"Ahh! A demonic beast! It’s a fifth-tier demonic beast! Master, save me... save..."
The piercing scream was abruptly cut off, echoing with a chilling finality that sent everyone into an icy abyss.
A fifth-tier demonic beast was equivalent to a human at the Spiritual Element Realm. Not to mention Transformation Realm experts, even early-stage Spiritual Element Realm experts wouldn’t provoke such a creature lightly.
Their caravan's strongest, Wang Tianlin, was merely at the eighth level of the Transformation Realm.
Everyone was stunned. A fifth-tier demonic beast was the embodiment of death itself!
Despite their precautions, who would have thought that on the last night before exiting the Endless Forest, they would encounter such a catastrophe?
Everyone was dazed as if struck on the head by a massive hammer.
The pungent smell of blood woke them from their shock and plunged them into chaos.
"F-Fifth-tier demonic beast? M-Master, what do we do?"
Everyone’s faces turned pale as their bodies trembled with fear.
"We’re doomed! We can't possibly fight a fifth-tier demonic beast!"
"Run! Split up and escape! There’s still a sliver of hope!"
Panic ensued as everyone, driven by the fear of death, shouted and ran around like headless chickens.
Wang Tianlin watched his men descend into chaos as his heart sank. A fifth-tier demonic beast was terrifying. All of them together couldn’t withstand a single blow from it!
The scent of blood grew stronger, signifying that the beast was approaching!
"Don't run! Stay together and fight! We might have a chance!"
Wang Tianlin roared, trying to restore order. But his men, already scared out of their wits, ignored him and fled in all directions.
Sigh! Wang Tianlin’s eyes flashed with despair as he glanced back at Ling Feng, who remained calm and showed no sign of fear.
Wang Tianlin gritted his teeth and shouted, "Little Feng, I know you’re not ordinary. If I get devoured by the beast, p-please take my daughter Caiwei with you. If you fancy her, you can make her your servant. She’s my only daughter. I beg you!"
Ling Feng smiled noncommittally, his eyes scanning for the demonic beast.
With his Boundless Vision, nothing could escape his sight!
Sweeping the surroundings with his Boundless Vision, Ling Feng found it odd. Despite sensing a powerful aura, he couldn’t locate the beast.
Suddenly, he felt a faint tremor in the ground. Though nearly imperceptible, his Boundless Vision caught it clearly.
Ling Feng touched his chin with a faint smile on his lips. He could clearly sense the beast moving towards Wang Caiwei and Bu Chen.
Bu Chen, feigning calmness, held Wang Caiwei’s shoulder. A closer look revealed that his legs were trembling. If not for leaning on Wang Caiwei, he might have collapsed.
This guy had boasted earlier but was now trembling like a scared dog. He was even worse than Wang Caiwei!
"C-Caiwei, don’t be afraid. I-I’ll protect you."
Bu Chen stammered, though his body was almost completely hidden behind Wang Caiwei’s.
"Big Brother Chen, I think you’re more scared than I am." Wang Caiwei, though blinded by love, wasn’t foolish. Their bodies were close, so she could clearly feel his trembles.
Suddenly, Wang Caiwei glimpsed a huge claw emerging from behind Bu Chen, breaking through the ground with blade-like talons.
"Big Brother Chen, behind you!" Wang Caiwei exclaimed in alarm.
Her shout immediately drew everyone's attention. The ground behind Bu Chen suddenly split open, dirt flying everywhere.
A massive golden pangolin burst forth, its eyes glowing with a sinister red. Its long and scarlet tongue flickered as it exuded an overwhelming demonic qi that made everyone's skin crawl.
This golden pangolin must have a trace of Earth Dragon's bloodline which allowed it to reach the fifth tier. Its strength was roughly equivalent to the peak of the first level of the Spiritual Element Realm, which was a nightmare for Wang Tianlin’s caravan.
Seeing the golden pangolin so close, Wang Caiwei screamed in terror while clutching Bu Chen's sleeve. "Big Brother Chen, drive it away! I'm so scared!"
Bu Chen, even closer to the beast, was overwhelmed by its foul stench. He nearly fainted.
Roar! The golden pangolin growled, its saliva spraying in all directions. Some landed on Bu Chen's face which intensifyed his fear. Forgetting his previous boasts, he pushed Wang Caiwei towards the beast and fled in a panic.
"Bu Chen, you bastard!"
Not far away, Wang Tianlin saw his daughter being pushed towards the demonic beast and roared in fury, rushing forward desperately to save her.
"H-How could this happen!?"
Wang Caiwei's mind went blank. She was being forced closer and closer to the beast's gaping maw.
Is this the man I love?
The man who promised to protect me with his life?
Wang Caiwei's eyes filled with tears. Regret washed over her. She should have listened to her father. She was foolish to trust such a man.
The golden pangolin's long tongue wrapped around her and pulled her towards its open mouth, ready to swallow her whole.
"Am I going to die?" Wang Caiwei closed her eyes, waiting for death.
But the expected pain never came. Instead, she felt herself falling into a strong and firm embrace. The smell of blood filled her nostrils as she felt warm blood splatter on her face.
Blood? Is it mine? Why doesn't it hurt?
She opened her eyes to see the terrifying demonic beast, but its tongue was severed at the root.
She was in the arms of a man. His arms were strong, warm, and made her feel incredibly safe.
Wang Caiwei looked up at her savior and was stunned.
How can it be him? Wang Caiwei's mind raced. She had always thought of herself as a princess and Ling Feng as a toad, but in this crucial moment, it was the toad who saved her.
Ling Feng's lips curved into a slight smile as he coldly stared at Wang Caiwei. "Surprised you're still alive?"
Wang Caiwei dumbly nodded, her eyes locked on Ling Feng's face as if she were trying to understand who exactly the man who had just saved her life was.