Seven black-clothed individuals moved cautiously, occasionally squatting down as if investigating something.
Han Yang followed them carefully, keeping himself well hidden.
This group of black-clothed people was clearly well-prepared, with a clear division of labor: some tracked, some scouted, and some stood guard, all in an orderly manner.
Han Yang squinted his eyes. The black-clothed individuals before him were all exceptionally powerful, with the weakest having reached the Bone Refinement 1st Stage. Their leader had even reached the fourth or fifth stage of Bone Refinement.
With such a lineup, they should have no problem dealing with the Iron Flame Beast.
However, the leader's left arm seemed to have been injured, as its movement was noticeably smaller than the right arm while on the move.
It wasn't long before Han Yang noticed the air around him gradually becoming dry, with faint heat waves rolling in.
He paused and found that the group of black-clothed people had reached the edge of a dark red stone forest.
"Boss, according to the map, the Iron Flame Beast is inside..."
A black-clothed man with a sharp face reported solemnly to the burly leader while looking at the stone forest ahead.
"Be prepared; that thing is not easy to deal with. Don't lose your life!"
The burly man's eyes flashed with a hint of bloodlust as he slowly drew a steel knife forged from refined iron from his back, his voice deep and heavy.
The others didn't respond, merely gripping their weapons tightly and swiftly moving towards the stone forest.
Han Yang lowered his eyelids slightly, already having a plan in mind.
The area where the Iron Flame Beast resided had a high probability of containing the Blazing Sun Flower. Perhaps when this group of black-clothed individuals was fighting the Iron Flame Beast, he could seize the opportunity to snatch it.
"Roar!"
As soon as he approached the stone forest, he heard a powerful beast roar from within, followed by a scorching hot wave rushing out from the forest.
"Has the fight started?"
Han Yang's lips curled up slightly as he quickly dashed towards a hidden spot within the stone forest.
The Iron Flame Beast, a Demonic Beast fond of fire-type spiritual herbs, was powerful, and its flames were unbearable even for a Bone Refinement 9th Stage expert.
Han Yang hid behind a stone about one and a half meters wide, his gaze fixed on the battlefield.
"Whirlwind Slash!"
The burly man's eyes bulged as he leaped, swinging the steel knife in his hand. The surrounding airflow surged, tightly entwining around the blade, as he slashed down fiercely at the Iron Flame Beast, accompanied by a whistling wind.
Opposite him stood a ferocious beast, three meters tall and three meters long, resembling a horned tiger.
Its eyes were as large as an adult's fist, its body fiery red, with muscles bulging on its limbs as thick as barrels, and sparks spewing with each breath.
It was clearly enraged to the extreme.
A mere human dared to challenge it?
After roaring, the Iron Flame Beast swung its front left limb, striking the steel blade with no embellishment.
The clash of claws and blade produced a long string of sparks, the sharp sound causing the eardrums of several nearby black-clothed individuals to tremble.
The burly man grunted, involuntarily stepping back two or three steps, squinting at the massive Demonic Beast roaring at him.
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"Boss, look, over there... there's an eight-leaf... Blazing Sun Flower."
To the left of the burly man, a sharp-eyed black-clothed person pointed at a rock behind the Iron Flame Beast, exclaiming with joy.
Indeed, there was a golden flower with eight leaves over there.
It shimmered with radiant colors, exuding a fiery red glow.
"Hmm? Not bad. But everyone, stay focused. After we slay this Iron Flame Beast, everything here will be ours."
The burly man remained unmoved, concentrating on the ferocious beast before him, flipping the steel knife in his hand and slashing at it again.
The other black-clothed individuals quickly exchanged glances and then surrounded it from all sides.
"An eight-leaf Blazing Sun Flower?"
"Hmm? Next to the Blazing Sun Flower is... a Fire Origin Fruit?"
Han Yang's pupils contracted slightly, a glint of excitement flashing in his eyes.
Behind the Iron Flame Beast, on a dark red oval stone, a golden flower only five inches tall, resembling a wild chrysanthemum, swayed in the wind, as bright as a cluster of candle flames.
This Blazing Sun Flower, with eight leaves, indicated it had grown for eighty years.
The Blazing Sun Flower grows an additional leaf every ten years, with its fiery energy doubling each time.
When it grows to ten leaves, it becomes a 3rd-tier spiritual herb, with its medicinal properties skyrocketing to a new level.
If the Iron Flame Beast consumed such a Blazing Sun Flower, it could directly ascend to a 3rd-tier Demonic Beast.
Paired with a Fire Origin Fruit, this Iron Flame Beast might dominate the outskirts of the mountain range.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
At that moment, Han Yang heard a series of loud explosions, accompanied by fierce shockwaves, with debris flying everywhere like raindrops.
"Old Three?!"
The burly man roared in anger, his voice filled with fury, "You beast, I'll kill you!"
Clearly, during the recent clash, someone on their side had suffered a significant loss.
Han Yang squinted his eyes.
A perfect opportunity.
His body was like a drawn bow, and with a push of his foot, he shot forward instantly.
From his hiding spot, he was no more than sixty meters from the Blazing Sun Flower. Now, with a full sprint, he flipped to the place where the Blazing Sun Flower and Fire Origin Fruit grew in the blink of an eye.
Almost as soon as he landed, Han Yang used both hands to grab the Blazing Sun Flower and Fire Origin Fruit, pulling them with force.
The petals, along with most of the flower stem and the fiery red fruit, were torn off simultaneously.
After stuffing them into his arms, he rushed forward.
"Damn, who is that?"
"Boss... someone is taking advantage of us."
The black-clothed individuals were clearly not expecting an outsider to appear at this moment. Stunned, they pointed at Han Yang's retreating figure, shouting.
However...
Their figures were blocked by the massive Iron Flame Beast, and to pursue him, they would have to bypass this giant beast, which was not easily done.
An ordinary Blazing Sun Flower could fetch ten thousand gold coins; this one with eight leaves could sell for a fortune.
"You little brat, taking advantage of the chaos?!"
"Old Six, Old Seven, go retrieve the spiritual flower. We can't let him get away. I'll finish off the Iron Flame Beast and come."
The burly man's cheeks twitched twice, his eyes fierce.
Dare to snatch the meat from his mouth?
"Roar!"
Meanwhile, sensing something amiss, the Iron Flame Beast seized the opportunity during their distraction and pounced towards them.
The burly man's muscles tensed, spinning his knife into a defensive position in front of his chest, attempting to block the beast's charge.
Bang!
A dull sound echoed.
His entire body flew into the air like a kite with a broken string, then crashed back to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
The other black-clothed individuals quickly engaged the Iron Flame Beast in battle.
However, two of them swiftly left the battlefield, chasing after Han Yang, who had dashed into the forest.
Proofreader: Peter Pan