Chapter 291: We Must Be Careful!

Just as the group had yet to react to the sudden turn of events, a rustling sound came from far to near, breaking the momentary silence. A massive brown scorpion was seen crawling slowly toward them, each step appearing so unhurried. Its twin pincers were huge and hard, and its back was arched high, revealing a sense of power that could not be underestimated. Most terrifying of all was the sharp, needle-like stinger on its tail, which glinted with a faint, chilling light under the moonlight, as if a single prick could claim a life.

Seeing this, Lin Xuan could not help but knit his brows: "Not good! This is no ordinary beast; you all must be careful." His voice was filled with vigilance, yet his eyes were exceptionally resolute. Facing such an unknown and powerful enemy, as the backbone of the team, he had to remain calm and handle it.

Although Feng Baobao appeared calm and composed on the surface, her heart was surging with waves: "You are right, we have indeed encountered trouble, but discussing it now is useless. What matters is how to resolve the crisis before us."

Xiao Qing, standing to the side, also reined in her usual playful smile and looked at the two of them earnestly, saying: "I have an idea. If we can manage to divert this monster's attention... for example, by using a Phantom Talisman, perhaps we could find an opportunity to counterattack."

Lin Xuan nodded in agreement: "A good idea, but it is not easy to execute. First, someone needs to attract its attention, then another person must coordinate to cast the skill you mentioned, and the rest will depend on luck."

"Then who will be the bait?" Baobao asked the most critical question.

The three of them looked at each other and smiled; no words were needed for their tacit understanding. Ultimately, it was decided that Xiao Qing, who was the most agile and experienced, would take on this task. "Alright, alright, no need to look at me like that, just leave it to me!" she laughed heartily, her tone full of trust in her companions and confidence in her own strength.

The plan was soon put into action. Xiao Qing nimbly circled to a concealed spot on one side while beginning to prepare her talisman. Meanwhile, Lin Xuan and Baobao, standing motionless where they were, made exaggerated movements as much as possible, attempting to draw the giant scorpion's attention. Sure enough, upon sensing the presence of living beings not far away, the figure that had been moving slowly suddenly became incredibly swift, rapidly closing in on their side.

Watching the distance grow shorter, Lin Xuan suddenly drew his sword and slashed out; the blade emitted a blue glow, which was an attack condensed with powerful True Qi. However, this strike was clearly just to mislead the opponent—just as the giant scorpion had its full attention drawn by this sudden offensive, Xiao Qing, hidden in the shadows, had already quietly completed her setup.

Following a flash of faint light, the surrounding air seemed to undergo a subtle change, and a faint fragrance drifted through the air; this was the critical step before triggering the phantom effect. Almost at the same time, those tiny particles that had been surrounding her rapidly combined into a blurry yet incredibly realistic figure, which gradually began to move off into the distance...

The giant scorpion instinctively sensed that the threat came from elsewhere and turned without hesitation to chase after the phantom, leaving behind a short and precious window of opportunity. Taking advantage of this gap, the three immediately changed direction and retreated rapidly in the opposite direction, striving to put as much distance as possible between them. Only after confirming they were safe did the three of them heave a sigh of relief and stop to rest.

However, just as everyone thought the crisis had been temporarily averted, the familiar rustling sound came again from deep within the woods ahead... It turned out that everything before had been nothing but an illusion; that incredibly cunning scorpion had not been fooled for long.

"Damn it, can this guy actually track us?" Feng Baobao frowned and cursed, clearly very dissatisfied with what might happen next.

Lin Xuan said in a deep voice: "No matter what, we cannot give up. Since conventional methods are hard to use against it, let's try other ways."

As he spoke, he took out an Ancient Token he carried with him and placed it in his palm, reciting a mantra under his breath. A moment later, a golden radiance slowly rose from the token, forming a complex pattern in the air.

"This is..."

"One of the legendary divine objects capable of summoning the Holy Spirit to assist in battle." Lin Xuan interrupted his companion to explain, "As long as its power is successfully activated, we might really be able to suppress that monster."

Just as the three were pinning all their hopes on this final attempt, a new sound appeared in the woods, which did not sound like that terrifying giant scorpion. Xiao Qing immediately pricked up her ears to listen for a moment before shouting in surprise: "Wait, isn't that the voice of Master Lao Li? It really is him back!"

Immediately following this, they indeed saw a slightly thin, kind-faced old man hurrying through the bushes with several disciples, appearing within their field of vision, holding some special items in his hands.

Just as Xiao Qing was excitedly calling out to Master Lao Li, Lin Xuan and Wang Zhenqiu had already stood by her side, the eyes of all three revealing a hint of vigilance.

"Master Li? Is it really you?" Xiao Qing hurried forward a few steps, wanting to see the newcomer's appearance clearly. However, those people were already right before them, and there was no friendly expression in their eyes; instead, they exuded a sense of hostility.

The thin old man sneered: "Little girl, you have mistaken me for someone else." The object in his hand flickered with an eerie light, appearing exceptionally dazzling in the dim woods. And behind the old man, those seemingly ordinary disciples began to surround them from all directions.

"Not good! They are coming for us!" Lin Xuan reacted the fastest and immediately became alert.

"Hmph, so we were discovered after all." Xiao Qing knit her brows, but her body had instinctively entered a state of readiness. She quickly retreated a few steps and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Lin Xuan and Wang Zhenqiu, the three of them locking their gazes firmly on these people of unknown origin.

"Looks like we really have to fight this time." Wang Zhenqiu took a deep breath, his fists clenching with a cracking sound.

The other side did not say much; the first to strike was a young man in blue robes. He leaped lightly, his figure approaching the three like the wind. Xiao Qing reacted quickly, moving her feet to meet the blue-robed man. The two exchanged blows several times, their movements agile and fast; it was as if sparks were colliding in the air. The blue-robed man's strength was not to be underestimated, nearly hitting Xiao Qing several times, but she was always able to dodge nimbly at the last moment, and her counterattacks were equally sharp.

On the other side, Lin Xuan faced the thin old man who was leading them. The clash between the two made the surrounding trees tremble, and the Spirit Qi fluctuations radiating from Lin Xuan caused the surrounding airflow to vibrate. The object in the old man's hand released waves of invisible pressure, and every strike was accompanied by intense energy impacts. However, Lin Xuan was clearly prepared; he condensed a golden, glowing energy ball in his hand and smashed it fiercely toward his opponent, instantly igniting a brilliant radiance.