Xie Zhaolin's pupils shrank. Less than a hundred feet ahead, three massive Ironback Boars were rolling lazily in the mud. These second-rank peak beasts were thick-skinned and tough, with tusks as thick as an arm. At this moment, they were enjoying their mud bath without the slightest awareness of her approach.
The wolf howls behind her grew closer, sharp claws scraping against stone with grating cracks that made her scalp tighten.
She scanned her surroundings in a rush. To her left was a sheer cliff, to her right a bottomless swamp. In front and behind were fierce beasts. She had nowhere to retreat!
"I'll gamble on this!" Her eyes flashed with cold resolve.
Her storage ring glimmered, and three Shadow Wolf corpses dropped onto the ground. With a flick of her finger, a wisp of blue-violet mist carved a strange mark into each body. She quickly scattered a layer of specially refined berserk powder across their fur.
Taking a deep breath, she channeled all her strength into her arms and hurled the corpses toward the Ironback Boars.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three heavy thuds echoed across the marsh, loud and jarring.
The boars snapped their heads up at once, crimson eyes locking on the sudden appearance of wolf carcasses. Almost at the same time, more than a dozen Shadow Wolves surged out of the canyon bend, their green-glowing eyes filled with fury.
Xie Zhaolin was already hidden silently behind a jagged outcrop, her breath locked tight.
The lead wolf let out a furious snarl at the sight of its fallen kin. The Ironback Boars weren't to be outdone. They rose from the mud, hooves slamming into the ground, sending low warning growls rumbling through the canyon.
Awroo!
Snort!
The roars of wolf and boar clashed, reverberating in the gorge.
Through her spiritual sense, Xie Zhaolin could feel the marks she left burning faintly on the wolf corpses, releasing a peculiar aura that goaded both sides into bloodlust.
"Fight each other…" she whispered in her heart.
As if answering her wish, the Shadow Wolves pounced first. The boars charged back with fury. A single sweep of a tusk ripped a wolf's belly open, blood spilling in a stinking spray.
The scent of gore spread instantly, and the clash turned frenzied.
More wolves poured in from all sides. The three Ironback Boars stood back-to-back, forming a tight ring. Every charge of their massive bodies sent wolves flying, bones cracking like dry twigs.
Using the chaos, Xie Zhaolin crept along the cliff wall, retreating step by step. By the time she circled to the other side of the battlefield, the savage sounds of slaughter had filled the canyon. She didn't dare linger, darting away with the queen bee at her side.
Only after she pushed through a dense thicket did she finally stop. Leaning against an ancient tree, she panted, her chest rising and falling. A glance inward showed the mist in her sea of consciousness had thinned again, though not too badly since she hadn't fought directly.
"At least I shook them off…" She exhaled long, pulled out a flask, and gulped down a mouthful of water. The queen bee buzzed lightly on her shoulder, as if asking what their next move would be.
She took out a jade slip map and carefully checked her bearings.
"I'm already in the middle zone…" Her brow creased.
This place was far more dangerous than the outer rim. Second-rank peak beasts were everywhere, and even third-rank beasts weren't rare. With her current strength, one slip could cost her life.
"I've got to be extra careful…" she warned herself softly.
Luckily, the Soul Chasing Seal had already been refined away. The gray-robed man's one-month limit no longer bound her. She no longer had to risk delving into the most perilous depths of Blackwater Abyss to seek the Rebirth Flower. She could return to her original plan: find the cultivator's cave and break through Foundation Establishment.
"As long as I succeed, I'll at least have the strength to stand against him…" she calculated.
Her spiritual sense had already reached mid-Golden Core. If she paired that with Foundation Establishment cultivation and the trump card of her blue-violet mist, she'd at least have a chance to escape from Golden Core cultivators. She wouldn't be a helpless prey again.
After reworking her route, she aimed for the valley at the border between middle and inner zones. The cave was hidden there. Back then, she'd thought she'd never need it, but still disguised it carefully. Who'd have thought that bit of foresight would now save her life?
The queen bee stirred its wings gently, resonating with her resolve. She brushed its shell affectionately, then took out recovery pills from her ring. After swallowing a few, she sat cross-legged for a short meditation. The battles and escapes had drained her, and she had to stay at peak condition.
Once her energy steadied, she resumed her journey.
This time, she was even more cautious, halting every hundred steps to probe her surroundings. The beasts here weren't just stronger, they were smarter. A single mistake could draw an ambush.
While skirting a poisonous swamp, her spiritual sense suddenly picked up a disturbance ahead. She froze, breath sharp, gathering her power inward and inching forward carefully.
A hundred feet away, in a thicket, five pitch-black Ironclaw Jackals were feasting on a beast's carcass. These second-rank peak beasts had terrifyingly sharp noses. Even the faintest wisp of aura could give her away. She was about to slip back quietly when a crisp crack rang underfoot. A dry twig had snapped.
Five pairs of blood-red eyes turned toward her instantly!
"Damn it!" She cursed under her breath.
Without hesitation, she formed a seal and released her swarm. Hundreds of worker bees burst out from her beast pouch, forming a buzzing shield in front of her.
The jackals arched their backs, claws raking deep trenches into the dirt. The lead jackal king gave a shrill snarl, and the pack lunged together.
"Go!"
At her command, the front row of bees spat venom before pulling back. The rear immediately surged forward to continue spraying. Five waves of venom volleys forced the pack to falter for a moment.
Xie Zhaolin hurled out two Shisha Spider puppets. Their threads lashed out, binding two jackals in sticky silk. She used the opening to retreat fast, but the jackal king tore through the venom cloud, claws slashing for her throat with a piercing shriek.
At the last second, she unleashed her spiritual assault. A wisp of blue-violet mist shot straight into its forehead.
Awroo!
The beast froze midair and slammed to the ground, limbs jerking uncontrollably. The other four jackals immediately turned on it, pouncing and tearing into their fallen leader in savage hunger.
Xie Zhaolin's eyes widened. They were attacking their own king!
She didn't waste the chance, spinning on her heel and fleeing. Behind her, the sound of snapping bones and the jackal king's dying screams echoed like a nightmare.
Though brief, the fight had drained her. She'd tried to avoid relying on the mist, but it was already fused with her spiritual sense. Every attack carried a trace of it, tying her hands. In the distance, the valley she sought loomed faintly. Her eyes hardened. With every delay, her mist would burn away more, and the dangers ahead would only multiply.
"I've got to move faster…"