ebookslot Chapter 28 Taking advantage of the chaos to infiltrate the Wolf-devouring general
Chapter 28 Taking advantage of the chaos to infiltrate the Wolf-devouring general
The darkness of the cave was as thick as if it had been soaked in ink, even more so than the night outside the mountains, so dark that not even a sliver of starlight could penetrate. As soon as you stepped across the invisible boundary at the cave entrance, you felt a chilling, damp sensation rush up to you, clinging to your skin like a piece of silk soaked in cold water, its coolness seeping into your very bones.
This cave was like a secluded paradise, filtering out the sounds of the fierce battle between the demonic tiger and the pack of wolves outside the mountains. Only the echoes lingered on the cave walls, bobbing left and right, like countless invisible claws scratching at one's heart. Even clearer was the sound of dripping water—"drip, drip, drip"—falling from the stalactite tips hanging from the cave ceiling, splashing into the stone puddles below, creating tiny droplets of water. The sound was crisp, like a jade hairpin striking a porcelain plate, which seemed all the more chilling in the deathly silence.
As Lin Yan led Su Qingyao into the cave entrance, a stench of foulness, putridity, and demonic energy assaulted their senses. The stench was so thick it was almost unbearable, like overcooked medicine mixed with the cloying smell of rotting raw meat. It pierced their noses and throats, making their stomachs churn. Su Qingyao instinctively furrowed her brow, her nose twitched slightly, and she quickly pressed her slender white fingers to her lips to prevent a gag. She was a woman of pristine cleanliness, even choosing delicate incense; she had never experienced such a foul odor before.
She flicked her fingertips at the leather pouch at her waist, producing two fragrant pills the size of longans, wrapped in oiled paper. As she handed one to Lin Yan, her fingertips carried a slightly cool warmth. "Place it under your tongue, don't chew it. It's made with mint, borneol, and calming herbs; it can ward off this foul air and refresh your mind." Her voice was extremely low, her breath brushing against Lin Yan's ear like the softest down.
Lin Yan took the fragrant pill, feeling the smoothness of her fingertips. He noticed the pill's cool, warm texture and the subtle fragrance of herbs. Following her instructions, he placed it on his tongue, and a cool sensation immediately spread from the tip, sliding down his throat like a piece of ice. The stench he had felt earlier lessened considerably, and even his temples throbbed. His drowsy mind cleared considerably. He looked up at Su Qingyao, seeing that she also had a fragrant pill in her mouth. His brow relaxed slightly, and moonlight streamed in from the cave entrance, illuminating her face with a softer glow than usual.
"Let's go." His Adam's apple bobbed, his voice barely audible, and he took the lead, stepping into the cave. The cave entrance was wider than expected; three people could easily walk side by side. The rocks underfoot were worn smooth, but not naturally slippery; they were marks left by years of wolves' trampling, with patches of grayish-brown wolf fur and dried blood embedded in the uneven surfaces. Glimmering moss grew on the cave walls, faintly glowing green, like scattered stardust, barely illuminating the path ahead, yet casting long, swaying shadows that seemed to hide countless eyes within the cave.
"This moss was specially cultivated by the demon wolves," Lin Yan said softly as he walked, his gaze sweeping over the moss. "They fear the dark, yet dislike strong light; the light from this moss is just what they need." The map he had extracted from the demon wolves' memories clearly surfaced in his mind—after walking straight for fifty zhang from the main cave, it branched into three paths. The left path led to the dens of ordinary demon wolves, reeking of a foul stench; the right path was where blood crystals were refined, likely exuding a sulfurous, fiery aura; and deep within the middle path lay the lair of the wolf king and his generals, where the demonic energy should be the strongest. What they were looking for was the blood crystal on the right path and the secret ledger on the middle path.
The main cave was eerily quiet, not even the panting of the demon wolves could be heard. It seemed the battle outside the mountain was too fierce, and even the demon wolves left behind had been mobilized to fight. Lin Yan, however, dared not relax for a moment. He had witnessed the cunning of the demon wolves, especially that old wolf king, whose memory was sharper than a fox's. How could he truly be unguarded? He moved with extreme lightness, as if stepping on cotton, even deliberately slowing his breathing, leaving only the cool scent of the incense pills in his nostrils.
Sure enough, upon reaching the middle of the main cave, they heard soft snoring ahead, heavy and turbid, carrying a faint demonic aura. Lin Yan abruptly stopped, his right hand swiftly gesturing a "shush" sign behind him, then pointing to a shadowy spot on the cave wall. Su Qingyao understood, her steps halting as she glided into the shadows like a leaf, her fingertips already gripping the demon-locking needles in her pouch, her knuckles white from the force.
Lin Yan concealed his aura and moved forward along the cave wall like a stone. After passing a protruding stalactite—with some undried water stains still clinging to it, dripping coolly onto the back of his hand—he saw the demon wolf. It wasn't an ordinary blue-haired wolf; its fur was dark brown, like hemp thread soaked in ink. It was a size larger than a normal demon wolf, lying on a flat rock with its head tilted to the side, its paws resting in front of its body, but its ears twitched occasionally, like leaves rustling in the wind, clearly not truly fast asleep.
The wolf leader was at the late stage of Body Tempering. Lin Yan's heart sank. This kind of wolf leader was the backbone of the pack, lower in status than a wolf general, but a hundred times more loyal than an ordinary demon wolf, and the wolf king's most trusted guard. It seemed the fighting outside the mountain had been too fierce, even it was exhausted and was dozing here. He quietly retreated, making a few hand gestures to Su Qingyao—pointing at the wolf leader, then making a "sneak attack" gesture, and finally pressing down heavily, meaning "quick victory."
Su Qingyao nodded, taking out three demon-locking needles from her pouch. The silver needles gleamed coldly in the green light of the moss. She pinched the ends of the needles between her fingers, gently rubbing them with her fingertips—a technique she often used to make her strikes more stable. Lin Yan slowly drew the long sword from his back. The scabbard rubbed against his clothes, making a very soft "whoosh" sound. The blade reflected a cold arc in the green light, like an icicle.
The two men, one on the left and one on the right, circled around like two shadows. The distance grew closer and closer, ten zhang, five zhang, three zhang—Lin Yan could even see the white breath exhaled from the wolf leader's nostrils, carrying a fishy smell. Just then, the wolf leader's ears suddenly stopped twitching, as if frozen, and then its amber eyes snapped open, revealing a fierce glint.
Almost the instant it opened its eyes, Lin Yan's true energy exploded, unleashing his full [Swiftness] talent! His figure transformed into a gray shadow, his longsword aimed straight for the wolf leader's throat—the wolf's most vulnerable spot. But the wolf leader's reaction was far faster than he had anticipated; its head snapped back, and its front paws lashed out with a whooshing sound, the sharp nails gleaming with a black sheen, even sharper than a blade.
"Clang!" The sound of metal clashing against metal exploded in the cave, making Lin Yan's eardrums ache. A tremendous force surged from the blade, instantly numbing his hand as if he'd been electrocuted. He slid three steps backward, his heels slamming into a rock, causing him to wince in pain. This wolf leader was several times stronger than an ordinary late-stage Body Tempering demon wolf, only one step away from perfection!
"Awooo—" The wolf leader growled, its voice full of vigilance. It did not pounce immediately, but stared at Lin Yan, then glanced at Su Qingyao who came out from the side. Its amber eyes were full of doubt—how could these two humans have managed to sneak here so quietly and even dare to take the initiative?
"Quickly finish this!" Lin Yan shouted, knowing that the longer it dragged on, the more dangerous it would be. He pounced again, this time without a knife, his left hand forming a claw, aiming straight for the wolf leader's eye—using the most dangerous move to gain the fastest victory. The wolf leader clearly hadn't expected him to be so fearless, and instinctively turned his head. In that instant, Su Qingyao moved.
The three demon-sealing needles, like three silver threads, shot towards the wolf leader's foreleg joint with a whooshing sound. "Pfft, pfft, pfft," three soft sounds rang out as the needles pierced the flesh. Although they failed to completely seal its demonic power, they did cause its movements to falter, and its foreleg bent slightly, as if a tendon had been pulled out.
Now! Lin Yan's longsword swept horizontally, whistling as it slashed towards the wolf leader's waist—where the skin was thinnest. But this wolf leader was extremely experienced in combat; seeing the blade about to strike, it twisted its body, using the hardest part of its spine to block. With a clang, the longsword sliced a deep, bone-revealing wound into its back, and blood gushed out, splattering all over Lin Yan. The scalding blood felt like burning fire on his skin.
"Roar—" The excruciating pain completely enraged the wolf leader. It no longer held back, opening its mouth to spew out a cloud of black mist. The mist carried a pungent odor, and wherever it passed, the moss on the ground withered instantly, and the rocks sizzled as they were corroded. Lin Yan's heart tightened. This demonic energy was highly poisonous. He hurriedly retreated, but the black mist was too vast and was about to engulf him.
"Qingyao!" he shouted, his voice tinged with urgency. Su Qingyao was already prepared. She took out a light blue talisman from her pouch, pinched the talisman between her fingers, and flicked it. The talisman burst into flames in the air, transforming into a light blue shield that stood right in front of Lin Yan.
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle—" The black mist crashed into the light shield, making a corrosive sound that made your teeth ache. The light shield grew paler and paler, like a dried flower, but it ultimately blocked the attack. Lin Yan seized this fleeting opportunity, activated his [Swiftness] talent again, and moved like a ghost to the side of the wolf leader, his left hand digging into the wound on its waist.
With a "plop," his fingertips sank into warm flesh, and thick blood flowed down between his fingers. Lin Yan didn't care at all. He roared, "Soul Devouring Body - Activate!" His gray-black true essence circulated wildly, and his left hand seemed to turn into a vortex, with a terrifying suction force emanating from his fingertips.
"Roar?!" The wolf leader's eyes widened instantly, filled with terror—it felt its blood, demonic power, and even its very life essence flowing out of its wounds, like water bursting its banks, all rushing into the human's body. It struggled desperately, trying to shake off Lin Yan, but Su Qingyao's second wave of demon-locking needles arrived, this time targeting its hind leg joints. With two "thuds," the wolf leader's hind legs buckled, and it collapsed to the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Lin Yan gripped his wound tightly, pressing his entire body against the wolf leader, channeling his Soul-Devouring Body to its full potential. The essence of the late-stage Body Tempering Demon Wolf was far more abundant than that of the previous Shadow Wolf. His gray-black true energy surged through his meridians like a rising tide, each surge widening them further. The vortex in his dantian spun wildly, growing larger and larger until it almost filled the entire dantian. The barrier to perfect Body Tempering was now within reach.
The wolf leader's struggles grew weaker and weaker, the light in its amber eyes gradually dimmed, its body visibly withered, its once glossy fur turned yellow and dry, its muscles shrank back, until only a skin and bones remained. Lin Yan released his grip, slowly stood up, and felt a surge of power within him. With a flick of his wrist, the wind whipped up by his longsword was stronger than before. His dark gray true energy flowed through his meridians, each cycle strengthening his physical body.
His body tempering was complete and firmly established. He could even sense the barrier to the Profound Realm right before him, just one opportunity, a life-or-death moment, was needed to break through.
"How was it?" Su Qingyao walked over, her voice tinged with concern. Her cheeks were flushed from the tension, and fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead, clung to a few stray hairs. Lin Yan stretched his arms, feeling the power within him, and smiled: "Very good. Just one step away from reaching the Profound Realm."
A hint of surprise flashed in Su Qingyao's eyes. She remembered that Lin Yan had only reached the peak of Body Tempering a few days ago, and now he had already stabilized and perfected it. But thinking of his strange devouring ability, she felt it made sense. She pointed to the wolf corpse on the ground: "It's guarding this place, which means there must be something important inside."
"Okay." Lin Yan nodded. "Let's split up. You go to the Blood Crystal Stone crafting point on the right, and I'll go to the Wolf King's Den in the middle. We'll meet here in an incense stick's time." Su Qingyao replied with an "okay," turned around, and walked towards the right fork in the road. Her skirt swept across the moss on the ground, leaving a shallow mark.
The fork in the path was wider and smoother than the main cave, clearly the route the wolf king frequently took. The moss on the cave walls was denser, and the green light was brighter, illuminating the path ahead clearly. Lin Yan walked very steadily, his divine sense spreading out, wary of possible traps—the wolf king was meticulous and would never leave its lair undefended. Yet, along the way, there wasn't a single guard, suggesting that all its forces had indeed been diverted outside the mountains.
After walking about twenty zhang, the space suddenly opened up, revealing a cavern about ten zhang square. In the center of the cavern, there was a thick layer of dry animal hides and withered grass. This was the wolf king's den, which was about three zhang wide. Scattered around it were a few faintly glowing minerals and some unknown herbs. The most shocking sight was several mutilated human skeletons.
The skeletons were fresh; the flesh on the bones had been gnawed clean, yet they were arranged neatly, clearly having been deliberately "treated." Lin Yan's eyes turned cold, his fingertips trembling slightly—these must be the people of Blackstone Town. He suppressed his anger and began searching the cave. The wolf king's lair was simple, with nothing superfluous. Soon, in a corner of the lair, he found a cabinet carved from rock, covered with a flat stone slab, on which was engraved a totem of a demon wolf.
He lifted the stone slab, and a faint scent of ink wafted out—not demonic, but the smell of human ink. Inside were three ledgers, several animal-hide letters, and an iron box. Lin Yan picked up a ledger, his fingertips brushing against the yellowed pages. The handwriting was crooked and uneven, but it was human. The records were far more detailed than the one found in the town mayor's mansion, even specifying the names of those who performed sacrifices, the dates, and the distribution of blood crystals.
The animal-hide letter was written by Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang, filled with lewd talk like "pleasant cooperation" and "more young boys and girls needed for the next sacrifice." What alarmed him most was a letter mentioning "Captain Liu of Qingzhou Prefecture," saying that the other party was very satisfied with the blood crystal and was willing to continue protecting them. The evidence was complete.
Lin Yan stuffed the account book, letters, and iron box into his cloth bag. Just as he was about to turn around, he caught a glimpse of something glowing grayish-white in the shadows at the edge of the lair. He walked over, brushed aside some rubble, and revealed a palm-sized bone fragment. It was grayish-white in color and looked quite old, its surface covered with tiny demonic runes, older and more complex than the ones he had found at the altar. Although he couldn't understand them, he could feel the ancient aura emanating from the bone fragment, as if he were touching a time from a thousand years ago.
He carefully put away the bone fragments and, without further delay, hurried towards the fork in the road. As soon as he arrived, he saw Su Qingyao standing there, her cloth bag bulging, her face pale but with a hint of excitement. "Did you find it?" Lin Yan asked.
"Found it." Su Qingyao nodded, her voice trembling slightly. She opened the cloth bag, revealing more than a dozen blood-red crystals and some broken tools. "There were more than a dozen finished products in the Blood Crystal manufacturing site, I took them all, and the tools were destroyed. And... look at this." She took out a fragment of a black stone tablet from the bag, only the size of a book, with jagged edges, as if it had been violently smashed. Its surface was covered with demonic script, but at the very top were several ancient human characters—【The War of Sealing Demons - Chronicle】.
Lin Yan's pupils constricted sharply. He reached out and caught the fragment, his fingertips touching the coolness of the stone tablet. The ancient characters seemed to come alive, flickering before his eyes. "This is..."
"Fragments of an ancient stone tablet." Su Qingyao's voice trembled slightly. "It records the events of the Demon-Sealing War, and the location of the sealed spiritual veins. Look here," she pointed to a few lines of demonic script on the fragment, "It says, 'Twelve Mahayana Realm experts sacrificed themselves to form an array, suppressing the Demon Emperor west of Kunlun. The spiritual veins are the lock, the human heart is the key…' West of Kunlun, isn't that near Canglang Mountain?"
Lin Yan frowned, his mind in turmoil—Canglang Mountain was not only the lair of demon wolves and the source of blood crystals, but also the entrance to the ancient demon-sealing battlefield! No wonder the people behind Chen Fuhai and his group valued this place so much; what they wanted was far more than just blood crystals.
"We'll talk about that later." Lin Yan suppressed the turmoil in his heart. "Let's get out of here first. The great battle outside should be over. We need to get back to Blackstone Town before dawn." Su Qingyao nodded, and the two turned and walked towards the cave entrance.
As soon as they reached the main cave, they saw flickering flames near the entrance—the flames of the demonic tiger, already reaching the cave entrance. A wave of heat hit them, carrying a burnt smell. The howls of the wolf pack weakened, like candles flickering in the wind. Lin Yan, pulling Su Qingyao along, quickened their pace and rushed out of the cave.