Jiang Ziliu's return journey did not go so smoothly.
Through a moment of carelessness, an Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf of at least five-star Black Iron Grade blocked his path.
Unlike ordinary wolf-type exotic beasts, the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf was a solitary exotic beast.
Moreover, it was a special, solitary wood-attribute wolf.
Under the influence of dark energy, the fur on an Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf could turn into thorny vines and extend to attack.
This kind of wolf possessed an extremely powerful energy-conversion ability, allowing it to convert the flesh and blood of any living creature into the life energy it needed.
Thus, they were extremely gluttonous solitary wolves with extraordinarily powerful digestion, capable of eating flesh and blood equivalent to twice their own body weight every day.
In the forest, Azure-Patterned Forest Wolves could use their wood attribute to blend their presence completely with the trees, giving them concealment abilities far beyond ordinary exotic beasts.
These solitary wolves were also extremely aggressive, daring to hunt exotic beasts stronger than themselves.
The beast cores and hearts of Azure-Patterned Forest Wolves were also extremely precious, serving as the best neutralizing ingredients for certain high-quality potions, as well as special primary ingredients containing powerful life energy.
When Jiang Ziliu passed through this forest on his return journey, the Azurite Rock Man discovered an Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf lying in ambush at its edge.
Jiang Ziliu therefore chose to take a detour.
He was in a hurry to get home and did not want to clash with the surrounding exotic beasts.
However, the Azurite Rock Man was only thirty meters ahead of him, a distance close enough for the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf to discover his traces.
His concealment skill hid his presence and scent, but its ability to conceal his traces weakened somewhat while he was moving.
The Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf, however, excelled at detecting life auras and vibrations from objects.
It could follow unusual vibrations to locate prey or natural enemies.
Jiang Ziliu had concealed the signs of his presence, but the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf picked up the extremely faint vibrations he produced as he walked across the ground.
It then actually followed Jiang Ziliu by tracking the vibrations of his footsteps.
The SSS-grade Life Aura Concealment skill was powerful, but it was not entirely comprehensive; it still had its shortcomings.
It could not interfere with vibration signals from external objects.
Jiang Ziliu stopped, and the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf stopped as well, quietly drawing closer.
Sensing that the vibrations from its prey had disappeared, the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf understood that its prey had hidden in place.
It therefore approached more boldly instead, preparing to attack Jiang Ziliu.
The Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf would not pounce straight at him. On the contrary, it was very cautious: it would turn its fur into thorny vines and rapidly spread them out, blanketing its prey's hiding place with attacks, with no fear that its prey would fail to give itself away!
It could be said that this Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf was highly experienced at searching for prey.
Jiang Ziliu could see that once a hunter like the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf set its sights on him, it would not easily let go.
Moreover, this one was an old wolf.
An experienced old wolf like this was even harder to deal with, and his chances of shaking it off were slim.
Thus, Jiang Ziliu decisively prepared to fight. He found a small rise and climbed onto it, then took out an iron bead and held it in his hand, ready for battle.
The Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf followed, cautiously approaching to observe him from a little over twenty meters away.
Originally, Jiang Ziliu had planned to have the Azurite Rock Man launch a surprise attack with Rock and Earth Sneak Stab.
But now he changed his mind. He told the Mutated Lightning Snake to pay attention to his use of Electromagnetic Manipulation; he was going to give it a live demonstration of the Electromagnetic Cannon ability.
Facing the prowling Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf, Jiang Ziliu used his SSS+-grade Electromagnetic Manipulation skill in the electric-field configuration for an Electromagnetic Cannon attack.
Boom!
With a sharp shriek, the electromagnetic bead shot out on the spot.
But this time, Jiang Ziliu missed.
This Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf was extremely experienced and kept moving around, throwing Jiang Ziliu's aim off by just a fraction. The shot went straight past its rear, and only the terrifying heat generated by the electromagnetic iron bead as it flew past burned away the fur on its tail.
The Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf was startled as well.
It immediately understood that this was a terrifying ranged attack. If it was hit, it would have absolutely no chance of survival.
To Jiang Ziliu's surprise, the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf, having dodged the strike and recognized the problem, truly lived up to being an old wolf.
Not only did it not flee, it instead swiftly lunged toward Jiang Ziliu himself.
It had to be said that the intelligence of these wolf-type exotic beasts was anything but ordinary.
The intelligence of experienced exotic beasts was even less to be underestimated!
Jiang Ziliu's Electromagnetic Cannon attacks were fast, vicious, and had considerable range.
Under these circumstances, if the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf fled into the distance, it would only become a live target for Jiang Ziliu to attack repeatedly.
In that situation, the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf's chances of escaping Jiang Ziliu's attacks alive were less than one in ten.
But if the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf rushed up to Jiang Ziliu and killed him outright, its chances of survival would be at least fifty-fifty.
It was very close to Jiang Ziliu, and with an exotic beast's speed, a single swift charge would bring it right in front of him.
Although it also knew that a tamed beast, likewise of Black Iron Grade, was guarding Jiang Ziliu, this was its best current chance of staying alive.
As an experienced old wolf, it knew full well when to flee and when to stake its life!
Jiang Ziliu was only powerful at ranged attacks; once it closed in, the chances of the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf killing him were greater.
In terms of strategy, its choice was correct.
But it did not know that a beast tamer could have multiple tamed beasts.
The moment the Azure-Patterned Azure Wolf lunged at Jiang Ziliu, its fate was sealed.
The Azurite Rock Man, which had long been lying in ambush between Jiang Ziliu and the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf, launched an instant surprise attack, thrusting out a blade and slicing the old wolf's belly open.
This blow was extremely deadly, even severely injuring its internal organs.
Despite suffering such severe injuries, the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf did not panic at all!
Green light brimming with life flashed across the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf's body, and its wound began rapidly writhing and healing!
Jiang Ziliu had not even known that Azure-Patterned Forest Wolves possessed a life-type healing skill!
He had never encountered this in humanity's records.
He immediately realized that perhaps this old wolf had undergone some mutation and awakened this powerful healing skill!
As his thoughts turned in an instant, Jiang Ziliu's hands did not slow either.
He immediately launched his second strike, firing the second electromagnetic projectile and attacking in the instant the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf was healing.
The moment it activated its healing skill, Jiang Ziliu had absolutely no intention of showing mercy.
Strike while it was sick and take its life!
If he did not move quickly now, this rare opening would vanish in a flash.
This time, Jiang Ziliu's aim was true. The iron bead entered through the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf's head and exited through its rear, blasting its insides to pieces!
But the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf truly lived up to being a wood-type creature; its tenacious vitality was terrifying.
Even after suffering such devastating injuries, it still had not died!
Even more intense green light surged from the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf's body. Clearly, with a thread of life still remaining, it was doing everything it could to repair its internal injuries.
But its existing reserves of life energy were no longer enough to repair such severe injuries.
Next, Jiang Ziliu saw the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf's body rapidly grow thin. It could actually squeeze out its own original vitality to heal its injuries.
This creature's healing skill worked very quickly.
Everything happened within a very short time.
But Jiang Ziliu would not hold back. The Azurite Rock Man followed up, and a keen slash directly beheaded the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf.
That slash ended the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf's life completely, giving it no chance whatsoever.
With its head gone, it naturally had no possibility of surviving.
Ordinary low-level exotic beasts could not regenerate after being beheaded!
Afterward, he left directly without touching the Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf.
The valuable parts of this Azure-Patterned Forest Wolf had already been shattered, and its flesh and blood brimmed with vitality, making it the finest food for other exotic beasts.
They could lock onto the scent and presence of such food from far away.
If he harvested this creature's resources, his return journey would not go so smoothly.
For the rest of the journey, Jiang Ziliu was even more cautious, paying particular attention to his footsteps and moving as lightly as possible.
He walked rather slowly, but still returned to Base No. 12 without trouble.
With the soul crystals hidden in the Azurite Rock Man's mouth, Jiang Ziliu passed through the base's gates smoothly and successfully returned home before dark.