356: Kill the Armored Bear

Hearing the system's words, it was as if a surge of hot blood instantly coursed through his entire body, and Xiao Ran's confidence suddenly soared.

He no longer fled in panic as before; instead, he resolutely stopped in his tracks and steadily turned around.

At this moment, his gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, staring directly at the approaching Armored Bear.

The Armored Bear was massive, charging like a small mountain. Its thick fur gleamed with a dark luster under the sunlight, and with each heavy step of its stout limbs, it left deep imprints on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Its gaping maw revealed sharp fangs that emitted a chilling glint.

Hua Mulian, in her panicked flight, happened to look back and saw this scene unfold. Her heart tightened, her eyes filled with anxiety and worry, and she quickly shouted aloud.

"Xiao Ran, don't stop! The Armored Bear is catching up!"

Her voice was strained with tension and fear. Hua Mulian truly couldn't understand Xiao Ran's actions at this moment. In her mind, stopping in front of such a powerful Armored Bear was undoubtedly courting death. She involuntarily slowed her pace, turning to try and persuade Xiao Ran, hoping he would quickly come to his senses and continue fleeing with everyone else.

After all, she had always believed that Xiao Ran had come outside the city with the intention of seeking death, wanting to do something foolish.

"Big Sister Head (Team Leader), at a time like this, why bother with him?"

A Team Member noticed Hua Mulian slowing down and, following her gaze, also saw Xiao Ran who had stopped behind them.

He was burning with anxiety, running with all his might while turning his head to shout at Hua Mulian.

"If he wants to die, let him! We can barely protect ourselves, how can we look after him?"

The Team Member's face was etched with anxiety and helplessness. In this life-or-death moment, he truly didn't want to risk everyone's lives because of Xiao Ran.

Hua Mulian's heart was conflicted, her gaze flickering between Xiao Ran and the direction of safety ahead.

Her brows were tightly furrowed, a battle raging in her mind.

On one hand, she felt immense pity for Xiao Ran, a genius who was once her equal in fame, remembering how dazzling the former Xiao Ran had been.

But on the other hand, she also knew clearly that stopping in front of this ferocious Armored Bear meant death, and she couldn't sacrifice her and her Team Members' lives for a moment of pity.

After a moment of hesitation, reason ultimately triumphed over emotion. She gritted her teeth, a flash of reluctance in her eyes, and turned to continue running forward.

After all, her feelings for Xiao Ran were mostly pity, far from being willing to sacrifice her life for him.

In the face of this cruel reality, she could only choose to preserve herself and her Team Members.

Meanwhile, the Armored Bear, fiercely pursuing its prey, suddenly saw this tiny human stop in its tracks and calmly look at it.

A flicker of doubt instantly crossed its originally ferocious eyes, and its massive body involuntarily came to a halt.

It tilted its head, staring at Xiao Ran, as if in thought.

Who is this person? Why isn't he afraid of me? I'm a dignified High-Grade Fierce Beast! In this forest, no creature has ever dared to ignore my existence like this.

After Hua Mulian and the others had run a certain distance, they looked back and found that the Armored Bear had indeed stopped, and they couldn't help but stop in a relatively safe spot.

"Oh my god, I didn't expect the Armored Bear to actually stop..."

A Team Member exclaimed in astonishment, his voice filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and disbelief at the scene before him.

"Brother Xiao Ran, farewell. I'll take good care of your family... Oh, wait, he's an orphan, he doesn't have a family. Well, never mind then. After you die, I'll burn more money for you."

Adi spoke with a sorrowful expression, yet his tone subtly hinted at a sense of relief, as he could finally rest a bit.

"Shut your mouth!"

Hua Mulian glared angrily at Adi. If it weren't for this Kid's reckless behavior, running to urinate in the Armored Bear's cave, they wouldn't have encountered such danger and been chased so miserably.

In that glance, there was both blame for Adi and worry for Xiao Ran's fate.

At this moment, the Armored Bear, seeing Xiao Ran remain rooted to the spot, showing no signs of fleeing or weakness, was like a thoroughly enraged beast, letting out a low, furious growl from its throat.

Immediately after, it suddenly opened its gaping maw, large enough to swallow a person, and let out a deafening roar at Xiao Ran.

The roar was like rolling thunder, exploding through the forest, making the surrounding leaves rustle.

At the same time, an intensely foul stench, like a surging tide, washed over Xiao Ran. The smell seemed to be a mixture of countless decaying flesh and dried blood, making one want to vomit.

However, Xiao Ran seemed utterly unfazed. He stood firmly in place, his posture upright, his gaze resolute, showing not the slightest hint of fear, as if what was before him was not a fiercely powerful High-Grade Fierce Beast capable of instantly tearing him to shreds, but a docile small animal.

"Damn, that's incredible!"

One of Hua Mulian's Team Members couldn't help but exclaim.

"To dare to face a High-Grade Fierce Beast's roar without changing expression, truly worthy of the former Xiao Ran, the genius Xiao!"

The other Team Members also cast astonished and admiring glances. They never expected Xiao Ran to display such astonishing courage in this life-or-death moment.

Not only Hua Mulian's Team Members, but Li Yang and others, observing everything through the monitoring screen on the starship far away, also looked at Xiao Ran with new eyes.

Li Yang narrowed his eyes slightly, a flicker of appreciation in them, and he mused silently.

"This kid is really good. Facing a life-and-death crisis, he can remain calm and fearless, truly possessing some guts."

He nodded silently, a plan already forming in his mind.

After this mission is completed, he could try to recruit him into the Imperial Army for service. With his ability to remain calm even in desperate situations, he might shine brightly in the army.

Little did they know, the seemingly calm and composed Xiao Ran at this moment was churning with inner turmoil.

He wasn't truly fearless; in fact, he was extremely nervous, his legs felt nailed to the ground, and his body was completely unresponsive.

Every nerve was taut, as if it would snap at any second, and his heart pounded wildly in his chest, almost bursting through.

And the Armored Bear, seeing Xiao Ran consistently "ignore" it, grew even more enraged. It thought furiously to itself.

Damn it, in these mountains, no human has ever dared to be so arrogant in front of this bear, completely disrespecting me!

The more it thought, the angrier the Armored Bear became. It suddenly pushed off with its hind legs, its thick front limbs lifted high, and its massive body actually stood upright on two feet.

Its body, over ten meters tall, loomed before Xiao Ran like a majestic small mountain, bringing an endless sense of oppression.

It raised its bear paw, heavy as a boulder, its sharp claws glinting with cold light, as if it would fall in the next second, smashing this "reckless" human flat.

"Damn it, move!"

Xiao Ran screamed frantically in his heart, desperately trying to control his unresponsive body.

Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, his eyes filled with anxiety and fear.

In this critical moment, his determination overcame his body's instinct, and Xiao Ran finally moved.

He laboriously lifted the hand wearing the battle armor glove, his movements slow and stiff.

"What is he trying to do?"

Hua Mulian's Team Members widened their eyes, looking at Xiao Ran's actions with confusion, unable to guess his intention at this moment.

"Could it be that before he dies, he's going to give the Armored Bear the middle finger?"

One of the Team Members couldn't help but joke, but his tone couldn't hide his tension and worry, as no one knew what Xiao Ran would do next, and at this moment, the Armored Bear's attack was already imminent.

"Attack!"

Xiao Ran, with all his might, screamed at the top of his lungs, raising his hand high, his finger pointing directly at the menacing Armored Bear that was so close.

At this moment, his eyes were filled with determination, as if he had poured all his hope into this single shout.

At the same time, the starship, far away in the vast starry sky, instantly received the attack command from Xiao Ran.

As Xiao Ran had already been granted the corresponding authority beforehand, at this crucial moment, the Staff member on the starship strictly followed the command, taking no other action.

The main cannon, following its pre-programmed precise procedures, began to operate in an orderly fashion.

Light flickered at the muzzle, energy rapidly converged, emitting a low hum, as if accumulating world-destroying power.

Immediately after, an enormous laser, like a bolt of lightning tearing through the sky, shot directly from the muzzle, carrying heart-stopping high temperature and energy, and with lightning speed, sped towards the target location.

"Attack? Attack what? Is he scared crazy... or..."

Adi was full of confusion, and before he could finish his sentence, he froze in place as if under a spell.

Everyone followed his gaze, only to see a dazzling, enormous beam of light suddenly descend from the originally clear sky.

The light beam, like a towering pillar of light, completely enveloped the Armored Bear's massive body. The intense light instantly illuminated the entire area, making it almost impossible to open one's eyes.

Xiao Ran was only about a meter away from the towering pillar of light at this moment. The intense flash of light bursting from the pillar was like ten thousand suns blooming simultaneously, stinging his eyes and making it impossible for him to open them.

Even with his eyes tightly shut, he could still feel a colossal wave of heat, like a mountain collapsing and a sea overturning, surging towards him, as if to instantly melt him.

His body, out of instinct, uncontrollably stumbled backward, until he fell onto the ground with a thud.

This enormous pillar of light, like a brilliant meteor streaking across the sky, not only illuminated this area but also startled many people in the vicinity.

"Captain, what is that?"

Brother Chen's escort team was steadily advancing when a subordinate inadvertently caught sight of the pillar of light descending from a distance. The pillar was like a giant sword plunged into the earth, emitting a shocking radiance.

He couldn't help but widen his eyes, pointing at the pillar with an astonished expression, and asked Brother Chen.

"This is..."

Even Brother Chen, a Profound Penetration Realm expert with extensive knowledge, couldn't help but pause slightly when he saw this scene, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes.

He stared intently at the enormous pillar of light, his brows tightly furrowed, pondering in his heart, but he couldn't guess the origin of this light pillar.

However, just from the awe-inspiring scene before him, he knew very well that the power contained within this light pillar must not be underestimated.

"Captain, should we go and take a look?"

The subordinate asked with a curious and excited look in his eyes, eager to investigate.

"Forget it. Our current mission is to escort the caravan; there's no room for error."

Brother Chen remained silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head and said. His gaze was firm and steady, revealing the decisiveness and calmness of a seasoned veteran.

"Besides, such a big commotion must have alarmed the various forces in Jiangcheng. Those people are not ones we can easily provoke. Let's just continue according to our original plan."

After speaking, Brother Chen turned around, waved his hand, and motioned for the team to continue steadily towards their destination.

Although the people in the team were still curious about the mysterious pillar of light, under Brother Chen's command, they could only suppress their curiosity and continue their journey... Inside the magnificent City Lord's Mansion in Jiangcheng, in a tranquil training room, soft light filtered through carved window lattices, spilling onto the floor.

At this moment, three martial artists in splendid attire were each seated cross-legged on meditation cushions, their auras steady and restrained, clearly fully engrossed in their cultivation.

Suddenly, a peculiar fluctuation of power spread through the air like ripples, as if a giant stone had been thrown into a calm lake, breaking the previous tranquility.

The three, who had been immersed in their cultivation, almost simultaneously furrowed their brows and slowly opened their eyes.

"Another inexplicable power fluctuation, and it's quite similar to the last one..."

One of the tall men, a hint of surprise in his eyes, slowly spoke.

His voice, though not loud, carried an inexplicable authority.

"Could it be that mysterious strong individual from last time is fighting again?"

A middle-aged man in a long robe showed a hint of vigilance in his eyes, his tone carrying some speculation.

After all, when a similar power fluctuation appeared in Jiangcheng not long ago, they specifically sent people to investigate and discovered the corpse of the Giant Troll Ape (Seventh-Rank High-Grade Fierce Beast) that had been killed.

"Let's go, we'll know if we go and see."

A tall, beautiful woman stood up, patted her clothes, her words conveying a decisive and straightforward manner.

With that, a flash of light emanated from the three of them, and powerful energy instantly converged, transforming into streaks of light that shot out from the training room window and soared into the sky.

They paused briefly in the air, identified the direction, and then flew like meteors towards the direction where the pillar of light had disappeared, leaving only lingering afterimages gradually dissipating in the air...