The Four-headed Exotic Beast halted beside the Single-Horned Exotic Beast, its four serpent heads looking down disdainfully at the vast creature that was on its last breath, cold glints flickering in their eyes. All of a sudden, the four heads bit into the Single-Horned Exotic Beast with lightning speed, tearing off chunks of flesh.

The Single-Horned Exotic Beast struggled valiantly, but being critically wounded, it had no strength left to retaliate. Suddenly, there was a loud noise, and a huge Centipede Beast emerged from nowhere, instantly wrapping around and enveloping the Single-Horned Exotic Beast.

The Four-headed Exotic Beast hastily retreated, issuing warning roars at the Centipede Beast. The Centipede Beast wrapped up the Single-Horned Exotic Beast like a mummy, its towering head raised in a standoff against the Four-headed Exotic Beast.

Meanwhile, crunching sounds of bones being gnawed resounded in Wang Lan's and his two companions' ears, coming from the Single-Horned Exotic Beast ensnared by the Centipede Monster. Although they couldn't clearly see the condition of the ensnared Single-Horned Exotic Beast, it was not hard for them to imagine that its plight was very dire.

"For killing beyond your level, rewarded with 50,000 experience points and 2,000 skill points!"

"The Single-Horned Exotic Beast is dead!"

"Dead? That quickly?"

As if to confirm Wang Lan's words, the Centipede Monster slowly loosened its grip, revealing the Single-Horned Exotic Beast. But upon seeing the state of the Single-Horned Exotic Beast, all three involuntarily gasped in shock.

Even though Wang Lan had anticipated the demise of the Single-Horned Exotic Beast, he hadn't expected it to die such a ghastly death. All that was left of it was a skeleton, still posed as if defying its fate.

But its resistance was in vain; within a mere ten seconds, the massive Single-Horned Exotic Beast was devoured so thoroughly.

Upon releasing its prey, the Centipede Beast displayed a satisfied smile, also revealing the countless mouths hidden in its belly. Although there was a huge mouth on the head of the Centipede Monster, compared to the immense mouth on its face, it might have just been for show. The Centipede Beast's belly sported an innumerable array of sharp maws. It was because of these thousands of mouths that it could devour the massive Single-Horned Exotic Beast down to its skeleton so swiftly.

"They're here, charge!" At Wang Lan's command, he and Yu Ruoyun flickered into view atop the summit of Lethe Canyon. "Mandala Flower!"

Wang Lan clasped his hands together. When he shouted "Mandala Flower!" Yu Ruoyun's expression suddenly turned to one of surprise, and she gave Wang Lan a startled look. She, too, clasped her hands together, channeling her Star Power.

The Mandala Flower was the only Star Martial Skill Wang Lan possessed that was suitable for defensive battles. Lethe Canyon's fortifications were excellent, and Yu Ruoyun's Polar Conversion Fortifications were highly advantageous. However, neither was a match for the effectiveness of the Mandala Flower.

Infinite vines grew wildly, and in the blink of an eye, an area with a radius of one kilometer became a forest comprised of vines, with bud after bud of bewitching flower buds poking out.

The Four-headed Exotic Beast hesitated briefly but, urged by the Centipede Beast, suddenly let out a sky-shattering roar and charged into the Mandala Flower. Instantly, countless vines surged towards the Four-headed Exotic Beast like sharks smelling blood.

The four heads of the Four-headed Exotic Beast constantly spewed out twisted, lightning-shaped beams. These beams exploded upon contact with the Mandala Flower's vines, turning countless vines to ashes before they could even touch the beast.

Seeing this, Wu Shaohua's face instantly tensed with anxiety again. The combined efforts of Wang Lan and Yu Ruoyun had momentarily made Wu Shaohua face reality. In terms of strength, ten of him wouldn't be enough to match either of them.

Although he couldn't guarantee how long this realization would last. Perhaps, the moment they were out of this crisis, Wu Shaohua might still be deceived by their status as "twin panda babies," subconsciously ignoring their terrifying combat abilities.

Their ability to bring a giant beast to its last breath in mere seconds, a feat achieved by two students jointly, definitely surpassed the level of a typical Titled Strongman. Could they create another miracle this time and deal with this even more troublesome Exotic Beast in one go?

"Gravity beams? No wonder," Wang Lan murmured to himself.

The beams spouted by the Four-headed Exotic Beast looked like lightning but were actually unrelated to it. They were gravity beams, a blend of heavy and light gravity intertwined.

When struck by the gravity beams, both attraction and repulsion forces were released simultaneously, causing the Mandala Flower to explode instantly. But this was no problem. In the world of the Mandala Flower, it all depended on how much Star Power it had to expend. Even if the vines were shattered by the gravity onslaught, the Mandala Flower would still absorb a great deal of Star Power. Having absorbed this Star Power, it would regrow new vines.

"Blossom, Mandala Flower—"

As Wang Lan activated it once more, countless Mandala Flower buds bloomed, their intoxicating pollen filling the entire space in an instant. Seeing this, Wu Shaohua hastily retreated, keeping his distance from the area shrouded in pollen.

Could it be... Mr. Mo wasn't bluffing them? Is Lethe Canyon truly a first-level defense base of the Pioneer Space? Were they sent here to guard because it really is about the strategic layout for the entire Pioneer Space?

Wu Shaohua couldn't be of much help, so he could only engage in open-ended speculation. The more he thought about it, the more the map of the Pioneer Space materialized in his mind.

On the map, Lethe Canyon, located in the southwestern corner, surprisingly held a high ground, looking down on the northern Huangyan Plains of the Pioneer Space. As long as Lethe Canyon remained stable, even if other places conceded and retreated a hundred kilometers, the Pioneering Legion could still use Lethe Canyon as a stronghold, quickly dividing the three strategic strongpoints connected in the north. Thereafter, the strategy was to consolidate the direction and, finally, to clean out all the Exotic Beasts in the lost area. In other words, Lethe Canyon's true function was like a valve that could cut off the connection between the Exotic Beasts and the main base in the later stages. Although defending Lethe Canyon was arduous, once it was held, this place would be the fulcrum of victory's scale when the time came to launch a counteroffensive.

Mr. Mo truly deserves his reputation, to be able to see so far ahead. We were only thinking about how to hold on for this month and wait for the support of the Vermilion Bird Squad, never imagining that Mr. Mo had already considered the worst-case scenario and made arrangements. Impressive, truly impressive.

Mo Tai was at the distant front-line headquarters. He naturally didn't know that his image in Wu Shaohua's mind had transformed. He had gone from being a Titled Strongman and a first-class expert of Jade Country to a famed general, a strategist orchestrating victories from a thousand miles away.

ACHOO!

Mo Tai rubbed his nose, feeling a wave of doubt rise within him. Why had his sneezes become so frequent lately?

"Keep going. How is the situation to the northwest?"

"Not good. Although the four Star Martial Academies have come to our aid, the rate at which Exotic Beasts encroach on our territory has visibly slowed. However, this only contains the speed of the invasion; it doesn't address the root cause. If we can't figure out why so many powerful Exotic Beasts are appearing, the beasts of the East Sea will sooner or later become a terrifying force that we can't handle. If this trend continues, the strength of Exotic Beasts in the East Sea Pioneer Space will triple within five years. By then, the Pioneer Teams alone won't be able to defend the Pioneer Space."

"It's not so bleak. If it comes to that, we can ask the Five Emperors to take action. Don't forget, we have a powerful country backing us."

"But all of this presupposes that we first figure out where those damned giant beasts are coming from. I refuse to believe it; such high-level Different Dimensional Spaces hardly appear once in forty years, but how many have there been in the past two years?"

"Our current task is to hold our ground and wait for the Vermilion Bird Squad to conduct their investigation. The Vermilion Bird Squad is professional in probing the causes of these strange phenomena. As long as we can hold our position and avoid unnecessary trouble, we've done our duty. This matter is too bizarre. I feel it's not a coincidence... By the way, how are those two national treasures doing?"

"National treasures? Princess Yu and Wang Lan?" Star Traveller paused, asking in confusion.

"Who else but them? One is the crown jewel of the royal family. Her slightest scrape could shake Jade Country. The other is a key figure from the Flame Emperor's line, a favorite in the eyes of the number one chief. I'm telling you, even if we both perish here, we cannot let them come to any harm. If we're gone, Jade Country suffers the loss of two Titled individuals, but if they're gone, Jade Country will lose a national fortune—a risk we cannot take."

"They're doing fine. But I don't understand, if these two national treasures are so important, why were they sent here? Wouldn't it be better to cherish them in the academy?"

"That's a necessity. Though they are treasures, they are also tools. They're like good cars: if you don't drive, break them in, or use them, they eventually become nothing but scrap metal. But when in use, driven, and broken in, they're bound to get a few scratches. So, the only way is to use them, but carefully. We must be extremely cautious and avoid any knocks or bumps. Ten or twenty years down the line, when they grow into towering trees, it will be their time to hold up the sky for us. By the way, last time the Ninety-seventh Group had an unpleasant interaction with the support team. There wasn't any conflict with them this time, right?"

"No. There's someone in the Ninety-seventh Group who is an old acquaintance of Wang Lan, and they get along fine. Besides, that support team from last time—what were they all about? Their haughty attitude was unbearable! Calling us 'migrant workers of the Pioneer Team'? So what if I am a 'migrant worker of the Pioneer Team'? How is that a problem?"

BANG!

Suddenly, a loud noise erupted, and the communications officer burst into Mo Tai's office, panic on his face, his hand holding a white paper still shaking uncontrollably.

"What happened? What's the matter?"

"Commander-in-chief, an urgent message from Hulao Valley! Three colossal Exotic Beasts airdropped outside Lethe Canyon, triggering a beast tide. Lethe Canyon has fallen!"

"What? What are the casualties? How is the Ninety-seventh Group? And is there any news on Wang Lan and Yu Ruoyun?"

"The Ninety-seventh Group has safely retreated to Hulao Valley. But the fatal news is that the Sixth Support Team stayed behind to cover their retreat and buy them time. As of the message's sending, there was no word from the Seventh Support Team. However, a strong Star Energy Fluctuation was sensed in the direction of Lethe Canyon. It must have been a fierce battle. The battle level... SS!"

"Damn!" Mo Tai shot up instantly. "Baozi, get to Lethe Canyon as fast as you can for reinforcement! You must bring back those two ancestors! I'll be damned… Staying behind? That was quite an idea they came up with."

"Okay! You don't panic either. Although those two national treasures are precious, they're not delicate vases or paintings; they have real capabilities. I'll head there right away. They should be able to hold on for a while." After his words fell, Star Traveller instantly vanished like starlight.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Mandala Flowers blossomed across the earth, their effect almost instantaneous, as the movements of the Four-headed Exotic Beast suddenly slowed. A Mandala Flower vine hidden in the ground surged up and wrapped around the leg of the Four-headed Exotic Beast, yanked hard, and the colossal creature lost its balance and toppled over.

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