Tracking the Stream, Fighting for Protection
Lin Yu and Suna carefully made their way through the misty forest, following the gurgling stream. The surrounding fog felt like a thick, impenetrable curtain, weighing heavily on their hearts, completely isolating them from the outside world. The ground beneath their feet was damp and covered with slippery moss, requiring extreme caution with every step. A single careless move could lead to a serious slip and fall, putting them in unpredictable danger.
Lin Yu gripped his sword tightly, his knuckles turning white from the strain. His eyes, like those of a vigilant hawk, searched the fog for even the slightest movement. "It's been too quiet along the way, so quiet it's unnerving, so quiet it's a little unnatural. We must not let our guard down for even a moment," he whispered, almost whispering into Suna's ear. His voice carried far in the almost frozen silence of the forest, as if amplified by the eerie surroundings.
Suna nodded slightly, her gaze fixed on the winding stream ahead. She clutched the magical instrument she used to control the Gu insects so tightly in her hand that white shimmered between her fingers. "Well, this silence is like the dead silence before a storm. It feels like danger will pounce from the darkness like a beast at any moment," she responded, her voice trembling slightly with a hint of nervousness that was hard to conceal.
As they continued deeper into the forest, the stream gradually widened, its once gentle flow becoming turbulent. Like a wild horse unleashed, the water crashed frantically against the various rocks, splashing layers of crystalline water and producing a crisp yet slightly noisy sound. In the unnerving silence, this sound seemed particularly abrupt, like a boulder dropped into a calm lake, shattering the tranquility and bringing with it an inexplicable unease.
Suddenly, Su Na seemed to be frozen in place, her steps abruptly stopped, her expression as tense as a taut bowstring. She reached out and grabbed Lin Yu's sleeve tightly. "Lin Yu, listen, there seems to be a sound." She pricked up her ears, tilted her head slightly, and listened intently, her eyes full of vigilance and fear.
Lin Yu also stopped instantly, subconsciously holding his breath. He mobilized his senses, concentrating on catching the sounds around him. Sure enough, beneath the sound of the rushing water, a low roar could be heard. It seemed to come from deep within the earth, carrying a primal and brutal power, like the angry roar of some enormous and terrifying creature. "Be careful, we might have awakened the sleeping guardian." Lin Yu gripped his sword tightly, his knuckles cracking from the pressure. He crouched slightly, assuming a standard fighting stance, ready to face any unknown danger.
The two men followed the sound, their steps slow and cautious, each one akin to a heartbeat. Not far ahead, a massive figure loomed in the mist, like a mysterious and terrifying apparition. As the distance gradually closed, they finally saw it: a black panther of unimaginable size, more than two men tall, the size of a black mountain. Its fur, pitch black, shimmered with an eerie, cold sheen beneath the shroud of mist, as if composed of countless tiny black scales. Its eyes, like two balls of burning blood-red flame, radiated a fierce, vigilant, and hostile light, as if it could instantly devour any creature that dared approach.
"It's a black panther! Looks tough," Lin Yu whispered, a hint of solemnity in his voice. He stared intently at the panther, secretly assessing its strength. From the powerful aura it emanated, he knew it must be a powerful being guarding the gemstone. Successfully navigating this barrier would undoubtedly be an extremely difficult challenge; a single misstep could cost them their lives.
The black panther seemed to be acutely aware of their presence. It opened its maw and let out a deafening roar. This roar was like an invisible shockwave, reverberating wildly through the forest, shaking the surrounding trees violently and rustling the leaves, as if the entire forest were trembling under this roar. Then, it pushed its hind legs hard against the ground, leaving several deep footprints on the ground. It pounced towards Lin Yu and Suna like a black lightning bolt, so fast that it was almost impossible to follow its figure. In the blink of an eye, the black panther was already close.
Lin Yu reacted extremely quickly. At the critical moment, he quickly protected Su Na behind him and swung his sword with all his might. With a whirring sound, he slashed at the black panther fiercely. The sword gleamed coldly in the mist, like a meteor streaking across the night sky. However, when the sword struck the black panther, it only made a dull sound, as if it had struck an extremely hard rock. The black panther shuddered slightly, as if the sword was merely a trivial nuisance to it. It roared angrily, the sound seemed to ignite the surrounding air, and leaped high again. Its sharp claws, like a cold blade, grabbed Lin Yu's chest fiercely, with a clear goal, determined to disembowel him.
Lin Yu dodged sideways, agile like a cheetah, narrowly avoiding the Black Panther's fatal blow. But the Black Panther's claws, like sharp daggers, sliced through his sleeve, leaving a shallow wound on his arm from which blood slowly seeped. "This Black Panther's defense is too strong. Ordinary attacks are useless against it," Lin Yu shouted, his voice tinged with anxiety. He knew this was no way to go on. He had to find the Black Panther's weakness quickly, or they would be doomed.
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