Forsaken Immortals

Xiao Mao frowned but did not refuse the words of Xiao Jin. He knew that his assumption was rather frightening, but even so, he felt that it was likely to be the case.

As a natural predator, he should not feel much threat nor comparison from a swarm of cicadas, but he still felt as if they had entered the territory of a rival. 𝐟𝗿𝗲𝗲𝐰𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Not answering was the same as agreeing, and the entire group took a deep breath.

"We have cicadas coming from the back, and an unknown beast waiting in front. Even so, I feel that we will benefit most from forging our way ahead. We are currently unaware of what consequences either action will have, but predators are not often living in big groups, so we might have the upper hand in form of numbers."

Bai Rouyun knew that having more people was not always a good thing, but when facing a ferocious beast, it could often help when handling it.

Xiao Mao also understood her thoughts, so he nodded his head in agreement. Although he could vaguely feel a threatning atmosphere, he did not feel that they were unable to handle it, but whether this was due to the aura block, or because he had accurately sensed the strength of the beast, he did not know.

Bai Rouyun knew that the Cloud Leopard only had a few natural enemies, and if any of these were present, the reaction of her adopted leopard would not be so pale. Even so, she dared not ignore the threat ahead of them.

Just as Bai Rouyun was considering what they might face, another sound began emerging within the screech of the cicadas' wings. At first, it did not sound too loud, but soon, they noticed that something was wrong.

The sound of stones being scratched was coming at a rythmical speed, making it clear that each step taken caused claws to scrape the stonefloor, likely leaving marks behind.

"Here it is." Xiao Mao could sense the predator much clearer now than before, and the golden eyes flashed with excitement and ferocity that had been dormant for a long time.

Although Xiao Mao seemed to be a calm and refined leopard, his nature was, after all, a fierce beast and he had been fighting for his life, many times before.

"Xiao Mao, you can try it out, but don't take any risks. Bring Xiao Hua by your side and let her fight with you, the two of you are almost a pair, anyway." Bai Rouyun could see the eagerness of Xiao Mao for battle, and she did not intent to make him turn from an aggressive leopard into a house cat, so she approved of his intention to fight again.

Even so, from the scratching sounds on the ground, she knew that the enemy was not going to be simple, and thus she wanted Xiao Hua to join. Although the two of them were not the strongest alone, they had a tacit understanding, and they would not lose out.

If anything were to happen, Bai Rouyun was also sure that her husband would be able to rescue their adopted kids, so she did not hold back.

Xiao Mao and Xiao Hua both understood her words, and even the Golden Emperor Vine's petals were swaying happily on top of the Cloud Leopard, making the pair look very silly as they stepped forward to reach the enemy first.

"Leave the back to us and fight to the best of your abilities. Don't hold back, and don't worry about us, we will take care. This is also a kind of training." Bai Rouyun knew that their situation was not simple, but she did not feel fear. Although she was vigilant, she also knew that Li Moyun's current strength was not something she could understand. The block had managed to block his senses, but if anything was to appear in front of them, he should still be able to handle it.

With this mindset, Bai Rouyun wanted to train herself and the children, and after seeing the urge for battle in Xiao Mao's eyes, she quickly let him have the first chance.

A few steps ahead, Xiao Mao and Xiao Hua was moving forward step by step. They no longer focused on the cicadas, but solely picked out the sound of the incoming beast, noticing how swiftly it moved with each step, and calculating when they would meet.

The scraping sound increased in volume, and both plant and leopard began to prepare for confrontation. Xiao Hua's many vines were growing in length, and a few of the slimmest ones began creeping towards the front, slithering like snakes, but scouting in front.

"They met." Xiao Hua sounded much more solemn now than before, and the creeping vines retracted rapidly, a few of them had clearly been severed and ripped apart by something in front.

Xiao Mao and Xiao Hua only glanced at the vines, before their focus moved towards the creature that appeared in front of them.

Both Xiao Mao and Xiao Hua were stunned upon seeing the beast in front, but both of them let go of a breath of turbid air, and adjusted their mentalities. They knew that the battle in front of them was going to be difficult.

The beast was moving on four legs, but only the front feet were visible. There were four toes, where the middle ones were elongated, and all four had sharp and dangerous claws. The head was pointy, and the eyes small, however, the most distinctive feature was a bony armor that covered the entire body.

"This is a Stone Armadillo?" Bai Rouyun was shocked upon witnessing the beast in front, not sure whether to be intrigued or worried.