“Looks like we’ve got company,” Shen Yuan said with a calm smirk, taking out Tyrant’s Wrath from the tattoo. “Stay sharp. These beasts are fast and their attacks can burn through normal Qi defense.”
His mind then changed as he looked at the two of them, “Hmm, Ling’er, you will handle three of the wolves, Qingyu, you will handle the Alpha. I will take care of the rest, got it?”
“Yes!” Wan Ling excitedly nodded as she felt sweet in her heart when Shen Yuan called out her name.
Han Qingyu looked at Wan Ling and felt annoyed. “Yes,” she said, nodding her head looking at Shen Yuan and flexing her spear before heading towards the alpha.
Shen Yuan chuckled, looking at the two of them. His eyes shined with confidence as he raised his Tyrant’s Wrath.
“Let’s make this quick,” he said, stepping towards the group of hounds.
The pack of flame hounds growled as they lunged forward, their fiery forms leaving tails of fire on the rocky terrain.
Wan Ling gripped her sword tightly, the blade glowing with radiant light infused with her Radiant Qi. Shen Yuan allowed three flame hounds to get past him as they darted toward her, their molten eyes blazing with hostility.
“Let’s see how you handle this,” Wan Ling muttered under her breath, channeling her Qi into the sword.
She dashed forward with a burst of speed, her sword slashing in a precise arc.
“Radiant Lotus Slash!” she yelled, releasing a crescent of Radiant light from her blade.
The radiant energy collided with one of the flame hounds, searing its fiery body and causing it to yelp in pain as its form wavered.
The other two hounds lunged at her, their fiery claws slashing toward her.
Wan Ling sidestepped quickly, using her agility to avoid the attack.
Her movements were fluid as she spun on the spot and struck again, each strike releasing bursts of radiant light that burned the beasts’ flaming forms.
However, the flame hounds wouldn’t die down easily. One lunged at her with its maw wide open, flames erupting from its jaws.
Wan Ling’s eyes narrowed slightly as she activated a defensive technique from her sect.
“Radiant Lotus Shield!” A glowing lotus bloomed around her, intercepting the hound’s fiery attack and reflecting the flames back at it.
With a swift block, she thrust her sword into the hound’s chest, its body dissipating into flickering embers.
“One down,” she said with an icy tone, turning her attention to the remaining two.
…
Han Qingyu faced the Alpha Flame Hound, her silver eyes shined as she activated her Azure Phoenix Physique.
Her dual-element Qi—wind and fire—manifested around her, creating a vortex of searing flames and slicing winds.
The Alpha hound growled, its fiery mane burning brighter as it charged at her with incredible speed.
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Han Qingyu met its charge head-on, thrusting her spear forward with a burst of wind-imbued Qi.
“Azure Tempest Strike!” The spear’s tip glowed with azure light as a powerful gust of wind shot forward, colliding with the Alpha Hound and pushing it back. The beast growled, shaking off the attack as it circled her, its molten eyes glowing with intelligence.
“You are much stronger than the Mist Shades,” Han Qingyu said, a smirk forming on her lips. “Good. I was getting bored of them.”
The Alpha Hound roared and leaped into the air, flames erupting from its body as it descended on her like a meteor. Han Qingyu spun her spear, channeling both her elements into a single, focused strike.
“Azure Phoenix Lance!” she shouted, her spear surrounded by a vortex of fire and wind. She thrust it upward, meeting the Alpha Hound’s fiery descent.
The two of them clashed mid-air, creating a shockwave that sent sparks and embers flying in all directions.
The Alpha Hound landed heavily, its fiery mane dimming slightly from the impact of the attack. Han Qingyu didn’t let up, using her agility to close the distance between them.
She unleashed a series of rapid strikes, her spear burning with fiery energy, which was infused with Wind Qi, and overwhelmed the Alpha Hound’s defenses.
With a final, decisive strike, she pierced the Alpha Hound’s chest, the beast letting out a bestial roar before its body dissolved into embers, leaving only a glowing crystal.
…
Shen Yuan stood in the center of the pack, ten flame hounds circling him, their fiery bodies radiating intense heat around him.
He twirled Tyrant’s Wrath in his hand, the spear crackling with thunder as he smirked.
“Alright, let’s get started,” he said confidently, stepping forward.
The first flame hound lunged at him, but Shen Yuan avoided it by sidestepping effortlessly, swinging his spear in a wide arc.
Lightning surged from the spear, striking the hound and reducing it to embers instantly.
Another three charged at him simultaneously, their claws glowing with molten energy. Shen Yuan planted his spear into the ground with a thud, releasing a burst of Thunder Qi that sent arcs of lightning surging outward. The bolts struck the hounds, their fiery forms shattering under the overwhelming power at once.
“Four down,” he muttered, gripping his spear tightly as the remaining hounds circled him cautiously.
One of the hounds attempted to flank him, only for Shen Yuan’s sharp eyes to catch the movement. With a swift motion, he thrust Tyrant’s Wrath into the ground and activated one of its abilities.
“Thunderfield Domain!”
The area around him crackled with electricity, forming a dome of lightning that trapped the remaining hounds. The beasts howled in pain as the lightning coursed through their bodies, their forms flickering and fading.
Shen Yuan stepped forward, his spear glowing brightly as he channeled his Thunder Intent into the spear for a final strike.
“Heavenly Thunder Spear!”
He leapt into the air, bringing his spear down with a thunderous roar. The impact sent a massive bolt of lightning surging through the ground, obliterating the remaining hounds in a brilliant flash of light.
As the lightning subsided, Shen Yuan stood amidst the rocky terrain, the ground scorched and crackling with residual Thunder Qi.
He turned to see Wan Ling and Han Qingyu finishing up with their battles, both of them won without injuries but were visibly fatigued.
“Good work,” Shen Yuan said, walking over to them with Tyrant’s Wrath resting on his shoulder. “How are you holding up?”
Wan Ling wiped the sweat from her brow as she replied to him with a smile despite her exhaustion. “Senior Brother, I handled them just fine.”
Han Qingyu gave a small nod, her silver eyes gleaming with pride. “The Alpha wasn’t much of a challenge.”
Shen Yuan chuckled softly. “Of course, he wasn’t, you both were in the same cultivation stage, while Ling’er had to fight one major stage above and multiple beasts at that.”
Wan Ling’s eyes lit up at Shen Yuan’s recognition as she smiled sweetly, Han Qingyu gave Wan Ling a side eye as she pulled out a glowing crystal.
“Brother Yuan, that Alpha Hound dropped it, do you know what it is?”
Shen Yuan curiously took the crystal and observed it carefully, “Oh? Mutated Beast Core? Those are quite rare in the outside world, but in extreme environments like this, they can indeed be found.”