Only they themselves knew that both men were drenched in sweat, their backs soaked with fear.
The father could not help but glance at his son, his heart swelling with relief. How fortunate that he had trusted his son's instincts and left with him! Had he lingered even a moment longer, he feared he would have perished here alongside his child.
In his frantic haste, he had forgotten that he was a warrior of the fourth rank, capable of summoning enough strength to carry his son and run to safety.
Instead, he frantically gripped the child's arm, dragging him along in his desperate flight.
Meanwhile, the prominent families and royal figures, who had been alert to the subtle disturbances in the inner circle, reacted swiftly when the tumult began. Their first instinct was to flee as fast as possible, terrified of being engulfed by the strange red light emanating from within.
"Alas! I fear none inside will survive!" An old man in ragged green robes squinted his eyes and shook his head, observing the chaos in the inner circle.
"Hmph! An old fool! If you're so afraid of death, you should leave now!" A young man nearby sneered disdainfully.
An old fool, thinking he could share in the bounty with us elite? How laughable!
"Young Master Mo, I hope you don't mind if I stand here?" Lan Suhua, dressed in a flowing white robe, her face veiled by a light gauze, approached Mo Qianlin. Her delicate form, seemingly frail and vulnerable, walked gracefully towards him. Her tone was gentle, with an undertone that aroused pity.
"I don't mind." Mo Qianlin nodded politely, then turned his gaze back to the inner circle, showing no further interest in Lan Suhua.
Unperturbed by his indifference, Lan Suhua stood beside him, her eyes glinting with a quiet resolve beneath the veil. One day, you will come to love me, she thought, her lips curling into a smile.
Her gaze lifted, her determination reignited, and she too turned her attention to the inner circle.
The number of people in the middle circle was steadily increasing, consisting mostly of hurriedly arriving families and mercenaries.
As for the martial artists who had ventured into the inner circle, they were already forgotten by the crowd. Everyone's primary focus was now on the imminent birth of the treasure, eagerly anticipating the moment they could rush in and claim it for themselves.
At last, the final sliver of red light dissipated before their eyes.
After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, the crowd was greeted not with the return of the red glow, but with a profound silence, a stillness so deep that even the fall of a pin could be heard.
"Go!"
Someone shouted from the crowd, and at once, the people who had long been prepared rushed forward, their footsteps hastening toward the inner circle. Everyone jostled and shoved, eager to be the first to seize the treasure.
Mo Qianlin, leading the Mo family, walked at the forefront of the throng.
As the greatest cultivation genius of the Wind Kingdom, everyone who saw him bowed in respect. Even on this momentous day, no exception was made.
But just as the crowd was about to enter the inner circle, a large group of fleeing spirit beasts suddenly surged out from within.
Giant gorillas, massive bears, and fierce tigers—beasts of enormous size—barreled forth, their minds seemingly lost. On sight of the humans, they charged forward, intent on maiming and devouring them.
The scene erupted into complete chaos.
The Mo family quickly formed a protective circle around Mo Qianlin, shielding him from any potential harm.
Meanwhile, Lan Suhua, holding a longsword artifact, remained alert, her eyes scanning the frantic melee between the beasts and the martial artists.
Suddenly, without warning, a small monkey, nimble and quick, darted from the vine-clad trees and leapt directly in front of Lan Suhua. Its sharp claws, gleaming like daggers, raked towards her veiled face, intent on slashing through.