Chapter 4: We're Friends, Right?
Lin Yaoyao's Flying Sword was exceptionally agile, circling and dancing around the largest Iron Armored Bear. At times, it attacked its head and eyes like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, forcing the Iron Armored Bear to constantly wave its paws to block; at other times, it struck its limbs like a dragonfly skimming the water, attempting to find a weakness in its Defense. The largest Iron Armored Bear was furious, but the Flying Sword's Speed was too fast, and it could never land a hit, leaving it to passively endure the beating.
Shen Mo seized the opportunity to circle to the side and rear of a smaller Iron Armored Bear. She took a deep breath, focused her mind, and the long sword in her hand transformed into a cold flash of light, accurately piercing the Iron Armored Bear's hind leg. The Iron Armored Bear cried out in pain, letting out a deafening roar as its massive body shuddered violently, its hind leg clearly limping.
Bai Li's small face was tense, with fine beads of sweat seeping from her forehead. She continuously gathered spiritual power, hurling one condensed light sphere after another at the Iron Armored Bear. The orbs of light collided with the Iron Armored Bear's thick fur, exploding into bursts of dazzling white light. Although they didn't cause much damage, they effectively interfered with their attack rhythm and Creation-ed favorable offensive opportunities for Lin Yaoyao and Shen Mo. Her long silver hair fluttered in the air, and the white tail behind her swayed uneasily from side to side, revealing her inner tension. In the forest, the leaves rustled in the strong wind, and the air was filled with the stench of the Iron Armored Bears and the burnt smell produced by the collision of spiritual powers.
The Iron Armored Bear whose hind leg had been pierced by Shen Mo was enraged. Ignoring the harassment of Lin Yaoyao's Flying Sword, it charged straight at Shen Mo. Shen Mo dodged, but her shoulder was still grazed by the massive bear paw. She let out a muffled groan, her body flying backward uncontrollably before slamming heavily onto the ground. The long sword in her hand slipped from her grasp, landing several meters away.
Seeing this, Lin Yaoyao was startled and immediately controlled her Flying Sword to return for Defense. The jade-white Flying Sword cut through the air like a bolt of lightning, blocking the path in front of Shen Mo and confronting the charging Iron Armored Bear. The tip of the sword pointed directly at the Iron Armored Bear's throat, emitting a piercing chill.
Lying on the ground, Shen Mo clutched her injured shoulder, her face pale as pea-sized beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. She gritted her teeth, enduring the pain as she struggled to stand up, but she found the injury to her shoulder was more serious than she had imagined. Waves of heart-piercing pain left her unable to move.
Seeing Shen Mo injured, Bai Li was extremely anxious. Regardless of her own safety, she ran quickly to Shen Mo's side and knelt down to check her injury. "Sister Shen Mo, how are you?" Her voice trembled slightly, her eyes filled with worry.
Shen Mo forced a faint smile. "I'm fine, it's just... my shoulder hurts a bit."
Bai Li carefully helped Shen Mo up, leaning her against a large tree. Shen Mo told Bai Li there was healing medicine in the bag, so Bai Li pulled a bottle of healing medicine from the small cloth bag she carried and gently began to bandage Shen Mo's wound.
Bai Li opened the medicine bottle, and a fresh medicinal fragrance filled the air. She poured out some white medicinal powder and gently applied it to Shen Mo's wound. "It might hurt a little, Sister Shen Mo, please bear with it," Bai Li said softly, her eyes focused intently on Shen Mo's wound.
Shen Mo took a soft breath and nodded, fine beads of sweat seeping from her forehead. She could feel a sensation of coolness the moment the medicinal powder touched the wound, followed immediately by a burning pain. But she endured it without making a sound, only biting her lower lip tightly, her brows furrowing slightly.
After bandaging Shen Mo's wound, Bai Li stood up and blocked the way in front of Shen Mo. Her small figure appeared exceptionally frail before the massive Iron Armored Bear, as if she might fall over with a single gust of wind. But her long silver hair moved without any wind, her white tail stood high, and a steady light flickered in her eyes. She took a deep breath, condensing all her spiritual power into her palms, her small hands trembling slightly.
Lin Yaoyao controlled her Flying Sword, tangling with the other two Iron Armored Bears. The sword light was like a rainbow, carving graceful arcs in the air, firmly pinning down the two Iron Armored Bears' attacks and giving them no chance to approach Bai Li and Shen Mo. While she fought, she Divided Soul to monitor Bai Li's situation, her heart filled with worry, yet she had to concentrate her energy on dealing with the enemies before her.
Bai Li released all the condensed spiritual power, forming a huge white light sphere in her hands that emitted a dazzling radiance, illuminating the surrounding trees as if it were daylight. The light sphere expanded rapidly and then shot violently toward the largest Iron Armored Bear.
"Roar!" The Iron Armored Bear let out a cry of agony. After being hit by the light sphere, its massive body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. The ground trembled with the impact, and the surrounding trees shook violently, their leaves fluttering down.
Seeing this, Lin Yaoyao seized the opportunity and controlled her Flying Sword, transforming it into two streaks of light that pierced the other two Iron Armored Bears. The Flying Sword accurately struck the Iron Armored Bears' vital points, and they let out shrill screams before their massive bodies collapsed one after another, falling silent.
As the dust settled, the forest returned to tranquility, leaving only the sound of rustling leaves. Lin Yaoyao retracted her Flying Sword, the jade-white blade vanishing into the air. She walked quickly to Bai Li's side, knelt down, and carefully checked Bai Li's condition. "Bai Li, are you injured?" There was a hint of concern in her tone as her gaze swept over her.
Bai Li shook her head, her small face somewhat pale and her breathing slightly hurried, but she still managed a smile. "I'm fine, Sister Yaoyao." As she spoke, Bai Li's body swayed slightly, nearly falling. Lin Yaoyao was quick to support her, gently pulling her into her arms. "It's good that you're okay." Lin Yaoyao gently stroked Bai Li's soft silver hair, a warm current rising in her heart. The scene of Bai Li's forceful strike was still fresh in her mind; such a small body contained such immense energy, leaving her both surprised and gratified.
Bai Li leaned into Lin Yaoyao's embrace, her fluffy tail gently brushing against her arm as if acting spoiled. "Thank you for protecting me, Sister Yaoyao." Her voice was soft and sweet, carrying a hint of dependence. The battle just now had left her with lingering fears; if Lin Yaoyao hadn't stepped in to save her in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
Feeling the soft touch in her arms, the corners of Lin Yaoyao's mouth curled up into a gentle smile. She lightly patted Bai Li's back and said softly, "No need to thank me, we're friends after all." Friends... Bai Li silently repeated the word in her heart. For her, who had been lonely in her past life, a warm current surged into her heart. She looked up at Lin Yaoyao, her eyes filled with gratitude and trust.
"By the way, do you guys have a place to stay? If we encounter something like this again, staying around here is more or less unsafe." Lin Yaoyao looked at the other two with her hands on her hips.