Pillar of Yita

But the Rock Shark didn’t seem satisfied, letting out a joyful shriek, soared into the air, and finally turned towards Fang Hong’s direction.

However, its target wasn’t Fang Hong, but a figure in the Forest.

It was a young boy, wearing a war robe identical to that swordsman from before, but dressed as a Ranger, with a long cloak, racing wildly through the Forest.

Upon seeing this young boy, Fang Hong couldn’t help but utter a soft ”huh,” realizing he was an acquaintance. Back when Fang Hong took Luo Yu and Gita away from the Oak Knights, their positions in the Youth Training Camp were filled by others, one of whom was this boy, whose appearance Fang Hong recognized. To his surprise, the boy had already made it to Eteliria in just one year.

It’s unclear whether he has exceptional talent or if there’s been an urgent need for manpower due to the Knight Order’s restructuring.

Just then, behind the boy, came a piercing screech, and a crystal, standing three to four people high, flew over, breaking countless trees and crashing towards him. But the boy didn’t display any expected composure; instead, in his panic, he stumbled, tripped by a vine, and was sent flying.

He landed face down on the ground, swallowing a mouthful of mud; yet, the crystal miraculously flew right over his head, smashed onto a nearby rock, and shattered into pieces.

The boy got up, stunned, wiped his face, and glanced in this direction—astonishingly, he smiled foolishly at Fang Hong and company. But Fang Hong quickly realized the boy wasn’t smiling at him but at the swordsman behind them. The boy waved his hand vigorously towards them:

”Captain, I’ll lead it over, you have everyone ready another round of Wind Crystals.”

The swordsman hastily nodded. ”Little Kong, it’s up to you.”

The boy, having received his Captain’s affirmation, brightened up, quickening his movements. He scrambled up and hurriedly ran in another direction.

Fang Hong glanced back at the swordsman, thinking it was surprising this person was a Captain. He couldn’t help but recall Liming, Red Leaf’s Captain, who wasn’t in the same league as this swordsman.

It seems the split of the Oak Knights has dealt a significant blow to the Guild, dropping it from nearly first-line status to a much lower level. But he wasn’t optimistic that the boy could lead the Rock Shark away, given the level disparity; it wasn’t something easily overcome.

Moreover, he deduced that Luo Yu’s ”successor” didn’t seem particularly promising.

Of course, being able to enter the Youth Training Camp, taking Gita and Luo Yu’s places, indicates he has potential value for cultivation, but the one-year training duration is certainly too brief.

Nearby, Tianlan was still giggling quietly: ”Brother Ade, that guy looks like you.”

”How does he resemble me?” Fang Hong disliked hearing this, for that seemingly foolish guy had no connection whatsoever with him. In terms of skill and attractiveness, he far surpassed the other.

But watching the boy’s increasingly distant figure, a sense of familiarity struck him, as if he saw himself back with Miss Sicape. The boy was no more than fourteen or fifteen years old, possibly even younger than he was back then, similar to Gita’s age.

At this moment, the pointed rock atop the Rock Shark’s head lit up once again.

The ground trembled slightly as a mountain-sized crystal emerged from the canopy, and under the Rock Shark’s control, the massive shadow whistled towards the boy in the next instant.

The boy, while running, kept glancing back unprofessionally, greatly reducing his running speed—typically, a Ranger only needs sound to roughly judge the direction of an attack.

Yet, this unprofessional move actually saved his life; upon seeing the enormous shadow splitting the Forest and covering his head, he was frightened, nearly losing his soul. He tripped and fell to the ground, watching helplessly as the mountain-sized crystal pressed towards him.

But just then, Fang Hong raised his left hand.

A deep blue light spanned over a hundred meters, projecting in front of that boy, unfurling into a massive Light Gate. A towering Knight stepped through, raised its arms, and firmly caught the Mountain of Crystal. Fang Hong softly called: ”Nini—”

A shadow left his body, merging with the Orphen Twin Stars, and blazing golden light erupted from the tall Construct’s visual crystal, soared through the Construct’s arms, and ignited the Golden Flame Radiance throughout every Ether Guidance pathway.

Amid a loud crash, the Orphen Twin Stars, propelled by immense inertia, retreated backward, carving out two furrows on the Forest floor with its Iron Guard Feet. In the boy’s dumbfounded gaze, it stopped just in front of him, another half-step back would have crushed him into a pulp.

But it wasn’t over yet.

The massive Construct took a step back, raised its right hand, and forcefully cast forward—a Light Gate opened in its palm, an unusual Construct fell out and soared upward with Orphen Twin Stars’ momentum.

It tucked its body in mid-air, traced an arc, then abruptly spun 180 degrees, extending its long right arm to firmly grab onto an iron chain dangling from beneath the Rock Shark.

Fang Hong gently gripped, as if he was clasping that chain himself.

The swordsman was staring blankly at this scene, unable to resist reaching out and pretending to grasp the chain—though his grip was unsurprising, it was a Construct in mid-air.

The Combat Artisan was not surprising; there were some within the Knight Order—

But what kind of maneuver is this?

Fang Hong’s expression remained unchanged. Although this tactic was an impromptu idea, the maneuver wasn’t complex—at least to him.

At that moment, the Dragon Hunter firmly grasped the chain, drawing the long sword from its sheath.

The Rock Shark seemed to perceive the threat, it immediately shook its body trying to toss out this uninvited guest—yet the Dragon Hunter’s visual crystal in the air shimmered red ominously; instead of letting go, it utilized the shaking force, swinging over to another side like a pendulum.

Fang Hong released his hold.

Just as the swordsman was startled, the Construct abruptly let go of its long arm, using inertia to soar onto the Rock Shark’s back, then grasping onto the protruding rock layer.

Upon landing, four similar Light Gates unfolded around it, with four similar Constructs stepping through, also situated on the Rock Shark’s back.

Due to its peculiar physiology, the Rock Shark couldn’t flip mid-air; it could only wobble left and right, trying to dislodge these fleas clinging to it. But to no avail, the five Dragon Hunters stood firm on the Rock Shark’s back as though rooted, then gradually advanced towards its dorsal fin.

That spot was the Rock Shark’s fatal weakness—its heart.

Though Fang Hong refrained from attacking.

He merely let the Dragon Hunters feint a slash, then retracted them one by one, before turning around to the Big Cat People: ”At least eighty percent.”

The Big Cat People smiled.

After speaking, Fang Hong then looked at the swordsman: ”Your Wind Crystals should be ready by now; I don’t plan on stealing your target.”

The swordsman looked at him as if watching a madman.