56: Chapter 56 Do you still need a sugar daddy?

"Screech—Boom!!!"

A sharp whistle that seemed to tear through the night sky suddenly came from deep within the dense forest to the northeast, shattering the brief moment of calm in the area.

Immediately after, a point of blindingly bright red light, like a meteor traveling in reverse, shot rapidly into the night sky—a sky fragmented by the forest canopy—and exploded with a roar upon reaching its zenith!

Even through the heavy layers of branches and leaves, the blazing crimson orb of light was clearly visible, momentarily illuminating half of the dark firmament. The glow persisted for several seconds before slowly dissipating.

"A flare!"

"Someone's calling for help!"

Several low exclamations immediately broke out within the team.

Director Li Haotian's expression changed slightly. His gaze shot like lightning toward the direction where the flare had risen, his mind racing.

According to their reconnaissance along the way, the Yuanshan Club's advance route highly overlapped with the direction the flare came from!

It was highly likely that the flare had been launched by the Yuanshan Club.

"Little Zhang!"

Director Li Haotian turned his head sharply and issued a quick command, "You're the fastest. Go ahead and check the situation; we'll be right behind you."

"Understood!"

Zhang Zhi's spirits lifted. He raised his arm and gave a sudden wave.

"Ga—!!!"

The next moment, a sharp, highly piercing cry echoed from the thick canopy above their heads.

The leaves shook violently as a massive shadow, like a blade slicing through the night, burst through the constraints of the branches and dove down. It brought with it a powerful gust of wind that made everyone's clothes flutter loudly below.

This was a bizarre-looking bird of prey.

Its wingspan was nearly four meters, and it was covered entirely in special feathers that shimmered with a dull metallic luster and had edges as sharp as blades. Under the night light, they flowed with a cold, bluish-gray sheen.

Its head resembled that of a falcon, but the area around its beak and eye sockets was covered in glowing bright-blue patterns reminiscent of circuit board traces. Its eyes were an intense azure.

The tips of its wings and its tail were not ordinary feather structures but layers of alloy blades forged with the highest precision. Their edges glinted with a cold light, and they emitted an aerial hum similar to an engine running during flight.

Lin Chen looked up slightly, his eyes flickering.

This was Zhang Zhi's initial pet, the Ironwing Dragon-Lizard.

[Species Name: Ironwing Dragon-Lizard]

[Attributes: Mechanical, Wind]

[Species Grade: Mid-tier Elite]

This was a Mechanical-type pet that had been artificially modified and implanted with partial mechanical structures. It was extremely fast and had a high load capacity. Zhang Zhi had nurtured it for many years, and it had already reached Tier 3 strength.

The Ironwing Dragon-Lizard performed an agile circle and came to a steady hover in the low air about two meters off the ground, its powerful airflow blowing the grass and trees below.

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhang Zhi took two quick steps, leaped into the air, and accurately grabbed the handles of the specially made saddle on the Ironwing Dragon-Lizard's back. He flipped himself up in a smooth and practiced motion.

"Ga—!"

The Ironwing Dragon-Lizard let out a high-pitched cry and flapped its wings violently. The dull metallic luster instantly brightened as if energy were coursing through them.

Its massive body accelerated suddenly like an arrow from a bow, streaking almost straight through the air above the forest toward the northeast. It soon became a blurry black dot in the night.

"Awoo! Awoo!"

The Qinglan Hunting Dog that Zhang Zhi had left behind suddenly raised its head and barked continuously, guiding the group to follow Zhang Zhi as he rushed toward the scene on his Ironwing Dragon-Lizard.

"Keep up! Stay alert."

Director Li Haotian wasted no more time. With a wave of his hand, the entire rescue team immediately began running at high speed, with the Qinglan Hunting Dog leading the way.

As the team began to move, Director Li Haotian deliberately slowed down half a step to come alongside Lin Chen.

He looked at Lin Chen's profile, then glanced at the Flame Claw Beast beside him. Despite having gone through successive battles and being quite exhausted, the pet's eyes remained bright. Li Haotian's lips moved, his expression exceptionally complex.

Lin Chen turned to look at Director Li Haotian, who seemed to be hesitating to speak, and took the initiative to ask: "Uncle Li, what's wrong?"

Director Li Haotian met Lin Chen's inquiring gaze, paused for a moment as if making a firm decision, and said:

"Little Chen, after we get back, I really need to find a chance to have a good talk with your dad..."

Lin Chen: "?"

Director Li Haotian licked his somewhat dry lips, his gaze shifting slightly before he finally voiced the absurd yet sincere thought in his mind:

"Are you still looking for a godfather?"

Lin Chen: "...?"

I see you as an uncle, and you actually want to be my godfather?

The rescue team's progress was not easy.

The dense forest, which was thick to the point of being overbearing, was the biggest obstacle. Combined with the uneven terrain and the severely restricted visibility in the dark night, the group's advance speed was significantly impacted.

Even more troublesome was that this area had clearly fallen into complete chaos for some unknown reason.

Along the way, the group frequently encountered wild pets fleeing in panic, as well as Dark Species with blood-red eyes in a bizarre state.

Although they weren't particularly strong, they delayed the team's advance.

When the team finally fought their way through an exceptionally dense patch of woods, their field of vision suddenly opened up.

A relatively open valley came into view.

The valley was shaped like an irregular bowl, with a relatively flat bottom and slopes that rose gradually on all sides, where relatively sparse tall trees grew.

The strong smell of blood, mixed with various chaotic auras, hit the group like a tangible giant wave as they burst out of the forest.

Deafening roars, snarls, the explosive sounds of skill collisions, and the angry shouts of humans were all interwoven, echoing violently in the valley and battering everyone's eardrums.

As far as the eye could see, it was total chaos.

Dozens of pets were engaged in a fierce battle in the valley floor. Even though the scene was chaotic, it was easy to distinguish that one side consisted of the Dark Species they had just encountered, while the other side was comprised of ordinary pets.

The fighting near the valley entrance was the most intense.

Wei Shan was fighting side-by-side with two Intermediate Beastmasters from the club.

Their faces were pale, sweat mixed with blood and mud rolled down from their foreheads, and their eyes were bloodshot.

The condition of the three men's pets had rapidly declined during the continuous fierce battles; some were even lying on the ground, and it was impossible to tell if they were dead or just unconscious.

Above the valley, a massive bluish-gray figure dove down with a piercing metallic cry. Its sharp alloy wing-blades repeatedly slashed at the Dark Species rushing toward Wei Shan and the others, relieving some of the pressure.

Zhang Zhi, who had arrived in the area ahead of time, had a solemn expression and was breathing heavily.

If he hadn't arrived early, the people from the Yuanshan Club would likely have fallen into a desperate situation.

Lin Chen's gaze quickly swept over the brutal front-line battlefield and extended toward the interior of the valley, where he soon saw about a dozen young people being protected in the rear.

Zhou Ming was leaning against a huge rock, his face pale from exhaustion and tension as he commanded his Flame Eagle, which was covered in streaks of blood.

Most of the others were in a sorry state, their pets injured. They were huddled in a circle, their faces filled with fear and fatigue, yet they were all gritting their teeth and holding on, assisting in the defense.

Lin Chen's gaze finally settled on Su Qingyuan.

She wasn't cowering in the rear like the others, nor was she blindly letting her pet charge forward to trade blows.

Su Qingyuan stood in a forward position, her posture upright. Even though her sportswear was stained with dirt and even had a few tears, she did not look disheveled.

Her high ponytail was somewhat loose, with a few strands of hair falling beside her cheeks, making her face appear exceptionally calm under the flickering lights of the battlefield.

She was using the most concise commands to direct the group in handling the fierce onslaught from the Dark Species.

The Green Feather Wind Bird wasn't by her side; instead, it was like a green phantom, weaving, turning, and striking at a dizzying speed to relieve the pressure on the other pets. Every strike was precise and lethal.

Under Su Qingyuan's calm direction, this group of young people, who were relatively lacking in combat experience, had actually managed to maintain a small defensive circle that had yet to be breached in such a chaotic and brutal battlefield, relying on their Tier 1 pets.

Even Director Li Haotian couldn't help but be surprised when he saw this scene.

This young person not only had extraordinary personal strength, but her ability to remain calm in the face of danger and her precise, efficient command and coordination skills made her seem less like a student who had just graduated high school and more like a professional Beast Tamer who had experienced countless life-and-death situations and large-scale melees.

The thought flashed through his mind, and then Director Li Haotian frowned and shouted: "Quick! Help them!"

Under Director Li Haotian's command, the rescue team immediately split into several groups and charged toward the valley floor.

The next moment, Director Li Haotian turned sideways and looked at Lin Chen, whose eyes were burning with anticipation, and asked hesitantly: "A-Chen, you..."

Lin Chen smiled and said, "Uncle Li, I'll follow your arrangements."

Director Li Haotian pondered for a moment and said, "Then you're free to act as you see fit. Just be safe and don't get involved in battles with Tier 3 pets."

"Got it, Uncle Li." Lin Chen grinned.

Immediately, he turned to look at the Flame Claw Beast and gave a wave of his arm: "Let's go, get in there!"

"Gagu!"

The Flame Claw Beast threw its head back and roared, its sharp claws glowing with a brilliant light.

The human and pet duo couldn't wait to join the fray.

Director Li Haotian watched their retreating backs, and infinite doubt welled up in his heart.

Why is Little Chen so excited about these bizarre pets that everyone else is trying to avoid?