By noon of the third day, Mo Han and his companions, having ventured deep into the forest, suddenly heard the faint sounds of a skirmish ahead. Latin and the others had been recalled the day before because Mo Han understood that any magical beast they encountered now would certainly not be low-level; keeping Latin and the others on outer guard duty would only increase their danger. It was safer to keep everyone together. The first two days had merely served as training for their powers of observation.

Everyone proceeded cautiously toward the direction of the sound.

Upon nearing the location, Mo Han and his group discovered a squad of mercenaries jointly surrounding and attempting to slay a lizard-like monster. This creature, however, was vastly larger than a common lizard, standing nearly as tall as a man. Its entire body was encased in a layer of hardened carapace, a shell that proved impenetrable to all incoming magic and Dou Qi. Every attack only left a faint white scratch on its surface, seemingly having no other effect. The lizard’s weapons were its extraordinarily long, barbed tail and its razor-sharp teeth; contact with that tail alone, covered in backward-pointing barbs, promised absolute doom.

The group surrounding the beast was a B-rank mercenary corps, and several injured fighters lay outside the fray, clearly wounded by the lizard—they had clearly been locked in a desperate battle for some time.

At this moment, the lizard seemed to notice Mo Han’s group. It paused its attack, halting its aggression to fix its small, wary eyes upon Fei Yun’s party. Relying on the innate senses of a magical beast, the creature sensed something within Mo Han’s contingent that inspired fear, though it couldn't pinpoint the source. With no choice but to cease its offensive, it watched them with utmost vigilance.

Seeing Mo Han’s party approach, one of the mercenaries lying on the ground exclaimed, "Thank the gods, people are here."

Hearing this, all eyes temporarily shifted toward Mo Han’s group. But as the mercenary clearly made out the team rank of Mo Han’s party, his tone immediately filled with disappointment. "How can it be a D-rank mercenary group? How did they even get in here? A D-rank group venturing into the Mo Han Forest—aren’t they just courting death?" Mo Han’s group paid no heed to the outburst. They had grown accustomed to such remarks on their journey. Initially, the impetuous Latin and Yan Shi would scoff a few times, but now they were used to it. Without even glancing at the speaking mercenary, they simply followed Mo Han closer to the battle site.

At this point, a middle-aged man from the mercenary band called out, "What are you doing here? This Silver-Armored Lizard is an eighth-level magical beast. You can’t help at all. Take advantage of us holding it off and leave! Are you looking to die?" Mo Han noticed that although the man’s tone was harsh, he was genuinely concerned for their safety by telling them to leave. Unoffended, Mo Han simply smiled and replied, "I only wanted to ask if you needed assistance. Since you don’t, we will depart immediately."

Hearing Mo Han’s words, the speaker managed a bitter smile. "This is beyond your capability to assist with. Please leave quickly. If you encounter any high-level mercenary groups on your way out, please inform them there is a Silver-Armored Lizard here. Only then might there be a chance to deal with this beast. Otherwise, with our current strength, we can only delay it; we cannot defeat it."

Mo Han was about to reply when the Silver-Armored Lizard let out a ferocious roar and suddenly lunged forward. One of the surrounding mercenaries was immediately struck down by its attack, and the situation instantly became critical.

Seeing this, Mo Han could afford no more hesitation. He addressed his team directly: "This is a perfect opportunity to temper yourselves. Jack, provide magical cover from the rear. Daili and Latin, attack head-on. Yan Shi, secure the safety of the others. Does everyone understand?" Hearing Mo Han’s command, the Fei Yun members swiftly nodded, preparing their attacks exactly as Mo Han instructed.

Mo Han himself stood slightly aside, ready to respond instantly to any unforeseen danger and provide aid where needed.

After a period of incantation, Jack initiated the assault first, launching a fifth-level fire spell, the Fire Dragon’s Ruin, accompanied by raging flames, directly toward the Silver-Armored Lizard. Daili and Latin, drawing their weapons, followed close behind, attacking the lizard from its left and right flanks, respectively.

The Silver-Armored Lizard, which had been demonstrating formidable power, suddenly saw the incoming dragon of fire. It had no choice but to abandon its pursuit of the other mercenaries and hastily turned, using its incredibly tough hide to block Jack’s launched Fire Dragon’s Ruin. With a dull thud, the spell struck the lizard’s back, managing only to leave another mark on its hide. While it inflicted no actual damage, the impact shook the creature violently, slowing its movement. Moreover, the area struck by Jack’s magic momentarily flushed a faint red, indicating it hadn't fully absorbed the spell’s residual energy.

At this moment, Daili and Latin’s attacks reached their target. Both their weapons, imbued with intense Dou Qi, slammed into the exact spot the Fire Dragon’s Ruin had just impacted. The section of the carapace, still struggling to process the magical energy, was then struck by Daili and Latin’s weapons.

Instantly, the Silver-Armored Lizard emitted a piercing, miserable shriek. Although the initial magical attack hadn't caused significant harm, the weapons held by Daili and Latin were gifts from Mo Han. While not divine artifacts, they were exceptionally rare, high-quality arms. Coupled with Daili and Latin’s own strength and the preceding aid from Jack’s magic, they managed to tear two substantial gashes into the lizard’s back. Daili’s wound was visibly deeper than Latin’s, a clear indication of the difference in their individual power. A trace of greenish fluid could be faintly seen seeping from the wounds, confirming that Daili and Latin’s coordinated strikes had finally injured the beast, even if only slightly.

Leaping...