Chapter 1061, A Full Rescue Operation?

Translator: Silavin

 

Under Ye Jiu’s escort, Su Bai made his way to the bank of the great river, accompanied by a considerable number of Totem Warriors. The reason was simple: every one of them had come to protect the Shaman. He was, after all, the most important person in the entire Tribe.

 

The Flame Dragon Tribe’s remarkable growth owed itself entirely to having him as their Shaman. The Warriors could not allow anything to happen to him. If Su Bai had not intervened in time, the entire Tribe would likely have turned out as his guards, instead of this few dozen or so.

 

If that happened, there would have been dozens upon dozens lining the riverbank.

 

“Shaman, look! There they are!” Yu Ying cried out, pointing excitedly at the river’s surface.

 

“Just as you said, there is nothing threatening about them at all. Rather, they are like giant turtles.” Su Bai nodded with clear approval.

 

The moment they arrived at the bank, they found the river dotted with Long Toothed Turtles, all surfaced and breathing. In appearance, they resembled the turtles of Earth, but their two front teeth were exceptionally long, giving them a passing resemblance to a sea lion.

 

Their bodies were enormous as well, comparable in scale to a small car. The wide river was covered in them, and the sheer spectacle was genuinely striking.

 

“Shaman, the difficulty has always been in capturing one. We cannot enter the water, and if we get close to them by ship, they will immediately move away.” Yu Ying’s expression turned troubled.

 

The Tribe had tried and had never once succeeded, for that very reason. Even with ships now available, moving close would only cause the creatures to retreat. Or, despite their gentle nature, potentially turn and strike back. They were Ferocious Beasts, after all.

 

“That is a problem. It would be convenient if we could fly.” Su Bai murmured, half to himself.

 

He wished the System would grant him a Skill for flight. This would resolve so many concerns at once. No more walking from place to place; one could simply fly wherever one wished. Or, something akin to the ‘anywhere door’ from a certain anime, which would be a truly absurd advantage if he actually got such a Skill.

 

“Shaman, I can carry you up.” Shu Feng stepped forward at once and spread his broad wings.

 

“Hold me tight, and when it is about to submerge, pull me back up immediately.” Su Bai gave the instruction calmly.

 

One look at Shu Feng’s expression told him the man had already understood the plan. The idea was to be carried out to the middle of the great river and set him down atop a Long Toothed Turtle’s back, after which the Taming Skill would do the rest.

 

“I will protect the Shaman without fail. You have my word.” Shu Feng held his gaze steadily.

 

“Shaman, please be careful.” Yan Jiao looked deeply uneasy but kept his reservations to himself.

 

“I’ll be fine.” Su Bai gave a confident nod, and reached over to give Yu Ying a reassuring pat on the head before stepping forward.

 

Shu Feng soon beat his broad brown wings and, channelling his Totem Power, wrapped his arms around Su Bai’s waist and lifted off.

 

The activation of his Totem Power was for stability. The great river was just beneath them. This was no place for carelessness. What lay beneath it was unknown to everyone, and one thing was certain: falling in meant death.

 

Every person on the riverbank held their breath. All eyes were fixed upward, all hearts quietly offering prayer.

 

Yu Ying in particular was biting her lips in worry.

 

Yan Jiao’s jaw was clenched hard, his fists balled at his sides. His entire frame was braced as though he was ready to jump into the river at any moment.

 

He had already decided, if the Shaman fell into the river, he would go in after him without a second’s hesitation.

 

Every other Totem Warrior on the bank was thinking the same thing. The scene, viewed from above, was truly comical. A row of Warriors half-crouching in ready stances, poised like runners awaiting a signal.

 

Su Bai had clearly seen it, and his mouth twitched.

 

Shu Feng kept his movements as slow and controlled as possible, minimising any disturbance that might spook the Long Toothed Turtles below.

 

Holding Su Bai tightly, he quietly said. “Shaman, shall I aim for a larger one?”

 

“The one directly in front of us is fine. That one will do.” Su Bai was not inclined to be selective.

 

The priority was Taming one. Any one would do. Having even Tamed one would change everything.

 

“Understood.” Shu Feng angled his wings and began a slow descent.

 

Each wingbeat was drawn out as long as possible, the gap between strokes sustained entirely by Totem Power. Beads of sweat had already gathered at Shu Feng’s temples, and his palms and back were soaked.

 

“Shaman, I am letting go of you now.”

 

The words came like a whisper. Shu Feng’s peripheral vision was fixed on the Long Toothed Turtle directly below.

 

“Let go.” Su Bai gave a brief nod.

 

The moment Shu Feng’s arms opened, Su Bai dropped onto the Long Toothed Turtle’s back. He then immediately and casted the Taming Skill.

 

The Skill was performed seamlessly. He had begun casting even during the descent, and the effect took hold in a single moment.

 

Violet light flared and faded. The Long Toothed Turtle’s resistance soon dissolved. It had only just begun to stir, just began preparing to dive, when the Tame was done.

 

The disturbance sent every nearby Long Toothed Turtle away from it.

 

“Yes!” Shu Feng broke into a delighted smile.

 

“Head to the riverbank.” Su Bai patted the Long Toothed Turtle’s back.

 

He pressed his palm to the shell and noted, with some interest, that the texture was identical to that of a turtle back on Earth.

 

*Gurrrlll…*

 

The Long Toothed Turtle emitted a deep, resonant sound and swept its four limbs through the water, pulling toward the riverbank with surprising speed. It moved like a motorised speedboat. In fact, the shore appeared in what seemed like a blink of an eye.

 

For an ordinary person, swimming that same distance would have taken more than ten minutes, even at a reasonable pace. This made the Long Toothed Turtle’s speed very clear.

 

The creature began to haul itself up onto the riverbank, its four limbs revealed in full for the first time. They resembled those of a giant turtle from Earth.