After Qian Yun finished his move, Hu Liena immediately grabbed his hand and bolted forward without a word. Against the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's overwhelming strength, any tricks were useless.
So they didn't try to use the forest's complicated terrain to slow it down. That would only trap them in their own scheme. Running in a straight line was the only way to make the most of their speed.
As it turned out, she'd made the right choice. Just a few breaths after they left, the patch of turf Qian Yun had kicked up had barely landed when an even more unstoppable force slammed into the ground, leaving behind a deep claw mark.
At the same time, the measure Qian Yun had left behind finally took effect. Just as the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear had steadied itself, the earth beneath its feet suddenly began to churn like a whirlpool. A hard rock then burst through the fragile turf and shot upward, striking the bear just behind its forepaws—in other words, right in the belly.
Caught off guard, the massive Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear staggered.
"Roar—!"
An ordinary rock naturally couldn't hurt it in the slightest, but that brief delay was enough for the two loathsome two-legged Spirit Beasts to disappear from sight.
In a fit of rage, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear swept its paw across the ground, shattering the ancient stone that had lain buried there for years as though it were made of foam.
The bear emerged slowly from the swirling dust. It didn't rush after them. Instead, it lifted its head and sniffed the air. The two Spirit Beasts hadn't been very strong, so they couldn't have gotten far before stopping. It could track them by the scent they'd left in the air. After a moment, it