Chapter 357: The Appearance of Shadows

Upon hearing the howling sound, everyone immediately became more alert, scanning their surroundings constantly.

Those who had returned alive from the forest described the creature as completely black, almost like a shadow, and it appeared to be more of a battle spirit than a physical being. Its combat strength was incredibly fierce, but no one knew its specific level.

At the rear of the group, Lin Mo furrowed his brow and expanded his spiritual power to monitor every corner within a 500-meter radius. Despite it being midday, the dense canopy of the Sunset Forest prevented much sunlight from filtering through. Only scattered rays of light reached the damp ground, making it necessary for Wang Lang and the others to remain highly vigilant, keeping an eye on every corner.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

After walking slowly through the forest for several minutes, four or five shadows suddenly darted out from the darkness. However, they did not immediately attack but instead circled around the group, seemingly observing their prey.

Their speed was so fast that the group only saw a brief flash before the shadows disappeared.

Lin Mo, at the back of the group, smiled faintly. His spiritual power had long covered this area, allowing him to observe these shadows even at their incredible speed.

"So, they are indeed battle spirits, but it seems like they belong to someone else, which is why the Emperor's Spirit Phone couldn't locate them."

"If you let battle spirits run amok and harm the people, don't blame me for capturing them."

Lin Mo chuckled lightly.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Just then, the four shadows once again darted towards the group, but this time, they didn't attack immediately. Instead, they appeared to be retreating.

"Wait, are these creatures running away?" someone wondered aloud.

"Ha! They must be scared of us after seeing so many of us," another person laughed.

The group considered this and found it plausible. Previously, these creatures had attacked anyone they encountered, including beasts, without hesitation. However, this time, they had circled around a few times and then fled, as if they were frightened.

"They're afraid of us, so we can easily sweep through and drive them out of the Sunset Forest," someone confidently suggested.

At the front of the group, Wang Lang thought for a moment, his brow furrowing. He cautioned, "Don't let your guard down, everyone. It might not be that simple."

Upon hearing this, many people muttered in disagreement, thinking Wang Lang was being overly cautious.

Lin Mo, however, nodded in agreement. Wang Lang was indeed quite capable. He had noticed that these battle spirits didn't seem scared when they fled; instead, they appeared more excited. It didn't seem like they had been frightened away, but rather that they had gone to gather reinforcements.

"This is getting more interesting, but no matter how strong these battle spirits are, I'm not afraid," Lin Mo thought to himself.

After a while, the confident group of people continued to advance, but Wang Lang and his Sea Eagle Corps remained on high alert.

"We'll eliminate all of these creatures this time and bring peace to the Sunset Forest," someone declared enthusiastically.

As they continued walking, someone suddenly shouted, "Kill them all and bring peace to the Sunset Forest!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

However, just as the words were spoken, seven shadows suddenly appeared in front of them. This time, they didn't try to dodge but charged directly into the midst of the group.

"Full alert!" Wang Lang roared, and his 500 Sea Eagle Corps soldiers immediately assumed a defensive formation.

The person who had shouted slogans earlier hesitated for a moment, then activated their inner energy.

Lin Mo, positioned at the back, noticed the aggressive approach of these shadows and furrowed his brow. "What kind of beings are they? They even released a Heavenly-ranked battle spirit."

The battle spirit charging towards Wang Lang was a Tier Two Heavenly-ranked battle spirit, while the other six were around Tier Eight Earth-ranked. They didn't hesitate to attack from various angles.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

In just a few seconds, the seven shadows penetrated deep into the group. Their incredible speed and strength made it difficult for the warriors to defend themselves. Soon, several people were severely injured.

Xu Dao had been standing in front of Lin Mo the entire time, channeling his inner energy to its maximum extent. Although he was only at the Fifth Layer of the Elemental Vein Realm, he showed no fear.

Watching Xu Dao's determination, Lin Mo felt moved and said, "Xu Bro, let me protect you."

"What are you talking about? These creatures are terrifying. You're so young; how can you be their match?" Xu Dao shot him a glance.

"Don't worry; I can handle it," Lin Mo assured him.

"No."

Whoosh!

Just as Xu Dao finished speaking, one of the shadows suddenly darted towards him with such speed that Xu Dao couldn't react in time.

"It's over," Xu Dao thought in despair as he felt the power of the shadow.

However, in that moment of hopelessness, Lin Mo shouted angrily and rushed forward. The shadow had originally targeted Xu Dao, but seeing a younger person charging at it made the shadow furious.

Roar!

It let out an angry roar, and a powerful gust of wind erupted around it. But no matter how it roared, it was no match for Lin Mo. With a raised arm, Lin Mo's powerful Heavenly Dragon energy surged instantly.

The shadow battle spirit, which had rushed at high speed, collided with Lin Mo's outstretched hand and couldn't push him back even a step.

Xu Dao watched this scene in shock. The true appearance of the shadow was revealed, a black tiger-like figure, but it didn't have a physical body—it was clearly a battle spirit.