Lin Qin rested at the canyon entrance for about an hour, bringing himself into peak condition. During that time, the other groups made their own final preparations. They remained distinctly separate, and the atmosphere was tense and oppressive.
The five armored warriors were the first to move. Their Eighth-level Warrior leader made a hand signal, and the five immediately formed a small battle formation. Their Battle Qi glimmered, faintly linking them together, as they cautiously stepped into the dense fog. Their figures were quickly swallowed by the churning gray-white mist.
Next came the three mages. The red-haired old archmage swept his staff, and a pale red barrier of flame enveloped the trio, shielding them from some of the fog's corrosive effects. They entered soon after.
The woman with the longbow on her back glanced at the black-robed man. He gave a slight nod, and the two silently slipped into the fog like phantoms, moving at great speed.
Lin Qin was the last to set out. He used no flashy defenses, simply concentrating his mental power and scanning the area within ten meters of himself like a radar. Meanwhile, the Earth Battle Qi within him circulated slowly, ready to erupt into his strongest defense or attack at any moment. He stepped into the dense fog.
The moment he entered the mist, his vision worsened drastically. Visibility was less than five meters. The air was damp and cold, and even more unsettling was the fog's apparent ability to suppress and disrupt mental power. His range of perception shrank considerably, and his senses grew somewhat hazy. Faint sounds came from all around him, their sources impossible to make out—like wind passing through cracks in the rocks, or some creature crawling or whispering. They unsettled his mind.
He gripped his broadsword and advanced steadily along a path that looked as if others had taken it before, heading deeper into the canyon. Soft, slippery mud and jagged rocks lay beneath his feet. All around him was dead silence; only his own breathing and heartbeat could be heard clearly.
After traveling about half a kilometer, a sudden change struck!
The fog ahead and to one side churned violently. A shadow shot out like lightning, lunging straight for Lin Qin's neck! It was a small but incredibly fast creature, shaped like a lizard, with two pairs of wings as thin as a cicada's and a tail tipped with a poisonous barb—a sixth-level magical beast, the Mist-Hidden Poison Lizard!
Lin Qin had kept his mental power extended the whole time, and he sensed the creature the instant it leapt. He did not panic. Turning slightly, he dodged its attack while sweeping his broadsword sideways as if he had anticipated its move.
Smack!
The broadsword struck the Mist-Hidden Poison Lizard squarely in the side, sending it flying into the nearby cliff wall with a powerful blow. It let out a pained cry. Before it could hit the ground, Lin Qin swept his left hand, and a sharp Earth Spike Spear burst from beneath it, impaling it.
The battle began and ended in a flash. Lin Qin stepped forward and deftly removed the lizard's poison sac and Magic Crystal Core. This kind of magical beast excelled at stealth and ambush, making it extremely dangerous in the mist. But against Lin Qin, with his keen senses and quick reactions, it posed little threat.
He continued deeper into the canyon. The farther he went, the thicker the fog seemed to become, and the stronger its suppression of his mental power grew. Along the way, he found traces of battles: marks where blades had struck rock, blackened patches scorched by magic, and even a skeleton picked clean by scavengers. Broken weapons and scraps of clothing lay scattered beside it. The remains clearly belonged to one of the explorers who had gone missing earlier.
He also encountered several dangers unique to the canyon. One was an invisible energy current that suddenly surged from the fog like a sharp blade. If he had not reacted quickly, blocking it with his broadsword and shielding himself with Battle Qi, he might have been injured. Another was a strange hallucinogenic pollen that drifted from some brightly colored, mushroom-like plants. Only his powerful mental strength and the slight calming effect of the protective talisman Aileen had given him kept him from being deceived.
At times, he also heard the sounds of battle and explosions from distant directions, clearly indicating that the other groups had been attacked. He had no intention of investigating and stayed focused on his own route.
A day later, Lin Qin reached a relatively open field of rubble inside the canyon. The fog seemed a little thinner there, but the energy fluctuations were more chaotic and intense. He decided to rest briefly and carefully sense the source of the abnormal fluctuations.
Not long after he sat down, the sound of hurried footsteps and violent energy collisions came from ahead. The three mages rushed over in a sorry state. One of the Fire Element mages had scorch marks on his robe and seemed to have sustained a minor injury. Behind them, the fog churned as a scorching, savage presence pursued them relentlessly.
Roar!
A deafening growl rang out. A massive beast burst through the fog and appeared in Lin Qin's sight. Dark red scales covered its body, and a single horn grew from its head. Its eyes were bloodred, and it breathed out scorching, sulfurous fumes. Its overwhelming pressure was suffocating—a level-eight magical beast, the Crimson Flame Fierce Ape!
The Crimson Flame Fierce Ape had clearly been provoked by the mages and was doggedly pursuing them. The red-haired old archmage kept unleashing powerful Fire Element magic, but it barely affected the ape's scales and only made it more ferocious. The other two mages desperately cast defensive and restraining spells, but could do little more than slow it down.
They spotted Lin Qin sitting among the rubble. A glint of urgency flashed in the red-haired elder's eyes as he shouted, "Friend! Please help us! This beast is incredibly tough. We can't shake it on our own!"
Lin Qin calmly surveyed the battle. The Crimson Flame Fierce Ape was extraordinarily powerful. In a direct fight, even if he gave it everything he had, he might not gain the upper hand. But the situation was dire. If the ape took care of the mages, he would likely be its next target. Besides, fighting powerful opponents—or beasts—was exactly why he had come.
Without hesitation, he sprang to his feet, broadsword in hand. The peak seventh-level Battle Qi within him surged at full power, and he charged toward the Crimson Flame Fierce Ape's flank like an arrow loosed from a bow!
His arrival immediately changed the course of the battle. Lin Qin did not try to meet the ape head-on. Instead, he used his relatively agile footwork and steady swordplay to keep attacking its joints, eyes, and other relatively vulnerable spots. Though his blows could not inflict a fatal wound, they greatly disrupted its movements and forced it to divide its attention.
"Now's our chance!" Seeing this, the red-haired elder's spirits lifted. His chanting suddenly grew louder and more arcane, and the Magic Crystal Core at the tip of his staff blazed with dazzling red light! He was clearly preparing a powerful single-target attack spell.
The other two mages also gave it everything they had. One summoned a multitude of Flame Shackles to bind the ape's legs, while the other kept casting Earth Sink Technique to create pits and restrict its movement.
The Crimson Flame Fierce Ape was enraged by Lin Qin's harassment. Sensing the terrifying fluctuations of magic coming from the old archmage, it suddenly reared up on its hind legs and swung a massive fist, packed with Destruction, straight at Lin Qin as he circled around it!
The blow was astonishingly powerful. Its force sent gravel flying in every direction.
Lin Qin's eyes narrowed. He knew he could not take the blow head-on. He rapidly retreated, his feet moving in quick succession, while his left hand slammed against the ground!
Rumble—
A huge stone wall, far thicker and wider than any he had made before, burst from the ground. A faint ocher light flowed across its surface. This was a defense constructed by drawing on nearly all his mental power and his deepest understanding of the earth element!
Boom!!!
The Crimson Flame Fierce Ape's massive fist slammed into the wall! Amid the deafening crash, the wall shuddered violently, its surface instantly covered with a web of cracks. Stones rained down, but the wall did not break at once. It stubbornly blocked the terrifying blow!
The force of the impact sent Lin Qin's blood and qi roiling. He staggered back several steps, but he had successfully bought the old archmage precious time!
At that moment, the red-haired old archmage completed his spell!
Flame Heaven-Burning Spear!
A several-meter-long spear formed entirely of highly compressed, blazing white flames appeared out of thin air. With a shrill whistle that tore through the air, it shot at a speed too fast for the eye to follow, striking the relatively weakly defended underside of the Crimson Flame Fierce Ape's armpit, exposed as it swung its fist!
Thud!
The flaming spear plunged into the Crimson Flame Fierce Ape without resistance! Extreme heat erupted in an instant!
Aaargh—!!
The Crimson Flame Fierce Ape let out a world-shaking scream, its massive body convulsing violently. Its wound was charred black, and its innards could even be seen, seared by the flames! It thrashed its arms wildly, smashing the surrounding rocks to pieces as its strength rapidly ebbed.
Now!
Lin Qin forced down the roiling blood and qi within him, a flash of light in his eyes. He drove off the ground, and he and his broadsword became almost a single ocher streak. Uniting sword and body, he concentrated all his Battle Qi and strength at the tip of his blade and thrust it like a drill toward the beast's enormous head, thrown back in agony!
Shing—!
The broadsword, carrying Lin Qin's full-force attack, drove with unerring precision through the Crimson Flame Fierce Ape's gaping mouth and pierced its brain.
The ape's roar cut off abruptly. Its enormous body went rigid for a moment, then crashed to the ground, sending dust billowing into the air.
The battle was over.
Lin Qin pulled out his broadsword and leaned on it, breathing slightly hard. The sustained bursts of effort and that final, decisive thrust had taken a heavy toll on him.
The three mages also breathed a sigh of relief, their faces showing the relief of those who had narrowly escaped death. The red-haired old archmage walked up to Lin Qin and gave him a solemn mage's bow. "Thank you for coming to our aid, friend! I am Herbert, a Fire Element mage. These two are my companions. If you hadn't held that beast back, we might not have survived."
"Lin Qin." Lin Qin gave his name and nodded in acknowledgment. His gaze fell on the Crimson Flame Fierce Ape's corpse. An eighth-level magical beast was a treasure from head to toe.
Herbert was an astute old man and immediately understood what Lin Qin meant. Smiling, he said, "Lin Qin, you and our group killed this Crimson Flame Fierce Ape together, so naturally we should share the spoils. Its Magic Crystal Core, horn, and heart's blood are the most valuable. How about dividing those equally among the three parties? As for its hide and bones, you may take them all if you want." He had proposed a relatively fair arrangement, clearly hoping to befriend Lin Qin, a powerful warrior.
Lin Qin had no objection. He valued what he gained from actual combat more; as long as the material spoils were divided fairly, that was enough.
Just as they were about to divide the spoils, another change struck!
The abnormal energy fluctuations that had persisted deep in the canyon suddenly grew incredibly intense! It was as if something had awakened, or had reached some kind of tipping point. An overwhelming pressure, far more terrifying and immense than the Crimson Flame Fierce Ape's, swept in like a tide from the very heart of the canyon, engulfing the entire rubble field!
The pressure carried an ancient, primeval quality, along with the rhythm of the pure laws of the earth element!
Lin Qin, Herbert, and the other two mages all paled beneath that pressure!
"This... this is..." Feeling the heart-pounding fluctuations of the laws, Herbert's voice trembled. "Could it be... a Saint Realm earth-element magical beast? Or... has some kind of Heaven and Earth Wonder appeared?"
Lin Qin's heart began to race uncontrollably as well. The Battle Qi within him—and especially his perception of the earth element—grew unusually active beneath the pressure. He felt that the bottleneck in his cultivation, which had remained unchanged for some time, was beginning to loosen!
An opportunity! An enormous opportunity was right before him! But with it came unimaginable danger!
"Let's go take a look!" Lin Qin said without hesitation, gazing resolutely toward the direction from which the pressure came. He took the lead, racing toward the canyon's core.
Herbert and the other two exchanged glances, each seeing the other's longing and fear. In the end, their desire for a chance at this opportunity overcame their fear.
"Follow him!" Herbert gritted his teeth and quickly led his two companions after Lin Qin.
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