Ren Guang buried an arrow half-length into the soil. Under the cover of foliage, he ran to another tree to do the same, and another one, and another one.
The ropes were pulled taut between the arrows, masked from view among the dense leaves, but very low near the ground that they won't be able to trip the bears. So if they screwed up, the trap won't be destroyed. Thus giving them another chance to try again.
While he was busy setting up the trap, the two Wu brothers were facing an imminent crisis. They could only running around in circles or rolling on the ground while occasionally using their shield to parry the needle shots.
"Have you done?"
Wu Yong transmitted a message while leaping high to a tree. He quickly ducked behind his shield when his feet gained a footing on a branch. His shield groaned with a grating metallic sound under the needle barrages.
Luckily the emerald light emitted by the shield did a good job to lighten its burden. If it was an ordinary metal shield it would have been filled with holes.
It was also very lucky that they met spirit beasts opponents with low intelligence. The Black Pangolin Bears can be said to have just graduated from ordinary beasts. They have the power but not the effective way to use it.
If they were human cultivators, they would have attacked with more coordination, capitalizing on their superior cultivation base. But the bears were completely led by the nose by Wu Feng and the others. They can only rolling around chasing them and shooting needles, completely predictable and easy to dodge.
Wu Yong panted heavily in a tree not far away. The bears rolling around on the ground, randomly attacking the trees they were on.
"Done." Ren Guang messaged back.
"Bait them here. Match your timing so they can get here together."
Wu Feng and Wu Yong cheerfully agreed. But they did not dare to carelessly jump down. Instead they threw some knives down and shouted loudly to further agitate the bears.
"Now!" Wu Feng jumped to another tree, followed by Wu Yong.
The bears were rolling forward with renewed vigor. Some small trees in their way were felled.
"Ah!"
Wu Yong faltered in mid-air. A needle had made its way through one of his legs.
Wu Feng jumped back to him with a shield covering his front. He grabbed Wu Yong's arm then swung him to the tree in mid-air. But by doing so he lost his momentum.
"Crap."
His body fell down to the ground, in front of the Black Hedgehog Bears that were eagerly waiting for a chance to bulldoze these brats to their death.
Wu Feng can not think anything to save himself from this unexpected predicament. He scanned the rolling bears in front, trying to find a gap between them to slip into to no avail.
But when the barrage of the needles arrived near his shield, he had a flash of inspiration. He jumped back as soon as the needles touched his glowing shield, borrowing the momentum to gain some distance.
With the additional window of breathing room, Wu Yong got a chance to throw a lasso to snare Wu Feng's body.
"Haha, got you!"
He laughed with glee, unaware of the black lines filling his brother's forehead.
Wu Yong jumped to another tree branch while Wu Feng freed himself from the rope with a shake of his body after he arrived on top of a tree branch.
Ren Guang swallowed back his scream from the distance and inhaled a deep breath of relief. He continued to observe the Wu brother's track with his hand tightly gripped a long rope.
The Black Hedgehog Bears that were losing their prey roared angrily. But they can not do anything other than rolling and shooting needles. They wanted to climb up the trees, but they can not agilely jump from trees to trees.
"Stupid bear, catch me if you can! If not just obediently roll back to your smelly caves!" Wu Yong shouted loudly while throwing another knife infused with qi.
The bears shot needles as the answer.
By this time they have reached the designated place.
Ren Guang was watching from behind the tree up ahead. When the Wu brothers arrived near the tree, they jumped down then run to it. Wu Feng carried Wu Yong on his shoulder. The Black Hedgehog Bears were closing fast from behind.
When they were only five meters apart from the bears, Ren Guang pulled the rope he was holding on strongly.
An arrow which the rope tied to was snapped in two. The qi infused into the arrow beforehand reacted to trigger the Lightning Coiled in Ring spiritual array engraved in the arrow.
A ripple of lightning ring blossomed, followed by rings upon rings of lightning from another ten arrows planted in half circle around the area. Azure lights bloomed creating a beautiful scene as if the water of a calm lake rippled with crisscrossing circles of waves when a stone is thrown into its surface.
The azure light illuminating the dark night brightly, scorching the bodies of the Black Hedgehog Bears impact upon impact. When the third impact came crashing down, their thick hides could not protect them from the attacks on the caliber of Foundation Establishment realm cultivator.
The surrounding trees and grasses were burnt with azure flame, as if a water spring suddenly bursted out, flooding the area and made it into a lake.
Alas, perfection is hard to achieve in battle. Even a perfect plan can have flaws and the ever-changing battlefield is always unpredictable.
Two Black Hedgehog Bears that were at the most behind of their charge were roll-jumping high in the air when they got surprised by the lightning approaching them. As a result, they were now spinning in the air towards Wu Feng and company. They were lucky to escape the lightning net because they were behind the others and have more time to dodge.
"They can do that?" Wu Yong's widened in amazement.
"Your sister's hedgehog!" Wu Feng cursed strangely upon witnessing the unreal scene.
"Any plan?!" Ren Guang screamed.
"RUN!" Wu Feng and Wu Yong shouted together.
"Aiyoo, wait brother. My leg hurts!" Wu Yong was jumping with his healthy leg.
Wu Feng quickly caught him then ran away swiftly like the wind.
"Damn it!" Ren Guang who did not want to be left behind started running too.
The Black Hedgehog Bears were frightened out of their mind, but upon seeing that their prey were running away, they got their confidence back. They were actually only at the sixth level of Qi Condensation.
The chase continued.
"How... Pant, pant."
"Many... Pant, pant."
"Arrows... Pant, pant."
Wu Feng asked with heavy breathing. By this time he already shifted Wu Yong to his back.
"Eleven... Pant, pant."
"Still seven... Pant, pant."
Ren Guang replied. His back already drenched with sweat and his legs were heavy. He took out the arrows and returned them to Wu Feng.
"Damn... those... Hedgehog... Pant, pant."
Wu Feng's heart was bleeding. He had wasted many Lightning Coiled in Ring arrows just to kill a few Qi Condensation real spirit beasts. It couldn't be helped though, the lightning range was too small. To ensure all of the bears would be caught in the trap, many arrows were needed.
And those beasts were scorched black and burned until there was nothing harvestable from their carcasses.
"This is... Pant, pant."
"Such a... Pant, pant."
"Losing trip... Pant, pant."
He grumbled.
Wu Yong that was having it rather easy on his brother's back got irritated by this overly spoiled kid. But he has to be thankful. If not for the arrows they might have already been killed by now, became a dinner for those bears.
"Shut up. Just think how we will deal with them."
This time though, the Black Hedgehog Bears were chasing them while keeping their distance. The lightning from before was still vivid in their mind.
By this time, a voice suddenly transmitted to them.
"Brothers, run here. Follow me."
"Huh, Yang Xiu? You were here?" Ren Guang asked in surprise.
"It's me. Quick, follow me!"
They turned to the direction where Yang Xiu transmitted his voice.
"Where are Leng Jing and Zhang He?" Wu Feng asked skeptically.
Yang Xiu replied while running when they have arrived near him.
"They were just up ahead. Leng Jing prepared a surprise for all of you."
Wu Feng raised his eyebrows. "Heh, what surprise? Why do you not go back to the sect instead?"
Yang Xiu only gave a mysterious grin. "Hehe... It's a secret. You will find out later."
They jumped from tree branches to tree branches. The Black Hedgehog Bears still did not give up, adamant on venting their anger and hunger in the prey they already invested their efforts heavily.
The other spirit beasts and animals in the vicinity have all ran away from the commotion and aura emitted in their battle.
The moon was already low on the horizon. They have ran and battled for almost an entire night. Their body was near their limit.
They might be able to fight back against sixth level Qi Condensation spirit beast, but they do not want to risk it in their exhausted state.
Moreover what Yang Xiu said gave them hope. Did the reinforcements have arrived? Maybe the sect had noticed the commotion in the forest and send help.
Although it was unlikely. They would not waste their attention and energy on the forest filled with Qi Condensation realm spirit beasts.
"We are here!" Yang Xiu shouted.
Wu Yong looked around from a tree branch.
"Where are Leng Jing and Zhang He?" He asked.
"I am here. Follow Yang Xiu." A voice transmitted over.
They were alternating between jumping on the trees and running on the ground. Suddenly Yang Xiu shouted, "five meters ahead, jump as far as you can!"
They followed his instruction. The Black Hedgehog Bears were rolling behind them. Suddenly,
Crash!
The bears fell to a wide and deep pit hole on the ground along with soils and tree branches that were used to cover it. The Black Hedgehog Bears tried to roll back to the surface in vain. They then unrolled and started to climb with their sharp claws.
"Shoot them! Quick!" Ren Guang was given a scare amidst his relief.
"No need to remind me."
Wu Feng took out his bow and Lightning Coiled in Ring arrows then shot the Black Hedgehog Bears. The three impacts of lightning successfully burned them down.
On the horizon, the golden rays of the sun rained down upon the land.