43: Chapter 43 Wolves

A biting cold wind swept through the vast mountain forests, withered yellow branches rustling in the wind, as a bleak chill permeated the entire Qingyang Mountains.

Over a hundred Zhenwu Division Martial Artists had previously divided into twenty small teams according to regulations, each led by a second-rank Generals Flag, accompanied by several first-rank Little Flags.

But the vast and boundless Qingyang Mountains stretched for hundreds of miles, with overlapping Peaks and deep, dense forests; the twenty teams scattered into this immense mountain forest were like drops of water merging into the sea, appearing exceptionally thin and small.

Three days had passed since entering Qingyang Mountain, and the long trek and constant mental tension were continuously eroding everyone's physical strength and patience.

To investigate the tracks of Vicious Beasts, each team pushed deeper into the mountain range, the distance between them growing further apart, long since losing the ability to support one another.

In Shen Lie's team, where Lin Qing was stationed, everyone was now exhausted, a thick layer of weariness covering their brows.

It was now winter, and although the sky hadn't filled with wind and snow yet, the piercing cold wind passing through the forest still made one's skin sting.

Within this team, no one had reached the third-rank Realm, so they could not remain unaffected by heat or cold. During the day, they could still rely on frequent movement to resist the cold, but when night fell, they could only light a bonfire and huddle by the firelight for warmth.

When in the outer regions of the mountain range, most of the active creatures were ordinary wild beasts that dared not approach the camp after nightfall, allowing everyone a brief respite. However, as the team delved deeper, the surrounding environment became increasingly dark and treacherous, and Vicious Beasts hidden in the dense forest ravines began to appear frequently.

Ordinary first and second-rank Vicious Beasts, unconstrained by spiritual intelligence, were brutal and bloodthirsty, incapable of judging the strength of their opponents; as long as they sensed the aura of a living person, they would boldly launch a hunt.

Most of these Vicious Beasts were skilled in lurking and concealment, only launching a sudden assault after slowly drawing near, making them impossible to guard against.

For several days, even with rotating night watches, no one dared to sleep deeply, waking instantly at the slightest rustle of grass. The taut nerves and endless vigilance weighed heavily on everyone, leaving them physically and mentally exhausted.

Lin Qing's situation was slightly better, as the Health Preservation Technique in his body operated day and night without ceasing, allowing him to barely hold on. In contrast, the other members of the team were all haggard, their eyes bloodshot.

Shen Lie, the leader of the team, had never even closed his eyes. Many second-rank Vicious Beasts were hidden in the heart of Qingyang Mountain; these beasts possessed formidable strength and startling explosive power. Once they launched a surprise attack, even Shen Lie himself risked injury or death, so he had to remain vigilant at all times.

Just as everyone was physically and mentally exhausted and about to reach their breaking point, a striking crimson firework suddenly exploded high in the dull afternoon sky, dozens of miles away.

That was a specially made Signal Flare from the Zhenwu Division!

The moment they saw this firework, the taut heartstrings of everyone in the team suddenly relaxed, much of the gloom on their brows dissipated, and the exhaustion suppressed for many days seemed to fade away. The third-rank Vicious Beast had been found; they only needed to reach the vicinity to rendezvous with the other teams.

With multiple teams gathered in one place and several second-rank Generals Flags presiding together, as long as they didn't encounter packs of second-rank Vicious Beasts, the group could handle it calmly, and everyone could take turns getting a good night's sleep.

No one had expected that crisis often lurks in the moments of relaxation.

A pitch-black figure lunged out of the dense forest behind them without warning, carrying a biting, fishy wind, and pounced straight at Lu Xuan, whose back was turned.

The change happened so abruptly that Lu Xuan was completely unprepared and had no time to react, the shadow of death instantly enveloping him.

Beside him, Shi Man's pupils suddenly constricted, the hair on his body standing on end as he let out a heart-wrenching shout: "Watch out!"

At the critical moment, Lin Qing's right hand had quietly gripped the hilt of the hundred-forged xiuchun blade at his waist, his knuckles slightly tense and his muscles ready to strike; he only needed to wait for the right angle to instantly perform a Draw-Saber Slash and save Lu Xuan.

But with a glance from the corner of his eye, he saw a vigorous figure had already moved first.

Shen Lie's figure suddenly shifted sideways, reaching Lu Xuan's side in an instant, his sturdy right shoulder slamming hard into Lu Xuan's waist, forcibly pushing him out of the Vicious Beast's pouncing trajectory.

At the same time, the black shadow had already pounced in front of Shen Lie, so close that there was no time to draw his saber and build power. Shen Lie remained calm in the face of danger, his wrist twisting as the sheathed long saber at his waist was instantly held horizontally before his chest.

*Clang!*

A dull collision sound suddenly rang out, but Shen Lie felt slightly relieved; this was only the strength of a first-rank Vicious Beast.

He used the impact to build power, his arm retracting sharply and then thrusting forward, sending the pouncing black shadow flying several yards away.

Only then did everyone see the true face of the attacker.

It was a Vicious Wolf with grey-black fur all over its body, fangs exposed and saliva dripping, its crimson beastly pupils full of bloodthirsty ferocity; its limbs were thick and powerful, its claws and teeth sharp, and its entire body emitted a strong, rank odor.

The moment he saw the Vicious Beast's appearance, even the calm Lin Qing felt that things had become somewhat troublesome.

Wolf-type Vicious Beasts were naturally social, with the instinct for pack hunting engraved in their Bloodline. Only a few old wolves abandoned by the pack would wander and forage alone. But the Vicious Wolf before them was sturdy with glossy fur and in its prime; it could not possibly be a lone wolf.

Just as this thought arose, a dense rustling sound echoed from the surrounding deep forest.

Shrubs shook and withered branches snapped as grey-black wolf shadows emerged from the woods, ravines, and bushes in all directions, their cold beastly pupils locking onto the five people of the team. Cold killing intent intertwined as they surrounded everyone, numbering some twenty or thirty.

Behind the wolf pack, a massive wolf stepped out slowly, drawing particular attention. It was two sizes larger than the ordinary vicious wolves around it, its limbs thick as pillars, its fur pitch-black as ink, its back hunched, and its Evil Qi soaring.

Vigorous Blood-Qi surged and churned within its body, condensing into a pale red fishy mist that constantly evaporated and rose, finally gathering above its head into a wisp of grey-red smoke that slowly rolled.

Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke!

This was the hallmark of the second-rank Peak, representing the qualification to step into the third rank.

Without a doubt, this giant wolf was the king of this pack, a second-rank Peak Vicious Beast.

Without waiting for the group or the wolves to react, Shen Lie made a prompt decision. A cold light flashed in his eyes as he drew his long saber and charged fiercely in the opposite direction of the Wolf King, shouting sternly, "Follow me and charge!"

In a life-or-death moment, hesitation was a path to death. The four of them instantly snapped out of it and, not daring to delay, followed closely behind Shen Lie to break through.

Shen Lie lunged forward, his long saber slashing horizontally; the sharp saber wind forcibly cleaved through the obstruction of several first-rank vicious wolves ahead, tearing open a narrow gap for the breakthrough in an instant.

Taking advantage of this fleeting Opportunity, the five of them erupted with full power and actually managed to rush out of the wolf pack's encirclement.

But the mountain terrain was complex and overgrown with vegetation; their running speed ultimately could not match that of the vicious wolves who had galloped through the mountains since birth.

Only moments after the breakthrough, heavy trampling sounds came from behind as a large number of vicious wolves pursued relentlessly, biting at their heels. More lethally, wolf shadows on both sides rapidly maneuvered and cut through, heading to the front of the team in an attempt to block the route again and complete a secondary encirclement.

Shen Lie's gaze was sharp as he suddenly stopped and turned, his long saber pointing at the pursuing wolf pack, his tone incredibly decisive:

"Split up and run! Break through toward the signal!"

Su Ye, who had always been taciturn and introverted, changed expression drastically and couldn't help but cry out in alarm: "Lord Shen!"

Shen Lie looked back calmly, his tone full of confidence:

"Don't worry, if I want to escape, these Vicious Beasts cannot keep me."

The moment the words fell, the Blood-Qi around his body erupted, billowing heat rising as the majestic Blood-Qi soared upward—it was also Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke!

It turned out that without anyone noticing, Shen Lie was already just one step away from the third rank. In that case, there was indeed no need to worry about Shen Lie's safety.

Everyone no longer hesitated, glancing at each other before immediately scattering and fleeing in different directions.

Shen Lie remained alone to face the wolf pack behind him, as the vicious wolves on both sides gradually closed in.

In a duel of the same rank, a Martial Artist was often inferior to a Vicious Beast. Vicious Beasts were born in the wilderness, and fighting was an instinct engraved in their Bloodline from daily struggles for survival.

Although Shen Lie had also reached the Realm of Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke, barely protecting himself was his limit. He could not possibly protect everyone under the onslaught of the wolf pack; fleeing separately was the only way to survive right now.

The four figures sped off in different directions, soon disappearing into the dense forest.

Lin Qing deliberately slowed down a bit, not simply fleeing. After the other three had gone far away, he quietly changed direction, his steps light and his aura concealed, like a hunter stalking in the dark night, silently tailing the three from behind.

With his current true combat strength, these first-rank vicious wolves were nothing to fear.

As early as two and a half months ago, Lin Qing had already condensed the Blood Qi like Gauze. With the continuous operation of his Cultivation Technique during this period, his basic Blood-Qi and Physical Body strength had long since surpassed ordinary second-rank Early Stage and Middle Stage Martial Artists.

Coupled with the bonus of Yellow Rank Elementary Physical Body control, his Moves were retracted and released freely, and his power delivery was precise and efficient. Although he hadn't reached the Realm of Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke, even in a life-and-death struggle with Shen Lie, who had half a foot in the third rank, Lin Qing might not necessarily lose.

During the pursuit, several first-rank vicious wolves that had broken away from the pack to chase individually fell into Lin Qing's sight. His movement was agile as he quietly crept closer; after a short while, several brief wolf howls came from the forest, followed by silence.

In just a short time, the scattered vicious wolves pursuing Su Ye, Shi Man, and Lu Xuan were silently killed by Lin Qing.

After dealing with all the pursuers, Lin Qing did not go to rendezvous with the three; he had other plans this time.

Sun Shaoping had mentioned before that the sudden appearance of high-rank Vicious Beasts must be because a treasure had appeared.

This time, Lin Qing intended to explore the secrets and Opportunity of this Qingyang Mountain.