Longjiu unfurrowed her brow.
Just moments ago, she had been deeply troubled, her heart full of unsolvable worries.
The Hero who had been suddenly rescued was still missing, and there were no clues as to whether he was alive or dead, or where he had gone.
This matter weighed heavily on her heart, making her restless.
She had racked her brain but could not find even one lead.
The massive Dragon Palace was silent, the atmosphere so heavy it was almost suffocating.
Just as Longjiu was frowning and filled with anxiety, a strange red light suddenly flickered in the void above her head.
Amidst the twisting and flickering light, a complex and sophisticated Red Magic Circle appeared out of thin air without warning, its patterns flowing with the cold and eerie aura unique to the Vampires.
Longjiu’s heart tightened.
Before she could react, a roll of yellowed parchment fell straight down from the center of the Red Magic Circle, heading right for her forehead!
Fortunately, her senses were sharp, and her physical reactions far exceeded those of ordinary people.
Almost the instant the paper fell, she leaped up from the towering Dragon Throne.
Her movements were as agile as lightning as she jumped half a step backward, narrowly avoiding this sudden “sneak attack.”
After landing, Longjiu instantly regained her focus.
Her aura grew tense, and her golden vertical pupils narrowed slightly as she warily stared at the object that had been sent to her out of nowhere.
A unique Red Magic Circle… the patterns of that circle and the dense, blood-colored Magic Power were all signs of the Vampires.
On this entire Continent, the only person who would dare to send a message directly into her Dragon Palace without permission was Baining.
Relaxing slightly at the thought, an unexpected feeling crossed Longjiu’s heart.
As her tense shoulders relaxed, she slowly unfurled the rough paper to read.
She stepped forward and picked up the parchment from the floor.
Her eyes scanned the text, reading ten lines at a glance, and she finished it in an instant.
The moment she saw the content, the corners of Longjiu’s tight mouth slowly curled up into a meaningful smile.
Longjiu chuckled and carefully tucked the parchment away, keeping it close.
A second later, without any further hesitation, her body blurred as she crashed through the viewing window of the Dragon Palace.
She transformed into a dazzling streak of red light, soaring into the sky!
Her flight path was incredibly precise, heading straight for the only path leading from the Dream Demon Empire to the Blood Clan Border—the key junction that passed through the Dragon Territory.
—
Meanwhile, Bai Li, completely unaware of this sudden interference, sat quietly inside a bumpy carriage.
Her cheek was pressed against the cool window as she watched the scenery rush by, her eyes filled with sorrow.
She had no idea she was about to face an unexpected encounter, nor did she realize danger was already close at hand.
Her mind was racing with plans on how to resolve the current crisis, reach the Blood Clan Border safely, and meet up with Baining.
Every detail weighed heavily on her mind.
Along the way, the carriage was eerily quiet, with almost no conversation.
Bai Li was lost in her own thoughts and didn’t say a word.
Seeing her grave expression, Ziya didn’t dare disturb her.
Instead, she boredly played with the cute Little Meow Maid beside her to pass the time.
“Miao Miao, when we get to the side of the Vampires later, you have to get along well with the Vampire maid sisters there. No making trouble, okay?”
Ziya said softly, her voice full of tenderness.
The Little Meow Maid’s ears twitched slightly.
She tilted up her round little face and replied crisply, “Yes, I will, meow!”
“So good.”
Ziya couldn’t help but reach out and gently rub the top of Miao Miao’s furry head.
The little one squinted her eyes comfortably, her pointed ears twitching slightly.
She looked incredibly adorable.
Outside the carriage, the coachman lashed his whip, doing his best to drive the horses.
No one expected what would happen next!
“*Whoa!*”
Amidst the flying dust, a sharp neighing sound rang out as the coachman pulled back hard on the reins.
The two steeds had no time to react.
Their front hooves reared up as they screeched to a halt! The immense inertia swept through the entire carriage.
The vehicle, which had been moving steadily, jerked and then shook and tilted violently.
The three people inside were caught off guard and tumbled over each other in a chaotic mess!
“*Ow, meow!*”
The poor Little Meow Maid cried out.
Driven by the strong inertia, she crashed straight into Bai Li.
Their noses collided, causing a sharp, stinging pain that almost brought tears to their eyes.
Bai Li was also left dizzy by the sudden jolt, but she instinctively reached out to protect the little one in front of her.
The scene was pure chaos.
After a while, the jolting finally subsided, and silence returned to the carriage, leaving only the sound of the three people’s startled breathing.
“What… what on earth happened? Why the sudden stop!”
Ziya rubbed her aching forehead and sat up straight, feeling disoriented.
While comforting Miao Miao, who was rubbing her nose, she hurriedly pulled aside the carriage curtain and stuck her head out to ask sharply.
The coachman’s face was pale, and his fingers trembled as he pointed ahead of the carriage. His voice shook.
“Queen… Look, look ahead!”
Ziya looked in the direction he was pointing, her pupils shrinking and her heart sinking.
In the middle of the road ahead stood a massive and majestic red figure.
Her dragon scales glistened in the sunlight, and her horns were tall and imposing—it was Longjiu, having fully transformed into her true Dragon form!
‘Oh no! Why is she here?!’
A strong sense of unease instantly washed over her.
Ziya’s heart sank, and her face turned pale.
Suddenly, a red light flashed! Before she or Bai Li could react, Longjiu firmly grasped the entire carriage.
With a casual tug, the ropes connecting the horses snapped.
Then, using her dragon claws, she lifted the vehicle and its passengers into the air.
The massive Red Dragon moved as fast as lightning, her huge claws gentle yet firm as she soared into the sky!
“Waaah! Sister Longjiu, hold on tight! Don’t let us fall!”
Ziya was terrified by the sudden ascent.
LShe gripped the edge of the carriage tightly, watching the ground rapidly shrink below them, her voice full of panicked screaming.
Longjiu’s voice drifted down from above, carrying a hint of playfulness.
“Don’t be nervous, Sister Ziya. We can all fly, can’t we?”
Ziya blinked and instinctively turned to look beside her.
She saw that Bai Li was exceptionally calm, steadily holding the frightened Little Meow Maid in her arms.
Her expression was peaceful, without a trace of panic, as if she were long accustomed to being high in the air.
The Little Meow Maid had been badly shaken by the series of events and instinctively huddled in Bai Li’s warm embrace.
Her small body trembled slightly, and she buried her furry head in the crook of the other’s neck, looking completely overwhelmed.
Bai Li gently stroked her back, one motion at a time, patiently comforting her.