Chapter 69: Absolutely Not Giving Up

  What entered the eye was a vast expanse of yellow sand and Gobi, with waves of heat rushing towards me. The emerald green grassland, the faint fragrance, and the gentle breeze all disappeared without a trace. A step's difference, yet it was two completely different worlds.

  Unlike the serene and peaceful world with lush greenery, this world is filled with an atmosphere of brutality and violence that hits you like a heatwave.

  There was no fear of unknown dangers, for the danger was right in front of them. A giant poisonous scorpion, as big as a small calf, was restlessly waving its huge tail and opening and closing its pincers like a pair of dancing guillotines. The eight long legs, covered with serrated teeth, were like the sickle of death, striking fear into one's heart. The golden hard shell reflected the sunlight, with dark brown and golden hues blending in with the surrounding Gobi Desert.

  The entire scorching sandy ground was crawling with such poisonous scorpions, almost without a single thread of empty space. Under the surface, there were constantly giant poisonous scorpions flipping over fine sand and jumping onto the ground, as if endless.

  Everyone involuntarily took a deep breath as they were stared at by those pairs of dark green eyes.

  The next archway is very close, just a kilometer away, and the ancient and complex transmission array is right under the archway. With their strength, this distance can be said to be within arm's reach, as long as they pass through this less-than-kilometer journey and step on that transmission array, they will have successfully passed the test. However, in their eyes, this distance seems like an insurmountable chasm.

  No time was given to the young disciples to think, and the towering giant scorpion that was almost as high as a mountain had already moved its eight legs, which were like death god's sickles, towards them. The movement of the legs made a loud rumbling sound, faster and more powerful than a cornered horse. The pincer-like giant claws opened and closed with a "ding ding" crisp sound, even the huge rocks in front were split into two segments, and the high-standing scorpion tail was shaking back and forth in the air, flashing blue light.

  Good heavens, what kind of scorpion is this? How can it be so gigantic? Is it the legendary mutated beast? But how can there be so many mutated beasts all of a sudden? I've never heard that magical creatures can mutate in batches like this. What's going on here?

  A student from Changling College was shocked and subconsciously looked back, probably wanting to temporarily retreat to the grassland they had just left to prepare, but what entered their eyes was also a desolate expanse of golden Gobi, with countless giant scorpions surging out of the desert behind them.

  No choice, can only go fight now.

  The three teams each maintained their formation and charged directly into the giant scorpion swarm in front of them. None of them chose to cooperate with other teams, at this critical moment of life and death, they would only choose their own partners and not trust others, let alone someone like Qin Hongyun.

  A fierce battle unfolded, all the swordsmen raised their long swords, under the infusion of vigor, the smooth blade shone with a piece of pure white light, the arrowheads of the archers also flashed coldly, firmly locking onto those scorpions' eyes that flowed and turned, and then flew in like shooting stars from the sky.

  "Swish!" A hard and flexible scorpion tail, like a steel whip, swung through the air with a sharp whistling sound, bringing a gust of wind that slapped against the face, causing a stinging pain. The dark blue glow at the tip of the tail emitted a strong pungent smell, which made one's head spin even with just a slight sniff.

  Chang Sun Ninghao unsheathed his sword, its technique still simple yet profound. With a seemingly slow upward swing, he precisely split the scorpion's tail that was chopping down on him, sparks flying everywhere as the tail was knocked high into the air, and even the massive body covered in armor was shifted sideways. Effortless and light, it seemed Chang Sun Ninghao's strength had increased significantly once again.

  At the same time as the sword was swung, Long Sun Ninghao's heart also felt a slight astonishment: it was so hard! Even his heavily loaded heavy sword couldn't cut it off. Although there was a hint of surprise, his firm determination was not affected in the slightest. Immediately afterwards, he took half a step forward and struck out with all his might, splitting the giant scorpion's entire head open, causing it to roll backwards, spewing out a pool of emerald green blood from its mouth and eyes. Its eight legs twitched a few times before falling still. Although Long Sun Ninghao's heavy sword hadn't even scratched its body, the massive force had shattered everything inside into fragments.

  Ling Fei Yang's Broken Kill Sword was stirring up a whirlpool of unstoppable blade petals, the giant poisonous scorpion's carapace was hard but couldn't withstand the sharpness of the Broken Kill Sword. Whether it was the steel whip-like scorpion tail or the long legs and giant pincers, as long as they came into contact with those blade petals, they would inevitably be chopped into fragments. At this moment, he was an indestructible iron fortress that would never be destroyed.

  While Zhuge Mingyue merged the mysterious and powerful force within her body into the dagger, she stabbed it fiercely into the hard shell of the poisonous scorpion again and again.

  A lone venomous scorpion was beheaded by Ling Feiyang, its tail severed and its stinger lost, rendering it unable to attack. Or it was crushed by Long Sun Ninghao's heavy sword, its internal organs shattered. Or it was pierced through the eyes by Xue Zihao's ghostly arrows. Or it was cleanly killed by Zhuge Mingyue's swift strike. Yet, even more scorpions continued to emerge from underground, launching a new wave of attacks, seemingly endless.

  Don't say that people will get tired, even if it's really a fortress of steel, there will be a moment of rusting. Gradually, the feeling of fatigue surged up, and the swords in their hands were no longer swift and sharp.

  The summoner's incantation rose and fell in a rhythmic cadence, the sonorous voice echoing across the desolate expanse of the Gobi Desert, its mournful tone stirring the spirit and calming the restless heart.

  In this kind of no room for error, purely strength and skill fighting, the summoner is the last key to decide victory or defeat.

  Dozens of giant poisonous scorpions simultaneously raised their tails high, falling towards Ling Feiyang and Changsun Ninghao at the same time. At this moment, a golden light flashed, even the sun on top was dimmed. All the scorpion tails were cut off from the middle, falling to the ground and slowly crawling. The hurricane licked its golden sharp claws, letting out a proud beast roar.

  The poisonous scorpion emitted a burst of shrill sounds, and the eerie eyes flashed with painful and angry light, crazily stabbing the giant pincers like a guillotine towards Zhuge Mingyue and others.

  Beside Wan Xi Chen, the Earthshaker Beast revealed its robust body covered in black steel armor and lifted its front legs to stomp fiercely on the ground. Amidst the dull, thunderous sound, the entire earth trembled, twisted air waves surged outward, whipping up wave after wave of sand like a tsunami. The poisonous scorpions surrounding them were knocked to the ground, their not-so-intelligent minds in a daze. Fortunately, this inherited skill from the mutated ferocious bear was not an indiscriminate attack; otherwise, the ones who would have been affected first would have been Zhuge Mingyue and her companions.

  Before those poisonous scorpions could wake up, the hurricane transformed into a auspicious cloud and floated away. In the hazy cloud shadow, streams of golden light overflowed, tearing them into pieces.

  Later, the summoner of Changling College also summoned a magical pet, which was an adult alligator turtle. The hard shell protruded like sharp rocks, and the eagle-like giant mouth revealed its ferocity, showing great biting force.

  With the powerful offense and defense of the demon beasts, Zhuge Mingyue and others, as well as the students of Changling Academy, felt a slight relief in pressure and got a brief chance to rest.

  At the same time, they also took a look at Qin Hongyun's team. Surprisingly, there was no summoner in their team, but relying on their almost perfect coordination, they were able to cope with ease.

  Zhuge Mingyue suddenly discovered that their footsteps and intersecting shadows had a familiar feeling, as if the Imperial Guards in the palace were also using this combination technique. Usually, with this mysterious combination technique, they would condense their energy and exert far more power than their own strength.

  As expected, Qin Yun suddenly drew his sword and slashed forward. The energy from the swords of his several companions converged onto his sword, and with a fierce explosion, he cut the three poisonous scorpions in front of him into two halves at once.

  This is something that even Lian Changsun and Ning Hua didn't have the power to do, how could he possibly have it? Zhuge Mingyue can be certain now, they must have used that combined attack technique.

  "These old families really have some good things hidden away." Zhuge Mingyue couldn't help but think, and she took a few more glances at Qin Hongyun.

  Under the powerful attacks of the hurricane and the Goliath Beetle, the surrounding poisonous scorpions quickly decreased in number, but more and more poisonous scorpions continued to crawl out from the ground.

  Under the coordination of the magical pets, several teams slowly moved towards that arched gate.

  After a while, even the Stormwind and Earthshaker began to feel tired, after all, this extracted variant skill consumed a huge amount of physical energy. The summoned beast from Changling Academy had shrunk into its shell, occasionally suddenly stretching out its big mouth to attack once.

  Seeing this, several summoners withdrew their magical pets without exception, and the swordsmen regained their spirits, going all out once again.

  A massive wave of poisonous scorpions surged forward, and the team of trainees, consisting of swordsmen, archers, and summoners, took turns fighting them off, withstanding their attacks time and again. However, under this seemingly endless barrage, everyone's physical strength was rapidly depleted, leaving them feeling weak and empty. The hands grasping swords trembled slightly as they swung with all their might, driven by the instinct to survive. The summoner's spiritual energy was dwindling like a river in the desert, stuttering as he chanted his spells, but the summoned beasts could only fight listlessly for a few minutes before exhausting themselves and returning to the summoning space amidst a flash of light.

  The arch, the stone array, is right in front of me. If it weren't for these poisonous scorpions blocking my way, if I hadn't exhausted myself so much, perhaps all it would take is a light leap to reach my goal. But now, this seems to have become an unreachable horizon.

  Fourteen students were almost all injured, and the students of Changling College were particularly serious. Among them, a swordsman, a summoner, and an archer had already lost their combat effectiveness and fell to the ground. Only two swordsmen were left, struggling to support themselves, but they were also covered in blood and could not hold on for much longer. Their magical pets did not have the attack power of the Storm and Earthshaker, nor did they have the strength of Long Sunning and Ling Feiyang, let alone the perfect combination technique of Qin Hongyun's team. Under extreme fatigue, it was already good to be able to dodge the deadly scorpion tail and giant pincers, but they could not dodge the long legs that were like sickles, and their bodies were cut with one bloody wound after another, without even having a chance to bandage them.

  Finally, several students from Changling Academy could not hold on any longer. Despite the great reluctance and regret, they had no choice but to give up and leave the selection by activating their transmission talismans.

  Zhuge Mingyue and Qin Hongyun's team were still persisting with difficulty.

  Time slowly passed, the sun was no longer so dazzling and scorching, there seemed to be a hint of coolness in the air, the sun was slowly setting in the west, and their physical strength, their mental strength, also fell to the lowest point like the setting sun.

  Everyone felt a sense of despair, such persistence, when will it end. Even Zhuge Mingyue had the idea of giving up several times, and only persisted until now with her firm will.

  The scorpion's attack seemed to have slowed down a bit, and Zhuge Mingyue keenly noticed this.

  "It's better to take a chance and rush towards the gate, perhaps there's still a glimmer of hope. Just as Zhuge Mingyue was about to call out to the others to start moving, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye that not only Xue Zihao and Wan Qichen were pale with scattered eyes, but even Ling Feiyang and Changsun Ninghui had exhausted expressions, almost unable to move a single step."

  Zhuge Mingyue could only give up on this idea, not everyone had cultivated the ancient body technique, and they didn't have her rapid physical recovery ability. Now if she let them follow her in a charge, it would be no different from sending them to their deaths.

  "Mingyue, you try, can you rush over? I'll help block for a bit." Zhuge Mingyue could see it, and Ling Feiyang naturally also saw it, seeming to have guessed Zhuge Mingyue's thoughts. With great difficulty, Ling Feiyang swung out his sword, took a breath, and said in a low voice.

  "No way, we leave together!" Zhuge Mingyue's expression didn't change a bit, but her eyes were resolute. She knew that once she left, the team would lose one defensive point, and the others would definitely not escape the poisonous scorpion's hunt.

  Just as Zhuge Mingyue refused, someone took action. Qin Hongyun suddenly let out a loud shout: "Go!", his body flashed and he rushed forward, the dozens of giant scorpions in front of him stretched out their huge claws and poked out their poisonous tails.

  "Has he gone mad? What's the difference between this and suicide!" Everyone stared in disbelief at Qin Hongyun's rapidly advancing figure.

  Just when everyone was racking their brains and couldn't figure it out, a stunning scene unfolded.

  Another figure in Qin Hongyun's team suddenly flashed and rushed to his front, then jumped high, as if he had practiced countless times. Qin Hongyun's toes pointed, his body jumped high, and then stepped on the shoulders of that teammate, borrowing strength to jump high, like a flying bird, over the scorpion group below, steadily falling towards the archway. The other two teammates also followed suit, using that teammate's body to fly high to the opposite side, evading the poisonous scorpions' siege.

  But the companion fell like a meteor towards the scorpion swarm, at the critical moment, he crushed the transmission symbol in his hand, and a flash of light appeared. Before the transmission symbol was fully activated, his body quickly merged into the scorpion swarm, emitting earth-shaking screams, and in the blink of an eye, he was torn to pieces.

  Qin Hongyun turned around, looking at Zhuge Mingyue and others with arrogance and indifference, his eyes filled with deep contempt. A burst of "heh heh heh" sounds came from the scorpion group, it was the sound of his companion being bitten to pieces and swallowed by the poisonous scorpions, but he seemed not to have heard it at all, his expression didn't change a bit, as if this person had never appeared in his life.

  In the midst of a difficult battle, they caught a glimpse of this scene, and Zhuge Mingyue and several others were shocked to the core. If the last time he abandoned his companions could still be considered a helpless move, then this time, he simply sacrificed his companions' lives to achieve his own goals. Such a person is too despicable and too terrifying.

  Qin Hongyun watched as all the giant poisonous scorpions surrounded Zhuge Mingyue and the others, a sneer-like smile spreading from the corner of his mouth, but gradually, his smile froze.

  As the sun slowly fell below the horizon, those giant poisonous scorpions that were still tirelessly attacking Zhuge Mingyue and others seemed to have received some kind of guidance, suddenly stopped, retreated backwards, and with a swift movement of their long legs, flipped open the sand beneath their feet, burying their bodies deep within the yellow sand. In less than a minute, all the scorpions had disappeared without a trace.

  The pale moonlight spilled onto the ground, the wind rose, and the sand flew, wave after wave of sand rolled over, burying the scorpion's corpse beneath. On the desolate Gobi Desert, a sense of tranquility reigned, as if the fierce battle that had lasted nearly a day had left no trace at all.

  Zhuge Mingyue's face showed a relieved smile, understanding that if the previous grassland blood raven test was to examine the students' teamwork, trust in their companions and unwavering loyalty. Then here in the Gobi Desert, it is more of a test of the students' willpower. As long as they have the courage, relying on their firm determination to persist until the end, they can successfully pass the assessment.

  As they looked at Qin Hongyun, several people including Zhuge Ming couldn't help but reveal a look of disdain and mockery. If he had persisted for just one more minute, there would have been no need to sacrifice his companions. Looking at the calm yellow sand, thinking about the students who sacrificed themselves for Qin Hongyun, everyone felt a deep sense of sympathy and a hint of chill.

  "They must have all been raised as loyalists by the Qin family from a young age, instilled with the idea of loyalty to the family from the moment they understood things, and even they themselves didn't think their lives belonged to them." Ling Feiyang said quietly.

  Zhuge Mingyue nodded, and her understanding of these ancient families with a long history increased by several points. She absolutely didn't have any good feelings about them. And now she also understood why she had felt that sense of incongruity when she first saw the people around Qin Hongyun. That sense of incongruity was those few people, who were centered around Qin Hongyun and gave off a subordinate feeling. They weren't companions, but rather a master-slave relationship!

  As they stood under the arch, gazing at the transmission array, everyone fell silent. According to the rules, only five people could pass the selection, but now eight people had made it to the end, and even if Long Sun Ning didn't count, there were still two extra people. In fact, not even the person who set the rules had expected that so many people would pass through the two trials, in their imagination, having one or two people persist until the end was already good enough.

  Everyone was in no hurry to rush up the transmission array, and instead sat down to bandage their wounds and recover their physical strength. Zhuge Mingyue glanced at Qin Hongyun, who met her gaze with a raised eyebrow. Towards Zhuge Mingyue, Qin Hongyun had an air of superiority born from his ancient noble lineage, while towards Qin Hongyun, Zhuge Mingyue felt an innate disdain, even disgust.

  The current situation means that the remaining eight people will have to go through a new selection process after they return. What kind of selection will it be? If it's a personal strength competition, Zhuge Mingyue himself doesn't need to worry, but Wan Qi Chen and Xue Zihao are likely to struggle against Qin Hongyun and others.

  Qin Hongyun also had the same worries, he had already lost two partners, if they were to go back and participate in team matches later, facing Xue Mingyue and Wan Qi's demonic pets, he didn't have any confidence at all.

  "What's next?" Ling Feiyang asked as he stood up.

  "Let's go back and talk about it later." Zhuge Mingyue couldn't think of a solution, so she could only take things one step at a time.

  Ling Feiyang nodded, and suddenly his eyes narrowed, shouting "Be careful!" as he drew his sword to block the attack in front of Wan Zichen. He deflected Qin Hongyun's sneak attack with his longsword, and Wan Zichen, having undergone such a long period of devilish training, quickly rolled away to Long Suninghao's side. Meanwhile, Qin Hongyun's two companions also drew their swords and attacked Xue Zihao simultaneously.

  For the sake of the quota, Qin Hongyun actually resorted to secretly laying a trap for them. They weren't foolish either, having previously witnessed the prowess of Zhuge Mingyue, Ling Feiyang and Changsun Ninghao, they knew it would be difficult to launch a sneak attack on them with their abilities. Therefore, they chose to make a move against Wan Qi Chen and Xue Zihao, who were the weakest in close combat.

  Zhuge Mingyue suddenly reacted, and a fierce anger burned in her heart. She swiftly drew out her dagger and rushed to rescue Xue Zihao with Ling Feiyang, but they were still one step too late.

  Suddenly facing the combined attack of a swordsman close to the Sky level, Xue Zihao was completely unprepared and could only leap backward with all his might. His back was against the archway that led to the third restricted area, but in the blink of an eye, Xue Zihao's figure vanished into thin air before Zhuge Mingyue's eyes.

  "Ghost!" Wan Xi Chen exclaimed, his whole body chilled to the bone.

  "Whatever you do, don't cross the second archway, the danger of the third forbidden area is unimaginable, even we don't dare to enter, and the transmission symbol will also lose its effect there. Once you encounter danger, you won't even have a chance to escape." The teacher's words before departure seemed to echo in their ears, although he didn't specify what the danger was. However, recalling his terrified eyes and serious tone of warning, not only Wan Qichen but also several others including Zhuge Mingyue felt their hearts sinking continuously.

  Zhuge Mingyue and Ling Feiyang launched a desperate attack on the two swordsmen, who were no match for them. Just as they were about to be killed by their long swords and daggers, they steeled themselves and turned around to charge into the third realm together.

  "Ah, Mingyue!" Wan Xi Chen shouted, looking up at the archway, but said nothing.

  Zhuge Mingyue knew what he was thinking, and every one of them would never give up on their companions. Even if it's the Nine Underworlds, they would all go for it without hesitation for the sake of friendship. Zhuge Mingyue nodded heavily, then said to Ling Feiyang: "Fatty, you guys go first, I'll be right there." After finishing speaking, he fiercely stared at Qin Hongyun, who saw that things were not going well and jumped towards the transmission array with a leap.

  "Want to run!" Long Sun Ning Hao's heavy sword slashed out, a powerful energy burst forth, and with one sword, Qin Hongyun, who was about to escape through the transmission array, was blasted back repeatedly, helplessly standing in front of Zhuge Mingyue and Ling Feiyang. After saying these two simple words, he slashed out another sword, and Long Sun Ning Hao, without hesitation, passed through the archway with Wan Qi Chen, entering the third realm.

  "You want us to die, you also don't think about living on!" Zhuge Mingyue's voice was as cold as the dagger in her hand, Qin Hongyun's sword-gripping hand couldn't help but tremble.

  Lost his companion, Qin Hongyun could no longer perform that magical combo technique. His own strength was inferior to Zhuge Mingyue and Ling Feiyang by more than one level, barely holding on for less than a minute before leaving several wounds on his body. He gritted his teeth and followed them into the gate. He never thought that after all the calculations, he would end up pushing himself into a desperate situation. He understood that if he continued to drag it out, he was no match for Zhuge Mingyue. Entering the third restricted area, there were still people who could support him inside, and he might be able to gain a chance at survival.

  Zhuge Mingyue followed without hesitation, all her companions were inside, how could she leave them behind and transmit back alone?!

  After entering the third forbidden land, a step away, as if heaven and earth are separated. The bright moonlight shines on the ground, a stream flows slowly, the clear water hits the rocks, making a "ding dong" pleasant sound, the strange rocks on both sides of the stream are steep and varied, like a group of elves trapped in sleep. On the lush Osmanthus tree, small white flowers are covered under the moonlight, emitting a crystal light, like thousands of stars, exuding a faint fragrance that touches people's hearts.

  Here, it is so beautiful and quiet, so peaceful and serene. The pleasant sound of the stream, as if a melody flowing through the heart, makes one feel extremely relaxed and comfortable, and the mind cannot help but relax.

  Xue Zihao and several others who arrived here first were safe and sound, while Qin Hongyun and several others stared blankly at the beautiful scenery in front of them.

  The more beautiful things are, the more terrifying the hidden dangers behind them often are. The students who have been through the first two restricted areas understand this truth better than anyone else. Think about those lush grasslands and golden Gobi deserts, aren't they also breathtakingly beautiful? But the bloodthirsty birds of prey and poisonous scorpions lurking behind them are equally terrifying.

  Although they understood this principle, in this third forbidden land, they couldn't muster up any will to fight. It was as if they had been thrown into their mother's arms, feeling so warm and secure that they almost wanted to fall asleep and never wake up again. The two groups of people who were originally about to engage in battle now maintained silence, and surprisingly, no one made a move.

  "Hmm……" A soft humming noise echoed in Zhuge Mingyue's mind, seemingly touching the deepest part of her heart, making her feel a mix of emotions, and her vision became blurry as if some scene was flashing before her eyes. At this moment, a seven-colored holy light flashed through her mind, and suddenly her mind cleared up.

  "What's going on?" Zhuge shook his head, looked up and gazed around, stunned.

  "Stop, let her go, you bastard... Ah... I'll kill you, I'll kill you!" Wan Xi Chen let out a heart-wrenching scream, as if he had seen his arch-nemesis, and frantically poured down several bottles of medicine before rushing into the creek water, thrashing about as he charged forward.

  "Don't even think about taking another step forward, even if it costs me my life, I will never let you harm her!" Ling Feiyang drew out the Broken Kill Sword and said solemnly, as if facing the strongest enemy he had ever encountered since birth. Then, with all his might, he stabbed sword after sword at the transparent air in front of him.

  "Fatty, get up! You promised me you would! I want to see you become the greatest summoner! Get up, don't die on me, you coward! Hurry up and let's go on an adventure together, you, me, and Mingyue. We'll head to the Dragon Mountain Range, to the White Ice Plains..." Xue Zihao hugged a boulder, crying his heart out.

  "Teacher, I'm sorry. I've let you down and failed to live up to your expectations. I'll leave this place and never come back!" Chang Sun Ninghao knelt on the ground, knocking his head several times before walking away resolutely into the distance.

  If she had seen such reactions from a few people in the past, Zhuge Mingyue would have burst out laughing, but now she couldn't laugh. Illusion! Wan Qi Chen and the others must have fallen into some kind of illusion, seeing what they cared about or worried about most, so much so that they were deeply trapped and unable to extricate themselves. If it weren't for the protection of Xing Huan's guardian, she would probably also fall into an illusion.

  Wan Qi Chen has walked further and further away, the creek water has already reached his chest, but he doesn't seem to notice. Xue Zi Hao is crying hysterically, with even blood seeping out of her eyes. Ling Fei Yang is still exerting all his strength to wield his sword, continuously exhausting himself, it seems that unless it's the last moment of his life, he absolutely won't stop. Chang Sun Ning Hua's figure is getting further and further away, soon to be completely lost in this boundless forbidden land.

  "Halt, Flying Swallow, halt!" Zhuge Mingyue took advantage of Ling Feiyang's rapidly declining physical strength to seize the opportunity. With his dagger, he parried the Breaking Kill Sword and punched him on the head. However, Ling Feiyang remained completely unconscious, continuing to thrust his sword into the air one stroke after another.

  "What to do? What should I do?" Zhuge Mingyue's heart was anxious and worried.

  "Master, we failed to protect the young master. We should die for our crime." Just then, two students beside Qin Hongyun calmly said this and suddenly drew their long swords, slitting their throats, and fell dead on the spot.

  But Qin Hongyun beside him had a ferocious expression on his face, and no one knew what he saw or what he was thinking.

  "No, it can't go on like this, we must think of a way." Zhuge Mingyue saw the situation and became even more anxious, knowing that if things continued like this, Wan Qi Chen and others would soon follow in the footsteps of these two people, only in different ways.

  "Illusion, that's it! Can't Night Charm create illusions too? She must have a way!" Zhuge Mingyue's mind moved quickly, and she rapidly chanted the incantation. However, there seemed to be an invisible barrier blocking her spiritual power from reaching the magical beast space, and her incantation was unable to penetrate this barrier to summon Night Charm.

  No one noticed that at this time, behind the rugged and strange rocks, a pair of phoenix eyes shining like stars in the night were watching everything happening in front of them with great interest. That terrifying and unstoppable illusion did not pose any threat to him at all. However, he seemed to have no intention of taking action either, but just wanted to watch the play with cold eyes, waiting for the final outcome of the story.

  Zhuge Mingyue was both angry and anxious, but suddenly noticed that the bracelet on her wrist emitted a soft and gentle glow. It was the gift given by Cang Wu Jue at their first meeting, carved from moonstone, with an ancient pattern that was actually a lost array method, which could absorb the essence of the sun and moon, and burst out spiritual power to enhance the magic pet's strength at critical moments, and could be used once every month.

  With a thought, the Moonstone bracelet's light flashed and then quickly dimmed, pouring all the spiritual energy into Zhuge Mingyue's body. In this moment, Zhuge Mingyue felt his mental strength become incredibly powerful.

  She recited the incantation again, and a powerful spiritual force easily broke through the invisible barrier. The Night Charm lightly flapped its wings and landed gently on Zhuge Mingyue's shoulder.

  "Ghost bees! No wonder this feeling is so nauseating, it's the ghost bees!" Ye Mei said with an extremely disgusted expression as soon as she appeared.

  "Do you know what it is?" Zhuge Ming asked with surprise and delight.

  "Hmm, this is a kind of hallucinatory wasp, the arch-nemesis of our clan! Although this disgusting insect has gone into hiding, I can sense its presence." Ye Xiao replied.

  "You must have a way to dispel its illusion then, think of something quickly." said Zhuge Mingyue urgently.

  Yè Mèi gazed at Zhūgě Míng Yuè's anxious appearance, and without further delay, she parted her cherry lips and began to sing.

  That song's voice is distant and clear, directly entering the heart, driving away all the demons that disturb the mind.

  Everyone suddenly woke up from the illusion, with a dazed look in their eyes, as if they had just had a terrible nightmare, yet it was so real, so unforgettable, and just thinking about it made their hearts palpitate.

  "Ah, Mingyue, you're okay! That was too close, too close, I was really scared to death just now!" Wan Xi Chen, as a summoner, had stronger spiritual power than other professions. He was the first to wake up and quickly realized what had happened. He hastily jumped out of the creek and ran back to Zhuge Mingyue's side, dripping wet. Then he shouted at Xue Zihao: "Hey, wastrel, hurry up and wake up! What are you still holding onto that broken stone for?"

  "Ah!" Xue Zihao finally came back to his senses and hastily stood up.

  Ling Feiyang sheathed his Broken Kill Sword, feeling utterly exhausted. The full-force sword strike he had just made had almost depleted all the strength in his body. If he hadn't managed to extricate himself from the illusion in time, he probably would have collapsed from exhaustion and died soon after.

  At this time, Chang Sun Ninghao's figure paused for a moment, then ran back at the fastest speed.

  Not far away, Qin Hongyun looked at the two companions who had killed themselves, still as calm and collected as ever, bowing his head as if thinking about something.

  As the Night Charm's song sounded, the air in front of them began to distort, and a giant red bee appeared before everyone's eyes. Its appearance was similar to that of an ordinary honeybee, but it was hundreds or thousands of times larger. The fine, fiery red hairs on its body gave people goosebumps, while its almost completely transparent wings fluttered rapidly, emitting mysterious light patterns that converged at the two enormous and robust horns on its head, which were even bigger than a cow's horns.

  "It's a Seven-Star Hell Bee, the strongest of all Hell Bees! Kill it quickly!" Night Demon exclaimed as he stared at the seven obvious silver stripes on the Hell Bee's body.

  As soon as the words fell, Meng Feng's bull-like antennae suddenly sprang up like a fully drawn longbow, and a ray of light rushed towards Zhuge Mingyue and others.

  Time seemed to have stopped at this moment, except for Zhuge Mingyue, everyone's mind felt a blank space, almost falling into that endless illusion again.

  Ye Mei suddenly seemed to have received a huge blow, and fell from Zhuge Mingyue's shoulder. Her face turned pale. Even she was no match for the Seven Star Dark Bee in the previous mental confrontation. At the same time, the Seven Star Dark Bee's shadow became illusory once again.

  Zhuge Mingyue caught Ye Wei with one hand and summoned her back, then pulled out a dagger to stab the Seven Star Dark Bee. If it became invisible again, the consequences would be unthinkable.

  Qī Xīng Míng Fēng probably didn't expect that someone could withstand his direct spiritual impact, and he showed no reaction to Zhūgě Míng Yuè's dagger thrust.

  "Hiss!" Zhuge Mingyue's dagger stabbed into the head of Qī Xīng Míng Fēng.

  So fragile! Even Zhuge Mingyue himself did not expect to succeed with one blow, and he hastily drew out his dagger and stabbed again. The Seven Star Dark Bee let out a strange and painful screech, flapping its wings wildly as it flew backward in retreat. In pain, the illusion attack that had just been unleashed was also stopped midway.

  Ling Feiyang and several others suddenly came to their senses, surrounding and attacking. Not far away, Qin Hongyun hesitated for a moment, wanting to take the opportunity to escape, but he didn't know where to go, and if Ming Feng wasn't dead, wouldn't every path lead to death? Qin Hongyun was torn for a while, for his own life, also holding a long sword to join in.

  The demonic beast, which was skilled in spiritual attacks, had abilities that were not too strong in other aspects. This seven-star dark bee, although claiming to be the strongest among the dark bees, only had a slightly better defense than ordinary dark bees. It couldn't withstand the combined attack of several people, including Zhuge Mingyue. It relied on its extremely tough antennae to barely resist for a few moments before being forced to the edge of a rock, where it lay panting and wounded, its wings already sliced into pieces. The pair of antennae on its head, which were even tougher than bull horns, couldn't be cut off but were cleanly plucked out by Ling Feiyang, rendering them useless.

  Ling Feiyang raised his long sword high, just about to end its life, but was blocked by Qin Hongyun's sword. "Wait, don't kill it yet, maybe it still has other uses." Qin Hongyun's eyes revealed an uncontrollable greed. This is a Phantom Bee that can produce irresistible illusions! If captured and tamed, what a great role it would play in battle?!

  No one understands why such a powerful hell bee would appear here.

  "Get out, no one's stopping you from dying, go die somewhere else!" Ling Fei swept aside Qin Hongyun's long sword with a single glance, seeing the greed in his eyes. He didn't need to guess that he wanted to take advantage of the situation to capture the Seven Star Dark Bees and then try to tame them for some unmentionable purpose. Did he not see how much he was worth? This was simply asking for death. If he himself wanted to die, they wouldn't stop him, but would even give him a push. However, don't think about dragging them down with him!

  Ling Feiyang once again raised the Broken Kill Sword, and with one sword stroke, he thrust it into the Seven Star Bumblebee. The Seven Star Bumblebee's body shook violently, and its tail suddenly burst open, releasing a swarm of dense, locust-like bee stingers that shot towards the surrounding crowd.

  Ling Feiyang hastily sheathed his sword, and at the same time as Changsun Ninghao, they danced up a group of watertight sword lights to protect Zhuge Mingyue and Wan Qi Chen and others who retreated. At this moment, the Seven Star Dark Bee's head suddenly emitted a light shadow, like a transparent dark bee separating from its body, with a hateful gaze, it rushed towards Zhuge Mingyue's forehead.

  "Soul self-destruction!" Wan Xi Chen exclaimed. This dark bee actually self-destructed its soul, directly impacting Zhuge Mingyue's spiritual space, wanting to perish together.

  That transparent light directly penetrated Ling Feiyang's sword light, passed through Zhuge Mingyue's dagger, and hit Zhuge Mingyue's forehead without any delay.

  "Ah, Mingyue!" Everyone was stunned and wanted to stop her, but they were powerless. Her heart had almost sunk to the bottom at this moment. A dazzling seven-colored light slowly emerged from Zhuge Mingyue's body, enveloping her in a mysterious and sacred glow. The soul of the self-destructed Seven Star Wasp immediately ignited upon touching the colorful light, quickly burning into ashes. Zhuge Mingyue was unscathed, and the seven-colored light also rapidly disappeared.

  Ling Feiyang and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. Just now, they had forgotten that Zhuge Mingyue possessed the Starlight Guardian's necklace and jade pendant, which could provide powerful spiritual protection. In this world, there were indeed very few magical beasts that could directly cause her spiritual harm.

  "Stellar Illusion Shield!" Although the seven-colored glow that appeared on Zhuge Mingyue's body was only a fleeting moment, it still fell into Qin Hongyun's eyes, and he couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

  Ling Feiyang and several others looked at him simultaneously, their eyes turning icy cold. He had actually recognized Xing Huan's guardian, which was a secret related to Zhuge Mingyue's life safety, how could he let outsiders know? What should be done next? Looking at the scorching and greedy flames in Qin Hongyun's eyes, Ling Feiyang's eyes revealed intense killing intent. Unfinished grudges and new worries, might as well make a clean break!

  Qin Hongyun felt Ling Feiyang's killing intent and quietly moved his feet backwards. He really didn't expect that the legendary Star Fantasy Guardian was real, and even more unexpected was that it would appear right in front of him. As long as he got the Star Fantasy Guardian, he would get the key to unlocking the sealed power, and possess the powerful strength to dominate the continent!

  Qin Hongyun struggled to suppress the excitement in his heart, he also knew what it meant to have Xing Huan's protection. Before having enough power to protect himself, getting such a treasure would only bring disaster. Ling Feiyang would never let him leave with this secret, so the top priority now was to escape. As long as he escaped from here, Xing Huan's protection would eventually become his own.

  Everyone saw the excitement and greed that Qin Hongyun couldn't hide in his eyes, knowing he couldn't hesitate anymore, absolutely not letting him leave alive. Qin Hongyun also saw the killing intent of Ling Feiyang and others, without a moment's hesitation, immediately took out a bottle of medicine and drank it down, ready to escape. Zhuge Mingyue and others saw that it was a bottle of agility potion, and judging by its color, the effect was absolutely not weak!

  What should we do? Are we just going to let him get away? If he gets away, the consequences will be unthinkable!

  Digression

  Yes, I have a WeChat public account: wuyibaobao123

  Come and chat with me ~ Sometimes I will post some character's small stage in it.

  Ten thousand more, yeah, ahah~