Chapter Twenty-Seven: One After Another

A powerful leopard's roar suddenly rang out from nearby, so forceful that it drowned out the cries of both the lion and the wolf. The human and the two beasts all turned their gaze toward the source of the sound. There, perched among the branches of a distant tree, a black panther howled toward the sky. As if sensing their eyes upon it, the black panther ceased its growling and cast a contemptuous glance in their direction. It let out a provocative low roar, then vanished in the blink of an eye.

"Come on, let’s keep moving. Blood Wolf, you know the way to the human world—take the lead. I won’t ride on your back anymore; I’ll run myself to get some exercise." With a helpless glance at the spot where the black panther had disappeared, Wang Luo held back Blood Wolf, who seemed eager to give chase. Stretching lazily, he spoke, then scooped up the little white lion and strode ahead.

Blood Wolf cast a lingering, unwilling gaze toward the vanished panther, growled softly in frustration, and quickly caught up to Wang Luo to guide the way. Though he had never visited the human world, he knew it lay on the forest’s outermost edge.

Suddenly, a piercing, bloodcurdling scream echoed through the woods. Wang Luo, leaping among the trees, paused in surprise—then, his face brightened with delight as he hurried in the direction of the cry.

In an unnamed part of the forest, a black panther swiped a burly man’s head into pieces with a single strike of its paw. It then licked the red and white mixture of blood and brain matter from its claws, its eyes fixed challengingly in a particular direction, where a small figure was rapidly approaching.

Wang Luo glanced at the human whose head had been smashed to a pulp, then at the black panther, who was licking its paw with a look of smug provocation. Smiling enigmatically, Wang Luo turned and vaulted onto Blood Wolf’s back, holding back the little white lion who wanted to take a closer look, and signaled for Blood Wolf to continue on.

Once Wang Luo and Blood Wolf had disappeared into the sea of trees, the black panther paused, its expression puzzled. With a look of distaste, it wiped its claws on the dead man, then let out a questioning growl before vanishing from sight.

The freshly killed human held little interest for Wang Luo. Killing was nothing new to him; he’d seen every way one could die, and a smashed skull was among the most common. Still, this incident served as a reminder.

"Blood Wolf, Lion Mother said the human world is dangerous too, full of formidable people. It's nearly time for lunch—do you know where we can find some magical beasts? This time, I’ll do the hunting myself. I need to practice my killing skills; it’s been so long I’ve almost forgotten how!” Glancing up at the sun, now blazing overhead in the southern sky, Wang Luo thought of Lion Mother’s warnings and addressed Blood Wolf beneath him.

Blood Wolf obediently let out a low growl, reined in his own aura, and began sniffing for signs of magical beasts. The little white lion, perched atop Blood Wolf’s head, mimicked his actions, twitching its tiny nose.

Before long, the little white lion’s eyes lit up as it caught a scent. It let out excited whimpers, patting Blood Wolf’s head with one fluffy paw while pointing in a direction with the other, urging him to follow.

"Little White, the magical beast you’ve found is far beyond what we can handle!” Wang Luo, riding on Blood Wolf’s back, sensed the familiar aura and glimpsed a black silhouette nearby. He teased the indignant little white lion.

The little white lion, annoyed by Wang Luo’s words, let out a series of disgruntled cries. After gesturing at him, it leapt from Blood Wolf’s head and dashed toward the dark shape.

Seeing the yellow, root-like, human-shaped object clutched in the black panther’s paw, the little white lion roared angrily at it. When the panther responded with a scornful look, the little lion abandoned all thought of peace and leapt at it with a furious roar.

The black panther easily batted the charging little lion away time and again, but its gaze eventually landed on Wang Luo, who was now studying the magical herb the panther had cast aside, paying no attention to the ongoing scuffle.

Taking a bite of the ginseng in his hand, Wang Luo savored its flavor. He hadn’t expected to stumble upon ginseng, and one that was nearly humanoid at that—it must have been growing for centuries.

"Little White, you were after this ginseng, weren’t you? It tastes amazing—fragrant, sweet, and packed with energy. Want to try some? If you’re too slow, Blood Wolf and I will finish it!" He tossed a piece to the eager Blood Wolf, then took another big bite himself, calling out indistinctly to the little lion, who was still fuming and tussling with the black panther.

After glancing at the half-eaten ginseng in Wang Luo’s hand and then at the nearby panther, the little white lion hesitated, but ultimately chose the ginseng. Still, before leaving, it snarled at the black panther, as if to say, “Wait there—once I finish this, I’ll come back and fight you again.”

Watching Wang Luo and the little lion squabble over the ginseng, with Blood Wolf soon joining the fray, the black panther paused in surprise. With an indifferent snort, it turned and melted away into the endless forest.

Snatching the last piece of ginseng that the little white lion was about to eat, Wang Luo stuffed it into his own mouth, shot a glance toward the panther’s vanished form, and smiled mysteriously. Ignoring the little lion’s protests, he dashed off into the forest, the angry cub chasing after him with indignant cries, while Blood Wolf, thoroughly pleased, followed close behind.

The black panther’s silhouette gradually reappeared at the spot it had left, watching the human and two beasts as they disappeared, an enigmatic expression in its eyes—confusion, puzzlement, and a faint, barely perceptible longing. Shaking its head to dispel these strange new thoughts, the panther leapt away, reappearing atop a tree dozens of meters away, in the direction Wang Luo and his companions had gone.

A few light jumps later, the black panther slipped into the depths of the forest. Not long after it vanished, the shadows beneath a patch of trees untouched by sunlight began to stir, and a man shrouded in black mist emerged.

“Heh heh, I didn't expect to run into a seventh-level Dark Magic Panther…” The black mist writhed around the man as a hoarse, sinister voice echoed forth. Then his form gradually faded, melting back into the darkness and pursuing the path where the panther had disappeared.

“Hmph, such a troublesome creature. Still, this is going to be interesting. I really can’t fathom what that kid Wang Luo is up to, tolerating that panther for so long!” After the black-clad man had vanished, a boy of about ** years old appeared in mid-air. He shook his fist in the direction the man had gone, voicing his confusion aloud.

But soon, the boy gave up trying to puzzle out the matter. Taking a bite of the red fruit that had suddenly appeared in his hand, he too vanished from sight.

Otherworldly Azure Dragon, Chapter 27: Completed.