Although the Firefang Dog was clearly unhappy, it still obediently walked over.
Qiao Sang crouched down and patted the Firefang Dog's head.
The Firefang Dog comfortably narrowed its eyes, completely losing the prickly, on-edge look it had just moments ago.
That was way too easy to appease, Qiao Sang couldn't help but sigh.
"Firefang Dog, go together with Fat Family Dove," Qiao Sang said.
"Ya!"
The Firefang Dog barked happily, then turned around, its eyes instantly filled with fighting spirit.
If anyone ever said again that fire-type pet beasts had bad tempers, Qiao Sang would be the first to disagree!
"Use Headbutt!" Qiao Sang issued the command directly.
She didn't bother checking whether the girl on the other side was ready. In a fight, did you really have to announce I'm about to attack you beforehand?
This was her first time coordinating with the Firefang Dog, and she didn't want to lose.
The Firefang Dog put strength into all four limbs and charged forward in an instant.
Xu Linglan's gaze had been fixed on the one person and two beasts. Suppressing the urge to curse out loud, she reacted quickly.
"Desert-Tail Fox, bind it with your tail!" she commanded.
The Firefang Dog's Headbutt had succeeded earlier only because Xu Linglan's attention had been on Fat Family Dove. Now that she was fully aware of the Firefang Dog, she was naturally prepared.
The Firefang Dog had been born less than a month ago—its speed looked ridiculously slow in the eyes of the Desert-Tail Fox.
The Desert-Tail Fox leisurely extended its two-meter-long tail, waiting for the Firefang Dog to approach.
"Fat Family Dove, carry the Firefang Dog and fly up," Qiao Sang immediately followed with another command.
Fat Family Dove's flight speed was slow only compared to other flying-type pet beasts. Compared to a young Firefang Dog, it was far faster.
Even while the Firefang Dog was mid-charge, Fat Family Dove quickly caught up, grabbed it, and flew into the air.
Xu Linglan froze, not understanding what Qiao Sang was trying to do.
"Ya?" The Firefang Dog didn't understand either.
This was its first time working with Qiao Sang, and also its first time cooperating with Fat Family Dove—it clearly hadn't processed the situation yet.
"Fat Family Dove, throw the Firefang Dog onto it like this," Qiao Sang said calmly.
Fat Family Dove hesitated with the Firefang Dog in its grasp.
After all, it wasn't Qiao Sang's contracted pet beast, so it didn't immediately carry out the order.
Qiao Sang sighed inwardly and was about to issue another command when Fat Family Dove finally executed her instruction.
Unfortunately, it was no longer a good timing.
Three seconds had already passed since Qiao Sang gave the order—plenty of time for the opponent to respond.
The Firefang Dog flew straight toward the Desert-Tail Fox.
Qiao Sang's heart jumped. She was just about to shout for the Firefang Dog to dodge—
But there was no reaction from the other side.
Xu Linglan hadn't commanded the Desert-Tail Fox to do anything.
Qiao Sang didn't understand, but that didn't stop her from issuing orders.
"Bite its neck with Fire Fang!"
One of the main reasons White Sand Fox had never been one of Qiao Sang's choices was its low defense.
Even after evolving into a Desert-Tail Fox, that weakness remained.
Unlike its power-filled tail, the Desert-Tail Fox's body was fragile to an extreme. Even minor injuries caused intense pain—and its neck was a fatal weak point.
"Get out of the way!" Xu Linglan finally realized what was happening.
But it was already too late.
Blazing flames wrapped around sharp fangs as they bit fiercely into the Desert-Tail Fox's neck.
"Mo!!"
The Desert-Tail Fox let out a piercing scream. Its fur stood on end, its body twisting violently as it tried to fling the Firefang Dog off.
The Firefang Dog clung on like glue, refusing to let go.
"Jump away," Qiao Sang said.
Without hesitation, the Firefang Dog released its grip, leaping off to the side.
The next second, the Desert-Tail Fox's two-meter-long tail swept brutally across its own body.
With the Firefang Dog no longer attached, the full force of the powerful tail struck itself.
"Mo!!!"
Already injured at the neck, the Desert-Tail Fox was sent into even greater agony by the blow.
"Desert-Tail Fox, calm down!" Xu Linglan jumped anxiously on the spot.
She couldn't understand how the situation had turned so disastrous in such a short time.
The Desert-Tail Fox was in too much pain to heed her commands.
"Fat Family Dove, Wing Slash!" Qiao Sang pressed her advantage.
Wing Slash was a signature skill of flying-type pet beasts, allowing them to turn their wings into sharp blades. It was a move most flying-type pet beasts could learn.
"Jiu."
Fat Family Dove stared blankly at Qiao Sang with its gray eyes.
It didn't know that move.
…
Although Qiao Sang couldn't understand Fat Family Dove's words, she clearly read its meaning from its expression.
"Use Air Cutter." Qiao Sang didn't hesitate.
Fat Family Dove flapped its wings forward. Instantly, six blades of compressed air formed in midair.
"Desert-Tail Fox! Dodge!" Xu Linglan was panicking.
The Desert-Tail Fox's amber pupils shrank as it watched the incoming air blades, enduring the pain as it twisted its body aside.
Even so, four blades still struck its body.
"Mo!!"
The Desert-Tail Fox swayed, looking like it would collapse at any second.
"Firefang Dog, Headbutt." Qiao Sang said.
The Firefang Dog, already itching to move, immediately hurled itself forward with all its strength.
Like the final straw crushing a camel's back, the Desert-Tail Fox's eyes rolled back, and it collapsed.
It was a complete and utter crushing defeat.
Xu Linglan's legs went weak as she fell to the ground.
Throughout the entire fight, the Desert-Tail Fox had been treated like a target, continuously attacked.
Her expression dazed, Xu Linglan realized that she would be entering third-year high school next semester—yet she had been so thoroughly defeated by an uncertified rookie beast tamer.
Losing a two-on-one wasn't the issue.
What she hadn't expected was that she hadn't even successfully released a single skill.
She could tell that this savage girl didn't even know what skills Fat Family Dove possessed, and that the Firefang Dog wasn't anything special either.
She had lost—completely and utterly—to Qiao Sang's command ability.
Qiao Sang ignored the girl's reaction and scooped up the Firefang Dog as it rushed into her arms.
"Well done," she said with a smile.
"Ya!"
"Ya-ya!"
The Firefang Dog excitedly gestured nonstop at Qiao Sang.
Qiao Sang's expression turned strange.
The Firefang Dog jumped down, bared its teeth, and after a moment, flames wrapped around its fangs.
The next instant, the flames vanished, and it excitedly gestured again.
"Are you saying you've never successfully used Fire Fang before?" Qiao Sang asked.
The Firefang Dog nodded repeatedly.
But she clearly remembered seeing Fire Fang listed in the Beast Codex.
Confused, Qiao Sang connected her consciousness to the Beast Codex.
[Name: Firefang Dog]
[Attribute: Fire]
[Level: Beginner (63/1000) +]
[Skills: Bite (Beginner 73/100) +, Headbutt (Proficient 135/500) +, Fire Fang (Beginner 2/100) +]
[Points: 50]
Qiao Sang's eyes lit up.
The values had changed!
Headbutt, Fire Fang, and even the points below had all increased.
Looking closely at the numbers behind Fire Fang, Qiao Sang already had a hypothesis forming in her mind.