pertwk Chapter 26: The Wolf Pack's Restlessness
Chapter 26: The Wolf Pack's Restlessness
On the rocky platform, Su Qingyao watched the chaotic pack of demon wolves below, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of her throat. It worked! The demon-attracting incense was even more effective than expected! Without delay, she immediately pulled out the communication talisman from her pouch, gathering a wisp of true energy at her fingertip and touching it to the talisman. The talisman burst into flames, transforming into a pale blue light, like a firefly, and flew towards the spirit spring barrier.
After doing all this, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead, but her eyes remained fixed on the wolf pack below—success or failure depended on Lin Yan.
Near the spiritual spring barrier, Lin Yan lay prone behind a massive rock. The rock was entirely black, covered in slippery moss, perfectly concealing his figure. He was only ten zhang away from the barrier, able to clearly see the crimson light membrane, like a piece of burning silk, gently swaying, with fine spiritual energy flowing across its surface. Within the light membrane lay the spiritual spring, its surface shrouded in mist, and he could vaguely make out a colossal figure lying at the edge of the pool—it was the Fiery Demon Tiger.
The demonic tiger was over two zhang long, its fur a deep crimson, gleaming in the steam of the spiritual spring. Its eyes were closed, its breathing steady. With each inhale, a faint spiritual energy seeped into its nostrils, causing the fiery currents around it to rise and fall like dancing flames. Lin Yan could feel the immense pressure emanating from it, even more terrifying than what he had seen in the fragments of his memory—this demonic tiger was already incredibly close to the late stage of the Profound Realm. If they were to collide head-on, let alone him, a peak Body Tempering cultivator, even ten or eight of them wouldn't be enough to withstand a single swipe of its claw.
He had been waiting here for almost the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, not daring to blink even once, for fear of missing Su Qingyao's signal. Just then, a pale blue light flew from afar, landed on the grass in front of him, and went out with a "whoosh," leaving only a few sparks.
The time has come.
A glint of light flashed in Lin Yan's eyes, and he immediately pulled out a Transcending Boundary Talisman and a Berserker Powder from his robes. The Transcending Boundary Talisman was triangular, with intricate runes drawn on it in cinnabar, and the Berserker Powder wrapped in oiled paper in the center—this was specially made by Su Qingyao. The runes could precisely locate the barrier, and the Berserker Powder would only ignite after it penetrated it. He condensed a wisp of Soul-Devouring True Essence at his fingertips and gently touched the talisman. The talisman instantly lit up, and in the pale golden light, the runes seemed to come alive, slowly flowing across the surface of the paper.
He aimed precisely at the direction of the barrier and hurled the talisman. The talisman transformed into a golden beam, shooting towards the crimson light membrane like an arrow. The ten-zhang distance was covered in the blink of an eye. Just as the talisman was about to strike the barrier, the light membrane suddenly rippled, like water surfacing after being struck by a pebble, attempting to deflect the talisman.
The boundary-piercing talisman inherently possesses the ability to penetrate barriers. The pale golden light collided with the crimson light membrane, producing a sizzling sound, like a red-hot iron meeting water. After a stalemate of about three breaths, the talisman finally "poofed" and burrowed into the barrier.
Become!
Lin Yan was overjoyed and about to breathe a sigh of relief when the Fiery Tiger within the barrier suddenly opened its eyes. They were a pair of crimson-gold eyes, like two small lanterns, terrifyingly bright. There was no trace of the confusion of someone just waking up; only a profound majesty and ferocity, as if they could pierce through all illusions. It didn't immediately erupt in anger, but slowly raised its head, its gaze falling on the spot where the talisman had entered. Its nose twitched slightly, as if it were pondering something.
Lin Yan's heart sank instantly, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead. Had he been discovered? But if he had been discovered, given the demon tiger's nature, it should have roared and charged over long ago. Why was it so calm? He suddenly thought of a possibility—the demon tiger was doing this on purpose; it was waiting, waiting for him to reveal more flaws.
The tiger's intelligence far exceeded his imagination.
This is troublesome. If the demonic tiger hadn't gone berserk, it wouldn't have broken through the barrier to fight the wolf pack. By the time the wolves, lured by the demon-attracting incense, realized what was happening, their entire plan would be ruined. Lin Yan's mind raced, his fingertips growing cold.
Just then, the barrier-crossing talisman inside the enclosure finally ignited. The oiled paper package tore open, and pale purple smoke drifted out, quickly spreading outwards. It was a wildly dispersing fumes, mixed with the intensity of the Crimson Sun Flower, the numbing effect of the Bone-Corroding Grass, and the sharpness of the Awakening Grass, which had an extremely strong stimulating effect on demonic beasts.
The demonic tiger caught the scent, its nose twitching violently. In its crimson-gold eyes, contemplation was gradually replaced by agitation. It shifted its paws uneasily, and the fiery currents around its body became somewhat erratic. But this wasn't enough; it managed to suppress its inner rage and didn't immediately go berserk.
Lin Yan gritted his teeth—one dose of Berserk Powder wasn't enough. Without hesitation, he pulled out a second dose of Berserk Powder and a second Transcendent Talisman from his pocket, gathered true essence at his fingertips, and tossed it out again. This time, he deliberately changed the trajectory of the talisman, making it fly close to the ground, more concealed, and faster.
But the demonic tiger was clearly prepared. Just as the talisman was about to hit the barrier, it suddenly opened its mouth and spewed out a small ball of flame. The flame was small, but it struck the talisman precisely. With a "boom," the talisman burst into flames in mid-air, and the violent energy within it also turned into a purple fireball, which quickly extinguished without even a wisp of smoke drifting into the barrier.
Failed.
Lin Yan's palms were drenched in cold sweat. He only had one last dose of Berserk Powder and one last Transcendent Talisman left. If they failed again this time, all their efforts would be in vain, and the people of Blackstone Town would have no way to survive. He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white, his mind racing—forcing his way through was definitely not an option, but giving up was even more unacceptable. Suddenly, he remembered his Soul-Devouring Body.
The Soul-Devouring True Essence has a devouring property. If this property is injected into the Transcendent Talisman, will it enhance the talisman's penetrating power? Or, could simulating demonic energy with True Essence deceive the barrier? Neither of these methods has been tried, and they are extremely risky, but now, he has no other choice.
Lin Yan took a deep breath and took out the last of the Berserk Powder and the Transcendent Talisman. This time, he didn't directly inject ordinary true essence, but instead mobilized the power of the mark on his chest. A wisp of grayish-black energy flowed out from the mark, slowly merging into the true essence, and then into the talisman paper. Immediately, a grayish-black pattern appeared in the pale golden light on the surface of the talisman paper. The pattern seemed to have a life of its own, slowly flowing on the paper, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
He spotted a weak point in the barrier—the mark left after the first barrier-crossing talisman had penetrated it; the light membrane hadn't fully recovered, and the color was paler than elsewhere. He swiftly threw the talisman!
A streak of gray-gold light shot towards the barrier. This time, the demonic tiger didn't immediately breathe fire. It seemed to be attracted by the peculiar aura emanating from the talisman, its crimson-gold eyes fixed on the light, a hint of doubt flashing within them.
The streak of light collided with the light membrane again, the hissing sound even louder than before, and tiny cracks even appeared on the surface of the light membrane. Yet the talisman still couldn't penetrate immediately, and the stalemate continued. Lin Yan's heart leaped into his throat; he stared intently at the streak of light, forgetting even to breathe.
Three breaths, five breaths, ten breaths… Just when he thought he was about to fail again, the demonic tiger inside the barrier suddenly let out a low growl, its voice tinged with pain. The first dose of the Berserk Powder had taken effect! Although the dosage was small, after this period of accumulation, it was finally beginning to work. The demonic tiger's breathing became heavy, and the fiery currents around its body became increasingly turbulent. It no longer stared at the boundary-crossing talisman, but paced restlessly, its claws digging deep holes in the ground.
opportunity!
Lin Yan's eyes lit up, and he immediately increased the output of his true essence. The gray-gold light on the Transcendent Talisman shone brightly, and finally, with a "poof," it pierced through the barrier and entered!
The talisman burned rapidly within the barrier, the last burst of fury transforming into thick purple smoke that completely permeated the area. This time, the dosage was sufficient.
"roar--!!!"
A deafening tiger's roar emanated from within the barrier, causing the entire mountain to tremble. Rocks tumbled, trees snapped, and cracked. The sound was filled with rage, pain, and the extreme fury of being provoked! The crimson barrier began to vibrate violently, its surface cracking more and more, like a piece of glass about to shatter.
The demonic tiger was utterly enraged! It pounded wildly against the barrier, each impact deepening the cracks in the light membrane. Finally, with a deafening roar, the barrier shattered like glass, turning into countless crimson specks of light that slowly dissipated into the air.
A giant tiger, two zhang long with blood-red fur, burst out of the shattered barrier, letting out a deafening roar. Its eyes had turned blood red, devoid of any reason, filled only with pure violence and killing intent—the effects of the berserk drug had fully kicked in.
Its first target was the pack of demon wolves that had been attracted by the alluring incense and gathered not far away!
"Awooo—!"
The wolves spotted the terrifying enemy and stopped fighting, howling in terror as they tried to flee. But it was too late. The demonic tiger transformed into a crimson whirlwind of fire, plunging into the wolf pack. Claws lashed out, blood splattered, and the mournful howls of the wolves mingled with the tiger's roar, echoing through the forest.
Lin Yan lay prone behind a rock, watching the carnage below. He took a deep breath, suppressed his surging emotions, and turned to run towards the designated rendezvous point. The first step of his plan had succeeded. Next, he would infiltrate the wolf's den to find evidence of Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang's collusion with demons. And this battle against the demon beasts would be enough for him to accomplish everything.
His figure sped through the darkness, followed by deafening roars of tigers and howls of wolves, and the sounds of flesh being torn apart. Tonight, the Azure Wolf Mountain was destined to be sleepless. And tonight, the fate of Blackstone Town would also see a turning point.