“That’s right, that’s what I was just saying.” Xiao He said with a serious expression, “I might have encountered a small problem.”

Unexpectedly, Honglian was even more serious than him.

"No, this is not a small problem."

"This is a big problem!"

"So big that if the pastors' association saw it, they'd want to arrest you and slice you up!"

rustle……

Wang Xuefeng, who had been silent, turned his head slightly, as if listening to something. Although he did not want to interrupt their conversation, he had to speak up to remind them.

"Someone's coming."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a dark cloud appeared in the sky above the forest.

"Good lad...you've got something..."

The somber sound was like a cold wind blowing, rustling the fallen leaves on the ground.

Although Xiao He did not have the same keen hearing as Wang Xuefeng, he quickly detected the newcomer's presence by observing the changes in the elements within the lotus jade after Wang Xuefeng alerted him.

"Watch out!" Nanbo exclaimed.

But no one realized what was happening.

A mysterious figure, completely concealed in a black cloak, appeared behind Xiao He without him noticing and firmly gripped his neck.

"You two little kids, do you want to save her?" the mysterious man chuckled dryly.

Wang Xuefeng couldn't see the newcomer's face, but he knew that the man's movements were unusually swift, even to the point of being eerie.

This is something even the wind element cannot do; only the dark element can make the caster temporarily merge into darkness. Whether concealed or stealthily moving, they are extremely difficult to detect.

For the first time in both his past and present lives, Xiao He was "kidnapped," yet he felt a strange, inexplicable sense of unease.

"You! Who are you! What do you want to do!" Nan Bai was both shocked and angry. He wanted to rush forward, but he was afraid that the mysterious person would hurt Xiao He.

However, the mysterious man seemed to be enjoying himself and was in no hurry to reveal his purpose.

"Hehehe... Defeat my servant and I'll release her."

Nanbo was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

The mysterious man did not answer, but only whistled.

The next moment, a black eagle silently swooped down from behind Nan Bai and Wang Xuefeng.

"Bang!"

Wang Xuefeng quickly crouched down and fired a shot into the air with his backhand.

Although Nanbo's movements weren't that fast, he was still a close-combat fighter, and his fists were his weapons.

Even if you can't dodge in time, you can still react by blocking with your arm.

"Tsk tsk... Is that all?" The mysterious man shook his head: "Completely uncooperative."

The black hawk turned and swooped down again, this time extending its claws.

Nanbo clenched his fists in anger. Instead of dodging the black hawk, he braced himself and caught its giant claws with his fists.

"boom--"

The energy fluctuations from the collision spread over a hundred meters away, raising a thick cloud of dust from the fallen leaves.

Upon seeing this, the mysterious man couldn't help but utter a sound of doubt.

"Level 37? Ready to advance to intermediate warrior? Not bad for such a young age!"

As if understanding the mysterious man's words, Black Hawk gave up on entanglement with Nan Bai and turned to pounce on Wang Xuefeng.

This black eagle is no ordinary eagle; it is large and can even carry two adults on its back, making it a type of mount that also serves as a ride.

Although Xiao He's movements were restricted, it did not affect his ability to use his skills in the slightest.

A beam of "protection" light rose from He Yu and landed on Wang Xuefeng, directly neutralizing the power of the black eagle's claw.

"What?!"

The mysterious man who had grabbed Xiao He suddenly ripped off his hat, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets as he stared at He Yu.

"What the hell is this?! It can cast spells automatically?!"

Xiao He didn't bother with him. After realizing that the man's strength was not malicious, he understood that this mysterious man was probably not an enemy.

Even so, Wang Xuefeng, with his almost mortal body, was no match for this eagle that had become a spirit.

Xiao He's first skill, "Blessing," should have been a beneficial buff, but due to the reversal of his talent skill, it has almost become a detrimental debuff.

Although he hadn't had time to experiment yet, Xiao He didn't have the chance to do it first either, so he simply gave the black eagle a go.

"Wang Xuefeng, I've given it to you." Xiao He's words seemed completely nonsensical.

The light of blessing rose once more from the black jade and, under the astonished gaze of the mysterious man, attached itself to the black eagle.

Having been Xiao He's partner for so long, Wang Xuefeng naturally knew him very well.

The time has come!

The moment Black Hawk was startled by the "blessing," an ordinary bullet precisely struck its throat, leaving it no time to close its mouth.

"Gah—"

Black Hawk felt some pain, but even more anger.

Just as it was about to finish off Wang Xuefeng in one fell swoop, the mysterious man waved his hand to stop it.

"The technique was not bad! But it's a pity, a real pity..."

"It's a pity you're only level 9, and your weapon is just an ordinary one. It can't even break through basic defenses. What are you even doing? Go home and fight slimes. My Cloud Realm isn't so easy to enter!"