They were discovered!
That was the first thought that flashed through Yu Chong and the others' minds.
Their faces instantly turned as pale as paper, drained of all color.
Two of them even went weak in the knees, falling to their knees with a thud and kowtowing numerous times in quick succession toward the black banner, "Immortal Master, spare us! Spare us! We were just fleeing from monsters and lost our way, entering this place by chance..."
But the black banner remained motionless, showing no reaction.
Yu Chong and the others exchanged uneasy glances, filled with fear and suspicion.
Just then—
Roar!
From behind them came a terrifying roar. The monsters had caught up, and the ground began to tremble slightly.
Clearly, more monsters were swarming up from underground.
A cold glint flashed in Yu Chong's eyes as he suddenly unleashed the "Demon Ape Seizing Dragon Hand," grabbing a gang member at the Body Tempering Sixth Level beside him and hurling him toward the black banner without hesitation.
"You go scout the way!"
The gang member was horrified, secretly cursing Yu Chong for his shamelessness, but he could only desperately summon up his Qi and Blood to protect himself.
Just as he was about to collide with the black banner, a sudden change occurred.
The motionless black banner suddenly emitted dense shadowy light, billowing dark smoke surging out and instantly wrapping around the man like living tentacles.
"Sizzle—"
A terrifying, corrosive sound.
The man seemed to have been thrown into strong acid, his flesh rapidly melting away, revealing white bones.
A piercing scream shattered the forest's silence. In just a few moments, both flesh and bones were dissolved, all absorbed by the eerie black banner.
Yu Chong and the others turned deathly pale as they felt icy-cold all over with fear.
Even Lu Lin, hidden in a large tree not far away, watched with a dark expression.
Indeed, anyone leaving without permission will be killed...
He immediately thought of those killed earlier, their blood seeping into the ground, their corpses' essence draining away...
What connection was there between the two?
"Go!"
Yu Chong gritted his teeth and roared in a low voice, turning to flee with the remaining men.
But by then, a large number of monsters had closed in.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground exploded in succession, dirt flying as more monsters burst forth, their crimson tongues like poisonous snakes striking out, either stabbing or entangling, madly attacking Yu Chong and the others.
Among the newly emerged monsters, a few were exceptionally large, their bodies reaching seven or eight meters in length, with a terrifying strength. Their single charge could easily snap a tree as thick as a bowl or send a huge rock flying.
Meanwhile, the monsters that had been chasing them also arrived to join the fray.
In the blink of an eye, they had been beleaguered air-tight.
Yu Chong and the others fought desperately with all their might, but they still couldn't break through the encirclement.
Screams rang out intermittently.
Soon, two more gang members perished, leaving only Yu Chong and three other martial artists at the Body Tempering Seventh Level or above struggling to hold on.
While Yu Chong and the others were in dire straits, Lu Lin was also attacked.
Beneath the tree where he was hiding, a six- or seven-meter-long monster suddenly leaped out, its sharp claws digging deep into the trunk as it rapidly climbed upward.
Before it reached him, its crimson tongue had already shot out like an arrow from a bow toward Lu Lin's face with a whistle.
"Such keen senses?"
Lu Lin frowned slightly.
He had pushed the "Self-Concealment Technique" to its limit, hiding his Qi and Blood and closing his pores. He was confident that no one below the Foundation Establishment Realm could see through him, yet this monster had detected him.
"I chose to hide in order to avoid trouble, not because I'm weak and can be bullied... Do you really think I'm a pushover?"
A cold glint passed in Lu Lin's eyes as he flipped his hand, revealing a gleaming dagger—part of his spoils from the goateed superintendent.
Swish!
A cold light flashed!
With a pfft, a section of the crimson tongue fluttered off!
"So sharp?" Lu Lin was surprised himself.
The monster's tongue was exceptionally tough. Earlier, a Body Tempering Fifth Level martial artist had hacked at it with all his might, yet caused little, if any, damage, but now it had been easily severed by this dagger.
This was partly due to his own abundant Qi and Blood and powerful force, but the dagger's sharpness also far exceeded his expectations.
"Truly a good item!"
Gripping the dagger, Lu Lin leaped down from the tree. His Qi and Blood surged into his arms and poured out from the dagger's edge as he slashed downward with all his might!
Pfft!
Black, foul-smelling blood splattered everywhere.
The monster's throat was instantly cut through, its head almost completely detached, hanging by only a thin layer of flesh. The monster's body stiffened before falling limp from the tree trunk and crashing to the ground, raising a flurry of fallen leaves.
Lu Lin plummeted like a hawk, and when he was a few meters from the ground, he vigorously tapped his toes on the tree trunk, sending himself several meters sideways, before alighting on the ground.
Boom! Boom!
The moment he landed, the ground beside him exploded again as two more roaring monsters lunged out!
Lu Lin was as agile as a cat, swiftly dodging the attacks. He then pushed off with his legs, charging at one of the monsters.
The dagger sliced through the air, drawing a cold, fleeting arc!
Thud!
A massive head flew into the air, rolling to a stop more than ten meters away.
Almost simultaneously, he twisted his waist to dodge the sneak attack of another tongue, shifted his footing, and instantly drew near the second monster. Raising his hand, he brought the dagger down, cleanly dispatching it as well.
Hmm?
At that moment, Lu Lin felt a tremor of the Martial Dao Furnace within him.
This sensation was all too familiar...
There was spiritual energy nearby!
And the source... seemed to be these monsters.
He quickly placed his palm on a monster's corpse to carefully sense it, then brought down his dagger with exactness, scooping out a milky-white piece of flesh.
[Discovered: Low-grade spiritual energy. Exchange for one year of hard training? Y/N]
One year of hard training!
Equivalent to twelve shoddy spiritual stones or one low-grade spiritual stone.
"Exchange, of course."
Lu Lin didn't hesitate.
Immediately, a surge of energy flowed into his mind, adding a year to his Training Time.
"Brother! Brother! Please save us! I, Yu Chong, will repay you handsomely! I swear it!"
Not far away, Yu Chong, who had already noticed Lu Lin, shouted hoarsely.
Seeing how easily Lu Lin had dispatched several fierce monsters, he knew the man's strength was unfathomable. At this moment, Lu Lin was their only hope in this desperate situation.
They were already worn and weary, and one of them had already died, leaving only three struggling to survive.
Their "Black Demon Armor" had long been torn apart, everyone was injured and covered in blood, in grave danger at every moment, on the verge of becoming food for the monsters.
If this continued, they would surely die.
If Lu Lin extended a helping hand, they might have a sliver of hope.
"Save you?"
Lu Lin looked over, his gaze indifferent, a cold smile creasing his lips.
Not long ago, these very people had tried to force him to act as cannon fodder to scout the way. Now, trapped in a life-threatening situation, they expected him to save them?
How naive.
They were just grasping at straws in their desperation.
He casually dispatched another pouncing monster, then stopped moving, standing by and watching coldly.