Volume 1, Chapter 48: You Don't Even Know the Phoenix Formation and Yet You Claim to Know Everything?

The beast masters who suddenly appeared not far from Lin Yao and the others were all ill-intentioned. These individuals were subordinates of the three figures, Qin Tanlang and his companions, and every single one of them was an elite.

Lin Yao could have easily eliminated these fellows using his Shadow Werewolves, but he chose not to do so. He intended to cultivate and train Liang Xiaofei and the other two, allowing him to focus on the big picture and delegate minor tasks in the future.

"Liang Xiaofei, the three of you, come over here." Lin Yao's gaze fell upon Liang Xiaofei, Shen Naoqian, and the other, who had been keeping a certain distance from him and Xia Mengying.

Hearing the call, the three of them quickly stepped forward, awaiting instructions.

Lin Yao flicked a thought through his mind. Three Shadow Werewolves swiftly arrived from nearby, taking up positions right beside the trio.

Shen Nansong and Liang Xiaofei exchanged glances, feeling rather curious about what task Lin Yao was about to assign them. Naturally, Lin Yao was not one to unnecessarily draw suspense out in times like this. He stated concisely:

"I intend to have the three of you form a team and head into battle against the subordinates of Qin Tanlang and his group. There are eleven opponents in total, and the exact number of their summoned beasts is currently unknown. I will grant each of you command over one Shadow Werewolf. After you eliminate Qin Tanlang's subordinates, you may continue to train as a team and seek out your own opportunities within this treasure hall. The Shadow Werewolves under my command currently possess strength comparable to level 20 tamed beasts. In a one-on-one fight, even Qin Tanlang and his two cohorts might not necessarily be able to defeat a Shadow Werewolf."

Lin Yao's words left the three of them extremely astonished. They all knew that the master's Shadow Werewolves were exceptionally formidable, yet none of them had truly expected that Lin Yao's Shadow Werewolves had grown to such a terrifying degree where they could go toe-to-toe with Qin Tanlang and his peers.

Not to mention Liang Xiaofei's trio, even Xia Mengying was somewhat surprised by the strength of the Shadow Werewolves. She had a relatively good understanding of Lin Yao, which was precisely why she felt all the more puzzled and amazed. She never imagined Lin Yao's Shadow Werewolves had reached such a terrifying standard. When she first met Lin Yao, both he and Zhu Zhihan were only at level 8. Even up to the present moment, Xia Mengying was certain that Lin Yao's beast master level definitely did not exceed level 15. Once Lin Yao's level surpassed 15, the [Silent Ring] she had given him would no longer be able to conceal his personal information. This indirectly proved that Lin Yao was harboring enormous secrets.

Not only did he grow at a rapid pace himself, but his combat prowess also far exceeded the standard of beast masters at the same level. And now, even the Shadow Werewolves under his command possessed greater individual strength than top-tier elite beast masters like Qin Tanlang. Regardless of the methods or means Lin Yao used to achieve all this, he was truly extraordinary.

Shortly after, following Lin Yao's instructions, Liang Xiaofei and the two others each took command of a Shadow Werewolf and advanced to meet the enemy.

For the trio, although this battle involved just three beast masters against eleven opposing ones, the absolute advantage lay entirely on their side. To begin with, as long as they discovered a lone beast master in the enemy camp, they could dispatch a Shadow Werewolf to ensure a hundred percent elimination. If they encountered three vulnerable beast masters, the exact same tactic could be applied.

However, the three of them also understood that Lin Yao having the Shadow Werewolves accompany them was primarily to safeguard their safety and allow them to grow properly, rather than letting them rely entirely on the Shadow Werewolves' might to slaughter everything in sight. Even without borrowing the power of the Shadow Werewolves, the three of them were not entirely without a chance of winning against the eleven enemy beast masters. As long as the opponents weren't excessively strong, the Shen brothers were fully capable of handling this battle.

Now, not only did they have Liang Xiaofei as an excellent partner fighting side by side with them, but they also held the trump card of the Shadow Werewolves for self-preservation. Before the battle had even begun, they had already won half the fight.

After sending Liang Xiaofei and the others out, Lin Yao immediately used his [Shadow Beast Master] talent to continue producing more Shadow Werewolves, increasing the number of Shadow Werewolves under his command from thirty-two to thirty-three.

Seeing Liang Xiaofei's group each successfully commanding a Shadow Werewolf in battle, the Twin-Winged Golden Cicada's cheeky voice quickly rang out: "Master, lend me a Shadow Werewolf to command as well, and let me go out and get some combat experience too."

Lin Yao agreed to half of the Twin-Winged Golden Cicada's request. "It's fine if you want to go out for training, but I won't give you command of a Shadow Werewolf."

Hearing this, the Twin-Winged Golden Cicada immediately stopped mentioning going out to train. Without a Shadow Werewolves to command, what was the point of going out to train anyway? It wasn't particularly skilled at direct combat.

While Liang Xiaofei and the others were locked in combat with Qin Tanlang's subordinates, Lin Yao did not pay excessive attention to them. With three Shadow Werewolves acting as bodyguards, Liang Xiaofei's group would still be able to retreat safely even if some unexpected situation arose.

He continued moving forward, accompanied by Zhu Zhihan, Xia Mengying, and Xia Yumeng.

Before long, they arrived outside the grand hall where the beast maiden lay in slumber. Up until now, no other beasts or beast masters had come near this place. Of course, it was entirely possible that some had come, only to be completely annihilated into dust and ashes.

Lin Yao glanced at the empty hall, then asked Xia Mengying and the Twin-Winged Golden Cicada: "There is an extremely powerful invisible formation within this hall. Once any beast or beast master steps into it, they are completely obliterated into nothingness. Do you have any impression of such a formation?"

In Lin Yao's view, since this place was, after all, a treasure trove left by the ancestors of the Rose Family to their descendants, Xia Mengying and Xia Yumeng were both young ladies of the Rose Family and might know something about it. As for the Twin-Winged Golden Cicada, it possessed the [Inborn Omniscience] talent, which allowed it to automatically acquire various forms of knowledge and wisdom as it grew. It might just know something about this special formation.

Xia Mengying knitted her delicate brows, observed the area for a moment, and then shook her head. "I have no impression of this kind of formation. But is the array here really that powerful?"

"It is, you know!" The voice belonged to Zhu Zhihan. She had already summoned her Dragon Shadow Longsword to test it. Under her control, the dragon-shaped sword hovered quietly at the very edge of the formation. However, the moment Zhu Zhihan made the sword move forward just a fraction, a portion of the blade instantly vanished.

If a dragon shadow sword condensed from powerful energy was reduced like that, the flesh and blood bodies of beasts and beast masters would undoubtedly be even less capable of enduring it.

The Twin-Winged Golden Cicada also shook its head and said, "Master, I don't know anything about this kind of formation for now."

As soon as the cicada finished speaking, Xia Yumeng immediately seized the opportunity to mock the creature. "Didn't you brag about having the Inborn Omniscience talent and knowing everything? How come you don't even know about this? Isn't this just the Undying Bird Formation?!"

The only reason Xia Yumeng managed to guess correctly was not because she was exceptionally knowledgeable, but simply because she had happened to read related records in the ancient texts of the Rose Family.