No matter how Xin Ci tried to escape, these Azure-Patterned Grey Wolves could always keenly scent his location.
Could it be the lingering scent from the Azure-Patterned Grey Wolves he dealt with this afternoon!
Damn it!
Xin Ci hadn't considered entering the crystal space to hide, but the crystal seemed to have a restriction, allowing entry only once per day.
He had already entered it once today.
In the blink of an eye, three Azure-Patterned Grey Wolves caught up to him.
Their sharp teeth and claws seemed poised to tear Xin Ci's body apart, their scarlet, bloodthirsty eyes mixed with impatience, they pounced wildly at him.
Xin Ci, unfazed, rapidly shifted his body, with divine skill and exquisite maneuverability, he simultaneously evaded the attacks of the three Azure-Patterned Grey Wolves.
This was Xin Ci's cultivated movement technique, 《Eight Transformations of the Wandering Body》. When cultivated to the ultimate realm, among those of the same level, one could simultaneously deal with attacks from eight directions in an instant.
However, Xin Ci had only cultivated it to the fifth level, allowing him to evade attacks from five directions.
Immediately after, Xin Ci flipped like a falcon, supporting himself on the ground with one hand.
In a flash, he quickly threw several flying star stones, repelling a few Azure-Patterned Grey Wolves at the seventh level of Body Refining.
But this move had little effect on the Yellow Realm Azure-Patterned Grey Wolves.
Wolf claws the size of human heads directly shattered these stones, and they were about to land on Xin Ci's forehead.
A spark of inspiration struck Xin Ci, and he threw several more flying star stones in rapid succession. The stones, like bullets, bounced and ricocheted in quick succession.
Before any demonic beast could transform, their intelligence was ultimately inferior to humans.
Even this Azure-Patterned Grey Wolf, already a Level 1 demonic beast, was no exception. Its attack and defense methods were too simplistic.
Even though it shattered the apparent flying star stones, it didn't realize that two of the flying star stones were aimed at its eyes.
Upon being struck in the eyes by the flying star stones, the Level 1 Azure-Patterned Grey Wolf was in unbearable pain, raising its beastly paw to cover its eyes like a human.
The other wolf claw flailed wildly in a frenzy.
Xin Ci took this opportunity to quickly retreat, while the Azure-Patterned Grey Wolves behind him relentlessly pursued.
"This can't go on."
Given the speed of the Azure-Patterned Grey Wolves behind him, they would catch up in less than ten breaths.
Ahead was... a ground fissure!!!
This made matters even worse.
In his desperation, Xin Ci noticed a withered tree trunk lying across the fissure, its length just enough to connect to the other side.
The withered tree trunk looked unstable, likely to break in the middle at any moment.
But Xin Ci had no other choice; rather than being torn to shreds by wolves, it was better to fight for a chance to escape.
So, without hesitation, Xin Ci jumped onto the withered tree trunk, but the feel beneath his feet was immediately wrong.
This withered tree trunk was hollow!
With every step he took, more of it cracked.
Before he even reached the middle, the entire tree trunk shattered into fragments, falling into the bottomless ground fissure.
The sudden sensation of weightlessness left Xin Ci disoriented.
Seeing himself rapidly falling, Xin Ci had a sudden idea.
He kicked out his long sword along with its scabbard, simultaneously untying the belt at his waist and wrapping it around the sword.
The entire maneuver was completed in less than a breath, and with all his might, the long sword plunged more than halfway into the rock stratum.
Thanks to this, he managed to avoid falling into the fissure.
However, this fissure was truly deep.
Xin Ci looked down, but it was pitch black. Obscured by a bit of mist and dust, he could see nothing at all.
After a while, Xin Ci managed to climb out from the rock wall of the fissure.
Looking at the more than twenty Azure-Patterned Grey Wolves on the opposite side, Xin Ci smiled knowingly: "This ground fissure is about ten zhang deep. These Azure-Patterned Grey Wolves can't jump across."
He could finally catch his breath.
But before Xin Ci could celebrate for long, a furious wolf howl erupted from the wolf pack opposite him.
The Azure-Patterned Grey Wolves divided into two orderly rows, leaving a gap of about ten meters in the middle.
A colossal wolf, with slender limbs, its back burning with azure flames, and a length of nearly nine meters from head to tail, slowly walked out.
To Xin Ci's astonishment, this giant wolf pushed off forcefully with its hind legs.
In one leap, it covered more than ten zhang, landing steadily behind him.
"This is a Level 2 mutated demonic beast, the Azure Flame Grey Wolf!!"
Elder Han appeared beside Xin Ci, his expression grave.
A Level 2 demonic beast was equivalent to a cultivator of the Profound Realm, let alone a mutated one.
The Azure Flame Grey Wolf slowly advanced towards Xin Ci, its sheer demonic aura of a Level 2 beast already pressing down on him, making it difficult to breathe.
With his strength at only the seventh level of Body Refining, he probably couldn't even tickle this Azure Flame Grey Wolf.
Escaping was impossible; the distance of that jump meant he'd likely be killed by its claws within a few steps.
A fissure in front, and the Azure Flame Grey Wolf behind.
In an instant, Xin Ci was in a desperate situation.
The Azure Flame Grey Wolf let out a roar that blew Xin Ci off his feet; there was no helping it, the disparity was too great.
Then, with speed invisible to the naked eye, it extended its chillingly cold wolf claws.
Xin Ci, relying on his soul perception, dodged in advance, barely avoiding a direct hit.
However, his speed was ultimately no match for the Azure Flame Grey Wolf; it was merely a slight brush.
Xin Ci was dazed by the storm of wind stirred up by its body.
Xin Ci, collapsing on the ground like a lamb awaiting slaughter, was approached step by step by the Azure Flame Grey Wolf.
"Fine, at worst, I'll fall into slumber."
Elder Han sighed softly, as if making a decision.
In his current state of residual soul, his usable soul power was very limited. Excessive consumption of soul power could force him into a dormant state.
But to save Xin Ci, this was the only way.
However, just as Elder Han made up his mind, Xin Ci on the ground suddenly opened his eyes, instantly becoming clear-headed.
His realm also began to soar: Body Refining Level Eight, Body Refining Level Nine, early Yellow Realm...
It only stopped at the peak of the Yellow Realm.