Chapter 6: The Battle of the Pale Wolf

At dawn, the five set out swiftly, heading toward the territory of the Azure Wolf. They traveled through mountains and forests, and along the way, Zhu Yan even slew a first-rank earth bear.

After a day’s journey, the five finally reached the edge of the Azure Wolf’s domain. Moonwinter walked at the forefront, gently waving his hand to signal the group to halt. Zhu Yan poured some beast powder from a jade vial, carefully sprinkling it at their feet. With the activation of their spiritual energy, the powder began to spread, gradually enveloping them in a faint layer of earthy yellow smoke that completely masked their presence.

Chen Ying said, “The Firegold Vine hasn’t matured yet. Ding Lin, scout the nearby area. Make sure to locate the Azure Wolf’s den and observe the movements of other human cultivators.”

Ding Lin nodded and quickly vanished.

As dusk approached, Ding Lin returned. Chen Ying handed her some water and asked, “What did you find?”

Ding Lin’s expression was grave. “The Azure Wolf’s den lies three li southwest. The scent is strongest there, along with bloodstains that have been cleaned up. I suspect someone has already clashed with the Azure Wolf these past few days.”

Zhu Yan scoffed, “Daring to strike before the Firegold Vine matures? Truly reckless.”

Moonwinter asked, “Were you able to pinpoint the exact location of the Firegold Vine?”

Ding Lin replied, “The Azure Wolf’s den is nestled in a surrounding formation, with a clearing at the center covered in vines. I feared lingering too long would alert the Azure Wolf, so I didn’t manage to identify it precisely.”

Chen Ying continued, “Did you see any other cultivators?”

“As expected,” Ding Lin said, “I saw six people on the way, led by a middle-aged man. They wore black robes adorned with golden patterns and all carried long swords. They look like a family clan.”

Moonwinter inquired, “What were their cultivation levels?”

Ding Lin answered, “The middle-aged man is stronger than me, but I can’t be certain. Of the others, three are in the early stage of the Spirit Awakening Realm, and two are in the mid-stage.”

Moonwinter glanced at Chen Ying, who showed no serious expression, as if unconcerned.

Chen Ying said, “No matter. As long as there are no second-stage cultivators, we have nothing to fear.”

Qinglan did not join the conversation, but upon hearing the description of their attire, she recognized them as members of the Mu family.

Chen Ying went on, “The Firegold Vine will mature during the peak solar fire intensity in the next two days.”

He looked at Qinglan. “You will need to confirm when the time comes. Once confirmed, we will retreat immediately.”

Qinglan nodded.

He continued, “Moonwinter, your soul-binding formation must be ready to activate at any moment.”

“Ding Lin, monitor the time of the strongest solar fire. Your sensing will be our signal to act.”

“Zhu Yan, you will spar with the Azure Wolf alongside me to buy time for the others.”

“Everyone, this mission must succeed—failure is not an option!”

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Night fell like ink, the stars sparse, and the forest silent. Qinglan sat beneath a tree, leaning against its trunk, gazing at the bright, serene moon. She still felt somewhat unsettled.

She glanced at Moonwinter, the only somewhat reliable man she had met since her arrival. Before coming to Greenstone Town, he had told her a name—Xu Wan.

That girl was his closest friend, but three years ago, she died beneath the claws of the Ghost Tiger.

Since meeting Chen Ying and the others, Moonwinter hadn’t spoken of it again.

If Qinglan’s intuition was correct, tomorrow the truth Moonwinter sought would finally come to light.

Comforted by this thought, she drifted into sleep.

Her breathing grew steady. Nearby, Moonwinter glanced at her silently, his thoughts far away.

Three years ago, their team consisted of five adventurers: Chen Ying, Moonwinter, Zhu Yan, Ding Lin, and Xu Wan.

They worked with seamless trust and were the most outstanding team in Greenstone Town.

Moonwinter was the last to join, and Xu Wan was his guide.

At first, he was just a novice who had recently awakened his spiritual energy, unaware of how to cultivate. Xu Wan, gentle and attentive like a sister, taught him how to sense spiritual energy and draw it into his body.

She also discovered his talent for formations and encouraged him to become a formation master.

Knowing that formation masters required formation diagrams, Xu Wan had spent all her savings and completed arduous missions to obtain the diagram for the soul-binding formation on Moonwinter’s behalf.

Moonwinter regarded her as a sister long ago.

Once, he traveled three hundred li alone to retrieve a thorned blood刺—a precious item for Xu Wan, who was not skilled in combat, to ensure her safety.

He left full of hope and returned laden with success, only to be met with terrible news.

Xu Wan had died.

Chen Ying and Xu Wan had been ambushed by the Ghost Tiger.

Chen Ying mourned deeply, blaming himself as captain for their failure, praising Xu Wan’s selflessness.

Moonwinter fell silent for a long time—he refused to believe the truth was so simple.

When hardship turns into crisis, do people still stand by one another?

He had been investigating, and the Ghost Tiger was long since slain by his hand.

By now, he was weary of probing. Over these three years, intentionally or not, he had shown his doubts.

If that person were a demon, they would surely know.

If they knew, how could they not harbor murderous intent?

Whether a ghost in human skin or not, under the Azure Wolf’s oppression, the truth would be revealed.

Moonwinter closed his eyes again until dawn.

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A day later, the fiery aura in the region grew stronger. The five rose and stepped into the Azure Wolf’s domain.

As they pressed deeper, the vines on the ground thickened, trembling faintly. An oppressive aura invisibly descended upon them.

Finally, they reached the spot where the fiery energy was most intense—a mountain formed a half-valley, and a dazzling gold-red vine shimmered brilliantly.

Chen Ying murmured, “Is this the Firegold Vine?”

Qinglan examined it carefully. “It’s nearly matured.”

Zhu Yan remained disdainful. He had always looked down on cultivators with weak combat abilities; healing and scouting seemed superfluous to him.

He snorted coldly and said to Qinglan with distrust, “You’d better be able to find it, or you’ll regret it!”

Qinglan halted, annoyed—why did dogs keep barking?

She cast a cold glance at Zhu Yan and Chen Ying, and said indifferently, “If you don’t trust me, then I’m leaving.”

As soon as she spoke, she truly turned to go.

No one expected Qinglan to be so disrespectful, leaving without hesitation.

Chen Ying’s heart jolted, and Zhu Yan’s expression darkened. He wanted to retort but was silenced by Chen Ying’s piercing look.

Facing the Azure Wolf directly, the Firegold Vine’s concealment far exceeded their expectations.

Without Qinglan, completing the mission today would be nearly impossible.

Chen Ying hurried after her, apologizing, “Miss Qinglan, Zhu Yan only speaks rashly. Don’t take it to heart. I truly believe in your abilities. If anyone else dares to speak out, I’ll be the first to object!”

Qinglan stopped, sneering inwardly—if Chen Ying truly trusted her, Zhu Yan wouldn’t even have the chance to speak.

Putting the mission first, she turned back toward the cave without another glance at Zhu Yan.

Zhu Yan was once again left embarrassed and was reprimanded by the captain. His face darkened.

Chen Ying also felt uneasy. When had he ever spoken so humbly to someone?

Beneath his gentle tone lay a cold gaze: regardless of whether you truly have the skill, it will be hard for you to leave alive!

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