Just the Beginning, Many Good Days to Come

Fifteen minutes.

The wolf pack lost four or five century-old Shadow Wolf.

But the alpha wolf never took action personally, instead remaining aloof and observing from the perimeter.

"This can't go on."

Realizing something was wrong, Dugu Yan gritted her teeth, beads of sweat glistening on her forehead in the firelight.

She made a decision.

"Everyone, listen up! Focus fire on the wolf!"

"The Shi Brothers lead the way, the Yu Feng suppresses the flanks, Osler, follow me and charge forward!"

"Lingling is doing her best to treat him, Ning Rongrong is maxing out his buffs!"

Everyone echoed in unison.

The two tortoise shells, Shi Mo and Shi Mo, stood side by side, advancing towards the alpha wolf like a mobile fortress.

The wind blades of the Yu Feng blocked the wolf minions that were trying to flank them from both sides.

Osler the Ghost Leopard sped off, tearing apart the guards beside the alpha wolf from the side.

Ning Rongrong and Ye Lingling mobilized all their Soul Power, ready to provide full support and healing.

Dugu Yan suddenly leaped up!

The phantom of the Green Phosphorus Flood Dragon coalesced behind her.

Enveloped in potent poison, it lashed fiercely at the alpha wolf's head!

The wolf, the alpha of five thousand years, has finally made its move.

It dodged to the side, then pounced back, its fangs aimed straight for Dugu Yan's throat.

But this was exactly what Dugu Yan had been waiting for.

The fourth Soul Ring lit up.

Its entire body was covered in the powerful Green Phosphorus Flood Dragon Armor, allowing it to withstand its attacks.

"Take this!"

The third Soul Skill, Jade Phosphorous Purple Poison, is unleashed at full power.

The Purple Poison Fog exploded at close range, blasting directly into the alpha wolf's mouth and nose, and entering its body.

"Awoo!"

The alpha wolf howled mournfully, its body stiffening.

Dugu Yan gave it no chance to catch its breath.

The dragon tail attached to the dragon armor swept across, crushing the alpha wolf's neck and making it dizzy.

She hurriedly called out, "Now! Focus all fire!!!"

At the same time, the attacks from Osler and the others, amplified by Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong's Soul Skill, converged.

He unleashed a barrage of Soul Skill.

"Snap!"

The alpha wolf collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The wolf pack, having lost its leader, immediately descended into chaos.

"Awoo!"

Accompanied by the howls of wolves,

The eerie green eyes went out one after another in the darkness.

The remaining Shadow Wolf scattered and fled, disappearing into the depths of the dense forest in the blink of an eye.

The camp returned to silence.

Everyone was panting heavily, their bodies soaked in sweat and blood.

But their nerves remained taut, and they dared not relax.

No one is sure if the wolves that escaped will come back to kill them.

"Slap, slap, slap--"

A slow, steady round of applause came from above.

"!!!"

Everyone looked up at the same time.

A figure was sitting leisurely on the top of the tallest ancient tree next to the camp.

Ye Qing swung her legs across her back, a devilish smile plastered on her face that they knew all too well.

He nimbly jumped down from the tree, landing silently.

"Not bad, you performed a tiny bit better than I expected."

Everyone froze, completely stunned.

Yu Feng was the first to react, his voice cracking as he asked, "Brother Ye? You've been watching from the tree the whole time?"

"Yes."

Ye Qing naturally dusted off the dust on his clothes.

"Good visibility, can see clearly."

Osler clutched his still-bleeding forearm, his lips twitching. "So while we were fighting tooth and nail, Brother Ye, you were up there... watching the show?"

"It's not about watching a play, it's about observation and evaluation."

Ye Qing corrected him in a serious tone.

"Do you really think it's necessary for me to take action against a five-thousand-year-old alpha wolf with a dozen or so henchmen?"

"Well..."

The crowd looked at each other.

Although I really want to refute it.

But then he remembered the painful memory of how six people ganged up on Ye Qing and ended up getting beaten senseless.

I really don't have much of a standing to speak.

"Alright, stop looking so long."

Ye Qing walked up to Yu Feng and Osler, looked at their injuries, and then waved to Ye Lingling.

"Lingling, please treat these two injured people first."

"Good."

Ye Lingling quickly stepped forward.

The soft green light of the Nine-Heart Begonia enveloped their wounds, and the pain visibly subsided.

Yu Feng grinned from ear to ear, thoroughly enjoying himself.

The following morning.

The campfire had gone out, but the air still held the scorched earth and bloody smell of last night's battle.

The entire Imperial Fighting Team sat in a circle.

Ye Qing stood in the middle, pulled out a twig from somewhere, and drew a simple tactical diagram on the ground.

"Time for a debriefing, let's go one by one."

Yu Feng instinctively shrank his neck.

"Yu Feng."

But Ye Qing called him out first.

"Your reaction time is the fastest on the team, that's no problem."

"But you broke formation at least three times last night, do you know what that means?"

Yu Feng: "Does that mean... you can't be cool for more than three seconds?"

"This means your teammates next to you have one less layer of flank cover, and you yourself become a sitting duck as you venture deep into enemy territory."

Ye Qing remained expressionless.

"If you stray from the formation again, I'll personally chase after you and kick you."

Yu Feng's lips twitched, and he obediently shut his mouth.

"Osler."

Osler straightened his back.

He felt he had done a good job, and was still an honored soldier who had been wounded.

"His individual combat ability is second only to Yanzi in the team, but his team spirit is practically zero."

"Last night, when you charged in to deal damage twice, Ning Rongrong and Lingling didn't have a single melee fighter protecting them."

"Agility-based attackers are indeed assassins, but in a team, don't always think about showing off your skills alone."

"Your role is guerrilla-style infiltration and support defense, not solo queue for ranking up."

"..."

Osler opened his mouth, then nodded silently.

"Shi Mo, Shi Mo."

The two brothers puffed out their chests at the same time.

"The defense is solid, but too rigid."

"You two are like you're welded to the ground. The Black Tortoise isn't meant for you to be stationary gun emplacements."

"Defense units also need to learn to move and cover, otherwise the enemy will bypass you and attack the back row directly, and you'll just be two pretty pillars."

Shi Mo managed to stammer, "Brother Ye, even a pillar has its dignity..."

"The dignity of a pillar lies in supporting the entire formation, not in standing still as a decoration."

Shi Mo was speechless, choked by the remark.

"Ning Rongrong."

Ning Rongrong sat up straight instinctively.

"The Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda has strong support capabilities, but your ability to support multiple people seems inconsistent."

"When the buff was applied to Osler, the Shi Brothers' support service was interrupted, resulting in inconsistent support coverage."

"That's because my mental strength isn't enough..." Ning Rongrong pouted.

But I had already made up my mind.

I will definitely master the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's secret technique, "Heart Separation Control," to perfection.

If your mental strength is insufficient, then practice until you have enough.

Ye Qing nodded, then turned his gaze to the last two people.

"Lingling remained calm throughout, and her timing for treatment was excellent; there's nothing to criticize."

"Thanks."

Ye Lingling lowered her head slightly, a faint blush rising to the tips of her ears.

"Yanzi."

Dugu Yan crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"The on-site command was decisive, the formation was well-arranged, and the decision to focus fire on the alpha wolf was perfectly timed."

Ye Qing paused for a moment, then said, "Just try to control your temper. Don't yell all the time, scaring your own people before you scare the Soul Beast."

Upon hearing this, Dugu Yan's face immediately darkened. "You're the one who's yelling!"

Ye Qing did not argue with Dugu Yan.

He looked away and grinned.

That smile sent a chill down the spines of everyone present.

Tonight's session is just the first lesson of this grueling training program.

"This is just the beginning."

Ye Qing clapped his hands, speaking casually.

"In the next six months, countless nights like this await you."

So, look forward to it!

The campfire crackled and popped.

The group exchanged bewildered glances, all traces of their earlier ease gone.