Chapter 21: Prison Mountain

Metal and the seagull entered the primeval forest one after the other.

The Rust Tide King still needed to rely on the latter to reach the skies above. She glanced up; the immense pterosaur monster was still soaring overhead, circling leisurely, occasionally letting out a deep, resonant cry, savoring the freedom borne by the wind.

It seemed as though the sky above this forest belonged solely to it.

Compared to the mutated seagull, their sizes were as disparate as a sparrow to a hawk.

But this time, Ye Mi no longer shrank away upon losing sight of the monster. She guided the seagull, like an arrow released from its bow, straight and unhesitatingly toward the colossal, imperious figure overhead.

The vast canopy below blurred into a haze of deep green as they sped forward, the rushing wind roaring in Ye Mi’s ears.

The pterosaur's large golden eyes instantly locked onto the provocative newcomer.

Its previously tranquil demeanor vanished in a flash; its massive head whipped around, letting out a roar so furious it reverberated through the air, shaking the leaves below.

That roar struck like a tangible hammer, making the giant foliage beneath tremble.

It could not fathom why this insect-like creature dared to brazenly invade its airspace.

Courting death!

The pterosaur’s leathery wings beat fiercely, whipping up violent gusts as its enormous body became a plunging streak of white light. Its razor-sharp beak and claws, capable of seizing a car, gleamed with menace, all directed at the audacious seagull.

It meant to tear the intruder to shreds.

Yet, this was precisely what Ye Mi desired.

Under her precise control, the seagull executed a nearly impossible maneuver—right when the talons were about to strike, it shot upward abruptly.

The fragile bird body couldn’t entirely evade; it was instantly torn, feathers and flesh scattering.

In that split-second, the Rust Tide King seemed to shed the bounds of gravity. Her metallic form took shape, and, leveraging the seagull’s last upward momentum, she leapt with precision, crashing heavily onto the pterosaur’s thick, scale-covered neck.

Everything unfolded exactly as Ye Mi had planned.

“Hiss—!”

The pterosaur, startled, let out a cry utterly unlike before.

The foreign weight and icy sensation at its neck alerted it to danger.

It thrashed violently, spiraling and diving, performing aerial feats of stunning difficulty. Its broad wings beat furiously, stirring up wild winds, as it tried to shake off the alien presence clinging to its neck.

Ye Mi laughed softly. Think you can throw me off?

The Rust Tide King’s metallic filaments had already burrowed deep into the gaps between the pterosaur’s neck scales, like parasites embedded in bone. No matter how desperately it struggled, it could not budge her.

Her estimation was spot-on: though intimidating, the monster’s fatal weakness was its inability to handle threats from behind.

Below, the ancient forest rocked with the pterosaur’s tumultuous movements—enormous trees spun and tilted in her field of vision, forming a dizzying scene.

If this continued, Ye Mi’s mental stamina would be rapidly depleted.

A swift victory was needed.

That thought flashed through her mind; she did not hesitate.

Taking advantage of the pterosaur’s distraction and panic, several silver threads quietly flowed from the Rust Tide King’s metal palm, slipping into the gaps of the pterosaur’s scales and, like lightning, piercing deep into its flesh.

Almost instantly, the huge body stiffened.

The next moment, the flames of anger in its eyes extinguished, replaced by a calm, icy gaze.

It was the expression Ye Mi wore when facing adversaries.

The monsters of this planet were no match for the psychics of Ling City in terms of mental strength; for Ye Mi, controlling them was almost effortless.

Soon, Ye Mi claimed this new body.

Feeling the expansive vision and speed the pterosaur offered, she prepared to guide it back to the teleportation gate.

But in the next second, an abrupt change occurred—

“Hiss—!!”

From the distant edge of the forest, another powerful, piercing cry echoed through the clouds.

The sound was familiar, as if it had exploded in her ears not long ago. Ye Mi immediately recognized it as the call of another pterosaur—its kin!

She realized in an instant that these airborne giants belonged to a clan!

The pterosaur’s cry when in danger was not merely a reaction, but a summons for its companions.

Ye Mi’s mind went on highest alert.

Though she now controlled the pterosaur, outwardly nothing seemed amiss, but she could not predict how formidable the approaching reinforcements might be, nor whether they would detect the presence of the Rust Tide King.

She dared not risk it, guiding the pterosaur to descend toward the teleportation gate. Its immense wings whipped up winds, flattening the giant ferns around.

Only then did Ye Mi notice a critical problem—

Even with its wings folded, the pterosaur’s body was so massive it dwarfed the entire teleportation structure—let alone squeezing through the gate itself.

This was a detail Ye Mi had completely overlooked.

"...A miscalculation."

For once, Ye Mi felt a touch of frustration and astonishment. No matter how meticulous, she had her oversights.

The sound of wings beating drew closer with astonishing speed, racing toward the forest canopy.

Without hesitation, Ye Mi commanded the Rust Tide King to slip through the teleportation gate and withdraw, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Immediately, she soared upward, confronting the incoming pterosaur head-on, conveniently blocking its view of the teleportation structure below.

This pterosaur was equally imposing, its overall skin hue tending toward red, but its form was nearly identical to the one Ye Mi inhabited—a clear sign they were of the same kind.

The red pterosaur’s golden slit pupils locked onto her, brimming with pressure.

“Hiss—?”

Seeing its kin apparently unharmed, the red pterosaur let out a questioning cry, its voice making the leaves below tremble.

Having taken control of the pterosaur, Ye Mi had also mastered its language; at that moment, the red pterosaur’s cry translated automatically in her mind.

It was asking, "What happened?"

Ye Mi mimicked the pterosaur’s speech, responding with reassurance, telling it all was well.

The red pterosaur circled her suspiciously, its thick tail sweeping the treetops, rustling the foliage.

Ye Mi sensed its sharp gaze searching her, as if trying to discern something hidden.

But soon, seeing Ye Mi indeed unharmed, it relaxed slightly.

“Prison Mountain is about to awaken,” the red pterosaur suddenly said, “Don’t let anything happen. Be careful.”

Prison Mountain? What was that?

Ye Mi felt a stir in her heart, replying impassively that she understood.

Seeing her perfunctory response, the red pterosaur said nothing more, finally scanning the area one last time. Satisfied nothing was amiss, it beat its broad wings and quickly vanished into the clouds.

The storm had passed.

Still pondering the mystery of Prison Mountain, Ye Mi returned to the alien structure, sorting through fragments of memory for a long, long time.