Battle Against the Flame Demon Lion Pack

Chapter 20: Battle Against the Flame Demon Lion Pack

The two of them made their way slowly through the overgrown forest, with the roars of various beasts reaching their ears from time to time.

They were currently at the forest's outermost edge. Most of the Soul Beasts they encountered here were only ten-year-old, and even hundred-year-old ones were rare.

Soul Beasts of this level were only a little stronger than an ordinary person with a weapon. They posed no threat to the two of them, so they kept heading toward the center.

"Gu Yue, what do you think I'd turn into if I really awakened the True Phoenix Bloodline?"

They hadn't run into any danger along the way, and Qiangu Wuji was getting bored. He turned curiously to the girl beside him.

If the legends were true, the True Phoenix seemed to be the Dragon God's opposite. How would Gu Yue, the Silver Dragon King, see him?

Would she kill him to eliminate a future threat, or ignore him?

Gu Yue turned to look at him and said coolly,

"The True Phoenix's primordial bloodline has never appeared on the continent. I don't think you should get your hopes up."

Qiangu Wuji hadn't expected that answer.

He joked, "But what if? Who can say for sure?"

"No ifs!" Gu Yue said firmly, then glanced ahead.

A Wind Baboon stood there, nearly as tall as an adult.

It stared at the two of them with blood-red eyes, as if it couldn't wait to tear apart the intruders who had entered its territory.

Qiangu Wuji took one look at it. Judging by its size, it was probably a hundred-year-old Soul Beast.

He found it rather uninteresting. Wind Baboons had no particularly outstanding abilities and were only good at wielding wind elements. An ordinary Soul Master might struggle against one, but unfortunately for the baboon, low spiritual power was a common weakness among low-level Soul Beasts.

Qiangu Wuji stepped forward without bothering to waste words. He summoned his Martial Soul, and when his First Soul Ring lit up, he unleashed Soul Shock.

How could this creature possibly withstand Soul Shock fueled by a spiritual power of one hundred and fifty-one points?

It collapsed to the ground in an instant, unconscious.

"Let's go."

After finishing, he smiled at Gu Yue. She nodded silently, and they continued on their way.

But just then, a rustling sound came from nearby.

Gu Yue's expression shifted, and her brows drew together.

Qiangu Wuji noticed it too. He sensed it even more clearly than Gu Yue and felt a surge of excitement.

Finally!

Just as the thought crossed his mind, a figure wreathed in flames leaped out of the nearby bushes.

"Roar!"

A deafening roar rang out. The Flame Demon Lion before them was as big as a car.

Qiangu Wuji had no time to think. He immediately stepped in front of Gu Yue.

"There's definitely more than one. I'll hold them off from the front. Help me from the side."

"Mm."

Gu Yue said nothing more. Her expression grave, she silently moved to one side, and a yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath her feet.

Only then did Qiangu Wuji realize that Gu Yue had somehow already attached a Soul Ring.

He glanced at her in surprise a few times, then turned his attention back to the Flame Demon Lion before them.

This was a hundred-year-old Flame Demon Lion. The species wasn't especially strong, but it could dominate low-level Soul Beasts because they usually traveled in packs. If one appeared, it meant they would soon have to face a whole group.

In the original story, Tang Wulin and the others had beaten these creatures because they had teammates like Xie Xie, and their average level back then had been higher than Qiangu Wuji's was now.

Now it was his turn to face them, and he wasn't confident he could win.

Still, winning had never been his goal in coming here.

As he thought this over, another series of rapid footsteps came from the forest behind the Flame Demon Lion.

One Flame Demon Lion after another emerged, surrounding the two of them until they had nowhere to go.

Ten!

There were ten of them!

It wasn't as many as Tang Wulin and the others had faced, but they were still a force to be reckoned with.

Gu Yue looked around, her expression growing even more serious. She glanced at the emergency escape button in her hand, hesitating.

"Let's try first. If we can't win, we'll leave right away."

Qiangu Wuji's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Gu Yue nodded. "All right. If you're in danger, I'll get you out of here at once."

Qiangu Wuji smiled wryly but said nothing. Instead, he summoned his Soul Spirit, Joker.

A Soul Spirit of this level wouldn't be much use, but it would do for drawing their attention.

Once he was ready, Qiangu Wuji struck first. He fixed his gaze on the largest Flame Demon Lion and shouted, "Soul Shock!"

"Buzz!"

He unleashed Soul Shock with all his might. It didn't incapacitate the Flame Demon Lion, but it did make it let out a cry of pain.

The Flame Demon Lion was the pack's leader, a thousand-year-old Soul Beast. Qiangu Wuji's spiritual power was strong, but not enough to let him cross two levels and defeat an opponent like that outright.

After being hit, the leader flew into a rage and roared. At its cry, the surrounding Flame Demon Lions seemed to receive an order. They howled and charged.

Qiangu Wuji didn't dare let his guard down. He spread Spirit Exploration in every direction and activated Heavenly Six Eyes, taking in everything within a ten-meter radius.

Before one of the Flame Demon Lions could pounce on him, he clenched his fist and slammed it hard into its belly.

The creature whimpered and went flying.

Qiangu Wuji didn't even look at it. He directed Joker, "Joker, behind you!"

At his command, Joker immediately turned around and opened its single eye wide. A beam of light shot from it, striking a Flame Demon Lion as it leaped toward them.

In the brief moment since the fight began, they had already driven back two of the lions. The pack leader grew even more furious.

It opened its jaws. A ball of flame formed inside its mouth, then it let out a howl and spat the fireball at them.

Within the range of Spirit Exploration, Qiangu Wuji spotted it at once. For the first time, a hint of tension appeared on his face.

The attack was too fast. He had just dodged a Flame Demon Lion, and his strength had yet to recover. He couldn't get out of the way.

In desperation, he crossed his arms in front of himself.

Bang!

The attack collided with his body, and Qiangu Wuji felt as if he were about to catch fire.

"Hiss!"

The scorching pain made him suck in a sharp breath.

Just as he was about to be burned to ashes, a jet of water shot over from a distance and splashed across him, putting out the flames.

Gu Yue had stepped in!