Wu Changkong's tone was tinged with helplessness. He gestured slightly, pointing at the screen before them, which showed Chen Ye and the other two.
By now, as the three ventured deeper and Chen Ye continued to provoke their enemies, they had finally caught the attention of a powerful foe.
Forest wolves were creatures that normally reached a maximum of a thousand years. Only a very few individuals ever lived for ten thousand years.
But after dozens of generations of careful selection by the Spirit Pagoda, they could now commonly reach ten thousand years, and the leader of the pack could even live for thirty to fifty thousand years.
Unfortunately, Chen Ye and the others had caught the attention of just such a pack.
The three stood in a triangle, their expressions wary.
"These forest wolves are really strong. We might not be able to beat them. How about we retreat for now?"
"These ten-thousand-year soul beasts are all equivalent to Soul Kings. They may be weaker than ordinary Soul Kings, but the three of us still might not be able to beat a whole pack."
Tang Wulin's voice was tinged with helplessness, but Chen Ye and Gu Yue showed no particular reaction.
One was gathering elemental energy in her hands, while the other watched the forest wolves with a gaze full of fighting spirit.
"You should go first, Wulin. If you stay, you'll just hold us back. Hurry up and leave."
Chen Ye was blunt, and Tang Wulin didn't hesitate.
After spending all this time with Chen Ye, he understood his leader's temperament very well.
Even if the two of them died here today, there was a good chance they still wouldn't choose to retreat.
Tang Wulin acknowledged him and immediately activated the distress signal.
At the same time, his body began to turn translucent.
Compared to the Beginner Rising Spirit Platform, the creatures in the Intermediate Rising Spirit Platform were clearly much more intelligent.
Seeing Tang Wulin turning translucent, the forest wolves that had been hiding in the grass suddenly charged out.
Their fur was a pale gray.
It stood out somewhat in the forest, but allowed them to hide quite well in areas with low slopes.
As they suddenly charged, Chen Ye stepped forward as well. A surging power welled up within him, and a dark golden sheen flowed over his body.
This time, he didn't hesitate at all. He immediately unleashed the Soul Bone bestowed by the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear.
Empowered by the Soul Bone and boosted by his Third Soul Skill, he threw a punch.
The Prairie Wolf that attacked first was struck in the head by his fist, and its body exploded.
But in the brief moment he was delayed, two more Prairie Wolves pounced at him from either side, attempting to surround him.
Chen Ye's expression didn't change. Without hesitation, he raised a hand and struck at the Prairie Wolf on his left.
As the one on his right drew near, several Ice Cones appeared and pierced straight through its body.
Gu Yue stepped forward. Violet light flickered in her eyes as fierce winds whipped around her, and the ice-and-fire storm swept through the area once more.
By the time that brief delay had passed, Tang Wulin had vanished, leaving only the other two behind.
A low wolf's howl rang out, and a figure twice the size of an ordinary Prairie Wolf slowly emerged.
A scar-like mark showed above its left eye, apparently left by a claw.
A trace of reason remained in the Prairie Wolf's gaze, but it was far more bloodthirsty and ferocious than an ordinary Prairie Wolf.
"We're a little unlucky. This Prairie Wolf has at least fifty thousand years of cultivation."
"Are we leaving? If you want to go, I can cover your retreat." Gu Yue's voice was calm. She turned her head slightly and looked at Chen Ye.
Her ice-and-fire storm could still affect ordinary Prairie Wolves, but it had little effect on this Prairie Wolf King, who had already reached fifty thousand years.
"Why would we leave? I can't abandon a companion."
A rare note of lightness entered Chen Ye's voice. Without hesitation, he took Gu Yue's hand in his right and pulled her forward a step.
The movement was sudden, but the Wolf King didn't miss it.
The Forest Wolf King's icy gaze narrowed slightly, and it charged straight at them.
As the Wolf King rushed toward them, Chen Ye raised his hand slightly.
The dark gold and ordinary gold on the golden Scale Armor of his left hand intermingled.
A Three-Ring Golden Dragon King was stronger than most Soul Kings.
But against a Wolf King that could rival a Soul Emperor, Chen Ye still had no way to deal with it.
Outside, Wu Changkong sighed and looked helplessly at the staff member, only to see that the latter had already pulled out a Walkie-talkie.
"Get someone ready to provide emergency treatment. A few of the children have broken through the Beginner Rising Spirit Platform and entered the Intermediate Rising Spirit Platform."
"They'll most likely be torn apart by that Prairie Wolf pack. Get ready to treat them. The psychological trauma from being torn apart will be severe."
"Hurry up! These two are that lord's disciples. They're not people we can afford to offend!"
The staff member's face was overcome with barely contained frustration.
If ordinary people had tried to break through from the Beginner Rising Spirit Platform into the Intermediate Rising Spirit Platform, they would have been stopped long ago.
But the problem was that the ones who'd gone in were that lord's disciples. A branch Spirit Pagoda like theirs wouldn't dare stop them.
Their Tower Master's status here didn't even come close to that of these two.
But just as everyone's attention was fixed on Gu Yue and Chen Ye in the Cultivation Chamber,
an unexpected change unfolded inside.
Chen Ye's expression was calm. He didn't have many trump cards, and he had absolutely none that could counter a Prairie Wolf King with over fifty thousand years of cultivation.
But not being able to counter it, or defeat it, didn't mean he couldn't handle it.
He had chosen to enter the Intermediate Rising Spirit Platform at Three Rings
not because he was reckless and foolish, charging in to challenge powerful soul beasts despite knowing his current strength was merely average.
He dared to enter because of his strength, but there was another reason as well.
Normally, soul beasts in the Intermediate Rising Spirit Platform had around ten thousand years of cultivation.
Those that reached fifty thousand years were quite rare. Creatures of that level were supposed to be found in the Advanced Rising Spirit Platform.
They were unlucky to run into an exception this time, but these weren't really what Chen Ye was counting on.
As he steadied his mind, the terrifying Golden Dragon Blast surged into action. At the same time, a low dragon's roar sounded from behind the wolf pack.
He had been radiating his aura ever since entering, and had even spent the whole time provoking these soul beasts.
It wasn't because he was crazy and wanted to pick a fight with soul beasts. He was trying to draw someone out.
Someone who would definitely come as soon as they sensed his Golden Dragon King Bloodline.
A one-of-a-kind being in the middle levels of the Spirit Pagoda, someone he could take with him and even use as a bodyguard for a short time.
That was the real purpose of his trip, and the reason he had insisted on entering the Intermediate Rising Spirit Platform.
The next second, a low dragon's roar sounded, followed by the rumble of the earth.
Then a gigantic maw opened and swallowed one of the Prairie Wolves behind the pack.
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