Beast Taming Star Journey

The fireball exploded, and the Beastmaster was forced back several steps, his bone whip flying from his hand. His face was filled with shock and disbelief. I didn't give him a chance to catch his breath. Taking advantage of his unsteady footing, I frantically circulated my spiritual energy in my dantian, mobilized all my strength, and concentrated it in my right fist, slamming it hard into his chest.

"boom!"

With a muffled thud, the Beastmaster was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground and spitting out a mouthful of blood. The ferocious griffin-like beast beside him let out a mournful cry and also collapsed to the ground, convulsing, clearly severely injured.

I endured the excruciating pain, daring not to relax for a moment. Although the Beastmaster was severely injured, he had not completely lost his fighting ability. I had to finish him off as soon as possible in order to break through the encirclement.

"Damn brat! You actually..." The Beastmaster struggled to stand up, but his body was severely damaged and he was unable to move at all.

I walked towards him step by step, my eyes cold and devoid of any pity. During the fight, I had been observing his attack patterns and discovered that while his offensive was fierce, he had a fatal weakness—a brief period of vulnerability after each full-force attack. And I seized that opportunity, delivering a devastating blow.

Just as I was about to deliver the final blow, a furious roar came from the depths of the passage: "Stop!"

A tall figure appeared at the entrance of the passage, exuding a powerful aura. It was the Tantalum Guardian who had not shown himself before! He was burly, wearing black armor, and holding a giant axe. He looked like a god descending to earth, with an imposing presence.

"Boy, how dare you harm my Dark Nest's men!" the Tantalum Guardian roared, brandishing his giant axe as he charged at me.

My heart sank; I knew things were bad. The Tantalum Guardian was far stronger than the Hafnium Beastmaster; I was no match for him.

"Run!" The tungsten-haired boy suddenly rushed out from the side and blocked my way. "I'll hold him off, you take the intelligence and get out of here!"

I was moved, but I knew that even if the tungsten boy tried his best to stop him, he would not be able to withstand the attack of the tantalum guards.

"Roar!"

Just then, my tamed beast—the Crimson Flame Tiger—let out a deafening roar, its body engulfed in raging flames, and stood before me. Although it was also injured, it remained full of fighting spirit, facing the powerful Tantalum Guardian without fear.

At the same time, a large number of dark creatures emerged from both sides of the passage and surrounded us.

I took a deep breath, knowing that now was not the time to hesitate; I had to break out as soon as possible.

"Crimson Tiger, charge!" I shouted, commanding the Crimson Tiger to launch a fierce attack on the enemy.

Like a streak of red lightning, the Crimson Tiger charged into the enemy ranks, its claws slashing and flames shooting out, tearing a gap in the enemy's defenses.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, I led the tungsten boy out of the encirclement and ran wildly towards the exit.

The deafening sounds of fighting came from behind me, and I knew that the Crimson Tiger was desperately trying to buy us time.

I was anxious; Su Yao was still waiting for me… “Hang in there!” I whispered.

I gritted my teeth. Su Yao was still waiting for me. This thought surged through my body like a hot current, dispelling the fatigue and pain. I seemed oblivious to the tearing of my wounds and the deafening roar of pursuit behind me. Only one thought occupied my mind: I had to get out of here alive and return to her!

The tungsten boy followed closely behind me, his breathing rapid and heavy, clearly at his limit. We raced along the winding passages of the dark lair, the walls on either side flickering with an eerie green light, like will-o'-the-wisps, sending chills down our spines.

"They're catching up!" the tungsten boy cried out in terror.

I glanced back, and sure enough, a large horde of dark creatures surged in like a tide, led by the Tantalum Guardian wielding a giant axe. He exuded a chilling killing intent, like a grim reaper from hell, sending shivers down my spine.

"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath, my heart filled with anxiety. At this rate, they'd catch up with us sooner or later. We had to find a way to get rid of them!

My gaze swept across the surroundings, my mind racing with my previous experience in deciphering traps and mechanisms. This was the interior of the Dark Nest, riddled with traps and mechanisms; if I could utilize them, perhaps I could temporarily hold them off.

I immediately thought of a plan. I pulled the boy along and turned into a narrow side alley. This side alley led to a storage room filled with all sorts of odds and ends.

"Help me move these things over here!" I said to the tungsten boy, pointing to some heavy wooden crates and stones.

Although the tungsten boy didn't understand my intentions, he did as I said without hesitation. Together, we moved these heavy objects to the entrance of the passage, and then I used the ropes I had previously taken from the beast tamer to connect them together, making a simple trigger mechanism.

"Hurry up!" I grabbed the boy's hand and continued running forward.

Before long, the Tantalum Guard and his pursuers caught up with me. Caught completely off guard, they walked right into the trap I had set.

"boom!"

With a deafening roar, a heavy object fell from the sky, completely blocking the entrance to the passage. The Tantalum Guardians and other dark creatures were trapped inside, roaring in fury.

A surge of joy filled me, knowing we were temporarily safe. But I knew this was only a temporary measure; the Tantalum Guardians would soon find another route to catch up. We had to get out of here as soon as possible!

We continued running forward, and finally, we saw a faint glimmer of light ahead.

"Exit!" the tungsten boy shouted excitedly.

I was overjoyed and quickened my pace.

Just as we were about to reach the exit, a chilling voice suddenly came from behind us: "Trying to escape? Not so easy!"

I whirled around and saw that the Tantalum Guardian had already broken through the trap and was walking towards us step by step, wielding a giant axe... A ferocious smile was on his face, as if he could already see us being torn to pieces...

The Tantalum Guardian grinned maliciously, its giant axe dragging across the ground, sparks flying and a piercing screeching sound. I took a deep breath, enduring the excruciating pain, and shielded the Tungsten Boy behind me. The exit was right in front of me, the light was right in front of me, I absolutely could not fall here!

I quickly scanned my surroundings. The storage room was cluttered with various odds and ends, and my gaze fell on a pile of dusty earthenware jars in the corner. An idea flashed through my mind, and I grabbed a few jars and smashed them forcefully at the Tantalum Guardian.

The earthenware jar arced through the air before slamming into the tantalum guardian with a sharp cracking sound. What splattered from the jar wasn't liquid, but a grayish-white powder that instantly spread, forming a choking cloud of smoke.

Caught off guard, the Tantalum Guardian coughed repeatedly, choking on the smoke, and brandished his giant axe, trying to disperse it. I seized the opportunity to pull the Tungsten Boy up and sprinted towards the exit.

"Cough cough... Damn it!" came the angry roar of the Tantalum Guardian from behind. I knew this was just a delaying tactic; the powder was just ordinary lime and couldn't really stop him.

The exit was so close, yet time seemed to stretch on endlessly. Just as I was about to burst through the exit, a powerful force struck from behind. I instinctively dodged to the side, and the giant axe whistled past my shoulder, bringing a sharp pain.

I stumbled a few steps and almost fell. The boy cried out in alarm and tried to help me, but I pushed him away: "Go! Don't worry about me!"

The tungsten boy hesitated for a moment, but ultimately gritted his teeth and rushed out of the exit. I knew I had to buy him time. I turned around to face the tantalum guards who were gradually emerging from the smoke.

His eyes burned with a fierce rage, as if he wanted to devour me alive. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down. I couldn't panic; I had to find a glimmer of hope.

I looked around, my gaze landing on a pile of wooden barrels in the corner of the storage room. What was in those barrels? I wasn't sure, but I couldn't worry about that now.

I rushed towards the barrels and yanked open the lid of one. A pungent odor assaulted my nostrils, and I immediately felt dizzy. It was kerosene!

Overjoyed, I immediately grabbed another wooden bucket and poured the kerosene onto the floor of the passageway. Then, I took out a tinderbox and lit the kerosene.

A raging fire instantly erupted, forming a wall of flames that separated me from the Tantalum Guardian. The Tantalum Guardian was startled by the sudden burst of fire and took a few steps back.

I seized the opportunity, turned around, and rushed out of the exit.

The sunlight outside was so bright that I couldn't open my eyes. I took a deep breath of fresh air and felt as if I had just escaped death.

The boy was anxiously waiting for me, and when he saw me come out, a look of relief appeared on his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked with concern.

I shook my head and pointed to the exit of the dark lair, saying, "Hurry! They'll catch up soon!"

We raced along the mountain road, deafening explosions and furious roars echoing behind us. I knew the Tantalum Guardians wouldn't let this go.

Run! Run for your life!

I had only one thought in my mind: I had to go back alive and return to her side!

"...Su Yao..."