Demon Beasts Attack, the "Gray Wolf" Lang Household

Rustle!

When the vermilion fruits ripened and their fragrance drifted out, the birds and beasts still lingering in the persimmon grove, pecking at the fallen persimmons, immediately grew restless and rushed toward the scent.

However, blocked by the second-rank illusion array, the birds and beasts could only thrash about outside it, lunging and charging blindly. They could not get inside the array, much less reach the ripe vermilion fruits.

Even so, Eldest Uncle, Fifth Uncle, and the others inside the illusion array showed no sign of happiness or relief. The birds and beasts' strange behavior could easily draw the attention of Demon Beasts and cultivators in the mountains.

Besides, the fragrance of the ripened vermilion fruits drifting out could also attract Demon Beasts and bloodline cultivators.

"Quick!" Eldest Uncle Kong Yushuo said at once. "Pick the vermilion fruits."

Before he had finished speaking, Third Aunt, Fifth Uncle, Thirteenth Aunt, Nineteenth Uncle, Kong Wenjun, and the others had already leaped into the vermilion fruit tree to pick the ripe fruits.

There were only eight vermilion fruits in all. They quickly picked them, placed them in a special jade box, and attached talismans to seal off and block the fragrance of the ripe fruits.

But that did not mean the work was finished.

Precious as the eight ripe vermilion fruits were, they were nowhere near as valuable as the vermilion fruit tree itself.

After all, as long as they successfully transplanted the vermilion fruit tree to the Lineage's Peacock Feather, the Lineage would be able to cultivate an endless supply of vermilion fruits, which was far better than a one-time harvest of eight.

So while Third Aunt, Fifth Uncle, and the others climbed the tree to pick the vermilion fruits, Eldest Uncle, Ninth Uncle, Fourteenth Uncle, Kong Wenzhang, and the others began digging up the vermilion fruit tree.

This was far more troublesome than picking the fruits. They had to carefully identify and untangle the vermilion fruit tree's roots, keeping them from being damaged or even broken. Otherwise, even if the tree was transplanted to the Lineage's Peacock Feather, it would very likely be difficult to keep alive.

Eldest Uncle, Third Aunt, Fifth Uncle, and the others were all veterans who had worked together for years in these mountains on the front lines. Their duties for picking the vermilion fruits and digging up the tree had long been clearly assigned, and they were skilled at both.

Only Kong Wenxuan was new. Unable to lend a hand for the moment, he could only stand idle to one side.

He did not remain idle for long, though. As Eldest Uncle dug up the vermilion fruit tree, he ordered him, "Wenxuan, nephew, keep watch on the surroundings. Guard against Demon Beasts and enemies approaching or attacking."

"All right!" Kong Wenxuan promptly answered. Holding the white peacock feather, he stepped out of the illusion array and checked the area around the persimmon grove.

Sure enough, he soon spotted a red-billed blue magpie Demon Bird flying through the air, swooping straight toward the area covered by the illusion array below.

It was a first-rank Demon Bird. Although it could not see through the illusion array's concealment or make out the vermilion fruit tree, a trace of the fragrance released by the ripe fruits still lingered, guiding the red-billed blue magpie Demon Bird's dive.

Without hesitation, Kong Wenxuan sent the Azure Wood Divine Sword flying. It flashed in midair and transformed into twenty-one streaks of azure sword light, weaving into a net that slashed toward the swooping red-billed blue magpie.

With a series of wet tearing sounds, the diving red-billed blue magpie was dismembered on the spot by the azure sword light, its flesh, blood, and bones scattering through the persimmon grove.

It was only a mid-first-rank Demon Bird. Its fighting strength was limited; it couldn't even withstand one strike from the Azure Wood Divine Sword. It seems it got here first because it was closest.

Seeing how easily he had killed the red-billed blue magpie Demon Bird as it swooped at him, Kong Wenxuan understood at once.

Just then, a masked palm civet Demon Beast burst out from among the frenzied, restless birds and beasts nearby. It seemed somewhat more clever, however, and instead of charging toward the area covered by the illusion array, it pounced straight at him.

Without the slightest hesitation, Kong Wenxuan directly unleashed the Black Water Divine Sword. Its sword force surged like waves piling atop one another as it stabbed straight at the charging masked palm civet Demon Beast, piercing and gravely wounding it on the spot.

The masked palm civet Demon Beast shrieked and turned to flee for its life, but Kong Wenxuan had already recalled the Azure Wood Divine Sword. It transformed into dozens of streaks of sword light that slashed down in succession, instantly cutting the gravely wounded masked palm civet Demon Beast into several pieces.

The killing of two Demon Beasts in succession had a considerable deterrent effect. More than half of the ordinary birds and beasts thrashing about and charging blindly around the illusion array scattered in fright.

Even some Demon Beasts and Demon Birds that had already rushed into the vicinity were cowed for the moment and did not dare charge into the persimmon grove rashly.

Of course, a more important reason was that Third Aunt, Fifth Uncle, and the others had already picked the vermilion fruits from the tree, sealed them in a jade box, and suppressed and blocked their fragrance with talismans.

The fragrance released by the ripening vermilion fruits had spread for only a short while, and by now it had almost completely dissipated.

Once the Demon Beasts and Demon Birds that had been drawn in and rushed nearby could no longer smell the fragrance of the ripe vermilion fruits, they naturally began to hesitate, grow suspicious, and retreat.

After all, without the vermilion fruits to attract them, these Demon Beasts and Demon Birds, though dim-witted, were even less willing to fight humans rashly. If they were injured, they would only face greater danger in these southern mountains.

Thus, unless drawn by a definite target, the Demon Beasts and Demon Birds in the mountains would not act rashly.

The bloodline cultivators stood in stark contrast to these Demon Beasts and Demon Birds.

These bloodline cultivators might not have detected the fragrance released by the ripening vermilion fruits, but the sight of large numbers of birds and beasts gathering and growing restless around the persimmon grove, and even Demon Beasts and Demon Birds being drawn over, would undoubtedly attract the attention of any bloodline cultivators who saw these strange signs.

And when the bloodline cultivators drawn over saw Kong Wenxuan standing guard in the persimmon grove, they would immediately realize that a treasure must have appeared there.

They would think more than those low-rank Demon Beasts and Demon Birds, and they were bolder, unafraid to probe through fighting and battle.

"Kid!" Before long, a bloodline cultivator could no longer hold back and pressed Kong Wenxuan for answers. "Did some treasure appear in this persimmon grove? Could it be vermilion fruits? The rule in the Southern Mountains is that everyone who sees it gets a share. Don't you think you can hog it all!"

The speaker was a hulking man with a wolfish look and a savage bearing. He wore a tiger-skin dharma robe, and both his presence and imposing bearing had reached Peak Qi Refining as he advanced straight toward Kong Wenxuan.

Three male and female cultivators followed behind him, their appearances, presence, and imposing bearing somewhat similar to the hulking man's.

"They're from the 'Gray Wolf' Lang Household!" Kong Wenxuan recognized them at a glance. Earlier, on the way to the persimmon grove, they had encountered cultivators from the "Gray Wolf" Lang Household, and his eldest brother Kong Wenzhang had told him about them.

The "Gray Wolf" Lang Household was one of the savage bloodline Lineages living in the southern mountains beyond the pass. The wolfish presence and imposing bearing of the Lang Household's bloodline cultivators were very easy to recognize.

Moreover, according to Eldest Brother Kong Wenzhang, the "Gray Wolf" Lang Household was also one of the most notorious hyenas in the southern mountains. Relying on their many cultivators, they could often summon large numbers of their clansmen with a single wolf howl and use wolf-pack tactics to seize resources, spiritual objects, and spoils from all sides. They had long been infamous.

He had not expected the first people they attracted to be from the "Gray Wolf" Lang Household.