Two hours later, Fourth Elder Liu Baichuan used a Voice Transmission Talisman to tell everyone what he had learned from observing the situation firsthand.
A pack of Azure Wind Wolves was hunting a herd of Golden-Horned Deer. There were fifteen wolves in all: two First-Rank Upper-Grade Green Wind Wolves, four First-Rank Middle-Grade Green Wind Wolves, and nine First-Rank Lower-Grade Green Wind Wolves.
Azure Wind Wolves were fast runners with excellent stamina. Cunning by nature and skilled at hunting in packs, they possessed the bloodline demonic art Wind Blade Technique. Their weakness was their relatively frail bodies.
The herd being hunted consisted of twelve Golden-Horned Deer. Led by a First-Rank Upper-Grade Golden-Horned Deer King, they were continually maneuvering against the wolves, trying to break out of their encirclement. Since Golden-Horned Deer lacked the stamina of Azure Wind Wolves, the herd was in a dire situation.
Every part of a Golden-Horned Deer was a treasure. They were fast, and their bloodline demonic art, Golden Horn Technique, possessed considerable offensive power. However, their enormous golden horns also hampered their agility in combat. With less stamina than Azure Wind Wolves, they often found themselves at a disadvantage when fighting them.
As predators that fed on Golden-Horned Deer, Azure Wind Wolves knew their prey's weaknesses well and excelled at exploiting their own advantages, relying on extraordinary stamina to hunt the deer.
Azure Wind Wolves often employed the following tactic against Golden-Horned Deer: the pack took turns sending out a few wolves to harass and attack the herd, forcing the deer to keep fleeing while the rest followed in relentless pursuit. Only after the deer were utterly exhausted and their demonic power depleted would the wolves attack with full force. Thus, they often reaped rich rewards at little cost.
This tactic did take considerable time, however. The wolves often needed several days and nights to finish the battle.
Based on the intelligence Fourth Elder Liu Baichuan provided, Lineage Chief Liu Baishan decided to seize this favorable opportunity and wipe out both the Azure Wind Wolves and the Golden-Horned Deer in one fell swoop.
He therefore ordered Fourth Elder Liu Baichuan not to act rashly before he arrived with reinforcements from the lineage, but to continue tracking and monitoring the movements of both the wolves and the deer.
He also ordered Liu Shijie to remain at camp with the Demon Hunting Team. Once the lineage chief arrived with the reinforcements, they would set out together to wipe out the wolves and deer.
After a period of waiting, Lineage Chief Liu Baishan arrived at camp the following morning with fifteen reinforcements and joined the Demon Hunting Team.
Lineage Chief Liu Baishan was Liu Changxu's paternal grandfather. Eighty-two years old, he had a square face and a powerfully built frame. He was the fifth member of the Liu Household's Bai generation, with cultivation at the great perfection of Qi Refinement and four spiritual roots: metal, wood, fire, and earth. He was also an Upper-Grade First-Tier Spirit Planter and Artifact Refiner.
Liu Baishan had five wives and concubines, who had borne him twelve sons and thirteen daughters altogether. Yet only two sons and one daughter possessed spiritual roots.
They were Liu Changxu's father, Liu Shihao, the seventh member of the Shi generation; Liu Shi'an, the sixteenth; and Liu Shilan, the nineteenth. Even this was thanks to their parents being cultivators.
The odds of mortals producing children with spiritual roots were even lower-only one in a thousand. Every year, hundreds or even a thousand children in the lineage reached the age for spiritual-root testing, yet only two or three were found to possess them. Some years, there were none at all. Of those children found to have spiritual roots, the vast majority were descendants of cultivators, while those born to mortals were few and far between.
Thus, cultivation lineages generally required their male cultivators to marry wives and take concubines once they reached childbearing age, and to produce as many descendants as possible.
There was no other choice. Cultivators were the guardians of the lineage. If no successors arose to take their place, the lineage would inevitably decline or even perish. In this world where danger lurked on every side, survival was impossible without the protection of the strong.
The Liu Lineage's rules required its cultivators to marry and have children once they reached marriageable age, and rewarded parents who produced children with spiritual roots with spirit stones.
Another reason was to maintain good relations with neighboring lineages. Cultivation lineages often formed marriage alliances with one another. Liu Changxu's father and mother had come together through just such an arrangement.
In truth, many cultivators were unwilling to marry and have children early, wishing instead to pursue the Great Dao in their hearts. Yet many chose to compromise in the face of harsh reality.
Among the reinforcements Lineage Chief Liu Baishan brought were Liu Changxu's father, Liu Shihao; his mother, Lin Yulian; his uncle, Liu Shi'an; and his aunt, Liu Shilan.
Liu Changxu hurried over to greet his grandfather Liu Baishan, his father Liu Shihao, his mother Lin Yulian, his uncle Liu Shi'an, and his aunt Liu Shilan.
Upon seeing Liu Changxu, his mother Lin Yulian first looked him over carefully. Only after confirming that he was unhurt did she feel reassured.
Seeing his relatives' concerned gazes, Liu Changxu briefly recounted his experiences over the past two days, then said, "Grandfather, Father, Mother, Uncle, Aunt, don't worry! I can protect myself and the lineage!"
As he spoke, Liu Changxu took the pelt of the Green Fox he had killed from his Storage Bag and offered it to his mother, Lin Yulian. "This was the first demonic beast I killed on my own. Its fur is beautiful, so I'm giving it to you today, Mother. I hope you like it!"
Tears of joy spilled from Lin Yulian's eyes. She nodded and said happily, "My Xu'er has grown up. You're thoughtful now, and capable, too. I'm so happy!" Then she delightedly accepted the fox pelt and put it into her Storage Bag.
Next, Liu Changxu took the Green Fox cub, Xiao Qing, out of his Spirit Beast Bag. The adorable little Xiao Qing delighted his mother. In her eyes, her son's gains were her own, and his growing abilities put her mind further at ease.
Once the Liu Household Cultivators had finished resting, they set out under Lineage Chief Liu Baishan's leadership in the direction Liu Baichuan had indicated.
Soon, they arrived at the designated location. It was a valley surrounded by mountains, with only four mountain paths leading out-an ideal place for an ambush.
The wolves were still hunting the Golden-Horned Deer. Their fierce battle had continued, leaving both the deer and wolves utterly exhausted by now. It was the perfect moment for the Liu Household to attack.
The Golden-Horned Deer in particular were at an overwhelming disadvantage. Five had already been killed by the wolves.
The Deer King was covered in wounds, and all the other Golden-Horned Deer had suffered injuries of varying severity. Before long, the wolves would kill the entire herd.
The Azure Wind Wolf pack had also suffered some losses. Two wolves had been killed by the Golden-Horned Deer, and three were wounded.
Under Lineage Chief Liu Baishan's arrangements, the Liu Household's cultivators split into four groups to guard the four routes out of the valley, preventing either the wolves or the deer from breaking through and escaping.
By then, both the wolves and the deer had noticed the arrival of the Liu Household Cultivators.
The Wolf King was exceptionally cunning and immediately recognized their intentions.
The Wolf King promptly led its pack toward one of the passages, decisively attempting to break out.
Under the Deer King's leadership, the Golden-Horned Deer chose a passage in the opposite direction for their own breakout.
And so, an exceptionally fierce battle began.
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