Rocks scattered and a group of crocodiles wailed in misery.
A great battle was drawing to a close. Fang Yuan and Bai Ning Bing stood proudly atop Burning Coal Mountain, the ground at their feet littered with the corpses of lava crocodiles.
As for that thousand-beast-king level Lava Crocodile King, its bones were all broken, and the two volcanic humps on its back had been smashed to pieces.
It wailed softly, lying on the ground. Blood gushed from the countless wounds on its body. Its claws trembled slightly, scraping at the earth as it tried to burrow back underground, but it no longer had the strength.
Its struggling grew weaker and weaker, until death finally claimed it.
With the death of the thousand-beast-king, the remaining lava crocodiles instantly scattered, diving into the ground and fleeing in panic.
After cleaning up the battlefield a little, the duo, Fang and Bai, set off once more.
Jiao Huang and Meng Tu hid in a distant corner, not making a move. These two famous assassins of the demonic path looked terrible, like corpses.
They were terrified!
"Are these two even human? To actually take on the entire lava crocodile swarm all by themselves!"
"Bai Ning Bing's Ice Path heavily suppresses the lava crocodiles. That's fine, but that Fang Zheng is a monster in human form. The more injured he gets, the stronger he becomes. In the end, he could easily just send the Lava Crocodile King flying with a single charge."
Jiao Huang and Meng Tu exchanged a glance, both seeing the fear in the other's eyes.
The terrifying battle prowess of the Fang Bai duo had far surpassed their expectations.
They didn't live in Shang Family City, but having witnessed the entire battle firsthand, they now deeply understood the horror of the Fang Bai duo.
"Are these two young men really just in their twenties? Damn it, comparing them to me, my forty-odd years of life feel like I've been living like a dog," Meng Tu cursed, still shaken.
"Brother Meng Tu, don't say that. Saying that makes me feel utterly worthless too," sighed Jiao Huang, who was older. "Without a doubt, both of them are geniuses! Comparing people to people is infuriating. We two are no match for them at all. If I had known, I wouldn't have taken this job."
"Old brother Jiao Huang, your words only stir up my competitive spirit. It makes me even more unwilling to give up. This isn't over yet. Although we can't beat them head-on, we still have a chance!" Meng Tu spat on the ground and said fiercely.
"Oh? What chance is that?"
"Think about it, old brother Jiao Huang. They are heading to Three Forks Mountain. They want to fish for benefits from the Three Kings Inheritance. Things are chaotic as hell over at Three Forks Mountain. There are Rank Four and Rank Five powerhouses there. When they get there, there will definitely be conflict. We'll watch for the right moment. If we can pick up some scraps, that would be perfect!"
Reminded by Meng Tu, Jiao Huang's eyes also lit up.
He reached out and patted Meng Tu on the shoulder. "Brother, you have a good point. Let's go. We'll follow them to Three Forks Mountain!"
"That group of lava crocodiles just now appeared a bit suspiciously," Fang Yuan mused as he walked.
The timing and position of the lava crocodiles' appearance were too coincidental. As soon as they appeared, they tightly surrounded the Fang Bai duo. Bai Ning Bing didn't notice anything wrong, but Fang Yuan, with his past life's experience and cunning mind, smelled a rat.
He was all too familiar with this feeling.
"Someone deliberately set this trap to deal with me. So, which faction is it? The Wu Clan, the Bai Clan, or the Shang Clan?" Fang Yuan pondered silently.
"The Wu Clan is likely because I know Li Ran's identity. Now that I've left Shangliang Mountain, it's very possible they would make a move."
"And the Bai Clan? I've made enemies of them, I know the great secret of their clan's spring drying up, and I even extorted them for three million primeval stones. How could they not hate me?"
"There's also the Shang Clan. I've offended many people in the Shang Clan as well. Shang Ya Zi, Shang Yi Fan, buying the Wei family group, and offending Shang Pu Lao. The young masters of the Shang Clan are competing with each other, and I am one of Shang Xin Ci's right-hand men. If I am eliminated outside, Shang Xin Ci will be weakened."
"Forget it, I won't think about it. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it." Fang Yuan shook his head, banishing the tangled thoughts from his mind and calming his heart.
In the past, when he was weak, he had to exhaust his mind and calculate everything. But now that his strength had grown, there was a sense that he could remain unmoved no matter what storms came his way.
...
Central Continent.
On the Sea of Clouds, a fierce wind howled.
Tens of thousands of cranes flew in unison, their wings spread wide.
Fang Zheng and other elite disciples of the Immortal Crane Sect, each standing or sitting cross-legged on the backs of the cranes, hurried towards Heaven Ladder Mountain.
"Boss Fang, your flock of cranes is truly majestic. This trip to Heaven Ladder Mountain will surely allow you to shine brilliantly and sweep all before you," said an elite disciple.
As he spoke, he used a Gu worm. Despite the howling wind around them, his voice could not be blocked and clearly reached everyone's ears.
"You flatter me, fellow disciples. In this regional gathering at Heaven Ladder Mountain for the White Fox Gu Immortal's inheritance, all the elites of the ten great sects will participate. To obtain the inheritance, we need not only strength but also luck," Fang Zheng said.
"Boss Fang, you're too modest. With your tens of thousands of cranes, who could stand in your way?" another elite disciple immediately said.
"Boss Fang, you are a role model for our generation. No wonder the Sect Leader sent you out right after you were promoted to elite disciple. For this trip to Heaven Ladder Mountain, we will follow your lead!" an elite female disciple said respectfully.
Along the way, Fang Zheng had sparred with all these elite disciples.
He was incredibly strong, and in his aperture was a Soul-Dwelling Flea. The soul of the Heavenly Crane Ascetic resided within the Soul-Dwelling Flea, ready to guide him in battle at any moment. He also had his tens of thousands of cranes to back him up.