Susan Baker and George Carter, due to their vantage point, couldn’t clearly see what was happening. They only vaguely sensed that Henry Clark, who had crawled under the fire bear, seemed to have kicked it. At this moment, Susan Baker couldn’t help but admire Henry Clark’s courage, secretly thinking, “This guy really is brainless!”

　　“Roar…”

　　“Ah…”

　　The fire bear and Henry Clark roared at the same time, their high-pitched voices echoing and intertwining throughout the cave. No one could tell what exactly had happened.

　　“Whoosh!” The icy arrow of the Frozen Rain shot out, its cold light piercing straight into the fire bear’s roaring mouth.

　　The fire bear’s roar was cut off abruptly. After a moment of obvious stiffness and pause, it crashed heavily to the ground.

　　Edward Reed was only a third-rank sorcerer, but the timing and precision of her spellcasting were exquisite to the extreme—truly breathtaking. After all, an icy arrow shot into the mouth versus outside made a world of difference.

　　At this moment, Henry Clark rolled out from under the fire bear in a sorry state. He was half pretending, but the other half was real—his entire right leg was numb and useless.

　　The fire bear’s hide was incredibly tough and thick. Henry Clark’s full-force kick felt like striking an iron wall wrapped in leather. If not for his partially mastered Vajra Five-Aspect Wheel, with its extremely strong tendons and bones, his foot would have been shattered by the impact.

　　But the fire bear didn’t get off easy either. Not to mention the nearly four-foot-long arrow that had pierced its body—just Henry Clark’s solid Azure Dragon Tail Whip kick had smashed its intestines into dozens of pieces.

　　No matter how tough the fire bear was, it couldn’t withstand such a heavy blow. The intense pain gave Edward Reed another opportunity. The icy arrow’s chill penetrated its organs, making its condition even worse.

　　In a flash, Henry Clark used an Azure Dragon Tail Whip kick to turn the tide. Even more remarkable, due to the angle and lighting, no one could see exactly what Henry Clark had done—let alone witness his astonishing, miraculous kick.

　　Susan Baker was also quick-witted. Seeing the opportunity, he struck without hesitation. His twin swords joined together and stabbed into the fire bear’s anus from behind.

　　The swords then split apart with a “squelch,” blood spraying everywhere as the twin blades tore open the fire bear’s anus.

　　This strike from Susan Baker was extremely vicious and dirty, completely destroying the fire bear’s rear. Susan Baker hadn’t wanted to use his swords in such a filthy way, but his Flowing Light Twin Swords were as thin as paper and only two fingers wide, suitable only for stabbing and slicing.

　　With the fire bear’s thick hide, the Flowing Light Twin Swords could hardly pierce it. Since the fire bear had exposed its rear, Susan Baker had no other choice and didn’t hold back.

　　By the time George Carter rushed in with his long blade, the best moment had already passed. The fire bear, having suffered consecutive heavy injuries, was already in a frenzy. With a sudden twist, it pounced on George Carter. In panic, George Carter pushed off with his toes, spread his arms, and leapt up like a crane spreading its wings, trying to dodge.

　　Although George Carter’s Spirit Crane Eight Forms were clever, they specialized in leaping and pouncing, not close-quarters dodging. This Crane Spreads Its Wings move, though graceful, lacked agility and variation. The fire bear’s pounce was like a cat catching a mouse—its massive body moved swiftly and nimbly, giving George Carter no chance to evade.

　　Weighing thousands of pounds and with its own brute strength, the fire bear’s pounce knocked George Carter to the ground, its huge paw crushing his chest like paper. The faint sound of bones breaking was clearly audible.

　　George Carter was crushed in an instant! All his organs shattered, flesh and blood splattered, and blood gushed from his seven orifices—a gruesome and tragic scene. With blood flooding his throat and windpipe, George Carter couldn’t even scream.

　　Seeing the flesh and blood before it, the fire bear’s rage was finally sated. It slowly opened its massive jaws, about to devour George Carter’s head.

　　With his internal energy circulating through his body’s great meridians, George Carter’s life force was extremely strong. Even after such a devastating blow, he didn’t die instantly. In his final moments, he had only one burning desire for revenge. Guided by instinct, he spat out the poisoned feather needle hidden in his mouth with his last breath, shooting it straight into the fire bear’s gaping maw.

　　The poison of the feather needle was potent, and it happened to strike the fire bear’s throat. Its soft throat immediately swelled up, completely blocking its airway.

　　This sudden and brutal turn of events left everyone stunned.

Chapter 006: Strange Change

　　From the moment Linda Cooper drew her bow to shoot, to George Carter’s death, only a few sentences had passed.

　　The fourth-rank demon beast, the fire bear, suffered blow after blow, but it only needed a single move to instantly kill its opponent. Even those as accustomed to bloodshed as Edward Reed and Susan Baker felt a chill in their hearts before such a formidable beast.

　　The martial skills they prided themselves on were almost useless against the powerful and savage fire bear. Only the simplest strength, speed, and reflexes could make a difference.

　　George Carter’s crane-like grace being brought down in an instant proved that all complex techniques were a joke before the fire bear.

　　From behind, Edward Reed shrieked, “What are you waiting for? Move! Are you just going to stand there and die?” She fired six more Frozen Rain Arrows in quick succession, nearly exhausting her shallow spiritual power. For the moment, all she could do was shout.

　　Susan Baker snapped out of his daze, brandishing his Flowing Light Twin Swords as he leapt toward the fire bear’s back. On the other side, Henry Clark barely managed to pick up his black iron staff, striking an attacking pose to draw the fire bear’s attention.