C19 Chase

Lin Yuan whipped his head around and charged in the direction of the Forest Elephant and the Golden Lion. The pursuing white wolf's pace had slowed slightly, but the large red python showed no sign of reducing its speed, relentlessly tailing Lin Yuan.

In an instant, Lin Yuan found himself face-to-face with the Forest Elephant, its massive size so intimidating that it sent waves of immense pressure over him. Had he encountered this behemoth before his advancement to a Fourth Level Demon Beast, resistance would have been futile; he might not have even been able to muster the strength to move.

Gazing into the Forest Elephant's eyes, Lin Yuan grasped the reason behind its lack of aggression towards the Golden Lion. They were undoubtedly aware of the Cold Stone Grass's special properties and were biding their time rather than hastily harvesting it.

In that moment, Lin Yuan was tempted to hurl the Cold Stone Grass directly in the Forest Elephant's face, but he ultimately dismissed the thought. Given the Forest Elephant's formidable power, it would surely safeguard the plant. Destroying the Cold Stone Grass wouldn't prevent them from gaining the upper hand.

The Forest Elephant seemed taken aback by Lin Yuan's bold charge. Though it had attained the status of a Fifth Level Demon Beast, complete with wisdom, it struggled to maintain rationality in the face of such an unexpected confrontation.

Lin Yuan had anticipated his escape route well before rushing at the Forest Elephant, with one critical factor in mind: the Golden Lion would never allow the Forest Elephant to lay claim to the Cold Stone Grass.

As expected, before the large red python and the white wolf could catch up, the Golden Lion sprang into action. Its mane quivered as it exuded an indomitable presence, positioning itself between Lin Yuan and the Forest Elephant.

The trio was so closely packed that the Forest Elephant's hide nearly grazed the Golden Lion. It seemed that with a mere lift of its head, the elephant's tusks could easily skewer the lion.

Yet, the Forest Elephant opted not to attack with its tusks. Instead, it used its trunk to repel the Golden Lion, simultaneously lifting its legs and delivering a thunderous stomp. The ground quaked and trembled as if in the throes of an earthquake.

Around Lin Yuan, sharp stone stalagmites erupted from the earth. If not for his exceptional speed, he would have been impaled by these jagged spikes.

The Golden Lion unleashed a torrent of flames from its gaping maw, transforming into a fiery whirlwind that nearly engulfed the colossal Forest Elephant.

Lin Yuan couldn't help but think that had he been in the Forest Elephant's place, he would have perished swiftly, as even the smallest of the stray sparks could easily penetrate his sturdy scales.

A ferocious clash ensued between the two mighty Fifth Level Demon Beasts.

Somehow, Lin Yuan managed to slip through the encircling forces and bolted in a determined direction.

In stark contrast, the large red python that had been tailing Lin Yuan was impaled by a multitude of stone stalagmites. It was immobilized, flailing in a futile struggle with no chance of escape.

Out of nowhere, the Forest Elephant issued a resounding cry, and the fiery maelstrom dissipated as if struck by an invisible force.

By sheer happenstance, a stray flame landed on the python, reducing it to a charred skeleton in the blink of an eye.

Lin Yuan counted his blessings. He attributed his narrow escape to the Golden Lion and Forest Elephant's lack of foresight and wisdom, their mutual wariness preventing them from unleashing their full power. Moreover, their preoccupation with the safety of the Cold Stone Grass meant they had no intention of targeting him.

Had either beast directed even a minor assault his way, escape would have been impossible.

The confrontation between the Forest Elephant and the Golden Lion escalated, with flames roaring in the distance and the earth trembling beneath them. Before long, a fierce blaze took hold.

Meanwhile, the pair of white wolves had caught up to him, working in seamless unison to encircle Lin Yuan.

Yet they had clearly miscalculated Lin Yuan's nimbleness and velocity amidst the forest terrain, as the gap between them began to widen once more.

Realizing their hunting tactics were failing, the white wolves switched to a relentless pursuit directly on Lin Yuan's heels. It was now a test of stamina; whoever slowed down first would forfeit their opportunity.

Lin Yuan continued his flight.

The world around him seemed to recede into the background as he ran, almost forgetting the reason for his flight, driven only by the imperative to keep moving.

The sky ablaze with light cast a glow on the path ahead, piercing the darkness of the forest. Clenching the Cold Stone Grass between his teeth, Lin Yuan fought the impulse to consume it. Glancing at the mission timer on his system panel, he saw that less than half the time had elapsed, and his heart sank with near despair.

He surveyed his surroundings. The white wolves had maintained a distance of five hundred meters from him ever since they altered their tracking approach—a range he could comfortably scout. Uncertainty lingered about when the Forest Elephant and the Golden Lion might catch up, or whether they would only do so after determining a victor.

Should the Forest Elephant and the Golden Lion join the pursuit after sizing each other up, Lin Yuan would be forced to destroy the Cold Stone Grass amidst the clash of the two Level 5 Demon Beasts.

Lin Yuan put more distance between them, noting the air's moisture content had noticeably increased.

Spotting a river nearby, he sensed an opportunity. He could take to the water, where his speed surpassed his land-based pace. This would make it far more difficult for the white wolves to follow.

He bolted toward the river, bracing himself as he burst through the underbrush.

With a massive splash, a fifteen-meter-long black behemoth plunged into the river!

Lin Yuan heard the frustrated howls of the white wolves behind him. He felt their presence as they continued their pursuit along the riverbank.

A cold smirk crossed Lin Yuan's face, his eyes gleaming with perilous intent. He had a strategy in mind. He gradually surfaced, noticing the white wolves had also picked up on something. They decelerated, warily scanning the river.

Lin Yuan paused, taken aback. He had planned to exploit the river's concealment for a surprise attack, yet he hadn't anticipated the white wolves' acute awareness. Even submerged, they could pinpoint his location with alarming clarity. Now, he pondered his next move.