**Chapter 8: The Deer Herd Hidden Inside**
In the nick of time, the two saw a massive Fireball spell being unleashed at the two wolves!
The spell exploded instantly, sending intense heat and flames, which blasted Ye Jingli several meters away and created a large crater.
The two mid-level Azure Cloud Wolves were in a terrible state, their chests blown open to reveal charred organs.
Ye Jingyong quickly followed up with a magical seal, smashing the two wolves into a mess of blood and flesh, ensuring they were thoroughly dead.
Ye Jingcheng also used his Blue Stream Sword to slay the remaining injured Azure Cloud Wolves that were howling in agony from the fire, leaving behind a field of wolf corpses.
They were about to ask Ye Jingcheng why he had a high-grade Fireball Talisman when, suddenly, they were stunned to see a fiery-red fox with sky-blue eyes and a tail like a blazing flame standing before them.
"Is that a mid-grade Red Flame Fox?" Ye Jingyu was puzzled.
If the Jade Ring Mouse grew quickly due to a spirit pill, then this Red Flame Fox's growth was remarkable!
At that moment, they even wondered if Ye Jingcheng was refining other spirit pills.
"It shouldn't be a newly born fox; otherwise, how could it be poisoned?" Ye Jingcheng said, revealing a prepared explanation.
Ye Jingyu nodded, though he remained skeptical, having seen similar situations before.
"Sixth Brother, are you alright?" Ye Jingcheng shifted his focus to Ye Jingli.
Ye Jingli looked somewhat disheveled, still recovering from the recent danger.
"Thank you, Second Brother and Fourth Brother Jingcheng!" Ye Jingli said, his eyes showing a mix of shame and gratitude.
If it weren't for the three of them, he might have been a pile of blood and mud.
"Sixth Brother, you're going to be a weapon smith in the future. The Azure Scaled Snake is tough, so don't worry too much," Ye Jingcheng said, patting him on the back.
Ye Jingli brushed off the dust on his clothes and looked at the dying Azure Scaled Snake. He knew the reality, but with only five layers of Qi Refining, spending 300 contribution points was a significant investment. He was unwilling to just abandon it.
Ye Jingyu started setting up another array, which reassured Ye Jingcheng greatly. Despite their relatively low cultivation levels and the fact that they were on the outer edge of the Taihang Mountains, the array was their only security against potential high-level demon beasts.
Ye Jingyong began collecting the Azure Cloud Wolf corpses, using Water Ball spells to extinguish the flames. They were after these demon beasts for a reason. The wolf fur could be used for crafting talismans, the blood for ink, and the beast skin as talisman paper. The wolf claws and fangs were valuable for weapon crafting, and even the meat could feed their spirit beasts.
Today's battle had been a great success. Besides the two Flying Cloud Leopards, the Azure Scaled Snake and the Red Flame Fox had proven to be invaluable.
Ye Jingyong tore off four pieces of spirit beast meat and the Azure Cloud Wolves' entrails, tossing them to the two Flying Cloud Leopards and the Red Flame Fox. The Jade Ring Mouse and Azure Scaled Snake, both injured, could not eat.
The two Flying Cloud Leopards eagerly devoured the spirit beast meat, fighting over each piece, while the Red Flame Fox remained behind Ye Jingcheng, watching him intently but refusing to eat.
"Little Flame, go ahead and eat!" Ye Jingcheng said, noticing the Red Flame Fox's gaze. He had named it "Little Flame."
[Translator: sauron]
Only then did Little Flame cautiously begin to eat, though its eyes remained fixed on the valley.
"Sixth Brother, I have a few Blood Essence Pills here," Ye Jingcheng said, seeing Ye Jingli's lingering disappointment. He took out several pills.
He crouched down, holding the Azure Scaled Snake's head and feeding it the pills. At the same time, he used some spiritual light from ancient books to aid its recovery.
He didn't dare use too many, given the snake's severe injuries. The Blood Essence Pills were meant to replenish its vitality and nourishment.
"Jingcheng, don't waste them. The Azure Scaled Snake is beyond saving!" Ye Jingli shook his head, but Ye Jingcheng had already fed all the pills to the snake.
The snake's severed tail began to scab over and stop bleeding. Its head slowly lifted, though it remained weak.
"Sixth Brother, there's still hope! This spirit beast isn't like an ordinary snake!" Ye Jingcheng reassured him. Ye Jingli noticed the snake had indeed improved slightly.
Ye Jingli quickly retrieved two Spirit Nourishment Pills from his storage bag and fed them to the Azure Scaled Snake, carefully putting it away. He was deeply grateful.
"Jingcheng, Sixth Brother doesn't know how to express his gratitude. Rest assured, when we return, I'll make you a magical artifact!" Ye Jingli said, patting his chest.
Ye Jingcheng tried to decline, but Ye Jingli was adamant.
Meanwhile, Ye Jingyong had finished organizing the wolf corpses.
"Fourth Brother, Sixth Brother, Jingcheng, we've killed five mid-grade Azure Cloud Wolves and twenty-three low-grade ones!" he reported, thrilled by their success.
"Additionally, there should be about ten that escaped into the valley."
"Let's recover first. Besides the Azure Cloud Wolves, there should be other spirit beasts in the valley, otherwise there wouldn't be so many wolves," Ye Jingyu added.
The Azure Cloud Wolves' value was around ten spirit stones for mid-grade ones and four for low-grade ones. This battle yielded about 150 spirit stones. However, considering the spirit beasts' meat needed for their own beasts, the actual profit was higher.
The per capita spirit stone gain was around fifty stones.
Of course, the valley's rewards were not limited to this. As they looked into the valley, they saw injured Azure Cloud Wolves being chased out by a herd of Long-Eared Deer, which were angrily pushing outwards.
"Fourth Brother, we've struck gold! The spirit horns of these Long-Eared Deer are perfect for brewing spirit wine, and their hides can be used for crafting soft armor. Each one is worth more spirit stones than the Azure Cloud Wolves!" Ye Jingyong exclaimed with excitement.
Cultivators have limited spiritual senses. The four were eager to rush in and slay all the Long-Eared Deer and bring them back.
"Second Brother, don't rush. The Long-Eared Deer are also formidable, with some being mid-grade demon beasts. While their combat power isn't as strong as the Azure Cloud Wolves, they can still cause damage if they charge. Use the Fireball spell to force the remaining Azure Cloud Wolves to fight them!" Ye Jingyu advised once more.
(End of Chapter)