Ink Jiao

"Roar..."

The white tiger stopped at the sound, gave a low growl, dipped its head slightly, then quickly left.

Xie Jinghan hurried back too, leading Black Boy and the other two in a headlong sprint.

"Run! Hurry!"

The four of them charged through the dark cavern and reached the gorge.

By then, the wolves at the cave entrance had long since scattered. Outside, all was quiet.

Without pausing, Xie Jinghan and the others stepped out of the gorge and prepared to return to the dense forest to meet up with the village chief and the rest.

BOOM!!!

The entire earth suddenly shuddered violently!

The ground shook and the mountains swayed!

It was as if a great earthquake had struck.

Loose stones tumbled, rock strata split open, and water from the underground river and molten lava poured out.

Black Boy, Zhao Wen, and Zhao Wu struggled to keep their footing, their faces deathly pale.

Xie Jinghan's expression turned grave.

Before he could work out what had happened—

"Awooooo~~~~~~~~~~"

Another cry rang across heaven and earth, angrier and more savage than the last.

The next instant!

The gorge below exploded, and a massive Ink Jiao dozens of yards long burst from the earth into the sky.

The Ink Jiao was pitch-black and covered in scales. Its body coiled above the gorge, its enormous head raised. A single horn crowned its head, and two sharp claws jutted from its forebody.

A terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the entire mountain forest.

A pair of crimson slit-pupiled eyes swept coldly across the hills.

Then they turned toward Xie Jinghan.

"This is bad!"

Xie Jinghan cried out in alarm.

In an instant, he understood. The Earthfire Lotus Seed's aura wasn't completely sealed off.

The white tiger and Azure Wolf swallowed theirs whole. The Earthfire Lotus Seeds were digested and absorbed, so their auras can't be detected.

But I'm carrying mine, and my method of sealing its aura isn't very good.

This Ink Jiao has locked onto me!

"You three, run! I'll draw it away!"

Xie Jinghan shouted. He made his decision on the spot, leaped forward, changed direction, and sprinted flat out the other way.

High above, the Ink Jiao's slit-pupiled eyes stayed fixed on Xie Jinghan's fleeing figure, their gaze icy.

It watched him with mocking amusement, as though he were a grasshopper still hopping about after autumn.

Its coiled body unfurled. Like a swimming dragon, it chased the wind and raced the lightning, moving at the very limit of speed.

In a heartbeat, it was right behind Xie Jinghan!

"Third Formation: Giant Gate Seals the Frontier!"

With no way to evade it, Xie Jinghan gritted his teeth and activated the Seven-Star Big Dipper Sword Formation. Sword energy surged skyward.

The seven Moonlit Night Swords hummed and shook wildly. The Seven-Star Big Dipper Sword Formation shifted frantically, transforming into seven enormous gates that sealed the Ink Jiao within.

Xie Jinghan fled at top speed.

Disdain flashed in the Ink Jiao's eyes. It flicked its thick tail.

BANG! BANG! BANG!!!

Terrifying force crashed down.

The next instant!

The newly formed Seven-Star Big Dipper Sword Formation shattered. All seven Moonlit Night Swords were flung away, slipped from his control, and fell to the ground.

"Pfft!"

Xie Jinghan stumbled as he retreated at full speed. His blood churned, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

So strong!

What terrifying power!

Xie Jinghan's expression grew grave. This was the strongest opponent he had ever faced.

He had no time to retrieve the swords scattered on the ground.

He kept running.

"Awooo..."

Watching Xie Jinghan flee, the Ink Jiao raised its head and roared. It opened its jaws and spat out a thick jet of dark green water that shot straight toward him.

Xie Jinghan sensed it and glanced back. Every hair on his body stood on end.

"Leaping Art: Treading the Void!"

He threw himself aside and barely dodged it. The jet grazed past his shoulder.

It had missed by a hair's breadth.