Chapter 22: Howling Moon Mad Wolf

Having found the black eagle fledgling, Ling Xiao did not stop his search.

Currently, he only had one type of medicinal herb and one type of demon beast; it was clearly not enough.

"Heavenly Star Flower, one of the ingredients for refining Breakthrough Pills!"

"Winged Snake, its gallbladder is an important material for refining Heart-Protecting Pills. Adults are peak Level 1 demon beasts and are highly venomous!"

"Qi-Transforming Fruit, the primary material for refining Breakthrough Pills!"

"Vajra Wolf, its bones can be used to refine Vajra Pills. Adults are ordinary Level 3 demon beasts!"

...

In the process of searching for herbs and demon beasts, Ling Xiao also began attempting to practice two intermediate movement techniques simultaneously. Three days later, he had already brought both intermediate techniques to Great Perfection.

Ling Xiao directly activated the second stage of the "Cloud-Soaring Steps."

Then, he continued practicing.

After reaching the second stage, the speed of his "Cloud-Soaring Steps" far exceeded that of martial artists of the same level; even a martial artist at the peak of the third stage of the Martial Vein realm could not match his speed.

If he used the "Qi-Bursting Formula," he could still easily escape even if he encountered a fourth-stage Martial Vein martial artist.

As for the "Hundred-Step Flying Sword Technique," it was frequently used while hunting demon beasts, so over these three days, he had almost mastered it to the point of perfection.

He could control it with ease, and his ability to lock onto targets had become much more accurate.

If he were to encounter that black eagle again, he would absolutely not repeat the mistake of failing to hit a vital spot; he could certainly kill it with a single strike.

By continuously practicing his movement techniques and the "Hundred-Step Flying Sword Technique" for three consecutive days, and because he had to circulate the "Crimson Sun Art" during every session, his progress with the Crimson Sun Art had also been rapid. He had already reached the ninth layer, nearing the Great Perfection realm.

Of course, besides the increase in strength, he had gained quite a bit else.

In addition to the demon beasts he hunted, which were worth twenty to thirty thousand taels of silver, his Mountain and River Map now contained ten types of medicinal plants and three demon beast cubs.

If it weren't for the fact that there were few farmers and herders around to attend to, he would certainly have chosen to stay here for a few more days.

However, it was now time to head back. The collection of materials was nearly complete, and the next step was to refine the pills.

After all, the key was to raise his strength to the third stage of the Martial Vein realm, which was extremely important for the upcoming annual grand competition in a few days.

If there was any regret, it was that he hadn't encountered a single peak Level 3 demon beast during these few days.

There was no helping it; he truly did not dare to venture alone into the depths of the Fulong Mountains, as it was far too dangerous. If he lost his life, it would be a terrible trade-off.

"Awoooo—!"

Just as Ling Xiao was preparing to leave, he suddenly noticed a massive red dot appearing on the Mountain and River Map.

Then, a howl erupted, loud enough to make his blood surge with agitation.

"Level 4 demon beast—Howling Moon Wolf!"

Ling Xiao was startled when he clicked on the large red dot to take a look.

He had to get out of here quickly. A peak Level 3 demon beast might be manageable, but a Level 4 demon beast was out of the question; it was definitely not something a martial artist at the peak of the second stage of the Martial Vein realm like him could handle.

"Get lost! We lured this Howling Moon Wolf out from the mountains!"

Just as he was about to leave, he saw a group of youths surrounding the area. Estimating roughly, there were twelve or thirteen of them, and none of them seemed weak.

The strongest among them appeared to be on par with Ling Yixue, both being peak third-stage Martial Vein martial artists.

"Get lost? I didn't intend to fight you for this junk in the first place. Do you even know how to speak?" Ling Xiao frowned.

"I am Li Xingyun. My junior brother was disrespectful just now; please forgive him. May I ask your name?"

This person's attitude was quite decent. Li Xingyun?

Wait, wasn't this the genius disciple of the Li family from Sky Peak City?

"I am Ling Xiao! Don't worry about it; I'm leaving anyway."

Ling Xiao had been somewhat annoyed, but since Li Xingyun was quite polite, he didn't press the matter.

"So you are a descendant of the Ling family. It is fate that we meet. This Howling Moon Wolf is powerful; why don't we deal with it together? You will naturally have a share of the harvest afterward," Li Xingyun said with a smile.

"No need. I'm a man who fears death!"

Ling Xiao waved his hand and turned to leave without the slightest hesitation.

"Hmph, coward!"

"I've never even heard of the name Ling Xiao. He's probably just an ordinary disciple. Senior Brother Xingyun, you really shouldn't waste your breath on him. It would be different if people like Ling Feng, Ling Tieshou, or Ling Yixue were here to help."

"Enough, stop talking! The Howling Moon Wolf is coming. Quickly set the traps and prepare to attack!"

Li Xingyun waved his hand. Although he was clearly only fifteen or sixteen years old, he already possessed the demeanor of a master.

When Ling Xiao had moved about two or three hundred meters away, he stopped. He was actually quite interested to see how the Li family, one of the four great families of Sky Peak City, would deal with this Howling Moon Wolf.

A Level 4 demon beast was equivalent to a fourth-stage Martial Vein martial artist and was already capable of manifesting Astral Qi.

The Li family disciples set their traps, leaving only Li Xingyun there as bait while the others hid, preparing to attack together once the wolf entered the trap.

However, they had clearly underestimated the strength of the Howling Moon Wolf.

"Awoooo!"

As the Howling Moon Wolf charged, it let out a howl, and blade-like Astral Qi actually flew from its mouth, shredding the ground. The traps they had set were all completely destroyed.

"Not good! This thing is too strong and very cunning. We are no match for it. Retreat!"

Li Xingyun had originally only wanted to test how his peak third-stage Martial Vein cultivation would fare against a Level 4 demon beast, but he clearly hadn't expected it to be this powerful.

It was completely beyond his expectations.

He could only hold it off for a few exchanges; anyone else would have been killed instantly by that blade-like Astral Qi.

"Ah—!"

As soon as he finished speaking, someone was sliced in half at the waist.

That person was a peak second-stage Martial Vein martial artist hiding behind a large tree; who could have known that once the tree was severed, even he would be killed.

The Li family disciples panicked, scattering in all directions, and some even accidentally tripped over tree roots.

"So this is the terror of a Level 4 demon beast!"

Ling Xiao, hiding in the shadows, had no intention of mocking the Li family disciples. Against a beast of this level, even he would have to flee in such a wretched state.

"Don't panic! I'll hold it off first, you all retreat quickly!"

At the critical moment, Li Xingyun proved to be a man of character. He did not turn and run, but instead shook his longsword and aimed it at the Howling Moon Wolf.

The blade-like Astral Qi that had just attacked him had all been parried away by his sword.

This also made him realize the gap between himself and the Level 4 demon beast.

Victory was absolutely impossible!

But perhaps he could hold out for a while!

It had to be said that Ling Xiao felt a measure of admiration for this Li Xingyun. Such a person was far more capable than Ling Fei, Ling Chong, or Ling Feng.

Perhaps only Ling Yixue could be compared to him.

"Gale Sword!"

Li Xingyun let out a furious shout, kicked off the ground, and flew forward, pointing his longsword directly at the Howling Moon Wolf's throat.

No matter the beast, the throat was always the weakest point, and Li Xingyun clearly knew this.

Gale Sword?

That must be an advanced sword technique. As expected of the Li family's genius, Li Xingyun was actually able to obtain an advanced technique; he clearly appeared to be a key object of cultivation.

"Go for it, Senior Brother Xingyun!"

"Kill that monster!"

Seeing Li Xingyun attack, the previously panicked Li family disciples actually stopped running and began cheering.

"What a bunch of useless burdens. They should be fleeing instead of staying here. It's no wonder Li Xingyun is going to be driven mad by them!"

Ling Xiao watched, utterly speechless.

He knew very well that although Li Xingyun was capable, he could only temporarily delay the Howling Moon Wolf's attack to allow the rest of the Li family disciples to escape.

These fools were nothing more than a bunch of idiots.

(End of Chapter)