Interception

But suddenly, Lin Shuguang's expression changed.

Not far away, more than a dozen hunters with blood-smeared faces charged straight toward him without hesitation.

Behind them, a force of at least a hundred Desolate Ghost Apes roared in pursuit, a dark mass whose thunderous advance sent dust flying throughout the forest.

The band of hunters was about to be surrounded by the Desolate Ghost Apes.

"Help us! Or we'll all die here!"

The speaker was a rough-looking, burly man holding a bloodstained axe in each hand.

His name was Jiang Songhao, and he was the captain of this hunting party.

He had led his team out to hunt today, only to land them in serious trouble and find themselves pursued relentlessly by a troop of Desolate Ghost Apes.

In fact, he had been the first to spot Lin Shuguang and had immediately led his team charging over.

He had worked out a neat little scheme. Regardless of Lin Shuguang's strength, one more sacrificial pawn would shoulder some of their danger. They might even use him to escape unscathed.

However,

before Jiang Songhao had even finished speaking, Lin Shuguang was already moving. Ignoring the hunting party, he turned and ran.

Save them?

He had no intention of throwing his life away!

He was also furious that their leader had deliberately drawn the Desolate Ghost Apes toward him. The man clearly wanted to drag him down with them.

Lin Shuguang turned and fled without hesitation, and Jiang Songhao's expression immediately darkened at the sight.

He had thought he could intimidate Lin Shuguang with words because he was young, but the young man proved far more clearheaded than he had expected.

Looking back, he saw that more than a dozen exceptionally fast Desolate Ghost Apes had already caught up. The massive force behind them was about to reach them as well, and their situation was growing increasingly dire.

"Lize, do it!"

Jiang Songhao roared. Under the others' protection, the team's only Fire Elementalist began forming hand seals, and the Soul Ring on his hand suddenly blazed with dazzling light.

In an instant, seven or eight cannonball-like fireballs shot from his hands.

Boom!

One fireball happened to land right beside Lin Shuguang. A tree five men could barely encircle was blasted down on the spot. Flames erupted and splashed everywhere, and the tremendous shock wave nearly sent Lin Shuguang flying.

Lin Shuguang's face filled with shock and anger.

He had meant them no harm, yet they kept pushing him!

"You're asking to die!"

"If we die, you're dying too! If you want to live, get over here and help us!" Holding his twin broad axes, Jiang Songhao hacked a Desolate Ghost Ape down with a single blow, acting as though he had Lin Shuguang at his mercy.

Lin Shuguang's expression turned cold. Being forced to stop had cost him his chance, and two Desolate Ghost Apes were already lunging at him from either side.

A fierce gust struck his face, carrying a foul, bloody stench.

Lin Shuguang hurriedly dodged, pivoting on his feet and swiftly shifting his entire body aside.

A long furrow scored the blood-red sand. As dust rose, Lin Shuguang reached forward with his right hand. The Slaughter Blade appeared out of thin air, and he caught it in one smooth motion.

The next instant!

A savage blade flash surged forth with a furious howl, like thunder, slashing toward the two Desolate Ghost Apes lunging through the air!

Crack! Crack!

Two gruesome sounds of snapping bone rang out in an instant.

[Kill successful. Seized 3 cal of Blood Energy Value!]

[Kill successful. Seized 3 cal of Blood Energy Value!]

Almost simultaneously, two headless bodies crashed to the ground, spraying blood.

Fluid, clean, and decisive!

Not far away, Jiang Songhao saw Lin Shuguang's attack clearly. His eyes immediately lit up, and he told his companions in a low, delighted voice, "He's strong! With him here, he can take most of the pressure off us. Everyone, charge toward him!"

"Got it!" Several men rushed over, as though Lin Shuguang's life were worth nothing at all!

Meanwhile, having dealt with the immediate danger, Lin Shuguang knew full well he could not stay here. Seeing Jiang Songhao and the others still shamelessly trying to make him their sacrificial pawn, he gave a cold smile.

He slashed at the broken trunk beside him, then kicked it viciously.

The next second, the trunk, thick enough to take five men to encircle, shot forward like a cannonball, sweeping toward Jiang Songhao and the others to block their path.

None of them had expected Lin Shuguang to actually dare fight back!

At such a critical moment, even a second's delay was no different from sticking their heads into a Desolate Ghost Ape's gaping, bloody maw.

Horror filled Jiang Songhao's and the others' eyes, and they cried out in shock and fury!

"Bastard! I'll kill you!!!"

Lin Shuguang broke out of the encirclement, leaving them with one remark. "If you want to kill me, survive this first!"

"Bastard!" Jiang Songhao flew into a rage.

The words had barely left his mouth.

"Brother Hao, save me-ah!!!"

A scream rang out.

Lize had just unleashed his fireballs when a claw suddenly seized his left ankle. Five steel-like talons gouged five holes straight into it, blood gushing out in a gruesome sight.

He had already used the Fireball Technique several times during their flight and was long since exhausted. Now, suddenly caught, his face drained of color.

In an instant!

Before Lize could scream again, he was dragged, his face twisted with terror, into the pursuing Desolate Ghost Apes and quickly swallowed from sight.

Blood sprayed everywhere. The sounds of his body being torn apart made everyone's scalp crawl.

Immediately afterward, three more men struck by the broken trunk fell prey to the Desolate Ghost Apes and were torn apart. The scene was utterly horrific.

Jiang Songhao dared not look back. He wished every swing of his twin broad axes could do the work of ten as he desperately hacked a bloody path out. His hatred for Lin Shuguang reached its peak.

Half an hour later.

At the edge of the Blood Forest.

Covered in blood, Jiang Songhao staggered out alongside a sword-carrying young man. Both were dressed in rags and breathing hard.

Their escape from death had been hard-won.

Eleven of their brothers had died, and only the two of them had escaped in the end. It sounded tragic and heroic, yet there was no trace of grief on Jiang Songhao's face. Whenever he thought of Lin Shuguang, he wanted to flay the fellow alive.

In his view, without that broken trunk Lin Shuguang had kicked at them, they would never have suffered such devastating losses.

"Brother Hao, what do we do now? Xiao Li, Liangzi, Weitian-they're all dead... We're the only two left in the whole team," the sword-carrying young man said, his face pale. The thought of what they had just endured still left him shaken.

Jiang Songhao came back to his senses and gave him an indifferent glance. "I know. I'll avenge them myself," he said coldly.

The sword-carrying young man seemed to sink into regret. "Brother Hao, we shouldn't have provoked that man in the first place. Otherwise-"

"Enough! That bastard did this to us!" Jiang Songhao roared savagely. Afterward, however, he returned to normal. Taking two deep breaths, he sneered. "We lost a lot of brothers, but we didn't come away empty-handed. I already got the Treasure Medicine those Desolate Ghost Apes were guarding. Why else do you think those beasts kept chasing us?"

"Brother Hao, you mean-!" The sword-carrying young man was startled.

Jiang Songhao glanced back at the Blood Forest they had just escaped. "I'll take you back first, then return here. The Desolate Ghost Apes should have withdrawn by then. Most of our earlier spoils are still there. That's the capital we need to make a comeback!"

Hearing this, the young man with the severed arm immediately grew excited again. "Right, we can go back and pick up what's left. I remember Xiao Li and the others still had quite a few backpacks full of spoils."

"Say, aren't you celebrating a little too soon?"

Suddenly, a voice rang out.

Jiang Songhao's and the sword-carrying young man's expressions changed at once. Looking up, they saw Lin Shuguang approaching step by step, a large blade gleaming coldly on his shoulder.

He held the blade across their path, blocking their way.

Lin Shuguang regarded them coldly. "Hand it over, and I'll spare your lives!"