Chapter 98

The group of seven, though their clothes were stained, still appeared to be of noble attire. As they appeared, their expressions were unusually panicked, constantly looking back as if something was chasing them madly.

This group of seven was led by a handsome young man. Xu Dong recognized him; he was one of the young, strong figures in the Adventurer's Guild branch, a young noble.

Xu Dong later found out that this young man's surname was Miao, and he was a candidate from Iron Helmet City who had come to participate in the assessment. His companions were all from noble families, two women and four men.

The two women were not old, yet they were both two-star intelligence-type Awakened. The other four held large knives and wolf-tooth clubs, while the remaining two were equipped with shields and swords.

Sun Guang stared intently at the group for a while, then with a lively expression, whispered to Xu Dong, "They're a bunch of fat sheep! Each of them has at least two pieces of external equipment!"

Xu Dong was inwardly on guard, but he said, "Their formation isn't bad. If we clash head-on, we might not have the upper hand. Besides... are you a bully or a bandit? Fat sheep, my sister? Let's not enter the canyon for now; let's observe the situation."

Clearly, the newcomers had also noticed Xu Dong and his companions.

The leader, Young Master Miao, stepped forward and sized them up. After assessing their strength, a look of disdain and mockery flashed in his eyes, and he said, "You must be the famous Ah Dong. Truly impressive, not only leading two two-star Awakened through the outer part of the Ghost Forest, but also arriving at the fastest route to the middle, the Ghost Canyon, before us."

These words were ostensibly praise, but the sarcasm and mockery were evident.

Xu Dong and his companions were not arrogant people, but they couldn't help feeling irked.

After all, there was no enmity between them, and they didn't know what had gotten into this guy to suddenly provoke them with words.

Sun Guang chuckled and retorted, "Your skills aren't bad either, leading a bunch of hothouse flowers to the Ghost Canyon. The bumps on the way must not have been enjoyable, right? After all, you people are always served and fed, soft and weak like boiled eggs. Suddenly entering the Ghost Forest, not eating well or sleeping well, and facing all kinds of fierce beasts, it's only natural to be a bit unaccustomed."

Seeing Miao Shan's expression turn grim, Xu Dong stopped Sun Guang and said with a gentle smile, "What's the matter, sir? Just say it straight."

One played the good cop, the other the bad cop. Miao Shan's temper couldn't flare up, after all, anyone who could be here couldn't be a fool. His condescending attitude was to dampen the other party's morale and gain the upper hand in the conversation.

"Since Ah Dong has said it to this extent, I'll be straightforward," Miao Shan said, neither too light nor too heavy. "After passing through the canyon, we will immediately enter the territory of the Green-Eyed Wind Wolves. The Green-Eyed Wind Wolves are a variant of the Red-Eyed Wind Wolves, a two-star rare beast. They can not only spit wind blades but also have wind blades on their claws, making them much stronger than the Red-Eyed Wind Wolves."

Miao Shan kept an eye on their expressions. Seeing that they were still unmoved, he inwardly sneered but continued, "My team is already strong enough to proceed. However, the Green-Eyed Wind Wolves are pack animals, appearing in large numbers, usually twenty to thirty at a time. To deal with them, the more people, the better. In the end, obtaining the Starlight Grass will depend on individual skills. Before that, working together would be better, wouldn't it?"

Hearing Miao Shan's words, it seemed as if Xu Dong and his companions were getting a great deal. Most people would nod in agreement. But Xu Dong knew there was no such thing as a free lunch, especially when they were competitors. How could they agree so easily?

Xu Dong pondered and asked, "Your invitation sounds good, but what do we need to pay in return?"

To his surprise, Miao Shan shook his head, "No need to pay. We will all advance and retreat together, working together. You are an agility-type Awakened, capable of handling emergencies. As for the other two, one of them is likely a constitution-type Awakened, right?"

"For offensive power, we can basically meet the needs, but our defensive power is somewhat weak. Therefore, we don't need you to pay anything. At most, you will get less of the rare beast materials."

"If that's all," Xu Dong thought for a moment, "joining your team might not be a bad thing."

Finally, Xu Dong nodded, "Alright, we'll join."

Hearing Xu Dong agree to join, a cold glint flashed in Miao Shan's eyes. He thought to himself, "Young Master Yang, I've met your requirements. Now, let you guys hold them back. Hehe, this two-pronged strategy has indeed solved a lot of our troubles. This time, the one who will pass the assessment will definitely be me!"

After Xu Dong joined their team, Miao Shan didn't rush to move forward but suggested setting up camp before the canyon. After all, the Green-Eyed Wind Wolves were not weak, and a tired team rushing in would easily result in casualties.

This reason was勉强 accepted by Xu Dong. He didn't know that Miao Shan had already reached an agreement with Young Master Yang, to delay time if he had the chance to contact Xu Dong. So he also had Prayer set up the tent and rest.

Both sides were on guard, and the tents were set up about twenty to thirty meters apart.

After setting up camp, Xu Dong always had a vague sense of foreboding.

As night fell, the canyon gradually became dark. Around six in the evening, Miao Shan greeted them and went to rest in the tent after helping with the night watch.

Prayer's roasting skills were getting better and better. Three large wild rabbits gradually emitted a tempting aroma in her hands. Sun Guang was almost drooling, his eyes fixed on the food like a child craving candy, which was quite amusing.

Suddenly, Xu Dong's expression changed, and he quickly stood up, almost running towards Miao Shan's tent. He didn't care if they were sleeping soundly and directly lifted the tent flap.

A cold sweat trickled down from his forehead.

The distance was too far, and it was dark, so Prayer couldn't see what was happening. She couldn't help but shout, "What's wrong?"

Xu Dong's face was extremely grim. As he turned to run, he shouted, "They cut the tent and sneaked away from the back! Damn, we've been tricked! Don't pack up the tent, I still have one. Let's leave immediately!"

After saying that, he punched the ground, activating the Small Steps skill, and rushed towards Prayer and Sun Guang like a gust of wind, grabbing the two and running madly towards the canyon entrance.

Sun Guang and Prayer were still confused, not knowing what was happening.

Xu Dong explained while running, "Miao Shan's attitude was to give us a false impression that they needed us to join but didn't want us to join easily. This way, it fit both our identities."

Sun Guang shook his head, not understanding.

Prayer, however, saw through it, "You mean Miao Shan actually wanted us to join his team. But if he had proposed it directly, we would have been on guard. By acting condescending and pretending to be reluctant, he could lower our guard and achieve his goal. But I don't understand why he had us join and then sneak away."

At this moment, Sun Guang finally came to his senses, gritting his teeth, "This bastard must have a connection with Young Master Yang. He's trying to delay us! If he hadn't suggested setting up camp, we would have passed the canyon four hours ago. Boss Dong, let me down, I can run faster."

Indeed, these four hours were crucial!

A strange buzzing sound suddenly rang in their ears. All three changed their expressions, recognizing the sound of the scent-tracking bees' wings.

Since the scent-tracking bees were here, could the persistent group led by Young Master Yang be far behind?

In no time, a fist-sized bee insect suddenly emerged from the distant forest. Despite its wobbly flight path, it was actually very cunning. Last time, Xu Dong was lured by this bee insect and almost died under the knife of a blade user.

Sun Guang was indeed running very fast!

In just ten minutes, the three had reached the entrance of the Ghost Canyon. Once they passed through the entrance, they would enter the territory of the Green-Eyed Wind Wolves. Although the Green-Eyed Wind Wolves were only two-star rare beasts, they appeared in large numbers, usually twenty to thirty at a time. The four three-star Awakened from Young Master Yang's group might not be confident in handling such a pack of wolves.

This was the second escape route Xu Dong had planned.

Soon, with the appearance of the scent-tracking bee, four shadows quickly darted through the forest, clearly Young Master Yang and his group.

After several days of battle, Young Master Yang's demeanor had changed significantly. His eagle-like eyes were filled with coldness and calm, indicating a significant improvement in his mental state. Xu Dong's old tricks might not work on him anymore.

The distance between the two groups remained not too close or too far. Sun Guang took the opportunity to look back, "Young Master Yang and his group don't seem to be using their full strength. Hehe, what a fool, I'm about to escape into the Ghost Canyon. We'll see if you dare to continue chasing us!"

Not using their full strength?

As the three were about to enter the narrow passage of the canyon, Xu Dong suddenly remembered Sun Guang's smug words.

He seemed to realize something and abruptly pulled Sun Guang, while his other hand wrapped around Prayer's waist, and the three huddled together, diving to the side!

The next second, a continuous cracking sound echoed from above the canyon entrance.

Crack! Crack!

Countless rocks, some as big as fists, others larger than a person, fell from the sky. The falling rocks triggered a chain reaction, causing a large amount of soil to slide down the mountain, like a yellow dragon, rushing down with immense force, destroying everything in its path.

Fortunately, Xu Dong had the foresight to pull everyone to the side in time.

Otherwise...

Sun Guang stared in shock at the canyon entrance, now buried alive by a large amount of soil and rocks. His face was a mix of shock and anger, and he couldn't help but let out a piercing scream, "No!!"

Xu Dong's face was grim, but he remained calm, looking up at the center of the canyon. Even in the dark, he could see Miao Shan making an elegant bow.

With the path blocked and the enemy behind them, Prayer gritted her teeth and drew her large sword.

The sound of the sword cutting through the air was deafening.

"Ah Dong, we meet again."

The composed Young Master Yang finally caught up, a cold smile on his face.

His companions formed a half-moon shape around Xu Dong and his group, creating an insurmountable barrier!