As the roar echoed through the trees, the masked figure instinctively reached for the hilt of their concealed weapon. They watched as the Enfield flew around Four Eyes, urging him to run.

The masked figure, their presence hidden, their eyes narrowing with intrigue. 'What have we here?' they thought, curiosity piqued.

The roar and cries caught the attention of Four Eyes' comrades. Shun, Jack, and the others sprang into action, their faces set with determination.

"Uncle is missing again!" Shun yelled, his voice filled with urgency.

"Dammit! Let us find the Master! Someone stay here with him!" Jack instructed, pointing to the person who was breaking through. Jack then led the charge, his mind racing with concern for his best friend.

The masked figure continued to observe, hiding their presence from the group. 'Let's see how this plays out,' they thought, a faint smile forming beneath the mask.

Shun was the first to act, and his resolve steeled by the urgency of the situation. He raced through the dense forest, the sound of his comrades' footsteps fading behind him. His thoughts were a whirlwind as he pushed branches aside, eyes scanning for any sign of Four Eyes.

Shun raced through the forest, and his heart pounded in his chest. "Uncle! Where are you?" he yelled, his voice urgent and carried over the rustling leaves. The roars guided him, each echo making him push harder through the underbrush.

While Jack leading the rest of the group, was determined not to let his friend face the danger alone. His heart pounded with anxiety. "We have to find him before it's too late!" he shouted over his shoulder. The forest seemed to close in around them, every shadow a potential threat.

Back at the lake, Four Eyes stood at its edge, his senses heightened by the roaring danger from the forest. The Enfield's agitated movements confirmed that something fearsome was approaching. Clenching his swords, he took a deep breath, steadying himself for the impending battle.

The Masked Figure, watching the scene unfold from a distance, couldn't help but admire Four Eyes' determination. 'He's brave,' they thought, their grip on the hilt of their concealed weapon tightening.

When the soldiers finally found Four Eyes, they all had chills running down their spines and their mouths agape.

Four Eyes was in front of an enormous bear with antlers and a three-headed dragon that emerged from the lake.

"We're in trouble," Four Eyes muttered under his breath, glancing at Enfield, who was still urging him to run.

These two beasts were the guardians of what Four Eyes had collected. Every rare treasure in the mystical mountain has its guardian. The scarlet fruit that Four Eyes picked was actually in a bear's nest, and its guardian is the demonic bear; this bear with antlers not only guards the scarlet fruit but is also the guardian of the beasts in the forest. In contrast, the three-headed dragon guards the snow ginseng.

"Uncle, run!" Shun shouted when he saw the bear about to charge at Four Eyes.

Four Eyes knew it was useless to run and unsheathed his sword instead. "There's no running from this," he said, his voice steady.

At the same time, Shun, for the first time, used his fire ability and threw it towards the bear. The fireball struck the bear, making it angry and roar again, which gave Four Eyes a chance to retreat a few steps.

The next moment, the three-headed dragon shifted its body and all three heads were hovering above them.

"We have no chance against these creatures," Jack murmured, gripping his weapon tighter.

Soon, more demonic guardian beasts emerged one after the other, totally surrounding them.

A Barioth, a quadruple flying wyvern. Its body is covered with plates and spikes along its neck and tails. It has two massive orange tusks; its forelegs have deadly spikes, while its wing has three large claws.

A Displacer Cat, having a black panther's head, six legs, and a pair of tentacles on each shoulder.

The famous mythical beast Chimera has three heads of different animals. Its frontal head is of a lion, protruding from the back of a goat's body is a goat's head, and the head of a dragon is its tail.

Another beast that emerges from the water is the Ushi-Oni, also known as the 'ox demon,' a water-dwelling spider beast with the head of an ox, a spider's body, two sharp horns, a mouth full of fangs, and six legs with long claws.

Finally, a blue Azure Dragon emerges majestically roaring from the sky.

ROAR!!!

The remaining twelve soldiers could only drop their jaws, unable to move from shock.

The three-headed dragon from the lake roared and breathed fire, the intense heat washing over the soldiers. They could only bulge their eyes and wait for them to be roasted.

But a thunderous clap echoed through the sky, blocking the dragon's fire. Seven masked individuals clad in samurai armor flew in from nowhere.

Chu Yan, Shun, Four Eyes, and Fatty recognized the leader of the group. It was Otako, who had been observing them since this morning.

The Azure Dragon flying above once again roared, causing the rest of the beasts to either sit or move aside.

The Azure Dragon hovered from above and flew down, but before it landed on its feet, it transformed into a very handsome man. His handsome features would even make a woman feel inferior.

"Welcome, my good friend. What an honor to have you visit my place. Is there anything I can be of service to you?" The Azure Dragon's voice was deep and reverberating as he respectfully greeted Otako.

"I am honored to see you as well. I never thought we would meet today, but let me apologize for the disturbance my team and I caused. I sent these young gentlemen to your mountain to cultivate. However, I didn't expect them to disturb the guardians," Otako politely explained.

The Azure Dragon cast a steely, measured glance at the twelve men assembled before him, their anxious whispers barely audible over the rustle of leaves in the breeze. With an air of regal authority, he began to approach them, each step deliberate and poised. His long, azure robe shimmered in the fading light, adding an ethereal quality to his movements. In his hand, he held an exquisitely crafted folding fan adorned with intricate patterns of dragons and clouds, which he gently waved, sending a cool, refreshing breeze through the stifling atmosphere.

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