Danger on the Soul Hunt
Early the next morning, when the sky was only beginning to lighten, Yan Hu and Su Qing finished their preparations and set out for the depths of the mountain forest on the outskirts.
Yan Zu stood at the courtyard gate, watching his parents disappear into the morning mist. Though worried, he understood that they were taking this risk for him. He could only hope they would both return safely.
For the next three days, Yan Zu kept to his usual routine. During the day, he practiced the basics of the Nine Yin Manual's lightness techniques and swordsmanship. He occasionally went to the back mountain to gather herbs, nourishing them with the vitality of the Qilin's phantom for his parents to use when they returned. At night, he entered his spiritual world to communicate with the phantoms of the Qilin and the Xuanyuan Sword, familiarizing himself with the characteristics of his two Martial Souls.
Meanwhile, deep in the mountain forest on the outskirts, a brutal battle was underway.
Yan Hu and Su Qing were cornered beneath an ancient tree by an enormous Wind Wolf. Its fur was a fluffy gray-black, its green eyes gleamed with bloodlust, and drool dripped from the corners of its mouth. The Soul Power fluctuations it gave off had actually reached the four-hundred-year level!
"Damn it, how did we run into a four-hundred-year Wind Wolf?" Yan Hu gripped his iron axe, his expression grave. He and Su Qing had come to hunt a Soul Beast of around three hundred years, but they had not expected to encounter this Wind Wolf along the way. Still more unexpected was that it had been chasing a little girl.
The girl was about six years old, dressed in rags and covered in wounds. The hem of her once-pink dress had been torn to shreds and was caked with dirt and blood. Several deep claw marks scored her body, making her look especially pitiful.
She curled up beneath the ancient tree, her eyes full of fear, yet she kept her lips stubbornly pressed together and did not cry.
"Husband, save her first!" Su Qing made the decision at once. She could tell that the girl was no ordinary child. Faint Soul Power fluctuations came from her body; she was actually a Soul Master too. As fellow Soul Masters, they had no reason to stand by and let her die.
Yan Hu had already intended to do the same. Hearing Su Qing, he nodded at once. "All right!" He swung his iron axe, and three Soul Rings-white, yellow, and yellow-rose from beneath his feet. Without hesitation, he activated his third Soul Skill, Immovable Vajra!
Earth-yellow light enveloped Yan Hu's body. His muscles swelled in an instant, and his skin took on a metallic sheen. He looked like a vajra arhat, his imposing presence soaring. With a roar, he brought his iron axe whistling down toward the Wind Wolf's head!
The Wind Wolf reacted swiftly, flashing aside to evade the blow. Its sharp claws glinted coldly as it raked them toward Yan Hu's chest. With a crisp clang, the claws struck him, throwing up a spray of sparks but leaving only a shallow white mark.
"What tough skin!" A flicker of surprise flashed through the Wind Wolf's eyes, almost human in its expression, before it grew even more vicious.
Knowing the human before it was no easy opponent, it turned and lunged at Su Qing, intending to deal with the support Soul Master first.
"Don't even think about it!" Su Qing was ready. She released her Green Grain Martial Soul at once, and pale green light enveloped her and Yan Hu as she activated her first Soul Skill, Green Grain Revival. Yan Hu's minor injuries healed rapidly, and his Soul Power was replenished.
At the same time, she activated her second Soul Skill, Green Grain Entanglement. Several emerald-green vines burst from the ground and wound toward the Wind Wolf's limbs.
The Wind Wolf roared and wrenched its body, snapping the vines instantly, but they had bought Yan Hu time. He seized the chance to close in, swinging his iron axe with a fierce whistle. Axe light slashed toward the Wind Wolf again and again, forcing it to retreat.
Man and wolf fought at close quarters, neither able to gain the upper hand.
Yan Hu's iron axe was immensely powerful, and with the defense of Immovable Vajra, the Wind Wolf could hardly hurt him. But the Wind Wolf was extraordinarily fast and far more agile than Yan Hu, so dealing it a serious blow was no easy task either.
Su Qing continued releasing support Soul Skills from the side to assist Yan Hu, while also keeping an eye on the little girl to prevent the Wind Wolf from suddenly attacking her.
The battle lasted half an hour. Fine beads of sweat appeared on Yan Hu's temples, and he had used up a considerable amount of Soul Power. The Wind Wolf had fared no better. The iron axe had struck it several times, leaving wounds deep enough to expose bone and staining its fur red with blood. Yet it still refused to retreat, and the ferocity in its eyes only grew.
"Wife, I'll hold it off. Take the girl and go while you have the chance!" Yan Hu said, panting. He knew that if they kept wearing themselves down like this, it would be bad for them. A four-hundred-year Wind Wolf had tremendous stamina, while he had little Soul Power left.
"No! If I leave, what will happen to you?" Su Qing shook her head. "We're leaving together!"
Just then, the Wind Wolf seized an opening and lunged at it, its sharp fangs snapping toward Yan Hu's neck. Caught off guard, Yan Hu could only twist partly aside. The Wind Wolf bit hard into his shoulder, and blood gushed out!
"Husband!" Su Qing cried, her eyes full of anxiety.
Yan Hu grunted and forced himself to endure the searing pain. He swung his axe backhanded into the Wind Wolf's back, sending it flying. But he too staggered back several steps, his face pale. The wound on his shoulder was deep enough to expose bone, and his Soul Power fluctuations had become chaotic.
The Wind Wolf climbed to its feet and shook its head. A glint of triumph flashed through its eyes as it lunged at Yan Hu again.
"Oh no!" Su Qing's heart tightened. She tried to release a Soul Skill to stop it, only to find that she too had almost no Soul Power left.
At that critical moment, Yan Hu suddenly remembered the healing pill his son had given him.
Without hesitation, he pulled the porcelain bottle from inside his clothes, tipped out a red pill, and stuffed it into his mouth. The pill melted as soon as it entered his mouth, and a surge of pure energy rushed through his limbs and bones. The terrible pain in his shoulder eased by more than half in an instant, and his chaotic Soul Power quickly stabilized, becoming even fuller than before!
"This pill is incredible!" Yan Hu was both shocked and delighted. He could feel his injuries healing rapidly, and seventy percent of his Soul Power had returned. He activated Immovable Vajra again, the light on his iron axe growing brighter as he struck once more at the oncoming Wind Wolf!
The Wind Wolf had not expected Yan Hu's injuries to heal so quickly. Caught unprepared, it took the iron axe squarely on the head. With a howl of agony, the Wind Wolf suffered a deep gash in its head, and blood and brain matter flowed out together. Its enormous body crashed heavily to the ground, twitched a few times, and went still.
Panting heavily, Yan Hu looked at the fallen Wind Wolf and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Su Qing hurried to his side and supported his arm, her eyes full of lingering fear. "Husband, are you all right?"
"I'm fine, thanks to the healing pill A-Zu gave me." Yan Hu shook his head and turned to the little girl. "Little girl, are you all right?"
The girl came out from behind the tree and looked timidly at them. Her gaze was still wary, but it held more relief at having survived. Her lips moved as though she wanted to say something, but she was too weak to make a sound. Her body swayed, and she fell to the side.
"Careful!" Su Qing hurried forward and caught the girl, only to find that she had already fainted. She checked the girl's breathing and examined her injuries, her expression grave. "She's badly hurt, and her Soul Power is completely exhausted. If she doesn't get treatment soon, I'm afraid she won't last long."
Yan Hu nodded. "Give her one of the healing pills A-Zu gave us. We'll take her back to the village first and decide what to do from there."
Su Qing had no objection. She gave the girl a healing pill, and the girl's breathing immediately steadied. Su Qing then picked her up, while Yan Hu hoisted the Wind Wolf's corpse onto his shoulder, and the two set off at a brisk pace toward Five Souls Village.
The Wind Wolf's corpse was worth a considerable sum. The pelt, fangs, and bones of a four-hundred-year Wind Wolf were all valuable materials for Soul Masters, enough for them to cover the cost of the Awakening Stone and Yan Zu's schooling.
The sun sank in the west, its golden afterglow spilling through the mountain forest and stretching their shadows long. Su Qing held the little girl carefully, continually nourishing her with the vitality of her Green Grain Martial Soul. Yan Hu walked ahead, clearing the way and watching their surroundings warily in case other Soul Beasts appeared.