After two months of relentless fighting and consuming demonic beasts, the team's efforts bore fruit as they experienced breakthroughs. Jack, Shun, and the two Class A soldiers, Nicu and Ailu, Shun's close friends, reached the mid-stage of the condensation realm. Four Eyes is on the brink of entering the True Origin Realm and finds himself stuck at a bottleneck, unable to advance further. The rest of the group either lingered in the middle of the Gathering Realm or stood a step away from condensation.

However, despite their progress, anxiety gnawed at them. From an initial twenty-eight, only twelve remained, and they still faced another month in this treacherous mystic mountain. The loss of their comrades weighed heavily on their minds, creating a somber atmosphere that pervaded their every interaction.

As the twelve men gathered for lunch, their faces were etched with worry and exhaustion. The once bustling group was now eerily quiet, the absence of their fallen comrades casting a long shadow over them.

Four Eyes finished his meal quickly, the food tasteless in his mouth as his mind wandered to their precarious situation. Deciding he needed to clear his head, he rose silently and made his way out of the camp to scout the area.

As Four Eyes wandered through the dense forest, the sounds of nature provided a stark contrast to the constant tension he felt. Suddenly, the harshness of a fierce battle caught his attention. Moving cautiously towards the noise, he soon spotted the source: two beasts locked in a vicious struggle.

From a distance, he observed one beast—a menacing lizard resembling a dragon, its tail bristling with spikes and its scales glinting menacingly in the dappled sunlight. Measuring about seven meters long, it was agile, leaping fifteen feet into the air without a running start and climbing effortlessly, even upside down. Its eyes glowed with a predatory intensity.

"It is indeed a lizard," Four Eyes muttered to himself, watching as it lashed its tail and slammed at its smaller adversary.

This demonic beast was a 'Riding Lizard.' Its opponent, an 'Enfield,' was much smaller, only 70 centimeters long and 20 centimeters high. The Enfield had a fox's head, eagle talons for front legs, a greyhound's chest, a lion's body, a wolf's hindquarters, and an eagle's wings. It was an odd combination, yet its agility was impressive as it darted around the lizard.

Four Eyes had to squint to confirm what he saw.

Despite its size and agility, the 'Enfield' stood little chance against the mighty 'Riding Lizard.' Four Eyes felt a pang of pity for the tiny creature. He unsheathed his swords, moving cautiously towards the battling beasts, waiting for the right moment to launch a sneak attack on the lizard.

The lizard, jumping up and down from the trees, finally landed near Four Eyes' hiding spot. Seizing the opportunity, Four Eyes lunged, striking the lizard and severing its tail. The lizard screeched in pain while the Enfield barked, its cries alerting Four Eyes' comrades.

"What's that noise?" Shun asked, glancing around the camp with a frown. "Where's Uncle?" Shun's voice carried a note of panic as he noticed Four Eyes' absence. Jack's heart skipped a beat, his mind racing.

"We need to find him!" Jack yelled, already sprinting toward the source of the noise with his sword drawn. The others followed quickly, their footsteps pounding the forest floor in a desperate rush.

Reaching the scene, they found Four Eyes embroiled in a fight with the lizard's detached tail, which seemed to have a life of its own, thrashing violently. The rest of the lizard aimed to bite him, its jaws snapping dangerously close. The Enfield perched on Four Eyes' shoulder, adding an unexpected element to the chaos.

"Archers, attack!" Jack commanded, seeing Four Eyes struggle with two opponents, the lizard and its detached tail. He rushed to assist while Shun, Fatty, and Chatty stared in disbelief at the odd beast on Four Eyes' shoulder.

"Chu Yan! There's a beast on your shoulder!" Chatty shouted, drawing his bow and arrow, his hands shaking with tension.

"Don't harm it!" Four Eyes yelled back, the urgency in his voice unmistakable. The little Enfield rubbed its face against his head, showing gratitude as it clung to him.

With the giant lizard finally slain, Jack turned to Four Eyes, his voice trembling with a mixture of relief and anger.

"Master, how could you engage a beast on your own! I nearly had a heart attack! What would I tell the Supreme Commander if something happened to you?!"

Jack's outburst drew the attention of the entire group to the small beast on Four Eyes' shoulder.

"That!" Jack almost screamed, his eyes wide with shock.

"I am sorry I made everyone worry." Four Eyes said, his tone is sincere. "This little guy and the lizard were fighting."

"And you saved a little beast while you put your own life at stake fighting a large beast!" Jack roared, the worry and frustration boiling over. He was truly anxious when he saw Four Eyes fighting alone; not only was Jack afraid of Ling Li, but he had been fighting with Four Eyes side by side since the battleground and had considered him his best friend.

"Do you have any idea what you put us through?" Jack continued, his voice cracking with emotion. "We can't afford to lose you. Master, you're like an elder brother to us."

The little fox barked at Jack as if he knew that his newfound friend was being reprimanded. Its eyes sparkled with intelligence, and it seemed to understand the gravity of the situation.

Shun stepped forward, trying to calm the situation. "Team leader, let's not forget that Uncle just saved this creature. There must be something special about it."

Four Eyes patted its head gently and grabbed it as he put the wolf on the ground.

"OK, you are free. Go." Four Eyes patted its head again, his voice soft and coaxing. But the little fellow stared back at him and cried loudly, its eyes full of emotion, as if it were pleading to stay.

Shun, noticing the Enfield's reluctance to leave, added, "Maybe it wants to stay with us. It seems grateful to you, Uncle."

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