Free Web NovelChapter 457: Chapter 342: Dragons’ Hunt, Cat and Mouse Game
The sunlight poured down like a golden waterfall, yet it was sliced into countless tiny, lively spots by the layered, lush canopy, scattering sporadically onto the ground covered with decaying leaves and moss.
Meanwhile.
A gigantic paw, covered in thick fur yet concealing sharp claws, lightly stepped onto one of the bright spots.
When the soft, broad pad touched the ground, it made no sound, like a ghost passing by.
And this is just the beginning.
In the dense forest located at the border of the Molten Iron Tribe, a group of agile and dangerous predators was silently advancing.
The pride of lions moved past, their strong muscles smoothly gliding beneath their fur, suppressing the primal roars and heavy pants, advancing slowly in perfect silence.
Leading them was a giant lion with remarkably robust limbs, its muscles bulging like granite.
Most strikingly, many key areas of its body, such as the shoulders, back, and joints, were naturally covered with a thick, rough layer of dark yellow rock armor, seemingly connected to the earth.
Each step it took carried a sense of extraordinary force.
High-level magical beast—Earth-Splitting Lion.
It was different from those mindless beasts that relied solely on wild instincts; it possessed a basic intelligence akin to that of the Earth Bear.
In fact, it wasn’t just this squad.
Currently, all lion armies invading the border of the Molten Iron Tribe were led without exception by leaders akin to the Earth-Splitting Lion, savage beasts or magical creature leaders with a certain level of intelligence and strength far beyond their kind.
Because of this, they effectively suppressed and led other Lion Beasts, making the entire lion group behave like an elite army.
The leading Earth-Splitting Lion suddenly halted its heavy steps, raising a front paw.
The lion pride behind it, as if receiving a silent command, gradually stopped all movements.
The giant lion leader crouched its massive body, its sensitive nose gently twitching, carefully sniffing the air.
Moments later, it raised its head covered in rock armor, its deep eyes seeming to penetrate the layers of leaves, locking onto the faintly visible Iron outpost a kilometer away.
Roar...
The Earth-Splitting Lion issued a deep, almost imperceptible commanding roar from its throat.
The lions behind immediately lowered their bodies further, almost completely lying on the ground, using shrubs and terrain for cover, moving stealthily like hunters, silently approaching the prey.
However, just as they had stealthily moved less than ten meters.
The leading Earth-Splitting Lion’s head abruptly froze, its neck instantaneously turning with alertness and vigilance.
It suddenly turned, raised its head and stared firmly at the low sky behind, its muscles tense like iron, squeezing from its throat a low growl like thunder.
Although the other Lion Beasts were a step slower, they too immediately sensed their leader’s anomaly.
They all halted their steps, baring their teeth in defensive stances, simultaneously gazing in the same direction as the Earth-Splitting Lion.
"Able to perceive my presence... quite perceptive indeed."
With a calm whisper, the heavy, rigid black form of Iron Dragon Solrog emerged in solidity before the lions’ eyes, as if materializing from a ripple.
He had been casting the Mind Concealment Spell just now.
The principle of this spell is not simple visual invisibility, but rather directly blinding the target’s perception on a mental level, making them subconsciously ignore his presence.
But these Lion Beasts have high average levels.
Especially the leading Earth-Splitting Lion, with its keen perception, through the slightest changes in airflow and a hint of nearly imperceptible Dragon Race aura, eventually discerned the concealment of Iron Dragon.
Iron Dragon stretched his enormous wings, hovering in the lower sky.
Facing many by himself, yet he seemed to be the side with all the advantages.
Indeed, he was.
In Iron Dragon’s eyes, there was a turbulent glow of spiritual energy, reflecting clearly the figures of several Lion Beasts below.
In the next instant, without any chant or motion.
——Mind Manipulation!
Instantly, as the invisible spiritual energy spread, an abrupt mutation arose.
Deafening roars filled with confusion and fury suddenly erupted.
A gigantic lion beast to the right of the Earth-Splitting Lion, as if going mad, shook its massive head vigorously and then, without warning, turned its target, lunging ferociously at the nearby Earth-Splitting Lion leader.
It was not alone.
Almost simultaneously, a total of three lion beasts known for their physical strength, their eyes turned vacant and chaotic.
They unanimously betrayed, frantically pouncing at their former comrades, shattering the previous formation in an instant, plunging the scene into chaos.
The Earth-Splitting Lion leader’s body lit up with a layer of solid bright yellow earth elemental light, showcasing agility inconsistent with its heavy build, it powered its hind legs, leaping back nearly ten meters.
With the surrounding spiritual light, the earth’s gravity on it was seemingly substantially diminished at this moment.
Its movements became exceptionally swift and light, evading the frantic attacks from its companions.
Clang! Clang!
Steel-like sharp claws suddenly burst from its broad paws, deeply gouging into the ground.
The Earth-Splitting Lion raised its head, let out an enraged roar, mouth wide open.
A highly condensed, tearing and shock wave emitting dark yellow ray—Earth Splitting Ray—shot straight at the Iron Dragon in the lower sky, targeting his head.
This ray was enough to easily pierce through mountains and tear steel apart.
