Chapter 312: Attacking from Another Angle

"Zhenqiu, stall for time! Use all your strength to hold him back!" Lin Xuan shouted, while he himself began to condense a deeper level of power.

Hearing the instruction, Wang Zhenqiu increased his offensive without hesitation, his fists striking out one after another like thunder. The scorching high temperature even evaporated the surrounding soil into nothingness, and every step he took brought about a massive sense of tremor, making it almost impossible to stand steady.

The old man was indeed somewhat flustered; he had underestimated the stamina and destructive power of this barbarian lad. Just as he was slightly distracted, a clear and sharp killing intent was already close at hand.

"Whoosh!" It was Xiao Qing launching a surprise attack again! The Dagger sliced through the long sky, bringing with it a faint but extremely cold whistling sound where it passed. This time, her speed was faster and more devious than before, leaving absolutely no extra trajectory for the enemy to capture.

Clang! At the most critical moment, a shield condensed in the old man's hand, forcefully blocking that fatal blow. Even so, fine cracks appeared on the surface of the shield, vaguely revealing a feeling of being unable to bear the burden.

At the same time, Lin Xuan in the distance finished his preparations. "You all retreat first! Next is my turn!"

"Lin Xuan, what exactly are you trying to do? Don't go putting on a show!" Wang Zhenqiu wiped away sweat, but he dared not slow his pace.

Xiao Qing did not answer, but instead nimbly pulled back, and whispered a command: "Do as he says; he wouldn't shoot without a target."

Lin Xuan took a deep breath, a cold glint appearing in his eyes. His hands began to draw complex Runes, his mouth silently chanting obscure and difficult-to-understand incantations. Every stroke was imbued with profound power, drawing the surrounding Spirit Qi to gather crazily, forming a massive vortex that swirled around his body.

"This is the final move... either end the battle, or we're all finished together," Lin Xuan muttered, then pushed his hands outward.

In an instant, everything between heaven and earth stood still for a moment. The next second, a violent torrent of energy descended from the Void, smashing fiercely toward the old man!

The old man's expression changed abruptly, and he barked: "Impossible! You are merely a Beginner Cultivator, how could you possibly master such a forbidden technique!"

Lin Xuan's lips curled into a smile, "I advise you to shut up now; how about you properly enjoy this 'gift'?"

The heaven-topping light obscured everyone's vision, and the aftermath of the explosion destroyed the terrain of the entire area. Dust filled the sky, and for several seconds, nothing could be seen.

A long time later, the dust finally settled. Xiao Qing was the first to rush to the front line to observe the situation, only to find that nothing remained but a scorched, blackened pit; the old man had vanished without a trace.

"Ran away?" Wang Zhenqiu scratched his head, revealing a puzzled expression, "I thought we had it in the bag!"

Xiao Qing frowned slightly, "Running is normal; after all, an existence of that level wouldn't be willing to admit defeat easily. However... he shouldn't be letting this go."

Just then, Lin Xuan slowly walked out from the ruins, his face pale but full of a sense of accomplishment. "It's fine, he will come looking for us again. By then..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a familiar laugh came from afar. It was the old man's voice, still deep and arrogant, echoing throughout the entire sky.

"Good, very good, truly interesting juniors! It seems today's probing is over. When we meet next time, I will give you a real game!"

The air fell silent again, and the three of them held their breath, waiting for what might happen next.

After a while, Xiao Qing asked slowly: "So, how are you feeling now? Can you still hold on?"

Lin Xuan spread his palms to look at the remnants of the Runes that had not yet completely dissipated, and laughed: "Don't worry, it hasn't reached the point of exhaustion yet. Since he dares to make threats, it means we still have plenty of play left."

"Hmph, then I'll look forward to that day coming soon." Wang Zhenqiu clenched his fists, looking completely unyielding.

The three looked at each other and smiled; the tacit understanding between them needed no words.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew past, rolling several fallen leaves into mid-air. Accompanied by the final sentence, it drifted down—

"Hey, do you guys feel like he actually quite appreciates us? Otherwise, why would he go out of his way to leave these words behind?" Xiao Qing blinked, her tone hiding a hint of profound meaning.

A flash of light appeared in Lin Xuan's hand, and a Long Sword radiating a chill appeared in his palm. His gaze was sharp, his feet tapped the ground lightly, and his figure shuttled through the Black Spider's attack range like a ghost.

Wang Zhenqiu, meanwhile, gripped his fists tightly, every punch thrown carrying violent power, striking directly at the Black Spider's barbed legs. And Xiao Qing gave a delicate shout, a faint green halo appearing around her body; she formed seals with her hands, and a mass of wood-attribute energy containing vitality quickly condensed into sharp vines, stabbing directly toward the Black Spider's eyes.

"Hiss—" The Black Spider let out a piercing shriek, its eight legs raised suddenly and then smashed down fiercely, the ground being shaken into countless cracks. Lin Xuan nimbly rolled to avoid it, but one of the spider's forelimbs nearly grazed him, scaring him into a cold sweat. "This guy's speed is getting faster and faster!" Lin Xuan frowned and growled.

"Stop talking nonsense, focus!" Wang Zhenqiu shouted while panting, simultaneously using his shoulder to hard-carry one of the spider's lunges. Although his muscles were strained to the point of nearly tearing, he still held firm, buying a chance for Lin Xuan and Xiao Qing to counterattack. "Xiao Qing! Now is not the time to hold back, go!"

Xiao Qing gritted her teeth and waved her hands rapidly; more vines emerged from the ground, winding around the Black Spider's massive body like snakes. But as soon as these vines touched the spider's skin, they were easily snapped by its iron-hard shell. "What a monster..." Xiao Qing was somewhat anxious, sweat beading on her forehead.

Just as the three fell into a stalemate, the Black Spider suddenly paused for an instant, and its abdomen began to glow with an eerie red light. "Not good! It's going to use a skill!" Lin Xuan's expression changed drastically, and he leaped up without hesitation, "Everyone scatter!"

Before the words fell, the spider spat out a scorching red beam; where it passed, the soil instantly turned into scorched earth, and the smell of burning permeated the air. "Too dangerous! This is the first time encountering an enemy of this level." Wang Zhenqiu patted his chest, his tone revealing a lingering fear.

"This isn't a way for us to go on." Xiao Qing said while releasing vines to restrain it, analyzing calmly, "This creature must have a weakness; we need to find its Core position to completely resolve the battle."

Lin Xuan's eyes brightened upon hearing this, "That's right, looking at its structure, the most fragile place should be that Crystal Core under its abdomen!"

"Then that's simple." Wang Zhenqiu grinned, "I'll draw the fire; you two find a chance to get close, and then give it a hard hit!"

"Be careful, don't push yourself." Xiao Qing looked at him with worry.

"Don't worry, my life is tough!" Wang Zhenqiu laughed loudly, then his whole body rushed toward the Black Spider like a cannonball, waving his fists and smashing continuously against the opponent's heavy carapace. The spider indeed shifted its attention to him, its mouth once again gathering power to prepare a fatal attack.

At the same time, Lin Xuan and Xiao Qing took the opportunity to coordinate tacitly, approaching the target quietly from the left and right sides respectively. "Xiao Qing, give me cover," Lin Xuan said in a low voice, a flash of determination in his eyes.

"No problem." Xiao Qing took a deep breath, concentrating her spirit to control the vines, not only sealing off part of the spider's range of movement but also successfully distracting its attention.