Purple Fire Jackals

Sect Leader Kang Da would naturally not lead only a team of cultivators down into the mine. Compared to them, the conscripts from Pingrong County who had been there for nearly half a year were undoubtedly more familiar with the terrain of the mine.

Old Xia, who was in charge of the forced labor, was unable to escape, and he and his most beloved grand-apprentice were left behind by Kang Dabao to lead the way.

Sect Leader Kang Da is a cautious man. This old man is already in his eighties and is a local tyrant in the outside world. He was captured and forced to serve half a year of hard labor here, suffering so much humiliation. It's hard to say whether he harbors any resentment.

He himself didn't have many days left to live. If he risked his life and relied on his familiarity with the terrain to cause some trouble for Kang Dabao and his group, that would be undesirable.

The attack by the Gold-Devouring Rat not only caused casualties, but also destroyed most of the array formations and restrictions that the Huo Household and Tanggu County had spent a lot of manpower and resources to build for the entire mine.

The thousand Spirit Stone that the mine pays to the Huo Household each month won't all go into Huo Bing's pocket. A considerable portion of it will be used to maintain the normal operation of these formations. Objectively speaking, this is actually a considerable expense.

In reality, what actually ends up in Huo Bing's hands might not be much more than what Kang Dabao and Huo Chun shared.

Before the Gold-Devouring Rat swarm reappeared, most of the mine tunnels in this Spirit Stone vein were equipped with fluorescent lamps to improve the efficiency of the laborers' mining. However, since the array in the mine tunnels had been damaged, all the fluorescent lamps went out.

The cultivators, with their divine eyesight and spiritual awareness, were largely unaffected, but the two mortals needed to hold the obsidian stone to see clearly.

After searching the mine for a while, Old Xia jogged back and stood beside Kang Dabao, pointing to Fang Yi.

"Immortal Master, the place ahead is where Li Yijian and the others last saw that jackal-like Demon Beast. Li Yijian's ancestral lightness skill is quite remarkable; he only lost half an arm when he encountered the Demon Beast and returned. The others were all bitten to death. It was only thanks to you, Immortal Master, that the beast was scared away."

Kang Dabao nodded slightly. He vaguely remembered what Old Xia had said; Li Yijian's lightness skill was indeed remarkable.

After hearing Old Xia's words, Sect Leader Kang Da turned around, reached out, and lifted a pockmarked cultivator, saying, "Fellow Daoist Jing, please."

The cultivator surnamed Jing responded to the order, stepped out from the crowd, made a hand gesture, and a three-foot-long wolfhound puppet beast leaped out of his Storage Bag. Under the command of the pockmarked cultivator, it jumped into the mine pit in a few moves.

After a while, the wolfhound puppet beast returned to the cultivator surnamed Jing without any change. The latter shook his head at Kang Dabao: "Sect Leader Kang, my dog didn't detect anything unusual."

"Alright, let's go and investigate ourselves." Kang Dabao's expression didn't relax.

The Puppet Technique practiced by this cultivator surnamed Jing was clearly not the True Disciple. The wolfhound puppet was dimly lit, its movements were sluggish, and it was as lifeless as a dead thing, completely lacking the liveliness that a normal puppet beast should have.

This is the drawback of Kang Dabao's selection of people: honest cultivators are often useless.

They were easy to manage, but almost none of the nearly twenty people had any commendable skills.

If Niu Gui'er and Gu Laoliu were present back then, although they were equivalent to Evil Cultivator, they truly possessed remarkable investigative skills. Back then, the Four Ghosts of the Liu Household were still ten miles away from everyone, yet they were able to discover them using their methods, which was truly impressive.

On another note, the four heads of the Four Ghosts of the Liu Household are still pickled and stored in Sect Leader Kang Da's Storage Bag. I need to find some time to visit Tie Liuyun again to exchange them for the Spirit Stone.

Unfortunately, skilled fighters like these two are often arrogant. In the current critical situation, staying in the mine means certain death if they make a single mistake.

Sect Leader Kang Da lacked sufficient prestige and time to find ways to subdue those capable cultivators, so to ensure the best outcome, he had no choice but to choose an honest person who would be more reliable.

If you're incompetent, so be it. It's better to have a group of obedient people under your control than to have infighting and chaos.

After hearing Kang Dabao's words, the cultivator surnamed Jing obediently placed the wolfhound puppet ahead to scout the way.

After the Gold-Devouring Rat ravaged the mine, the entire mine's energy seemed to be thrown into chaos. Sect Leader Kang Da released his spiritual sense to investigate carefully for a long time, but apart from finding some pickaxes and hoes left behind by the laborers, he found nothing else.

The air in the mine tunnels, now devoid of its array, was thick and foul-smelling. Even cultivators like Kang Dabao found it unbearably suffocating, let alone the old man and his grandson, Old Xia.

His young apprentice's lips had turned purple, and his breathing had become heavy; he was clearly on the verge of collapse.

Although Old Xia was in slightly better condition, his spirits were visibly declining. He walked with a weak and listless gait, losing his usual vigorous stride. He was hunched over and panting heavily, looking just like a real old farmer in the fields.

If he continues to follow these cultivators like this, this Martial Ancestor will probably suffocate here.

Kang Dabao couldn't find a suitable pill for the time being. After asking around, none of the cultivators spoke up. However, Kuai En listened and poured out two dark pills from his medicine gourd.

Seeing how reluctant he was to part with it, Kang Dabao thought it was some kind of miraculous elixir.

Unexpectedly, after the grandfather and grandson shared the food, their condition did not improve. Their complexions grew increasingly pale, and it seemed that if they continued like this, they would truly perish here.

"Go back, go back, be careful of Demon Beast on the way." Sect Leader Kang Da frowned, scanned the grandfather and grandson with his divine eyes, and after confirming that they were not faking illness, ordered them to return on their own, not forgetting to give them a word of advice as he said goodbye.

As soon as he finished speaking, Kang Dabao sensed something was wrong. His mind was in a state of confusion, and he couldn't detect anything with his spiritual sense, but there seemed to be a faint, foul smell in the air.

Just then, Little Qi, who was hidden in his sleeve, suddenly woke up from his sleep. He opened his little mouth and gently bit Kang Dabao's finger, which immediately alerted him. "Be careful, everyone! Prepare the Law Artifact!"

Immediately afterwards, a lithe Purple Fire Jackal leaped out, and without making any unnecessary movements, opened its mouth and spat out a ball of purple flame at the group.

"Oh no, it's First-Tier Superior-Grade beast!" Kang Dabao saw that the Purple Fire Jackal had a tuft of red hair growing on the back of its neck. According to the "Introduction to Cold Crow Mountain Spirit Things", this was a sign that the Purple Fire Jackal had advanced to First-Tier Superior-Grade or higher.

Kang Dabao immediately sounded the alarm and summoned the Garrison Earth Azure Origin Shield to block it. This earth-colored shield did not need to be used to fight the enemy; it only used the spiritual light emanating from its outer edge to completely isolate the purple flames in front of Sect Leader Kang Da.

It was clear that the Purple Fire Jackal was not particularly powerful, but Kang Dabao's solemn expression did not fade. The purple flames spewed by the Purple Fire Jackal did indeed reach the power of First-Tier Superior-Grade flame, which confirmed the Sect Leader Kang Da's deduction.

Purple Fire Jackal and similar Demon Beast are widely distributed in the outer areas of the Cold Crow Mountain Range, so Sect Leader Kang Da is very familiar with their habits.

The individual strength of these kinds of Demon Beast is not outstanding among those of the same level, and is similar to that of ordinary Rogue Cultivator. However, once First-Tier Superior-Grade Purple Fire Jackal appears, according to their habits, it usually means that a pack of jackals will appear nearby.

In the previous six months, Kang Dabao had only encountered one or two low-level Purple Fire Jackal in this mine tunnel, which he could easily kill or scare away. But if a pack of jackals appeared, there would be ten to forty adult Purple Fire Jackal.

It needs to be emphasized again that even First Tier Demon Beast are never mindless idiots.

They may be less intelligent than ordinary humans and cultivators, but they still know how to assess situations and weigh the pros and cons.

They may not understand what "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" or "borrowing a path to attack Guo" mean, or what "when the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy is exhausted, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue" means, but that doesn't mean they can't.

Many mountain dwellers who often make a living in the Cold Crow Mountain Range have said that they are not afraid of solitary Demon Beast such as the Azure-Maned Lion and the Six-Toed Fire Leopard after entering the mountains.

This is because even though these powerful Demon Beast are generally at the First-Tier Late Stage when they reach adulthood, and have stepped onto the threshold of breaking through to the Second Tier Demon Beast, as long as the mountain dwellers stick together and are fearless, and make a gesture of fighting to the death, these Demon Beasts will often be scared away.

Survival in the Cold Crow Mountain Range is difficult; they are more afraid of getting hurt than the other inhabitants of the mountains.

If they are injured and cannot find suitable spirit medicine to heal them, they can only watch helplessly as their injuries worsen, and sooner or later they will lose their ability to protect themselves and become a piece of fresh meat in the mouths of other Demon Beast.

What the mountain travelers feared most were actually packs of beasts composed of various demonic wolves and jackals.

When they encounter these beasts, unless the difference in numbers is too great, the latter are rarely startled and flee immediately.

With their packs as a support, the demon wolves and jackals dare to fight, kill, and even sacrifice themselves. They cooperate tacitly with each other, and their hunting tactics are already taking shape.

For those who live in the mountains, it's not even easy to shake them off, let alone become their enemy.

These beasts could even spontaneously split into several groups, relentlessly biting the cultivators' rear ends, then taking turns harassing them day and night, chasing them for hundreds of miles without giving up.

Some wolf packs and jackal packs, after tasting the flesh and blood of cultivators, will even add cultivators to their menu. They will actively search for small groups of cultivators in the mountains and forests, stealthily track them, and finally hunt and devour them.

This is why the mountain dwellers fear them.

The first purple flames spewed by the Purple Fire Jackal were blocked by the Garrison Earth Azure Origin Shield. The splashed flames landed on the ground, creating a shower of sparks in the dark mine pit.

Taking advantage of the light, Old Xia and his little grand-disciple were able to see the number of the Purple Fire Jackal. Twenty or thirty small beasts, each two or three feet long, were sparsely scattered in the mine pit. They all stared with green eyes, grinned, and drooled as they trudged toward the cultivators with low growls.

Under normal circumstances, given the strength of this group of Purple Fire Jackal, they would not actively hunt down an equal number of cultivators. Even if they won, it would be a Pyrrhic victory, and they might even exhaust their clan to the point of gradual extinction.

While the flesh and blood of cultivators are delicious and can enhance cultivation, they are not enough to make them pay such a terrible price.

Before Sect Leader Kang Da could ponder the oddities, the leading Purple Fire Jackal, seemingly having identified him as the leader of the cultivators, leaped towards Kang Dabao with its mouth wide open and a mouthful of sharp teeth bared.

This seemed to be a signal; following its movement, the entire pack of Purple Fire Jackal began to harass their chosen prey in small groups.

The mine tunnels began to bustle with activity, filled with the sounds of people and the barking of jackals.

The jackals formed small teams, each led by a more experienced member of the group, and they charged left and right, cutting the cultivators apart and targeting any lone cultivators they found to surround and kill.

Compared to the well-coordinated and clearly defined jackal pack, the cultivators, who couldn't even call each other by name, appeared much clumsy.

Scenes of fighting alone, fleeing in panic, reckless courage, and bravado were all displayed, and they quickly fell into a disadvantageous position.

Unlike the other members of the jackal pack who were having a smooth ride, the leader of the Purple Fire Jackal, who was targeting Kang Dabao, ran into trouble.

It sensed something was wrong as soon as it pounced, noticing the fat cultivator's pupils gradually turning golden, which made it detect a hint of danger.

This keen sense, honed through life-or-death experiences, saved its life.

Without a second thought, the leader of the Purple Fire Jackal paused, then forcefully changed direction in mid-air with an extremely contorted posture. As soon as he landed, he leaped with all his might, almost colliding with the two Golden Light that followed.

One of the Purple Fire Jackal' companions behind the leader was unlucky; after being Delusion-Breaking Golden Eyes, its entire body was blown apart.

The sight startled the leader of the Purple Fire Jackal, who let out a terrified shriek and immediately hid among the crowd and jackals, avoiding any further confrontation with Kang Dabao.

However, merely frightening the jackal leader into not daring to confront Sect Leader Kang Da -on did not mean that the jackal pack's hunt was over.

The leader of the Purple Fire Jackal was seen constantly darting around in the chaotic battle. Its slender body contained a formidable strength, disrupting the fragile balance of each small battlefield.

With a single swipe of its claw, it shattered the puppet beast that the cultivator surnamed Jing had so treasured into dust. A Purple Fire Jackal that had been entangled with the puppet beast was instantly freed, and a ball of purple flame from its mouth lashed out at the cultivator surnamed Jing's companion.

The attack happened suddenly. The cultivator was already in dire straits under the siege of two Purple Fire Jackal, and had no way to deal with it. His robes were immediately burned away by the purple flames, and he died with a wail.

The leader of the Purple Fire Jackal was not smug. Ignoring the distressed expression on the face of the cultivator surnamed Jing, he bit down hard on the neck with flames wrapped around his sharp teeth.

Seeing that things were not going well, Kang Dabao unleashed two more golden rays.

Seeing that the Purple Fire Jackal leader did not move, it did not stop its actions towards the Jing surname cultivator, only letting out a foul cry from its throat.

Then another Purple Fire Jackal rose up at the sound, picked up a silver-scaled shield from beside the cultivator's corpse, and held it in front of it, blocking the deadly attack from Sect Leader Kang Da for the Purple Fire Jackal leader.

Even though the unrefined shield was of decent quality, it didn't offer much protection to the loyal Purple Fire Jackal.

Two beams of Golden Light easily pierced the shield and struck the Purple Fire Jackal. The jackal felt its fur and flesh being torn apart, and a burning pain shot through its internal organs. It let out a few pitiful cries before losing its breath.

However, its efforts were not in vain. The Purple Fire Jackal leader spat out a ball of flame that quickly burned through the defensive talismans released by the Jing surname cultivator, and then used its mouthful of sharp teeth to precisely bite his neck.

The flames clinging to the sharp teeth scalded the Jing surname cultivator's skin, causing large blisters. He struggled desperately in pain, but the leader of the Purple Fire Jackal held him firmly to the ground.

The wound on the cultivator surnamed Jing's neck was too large for the Purple Fire Jackal leader to stop, and blood spurted out. The thick, rich smell of blood made the ferocity in the Purple Fire Jackal leader's eyes even more intense.

It gripped the throat tightly with its mouthful of sharp teeth, then suddenly jerked its head back and pulled it out.

It all sounds like a long story, but it actually happened very quickly.

As soon as the Golden Light faded, Sect Leader Kang Da saw the leader of the Purple Fire Jackal turn around, holding a bloody throat in its mouth, and give him a cruel look.

It's as if to say, "Don't be complacent. This battle has only just begun."

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