In the instant Feng Qingxuan moved, his entire body transformed into a bluish-gray afterimage, slicing through the crack in the wind wall while skimming the ground.
The speed of the Gale Demon Wolf Martial Soul was pushed to the limit. Its right arm made a crisp sound of bones rubbing together as it was torn apart by the wind pressure. Its sleeve was shredded into pieces by the wind blades, but its body had already passed through the half-palm-wide crack and appeared under the right side of the Hurricane Wolf King's abdomen.
This was an opening created by Dugu Bo and Chen Xin working together. Dugu Bo's Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Poison was entangled in the Hurricane Wolf King's left hind leg, and the dark green venom slowed its left leg's movement by half a beat.
Chen Xin's Seven Kill Sword completely blocked the Wolf King's right palm's attack route, and every collision between the sword light and the sharp claws produced a deafening metallic clang.
Feng Qingxuan didn't waste this moment. He drew his long sword from his waist, aiming the blade at the wolf king's right foreleg armpit—where there were no bone spurs to cover it, and the fur was the thinnest.
The moment the sword tip pierced the skin, a powerful gust of wind surged out from the wound. He gritted his teeth and used both hands to push the sword further in, until it pierced through the subcutaneous fat layer and reached the muscle.
The Hurricane Wolf King let out a deafening roar, its entire body suddenly twisting. The wind wall surrounding it exploded the moment it turned, and countless wind blades swept indiscriminately in all directions.
Chen Xin blocked the oncoming wind blade with his sword, but was forced back half a step. Dugu Bo dodged to the side, but his left arm was grazed by a wind blade, and a trace of blood seeped out.
Feng Qingxuan was closest, and three wind blades struck his back and left shoulder simultaneously, tearing his clothes and tearing his flesh.
But he didn't let go. At the same instant the wind blade struck him, he poured all his Soul Power into the sword and suddenly flicked his hands upwards.
The longsword sliced diagonally along the muscle fibers, severing the core tendon connecting the right foreleg and torso.
The Hurricane Wolf King lost its right paw support, its massive body tilted to the right, and it opened its mouth to bite Feng Qingxuan.
" Senior Dugu!" Feng Qingxuan roared.
Dugu Bo had already moved. The Wolf King's right leg was injured, his body tilted, and the numbness in his left hind leg was also reaching its peak at the same time.
The Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor concentrated all its vital venom on the five fingers of its right hand. It lunged forward, its five fingers forming claws, and precisely struck the wound on the Wolf King's left hind leg that had been soaked in poisonous mist for a long time.
The toxin rushed through his blood vessels to his heart, and the wolf king's left leg completely lost its strength, causing his massive body to collapse to the ground with a thud.
Just as the wolf king fell to the ground, Chen Xin appeared before it. He raised the Seven Kill Sword high above his head, and the silvery-white sword light made everyone around squint.
" Dean Feng," Chen Xin's voice was calm.
Feng Qingxuan released the longsword stuck in the wolf king's right leg and used his last bit of strength to unleash his Martial Soul Avatar.
The phantom of the Gale Demon Wolf condensed behind him into a giant wolf over three zhang tall, its bluish-gray fur fluttering in the wind.
His Third Soul Skill, Gale Thrust, concentrates all his Soul Power in his right palm, forming a high-speed rotating wind cone.
"Now."
The moment the words left his lips, a silvery-white sword light pierced the wolf king's throat, the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Poison surged into his heart, and the Wind Cone pierced his cervical vertebrae. The Hurricane Wolf King let out a final roar, and the surrounding gale abruptly ceased, causing the suspended pebbles to fall to the ground.
A blood-red Soul Ring slowly rose from the wolf king's corpse, like a blood-red star suspended in mid-air. Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Feng Qingxuan knelt on one knee, blood dripping from his right arm down his fingertips. He forced himself not to fall, reached into his robes, took out the first Yang-Restoring Pill, and popped it into his mouth.
The pill melted instantly upon entering the mouth, its warm medicinal power sliding down the throat. A slight tingling sensation came from the wound, and the dizziness caused by excessive blood loss was suppressed by the medicinal power.
He took out a second one and pressed it under the back of his tongue—this would be his last trump card if something went wrong during the absorption of the Soul Ring.
He sat down cross-legged and guided the blood-red Soul Ring into his body. The overwhelming Soul Power almost ruptured his meridians. In less than a quarter of an hour, his face turned as white as paper, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
He abruptly bit down on the second Yang-Restoring Pill, and the second burst of medicinal power exploded in his mouth, forming a pale golden protective film around his heart. The Soul Ring energy that was colliding with his heart meridian struck this film and shattered into countless tiny waves.
However, the Yang-Restoring Pill could only protect the heart meridian, but it could not restrain the rampaging Soul Power in the meridians. The pale golden protective membrane began to crack under the continuous impact.
" Yang-Restoring Pill can't suppress it?" Dugu Bo's expression changed. He quickly walked behind Feng Qingxuan, placed his right hand on Feng Qingxuan's back to sense for a moment, and his brows furrowed even more tightly.
He paused for a moment, then suddenly raised his right hand, his fingers forming a knife-like shape, and made a cut on his left wrist.
Dark green blood seeped from the wound, dripping onto Feng Qingxuan's skin and forming a very thin green film that seeped into his meridians and adhered to their inner walls.
The rampaging energy, though still fierce, could no longer directly tear through the meridians when it collided with this protective layer.
"I can only stabilize his meridians; the absorption still depends on him." Dugu Bo withdrew his wrist, tore off a piece of his clothing to wrap around the wound, and his face was paler than usual.
Chen Xin stood aside, silent for a moment, then suddenly turned around, his back to Feng Qingxuan, facing the depths of the dense forest.
The sword intent of the Seven Kill Sword was released without reservation. The silvery-white sword intent spread out from him, causing the pebbles on the ground to tremble slightly and the branches and leaves on the tree crowns to fall silently.
The roars of beasts drawn by the scent of blood in the depths of the forest fell silent for a moment, then began to retreat, pacing anxiously outside the range of the sword intent, but daring not to take another step forward.
Chen Xin stood there, his gray robe fluttering in the wind, his right hand always resting on the hilt of his sword.
With Dugu Bo's essence protecting his meridians and Chen Xin's sword intent clearing the area from the outside, Feng Qingxuan regrouped his Soul Power and guided the violent energy in his meridians back onto the right track.
A pale gold protective membrane for his heart meridians, a dark green protective layer for his meridians, and the bluish-gray Soul Power of the Gale Demon Wolf —these three forces formed a delicate balance within his body.
The red aura surrounding him shifted from violent to calm, slowly sinking into his body. The phantom of the Gale Demon Wolf appeared behind him, howling towards the sky.
Half an hour later, the red aura completely subsided. Feng Qingxuan opened his eyes, and a blood-red light flashed deep within his pupils. Level 93 Titled Douluo.
Chen Xin's voice came from the side. " Soul Bone."
Feng Qingxuan strode to the corpse of the Hurricane Wolf King, placed his palm on the wolf king's body, and probed it with his Soul Power. A left leg bone, glowing with a pale blue light, slowly emerged from the wolf king's body and landed in his palm.
Fine wind patterns flowed across the surface of the bone, and the Wind Attribute Soul Power contained within resonated strongly with his Gale Demon Wolf Martial Soul.
Without hesitation, he put away the Soul Bone —absorption takes time, and now is not the time. The smell of blood has already dissipated; if he doesn't leave now, it will be too late.
He turned around, faced Chen Xin and Dugu Bo, and solemnly clasped his hands in greeting.
"Thank you both. From this day forward, I am— Azure Wind Douluo."
Dugu Bo spat out the grass stalk in his mouth and patted the dust off his hands. "The smell of blood has dissipated. If we don't leave soon, those guys will be coming to visit."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a deep roar of a beast echoed from the depths of the dense forest, followed by a second and a third.
Feng Qingxuan took out a signal flare from his pocket and pulled it sharply towards the sky. A streak of orange-red flame pierced through the layers of tree canopy and exploded into a dazzling light high in the sky.
In the distance, another plume of smoke rose into the sky— Li Ji had received the signal and was rushing towards the edge of the ridge.
The three turned and sped back the way they came. Feng Qingxuan ran in the lead, his feet swift as the Gale, his Titled Douluo- level Soul Power surging through his meridians. Dugu Bo followed closely behind, his Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Avatar the way.
Chen Xin remained at the rear, his right hand slightly outstretched, ready to draw his sword at any moment. The roars of the beasts behind him grew closer and closer, but they could no longer keep up with the speed of the three Titled Douluo.
Li Ji waited anxiously on the outer edge of the ridge. When three figures rushed out of the dense forest and appeared in his field of vision, his gaze immediately fell on Feng Qingxuan.
His clothes were torn and he was covered in blood, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light, and his aura was completely different from when he entered the forest.
"Dean, it's done?" Li Ji's voice trembled slightly.
Feng Qingxuan nodded.
Li Ji let out a long breath and took out a few more Restoring Wind Cake from his Storage Soul Tool, handing them to the three of them. Dugu Bo took one and took a bite. "These cakes are alright."
The four of them sped along the way. The marks that Li Ji had carved on the tree trunks along the route were clearly visible in the light of the setting sun, pointing the way one after another.
The shadows of the Star Dou Great Forest behind us gradually receded, and ahead we could see the edge of the forest—that horizon, tinged gold by the twilight, was the Homeward Journey.