Chapter 302: Want to Leave? Did I Say You Could?
At the foot of the mountain, despite the large gathering of people, a strange silence had settled over the area.
All eyes were fixed intently on Xuanling Mountain, and as time passed, those gazes burned ever hotter with anticipation.
As the crowd waited in silence, the sun climbed to its peak in the sky.
Blazing sunlight spilled down into Xuanling Mountain, and in an instant, the miasma of poisonous fog that had filled the mountain began to dissipate rapidly.
Boom!
At the very moment the poisonous mist fully dispersed, the quiet mountain base suddenly erupted with a frenzy of activity.
The sound of air being split filled the area as figures shot forward like a swarm of locusts, charging into the vast expanse of Xuanling Mountain.
Lin Fan and Lin Dong advanced swiftly alongside the Gu Clan's group, dashing toward the towering peak.
"There really are a lot of people..." Lin Dong muttered with a slight frown as he watched the mass of figures pouring into Xuanling Mountain like locusts.
Such a large-scale incursion was bound to stir up the spirit beasts within the mountain...
"There's no helping it. The allure of the Life Xuanling Fruit is simply too great—especially for those at the Nine Yuan Nirvana Stage. If they can get their hands on it, it'll save them years of bitter cultivation," Gu Yan said softly, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
Though the Gu Clan had brought many people to the foot of Xuanling Mountain, only a handful had entered.
After all, this place was extremely dangerous. Those without sufficient strength wouldn't be much help—even worse, they'd just become burdens.
Thus, only about a dozen or so of the more powerful Gu Clan members had followed them into the mountain.
"There are many spirit beasts in Xuanling Mountain. Aside from the Three-Headed Demon Flood Dragon guarding the peak, there are also eight other half-step Life Xuan Stage beasts stationed throughout. Everyone, be careful as we move forward," Gu Yan reminded the group.
As soon as her voice fell, beastly roars and cries of agony echoed from the distant woods, signaling that the mountain's spirit beasts had begun their attacks.
"Let's go. We need to move deeper," Gu Yan said, frowning slightly at the sounds.
Lin Fan nodded wordlessly and followed Gu Yan as they darted deeper into Xuanling Mountain. Lin Dong and the others quickly followed.
With so many groups barging in recklessly, the peace of the mountain was thoroughly shattered.
Roars of enraged beasts rumbled through the mountains, followed by the explosive booms of colliding energies.
A faint scent of blood began to spread throughout the mountain range.
Lin Fan's group encountered numerous spirit beast attacks along the way, but fortunately, none of them suffered any casualties.
After all, they had two powerhouse outliers on their side—Lin Fan and Lin Dong.
Although these beasts delayed them somewhat, they still managed to charge out of the forest.
Sunlight immediately poured down on them from above, dissipating the traces of poisonous miasma clinging to their bodies.
Bathed in warm light, the Gu Clan disciples—after their fierce battle—couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Now isn't the time to relax," Lin Fan said coolly as he noticed their relieved expressions.
Boom boom boom!
Just as Lin Fan's words fell, the ground suddenly trembled violently.
In the next instant, a series of sharp stone pillars—their tips gleaming with a cold light—tore through the earth and shot toward the Gu Clan disciples like lightning.
The Gu Clan members turned pale at the sight and hurriedly leapt into the air to avoid the incoming projectiles in panic.
Thud!
Lin Fan stomped his foot heavily on the ground, creating a deep rumble.
A crimson barrier of light instantly erupted from the point of impact, spreading rapidly in all directions.
Crack! Crack!
The red light swept across the area, and the sharp stone pillars shattered on contact, splitting with cracks before exploding into fine dust across the ground.
With the danger neutralized, the Gu Clan disciples landed again, still shaken, and looked at Lin Fan with awe. His reaction speed and terrifying strength earned their absolute respect.
"Thank you," Gu Yan said with a sigh of relief.
She could've avoided the attack herself, but she wouldn't have had time to save the others.
"It was nothing," Lin Fan replied calmly with a smile, then turned his gaze forward. "But the battle's not over yet."
Gu Yan followed his gaze and saw, in the distance, a massive, rock-covered beast—dozens of meters tall—staring at them with fierce, bloodthirsty eyes.
"That's a Stone Demon Beast… one of the eight half-step Life Xuan Stage spirit beasts of Xuanling Mountain," Gu Yan said, her fingers clenching slightly as a grave expression settled on her face.
"It's not alone," Lin Fan said as he shook his head.
At his words, Lin Dong and Gu Yan's expressions tightened, and their gazes snapped to the northwest.
There, the sound of low, violent roars echoed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the distance, trees fell one after another as two more colossal beasts, both exuding fierce and brutal auras, appeared in the group's field of view.
The Gu Clan disciples' expressions changed drastically—they could sense that these two beasts were also at the half-step Life Xuan Stage.
"Damn it! It's the Black Dragon Pirates—they deliberately lured these beasts here!"
One sharp-eyed Gu Clan member shouted, pointing toward the two charging beasts. In front of them, two figures were darting toward the Gu Clan's position.
Gu Yan's expression turned icy in an instant.
Lin Dong also frowned slightly. These people were cunning—using such underhanded tactics to stall them.
Lin Fan, however, remained calm and unbothered.
"Haha! The Gu Clan is strong enough, surely dealing with three half-step Life Xuan Stage spirit beasts won't be a problem. We'll leave them to you, then…"
A man with a savage scar across his face laughed arrogantly at Lin Fan and the others, his eyes flashing coldly as he flicked his sleeve.
A jade bottle filled with red liquid flew out and exploded above the Gu Clan disciples, showering them with the strange fluid.
Several who couldn't dodge in time were splashed, and immediately, a pungent, bloody scent filled the air.
Roar!
The moment the smell spread, the three already enraged beasts let out even more frenzied roars, their crimson eyes growing even bloodier.
"Haha! Enjoy the feast! As for the Life Xuanling Fruit—that belongs to us, the Black Dragon Pirates!"
The two Black Dragon Pirate leaders laughed again, then turned and started to retreat swiftly.
Meanwhile, the three monstrous beasts advanced step by step toward the Gu Clan disciples.
"Want to leave? Did I say you could?"
Lin Fan watched the two pirate leaders trying to flee and shook his head slightly, his voice cold and calm.
As the words fell from his lips, Lin Fan's hands clenched, and two long spears of flame appeared in his grip. Flames curled and twisted at the tips, forming twin vortexes of fire.
With a flick of his wrists, the two spears shot out like lightning toward the retreating Black Dragon Pirate leaders…
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