"Behind you!"
A deep, calm, unfamiliar male voice pierced through the forest air without any warning, ringing in Lan Yingdan’s ears!
The moment the voice sounded, Lan Yingdan had no time to ponder the source or meaning of the voice; her body instinctively reacted, and she sprang to the side.
The sharp mouthparts of the Blood Kiss Thorn Vine just grazed her sleeve as they swept past, easily tearing the sturdy fabric, and a burning blood mark appeared on her arm.
Fortunately, Lan Yingdan dodged in time, avoiding a fatal injury. She rolled and half-crouched up, her movements swift.
Almost simultaneously as Chen Yuan’s voice prompted her.
The tendril arms of the Blood Thorn Rose suddenly stretched, extending several meters like a spring and closing in on the Blood Kiss Thorn Vine, entangling and binding it from one side to the other.
The vines tightened abruptly, with dark green thorny spikes deeply piercing into the tender body of the Blood Kiss Thorn Vine, and a wave of intense pain spread through it.
The body of the Blood Kiss Thorn Vine trembled incessantly, but this did not dispel the fury in the heart of the Blood Thorn Rose. It continued to control the vine arms, vigorously shaking the former’s body up and down.
Thud, thud, thud!
The Blood Kiss Thorn Vine was lifted high into the air, then slammed heavily to the ground, repeating this cycle several times. This Poison-type Pet Beast, adept at ambush, slumped to the ground.
Yet, the Blood Thorn Rose seemed not to have vented its anger completely. It continued to fling the unconscious Blood Kiss Thorn Vine several more times until a shallow pit was pounded into the ground beneath, and only then did it retract its vine arms.
Lan Yingdan steadied her posture, clutching the injured arm, and cast an inquiring gaze in the direction from which the sound came.
A figure slowly emerged from the dense bushes, and Lan Yingdan’s brow furrowed deeply the moment she saw this person, her face full of astonishment.
The next moment, Lan Yingdan first looked at the casual outfit Chen Yuan was wearing, then down at the tightly wrapped outdoor attire on her own body, stunned on the spot: "?"
A tourist who strayed onto Manlan Island?
Noticing Lan Yingdan’s peculiar look, Chen Yuan coughed lightly, tugging at his sleeve as he gave a simple explanation: "It’s cooler this way."
Cooler?
Hearing Chen Yuan’s explanation, Lan Yingdan’s face not only didn’t tone down its astonished expression but her heart grew even more puzzled.
Indeed, it’s much cooler, but with the body exposed, the chances of being harmed by toxic miasma and Poison-type Pet Beasts significantly increase.
Unless... he is a very powerful Beastmaster.
An idea flashed in Lan Yingdan’s mind as she discreetly observed the three Pet Beasts accompanying Chen Yuan;
One was a majestically impressive big dog she had never seen before, appearing to be his strongest Pet Beast;
One was a plain little bird, seemingly without combat capability;
One... well, a Twin Flower Concubine?
The moment she saw the Twin Flower Concubine, the wariness in Lan Yingdan’s eyes instantly dissipated, her expression quickly turning gentle, with a faint smile creeping up her lips: "Thank you for the warning."
After a pause, she turned to look at the Blood Kiss Thorn Vine, her voice delicate and soft but without a hint of coyness: "Almost let it succeed."
Saying this, she murmured to herself in a voice only she could hear: "Little Li wasn’t wrong; this island is indeed fraught with danger."
Chen Yuan smiled slightly: "It’s alright, just happened to see it."
Although the situation was urgent just now, with his rich experience in wilderness survival, Chen Yuan had two options:
First, to directly voice a warning;
Second, to let Cola take action directly.
After only a moment’s thought, Chen Yuan made the decision to voice a warning.
The reason was very simple: this was an isolated, rarely visited island, and the situation on the island was harsh and complex. For some highly alert Beastmasters, danger not only came from wild Pet Beasts but might also arise from the strange Beastmasters they encountered.
To avoid possible misunderstandings and maintain distance, voicing a warning was the best choice.
However, the alertness of the Beastmaster in front of him did not seem as strong as he had imagined. She was first inattentive, leading to the attack by the Blood Kiss Thorn Vine, and now she nonchalantly removed her mask to breathe, revealing a delicate face:
"Hello, my name is Lan Yingdan."
"Chen Yuan."
After stating his name, Chen Yuan closely watched Lan Yingdan to observe her change in expression.
Yet, Lan Yingdan’s expression did not change, showing no reaction to Chen Yuan’s name.
Chen Yuan understood, his smile widening, as he proactively asked, "Are you a Poison Specialized Beastmaster here on Manlan Island for training?"
"You could say that." Lan Yingdan tilted her head slightly, then casually turned her back to Chen Yuan, squatting down to treat her and the Blood Thorn Rose’s wounds.
Chen Yuan’s face froze.
Owning a third-tier Pet Beast and daring to venture alone to this isolated island for training, in theory, Lan Yingdan should have abundant outdoor survival experience and certainly be on guard against a suddenly appearing stranger Beastmaster.
But why did she have no vigilance towards him?
Could it be that she recognized his identity?
One doubt after another surfaced in his mind, but after pondering for a moment, Chen Yuan couldn’t come up with an answer, so he asked directly: "Aren’t you worried that I might be a bad person?"
Lan Yingdan stopped her actions, turned back to look, those bright black eyes sparkling: "You’re not."
Concise and assertive tone.
This made Chen Yuan even more puzzled: "Why are you so sure?"
Could it be that he naturally had a good-guy face?
After treating the wounds of the Blood Thorn Rose, Lan Yingdan clapped her hands, gently touched the petal top of the Blood Thorn Rose, with a vibrant smile: "That’s better, just need to rest a bit, and it’ll be fine."
The Blood Thorn Rose turned away its head arrogantly, shifting its gaze.
Indifferent, Lan Yingdan rose, facing Chen Yuan, her gaze slowly lowering, staring intently at the Twin Flower Concubine, her lips curving upward: "Because of it."