Chapter 8:The Roar of the Ancient Beast
The deep roars,like rolling thunder,echoed from the depths of the forest,causing the surrounding air to tremble and the hearts of Lin Shen,Ye Ying,and Yin Yue to race.Yin Yue's body shook violently as she clung to Lin Shen's leg for protection.Ye Ying's knuckles turned white as he gripped his blade,his eyes darting towards the source of the sound,beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"No matter what comes,we have to be ready,"Lin Shen said,taking a deep breath to steady himself.He raised the crystal in front of him,trying to sense the impending danger through its power,but the mysterious aura around them interfered,making it impossible to get a clear reading.
As the roars grew closer,the ground began to tremble slightly,as if a giant foot were approaching step by step.Suddenly,a massive claw emerged from the dense bushes,followed by a mountain-like figure slowly revealing itself.It was an enormous ancient beast,covered in rough black scales the size of shields,each gleaming with a cold metallic luster.Its head was huge and ferocious,with blood-red vertical pupils that glowed with a bloodthirsty light,and sharp fangs dripping saliva that corroded the ground.
"How...how are we supposed to fight this?"Ye Ying gulped,his voice trembling.The sheer size of the beast was overwhelming,and its strength seemed unfathomable.
Lin Shen's heart pounded,but he knew they couldn't back down.Forcing himself to calm down,he recalled the ancient texts about such beasts,searching for any weaknesses.At that moment,the beast let out an angry roar and slammed its front paw into the ground,sending a massive crack racing towards them.The three of them barely managed to jump out of the way.
"Ye Ying,we need to distract it!"Lin Shen shouted."I'll use the crystal to interfere,and you find its weak spots and strike!"Ye Ying nodded,his figure darting towards the beast's left side like a wraith.The beast turned its massive head towards him,opening its maw and spewing a jet of scorching flames.Ye Ying rolled out of the way just in time,taking cover behind a thick tree,which was instantly reduced to ashes.
Lin Shen focused and manipulated the crystal,sending waves of energy towards the beast.The beast's body jolted slightly as the energy hit,showing signs of interference.Seizing the moment,Ye Ying sprinted from behind the tree,using the terrain to climb and leap closer to the beast.
The beast swung its tail furiously at Ye Ying,like a massive steel whip.Ye Ying dodged just in time,but the tail grazed his clothes,sending him flying.He tumbled through the air and landed hard on the ground,a trickle of blood escaping his lips.
"Ye Ying!"Lin Shen's heart raced,and the crystal in his hand shone brighter as he increased its power output to buy Ye Ying more time.Yin Yue,not to be outdone,overcame her fear and charged at the beast,biting at its leg.The beast roared in pain,kicking its leg and sending Yin Yue flying.
In the midst of the stalemate,Lin Shen noticed a slightly lighter-colored scale on the beast's neck,which seemed to be its weak point.He immediately shouted to Ye Ying,"Attack its neck!That might be the weak spot!"Ye Ying struggled to his feet,wiped the blood from his mouth,and charged at the beast again,using the crystal's interference to avoid its attacks and reach its neck.
Ye Ying took a deep breath and thrust his blade into the beast's neck with all his might.With a shrill scream,the beast's body convulsed violently as it thrashed around,trying to throw Ye Ying off.Ye Ying clung tightly to the blade,exerting all his strength.Finally,the beast's movements slowed,and its massive body collapsed to the ground,kicking up a cloud of dust.
Lin Shen and Yin Yue rushed to Ye Ying's side.Ye Ying smiled wearily and said,"We...we did it."After a brief rest,the three of them continued deeper into the forest,searching for the three mysterious gems.Unknown dangers still lay ahead,but their victory over the beast had strengthened their resolve.