From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 416 Fierce Competition and Hidden Crisis

The roar was like the wailing of a demon emerging from the depths of the earth, making my eardrums ring.

The ground trembled as if some enormous creature was approaching with heavy steps.

My heart was pounding, and an ominous premonition gripped me like a vine, almost suffocating me.

The strong smell of blood mixed with the dampness of the soil filled my nostrils, making my stomach churn.

Damn!

I hope it's not the kind of monster I'm imagining!

I gripped the Crimson Flame Sword tightly, my palms sweaty and sticky.

Then, it appeared.

My breath hitched.

Good heavens... this thing is practically a small mountain!

The previous monster was already big enough, but this one... is practically its father!

Its body is covered with bluish-black scales that gleam with a metallic sheen in the dim light, each scale as thick as a shield.

Its limbs were thick and powerful, and every step it took made the ground tremble, as if it would crack open at any moment.

A pair of enormous, scarlet eyes, like two burning lanterns, radiated a bloodthirsty light, sending chills down one's spine.

The surrounding treasure hunters were thrown into chaos, with screams of terror rising and falling.

They scattered and fled like frightened rabbits, fearing that the monster would target them.

What's even more infuriating is that when these people were fleeing for their lives, they actually pushed me, Hei Yu, the injured Fairy Lin, Elder Feng, and Pharmacist Zhao to the front, making us live targets for this monster!

"You..." I was so angry I felt like my lungs were going to explode. These people were absolutely cowardly!

"Miss Xiao Yao, be careful!" Hall Master Li's voice rang in my ears, his tone grave.

I gritted my teeth and held the Crimson Flame Sword horizontally in front of my chest.

Now that things have come to this, there's no escaping it; we have no choice but to fight to the death!

The monster let out a deafening roar, and suddenly swung its thick tail like a giant battering ram, sweeping towards us with a whistling sound.

"Get out of the way!" Elder Feng shouted, and hurriedly used his magic to create a cyan barrier in front of us.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the tail slammed into the barrier, shattering it instantly. Elder Feng was also thrown back by the enormous impact, crashing heavily into a large tree with a muffled groan.

My heart skipped a beat. Elder Feng was the most experienced beast tamer among us. If even he couldn't withstand this attack, what about the rest of us...?

"Elder Feng!" Pharmacist Zhao exclaimed and rushed over to check on Elder Feng's injuries.

I forced myself to calm down; now was not the time to panic.

I took a deep breath and said to Hei Yu and Hall Master Li, "Let's attack together!"

"Okay!" Black Feather and Hall Master Li replied in unison.

The three of us attacked simultaneously, unleashing all sorts of magical techniques, sword energy, and talismans at the monster as if they were free.

However, the monster's defense was astonishing. Our attacks landed on its scales, leaving only shallow marks and failing to cause any real damage.

"Damn it!" I spat out a curse. This monster's hide is way too thick!

Just then, I caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of my eye, sneaking off down a side path.

It's Su Yao!

This woman actually tried to slip away in the chaos!

I was about to call out to her when I suddenly heard a terrified scream.

"what!"

I looked in the direction of the sound and saw Su Yao trapped in a huge net, hanging in mid-air, struggling desperately with a look of terror on her face.

It seems she has inadvertently stepped into a trap.

I sneered, "Serves you right!"

However, before I could even feel happy, I was struck by a strong sense of crisis.

"Watch out!" Kuroba's voice rang in my ears.

I turned around abruptly and saw the monstrous beast...

"Pharmacist Zhao, watch out!" I shouted...

Pharmacist Zhao staggered a few steps, his face turning ashen. If I hadn't caught him in time, he probably would have fallen flat on his face.

The medicine bottle in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter," and the precious pills rolled everywhere, gleaming faintly in the dim light, as if mocking our disheveled state.

I cursed inwardly, "What kind of time is this to mess things up!"

"Cough cough..." Elder Feng clutched his chest, coughing up blood. His face looked even worse than that of Pharmacist Zhao.

"Don't worry about me... hurry... quickly deal with that beast..."

I glanced at the mountain-sized monster, which was shaking its head and letting out a low growl, clearly enraged by my attack.

Although the scales on its belly are thin, it's still too difficult to kill it with a single blow.

Moreover, both Pharmacist Zhao and Elder Feng are now injured, and our side has almost lost its fighting capacity. If this continues, the odds are against us.

I gritted my teeth. No, I had to think of a way!

While dodging the monster's attacks, I carefully observed its movements.

Despite its enormous size, it is surprisingly agile and has a wide variety of attack methods, sometimes sweeping with its tail and sometimes pouncing with its claws, making it difficult to defend against.

Just then, I suddenly smelled a pungent odor, like something was burning.

This smell... why does it smell so familiar?

"What's that smell?" Kuroba frowned and looked around warily.

Master Li's expression changed. "Not good! This seems to be..."

Before he could finish speaking, the surrounding air suddenly became scorching hot, and the ground began to tremble slightly, as if something was about to gush out from the ground.

My heart skipped a beat and an ominous premonition came over me.

This feels like... the precursor to a volcanic eruption!

I looked up sharply into the distance and saw that the sky was shrouded in a fiery red color, with thick smoke billowing out, as if it were the end of the world.

"Quick! Get out of here!" I shouted, grabbing Hei Yu and running away from that fiery red area.

Master Li also realized what was happening and quickly helped Elder Feng and Pharmacist Zhao up, and they followed behind us.

However, we hadn't run far when we heard a deafening roar behind us. Immediately afterward, a torrent of scorching magma, like a fountain, gushed out from the ground and shot straight into the sky.

The earth trembled violently, cracking open deep fissures. Fiery magma, like fiery dragons, flowed through the cracks, engulfing everything around it.

I glanced back and saw that the monster had been swallowed by the lava, letting out a shrill scream before falling silent.

We huddled behind a boulder, still reeling from the apocalyptic scene before us, our faces etched with fear and despair.

"What...what exactly happened?" Pharmacist Zhao's voice trembled, and he was almost crying.

I took a deep breath and tried to keep myself calm.

Now is not the time to cry; we have to find a way to survive!

Just then, I suddenly felt a strange aura coming from behind me.

I turned around abruptly and saw a dark figure standing not far behind us, coldly watching us.

"It's you?!" I exclaimed in surprise...