At this moment, Lan Suflower was entangled with a large, fourth-tier magical beast, utterly unaware that behind her, a small monkey was watching her with a hostile gaze, its claws extending toward her face, which she had always taken pride in.
Just as the monkey's claws were about to touch the veil on Lan Suflower's face, a long sword suddenly appeared between them, first deflecting the monkey's claws and then aiming directly for its palm.
The monkey, being incredibly agile, sensed the danger and quickly withdrew its claws, avoiding the sword.
"Chirp chirp~~" The small monkey was a fifth-tier, third-stage wood-type beast, moving with great speed.
Upon sensing the danger, it grabbed a vine and swiftly leapt to the side, narrowly dodging Mo Qianlin's sword.
"Thank you, Young Master Mo, for the rescue," Lan Suflower, now regaining her composure, looked up at the strong figure protecting her, feeling warmth rise in her heart. A smile curled at the corner of her mouth: He does care about me after all! Hehehe...
"Miss Lan, this place is far from home. Danger lurks everywhere, and one misstep could lead to death at the hands of a magical beast!" Mo Qianlin cast a cold glance at the woman standing beside him, one of the most renowned figures in Feng Kingdom, his brow furrowing in displeasure. Such a fragile body, how can she survive in such a perilous place? Well, whatever. As long as he completed his father's mission, that was all that mattered.
Having said that, Mo Qianlin walked toward the inner circle without a second glance at Lan Suflower.
Clutching her fist tightly beneath her sleeve, Lan Suflower's fingers gripped her magic sword so tightly it trembled, though whether from fear or anger, she could not tell.
"Hurry! The magical beasts are retreating! We must enter quickly!" The martial cultivators who had survived the battle, along with a few noble beast tamers, were now covered in blood, whether their own or the magical beasts'. Their clothes were torn, and scattered bodies—both human and magical beasts—littered the ground.
Though they were exhausted from the battle, their spirits were still focused on the treasure awaiting them in the inner circle.
The time for the Red Moon's rise was fast approaching.
The once pitch-black sky had inexplicably turned blood-red, as though the very heavens had been stained with blood.
"Hurry! The Red Moon is about to rise! We must get inside!" The butler of the Lan family, seeing the strange phenomenon in the sky, quickly deduced that the treasure would soon be revealed. He urged everyone to quicken their pace toward the inner circle.
Without hesitation, the rest of the group also accelerated their steps.
What is this place?! The grass underfoot, which appeared to be ordinary, was actually rare and valuable medicinal herbs—rare even in the outer world. Why was it so common here?
Some cultivators with knowledge of medicine rushed to the ground, carefully uprooting the herbs and storing them in their storage rings, planning to sell them once they were out of this place. The profits would allow them to buy higher-level crystals and improve their cultivation!
"Mr. Fang, do you know where we are?" Cheng Yongming, filled with unease, walked up to the esteemed Elder Fang and, with utmost respect, inquired.
"Heh... sometimes, what you see with your own eyes is not necessarily the truth. What do you think?" Elder Fang laughed heartily, then habitually stroked his beard.
"Indeed, Mr. Fang is right," Cheng Yongming said, suppressing his growing anxiety and taking a deep breath.
When he opened his eyes again, the scene before him had completely changed.
This place no longer resembled the wondrous paradise it once was. The ground was covered with yellowed, withered leaves, and a few small flowers bloomed around them.
These flowers were huge—almost like giant mouths, capable of swallowing a person whole! The sky, once filled with darkness, was now cut through by a blade of light, revealing a white streak that illuminated the entire Ha Yue continent.
Not far from the group, in a deep pool, a brilliant red light suddenly shot upward from the depths of the water, heading straight for the high-hanging moon.
The moon, once a pale yellow, gradually shifted to a deep red as it was bathed in the light.
The red light illuminated the earth, enveloping all those who had gathered in the inner circle to claim the treasure.
From a distance, it appeared as though a layer of red light had been cast upon everyone, giving the entire scene an unreal, ethereal quality.
"So, this is how the Red Moon rises," Mo Qianlin muttered, his gaze fixed on the sky. As the moon's color deepened, he couldn't help but feel awe.
"Is this the legendary Red Moon?" Lan Suflower's face radiated delight. How fortunate she was to witness this legendary event with her own eyes! When she returned, she would surely boast about it!
"Hurry! Look, there's a deep pool ahead!" A voice, filled with urgency, echoed through the crowd, pulling everyone back from their thoughts.
Following the sound, the group turned to see that the previously calm deep pool was now bubbling as if the water inside were boiling, making gurgling noises.
"This... this..."
"Could it be... this is where the treasure will emerge?"
"Is... is this really happening?" A small mercenary swallowed hard, staring in disbelief at the churning pool.
The crowd fell silent, waiting expectantly for the treasure to break the surface of the water.
After an unknown period of time, the water finally stopped churning. A blinding red light shot upward from the depths, temporarily blinding everyone.
Boom!!
A wave of red energy shot from the pool, striking several nearby martial cultivators before they could react. In an instant, they were reduced to ashes.
They didn't even have time to scream before the red light consumed them.
The remaining cultivators, now slowly adjusting to the blinding light, could only watch in horror as their companions were obliterated. A chill ran down their spines, and they instinctively took a few steps back.
"What kind of light is this? It's so powerful!" A terrified cultivator stammered, his legs shaking.
"It looks like there's going to be another wave!" A young man, appearing to be in his twenties, cried out as he stared at the pool, which seemed to be gathering more power.
As if responding to his words, the red light in the pool suddenly surged again, bursting forth with renewed intensity.
"Ah!"
"Whoosh!"
"Bang!"
"Thud..."
This time, the red light wasn't as fierce as before, only enough to wipe out a few weaker cultivators. After that, it faded away.
The crowd waited in tense silence, and after confirming that no further attacks were coming, a few bold individuals cautiously approached the pool.
"It's safe now! Ha ha!" A burly man, holding a large sword, stood at the edge of the pool, noticing that the water had calmed. He let out a sigh of relief and shouted to the others, "It's fine! Come on!"
"Ah!" A few of the men who were about to join him froze, pointing fearfully behind him. "You... you... there's something behind you... a monster... it's huge... so terrifying!"
"What... what?" The burly man, already on edge, felt his legs begin to tremble. He swallowed hard and turned cautiously around.
Before he could even see what was behind him, a tremendous force pulled him into the pool.
In the hazy darkness, he glimpsed a massive, scaly creature.
Then, the water in the pool returned to its calm state.