220: Chapter 220 Besieged by wolves in front and tigers behind

Chapter 22: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

"For the next part of the journey, please help me take care of Wan Wan. I'll clear the path."

Jin Yi had just suffered such severe injuries protecting Wan Wan. Even with the ointment applied, he needed time to recover. That's why Yan Lie made such a request.

Yan Lie's sudden proposal made Jin Yi lift his head, his brows slightly furrowing.

"No need. I'm fine." Jin Yi's voice remained steady.

Yan Lie, unusually, did not back down.

He took a step forward, his gaze sweeping over Jin Yi's still-bleeding wound. "We all need to survive and get out of here. This is the most logical arrangement."

Jin Yi was a powerful asset. If something happened to him, the chances of Yan Lie safely escaping with Wan Wan were extremely low.

If he had a choice, he would want to personally take care of Wan Wan as well.

But now, Wan Wan's safety had to be the top priority in everything.

Bai Wanwan also felt Jin Yi needed proper rest now. Turning to face him, she said, "I'm sorry, but could you carry me on your back for a while?"

He should have refused. But when those clear eyes looked at him, the words on the tip of his tongue turned into a simple, "Mm."

After getting his reply, Bai Wanwan didn't dawdle. She immediately started climbing onto his Beast Form.

She couldn't expect Jin Yi to be as considerate as her own Beast Husband, crouching down to make it easier for her to climb.

Jin Yi's entire body was tense as iron. Bai Wanwan's fingers occasionally brushed against his sensitive fur, feeling like something was incessantly scratching at his heart.

After struggling for a long time, Bai Wanwan finally managed to climb onto his back.

No Female had ever ridden on his back before. Even though he had nearly undergone the Pairing Ceremony with Zhuo Ling before, they had never been this close.

Bai Wanwan also sensed the Male's tense muscles and deliberately kept some distance.

"Wan Wan, are you settled?" Yan Lie, on guard ahead, glanced back at her.

"Yes."

She deliberately propped herself up with her arms, trying to maintain distance from Jin Yi, unaware that such fleeting touches were even more torturous.

"Hold on tight." Jin Yi growled lowly, forcefully suppressing the strange sensations surging within him. He leaped nimbly to catch up with Yan Lie's pace.

The forest sped past them.

They swiftly navigated through the forest, with Jin Yi constantly reminding Yan Lie which direction to take.

Suddenly, a small wave of wild beasts appeared ahead, blocking their path.

Just as Yan Lie was about to charge through, Jin Yi reminded him from behind, "Avoid them. Go left..."

Yan Lie immediately changed direction. The beasts, seeing their prey trying to escape, immediately gave chase.

Yan Lie slowed his pace, letting Jin Yi go first before closely following.

Those beasts couldn't match the speed of a Yellow-Tier Talent beastman and were soon left far behind.

With each successive jolt, Bai Wanwan ultimately couldn't hold on any longer and ended up leaning forward, wrapping her arms around Jin Yi's neck.

"Sorry."

Her soft chest pressed against his spine, her warm breath spraying near his ear.

Jin Yi stiffened all over. The unique sweet fragrance of a Female, mixed with the scent of blood, flooded his nostrils. An unprecedented wave of heat instantly swept through his entire body.

Jin Yi didn't answer. He just suddenly accelerated, letting the night wind swallow his ragged breaths.

More and more beast hordes appeared ahead. Simply avoiding them was no longer feasible.

Yan Lie fought desperately at the forefront.

Doing his utmost to block all beasts trying to get close to Bai Wanwan.

"Yan Lie, see that mountain ahead? Head there. There's a Cave inside, and an Underground River. We can follow it down."

"Alright."

Upon hearing Jin Yi's reminder, Yan Lie charged forward with all his might.

The wounds on his body multiplied, blood streaming down. Bai Wanwan's heart ached terribly seeing it.

Yet he fought on, drenched in blood, as if he couldn't feel the pain.

A large group of beasts blocked the way ahead, seemingly waiting for them to exhaust themselves before tearing them apart and devouring them.

"Yan Lie, it's no good, we can't go up! Retreat first, avoid these beasts for now."

Hearing this, Yan Lie immediately pulled back.

From then on, Jin Yi could no longer give directions, as the paths he indicated were often blocked by large numbers of beasts.

Yan Lei fighting alone was already very strenuous. Jin Yi wanted to step forward several times but was hindered by the Female on his back.

The Female was the greatest weakness. If he wasn't careful and a predator appeared from behind, she could be snatched away directly.

But Bai Wanwan couldn't just stand by and watch Yan Lie get hurt. She couldn't help but push at Jin Yi's neck. "Don't worry about me. Go help him."

Bai Wanwan retrieved a watermelon knife she had bought earlier from her system space.

She wrapped one arm tightly around Jin Yi's neck and swung the knife forcefully with the other, trying to deter the eager beasts around them.

But the beasts had gone mad, completely ignoring her threats. Knowing their feast was right before their eyes, they pounced and snapped at them frantically.

Seeing Jin Yi charge over, despite being covered in wounds, Yan Lie roared at him with eyes wide in fury, "You take Wan Wan and leave first!"

"No!" Bai Wanwan flatly refused. "We face this together. I have a knife. If they try to bite me, I'll stab them."

As she spoke, a beast lunged to bite at her.

Jin Yi reacted, swiping a claw at it, but another beast pounced from the other side.

Bai Wanwan looked at the gaping maw and directly stabbed the knife towards the beast's eye.

Aroo!

In pain, the beast landed and rolled around frantically.

Both Yan Lie and Jin Yi were stunned by Bai Wanwan's action.

But before they could react further, they were forced to engage in the ensuing battle.

The two Males coordinated with each other, and with Bai Wanwan constantly delivering finishing blows, they barely managed to retreat from the encirclement.

"How do we go now?" Yan Lie felt like a headless fly, thinking the forest was too vast to ever find a way out.

"Now, any direction is the same. Perhaps we can check the Cliff to the west. If there are no Eagle Beasts there, we can rest temporarily."

The endless battles rapidly drained their stamina. They needed to eat and rest to be in better condition for the fights ahead.

Yan Lie immediately turned and headed west.

They hadn't run far when Bai Wanwan, behind Jin Yi, saw that the end of the forest ahead was a bare stone slab.

"I'll go check if it's safe."

After speaking, Yan Lie quickly ran to the edge of the Cliff, looking down to assess the nearby situation.

"There are no Eagle Beasts here. It's safe. Let's go rest in the Cave below."

As soon as Yan Lie's voice fell, an ape's cry sounded from above.

All three of them looked up. A gray, long-haired monkey, larger than an adult lion, was rapidly climbing down the Cliff above, clearly targeting them.

"It's a Mutated Beast!"

Jin Yi's tone turned grave. "Fall back into the forest."

Yan Lie quickly retreated, but before they had run ten meters, the beasts that had been tracking them had surrounded them from behind.

For the first time, Bai Wanwan deeply understood what it meant to be between a rock and a hard place. Despair and helplessness suddenly clouded the hearts of all three like a dark shadow.