The flock in the sky suddenly swooped downward. Xia Changming had noticed the danger facing Hu Xiaotian and the others in time and diverted some of his birds to relieve their pressure. But this doubled the pressure on him. The shield of birds holding firm in midair rapidly shrank, and under the concentrated assault of the opposing spear-shaped formation, its center began to cave in. It was already on the verge of collapse.
Li Chang'an let out shrill cries, abruptly speeding up his birds' attacks. He intended to seize this opportunity to break through Xia Changming's formation and crush him completely.
The birds shielding Xia Changming contracted from a shield into a sphere, enclosing his body within it. But soon, under the flock's assault, which came like a gale-driven downpour, a gap opened in the sphere.
Birds kept dying in the struggle. Their bodies fell from the sky, only to be caught in the jaws of vicious wolves leaping up before they could reach the ground. Wolves were cruel by nature, and many began fighting one another over the food.
The birds Xia Changming had diverted blocked the wolf pack's frontal assault. But the cunning wolves quickly circled around both flanks and charged toward Hu Xiaotian and his six companions.
Hu Xiaotian reminded everyone that they had to stay calm. As the wolves approached, he attacked first. His biting blade energy never missed, cutting down the wolves in swathes. Though his saber techniques were extraordinarily lethal, he could only cover the left flank. Long Xiyue and the other five warriors had to face the wolves on the right. Supporting and protecting one another, with swords flashing and staffs flickering, they fought the wolves at close quarters. The five warriors secured the perimeter around Long Xiyue, serving mainly as defenders, while