“If we don’t tear that kid apart, the Shadow Thunder Carvings won’t come after us. The fact that they haven’t shown up by now means those feathered beasts couldn’t take him down easily.” Eric Bennett saw things clearly. He weighed the situation for a moment, then suddenly gritted his teeth and said, “Let’s go back and check it out!”

“Big Brother Bennett?” Henry Collins said with a bitter face, shaking his head. “We barely managed to escape—why go back in? Whether that kid is dead or alive, we made it out alive. Why risk it all again?”

“Yeah, yeah.” The rest chimed in, clearly frightened by those fearless Shadow Thunder Carvings and unwilling to put themselves in danger again.

“Julia Clark, what do you think?” Eric Bennett raised his head and asked.

Shrugging, the voluptuous Julia Clark showed an intrigued expression. “I don’t care either way. If we go back to check, we go back to check. Since those beasts still haven’t caught up, they must have run into trouble. I’m really curious—did that crazy kid actually die or not? If he’s still alive, we really ought to thank him.”

“Yeah, whether he’s dead or alive, we should thank this young brother. Without his interference, it would’ve been hard for the seven of us to get out alive. Over forty Shadow Thunder Carvings—there’s no way we could have handled that…” Eric Bennett said seriously.

“So what are we waiting for?” Julia Clark tossed her chestnut hair and was the first to turn and dash back toward the Silent Ridge, her movements as agile as a mother leopard. “Every moment we wait, that kid gets closer to death. If we’ve decided, let’s stop dithering—don’t act like a bunch of women!”

Roused by her, her previously timid companions looked ashamed, then started howling and charged back after her.

Eric Bennett rubbed his nose, watching those suddenly fired-up guys, cursing inwardly: Damn, at critical moments, only Julia Clark can handle you bastards!

Many women are colder and more ruthless than men—Julia Clark was just such a woman.

Earlier, when she saw Ryan Carter provoke the Shadow Thunder Carvings, causing those giant birds to go berserk and attack, even Eric Bennett was stunned and didn’t react in time.

But Julia Clark caught a fleeting chance to escape, shrieked for everyone to abandon Ryan Carter, and quickly broke out of Silent Ridge.

At the time, she thought Ryan Carter was doomed. Even if all seven of them tried to save him, it wouldn’t change his fate—instead, they’d all be dragged down with him.

So she decisively called for everyone to leave.

Looking back, her judgment was wise and correct. After all, she couldn’t have known that Ryan Carter was actually the nemesis of the Shadow Thunder Carvings.

Now, with the Shadow Thunder Carvings still nowhere in sight, Julia Clark realized her judgment might have been wrong. She thought maybe Ryan Carter hadn’t been killed after all.

She wanted to make up for it, so she was the first to turn back without hesitation, swiftly charging into Silent Ridge.

“Hope we’re not too late…”

As she was about to re-enter the danger zone, Julia Clark thought to herself, her nerves suddenly taut, her slender fingers gripping her bow tighter.

Passing through a dense patch of forest, Julia Clark entered the depths of Silent Ridge, her beautiful eyes anxiously searching the spot where they’d previously escaped.

“Ah!”

Julia Clark suddenly screamed.

Eric Bennett and the others followed close behind. Hearing her scream, all six faces changed, and they rushed over recklessly.

Then, together with Julia Clark, they all started yelling in shock…

Beside Ryan Carter lay a ground covered in feathers and carcasses—none of the Shadow Thunder Carvings’ bodies were intact, all torn in half, clearly having died horribly.

Ryan Carter, with only a few minor injuries, was crouched down, currently digging out beast cores from the foreheads of the Shadow Thunder Carvings.

The seven of them stared in disbelief, mouths agape in exaggerated shock, their eyes nearly popping out.

“Am I fucking seeing things?” The chubby Henry Collins rubbed his eyes, looking at Ryan Carter as if he were a monster. “Over forty Shadow Thunder Carvings! All dead? And died so miserably?”

Ryan Carter looked up, saw the group had come back, and smiled. “I have a spirit artifact on me that just so happens to be immune to lightning attacks. It’s not that I’m particularly strong.”

“Damn, why didn’t you say so earlier?” Eric Bennett laughed, stepping forward to give Ryan Carter a friendly punch. “If you’d told us, we could’ve helped you kill them! Now we felt bad and came back to save you. Were you afraid we’d steal your beast cores, little brother?”

“Well, actually…”

Ryan Carter muttered, thinking they wouldn’t come back, and that after killing the Shadow Thunder Carvings, he could keep all the beast cores for himself.

—He really didn’t want to have any dealings with Eric Bennett and the others.

“No, I was just worried the spirit artifact might not work and I’d get you all killed, so I didn’t say much…” Ryan Carter explained.

This wasn’t Lingjia Town, so he didn’t need to pretend. His demeanor was natural.

There was no trace of dullness in Ryan Carter’s eyes; instead, they were exceptionally bright, and paired with his handsome face, he looked almost devilishly attractive.

“The kid’s still a bit green—he’s not smooth enough when he lies. If you were really worried the spirit artifact wouldn’t work, would you have come here to die?” Julia Clark shot him a sidelong glance, teasing, “You came straight over to dig out those beast cores. Just admit you’re greedy—don’t make up lame excuses. Seriously, do you think we’re like you? Fighting you over a first-tier spirit beast’s core?”