifter had become, but also by how effortlessly Qin Jiulin was keeping up with it. In fact, it seemed like Qin Jiulin was handling it with ease!

So, how much had Qin Jiulin been holding back when sparring with him? Clearly, there was no need to ever think about competing with him in speed again.

Qin Jiulin focused entirely on the beast-shifter. Its attacks were simple: it charged at him with incredible speed, swiping with its claws, or whipping its tail. Its hind claws were also sharp, so he had to be careful not to get hit by those when it spun around.

Getting scratched by those claws wouldn’t be a joke. The broken claws from earlier were long enough to make daggers. If those claws hit him, the wounds could go down to the bone—maybe even slice through it.

In the sky, Qi Yue had been watching the fight below. When he saw that Qin Jiulin and the beast-shifter were evenly matched, he was shocked. He had originally expected Qin Jiulin and Liu Zhongyuan to team up and beat the beast-shifter into submission.

But he hadn’t expected the beast-shifter to be this fast, so fast that Liu Zhongyuan could only stand by and watch, or serve as a cover for Qin Jiulin’s evasive maneuvers.

It was a close call, really close. Just now, the beast-shifter’s claw had come within two or three centimeters of Qin Jiulin’s eye. If it had hit, he would’ve lost an eye.

Even Qin Jiulin was startled by how close it had been. Fortunately, his speed was still reliable. The beast-shifter’s ambush failed, and Qin Jiulin seized the opportunity, striking its head and neck with his two front claws.

Don’t underestimate his claws. They were just as deadly. Deep gashes appeared on the beast-shifter’s head and neck, exposing bone.

More importantly, the force behind those strikes wasn’t a joke. The beast-shifter was slammed to the ground by the blow. Liu Zhongyuan noticed and instinctively slammed down with his tail. Unfortunately, the beast-shifter dodged, but its leg was crushed by the impact.

Liu Zhongyuan’s tail wasn’t a toy. If it hit, it hit hard. The beast-shifter’s leg was reduced to a pulp, making it much easier to deal with.