Gray clouds, playfully spreading their wings as they cut through.
"Wake up, Dilu."
Li Fan called out while rubbing Dilu's face.
"Ugh... You're not gonna die, meow... Ugh! Li Fan!"
Dilu, gradually waking up, jumped up immediately upon seeing the person holding her face.
"You weren't poked by the Valstrax, meow?"
Dilu lightly touched the Fiery Spider's chestplate with her cat paws, discovering that apart from scorch marks, there were no puncture wounds.
"I told you long ago that wasn't a Valstrax, it was Huihui."
As Li Fan spoke, he took out a Master Ball and showed it.
"You really captured it, meow?"
"Yes, I find it a bit unbelievable myself."
After Li Fan exclaimed, he removed the rudimentary Zinogre bracer from his left arm.
The Zinogre's aerial maneuver and the Fiery Spider's skillful use of silk threads.
This combination of assimilated abilities was key to leaping onto Huihui's back in an extremely short time.
"You still have the handheld device, right?"
"Yes, meow."
Dilu said, reaching into her backpack with her cat paws and quickly handing over the device.
Li Fan took it and began to examine the Valstrax's information.
[Valstrax] Female (Un-named)
Health: 11891/24099
Status: Head carapace damaged, left gun wing extensively destroyed, right gun wing outer jet bone damaged, chest intake grille completely destroyed, crimson dragon energy orb crystal wall destroyed, crimson dragon energy orb shattered, confused, bewildered, doubtful, a sense of unknown summons from afar, confidence shaken, survival pressure, blue hope.
Level: 202
Strength: 701
Agility: 1667
Intelligence: 669
Skills: [Elder Dragon] This monster has an extremely long lifespan.
[Unique] This monster has never seen its own kind.
[Extremeization - 10941] This monster was infected with the Dragonblight virus 10941 times without dying.
The virus significantly increased carapace strength.
[Picky Eater] This monster only likes to eat the internal organs of aquatic beasts.
[Memories Sealed] Due to its extreme age, many of this monster's memories have faded.
[Master Ball Capture] An extremely rare capture method.
[Dragon Energy Generation] Inhales air into the chest cavity, compresses it, and fuses it with the dragon element energy released by the crimson dragon energy orb to produce dragon energy.
[Dragon Energy Jet] Transports compressed dragon energy to the wing bone tips for ignition and propulsion, generating powerful thrust.
[Valstrax Eye] During high-speed flight, it can use its extremely long-range vision to lock onto enemies, with strong透视 (see-through) effects on water surfaces.
When the target is too close, it produces blurred afterimages.
[Aerodynamic Form] Valstrax always maintains optimal posture during high-speed flight.
[Gun Wing Transformation] Valstrax's bilateral gun wings can rotate forwards and backward.
[Gun Wing Spin - Youth Edition] Valstrax fully retracts one gun wing and leaps, spinning it.
This move is rarely used, so it's not very proficient.
[Dragon Energy Infusion] Through [Dragon Energy Jet], the thrust of a single gun wing is instantly maximized, striking with the wingtip. Under immense impact, a large amount of dragon energy is transmitted outwards in a团状 (ball-like) form.
Unstable ball-like dragon energy will generate red flames and explode after a short delay.
[Crimson Wing Annihilation] Valstrax retracts both gun wings, reverses them to aim at the target, and continuously bombards the target with concentrated crimson flames from full-power jets, possessing terrifying power.
After release, the wingtips will enter a softened state due to high heat.
[Calamity Descends] Valstrax briefly gathers power and ascends from the ground at full speed.
Upon reaching sufficient altitude, it enters an extreme sprint state with circling flight, simultaneously locking onto the attack target with [Valstrax Eye].
In the extreme sprint state, Valstrax's carapace generates high heat, causing the edges of the carapace to soften.
When the softening spreads to a certain extent, the internal dragon energy will overflow, forming red flames on its surface for protection.
Valstrax will transform into a crimson ominous star and dive from high altitude towards the locked target, causing a large-scale bombardment explosion.
After release, multiple parts will enter a softened state due to high heat.
Description: Elder Dragon species monster.
Once believed to be extinct, Elder Dragons frequently traverse the high skies when they appear.
Due to the red flame trails left by their jets, they are often mistaken for red meteors and considered ill omens.
These injuries are too severe and comprehensive, damn it! Who was so excessive!
Ugh... I think I did that.
Is this the attribute of a Seven-Star monster? So strong!
Huihui was also infected with the Dragonblight? That altitude is impossible, right?
But considering Huihui's age, it's not strange to be infected.
It was probably caused by eating unhygienic aquatic beasts.
After reading the description, Li Fan thought about transferring Huihui into an appropriate ball.
But looking at the dark clouds around, he thought if he didn't handle it well and Huihui fell, all his previous efforts would be in vain.
He still needed to find a spacious, unpopulated place, preferably near the sea.
"Achoo, meow!"
Just as Li Fan was contemplating, Dilu couldn't help but sneeze, shaking her damp fur.
"It's too humid in these clouds, but to avoid being spotted, I'll have to make do for now... Should I use my Zinogre Greatsword to dry you? ...Where's my sword."
Li Fan's right hand naturally reached for his back, but he felt nothing.
"Alas, the sword sheath's straps were burned to ashes. The Zinogre Greatsword must have been lost then. And the poor Wirebugs, I wonder if they can survive."
Li Fan felt that capturing Huihui this time had completely exhausted all his strength.
At the ground combat base camp, inside the largest tent.
Ever since the news of the Valstrax falling into the clouds and disappearing spread, Eudora, who had been anxious, seemed like a different person, happily eating and drinking.
With no trace found in the sky or on the ground, Vega and Zuda had to come to the tower members to understand the situation.
The explanation they heard only made them more confused.
But soon, Vega's eyes suddenly lit up.
"When you left the tower, the Valstrax hadn't lost its ability to fly. Li Fan chose to stay and continue fighting. After the Sky Tower was destroyed, the Valstrax fell. This means Li Fan accomplished the same feat as the first generation of Master Hunters!"
"Uh..."
"What are you 'uh'-ing about, Zuda? Am I wrong? It wasn't the Guild of Lore that observed the Valstrax falling, it was the Sky Clear of Yun Village. Or do you think Li Fan, who inherited the will of the Guild of Lore's pioneers, is incapable of heavily damaging the Valstrax?"
Vega questioned.
"My throat is just itchy."
Zuda lowered his head helplessly.
"I'm not injured, I can assist in searching for Li Fan."
Eudora said, getting up from her seat while holding a bone-in roast.
"Do you want me to dispatch a ground team to go with you?"
Vega suggested, as the natural ecosystem of the Yugumo Range was too dangerous.
"No need, Dean. The Hinomoto is within the camp."
Eudora declined.
"Eudora, I'd like to go with you as well."
Kohaku suddenly stood up.
"This..."
Eudora hesitated.
"I'm also very worried about Li Fan."
Kohaku gave his reason.
"Alright."
Eudora replied after some thought.
The Hinomoto could only be stationed at the ground combat base camp for safety reasons.
Therefore, Li Fan had already settled the monsters that were not suitable for public appearance.
Eudora speculated that Kohaku's desire to join the search might be at Zuda's behest, representing the Guild for an investigation.
After all, the Valstrax had vanished into thin air, and all parties urgently needed an explanation.
Even if Kohaku didn't join the investigation, the Guild would assign other departments.
If the Guild intervened covertly, things would only become more troublesome.
And as a Seven-Star Hunter of the Guild, the investigation results obtained by Kohaku would be highly authoritative.
Therefore, dealing with him alone would be enough to finalize the team's conclusion for the Guild.
The two left the tent and boarded the Hinomoto.
Ferry was already impatient to set off in search of Li Fan.
After a brief preheating of the jet engines, they flew away from the camp at full speed, leaving behind a yellow ribbon.
A man holding a basin of ingredients on a leaf, upon seeing the man on the deck wearing a full set of Arzuros armor, trembled with fear.
But glancing at the hunter cat next to him, also clad in Arzuros gear, his face lit up with admiration.
"Is the jet engine not burning completely? The smell is so strong..."
Kohaku waved his hand in front of his mask to disperse the smell, and happened to catch sight of the leaf.
"Little Felyne, what is this passage for?"
Kohaku asked.
"It's... it's... a toilet, meow!"
Leaf replied.
"This is a toilet?"
Kohaku curiously leaned closer, and upon smelling the strong odor, confirmed it was indeed a toilet.
"Toilets on deck, so unrestrained..."
In the mountain valleys of the Yugumo Range, severely eroded by strong winds, Li Fan found a peak that pierced the clouds and landed. Riding the Great Boar, Seiga, he began to gallop wildly on the mountain road.
Thump! Thump! ...
The four hooves pounded the ground rhythmically, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Amidst the jolting, Dilu stood on Li Fan's shoulder, holding a monocular and constantly scanning the sky.
"It's the Hinomoto, meow! Seiga! This way, this way!"
Dilu shouted, giving directions.
With his entire item pouch burned to ashes, Li Fan used the Flash Bomb carried by Dilu and threw it towards the sky.
Eudora, looking down, saw a flash of golden light on the ground and quickly directed Ferry to approach.
With mutual pursuit, the team finally rendezvoused on a rocky platform.
Grabbing the descending rope, Li Fan, carrying Dilu on his back, was pulled onto the deck by Kohaku.
"Take me to the ground combat area, I can still fight."
Li Fan said with a resolute tone.
"Li Fan..."
As Kohaku called out his name, Li Fan interrupted and asked, "Hmm? Is the ground combat situation not optimistic?"
"That's not it, the Valstrax disappeared."
"Impossible, absolutely impossible. A twenty-meter-long Elder Dragon disappeared during its fall? Did you search thoroughly?"
"Uh..."
Kohaku was momentarily speechless.
However, judging by his reaction, Li Fan seemed fine.
When the Sky Tower was destroyed and collapsed, if one was the last to evacuate, their attention would generally be focused on how to land safely.
It was normal for him to show surprise upon learning of the Valstrax's disappearance.
"Although wounds are a hunter's medals, the surface of your armor is melted and deformed. You should take it off first and get checked for burns."
Kohaku reminded him.
"That makes sense."
"I have burn ointment."
Eudora said, opening the cabin door. The two and the cat went down the stairs into the ship's cabin.
Kohaku hesitated for a moment, then followed.
Seeing the two enter different cabins on either side of the ship, Kohaku sighed with relief.
"Dilu, catch!"
Eudora poked her head out of the cabin and threw a blue bottle.
At this moment, the Hinomoto's hull suddenly lurched violently, and Kohaku quickly grabbed the handrail on the wall to maintain his balance.
A voice sounded from the intercom, connected by metal pipes at the top of the cabin corridor.
"Wyvern attacks the deck, meow! Requesting support!"
Ferry's cry for help came through.
"Damn it! Again!"
Eudora, having regained her balance, quickly ran out of the cabin.
In the past, with Little Fool and Naughty guarding the Hinomoto, and Great Ape overseeing the deck, not even a Five-Star monster would dare to approach.
Now, it was completely different. Just during this journey, Eudora and Kohaku had already encountered four waves of attacks.
"Follow the corridor, and you'll reach the cabin living room. You can rest there. I'll be back immediately after dealing with the Wyvern."
Eudora, gripping her sword hilt with one hand in a ready-to-draw stance, ran up the stairs.
Before Kohaku could respond, she had already rushed onto the deck.
Reaching the open cabin door, Li Fan, who was opposite, had already removed his armor to check for burns, so the cabin door was now closed.
Kohaku hesitated for a moment, then slowly walked into Eudora's cabin.
The interior was simply furnished: a bed covered with a brown beast hide, a long rectangular table, and a large red storage chest.
Because the airship always experienced turbulence when flying, furniture and items were arranged in a very compact manner.
Kohaku lowered his head slightly, avoiding the Wirebug cage hanging above his head, and approached the rectangular table.
His gaze finally settled on a yellowed scroll framed in a photo frame.
"Kushala Daora..."
Kohaku sighed, his hand unconsciously reaching out to touch it.
A moment later, his gaze shifted to the simple sketches hanging side-by-side on the wall.
In the sketch, a dragon's wings were spread, its entire body enveloped by strong winds. Two small characters were marked in the lower right corner.
Kirin.
A moment later, Kohaku's shoulders trembled slightly.
"Eudora, is this burn ointment for external or internal use... Huh? Haven't you finished dealing with the Wyvern yet?"
Li Fan came to the cabin door and was quite surprised to see Kohaku inside.
Kohaku, who had turned around defensively, stood frozen for a moment and asked a strange question.
"Li Fan, when you move around in the cabin, do you only wear shorts?"
"No, when I visit colder regions, I also wear a pair of cotton socks."
"Alright..."
Kohaku sighed helplessly.
"Actually, there's something I've always wanted to ask you?"
Li Fan tentatively asked.
"Please, speak."
"Who exactly are you?"
"Kohaku, a Seven-Star Hunter of the Guild."
"No, in the Guild's top-secret archive, the record of the special individual of the Zinogre, the Ember Twin, clearly states that a hunter known as the 'Lone Ghost' named Kohaku suffered a severe leg injury after a failed hunt and disappeared."
"That's an issue with the record compilation. I am Kohaku."
"Still not right. The real Lone Ghost is named Yin Tie. You're just impersonating him, but neither the Guild of Lore nor the Guild has exposed you. I believe it's not out of malice that you're taking his place. Perhaps... you even have Yin Tie's permission. So, if I go to Yin Tie to verify..."
"Alright, you win."
Kohaku waved his hand in defeat.
"Then who are you?"
Kohaku turned to look at the Seven-Star Contract scroll on the wall and replied, "The participant of this contract, Yudojie."
"Ah! You're Eudora's dad!"
Li Fan was shocked. He had heard Eudora mention this name many times.
"Can you keep your voice down?"
"Uncle, you're not dead."
Kohaku didn't rush to respond. Hearing the continued sounds of shouting and slashing on the deck, he said, "I'm not dead, but it's better not to let Eudora know for now."
"Why?"
"I don't want anyone to know I'm still alive."
"There must be a reason."
Li Fan couldn't understand.
Kohaku looked back at the yellowed contract again and sighed, "Because out of the sixteen people who went to investigate Kushala Daora, only I survived. I couldn't face the deceased or their families, so I hid in the village of Honoka, training as a lone hunter, hoping to avenge them one day. During a hunt, I met Yin Tie, and we became close friends."
"So after Mentor Yin Tie was severely injured, you took his place?"
"Yes."
"Then Eudora went to Kara Village to inherit the forest..."
"I originally thought it would be safer there, but who knew you would appear. Not only did you form a team with Eudora, but you also became such an excellent hunter."
Kohaku's tone was both relieved and tinged with a hint of worry.
"I'll keep your secret, but I still want to say that Eudora has put in a lot of effort to find traces of you."
Only one person returned alive from the team of sixteen.
To outsiders, it might seem lucky, but the inner torment was something only the person involved could truly understand.
Li Fan couldn't blame him, but he still wanted to speak up for Eudora.
"I understand. If there's a suitable opportunity, I'll tell her the truth, but now is not the time... Thank you for taking care of her so well."
At this moment, there was a sound from the stairs.
"I've skinned the Wyvern and hung its hide on the mast. This time... why are you two in my room?"
Eudora asked, confused, as she wiped the purple juice from her hands.
"I was showing Kohaku around."
"The bedding isn't made yet, no looking!"
Eudora quickly walked into the room and ushered them out.
Turning back, she saw a touch mark on the surface of the framed contract photo.
She picked up a piece of beast hide and gently wiped it clean.