As that deep voice echoed from the forest, the faces of the three major adventure teams' members darkened into expressions of indescribable gloom and gravity. The three team leaders who had been locked in combat with Huo Wu wore particularly grim expressions.
"More than one monster?"
Feng Zhihui gazed at the magic barrier gradually dissipating in midair, his expression profoundly solemn.
He understood the barrier's strength all too well. A magic barrier maintained by eighty-eight magic-type Classes would be virtually unbreakable from the outside—even a Tier 4 Legendary monster attacking from beyond would need several strikes to shatter it.
Yet now, a single blow had reduced it to nothing.
The only explanation was that another monster stood on the opposing side, and one whose power was formidable enough to rival a Tier 4 Legendary monster—perhaps even stronger than Huo Wu herself.
"A team with two monsters? Who on earth are these people?" Naihe Yixiao's brow furrowed deeply. He had never imagined that the opposing team harbored another monster in its ranks.
Right now, the three of them had barely managed to suppress Huo Wu alone. If another one showed up, the three of them would struggle to hold the line.
"What's there to be afraid of? So what if there's one more monster!" Huoyu Piaoluo declared firmly. "Don't forget—we have over five thousand people here. Besides the three of us, there are also seven Demon Viscounts and nearly a hundred Demon Barons. Surely we can handle one person?"
The reason only the three of them had fought earlier was simply because they wanted to test how far they could push themselves against a monster-level expert. Moreover, ordinary Tier 3 experts intervening at their level might backfire and merely add to the body count.
But if they were up against two monsters, they could easily have the others intercept. Even if they couldn't secure a kill, they could buy plenty of time—enough for the three of them to finish off Huo Wu.
In the end, victory would still be theirs. They'd just take a few more casualties.
"True enough. Though it looks like this operation is going to be a money-losing endeavor." Naihe Yixiao nodded, then called out to his subordinates in the distance. "Canghai, take the main force to block them. Remember—delay as long as you can!"
"Yes, sir!" A Tier 3 Shield Warrior nearby responded without hesitation.
"Mantuo, take your team as well!" Huoyu Piaoluo said to a Tier 3 female Dark Druid in her group.
"Duxin, you lead our side." Feng Zhihui turned to the masked assassin. "If things get desperate, use that item. As long as you keep the other monster from getting close, that's all that matters!"
"We can use that thing?" The masked Tier 3 assassin's eyes lit up with excitement. "If I get to use that, I guarantee he won't take a single step closer to this place!"
As Feng Zhihui's words sank in, both Huoyu Piaoluo and Naihe Yixiao looked at him with evident surprise.
"No way! Old Feng, was that the item from the medium-tier Auction House last time?" Huoyu couldn't help but ask.
The three adventure teams knew each other well enough. If there was anything capable of easily holding off monster-level experts, the only thing she could think of was an item that had appeared at the Demon City Auction.
Satan's Remnant Soul!
That was a genuine treasure—a relic that could temporarily transform a player into a Tier 4 Greater Demon. And not just any transformation; the user could wield all of a Greater Demon's magic skills.
The catch was that the transformation lasted only half an hour.
But even so, it was enough to drive every Demon player into a frenzy.
Setting aside the raw power boost of becoming a Tier 4 Greater Demon, the Remnant Soul alone offered significant benefits for Demon players. It enhanced their ability to harness demonic energy, greatly assisting future promotions in demonic rank. On top of that, the major powers in Demon City treated it with considerable wariness—after all, if pushed to the brink, anyone could resort to this trump card, and the consequences were something no Demon player wanted to face. Even large adventure teams like theirs were no exception.
When that treasure had gone up for auction, the major factions in Demon City had engaged in a furious bidding war. And the currency used wasn't ordinary gold—it was Demon Crystals, the standard transaction medium for medium-tier auctions in Demon City.
In the end, it had sold for the astronomical price of over a thousand Demon Crystals. Yet the buyer had never revealed their identity, and the purchase remained a topic of endless speculation among the city's powers.
Naihe Yixiao, too, turned to look at Feng Zhihui, a trace of surprise in his gaze.
He hadn't expected that the Wind Fang Adventure Team had been holding this card in reserve all along. Had they ever come to blows, the consequences would have been dire. But it had to be said—as allies, the Wind Fang Adventure Team inspired a sense of genuine reassurance.
"Mm. To get that thing, we had to pour out our entire war chest." Feng Zhihui's voice carried a note of pride. "Originally, I'd planned to save it for a high-ranking Legendary boss. But wiping out this entire invasion force would be a worthy use as well. That said, let me make one thing clear—the equipment drops from any invader killed by the Greater Demon incarnation belong to the Wind Fang Team."
"Since you've already bled so heavily, we naturally won't try to take advantage of you. You have my word on that." Naihe Yixiao nodded.
"Agreed. We won't lay claim to any drops from targets killed by the Greater Demon. If you can take down both monsters, even better." Huoyu Piaoluo smiled as well.
Right now, the three of them working together could only suppress Huo Wu. With the magic barrier, they'd had confidence in killing her, but now that the barrier had dispersed, if Huo Wu chose to flee, they'd have no way to stop her.