"Haha, Lin Dong, you truly are spirited!"
Seeing Lin Dong finally nod, Wu Yun couldn't help but laugh loudly, his face filled with excitement.
"Come, let me introduce you! This is Mu Langsha, from Mu Family Village. She's a good friend of mine. Hehe, don't look down on her just because she's a girl; she's already reached the Eighth Layer of Body Tempering, and her archery skills are superb. With her help, things will be a bit easier for us!"
Wu Yun pointed at the young girl on the tree and said with a smile.
"Mu Family Village?"
Lin Dong was slightly startled, but he still nodded. Mu Family Village had some reputation within a hundred-li radius of Qingyang Town; he had naturally heard of it.
"As far as I know, the Fire Python Tiger has about three cubs. If we succeed this time, each of us three will get one."
Wu Yun said with a smile.
"It's a bit too early to divide the spoils now. The Fire Python Tiger is no ordinary demonic beast. Even if it's heavily injured and weakened from childbirth, I'm afraid it will still be very difficult for us to subdue it, and we might even suffer some injuries."
Lin Dong shook his head, saying thoughtfully.
"Haha, don't worry! The Fire Python Tiger isn't what we should worry about. The main problem is Lei Li and his group. If I'm not mistaken, Lei Li has already stepped into the Earth Yuan Stage! With that strength, I'm afraid he's the strongest person in this hunt!"
Wu Yun, who had been smiling, suddenly sighed and said.
"Let's just head there and assess the situation."
Lin Dong nodded and said.
Hearing this, Wu Yun also nodded and looked at Mu Langsha, who was still in the tree. The agile young girl then jumped down, looked at Lin Dong, and said:
"Follow me!"
With that, she took the lead, quickly darting into the pine forest on the right. Lin Dong and Wu Yun quickly followed suit.
The three of them sped through the forest. Along the way, they encountered quite a few participants preparing to snatch identity tokens. But just as these individuals began to stir, an arrow suddenly tore through the air and struck the ground at their feet. Seeing this, all of them shivered. They all understood that if the owner of that arrow truly intended to act, there would likely be a bloody hole in their bodies.
Thanks to Mu Langsha's sharp archery skills, no one dared to make a move against the three of them along the way. Therefore, after more than ten minutes of traversing the forest, Mu Langsha's pace finally slowed a bit, her graceful and agile figure darting to hide behind a large tree. Her movements were so fluid and familiar, it was clear she knew this forest intimately.
"We're here!"
Wu Yun whispered to Lin Dong, who was behind him.
Hearing this, Lin Dong also took a few steps forward, and after looking ahead for a moment, he immediately became focused.
In Lin Dong's sight now was a clearing in the forest, where about ten people stood, armed with long wooden spears. Leading them were none other than Lei Li and Xie Yingying.
In the center of the group was a demonic beast over a zhang tall. Its entire body was covered in fiery red fur, its head was a ferocious and savage tiger's head, and its tail was coiled flexibly around its back. A snake-like tongue flicked in and out, making it look exactly like a fire python.
This form was very similar to the Fire Python Tiger that Lin Dong had seen in the Demonic Beast Compendium. However, the Fire Python Tiger, which was originally majestic and awe-inspiring, now seemed utterly helpless. Streams of fresh blood continuously gushed from its body, staining the entire ground crimson. Only after seeing the Fire Python Tiger's injuries did Lin Dong understand why Wu Yun had said there was nothing to worry about regarding it.
With such injuries, it would likely die from excessive blood loss sooner or later, even if no one attacked it. Lei Li and his group clearly knew this, which was why they only launched probing attacks, with no intention of truly engaging it in combat. After all, the Fire Python Tiger was on par with a Sky Origin Stage master; if they pushed it too hard and it retaliated with a death-defying counterattack, it wouldn't be a good situation.
“The Fire Python Tiger cubs are on that mountain rock!”
Wu Yun said, looking at Lin Dong.
Lin Dong's gaze immediately shifted to the mountain rock behind the Fire Python Tiger, and sure enough, he saw three small beasts on it, covered in blood, their eyes still closed, rolling around as if trying to stand up.
“Cubs, indeed!”
Seeing this, even the usually calm Lin Dong couldn't help but feel his eyes burn with eagerness. If he could acquire one of the cubs, his Lin family would gain another Sky Origin Stage master in the future. This would significantly strengthen the Lin family.
“Heh heh, wasn't I right? What now?”
Seeing Lin Dong's expression, Wu Yun chuckled.
“Let's just wait for the Fire Python Tiger to breathe its last!”
Lin Dong took a deep breath, and after regaining his composure, he said in a low voice. If that big fellow didn't die, it would be very difficult to succeed.
“Mm…”
Mu Langsha agreed with Lin Dong's suggestion, immediately nodding her head.
“When the time comes, I'll step in to block Lei Li's group. Mu Langsha, you covertly help me force back the others. Wu Yun, you immediately move to seize the cubs! If you succeed, withdraw at once, then meet up at our previous location.”
Lin Dong licked his lips and said.
“Just you alone?”
Hearing this, Wu Yun was startled. Lei Li's group consisted of ten people, and Lei Li himself possessed Earth Origin Stage strength. How long could Lin Dong possibly hold out by himself?
“Don't worry, I'm not overestimating myself!”
Lin Dong waved his sleeve and chuckled.
Seeing the smile on Lin Dong's face, Wu Yun was stunned. Suddenly, a terrifying thought flashed through his mind, but he immediately suppressed it as soon as it appeared.
“Just do as he says. You only need to be careful of Lei Li and Xie Yingying. I'll help you hold back the others!”
Mu Langsha also looked at Lin Dong with a hint of surprise, but she spoke without hesitation.
“Many thanks!”
Lin Dong smiled, said no more, and turned his head to look into the forest.
The Fire Python Tiger's situation was now utterly pathetic. Facing the provocations of Lei Li's group, it could only chase them around. But the more it chased, the more fresh blood flowed from it, until eventually, even its abdomen burst open.
Thud!
This injury was clearly fatal, so the Fire Python Tiger hadn't run much further before it let out a desperate roar and crashed to the ground.
Seeing the Fire Python Tiger finally fall lifeless to the ground, immense joy appeared in the eyes of Lei Li and Xie Yingying's group. Their greedy gazes immediately fixed on the three cubs on the mountain rock. Their bodies moved, and they charged up towards them.
"Now!"
Just as Lei Li's group swept forward, Lin Dong let out a low shout. With a push of his foot against the ground, he shot out, blocking Lei Li and Xie Yingying.
Whoosh!
As Lin Dong darted out, Mu Lingsha's originally beautiful face gradually turned icy cold. Very quickly, she drew her bow, shooting arrows that streaked through the air, blocking the rest of the group behind Lei Li and Xie Yingying.
"Lin Dong!"
Such a sudden turn of events startled both Lei Li and Xie Yingying. After seeing who was blocking their path, their expressions turned incredibly grim. Lei Li sneered, stomped his foot on the ground, and his body shot up, striking down with a punch directly at Lin Dong from above. This punch carried a fierce gale, rending the air and emitting a howling sound.
"You've delivered yourself to my doorstep, so don't blame me for being ruthless!"
Lin Dong looked up at the figure that was steadily growing larger in his pupils. From the aura of this punch, he realized that Lei Li had already entered the Earth Yuan Stage. Even someone at the ninth level of Body Tempering would be severely injured and cough up blood if they took this punch.
"Lin Dong, watch out, dodge!"
At this moment, Wu Yun had already rushed straight towards the rock, but seeing this scene, his expression immediately changed, and he shouted.
However, Lin Dong paid no attention to Wu Yun's shout. His eyes remained fixed on Lei Li, his feet took a slight step back, his five fingers clenched into a fist, and he launched it. Immediately after, it met with a heavy impact against Lei Li's sharp punch.
Seeing Lin Dong actually choose to clash head-on, Wu Yun's face suddenly turned pale. But just as he was about to move to save Lin Dong, he suddenly saw that after the fists collided, it was unexpectedly Lei Li who was forced back, his footsteps stumbling slightly as he landed, then taking several steps back, almost falling to the ground.
The entire clearing, which had been noisy, suddenly fell silent. Even Xie Yingying lightly covered her mouth, looking utterly disbelieving at this scene. Lei Li, who had entered the Earth Yuan Stage, was actually repelled by a single punch from Lin Dong!
"Damn it… could it be that this guy has really entered the Earth Yuan Stage?"
Wu Yun stared blankly at Lin Dong's figure. The dreadful suspicion from earlier had, at this moment, been verified…