Lord Asben never dreamt that he would be ambushed twice within a brief fifteen minutes, earning double the pleasure.
He forcibly cast the "Blood Ancestor's Embrace" spell, turning into a blood shadow once more to flee for his life, though it appeared much dimmer this time.
But just as he flew into the sky, he was pelted all over his head and face by a torrent of Silver Beads that fell like hail!
These weren't just a couple of beads; Lu Yao threw out three wine bottles, each filled with several handfuls of Silver Beads mixed with explosives. When they burst open, they indeed covered the sky and blanketed an area of 50 meters in diameter.
No matter how fast the blood shadow was, it couldn't evade and Lord Asben, smoking and screaming in pain, was forced to reveal his true form, looking like a block of tofu that had not only been smashed to the ground but also stepped on.
It was tough on him to still be alive in such a state, and even capable of speaking, "Stop! I am the Queen's Envoy! Killing me will provoke a full-blown war between our countries!"
Lu Yao, clad in his Battle Armor, approached with heavy steps and grabbed Lord Asben's head, lifting him up. His voice, somewhat muffled by the armor, came through,
"You have already proposed a treaty of 100,000 blood feeds, and I think, instead of meekly waiting to be extorted, it's better to have an all-out war to the death."
The Battle Armor's hands were entwined with silver threads, and the Vampire immediately began smoking and howling miserably from atop his head, "Stop! You lowly barbarian! I am a noble..."
Lu Yao felt like he was crushing a biscuit, and amidst the creaking and crunching, the demon beast's head slowly vanished from sight. Soon, his entire body swiftly dried, cracked apart, and dissolved into countless tiny particles that blended into the air, leaving behind only a goose-egg-sized, bright red gemstone.
He picked it up and examined it in the sunlight, finding it crystal clear and vibrantly colored. Lu Yao nodded in satisfaction, "Not bad—the perfect start. With this, all three little ones will have a Blood Core to use when they break through their boundaries."
The first major hurdle for a Spirit Pet is Organ Refining, which certainly requires external assistance.
"Next, just casually get some smaller Blood Cores for their daily consumption."
This goose-egg-sized Blood Core was like a windfall, so the trio joyfully returned to the camp.
~~~~~~~~~
As the sunset cast a fiery glow on West Mountain, three energetic Spiritual Sparrowhawks practiced their flight skills, darting through the woods.
The pet owners couldn't slack off either and also began their Cultivation amidst the evening glow.
Lu Yao leaped 10 meters high and, with the help of his Inner Breath, whipped his spine mid-free fall. Despite having no leverage, his body surged forward half a meter, which was quite marvelous.
But this was still not enough—Fu Fangsheng could shift three meters in mid-air with ease!
~~~~~~~~
The next day, Liao Qe woke up yawning and pestered Lu Yao to play with the drone.
Arriving at a high spot, the girl couldn't wait to take the controller, with Lu Yao instructing her from the side:
"Switch to manual first... see these two joysticks? Press them inward with your thumbs, and the drone will take off."
"The left joystick controls the altitude and direction of the drone's nose, while the right one controls forward, backward, left, and right movement."
"Take it slow, no need to rush!"
Liao Qe's drone suddenly crashed towards a tree but thankfully, its infrared collision avoidance system kicked in and it hovered just in time.
The girl was startled and hastily operated the drone with more caution and precision.
Being naturally talented with modern weapons and gadgets from Blue Star, it didn't take long for Liao Qe to control the drone smoothly and adeptly.
She played with a joyous smile, feeling exhilarated, and even used the drone to take a group photo of the three of them from up high.
~~~~~~
Later, Liao Ya took over, but she wasn't as adept, the drone zigzagging perilously in the sky.
Lu Yao moved behind Liao Ya, reaching around to help her with the controls, patiently explaining as he did.
Gradually, the drone started flying more steadily, and Liao Ya's pretty face lit up with a sweet and delighted smile.
The more Liao Qe watched, the more suspicious she felt, her cheeks puffing up with dissatisfaction, feeling like when her beloved toys had been taken away by her sister in childhood.
Just then, a rumbling thunder came from the horizon, startling numerous birds and beasts.
As it was a clear and crisp autumn day with not a cloud in the sky, it definitely wasn't going to rain.
"The battle has started!"
Lu Yao quickly took back control of the drone and flew it over for a look, only to see artillery exchanging fire with warships!