Chapter 1258: Vanguard Fortress

Although the White Tiger youth still appeared as a child, he was, after all, one of the top-tier warriors with extensive battle experience. His ability to assess situations was no less keen than that of the adults around him.

As the White Tiger youth closely followed Xiao Hua, he increasingly sensed that her demonstrated combat skill and power were far less formidable than his own.

Furthermore, as the number of surrounding Scorpion clan members steadily increased, Xiao Hua appeared to be entering a semi-fatigued state. No matter how she tried to mobilize her mental energy, she found it impossible to keep her soul highly concentrated.

Unbeknownst to Xiao Hua, or perhaps even herself, fighting in an environment like the Gobi Desert inherently posed a significant limitation for her.

The reason for this dated back a long time. When Xiao Hua had achieved godhood on the main continent, she had experienced the might of a dragon tribulation that was part of the Nine Dragon Heavenly Tribulation.

That particular dragon tribulation contained an extremely powerful beast emperor aura, which inadvertently damaged Xiao Hua's spiritual core.

Almost ever since then, no matter how much Xiao Hua's strength grew, she developed an instinctive aversion to powerful beast races. Whenever she confronted large groups of beast armies, her combat effectiveness would be weakened to varying degrees.

This weakness of hers was unknown even to Xu Yang; otherwise, he would certainly have kept her by his side instead of allowing her to go to the Scorpion Clan fortress with the other Divine Beast envoys.

In Xu Yang's mind, Xiao Hua had always been an entity whose strength was nearly on par with his own. He was unaware that even mighty gods had areas where they were not proficient, and this Gobi battlefield was undoubtedly Xiao Hua's greatest vulnerability.

As time passed, the situation the White Tiger youth had feared finally materialized.

Batch after batch of Scorpion Clan reinforcements finally arrived in the battle zone, encircling them in multiple layers.

Xiao Hua and the White Tiger youth, along with the Azure Dragon led by Shatong Gui, were in separate combat zones. They all felt the immense pressure from the seemingly endless Scorpion Clan warriors surrounding them.

Although Xiao Hua's side lacked sufficient confidence to launch a full-scale charge, the sheer number of seemingly inexhaustible Scorpion Clan warriors still placed immense mental pressure on her.

"Kid, if anything happens later, don't worry about me. Just remember to save yourself."

For some reason, the White Tiger youth hadn't expected Xiao Hua to say such a thing to him at this critical juncture. This unexpected concern sparked a glimmer of warmth and emotion deep within him.

Perhaps due to their differing affiliations, the youth had always harbored a slight reservation towards Xu Yang and Xiao Hua after accepting the mission assigned by Emperor Yunlong.

However, as he journeyed with them through various campaigns, the White Tiger youth's perception of Xu Yang and Xiao Hua underwent a significant change.

They gave him the feeling of a caring elder brother and sister, making them seem very dependable.

Moreover, they consistently provided a family-like warmth, a feeling the White Tiger youth had never experienced from Emperor Yunlong.

"Don't worry, my mission is to guard you and Lord Xu Yang. Even if you two are truly destined to fall here, my purpose dictates that I must follow you both. So, no matter what happens, I will absolutely not leave your side. For now, just consider me your bodyguard!"

Xiao Hua was amused by the White Tiger youth's innocent and sincere words, and the pressure in her heart seemed to significantly lighten as a result.

"You're still just a child! I think it's more likely I'll be protecting you. You're actually trying to be my bodyguard? You'll need to grow up quite a bit more before I can even consider that."

Feeling as though his pride had been slighted, the White Tiger youth fiercely shook his fist at Xiao Hua. Then, he unleashed an incredibly powerful force, launching a frantic counterattack against the Scorpion Clan warriors who were continuously closing in on Xiao Hua. As the fight progressed...

Suddenly, an incredibly pure Divine Beast White Tiger totem manifested behind the youth. The protective aura it emanated terrified the surrounding Scorpion Clan warriors, causing them to tremble and hesitate to advance rashly for a time.

Although the youth was small in stature and still resembled a child, once he became serious, the combat power he unleashed would make even Xiao Hua look at him with new respect.

"As expected of the White Tiger Divine Beast's inheritor, such combat ability places him in the strongest tier of the younger generation. With careful cultivation over time, this kid is bound to achieve great things in the future."

She mused inwardly. If he were not a member of Emperor Yunlong's lineage, Xiao Hua might even have considered taking him as a disciple.

Naturally, this was not the time to ponder such thoughts. As more and more Scorpion Clan warriors closed in, Xiao Hua gritted her teeth and finally unleashed her Angelic Domain once more.

As the true leader of the Angelic Clan, the golden angelic light emanating from her spread in all directions across the battlefield, initiating a large-scale purification of the scorpion venom elements that surged from the surroundings.

The venomous power of the Scorpion Clan was fundamentally different from that of the Naga.

Naga venom was known for its potent, lethal effects on individual targets, primarily excelling in destructive power. In contrast, the Scorpion Clan's venom mainly served a supportive function.

Targets struck by it would fall into a state of paralysis and sluggishness for a period, their combat abilities significantly weakened, though its direct lethality was not as high.

Precisely for this reason, the Scorpion Clan's venom was most vulnerable to the purifying effects of Xiao Hua's Angelic Light.

Sensing that this golden light could purify the collective effects on his warriors, Shatong Gui suddenly let out a furious roar, locking his malevolent gaze onto Xiao Hua on the other side of the battlefield.

"Damn it, the golden light this woman emits can so effectively counteract our Scorpion Clan's venomous power! It seems we must first eliminate this woman before we can truly suppress these individuals!"

As this thought crossed Shatong Gui's mind, he immediately began to deploy the next tactical formation change without hesitation.

The pace was swift. The large numbers of Scorpion Clan warriors, who had been encircling them as reinforcements, all surged towards Xiao Hua and the White Tiger youth's location, following Commander Sha's orders.

He, along with a small contingent of elite warriors, kept the Azure Dragon and Black Tortoise clones engaged on his side, effectively preventing the two groups from supporting each other.

Commander Sha was not a mere battlefield brute; rather, he was a competent leader with extensive combat experience.

Following his tactical arrangements and shifts, the situation on the battlefield began to decidedly swing in one direction.

The Azure Dragon and Black Tortoise clones were already experiencing immense pressure from simultaneously confronting Shatong Gui and the more than one hundred top-tier Scorpion Clan generals accompanying him.

Meanwhile, the Scorpion Clan warriors rushing to reinforce the siege around Xiao Hua and the White Tiger youth had already swelled to nearly a thousand. No matter how powerful Xiao Hua might be, with her strength already suppressed, she was absolutely unable to face so many Scorpion Clan warriors by herself simultaneously.