Chapter 227: Everyone, Maintain Formation!

However, before Liu Mingyuan's words had even faded, in the next second, two Golden Silk Monkeys resembling giant gorillas descended from the sky and appeared before the group.

Ilya gripped the specially modified Qi Gun in his hand, cold sweat sliding down his sharp-angled cheeks.

Twenty years of mercenary life had seen him through countless dangerous missions, but never before had he felt such an intense threat of death as he did now.

"Everyone, maintain formation!" he shouted in a deep voice, eyes locked onto the two impossibly massive Golden Silk Monkeys ahead. Their bodies were over three meters tall, covered in fur that shimmered with a metallic luster, and their blood-red eyes held a heart-palpitating intelligence.

Kate raised her modified shotgun, but her pride-and-joy marksmanship seemed unusually powerless at this moment. When the special Energy Ammunition struck the Golden Silk Monkeys, it was like hitting an invisible barrier; it couldn't even damage a single hair.

"This is impossible..." he muttered to himself, his voice filled with disbelief, "Even steel plates should have been pierced through..."

Beside him, Hongda took a deep breath, his chest swelling violently. As the esper of the team, he had always been the group's trump card. Yet at this moment, when he spewed flames capable of melting steel, the two Golden Silk Monkeys dodged them easily, as if they were merely playing with him.

"Captain," Hongda wiped the flames seeping from the corner of his mouth, "these things... are not ordinary creatures. The power within their bodies is stronger than anyone I have ever seen!"

Liu Mingyuan stood at the rear of the team, a crazed light flickering in his eyes. As the employer of this operation, he knew better than anyone what he was pursuing. His mission objective was not far ahead. Yet at this moment, these two terrifying Golden Silk Monkeys were blocking the way.

"We cannot retreat!" he suddenly shouted, his voice tinged with hysteria, "We are already very close! The treasure is right ahead!"

"Shut up!" Ilya barked a stern command, "Going any further is suicide!"

"Retreat!" he ordered decisively, "Abandon the mission! Everyone evacuate immediately!"

Just as the team began to withdraw, those Golden Silk Monkeys did not pursue. They simply stood their ground, watching this group of intruders with those blood-red eyes. This eerie behavior made Ilya even more alarmed. The intelligence of these creatures was clearly far beyond their imagination.

Meanwhile, in another hidden cave in the valley, Chai Yan was leaning against the cold rock wall to regulate his breathing. His chest was still aching faintly; that was where he had been struck by a palm from a Golden Silk Monkey. If he hadn't circulated his Qi throughout his body for protection in time, that palm would likely have taken his life directly.

He took an ancient-looking Jade Pendant from his bosom and injected a trace of Qi. The Jade Pendant immediately emitted a soft glow, and Qu Tong's cold voice came from within: "Chai Yan, how is the situation?"

"Hoo..." Chai Yan took a deep breath, struggling to suppress the pain caused by his injuries, "The situation is far worse than we anticipated. There is a group of Golden Silk Monkeys in the valley with terrifying strength, and they... they have completely exceeded the category of wild beasts."

The other end of the Jade Pendant was silent for a moment, and Qu Tong's voice was somewhat grave: "Tell me in detail."

"Their power has reached at least the level of a First-class Alien, and..." Chai Yan recalled the previous battle, still feeling a lingering fear, "they seem to have mastered some kind of special Qi; my attacks were completely unable to break through their defenses. Even more terrifying is that they fight in coordination; they have clearly awakened their intelligence."

"Hmm..." Qu Tong was thoughtful, "Chai Yan, you stay there and recover first; wait until the others arrive. Do not act rashly under any circumstances."

After cutting the connection, Chai Yan closed his eyes and began to carefully sort through the previous battle. The performance of those Golden Silk Monkeys far exceeded his understanding. They were not simply killing intruders, but guarding something. This purposeful behavior reminded him of some ancient legends.

It is said that in the ancient era, some enlightened masters would entrust important treasures to be guarded by creatures that had not yet awakened their intelligence. These creatures would guard the treasures for generations, gradually awakening their intelligence and gaining astonishing power. Could it be... that these Golden Silk Monkeys were such existences?

Clear spring water enveloped Lin Xuan's body, and a mysterious energy continuously seeped into every one of his pores. This was the legendary Three Lights Divine Water, a heaven-and-earth wonder capable of refining the primordial spirit and enhancing cultivation.

However, this divine water seemed to have a consciousness of its own. Whenever Lin Xuan tried to absorb the power within it, he would be met with a powerful resistance. It felt as if he were playing a game of chess against a will condensed from the essence of heaven and earth.

Lin Xuan maintained absolute calm. After these years of cultivation, he knew well that when facing such a level of heaven-and-earth wonder, the greatest taboo was impatience. He floated quietly in the spring water, carefully sensing the characteristics of the Three Lights Divine Water.

Gradually, he discovered that although this power was strong, it was not entirely unmanageable. The key lay in finding the right method. This reminded him of the insights he had gained when he first received the blessing of Qi Luck—all power between heaven and earth has its own laws of operation.

"So that's how it is..." a smile of realization appeared at the corner of Lin Xuan's mouth, "This Three Lights Divine Water is indeed miraculous, but it is ultimately a power of heaven and earth. And my inner core is, in itself, a supreme treasure capable of containing the power of heaven and earth."

After figuring this out, he changed his strategy. He no longer tried to absorb it by force, but instead let his inner core emit a special resonance, creating a wondrous connection with the power of the Three Lights Divine Water. This method was like sparring with an unfathomable senior, rather than taking by force.

Xiao Qing and Xiao Bai were guarding the side of the spring when they suddenly felt the Spirit Qi in the air become unusually active. The temperature of the entire stone chamber began to climb sharply, as if an invisible force were surging through the air.

"Big Sister..." Xiao Qing looked at Lin Xuan in the spring water with some worry, "Will Benefactor be in danger?"

Xiao Bai shook her head, a flash of admiration in her eyes: "No need to worry, Benefactor has his own plan. Although this Three Lights Divine Water is miraculous, in front of Benefactor, it will ultimately have to submit."

Just then, the entire stone chamber suddenly shook violently. The surface of the spring water began to boil, and countless bubbles rose up, bursting in the air and turning into colorful specks of light. A powerful will suddenly awakened from the Three Lights Divine Water and launched a fierce assault on Lin Xuan's divine sense.

This was the final test of the Three Lights Divine Water, and also the most dangerous moment. If an ordinary Practitioner encountered this situation, their divine sense would likely be crushed by this will instantly. But Lin Xuan revealed a smile, as if he had long expected this moment.

He did not retreat but advanced, circulating all the Qi in his body to confront this will head-on. The two forces collided fiercely within his body, erupting with astonishing energy fluctuations. The entire stone chamber swayed unceasingly under the impact of this power, as if it might collapse at any moment.