Chapter 30: Meeting the Black Wind Wolf Pack, Ling Xuance Saves the Day

Chapter 30: Encounter with the Black Wind Wolf Pack — Ling Xuance Comes to the Rescue

The two elders, one in purple and one in green, stepped forward slowly, looking down at the few who stood their ground before them.

"I'll give you one final chance. Hand over Duan Lieyang and Yun Yan, and I'll spare the rest of the juniors and let you go."

Today's siege was originally meant to avenge the Blazing Bone Sect's Grand Elder. All they needed was to seize the Taiyi Sect elder and Yun Yan, and deal a heavy blow to Taiyi Sect's morale.

The five disciples still on their feet, including Ming Qiuge, stood their ground without moving an inch.

Seeing this, the purple-robed elder gave a cold flick of his sleeves, his tone impatient.

"Incorrigibly stubborn."

As his words fell, he raised his hand and gathered power—torrents of spiritual energy surged forth, about to come crashing down on them!

Bai Yinggui, standing off to the side, watched the Taiyi disciples who refused to give ground, opened his mouth as if to speak, but in the end, chose to keep quiet.

At that very moment—

Awooo—!!

A wolf's howl rang through the mountain forest, piercing through the dense layers of trees, making the entire valley tremble slightly!

The expressions of everyone from the Blazing Bone Sect changed drastically in an instant. The purple-robed elder instinctively pulled back his attack.

The green-robed elder—Lu Qingsong—his expression turning grave, quickly discerned the aura and said urgently in a low voice.

"Elder brother, it's the Black Wind Wolf Pack."

The purple-robed elder—Lu Qingbai—his face turning livid, gritted his teeth and shot a glance at the Taiyi Sect members locked in a tense standoff below, muttering a curse under his breath.

Sensing the overwhelming tide of beasts bearing down on them, he made an instant decision and barked out orders: "Blazing Bone Sect, spread out and form your formations! Set up defensive barriers now!"

The Blazing Bone Sect members didn't dare waste a moment. In an instant, they fanned out and stacked their formations in layers, shielding the battered Taiyi disciples behind their backs.

A disciple who had just recently joined the Blazing Bone Sect, with a puzzled look on his face, hurried forward and asked in a low voice.

"Master! The Black Wind Demon Wolves are about to arrive—why don't we just cut our losses and run?"

Lu Qingbai kept his eyes fixed on the dense forest from which the howls came, replying in a low voice: "With a bunch of severely wounded Taiyi disciples in tow, we're too big a target. We'd never outrun the pack."

The disciple was still confused and pressed on with a frown.

"Why not just leave them here and let the pack devour them? Wouldn't that kill two birds with one stone?"

Hearing this, Lu Qingbai turned, raised his hand, and gave the disciple a heavy smack on the head, scolding him with a hint of exasperation at his failure to live up to expectations.

"Have you completely forgotten every rule I taught you when you took me as your master?!"

The disciple let out a pained grunt.

"I haven't forgotten... Master said that cultivation is about saving the weak—that cultivating immortality is defying heaven itself, and one must do what is known to be impossible."

"Good, as long as you haven't forgotten." Lu Qingbai suppressed the anger rising in his chest.

"The Taiyi Sect is outmatched today, so they are the weak."

The young disciple was dumbfounded: ...Wait? Is this really the same master who always picks on the weak with numbers on his side?

Lu Qingbai continued: "Our Blazing Bone Sect is a righteous sect, not a den of evil cultivators! Our conflict with the Taiyi Sect is over differing principles—we can't stand their self-righteous talk of virtue and morality, not because we're sworn enemies!"

The young disciple thought: That's not how you were acting when you were attacking them just now!!!

Just as Lu Qingbai's words faded, the Black Wind Wolf Pack came bursting out of the dense forest!

At the lead was a massive, pitch-black wolf radiating overwhelming killing intent—a peak-stage sixth-tier Black Wind Wolf King, with the rest of the pack right on its heels!

The Black Wind Wolf King's fangs jutted out, with foul drool seeping from its jaws. The next second, it suddenly lowered its head and gathered its strength, letting out a roar of pure savagery!

Awooo—!!

The deafening howl blasted through the air.

Countless Black Wind Wolves moved at the signal, lowering their bodies in unison before charging at the crowd like arrows shot from a bow.

"Form formations and defend!"

Lu Qingbai's expression turned stern as he barked the order.

He and Lu Qingsong both stepped out at the same time—one green and one purple—two distinct, fierce streams of killing intent that solidified into shields, clashing head-on with the Wolf King as it lunged at them!

Several Black Wind Wolves leaped into the air, claws ripping through the air, aiming straight for the crowd's vital spots—extremely dangerous.

Bai Yinggui moved slightly and struck out with a powerful palm that landed squarely on the lead wolf's head!

A sharp crack of bone breaking rang out. The wolf that had been leading the charge crashed to the ground, completely still.

From the shadows on the side, a demon wolf that had been lying in wait suddenly lunged out, silently launching a sneak attack on Bai Yinggui!

"Look out!"

Ming Qiuge shouted her warning as she hurled her sword—the blade cut through the air with a sharp flash of light, piercing the demon wolf's skull with deadly precision!

The demon wolf let out a whimper and fell dead on the spot.

Bai Yinggui, quick of eye and hand, drew his sword and darted forward, dodging and weaving as he cut down several more Black Wind Wolves in quick succession.

In that moment, the two sects that had been on the verge of battle stood shoulder to shoulder against the surging tide of beasts, fighting together.

Having fought each other countless times before, they knew each other's moves intimately—their advances and retreats, attacks and defenses, meshed together in perfect coordination.

Ahead in the air, the Black Wind Wolf King, enraged that its pack had failed to break through for so long, threw its head back and let out a sky-shaking roar of fury!

Its killing intent skyrocketed. Its massive claws gathered strength for a devastating blow, its attacks suddenly turning several times more vicious.

Facing the Wolf King's terrifying presence head-on, the two elders' expressions turned grim. No longer daring to take the attacks head-on, they both used the momentum to leap backward.

The battle was hanging by a thread. Wave after wave of beasts pressed in. Lu Qingbai's eyes darkened as he raised his hand and brought out his life-saving treasure!

A pale purple spiritual light coalesced into a stable defensive barrier, firmly covering everyone within its range.

The barrier's light flickered on and off—it couldn't hold against the relentless assault of the beast tide for long.

Lu Qingbai spoke in a low voice: "The defensive formation won't last much longer. Qing Song and I will stay behind to hold off the entire beast tide."

He turned to face the disciples behind him.

"All Blazing Bone Sect members—take the Taiyi disciples and retreat now! Fall back at full speed, and don't look back!"

"Second Uncle Master, I'll stay behind with you to hold them off," Bai Yinggui's voice suddenly rang out.

Lu Qingbai looked down at the longsword in Bai Yinggui's hand, his expression complicated. After a moment of silence, he nodded in approval.

Nearby, a disciple whose robes were already drenched in wolf blood stepped forward, black killing aura surging around her, her eyes pitch-black and unsettling. Her thin lips parted slightly: "Senior Brother, you lead the retreat. Let me stay with the Uncle Masters to hold the line!"

Lu Qingbai looked at her eyes red from the killing and couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

"Wang Zinian, you're just a young girl—why is your killing intent so strong?"

Wang Zinian swept her gaze over the wolf pack, a fierce, chilling aura radiating from her, and said excitedly, "Second Uncle Master, this isn't killing intent—it's battle spirit!"

Hearing this, her master Lu Qingsong, standing nearby, also turned to look at her.

Wang Zinian's fierce demeanor instantly softened, and she added, a note of pleading in her voice, "Master, please let me stay! Senior Brother's cultivation is profound—he's far more reliable than me to escort everyone to safety."

Lu Qingsong remained cold-faced and silent. Instead, he turned to gaze at the surging wolf pack that kept battering the barrier.

Lu Qingbai found this amusing and nodded his approval.

"Fine, you may stay. Xiao Hui, you lead the disciples out."

After giving the order, he reached out and patted Lu Qingsong's shoulder, teasing in a low voice: "Don't always look so fierce. She's your only direct disciple—if you scare her off, you'll have no one to pass your legacy to."

Lu Qingsong remained stone-faced, giving no response.

Seeing this, Bai Yinggui ceased his argument and set about arranging the evacuation, coordinating retreat routes for the wounded of both sects.

Meanwhile, the barrier protecting the entire field grew ever more riddled with cracks.

Lu Qingbai shouted sternly: "Everyone, get ready! The moment the formation breaks, retreat immediately!"

Everyone steeled themselves as disciples from the Blazing Bone Sect helped support the injured members of the Taiyi Sect.

The two sects were sworn enemies, and now forced to fight side by side, they exchanged awkward, disdainful glances, yet still helped each other with unspoken coordination.

CRACK—!!

The final crack spread across the entire barrier, and the sturdy defensive formation shattered with a thunderous crash!

"Move!!"

Lu Qingbai bellowed!

The moment the formation broke, Wang Zinian was the first to dart out, her killing aura surging to the heavens, charging alone into the wolf pack to fight!

Lu Qingbai and Lu Qingsong followed closely behind, one on each side, desperately stemming the entire surging beast tide to buy time for the retreat.

Bai Yinggui didn't dare tarry, protecting the wounded as he steadily retreated.

Ming Qiuge's longsword felt remarkably natural in his hand—his strikes were fierce and fluid, even more so than when Ming Qiuge wielded it herself.

The Black Wind Wolf King instantly saw through their plan to cover the retreat and roared!

The remaining wolf pack responded, swiftly flanking and encircling them from all sides, severing their retreat and instantly crushing them with pressure.

The fierce battle raged without cease, the close-quarters struggle growing ever more perilous.

Lu Qingbai, caught off guard, took a heavy, wind-up strike from the Wolf King to the shoulder and stumbled back.

Seeing this, the wolves instantly sensed the opening and swarmed forward!

In the nick of time, two devastating attacks suddenly came streaking down from the sky!

Bone-piercing ice spiritual power coalesced into a killing blow, sweeping across the wolf pack—the front-line Black Wind Wolves dropped dead!

Countless vines also coiled around everyone present, shielding them from the beast tide's onslaught!

The sudden reversal made the despairing Taiyi Sect disciples' eyes light up instantly.

"It's Elder Lin!"

"Little Uncle Masters and the others are here!"

"We're saved!"

The Black Wind Wolf King watched its pack suffer massive casualties in an instant, its crimson slit pupils filled with wariness, a faint intent to retreat stirring within.

At the center of the battlefield, Wang Zinian was covered in wolf blood, her sleeves shredded by wolf claws, the wounds on her arm gaping with flesh turned outward—a truly gruesome sight.

Yet she seemed to feel no pain, a dazzlingly manic smile spreading across her face.

She clutched two massive wolf heads in her hands, fierce killing aura surging sky-high, her burning gaze locked onto the Wolf King, her battle intent seething.

Seeing the wolves hesitate to close in, she hurled the wolf heads aside and charged the Wolf King alone!

Flying into a rage at being publicly provoked by a Jindan cultivator, the Wolf King roared at the heavens, its massive wolf claw swinging down with crushing force!

The strike was savage and overbearing, landing dead on Wang Zinian's shoulder, yet she was utterly reckless, ignoring her wounds and wheeling around to fight on.

Though the Wolf King's cultivation far surpassed hers, it was thoroughly cowed by this berserk fighting style.

The next moment, the Wolf King let out a reluctant roar and gave the order to retreat—the entire surging beast tide responded and began to fall back.

Seeing the wolf pack retreating, Wang Zinian, still unwilling to let it go, gave chase once more, only for her wrist to be suddenly seized.

Her attack still in motion, she instinctively lashed out backward with a palm strike, but by the time she recognized the figure, it was too late to pull back—she could only veer it toward Ling Xuance nearby.

Fortunately, Lin Yu, standing nearby, summoned vines to block it in time.

After the strike, Wang Zinian reined in her killing aura, stood obediently in place, and called out softly.

"Master."

Lu Qingbai frowned as he released her wrist, his palm smeared with the blood and grime from her wounds.

Noticing the blood on her master's palm, Wang Zinian immediately stepped forward attentively, reaching up to wipe the blood away with practiced, natural ease—the Blazing Bone Sect disciples around them had long since grown used to it.

The Taiyi disciples who had witnessed the entire scene: ...

No wonder she was trained by the Blazing Bone Sect!

She doesn't feel the slightest bit of guilt!

The beast tide fully receded, and the crisis was entirely resolved.

The tense atmosphere dissipated as Blazing Bone Sect disciples carelessly let go, dumping the Taiyi Sect members they'd been supporting onto the ground.

"Ow!"

"Take it easy! Can't you be a little gentler?!"

The Taiyi disciples winced in pain as the two sects instantly drew a clear line between them—the camaraderie from fighting side by side moments ago gone without a trace.

Yun Yan stepped forward, clutching his chest, and quickly recounted the whole story in a low voice.

Ling Xuance listened quietly, his expression serene.