They had been fighting for nearly Thirty minutes now. The injuries had piled on and the members of the Hei corps were getting tired. Even if they were cultivators, they were still fighting spirit beasts and were using their spirit qi.
Although they were not using any qi skills, they were still using spirit qi to strengthen their body and amplify their attacks. Thus their spirit qi was still being consumed. In addition to this, their spirit qi was also being used to suppress their injuries.
The team was severely out-manned and had only survived until now because of Lin Mu and Hei Yingjie. Lin Mu would assist them whenever they were in a pinch and Hei Yingjie would also spare a little attention to slaughter a few stray steel back wolves in addition to the Alpha steel back wolf that he was fighting.
Still, even Hei Yingjie had gotten some injuries now. The most severe being the one on his saber wielding arm. A large bite wound could be seen, from which blood was dripping. It looked unusual for a wound as big as that, since the bleeding should have been severe.
It was evident that Hei Yingjie was using some kind of unknown skill to suppress the wound from excessively bleeding. But even that was now taking its toll on him, as the Alpha steel back wolf was not backing down at all.
Hei Yingjie had expected that the alpha steel back wolf would retreat once it saw that many of its kin were killed, but the reality turned out to be the opposite. Instead, the Alpha was now intensifying his attacks and was actually getting faster.
Lin Mu had also borne some injuries, but he was still well compared to others. He was especially lucky as he had been able to block two dangerous attacks to his torso. He was saved because of the multiple layers of leather armors he was wearing.
While the leather armor only covered his chest and not the other parts of his body, it was still five of them being stacked on top of each other. This made them thick enough that they were able to stop a claw attack of qi refining realm steel back wolf and the bite of another one.
But as a result of that, Lin Mu's clothes were now torn in multiple places and his outer robe was completely gone. Now the shredded stack of leather armors on his body could be clearly seen.
"We can't let this go on, the others won't be able to last long." Lin Mu shouted to Hei Yingjie.
Lin Mu did a quick scan of the surroundings and observed that the number of steel back wolf corpses had reached more than seventy and yet they were still coming. Hei Yingjie also had sweat dripping down on his forehead now, as he swiftly glanced around.
'This is much worse than I thought. This steel back wolf is abnormally strong, it's as if it has the strength of late stage of the core condensation realm even though it's clearly at the early stage.' Hei Yingjie thought.
"If their numbers don't start reducing soon, we'll retreat. I'll try to make an opening." Hei Yingjie shouted.
But as soon as he said this, the Alpha steel back wolf as if having understood his words started growling. It retreated a short distance, giving a slight chance for Hei Yingjie to rest. Taking this chance, he killed five more steel back wolves that were troubling the members of his team.
Hei Yingjie refocused his attention on the Alpha steel back wolf and saw that it was acting strange. It had its limbs tensed up and was growling to itself as if in pain.
~HOWLLLLLL~
The Alpha steel back wolf suddenly raised its head and let out an ear piercing howl. Its body started trembling and veins bulged out of its skin. Its eyes turned red and saliva started dripping out of its mouth.
Hei Yingjie couldn't tell what was happening and why it was doing this. Lin Mu instinctively turned around because of the ear-piercing howl.
"What the hell was that?!" Lin Mu exclaimed and looked at the Alpha steel back wolf.
Even the other steel back wolves seemed to be affected by the howl of the Alpha wolf and seemed to be startled. Some of the weaker ones even seemed to be scared and were whining in fear. Lin Mu looked at the conditions of the others and felt confused.
"What's happening?" Lin Mu wondered.
"The Beast, it has awakened its bloodline ability! You have to be extremely careful, you may have to run as Hei Yingjie may not be able to handle it!" Xukong spoke with urgency.
Lin Mu's eyes went wide with shock as he heard Senior Xukong's warning. He had heard about the bloodlines of the beasts and knew that they had their unique abilities. Not every beast had it, but all had to potential to awaken one.
The steel back wolves were relatively low in the hierarchy of the beasts thus were not as likely to awaken it. But since this Alpha steel back wolf had reached the core condensation realm, it had awakened one.
"Do you know what ability it is senior?" Lin Mu questioned.
"No, there are far too many similar abilities and it could have awakened any one from its bloodline. The range is too far wide. All you can do right now is closely observe." Xukong answered.
Lin Mu heard Senior Xukong's words and gritted his teeth.
"Careful, it has awakened its bloodline ability!" Lin Mu shouted for everyone to hear.
Hei Yingjie felt cold sweat appear on his back after he heard Lin Mu's warning. He knew of bloodline abilities but would have never expected that a steel back wolf would awaken one. He immediately retreated some distance away and locked his sight on the Alpha wolf.
~Howl~
The Alpha steel back wolf let out another howl and was now looking at Hei Yingjie. Its muscles that were bulging before had now reduced instead. While it was the same height as before, it was now slimmer. Whatever process it was going through had completed, and now it was ready.
Hei Yingjie looked at the now changed Alpha steel back wolf. While one would think that its presence should have reduced now that it was smaller in size, it was not so. Instead, its presence and aura had multiplied and were now bigger than before.
Hei Yingjie could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand. He had been in many life threatening situations before and was very experienced. He had not felt a feeling like this in a long time. Even when he was disguised deep into enemy territory, he never flinched. But now, here in front of a beast that had a lower cultivation base than him, he was feeling fear.
'Something very unnatural is happening in the northern forest. First the bear beast and now this? Is the invader the cause of this too?' Hei Yingjie thought as he gripped his saber hard.
Hei Yingjie then withdrew a pill from his storage treasure and popped it in his mouth. In the next second, under the effects of the pill that he had just eaten, the wounds on his body started to heal.
Hei Yingjie looked dead in the eyes of the Alpha steel back wolf, before he spoke, "Run. I'll stop it."
Lin Mu heard his words but did not react at that moment. He was too engrossed in fighting the foes that were currently in front of him. Still, even if Lin Mu had not heard the words didn't mean that the other members of the Hei Corps had not.
While most of them were fighting and holding off the steel back wolves, some of them still heard the words of Hei Yingjie. Their expressions turned strained and they gritted their teeth in frustration. Frustration that they were weak and were now suffering under the attack of mere beasts.
They looked at Lin Mu, who was fearlessly fighting against the steel back wolves without even flinching and then at their companions. They felt ashamed at the fear and doubt that they were feeling. They felt as if the resolve that they had while joining the Hei corps was no more.
They felt as if they were disappointing their lord, who had helped them in their toughest times. Times in their life which they preferred to forget and were not proud of. It was in those times that their lord had come as a savior and saved them from desolation.
"I am incredibly sorry Senior, but I cannot obey your orders." One of the members spoke.
Seeing that one of them had spoken up others made up their mind as well.
"Me neither Senior. I shan't leave you here."
"We came under the lord together and together we shall perish." The last of them spoke together.
In the few moments that Hei Yingjie had, he didn't know what to think of his subordinate's words. On one hand, he was frustrated that they were not listening to his orders and saving their lives, and on the other, he was proud and overwhelmed that they were willing to bet their lives on his.
Hei Yingjie had not spent much time with these people and barely knew them. But the one thing they had in common was that they were all dedicated to the same Lord. They were saved by the same person and for the same person shall they perish.
'So be it.' Hie Yingjie thought.
"I shall end it or end myself."