Chapter 26 Targeting the Black Panther

“Whoosh!”
“Bang!”
Wang Luo barely registered a dark blur before him when, in the next instant, the blood wolf beside him thudded to the ground. A cold, imposing black panther had pinned it with a razor-sharp claw, the other poised threateningly at its throat. The panther turned its head, casting a look of smug disdain at Wang Luo, who stood a little stunned.

Inwardly, Wang Luo clicked his tongue in disbelief. He had known the black panther was formidable—at the waterfall, when it had fought with him and the little white lion, it had clearly held back. He already rated the panther's strength very high, but even that was an underestimation. The blood wolf had been utterly unable to fight back in its grasp.

The little white lion saw this as well and leaped onto Wang Luo's shoulder, grumbling unhappily at the panther, its tiny paws gesticulating animatedly, as if scolding it.

"Wu wu..."

The blood wolf whimpered softly, while the panther snorted dismissively before releasing it. Wang Luo soothed the humiliated wolf, then set off directly north. The reason was simple—his lion father had once flown straight north.

Wang Luo called to the panther and the blood wolf, beckoning the little white lion to follow as they headed north. Along the way, Wang Luo absentmindedly stashed the flowers and plants the little lion kept bringing into the nameless dimension, occasionally clearing away obstructing branches by sending them there as well, replenishing its energy.

After repeated experiments, Wang Luo discovered that he did not need to project his spiritual sense into the space; a mere thought was enough to send whatever he held into it—a very convenient ability.

The black panther prowled nearby, its ebony form flickering in and out of sight, always keeping a not-too-distant, not-too-close watch. From time to time, it would peer curiously through the foliage at Wang Luo, as if puzzling over how the objects in his hands vanished one after another.

The blood wolf walked not far from Wang Luo, watching him play with the little white lion, indecision flickering in its eyes. At last, as if recalling something, its gaze hardened with resolve. It bounded ahead, growling low at Wang Luo and lowering its massive body to the ground before him.

Wang Luo, in the midst of playing with the little lion, started at the wolf’s gesture. Before he could react, the little lion leaped joyfully onto the wolf’s head, urging Wang Luo to climb up as well.

Seeing the white lion atop its head, the blood wolf growled a warning. The little lion, in the middle of encouraging Wang Luo, paused, then patted the wolf's head with a paw, muttering something. To Wang Luo’s astonishment, the blood wolf slowly nodded, allowing the little lion to stand on its head, seemingly pleased.

Not far off, the black panther, witnessing the wolf’s assent, snorted disdainfully and vanished in a flash, destination unknown.

“Are you asking me to ride on your back?”

Seeing all this, Yezi’s eyes sparkled with excitement. A little embarrassed, he scratched his head and asked.

He remembered what his lion mother had told him: magical beasts have their pride, especially intelligent ones. She had instructed him that if he ever encountered such a beast, he should try to negotiate in good faith—sometimes, kindness could avert conflict.

When the blood wolf nodded, Wang Luo let out a cheer and leaped onto its back without hesitation. His lion mother had also told him that magical beasts were straightforward and bold; once they agreed to something, there’d be no problem.

“Blood Wolf, let’s go!”

Riding astride the wolf, Wang Luo shouted with exhilaration, his heart pounding with excitement. This was a mount he had tamed himself, though admittedly with rather unorthodox methods, taking advantage of the situation.

Howl!

The blood wolf threw its head back and howled at the sky, transforming into a streak of blood-red light that shot forward, stirring up wild winds and eliciting delighted cries from the rider and the lion.

The black panther’s silhouette shimmered faintly, and, after a glance at the rapidly fleeing red streak ahead, it snorted and vanished again, only to reappear not far from the wolf’s path.

Twin moons hung quietly in the high heavens, spilling streams of silvery light, while mischievous stars winked above, watching the flickering firelight beneath the forest canopy.

The blood wolf’s eyes gleamed as it stared fixedly at the meat roasting over the orange flames, drooling profusely. It had already eaten plenty but still couldn’t get enough.

Due to the effects of the blood energy, it had gone a long while without a hearty meal. It had planned to catch a few magical beasts to satisfy its hunger, but to its surprise, its newly acknowledged master was personally roasting meat for it—something it had never tasted before, far superior to raw flesh.

Sizzle...

Gulp...

As a golden drop of fat fell into the orange flames, the blood wolf couldn’t help but swallow greedily, earning a round of teasing from the little white lion.

“Here you go!”

Wang Luo glanced at the impatient wolf and tossed it a fresh piece of roasted meat, then looked meaningfully toward the spot where the little white tiger had just pointed, a sly smile playing on his lips as he resumed grilling.

Hidden in the darkness of the trees, the black panther watched the blood wolf devouring the fragrant meat, secretly swallowing its own drool. Sensing Wang Luo’s glance, it snorted and disappeared once more.

“Heh, you little thing, I’ll get you yet. Let’s see how long you can hold out. Sooner or later, you’ll be begging for a taste of my roasted meat!”

As that nearly indiscernible figure flitted away, Wang Luo plotted quietly. He had already come up with a plan to win over the panther. Between roast meat, blood pearls, and stories—his three treasures—he was determined to succeed. His lion mother had told him explicitly that blood pearls had an irresistible allure for magical beasts.

Burp—

Hearing the blood wolf’s satisfied belch as it sprawled contentedly on the ground, Wang Luo withdrew the Heartfire and let out a breath. After roasting meat for most of the night, he had finally satiated the wolf’s enormous appetite.

Howl—

The blood wolf, deeply grateful, let out a low growl toward its weary master. Seeing Wang Luo sit cross-legged to cultivate, the little white lion did the same. The blood wolf glanced at the distant panther, then closed its eyes and began meditating as well, quietly vowing to train hard and one day defeat the haughty panther, avenging its master.

Time slipped by in silent cultivation. Day chased away the night, and as the first rays of dawn pierced the forest, the nocturnal magical beasts fell into deep slumber, while the diurnal ones had yet to awaken. The entire forest was momentarily hushed.

Howl...
Howl...

As the first sunlight streamed through the trees, Wang Luo and his two beast companions opened their eyes from meditation. The two beasts shook their fur and raised their heads in a long, triumphant howl.

Another World Azure Dragon: Chapter 26—Targeting the Black Panther.