As the deep roars drew closer, the scouting party members gripped their weapons tightly and watched their surroundings warily. Chen Siyu quickly took the Five-Colored Ribbon in hand, while Chen Ruixuan pulled out his slingshot and gathered Spirit Power Pellets.
A massive shadow slowly emerged from the darkness. It was a demonic beast resembling a black panther, yet as large as a small mountain. Its eyes glowed blood-red, and an intense dark aura radiated from its body. Sharp fangs protruded from its gaping maw, sending chills down everyone's spine.
A Lingxi Tribe warrior said in a low voice, "That's a Dark Shadow Leopard. It's extremely vicious and skilled at concealing itself. We need to handle it carefully." Before he had even finished speaking, the Dark Shadow Leopard pounced like a bolt of black lightning, moving so quickly that they barely had time to react.
Chen Siyu hurriedly swung the Five-Colored Ribbon, which instantly transformed into a sturdy barrier that blocked the Dark Shadow Leopard's attack. Its claws scraped against the ribbon with a piercing screech, but they could not break through the barrier. Seizing the opportunity, Chen Ruixuan fired a Spirit Power Pellet at the Dark Shadow Leopard's eyes.
The Dark Shadow Leopard roared in pain and fury, then flashed away and vanished into the darkness. Knowing it had not truly left, no one dared let down their guard as they moved even more cautiously. Suddenly, several more dark figures sprang from the shadows at their side. They were smaller Shadow Leopards, lunging at the scouting party.
The Lingxi Tribe warriors cast their spells and engaged the smaller Shadow Leopards in battle. While directing the Five-Colored Ribbon to guard against another possible attack from the larger Shadow Leopard, Chen Siyu also diverted some of her power to help the warriors deal with the smaller ones. Under her teammates' cover, Chen Ruixuan continually searched for openings to attack the enemies' vital points with his slingshot.
Amid the fierce battle, one warrior was carelessly clawed by a smaller Shadow Leopard, and blood streamed from his wound. Seeing this, Chen Siyu swiftly wrapped the Five-Colored Ribbon around the beast and flung it far away with a powerful swing. But at that moment, an enraged roar came from the darkness. The larger Shadow Leopard attacked again, leaping high into the air and diving at Chen Siyu, its sharp claws aimed straight for her throat.
Chen Ruixuan's heart clenched with panic. "Sister!" he shouted. Throwing caution aside, he rushed forward, poured all his spirit power into the slingshot, and fired a pellet brimming with tremendous force. It struck the Dark Shadow Leopard squarely in the abdomen. Howling in pain, the Dark Shadow Leopard twisted in midair, changing the direction of its pounce before crashing heavily to the ground.
Seizing the chance, Chen Siyu shouted to her teammates, "Focus your strength and attack its abdomen! That's its weak point!" Hearing her words, everyone launched attacks at the Dark Shadow Leopard's abdomen. With their combined efforts, the Dark Shadow Leopard finally could no longer hold on. It let out a mournful cry, collapsed to the ground, and dissolved into a wisp of black smoke.
After the battle, the scouting party members were somewhat exhausted, but they knew they could not stop. After a brief rest, they continued deeper into the Dark Forest. As they advanced, the forest's dark aura grew increasingly dense, and the surrounding scenery became ever more bizarre. Strange symbols began appearing on the trees, as though they were telling secrets unknown to anyone.
Chen Siyu carefully studied the symbols and discovered that they bore some resemblance to the runes she had seen on the stone stele in the cave. She vaguely felt that these symbols might be the key clue to finding the mysterious person's hideout. Just as she prepared to examine them further, Chen Ruixuan suddenly pointed ahead and shouted, "Sister, look over there! There seems to be a Black Castle!" Everyone looked in the direction he indicated and saw the faint outline of a grim Black Castle emerging through the dark mist...
Before you continue