Above the Swamp Forest, a pair of green-scaled wings spread wide, gliding smoothly on the rising air currents.
Chen Yu rode comfortably on Xiaoka's back, passing over the burgeoning Gray Mist Lake fortress below. He wasn't in a hurry, instead having Xiaoka slow down and fly leisurely westward.
Meanwhile, on the forest path below connecting Riftstone Fortress and Tree Spirit Fortress, a peculiar procession was underway.
A group of Slime Scholars clutched all sorts of luggage with their soft little Gel hands—mostly small mortars, pestles, and sealed herb samples—as they sat securely on their Beetle mounts, migrating toward Riftstone Fortress.
When the escorting Slimes saw the familiar figure pass by in the sky, they grew excited at once.
They waved their little Gel hands vigorously, expressing their most enthusiastic and sincere greetings to their king.
"It's the King! The King has come to see us!"
"Wow, he looks so cool flying up there!"
