Chapter 216: Locked On by a Mutant Beast

Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Locked On by a Mutant Beast

Yan Lie scanned his surroundings warily, his snow-white ears twitching slightly, catching the faintest sounds in the forest.

He lowered his voice and said to Bai Wanwan behind him, "It’s safest to take the same path back to that cave. We’ll wait there for the beast tide to completely pass before we return to the Golden Lion Tribe."

"Okay." Bai Wanwan understood. It was the only way to be safe right now.

As he started moving, she tightened her grip around the Snow Leopard’s neck to brace against the jolting.

They cautiously moved along the path they had come from.

Suddenly, three frenzied wildcats with bared fangs shot out from the bushes. After letting out a piercing "MEOW" at them, they lunged forward to attack.

Yan Lie reacted instantly, his sharp claws flashing out like blades, slashing at the wildcats’ throats.

In a few swift moves, he took care of all the wildcats.

Blood splattered onto his snow-white fur, like dots of red plum blossoms.

"It’s okay now."

Yan Lie was panting heavily and was about to say more to Bai Wanwan, but he suddenly froze.

Bestial roars rose and fell in the distance. He listened carefully for a moment.

"This is bad," he said, his amber pupils constricting. "A large pack of beasts is heading this way."

Bai Wanwan saw cold sweat beading on Yan Lie’s forehead. Following his solemn gaze, she saw trees in the distance shaking unnaturally.

Forcing herself to remain calm, she said, "Let’s take a different path. The forest is huge; we’re bound to find another hiding spot."

Yan Lie hesitated for a moment, but the approaching roars forced him to make a decision.

"Okay, we’ll head east! There are more rocks over there, so it’ll be easier to find a cave!"

Carrying Bai Wanwan on his back, Yan Lie tore through the dense forest in a desperate flight.

The harsh wind and scraping leaves made it uncomfortable for Bai Wanwan, but she couldn’t worry about that now. The most important thing was to stay alive.

They encountered several more scattered groups of beasts along the way. Each time, Yan Lie was hampered by the need to protect her, and the number of wounds on his body grew.

After Yan Lie fought off two more frenzied foxes, Bai Wanwan noticed a gash on his left arm, so deep she could see bone, bleeding profusely.

The scent of blood filled the air.

"Stop!" She suddenly grabbed Yan Lie, her voice urgent. "Your blood will attract more beasts. We can’t keep running. We have to find a place to hide around here!"

Yan Lie tried to respond but staggered from the blood loss.

Bai Wanwan whipped her head around, scanning the area, then pointed in a certain direction. "There’s a cliff face over there. Let’s go look."

Yan Lie looked over and, after confirming the area was temporarily safe, bolted toward it.

Just as he was about to start searching for a hiding place near the cliff face, he heard the sound of dry twigs snapping underfoot.

Yan Lie’s muscles tensed instantly. His snow-white body pressed against the cliff face like a fully drawn bow, his sharp claws digging deep into the crevices of the rock.

He bared his deathly-white fangs, a low, menacing growl rumbling in his throat.

Around the corner, several golden figures suddenly appeared.

Yan Lie had already raised his front paws, but he abruptly halted his attack when he got a clear look at the newcomers.

"Beastmen from the Golden Lion Tribe?"

Jin Yi’s golden pupils contracted the moment he saw Bai Wanwan, and the nerves that had been stretched taut for two days finally relaxed a little.

He quickly shifted into his human form. His handsome, refined face was tinged with exhaustion. "It’s good that you’re alright."

His gaze swept over their wretched appearances. "Can you walk? We’re going back to the tribe."

He had been searching the forest with the Yellow Rank Beastmen for two whole days, dealing with dozens of battles, large and small. They were all exhausted.

Yan Lie’s leopard ears twitched slightly, and a puff of white air shot from his nostrils. "We can’t go back. The outskirts of the tribe have been surrounded by the beast tide."

In just that short time, the blood gushing from his body had already stained a patch of the ground red.

Bai Wanwan said to him worriedly, "Let me down first. I’ll bandage your wounds."

Yan Lie didn’t move. "Wanwan, it’s nothing. We have to leave now."

Bai Wanwan turned her head and saw that almost all the Golden Lion males were injured.

She had no choice but to stop what she was doing. Her pale face, smeared with dirt, was turned toward Jin Yi as she said, "We saw it with our own eyes... I’m afraid we can’t go back now."

Jin Yi’s brow cast a deep shadow over his face.

’Now they couldn’t return even if they wanted to. Fortunately, I only brought twenty males with me, having considered the tribe’s safety before I left.’

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly turned and gestured to the beastmen behind him. "Change of plans. Find a place to spend the night first."

The twenty Golden Lion males silently formed ranks. Although every one of them was wounded, the fighting spirit in their eyes had not diminished.

Jin Yi briefly assigned tasks. The males immediately formed a defensive formation, tightly protecting Bai Wanwan in the center.

Just then, on a distant ridge, ancient, towering trees toppled over in droves like stalks of wheat, the rumbling sound like thunder.

"Go!" At Jin Yi’s command, the team shot into the dense forest like an arrow.

They weaved through the dark forest. Jin Yi led the vanguard, acting like a golden scythe, tearing an opening through the scattered beast packs.

Bai Wanwan saw blood constantly seeping from the Golden Lions’ wounds, coagulating into dark red scabs on their golden fur.

A pang of guilt hit her. ’These wounds... they’re all because of me.’

KRAK!

THUMP! THUMP!

Strange sounds swarmed in from all directions.

Jin Yi kept changing their route, but the beasts’ encirclement grew tighter and tighter.

When their third attempt to change direction still met with a pack of beasts, the males’ panting grew noticeably heavier.

’They couldn’t escape...’

Beasts were on all sides, each one with crimson eyes, staring at them fixedly, like cornered animals starved to the brink.

"Young Clan Leader..." a young Golden Lion male’s voice was filled with suppressed panic.

"Don’t be afraid!"

After speaking, Jin Yi turned his head to look at Yan Lie. "In a moment, you just need to focus on protecting your female and staying close to us."

Yan Lie quickly responded, "Right. Wanwan and I will stick close to you."

"First squad, break a path! Second squad, cover the rear!"

Before Jin Yi’s roar had even faded, the Golden Lions had already transformed into streaks of golden light, pouncing on the beast pack.

He sank his teeth into a hyena’s throat and, with a vicious shake of his head, tore it in two.

The scent of blood drove the beast pack into an even greater frenzy, but the protective circle formed by the lion pack didn’t budge an inch.

Bai Wanwan watched, stunned. ’This is the first time I’ve seen the power of a Yellow Rank Male up close. They’re so strong.’

Soon, they were about to break through the encirclement.

But just then, a deafening roar shook the mountain forest.

A black bear, easily the height of three men, stood up on its hind legs, its crimson eyes like two bloody lanterns.

"A Red Rank Mutant Beast!"

Jin Yi’s pupils shrank. "Get out of the way!"

The black bear charged over with incredible speed.

In the chaos, the protective circle was violently torn apart.

Five Golden Lions desperately tried to entangle the black bear, but two were sent flying by a single swipe of its paw.

"Scatter and retreat!" Jin Yi made a quick decision.

After knocking the Golden Lions aside, the black bear didn’t press the attack. It turned its head, its crimson eyes locking dead onto Bai Wanwan’s position.

"Run!"

Jin Yi and Yan Lie leaped at the same time. The black bear’s claws grazed past Yan Lie’s tail, carving three deep gouges into the ground...