The crimson mist was like ink too dense to dissolve, wrapping around the figures of the four.
Qin He walked at the rear, "vigilantly" scanning the surroundings, when Long Qingyun's voice suddenly rang out in his sea of consciousness, carrying a shrewd, calculating smile. "Kid, you weren't planning to return completely unscathed, were you?"
"What do you mean?" Qin He remained outwardly calm, quietly reining in the fluctuations of the Source-Birth Law at his fingertips.
Long Qingyun's soul projection swayed within the Black Demon Banner. "This realm patrol was an extra assignment from the Realm Patrol Bureau to begin with, not part of your actual duties. If you can get 'injured' on this mission, then when the Divine Court sends you difficult work in the future, you can shut your doors to visitors and decline it with perfect justification."
"Besides, the other three are all injured, and not lightly at that. You alone are perfectly fine—wouldn't that make you the obvious standout? Surely this old man doesn't need to teach you what to do?"
Qin He raised a brow slightly. After mulling it over, enlightenment suddenly dawned on him.
This old fox Long Qingyun had truly lived for too long; his thoughts were remarkably meticulous.
Getting injured might seem like a disadvantage, but in truth, it was an excellent shield—an excuse that could spare him trouble later.
At least in the short term, it would still be useful.
"Understood."
Qin He answered within his sea of consciousness. He deliberately weakened his aura somewhat and slowed his steps, pretending to be disturbed by the lingering aftershocks of the laws.
Just then, two savage beast roars suddenly erupted from deep within the crimson mist, shaking their souls.
Two colossal creatures burst through the dense fog and blocked the four's path—two Flame-Prison Colossus