"Everyone be careful!" Shen Jingqi shouted, swinging his sword towards a monster. The monster was massive, over two meters tall, covered in dark green scales, emitting a nauseating stench. It opened its bloody mouth, revealing sharp fangs, letting out a deafening roar, and swung its thick arms at Shen Jingqi.

Shen Jingqi's figure flashed, deftly dodging the monster's attack, and his sword struck like lightning towards the monster's abdomen. The monster screeched in pain, letting out a roar of fury, and with a violent swing, flung Shen Jingqi away. Shen Jingqi twisted in mid-air and landed steadily on the ground, a look of determination and vigilance in his eyes.

Seeing this, Xu An immediately rushed forward, his spear like a dragon emerging from the sea, thrusting straight at the monster's throat. The monster sidestepped, dodging the attack, then kicked towards Xu An. Xu An reacted swiftly, using his spear to block, with a "bang," a powerful force knocked Xu An back several steps.

Lin Yu was not idle either. He quickly formed seals with his hands, chanting incantations, as strands of magical light shot from his hands, hitting the monster. After being hit by the magic, the monster's body shuddered slightly but quickly returned to normal. Angrily, it looked towards Lin Yu and charged at him.

"Lin Yu, watch out!" Shen Jingqi shouted again, swinging his sword toward the monster. Xu An followed closely, and the three formed a triangular formation, encircling the monster. Under the trio's assault, the monster seemed somewhat flustered, yet it continued to resist stubbornly thanks to its strong body and tenacious vitality.

The battle entered a heated stage, and the trees around swayed violently from the monster's attacks, leaves falling.

Xu An and Lin Yu adjusted their tactics, deliberately leaving a flaw to lure the monster's attack. The monster fell for it, swinging its arm at Shen Jingqi. Shen Jingqi sidestepped, while Xu An's spear stabbed at the monster's arm, forcing it to retreat. As the monster lost its balance, Shen Jingqi seized the opportunity, rushing forward with his sword like a shooting star.

With a "puchi" sound, the sword pierced into the monster, which let out a wretched cry, its body trembling violently. It struggled desperately, trying to shake off Shen Jingqi's sword. Shen Jingqi held the sword handle tightly, twisting it with force, and the monster's body gradually went limp, eventually collapsing to the ground.

The three of them breathed a sigh of relief, collapsing onto the ground. Their bodies were covered in wounds, their clothes torn to shreds. Yet, their eyes were filled with joy and pride, for they had successfully vanquished a powerful monster.

"We need to leave here quickly; there may be more monsters around." Shen Jingqi stood up, cautiously surveying the surroundings.

Xu An and Lin Yu nodded, tending to their wounds briefly, then continued deeper into Mist Forest.

The mist grew thicker, and visibility lower. They could only advance cautiously, each step requiring extra care. Suddenly, a deep growl came from ahead, growing closer, heralding a great danger approaching.

"Everyone get ready!" Shen Jingqi gripped his sword tightly, tension and alertness in his eyes.

As the growl neared, a giant black bear appeared before them. The bear stood over three meters tall, its fur as hard as steel needles, eyes glowing with a fierce light. It opened its bloody mouth, revealing sharp teeth, letting out a deafening roar that seemed ready to devour the world.

The black bear charged towards them, moving incredibly fast like a high-speed tank. Shen Jingqi, Xu An, and Lin Yu quickly scattered, forming a circle around it. The bear reached Shen Jingqi first, swinging its massive paw at him. Shen Jingqi sidestepped, the paw brushing past him, leaving a gust of wind in its wake.

Xu An seized the opportunity to attack the black bear from the side, thrusting his spear at it. The bear, feeling pain, turned to kick at Xu An. Unable to dodge in time, Xu An was struck in the chest, sent flying, and landed heavily on the ground.

"Xu An!" Shen Jingqi and Lin Yu shouted simultaneously.

Struggling to his feet, Xu An wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth. "I'm fine, keep fighting!" he gritted his teeth, rushing at the bear again.

Lin Yu quickly formed seals with his hands, sending strands of magical light at the bear. The bear shuddered from the hits but was not significantly harmed. Angrily, it looked towards Lin Yu and charged at him.

Seeing this, Shen Jingqi immediately rushed at the bear, trying to prevent it from attacking Lin Yu. The bear, as if seeing through his intent, suddenly changed direction, lunging at Shen Jingqi. Shen Jingqi, too late to dodge, was knocked to the ground by the bear. The bear opened its bloody mouth, lunging for Shen Jingqi's throat.

"Shen Jingqi!" Xu An and Lin Yu cried out in terror.

In this critical moment, Shen Jingqi suddenly sidestepped, evading the bear's attack, then thrust his sword at it. The bear screamed in pain, releasing Shen Jingqi, who took the chance to stand up, shouting, "Everyone, attack together!"

Xu An and Lin Yu rushed over, and the three launched a fierce assault on the bear once again. Although injured, the bear steadfastly resisted their attacks, letting out angry roars.

Suddenly, Shen Jingqi noticed a giant tree behind the bear. A bold idea sprang to mind.

"Xu An, Lin Yu, distract it, I'll attack from behind!" Shen Jingqi whispered.

Xu An and Lin Yu nodded, increasing their assault, drawing the bear's attention. Shen Jingqi quietly circled behind the bear, climbed the giant tree, and leapt down, his sword like a shooting star plunging into the bear.

With a "puchi," the sword drove into the bear. The bear let out a wretched cry, its body trembling violently. It turned to attack Shen Jingqi, but he agilely dodged.

Seizing the chance, Xu An and Lin Yu attacked once more, their strikes raining down on the bear. Finally, unable to withstand it, the bear collapsed with a dull thud.

Supporting each other, they continued deeper into Mist Forest.

As they ventured further, the mist thickened, nearly obscuring their vision. They inched forward on intuition and faint magical light. Suddenly, Lin Yu felt something underfoot. Looking down, he drew a sharp breath.

It was a human skeleton, still clad in tattered clothes and armed with worn-out weapons.