Seeing the colossal form of the Devouring Dragon Beast King, Ni Bo and Tao Tie froze in place, an oppressive power washing over them, instilling the shared thought: perhaps they had come to the wrong place...

"Go..." Little Tao Tao, unlike the combative Ni Bo, knew better than to provoke the Devouring Dragon Beast King. His body dissolved into a streak of light as he turned and retreated, a wise maxim taught by Ye Jingyu echoing in his mind—a wise man doesn't fight a battle he cannot win.

Ni Bo wasn't a fool either. Though his will to fight was strong, he only challenged opponents slightly stronger than himself, much like the projection of the Devouring Dragon Beast King before. But now, the true form of the Beast King manifested, radiating an immense aura, many times more powerful than its projection. Challenging it now wouldn't be a contest; it would be suicide.

They had arrived brimming with confidence, yet their retreat was just as swift, shooting thousands of zhang in an instant.

"You have successfully angered me. Do you think you can just leave?" The massive voice of the Devouring Dragon Beast boomed, like muffled thunder in the heavens.

The sound struck Little Tao Tao and Xiao Hei, feeling as if their skulls might explode. Moreover, the Beast King took a single step forward—a step covering ten thousand zhang. Trees towering thousands of zhang high were crushed beneath its feet like mere blades of grass, the very earth trembling with the impact. All the flying birds and running beasts in the forest scattered in terror from the overwhelming might.

Feeling the pressure, Ni Bo and Little Tao Tao spurred themselves faster, but the Devouring Dragon Beast King had already raised an arm thicker than those colossal trees, smashing it down with brutal force.

In its eyes, Ni Bo and Tao Tie weren't just ants; they were barely bacteria. Before the palm even landed, a terrifying force squeezed the surrounding space, followed by a crushing blow landing squarely on both of them.

With a sharp crack, the two bodies were flung down like hit shuttlecocks, crashing heavily onto the ground and gouging out a massive crater.

The Devouring Dragon Beast King lumbered forward a few more steps, snapping countless trees, until it stood before Ni Bo and Tao Tie, lifting its thick leg to stomp down upon them.

"Ao..." Faced with such overwhelming power, Ni Bo and Tao Tao had no choice but to fight for their lives—not against the Beast King, but in a desperate flight.

A resonant dragon's roar erupted from their throats as golden light flared around them. Ni Bo manifested his true form, now several zhang tall, his entire body covered in thick scales, black flames burning beneath his four hooves, resembling a Qilin with a single horn.

Little Tao Tao transformed into a small exotic beast and scrambled onto Ni Bo's back. With a burst of speed from his hooves, Ni Bo galloped toward the distance.

They narrowly avoided the crushing stomp, which left a huge crater in the earth. The Devouring Dragon Beast King roared to the sky and charged after them again.

"Heavenly Dragon Water Pattern..." Ni Bo's speed was at its zenith, yet the Beast King kept pace, nearly catching up. Just as it was about to close the distance, Little Tao Tao’s small claw shot backward and grabbed sharply. Before them shimmered a wave of azure blue, like a solid wall. The immense body of the Devouring Dragon Beast slammed into this wall, recoiling as if striking a giant spring.

"Ooo ( )……” The Devouring Dragon Beast King let out an enraged cry and charged again. This time, facing its colossal power, the Heavenly Dragon Water Pattern shattered, and the Beast King tore through it as if passing through a mere curtain of water.

Seeing Ni Bo and Tao Tie flee far ahead, the massive horn on the Devouring Dragon Beast King's forehead suddenly shot out a beam of black light. The light moved with impossible speed, instantly appearing behind Little Tao Tao and Xiao Hei.

Sensing the fatal threat, Little Tao Tao instantly radiated light, his green eyes flashing with fire, intense dragon roars emanating from within him as he unleashed the Dragon Clan’s divine ability: Veil of Concealment!

But this time, even the Veil of Concealment used with all of Tao Tie’s strength could not withstand the attack. Almost instantly, the light beam pierced through space and struck through.

Watching this unfold, Little Tao Tao, who had been lazily perched on Ni Bo’s back, suddenly flashed a look of grim determination in his eyes.

"Xiao Hei, run! I'll hold him off..." The moment the words left his mouth, he transformed into his true form—a terrifying monstrous beast, three zhang high, resembling a goat but possessing tiger claws. He opened his cavernous maw and lunged to swallow the black beam of light.

"No!" Seeing Little Tao Tao disregard his own life to cover his escape by forcibly consuming that power, a heart-wrenching cry tore from Xiao Hei's voice. His body, which had been speeding away, abruptly twisted, stopped, and then shot back toward the black light faster than light itself.

Little Tao Tao was willing to sacrifice his life for him; how could he not do the same?

Just as the black light was about to enter Tao Tie's mouth, Ni Bo’s massive body slammed into Tao Tie, knocking him flying away. The black light struck Ni Bo directly.

The scales on his seemingly indestructible body parted like wet paper under the black light, easily pierced, the beam passing straight through his entire body.

A fist-sized bloody hole appeared there, golden blood spraying out continuously as the massive body crashed to the ground.

"You bastard, didn't I tell you to leave?" Little Tao Tao, watching Xiao Hei impaled, felt as if his heart had been ripped apart. He rushed heedlessly to Xiao Hei's side, cursing him out loud, yet two streaks of bloody tears streamed from his eyes.

The power of that beam was immense; even Xiao Hei’s current healing ability could not mend it, and the power remaining in his body was insufficient to counter the consuming force.

His body was near death, but he paid no heed to his own injuries, ignoring Tao Tie's tirade, calling out anxiously, "Run, you must run..."