192: Yi Long invited

Screech—!

The clear and urgent cry pierced the stagnant air. A brilliant streak of golden light tore through the clouds, suddenly landing before the bewildered Erina.

It was Phoenix Feather.

On its broad back lay Lin Luo, his face pale and blood still wet at the corner of his mouth. It turned out that at the critical moment when Lin Luo was sent flying by that terrifying punch, Phoenix Feather, who had been patrolling beneath the sea of clouds, sensed it and dove down just in time to catch him.

At this moment, eight feet materialized behind Lin Luo.

Her pale hand rose gently, and a soft milky-white glow, like a trickling stream, continuously flowed into Lin Luo's body.

Wherever the light passed, damaged and displaced organs, broken bones, and torn muscles were repaired and healed at an astonishing speed, and his life force became strong once again.

eight feet's phantom tilted her head slightly, her eyes looking down at Erina, who was pale and trembling. Without a word, a gentle yet irresistible force lifted Erina and sent her steadily onto Phoenix Feather's back, landing beside Lin Luo.

"Lin Luo!" Erina rushed to his side, her voice choking as the tears pooled in her purple eyes finally rolled down.

Lin Luo forced a reassuring smile and raised his hand, using his still-trembling fingertips to gently wipe the tear stains from her face. "It's okay... don't be afraid." His voice was hoarse, but his eyes quickly regained their clarity and sharpness.

Almost at the same time, enduring the itching and lingering pain of his internal organs being repaired, his Divine Sense spread out rapidly like invisible mercury, scanning the entire Sky Vegetable Garden area once more, reaching even deeper into the sea of clouds.

Nothing.

That mysterious, terrifying black-furred creature seemed to have evaporated into thin air, leaving no trace of its presence or scent, as if the devastating blow from before was merely an illusion.

Lin Luo's gaze turned completely cold, but a calm fire burned in its depths. He gently patted Phoenix Feather's warm neck and spoke in a low, clear voice:

"Phoenix Feather, go down. Let's leave this place."

Screech—!

Phoenix Feather let out a long cry filled with anger and vigilance, and its massive golden wings flapped violently, churning up a tidal wave of clouds.

In an instant, the golden light broke through the clouds like a reverse meteor, carrying the two of them as it dove rapidly toward the relatively "safe" area below the sea of clouds, leaving only a dissipating trail of flowing gold behind.

Meanwhile, at the private residence of IGO Chairman Ichiryu.

The burly old man with bronze skin was casually draped in a loose bathrobe, lounging lazily in a large recliner.

His thick fingers were unhurriedly swiping across a thin tablet, where dense text and images scrolled rapidly—without exception, they were all various action reports, ability assessments, and related event records concerning "Lin Luo."

Ichiryu's gaze paused slightly on a few lines before continuing to scroll down until he had taken in all the latest intelligence.

There was no expression on his face as he casually grabbed a handful of rich cheese from a side table's plate and tossed it into his mouth to chew slowly, letting the intense milky aroma dissolve in his mouth.

"Modan."

Standing in the shadows nearby, as motionless as a statue, the old butler bowed slightly: "Chairman."

Ichiryu swallowed the cheese, his voice deep and flat, betraying no emotion: "When that kid Toriko comes... remember to call Lin Luo as well."

"Yes." Butler Modan didn't ask a single question, only nodding his head.

The message traveled extremely fast and soon reached Toriko's ears.

At this moment, he was sitting in the Gourmet Hotel, with a bowl of steaming century soup in front of him. The ultimate richness of the aroma made every sip he took incredibly satisfying.

Upon receiving the message, he grinned, swallowed the soup in his mouth with a gulp, and readily agreed.

Youyou had been temporarily left here by Erina, and the complete recipe for the century soup was also entrusted to Komatsu. With the ability of this Genius chef, replicating this legendary soup was not a difficult task. Erina trusted Komatsu's character—he would neither abuse the secret nor leak it.

Thus, the Gourmet Hotel had the century soup, but it was only provided to the gluttonous Toriko.

"Komatsu, are you ready?" Toriko asked loudly as he saw Komatsu approaching with a dining cart.

Komatsu nodded and carefully took a pink wine bottle from the cart, its body shimmering with a magnificent luster: "Yes! Sparkling wine brewed from rainbow fruit, with an alcohol content of 85%. The flavor will definitely be very unique and rich."

Toriko's eyes lit up as he took the bottle and weighed it in his hand with satisfaction: "Thanks! This is a really great gift."

Komatsu blinked curiously: "Is it for someone very important?"

Toriko didn't answer directly. Instead, he grinned and asked back: "More importantly, my portion... you kept it for me, right?"

"Of course!" Komatsu immediately took out two identical bottles of rainbow fruit wine from the lower shelf of the cart. "As agreed, I prepared two bottles."

"Then I'll try one first!" Toriko laughed, pulled the cork out of the bottle in his hand, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp.

"Mr. Toriko! The alcohol content of this wine is very high!" Komatsu cried out in surprise.

"Ha—! That's got a kick!" Toriko exhaled a breath of alcohol with satisfaction, feeling the burning warmth in his throat and the explosion of complex fruit aromas in his mouth. The look of satisfaction on his face intensified.

After eating and drinking his fill, Toriko carefully put away the bottle intended as a gift and bid Komatsu farewell. Originally, Toriko had planned to head straight to Chairman Ichiryu's residence, but he hadn't expected the old man to specifically instruct him to bring Lin Luo along.

On a remote hill outside the city, Toriko was stroking his chin while looking at the desolate scenery around him, still wondering why Lin Luo had asked him to come to this place.

Before the thought could finish—

Whoosh—!!!

A terrifying sense of pressure came from overhead without warning! This was followed by a sharp screech tearing through the air, and a violent gust of wind slammed down like an invisible giant palm, churning up dust and grass. It blew Toriko's blue hair wildly back and pressed his clothes tightly against his skin.

He Suddenly looked up, squinted at the sky.

A brilliant streak of golden light was diving down at an incredible speed, its wings spreading and churning the clouds, looking majestic and divine.

"This is..." Toriko's pupils narrowed slightly, and then he grinned, showing a smile mixed with surprise and excitement. "Man, what a grand entrance!"

Phoenix Feather landed steadily on the hilltop, the residual wind from its folding wings still causing sand and stones to fly.

"Toriko, your message came at just the right time." Lin Luo jumped down from Phoenix Feather's back with Erina and walked toward Toriko. "I just came down from the Sky Vegetable Garden when your message arrived."

Toriko laughed and spread his hands: "I didn't want to disturb your world for two, but the old man specifically asked me to bring you along." He looked curiously at the majestic Phoenix Feather standing nearby, its golden glow flowing, and couldn't help but reach out to touch its beautiful feathers. "By the way, this big bird is really impressive..."

Whoosh—!

Phoenix Feather unceremoniously flapped its wings, and the resulting gust of wind pushed Toriko back a few stumbling steps.

"Uh..." Toriko steadied himself and scratched his messy blue hair awkwardly. "Quite a temper."

Lin Luo smiled helplessly, gently patting Phoenix Feather's neck to calm it, then said seriously: "I'll take Erina back to the Gourmet Hotel to rest first, then I'll go with you."

Toriko nodded. "Alright, let's go."

Hotel room.

Lin Luo saw that Erina's face was still a bit pale, and a flash of tenderness appeared in his eyes. He gently patted Youyou's small head: "Little guy, take good care of your mistress."

"Youyou~" Youyou rubbed against Erina's palm and let out a soft cry.

Erina looked up at him, her purple eyes hiding a faint sense of dependence: "When will you be back?"

"It shouldn't be too long." Lin Luo leaned down and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. "Get some rest first, take a nap, and I'll be here when you wake up."

Erina turned her face away, the tips of her ears turning slightly red: "...I'll lock the door."

"I can still get in even if it's locked." Lin Luo chuckled, his fingertips brushing her cheek. "Can a single door really hold me back?"

"Just go already." Erina pushed him and turned around while holding Youyou. "I'm going to take a bath... being with you always keeps me on edge."

"Then make sure you lock it well." Lin Luo chuckled softly and gently rubbed the top of her head. "I'm off."

Erina stood at the door holding Youyou, watching his retreating back until he reached the end of the hallway. She gently closed the door, locked it, and leaned her back against the cool door panel, letting out a long sigh of relief.

The bathroom was filled with steam. The warm water washed over her skin, seemingly taking away some of the accumulated fatigue and tension.

Erina closed her eyes, letting the water slide down her cheeks, but the thrilling moments above the clouds involuntarily flashed through her mind—the golden light, the thunder, the indifferent and empty eye sockets of the black-furred creature, the blood Lin Luo had sprayed... She snapped her eyes open, took a deep breath, and shook her head, forcing those images down.

Meanwhile, Lin Luo and Toriko had walked out of the hotel side by side. Phoenix Feather did not follow but was left to rest in the nearby clouds on standby.

Ichiryu's residence was located on a wide expanse of deep blue wetlands. The crystal-clear water reflected the sky, peaceful and remote—a truly excellent place for rest.

The doorbell rang, and Butler Modan opened the door. Seeing the guests, a gentle smile appeared on his face: "Chairman Ichiryu is expecting you both. This way, please."

Just as they entered the room, Toriko's gaze was drawn to a large aquarium. Inside, golden light flowed as several elegantly shaped fish with scales shimmering with a metallic luster swam leisurely. He leaned close to the glass, pointing his finger at one of them: "This one... looks delicious."

"Lord Toriko must be joking," Modan politely corrected. "These are the only four remaining Energy Arowanas in the world; they are extremely precious ornamental species."

"Huh? Can't eat them..." Toriko immediately lost interest and curled his lip.

Modan led the two through the elegant hall to a spacious balcony overlooking the water. "Chairman, Lord Toriko and Lord Lin Luo have arrived."

On the balcony, Chairman Ichiryu was facing away from them, gazing out at the boundless water and sky. Hearing the announcement, he slowly turned around.

"Old man, a gift for you!" Toriko spoke first, handing over the bottle shimmering with amber light. "Sparkling wine made from rainbow fruit. The taste changes as you drink it, with a sweet fruity aroma and an alcohol content of 85%... Is it a bit stingy as a gift for you?"

Ichiryu leaned on his cane, his gaze sweeping over the bottle, and a smile appeared on his deep brown face: "How is it stingy, Toriko? The legendary rainbow fruit, paired with such an alcohol content, is already quite magnificent."

"It's just that your standards are too low, old man." Toriko sat down casually in a nearby rattan chair.

Lin Luo also stepped forward and snapped his fingers lightly. With a faint flash of light, a pile of vegetables still dripping with crystal water droplets and emitting a crisp fragrance appeared on the side table—plump and red tomatoes, straight and emerald-green cucumbers, and succulent white radishes. They were fresh goods from the Sky Vegetable Garden.

Butler Modan also timely brought out a plate of richly flavored dried squid.

Chairman Ichiryu's gaze fell on the vegetables and then turned to Lin Luo, a flash of indiscernible sharpness passing through his eyes: "You must be Lin Luo, right? Little guy, we finally meet.""}],