At the very center of the valley stood a massive ancient tree.
That tree was taller than every other tree around it. Its canopy spread like a cover, and its trunk was so thick that five or six people would be needed to encircle it.
Its bark was dark cyan, covered in cracks carved by time.
A faint cyan glow flowed within its crown. It was the circulation of extremely dense wood-element energy through the tree's body.
Beneath the ancient tree lay a relatively open clearing.
Several distinct depressions marked the clearing.
They were left behind by large soul beasts lying down.
The grass around the depressions had been flattened in every direction. Some of it had already been crushed to death, exposing the soil beneath.
Qing Mufeng carefully counted those depressions.
Three.
Just as his grandfather and father had guessed, at least three Wind Wood Dragons had been active in this valley.
He quietly told Liu Yunlan beside him what he had seen. After listening, the old lady's brows knitted slightly.
"Three," Liu Yunlan said softly. "If they appear at the same time, that'll be troublesome."
Qing Mufeng continued observing.
Aside from the three depressions, he found other traces throughout the valley.
Claw marks on tree trunks, scratches left by scales on the ground, and scattered bone fragments.
All of them were evidence of Wind Wood Dragon activity.
The strongest scent in the air came from that ancient tree.
That scent was several times stronger than the one at the valley entrance. It carried a sandalwood-like fragrance mixed with the rank stench of some wild beast.
This was a territorial marker.
Wind Wood Dragons marked their territory with scent, warning other soul beasts not to approach.
"There are definitely Wind Wood Dragons here."
Qing Mufeng withdrew his gaze and said quietly to his grandfather, "At least three. I can't tell their age, but the scent is very strong. They should all be at the ten-thousand-year level."
Qing Zhengyue nodded, his gaze falling upon the ancient tree deep within the valley.
"Then we wait," the old man said. "We'll wait for them to come to us."
Time passed second by second.
The five of them lay hidden in the woods at the valley entrance, completely motionless like five rocks.
Qing Mufeng lay behind a boulder, keeping Azure Dragon Pupil activated as he watched the movements deep inside the valley.
The golden light in his pupils flickered faintly. His breathing was light, nearly soundless.
He knew that hunting required patience.
A true hunter was not the strongest one, but the one who could wait the longest.
As night approached, the Wind Wood Dragons finally appeared.
Above the valley, the last traces of the setting sun were fading. The sky slowly shifted from orange-red to dark purple.
The cyan mist within the valley was denser than it had been during the day, like a thin veil blanketing the entire ravine.
Qing Mufeng kept Azure Dragon Pupil activated, and the golden glow in his eyes was especially conspicuous in the twilight.
He had lain hidden behind that boulder for the entire afternoon without moving his body. Only his eyes had tracked every subtle change in the valley.
Finally, at the moment dusk descended, heavy footsteps sounded from deep within the valley.
The sound was neither hurried nor slow. Every step carried an innate calm and arrogance.
They were the footsteps of a creature standing at the top of the food chain.
Qing Mufeng's eyes widened sharply.
From the shadows behind the ancient tree deep in the valley, a colossal creature slowly emerged.
It was three times larger than the five-thousand-nine-hundred-year Wind Wood Dragon they had previously hunted.
It was over twelve meters long and nearly three meters tall at the shoulder. Its four legs were as thick as stone pillars, its claw tips curved like blades, and every step it took left deep claw marks in the ground.
Its entire body was covered in dark cyan scales, their edges gleaming with a dim golden luster—the mark of accumulated years.
Only Wind Wood Dragons over ten thousand years old possessed scales with such a dim golden sheen.
Its neck was thick and long, while its head was broader than that of the previous one. The two short horns on its forehead had grown into dragon horns half a foot long, their tips glinting with cold cyan light.
The spines on its back stretched from behind its neck all the way to its tail tip. Each spine was as long as an adult's arm, with needle-sharp points.
Its golden slit pupils lit up in the twilight like two cold, ghostly lanterns as they swept across the valley.
That gaze sent chills down one's spine.
Qing Mufeng took a deep breath and suppressed the tremor in his heart.
Thirty thousand years.
It was definitely just over thirty thousand years old.
He slowly turned his head to look at his grandfather on the left.
Qing Zhengyue was also observing the Wind Wood Dragon. The old man's gaze was sharp as a blade, and his lips moved slightly as he silently formed several words.
Qing Mufeng understood the shape of his lips.
That one.
Qing Zhengyue slowly raised his right hand and made several gestures.
These were tactical hand signals agreed upon within the Qing Clan.
That afternoon, the five of them had spent an entire shichen discussing and rehearsing this plan. Everyone's position and every moment of coordination had been repeatedly worked through several times.
Qing Hongyuan nodded and gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Liu Yunlan took three small porcelain bottles from her cloth bag and placed them in front of her one by one. Their stoppers had already been removed, ready for use at any moment.
Shen Wanqing closed her eyes. The phantom of her Jade Orchid martial soul appeared above her head, and four soul rings slowly rotated, ready to unleash her support soul skills.
Qing Mufeng took a deep breath as the Soul Power within him began circulating at high speed.
Azure Dragon Armor!
Cyan light surged from within his body, condensing over his skin into that translucent suit of armor.
A breastplate with wooden textures, limbs covered in snake scales, shoulder guards shaped like snake heads, and a half-covering helmet.
The armor gave off a faint cyan glow in the twilight.
Azure Dragon Pupil!
His pupils transformed into golden vertical slits, and everything in his field of vision became incomparably clear.
Every muscle, every vein, and every breath of the Wind Wood Dragon lay beneath his perception.
Three soul rings—one yellow and two purple—rose from beneath his feet and slowly revolved around his body.
Third Divine Ability: Azure Dragon Wind Control!
His body became lighter as the power of wind supported him. His feet left the ground, and he silently rose into the sky.
His task was aerial suppression.
He would use the Azure Dragon's draconic might to suppress this thirty-thousand-year Wind Wood Dragon and deny it any chance to fly away.
"Move!"
Qing Zhengyue's voice exploded through the twilight.
Five figures moved at once.
Qing Hongyuan charged out from the left, and four soul rings—two yellow and two purple—lit up.
He unleashed his fourth soul skill, Azure Snake Strangling. A thick cyan snake phantom flew from his body, opening its bloody maw as it lunged for the Wind Wood Dragon's neck.
This was his strongest control soul skill.
Once the snake phantom bit its target, it would release a large amount of wood-element Soul Power in a short time, wrapping around it, tightening, and strangling it until it lost the ability to move.
Shen Wanqing rushed out from the right. Four soul rings lit up, and three emerald orchid phantoms bloomed above her head.
Three rays of light shot out at once.
One landed on Qing Hongyuan, one on Qing Zhengyue, and one on Qing Mufeng high in the sky.
Jade Blessing—increased attack power, increased defense, and faster Soul Power recovery.
Jade Protection—formed a pale green shield of light around an ally, capable of blocking one fatal attack.
Jade Rejuvenation—continuously restored an ally's injuries.
The three support soul skills were unleashed simultaneously.
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