For a moment, Lin Bai thought that the person in charge was joking, and his expression suddenly became complicated. "A disciple who hasn't entered the sect has accepted this mission. Does he want to die?"
As expected, the other personal disciples were also in disbelief. They were whispering to each other, but these were just small episodes. Although everyone was puzzled, they did not think too much about it.
After all, there were all kinds of birds in the forest.
Soon, Lin Bai and the others accepted the other missions on the Heaven List and then headed to the Ice Mountain Range.
The mountains were verdant and endless. Some of the towering mountains were even embedded in the clouds. White fog surrounded them, adding to the mysteriousness.
The group walked into the forest. The branches and leaves blotted out the sun, spreading out above their heads like canopies. The leaves were almost impervious to wind, and there was a faint light flowing through them. It was extremely fine, but it made the surrounding environment even darker.
The Ice Mountain Range was vast, and there were several mountain peaks connected to it. Ordinary people did not dare to enter this place. After all, even the lowest level of the surrounding demonic beasts was around the Qi Refinement level 2.
The Red-eyed Demon Tiger happened to live in this area as well. Other than that, there were many other demonic beasts. The deeper they went, the stronger the demonic beasts became. Even if Lin Bai and the others thought that their strength was extraordinary, they did not dare to step into the depths of the forest.
Swish--
A rustling sound could be heard not far ahead. There was clearly no wind, but the grass that was half the height of a person not far away began to move, as if something was scuttling over.
Lin Bai paused, and he said in a low voice, "Everyone, be careful."
Everyone's expressions became vigilant, and they stared straight ahead.
Squeak squeak.
A gray shadow appeared before everyone's eyes. It looked small and compact, but it did not look threatening. It was actually a rodent. This kind of small demonic beast was weak, and it ate plants as food. It was very common.
Everyone could not help but heave a sigh of relief and continued moving forward. However, no one noticed that a pair of scarlet eyes not far away was watching their every move.
The sound was like the crawling of snakes. It was a pity that this time, everyone thought it was caused by the rodent and did not take it to heart. The stinky saliva dripped and instantly corroded a big hole on the ground where it fell.
Lin Bai walked for a long time and felt that something was not right. "Logically speaking, we should be able to find many traces of demonic beasts, but now, we only found a small rodent."
After all, this location was close to the inner part of the forest. There would be many demonic beasts roaming about, but at this moment, it was unexpectedly calm.
Strange circumstances usually meant that demonic beasts were around, so Lin Bai did not dare to let down his guard.
The others did not think much of it. "Perhaps the demonic beasts are all resting."
Lin Bai shook his head. He had a feeling that things were not that simple. There were no demonic beasts nearby, and there was another possibility. There were even more powerful demonic beasts entrenched here, which was why the other demonic beasts did not dare to approach.
As he spoke, it was already too late. The demonic beast saw that these people were unprepared. It prepared to pounce on them.
A gust of strong wind blew.
Lin Bai was the first to sense that something was wrong. He hurriedly shouted, "There's a demonic beast attacking, watch out!"
All of them could be considered to be well-trained. With a flash, the demonic beast pounced and missed. Its sharp claws left deep marks on the ground. It roared unwillingly, immediately startling countless birds.
After seeing the appearance of the demonic beast, everyone could not help but suck in a breath of cold air.
It was an ape with the body of a snake, and its face was covered in black scales. It looked extremely sturdy. It also had two arms, and its sharp fingernails were like sharp blades that flickered with a cold light. It was at least dozens of meters long, and it made people shudder.
"It's the Black-armored Evil Ape!"
Lin Bai frowned. The Black-armored Evil Ape was brutal and bloodthirsty, and it specialized in eating raw human brains. With its fingernails that were a few meters long, it could easily flip over people's skulls and suck out their brains and bone marrow.
However, it was powerful. The Black-armored Evil Ape had a high defense, and it also had a lethal poison. If one was bitten by it and not treated in time, within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, their spiritual power would be exhausted and they would lose their mobility. It was very difficult to deal with this ape.
Logically speaking, it should have appeared in the center of the forest. Lin Bai did not expect to meet one here. Moreover, the Black-armored Evil Ape in front of them had already reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. Even if they worked together, it would still be difficult to deal with it.
"This Black-armored Evil Ape's cultivation isn't low. Everyone, be careful of its poison."
A cold light suddenly appeared on Lin Bai's hand. An ice-blue longsword appeared in his hand. His entire body was cold. In an instant, even the surrounding temperature dropped by a lot. It was clear that this longsword was a rare magic tool.
"Thousand Miles of Ice Seal!"
Following his loud shout, the blue Sword Qi stirred up countless whirlpools on the ground. He slashed in the air and a light blue crystal condensed into form, surging towards the Black-armored Evil Ape.
The surrounding grass and tree branches were all covered in frost. The Black-armored Evil Ape was instantly frozen into a huge ice block. It stood rooted to the ground, unable to move. It lost its ability to move.
When everyone saw the scene in front of them, they all praised, "Senior Brother Lin is extraordinary. As expected of the disciple that the Sect Leader took a fancy to. He subdued the Black-armored Evil Ape in one move. He is indeed powerful."
Lin Bai felt that it was a little strange. According to the Black-armored Evil Ape's strength, it should not be easy to deal with it. How could it be defeated in one move?
It was only then that he noticed that the Black-armored Evil Ape's tail actually had traces of blood. The back of its tail was quite short and stubby. It looked like it had been severed by someone.
Could it be that this Black-armored Evil Ape had been injured before?
Before Lin Bai could figure it out, a huge crack appeared in the middle of the ice block. Then, it spread out like a spider web.
Rumble!
With a loud sound, the Black-armored Evil Ape suddenly broke free from the ice block. The black aura on its body was even more vigorous, as if it could form a physical substance. All the flowers, plants, and trees in the surroundings instantly withered. Even a few of the disciples who were close to it suddenly felt their bodies lose energy. They looked extremely pale.
Lin Bai's expression suddenly changed. "Not good! This Black-armored Evil Ape is about to level up!"
Previously, this Black-armored Evil Ape was at the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage. He did not expect that it would actually break through in the battle and directly advance to the Golden Core stage.
Lin Bai and the others could still deal with it before, but there was a huge gap between the Foundation Establishment stage and the Golden Core stage. Even if all their strength was added together, they were still not a match for this Black-armored Evil Ape.
It swiped with its black sharp claws, and if it was not for Lin Bai's quick reaction, he would have already been cut in half. The other disciples were in a sorry state as they fled. They did not even have the strength to fight back. Some of them had even been wounded.
"Senior Brother Lin, what should we do now?"
Seeing the scene in front of him, Lin Bai's heart immediately sank to the bottom. He secretly hated himself for underestimating the enemy. After all, who would have thought that the Black-armored Evil Ape would suddenly level up?
Even if he sent a signal to the sect now, it would be too late. By the time the people from the sect arrived, they would have already become food for the Black-armored Evil Ape.