Chapter 313: Charging Forward

At this very moment, Lin Xuan finally arrived beneath the spider's abdomen, raising his sword to stab at the vaguely visible Crystal Core above. However, the surface of the Crystal Core was actually covered by an energy protective shield similar to a shield. "What? There's something like this?!" Lin Xuan couldn't help but curse.

Seeing the Black Spider about to turn its head to pounce and kill Lin Xuan, at the most critical moment, Xiao Qing suddenly shouted loudly: "Try my ultimate skill! 'Life Spear'!"

As her voice fell, a majestic force of life surged from within her body, transforming into a sharp spear shining with emerald radiance. The spear broke through the air, piercing straight through the protective shield of the spider's abdomen and stabbing fiercely into the Crystal Core.

"Crack!" Cracks appeared on the surface of the Crystal Core, and then it burst open entirely, followed by a huge explosion sound. The intense shockwave sent the three of them flying, and they fell to the ground in the distance in a sorry state.

When the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, that terrifying Black Spider had already turned into a pile of non-threatening wreckage. All three were panting heavily, lying on the ground to recover their strength.

"Hoo... succeeded." Lin Xuan raised his arm to cover his face, a trace of a weary smile appearing at the corners of his mouth.

"Thanks to your strategy and sacrifice, otherwise we really couldn't have handled it." Xiao Qing climbed up, walked to Wang Zhenqiu's side, and couldn't help but tease him as she looked at his bruised and swollen face, "Brother Zhenqiu is also valiant today, but your face is crooked, isn't it?"

"Stop making fun of me!" Wang Zhenqiu glared at her unhappily, but immediately changed into a smug expression, "Of course, who am I? The tank in the team isn't called that for nothing."

Just as the three were planning to rest for a while, a burst of unfamiliar footsteps came from afar. A person wearing a gray robe and a mask walked over slowly, their gaze landing on the wreckage of the spider.

"It seems I arrived a step late." The other party's tone was calm, yet it made people feel an inexplicable chill.

"Who are you?" Lin Xuan stood up alertly, the sword in his hand becoming bright once again.

The gray-robed person did not answer directly, but instead asked rhetorically: "The three of you don't know how valuable this spider is, do you? It is a mutated monster from the ancient era, and its inner core can be refined into top-tier magic materials. Now it's fine, you all really know how to destroy things..."

"What do you mean?" Wang Zhenqiu raised an eyebrow, assuming a combat stance, "We defeated this big guy, how come it sounds like we did something wrong?"

The gray-robed person scanned them lightly and said meaningfully: "Since that is the case, why not let me see if you few are qualified to take away this trophy? As for how to prove it... naturally, it is by speaking with strength."

As soon as the words fell, a strange purple Rune had already condensed between the gray-robed person's hands, and the air was suddenly filled with a sense of oppression.

"Oh my, another fighting segment?" Wang Zhenqiu scratched his head, a rascally smile on his face, "But this time it feels much more interesting than before."

"Shut up!" Lin Xuan and Xiao Qing scolded in unison.

The gazes of the four intersected, the atmosphere suddenly becoming tense, as if a more intense clash would unfold in the next second.

The gray-robed person coldly curled their lips: "Then, are the three of you ready to accept the challenge?"

"Ready anytime." Lin Xuan held the sword hilt firmly, his gaze resolute.

The gray-robed person sneered, and a strange aura permeated their body. Their weapon was a Black Long Blade as dark as ink, the blade edge gleaming with cold light, and every swing carried sharp wind sounds and the power of tearing through space. Lin Xuan stood at the very front, his expression calm, crimson flames rising as his hands formed seals; Xiao Qing held the Green Jade Short Sword, her figure agile, countering a few moves while dodging attacks; Zhenqiu appeared even more solid, his every punch causing the air to vibrate incessantly.

"Truly ignorant of life and death!" A flash of killing intent crossed the gray-robed person's eyes, and they suddenly flashed, charging directly toward Lin Xuan. "Hmph, want to deal with me first?" Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, his True Qi erupting within his body, and he pushed his palms forward to release a wall of fire. "Get lost!" The gray-robed person's Black Long Blade slashed, actually splitting that layer of fire wall in two by force!

Seeing this scene, Xiao Qing quickly leaned over and whispered: "We can't let him suppress us one-sidedly like this anymore! Should we try joining forces?"

Lin Xuan nodded, but caught a glimpse of Zhenqiu already pouncing toward the gray-robed person from the flank. "Hey, you bastard, try my Thunderous Rage Strike!" Zhenqiu roared, his fist instantly condensing into a ball of violent energy, smashing down with a boom.

The gray-robed person frowned, their figure retreating rapidly for a few steps, barely avoiding Zhenqiu's powerful attack, but before they could stand steady, Xiao Qing suddenly pressed forward. "Take this!" She flicked her wrist lightly, and the Green Jade Short Sword turned into several afterimages, stabbing toward the opponent's chest.

However, unexpectedly, the gray-robed person did not fully dodge, but instead gripped their own black blade backhanded at the last moment, precisely blocking Xiao Qing's fatal strike. "Reaction is not bad, but too green." The corners of their mouth lifted, and they suddenly launched a counterattack. The black blade drew a mysterious arc in their hand, forcing Xiao Qing to retreat in a panic.

"Damn it!" Xiao Qing tapped her toes on the ground, barely managing to distance herself from the opponent, but she was panting somewhat due to the previous clash. At this time, Lin Xuan had finished adjusting. "Blazing Dragon Breath!" After a low shout, a mass of surging, burning flames roared like a giant dragon, crashing toward the gray-robed person.

Although the offensive was fierce, the gray-robed person was not afraid in the slightest. They stepped several times, their movements appearing slow, yet they skillfully dodged the range of the Fire Dragon. At the same time, the long blade in their hand suddenly emitted a chilling light—the next second, the entire area was shrouded in a terrifying murderous aura.

"Careful!" Zhenqiu shouted, "This guy seems to have some ultimate skill about to be released!"

Before the words were finished, the gray-robed person had already raised the long blade, slashing out a deep, dark crack toward the three. That strike was like tearing open the horizon, devouring all the aura around it. "Death Scar!" They coldly spat out the four words.

Sensing unprecedented danger, the three felt a chill in their hearts simultaneously, each unleashing their full strength to defend. Lin Xuan summoned a thick stone wall to block, Xiao Qing used her agile footwork to try to avoid the impact range, and Zhenqiu simply used his arms to withstand it head-on, erupting with Protective Qi to shield himself.

Even so, their efforts only delayed the inevitable result somewhat. That black crack, carrying the power of destruction, easily shattered the barrier Lin Xuan had summoned and sent Zhenqiu flying away fiercely, causing him to fall in the distance with a painful muffled groan.

"Damn it..." Lin Xuan wiped the blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, his gaze even more resolute. He turned to Xiao Qing, who was still panting, and quickly instructed: "Listen to me, we must take this chance to give him a final blow. Otherwise, dragging it out will only lead to a desperate situation."

Xiao Qing nodded, her face pale but full of determination. "Mm, let's risk it! But how do we coordinate?"

"Use my fire element as a lure, plus your speed, to attract his attention. Zhenqiu has better recovery ability; once he catches his breath, he will directly attack the front to contain him! Remember, you must seize the opportunity!"

After the three quickly reached a consensus, Lin Xuan leaped out first. "Watch this!" He once again channeled his spiritual power, the surrounding air suddenly heating up, and a more majestic Fire Dragon was born under his control, whistling toward the gray-robed person. Facing the sudden attack, the gray-robed person was slightly surprised, but remained calm, waving a hand to disperse a portion of the flames.