Chapter 414: Thorny Armor Earth Dragon

On Pengze Immortal Island, within the forest leading to the Immortal Mountain, Shen Daoxing, Wan Hai, and Tang Yi bounded from one towering ancient tree to the next, rushing toward the Immortal Mountain at the island's center.

Along the way, plenty of overconfident teams had come looking for trouble, but Shen Daoxing never had to lift a finger. Wan Hai and Tang Yi were more than enough to dispatch them with ease.

They had naturally collected their third Trial Jade Token long ago.

However, after so many battles, Shen Daoxing could tell that even someone as powerful as Wan Hai and Tang Yi were gradually growing exhausted. They were just unwilling to show it in front of him.

Suddenly, Wan Hai, who was leading the way, came to a sudden halt.

"What's wrong?"

Tang Yi walked forward and asked curiously.

But she only took one step forward before she froze.

Not far from them, a behemoth the size of a small mountain lay collapsed on the ground.

It was a lizard-like beast of immense size, standing over a hundred feet tall. Its back was covered in a thick, thorny carapace bristling with sharp spikes.

This was a Thorny Armor Earth Dragon, a demonic beast with the strength of the Ninth Layer of the Earth Profound Realm. But it was no ordinary beast of that level. It was said that the Thorny Armor Earth Dragon possessed the bloodline of the Ancient Ancestral Dragon and had mastered the Earth Armor Extreme Dao. It not only possessed incredible defenses but also wielded the terrifying power to shake the very earth. Only a cultivator at the Ninth Layer of the Earth Profound Realm who had also mastered an Extreme Dao could hope to match it.

Even with Wan Hai's strength, he and Tang Yi combined would likely be unable to withstand a single blow from this Thorny Armor Earth Dragon.

And yet, this terrifying Thorny Armor Earth Dragon now lay dead before Shen Daoxing and the others. Its massive head had been severed, and it showed no signs of life.

Wan Hai paused for a moment before hurrying forward. He looked at the stump of the Thorny Armor Earth Dragon's neck and saw a faint brown light flickering on the wound.

Wan Hai seemed to recognize this power. He stepped forward for a closer look, and his brow furrowed. "This is the power of Pan Cheng's Xi Huang Divine Sword! He killed this Thorny Armor Earth Dragon!"

Pan Cheng was truly worthy of his title as the number one disciple of the Inner Sect. Even a Thorny Armor Earth Dragon that had reached the Realm of the Ultimate Way had died by his hand.

Wan Hai's brow furrowed deeply. 'It seems Pan Cheng's strength is even greater than I imagined.'

Wan Hai knew that Pan Cheng had coveted Tang Yi for a long time. But Pan Cheng was far too strong, so Wan Hai had always done his best to avoid him, steering clear of any confrontation.

Here, disciples were permitted to fight amongst themselves. If they ran into Pan Cheng's group, he definitely wouldn't let them off easily. Fortunately, Pan Cheng and his companions seemed to be ahead of them, so they shouldn't cross paths.

They didn't linger. Shen Daoxing, Wan Hai, and Tang Yi took to the treetops once more, leaping through the ancient branches as they continued on their way.

Whether intentionally or not, Wan Hai, who was leading the group, couldn't help but slow his pace.

Tang Yi, who was behind him, seemed to sense his unease. She moved closer to comfort him. "Wan, don't you worry. You're the only one in my heart. I wouldn't give Pan Cheng a second glance, no matter what he does. To me, you'll always be the best."

Moved, Wan Hai reached out and pulled Tang Yi into a hug. "Yi, you're wonderful."

Seeing the two locked in an embrace, Shen Daoxing couldn't help but clear his throat. The couple immediately broke apart.

Wan Hai wasn't embarrassed at all, just letting out a hearty laugh. Tang Yi, however, shyly buried her face in his shoulder.

The three continued on their way and soon found themselves in a valley with a clear stream meandering through it. From there, they could see the entirety of Pengze Immortal Mountain. They were getting close.

At that moment, a patch of bushes in the valley began to shake.

Wan Hai and Tang Yi were instantly on alert.

The next moment.

A young man suddenly stepped out from the bushes.

The man had a grim expression and cradled a longsword in his arms. His piercing eyes were enough to send a shiver down one's spine.

"Ling Feng?"

At the sight of him, Wan Hai's expression turned serious as he instantly raised his Flame Thunder Sword.

"Wan Hai?"

The young man opposite him also raised the sword in his hand, his expression growing serious.

For a moment, the two stood in a tense standoff.

Clearly, the young man was a master whose skill was on par with Wan Hai's.

But then, the young man sighed heavily, shaking his head and lowering his sword. "Go on ahead," he said. "I'm in no condition to fight you."

As he spoke, the bushes behind Ling Feng rustled again, and two figures slowly emerged. They were his teammates.

One of them was missing an arm, the other a leg. Both were covered in blood—it was a gruesome sight.

Ling Feng's sword was also in ruins, with only half the blade remaining.

Clearly, they had suffered devastating losses in a recent battle and were in no state to fight again.

Wan Hai nodded toward Ling Feng's trio. Ling Feng and his teammates silently stepped aside.

Then, Shen Daoxing, Wan Hai, and Tang Yi walked past.

Just as they were walking past Ling Feng.

Ling Feng paused. After a moment's hesitation, he suddenly spoke. "You shouldn't go any further. Pan Cheng is up ahead, blocking the path and waiting for people to show up. We have him to thank for these injuries."

What!

'Pan Cheng is up ahead, specifically waiting for them!'

Wan Hai stopped in his tracks.

Ling Feng slowly turned to Wan Hai. "He's asking for you by name, Wan Hai. If you and your team don't want to end up like us, I suggest you turn back."

Wan Hai froze, wanting to ask more.

"That's all I'm going to say," Ling Feng said, waving his hand dismissively. "You're on your own now."

He then led his two grievously injured teammates slowly back the way they came, away from the island's center.

"Wan, what do we do now?" Tang Yi asked anxiously as she stepped forward.

"We keep going."

Wan Hai looked up ahead. On the cloud-piercing Immortal Mountain, he could see faint shimmers of light, indicating that many disciples had already passed the first trial and were heading for the summit.

It was too late to take a detour now.

'I just have to hope our luck holds out and we don't run straight into Pan Cheng,' he thought.

After a brief pause, Wan Hai led Shen Daoxing and Tang Yi forward once more.

After a few steps, his expression turned serious again. He stopped in front of Shen Daoxing. "Little Junior Brother, if we do run into Pan Cheng's group, and things look bad, I want you to slip away quietly. They're targeting me and Yi. They probably won't give you any trouble."

Hearing this, Shen Daoxing simply raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Don't worry, Senior Brother Wan Hai. We'll be fine."