**Chapter 7: The Azure Cloud Wolf Pack**
Ye Jingyong was startled by the two's sudden shout, but quickly realized his mistake and sheepishly stepped back.
Ye Jingcheng and Ye Jingyu exchanged a glance before both turned their gaze to Ye Jingyong.
"Second Brother, even though family experience tells us that the chances of encountering a high-level demon beast are slim, we should still proceed with caution," Ye Jingyu advised.
"Jingli, let's have your Azure Scaled Snake probe ahead this time," Ye Jingyu suggested, turning to Ye Jingli.
Although the Flying Cloud Leopard would have been faster and better suited for scouting ahead, the Azure Scaled Snake was less powerful, making it more suitable for the task, as the stronger Flying Cloud Leopard would be better reserved for support.
Ye Jingli had no objections. Among the group, he and Ye Jingcheng were the weakest. If he didn't contribute now, he'd get a smaller share of the rewards later.
The Azure Scaled Snake, its body covered in blue scales, slithered slowly into the valley. It raised its head high, ready to strike at any moment. The thick scales left a winding trail as it made its way into the valley.
The two Flying Cloud Leopards, stationed at the entrance of the valley, stood guard with a menacing gleam in their eyes. It seemed that being back in this deep mountain valley had awakened their primal instincts. Even the Jade Ring Mouse on Ye Jingcheng's shoulder was on edge, its fur standing on end as it squeaked in alarm.
All four members of the group readied their magical artifacts. Ye Jingcheng held a blue sword, Ye Jingyu wielded a rare wind flag, Ye Jingyong brandished a wide heavy sword along with a magical seal, and Ye Jingli had a saber and a silver ring. Ye Jingcheng's equipment was the most modest, though he had prepared eight talismans, including two Windwalk Talismans, to cover offense, defense, and escape.
Ye Jingcheng stood poised, gripping the blue sword in one hand and a golden sword talisman in the other, his body in a ready stance.
Suddenly, the eerie howls of wolves echoed through the valley. Soon, within the range of their spiritual senses, a large pack of Azure Cloud Wolves emerged from the valley's depths.
These wolves, their bodies a deep azure that blended seamlessly with the surrounding shrubbery, moved with incredible speed, leaving streaks of blue light in their wake.
"This is bad—it's an Azure Cloud Wolf pack!" Ye Jingyu's face turned pale.
Though the Azure Cloud Wolves were individually only low-level demon beasts, equivalent to cultivators at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining, their vicious nature, combined with their speed and pack mentality, made them formidable adversaries. Even for a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, they were a daunting challenge.
Among the group, only Ye Jingyu was at the late stage of Qi Refining, while Ye Jingcheng and Ye Jingli were there mainly for support.
The Azure Scaled Snake, realizing it was about to be overtaken, turned to face the wolves and lashed out with its massive tail. However, despite its armored scales, the leading Azure Cloud Wolf swatted it aside, sending it tumbling several meters and leaving deep wounds where the scales had been ripped away.
Ye Jingyong gulped, thankful he hadn't charged in earlier; otherwise, he might have been the one sent flying.
"Everyone, give it your all! Use your talismans and aim for the lead wolf!" Ye Jingyu shouted, one hand controlling the array and the other urging the group to attack.
At this point, retreating was not an option. Their only hope was to use the narrow valley entrance and the array to their advantage.
Ye Jingyu calmly managed the situation. A large spiritual shield suddenly materialized at the valley entrance, blocking the wolves' advance. Then, with a wave of his wind flag, a fierce gust of wind surged toward the Azure Cloud Wolves.
The wolves' speed slowed as the wind battered them, giving the Azure Scaled Snake time to roll back into the shielded area, though it tried to retreat toward Ye Jingli.
Ye Jingyu sent out another gust of wind, forcing the snake to stay near the shield.
"Keep the Azure Scaled Snake by the shield! This is only a low-level array; it won't hold for long!" Ye Jingyu commanded.
The others unleashed a barrage of attacks. Ye Jingcheng released his golden sword talisman, which shot out a blinding beam of golden light, followed closely by his blue sword. The wolves dodged the golden sword but were caught by the blue sword, slicing one wolf open.
Ye Jingyong's heavy sword remained still, but he summoned a small seal that expanded into a massive stone, crashing down with a thunderous roar. Although the wolves were too fast for a direct hit, the impact sent shockwaves through the ground.
"Second Brother, just focus on preventing the wolves from targeting a single point!" Ye Jingyu shouted.
Ye Jingyong nodded. His artifact was powerful but not precise, making it more effective when combined with the array.
Ye Jingli then unleashed his flying saber and silver ring. The ring nearly caught a wolf, but another wolf fired a wind blade that knocked it off course. The flying saber also missed its target.
After a round of attacks, only Ye Jingcheng had managed to land a hit, slaying one wolf. The remaining wolves became more cautious, their eyes glinting with wariness as they prepared their next move.
[Translator: sauron]
The four spirit beasts charged at the wolves by the shield. Even the Jade Ring Mouse, small as it was, bared its sharp teeth and lunged at the wolves.
The difference in strength between the spirit beasts became immediately apparent. The two Flying Cloud Leopards quickly overpowered two wolves, dragging them into the array's protective barrier, where Ye Jingcheng and Ye Jingli finished them off with their flying sword and saber.
Meanwhile, the Jade Ring Mouse was swatted away by a wolf's claw, and the Azure Scaled Snake, already wounded, had part of its body ripped off, leaving it barely clinging to life.
Ye Jingli's eyes reddened with anger. Though the snake hadn't been with him long, he had spent 300 contribution points to acquire it. He quickly sped up his attacks.
Ye Jingcheng also threw more talismans. Ye Jingyu pulled out a pair of talismans, their surfaces glowing red with fiery patterns.
"High-grade Fire Rain Talismans!" Ye Jingcheng recognized Ye Jingyu's trump card.
The Fire Rain Talismans unleashed a torrent of fire upon the Azure Cloud Wolves, turning the area into a blazing inferno. Despite their speed, the wolves found it nearly impossible to escape.
As the fire rained down, Ye Jingyu swung his wind flag again, fanning the flames into an even fiercer blaze that engulfed nearly all the wolves, their howls of agony echoing through the valley.
But three mid-level Azure Cloud Wolves survived, charging straight at the spiritual shield. The shield shattered under their assault, scattering in a burst of blue light. The flames were extinguished by the force of the impact.
To make matters worse, Ye Jingli, in a moment of panic, had gone to retrieve his Azure Scaled Snake. The remaining wolves closed in on the group, their ferocity undiminished.
In the chaos, Ye Jingyu, weakened by the collapse of the array, could only muster a high-grade Heavenly Sword Talisman to slay one wolf, while Ye Jingyong's heavy sword was too slow to intercept the others. His small seal might even endanger Ye Jingli if he used it.
The two exchanged a glance, a flicker of despair in their eyes…