57: Chapter 57 Don't Be a Burden

Fang Jingxuan's arrangements had already been issued, and those who received the instructions had already begun to act.

Nine three-meter-tall humanoid mechs with a cold, metallic sheen roared as they took to the sky, forming a vanguard echelon with experts from the two ancient families, the Qian Family and the Zhao Family, before aggressively stepping into the restricted zone.

The elder of the Chen family led the elites of his clan to set up a "Heavenly Net Array" on the perimeter.

Following Fang Jingxuan's order, the group simultaneously advanced from different directions of Shouyue Mountain.

"Everyone, follow me into the mountain!"

As the captain-general, Fang Jingxuan did not stay in the rear but led by example, taking the Jiantian Bureau elites to charge in from the main entrance.

However, the moment Fang Jingxuan stepped one foot into the restricted zone, Gu Xiao's urgent roar suddenly exploded in the communication channel.

"Team Leader Fang! Wait!"

This voice was like a thunderclap, causing the entire communication channel to fall into instant silence.

Fang Jingxuan stood on the wild mountain path, his steps coming to an abrupt halt as a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

Before Fang Jingxuan could respond, a shrill scream immediately came through the quiet channel.

"Ah?! Fifth Master of the Zhao Family! Retreat!"

"The Red-clothed Bird has appeared! Team Leader Fang, we are already engaged in direct combat with it!"

"What's going on? Why are my hands moving so slowly? It's like being in water!"

"Falcon 001! Retract your spiritual energy propulsion device, you're about to crash into it!"

Boom!

A violent explosion came through the communication channel, followed by harsh static.

A huge plume of black smoke rose into the sky above Shouyue Mountain!

"Sky-Riding Halberd! You're falling! Pull up quickly!"

"Something's wrong here... time seems to have slowed down..."

The moment everyone stepped into the restricted zone, they fell one after another into a quagmire of sensory confusion.

Those nine majestic, sky-piercing mechs became the first batch of casualties.

The pilots were completely unable to control the mechs amidst the chaotic perception; some crashed headlong into cliffs like headless flies, while others disintegrated and fell directly from the sky.

And the Red-clothed Bird deep within Shouyue Mountain also acted the moment everyone stepped into the restricted zone.

This cunning monster had been lurking in the shadows; it knew very well that as long as these prey stepped into its domain, they would be lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

Precisely because of this, it hadn't attacked the students in the stone cave earlier.

It understood that as long as it had these hostages, it could lure more humans to charge in to their deaths, eventually swallowing them one by one to turn them into its own nourishment.

The heat waves within the restricted zone surged wildly as the giant fire-red bird flapped its wings, easily tearing apart the remaining mech wreckage.

Subsequently, its playful gaze fell upon the slow-moving cultivators on the ground.

The giant bird hovered over Shouyue Mountain, its entire body blood-red, with a wingspan of ten zhang. Three pairs of huge wings slowly unfolded behind it, each feather burning with an eerie dark red flame.

It dove down with astonishing speed, opening its mouth in mid-air to spew a pillar of incandescent white fire. The fire pillar swept across, instantly engulfing the batch of Qian Family martial artists on the ground, leaving them no time to even scream.

There was only the "sizzling" sound of bodies being instantly carbonized by the high-temperature flames, and the nauseating smell of burning flesh filling the air.

As the captain-general, Fang Jingxuan had long realized something was wrong, and he wanted to issue a retreat order at the first opportunity.

But even his senses were severely interfered with, his thinking became sluggish, and after opening his mouth for a long time, the order was finally squeezed out with difficulty.

By the time the retreat order was finally communicated, the team had completely collapsed.

This was a one-sided massacre!

Those nine expensive humanoid mechs were all destroyed, the people from the Qian Family were almost completely wiped out, and the Zhao Family fared no better; the four martial artists charging in the front were killed on the spot, and the remaining few dragged their injured companions, stumbling as they retreated.

The Jiantian Bureau's dispatch team also suffered heavy losses; out of a total of eight teams, two were completely wiped out.

Everyone fled the restricted zone in a sorry state, while the Red-clothed Bird did not pursue them, but instead circled in the air, emitting a long, provocative cry as if mocking the humans for overestimating their own capabilities.

...

Inside the temporary command post, the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

Fang Jingxuan's expression was as gloomy as water, and the survivors all looked ashen-faced, still shaken.

The luckiest one among them was the elder of the Chen family; he had led his men to set up arrays on the perimeter and had not entered the domain, thus escaping disaster.

"Damn it, it seems to be a domain inside."

The smile on the Chen family elder's face had long since vanished; he held his pipe, puffing on it fiercely, his hand trembling slightly.

"A domain? What is that?" A young employee of the Mysterious Investigation Bureau looked at the elder with a face full of terror and lingering fear.

The Chen family elder put down his pipe, looked around at everyone, and said in a deep voice: "Some ancient scrolls passed down from antiquity record a type of Innate Supernatural Power of Rising Beingss, which is a domain."

"To put it bluntly, it's a barrier. Inside the domain, that Red-clothed Bird is the absolute master. Anyone who breaks into the domain will be suppressed by its power, their perception will be chaotic, and their movements will be sluggish."

"Your experience just now was clearly stepping into its death trap."

Fang Jingxuan took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, and looked at the Chen family elder: "Elder Chen, is there a way to break this domain?"

"Yes, but it's very difficult."

The Chen family elder blew out a smoke ring, his brows furrowed: "The essence of this domain should be interfering with the intruders' senses through flames. As long as one can break this interference, the domain will collapse on its own."

"But there is a problem: who can remain unaffected by the flames?"

This question was like a basin of cold water, extinguishing the glimmer of hope that had just ignited in everyone.

Unaffected by the flames? How is that possible?

The heat was everywhere, and the Red-clothed Bird's flames also contained its Spiritual Sense fluctuations. Unless it was an existence stronger than it, who could remain clear-headed in its domain?

Just then, the tent flap was lifted, and Gu Xiao, wearing a nuo mask, strode in.

He had just participated in the rescue and only now had the time to come and report.

"Someone, no, wait—there is a Rising Beings that is not affected by it."

Gu Xiao's voice rang out in the deathly silent tent.

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on him like a spotlight.

Fang Jingxuan's eyes lit up, and he stood up abruptly: "You mean, Li Xiuyuan was not affected?"

Gu Xiao nodded: "That's right, it is inside, it was not affected, and it has also found those students."

As soon as these words were spoken, Lu Xingyun, who was to the side, immediately cast a burning gaze. If the timing hadn't been inappropriate, he would have really wanted to rush up, grab Gu Xiao by the collar, and ask about his son's situation.

"Li Xiuyuan?"

"Li Xiuyuan... could it be that White Flood Dragon from Yunfeng Mountain?"

"That monster is here too?!"

Upon hearing this name, the crowd was instantly in an uproar.

Everyone present was a person of standing and some status, so they naturally understood the current situation of the top Rising Beingss in the Xia Kingdom and, of course, had heard of Li Xiuyuan.

The Chen family elder reacted the fastest; he slapped his thigh and stood up: "If that White Flood Dragon is not affected, then there is a way to break it."

"Old Gu, contact it and have it cooperate with us!" Fang Jingxuan said urgently.

Gu Xiao closed his eyes slightly and released his Spiritual Sense.

A moment later, he opened his eyes again.

This time, the expression in his eyes became somewhat strange, even carrying a hint of indescribable twitching.

"What's wrong?" Fang Jingxuan's heart instantly jumped to his throat, thinking something unexpected had happened.

Gu Xiao cleared his throat, a slightly awkward yet polite smile appearing on his face.

"Well... I'd better just relay his original words directly, without making up a single word."

Taking a deep breath, he imitated Li Xiuyuan's lazy, indifferent, and arrogant tone and spoke to the crowd:

"Come in, rescue the people, and then get lost. Don't come and be a burden, getting in the way."