Huo Zheng glanced at the yellow jade pendant in Fang Rui's hand, a calculating glint in his eyes. He happened to be short of a yellow jade pendant.
Joining forces with the Fang family would not only allow us to obtain the jade pendant, but also provide them with the means to deal with Lin Zhou. Why not?
He grinned, a wave of heat emanating from his body: "Alright! Since Brother Fang is so inclined, let's join forces. Once we get the cultivation technique, we'll split the profits equally!"
The two hit it off immediately and, each with their own people, headed deeper into the ancient forest, just in time to arrive in the direction Lin Zhou and Shen Jinhao were heading.
At the edge of the ancient forest, on the plain, the withered yellow grass reached above ankle height, and a cold wind swept by, carrying sand and gravel with a faint smell of blood.
As soon as Lin Zhou and Shen Jinhao stepped onto the plain, they saw an ice-blue figure confronting a giant beast in an open space not far away.
It was Luo Yun Chu. Fine ice crystals surrounded her, and an ice sword condensed in her hand. Her cold gaze was fixed on the demonic beast opposite her, and they had obviously been locked in a stalemate for a long time.
The monster was a giant wolf over ten feet tall, its entire body covered in dense black mist, within which dark purple patterns could be faintly seen flowing.
A pair of dark red eyes, like burning will-o'-the-wisps, were fixed on Luo Yun Chu, revealing a bloodthirsty ferocity.
Its four claws were as sharp as knives; each stomp left a three-inch-deep claw mark on the ground, with black venom dripping from the tips.
It landed on the grass and instantly burned the weeds to ashes.
It was the legendary Netherworld Blood Wolf!
"The Netherworld Blood Wolf, a species that appears only once in a million wolves!"
Shen Jinhao gasped, his voice trembling, "I heard that this wolf is not only incredibly strong, but it can also sense the aura of treasures. Wherever it is, there must be hidden treasures!"
"Moreover, its wolf blood can temper the body, its wolf heart can replenish the spirit, and even its wolf skin can be made into extremely strong armor!"
As soon as he finished speaking, two figures landed on the plain one after the other. Fang Rui led the Fang family cultivators and rushed over quickly, while Huo Zheng, surrounded by heat waves, rushed over in a few steps.
The two men's eyes lit up the moment they saw the Netherworld Blood Wolf, their greedy gazes almost glued to the giant wolf.
Lu Zhizhou arrived shortly after. He stood a little further away, his brows furrowed as he sized up the Netherworld Blood Wolf. Although he was also tempted, he was more cautious than Huo Zheng and Fang Rui.
"Good heavens! The quality of this Netherworld Blood Wolf is probably one in a thousand years!"
Huo Zheng licked his lips, his rough hands clenched tightly at his sides, his eyes filled with longing. "Wolf blood is mine, it can temper my Fiery Dragon bloodline; wolf meat must also be mine, it's perfect for replenishing my qi and blood!"
Fang Rui, not to be outdone, pointed at the Netherworld Blood Wolf's claws and fur, his tone leaving no room for argument:
"Wolf claws are sharp and can be forged into top-grade daggers; wolf pelts offer strong defense and are perfect for making a suit of armor. My Fang family wants both of these!"
The two didn't even mention "how to deal with the Blood Wolf," but instead started dividing it up among themselves, as if the ferocious beast was already theirs.
Several rogue cultivators who arrived one after another looked rather grim at the two men's domineering manner.
One of the cultivators, dressed in a gray robe, couldn't help but speak up, his voice tinged with resentment: "Fellow Daoist, the Netherworld Blood Wolf was discovered by everyone together, and you're just dividing it up like this?"
"Isn't that a bit unreasonable? Does that mean we don't get any benefit at all?"
Upon hearing this, Huo Zheng's face instantly darkened. He didn't waste any more words with the gray-robed cultivator, and stomped his foot sharply.
A surge of heat erupted from his body, and his right fist, engulfed in raging flames like a red-hot iron, slammed fiercely towards the gray-robed cultivator!
"You ignorant fool, how dare you try to steal from me?"
The gray-robed cultivator's expression changed drastically. He quickly circulated his spiritual power and condensed an earthen-yellow defensive shield in front of him.
But the moment the fiery fist struck the shield, the shield shattered like paper, and the flames struck the gray-robed cultivator's chest without any obstruction.
"puff!"
The gray-robed cultivator spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the plain with a loud "boom," creating a crater half a zhang deep.
He lay in the pit, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. He struggled a few times, but didn't even have the strength to get up, clearly suffering serious injuries.
Huo Zheng withdrew his fist, his fierce gaze sweeping over everyone present, his tone filled with a strong threat: "Who else thinks it's unfair? Step forward!"
A deathly silence fell over the plain; no one dared to speak. The rogue cultivators were pale-faced, lowering their heads and not daring to even glance at Huo Zheng.
Huo Zheng's strength far surpasses theirs, and with Fang Rui and the Fang family cultivators backing him up, whoever steps forward will be the next one to be crushed into the pit.
Luo Yun Chu frowned, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes, but ultimately said nothing.
Although she did not agree with Huo Zheng's domineering attitude, she did not want to confront him head-on for the sake of a few unfamiliar rogue cultivators.
Lu Zhizhou shook his head and walked aside, clearly not wanting to get involved in the conflict. He only wanted to wait until Huo Zheng and Fang Rui dealt with the Blood Wolf before looking for any potential treasures.
Seeing this, Fang Rui smiled smugly and cupped his hands in greeting to Huo Zheng: "Young Master Huo Zheng, what skill! These arrogant fools deserve to be dealt with like this!"
Huo Zheng snorted coldly, ignoring Fang Rui, and his gaze returned to the Netherworld Blood Wolf. He licked his lips and said, "Don't waste time. Let's deal with this wolf first, lest things get complicated!"
As he spoke, flames surged around him, transforming into a gigantic fire python that lunged at the Netherworld Blood Wolf.
The Netherworld Blood Wolf raised its head and let out a deafening howl. Black energy surged, and its dark red eyes became even more ferocious as it charged fiercely towards the fire python.
A fierce battle erupted instantly on the plains.
Lin Zhou and Shen Jinhao stood at the edge of the plain, watching everything like outsiders.
Shen Jinhao swallowed hard and whispered, "Fellow Daoist, should we also..."
Lin Zhou glanced indifferently at the scene of battle, then swept his gaze over the corner of the plain shrouded in black mist in the distance, and a faint smile appeared on his lips: "Not interested. The real treasure is not this wolf."
He could clearly sense a faint yet pure aura hidden deep within the black mist in the corner of the plain.
Flames surged around Huo Zheng's body, and the veins on his arms bulged like writhing dragons. He let out a low shout:
"Flaming Dragon Claw!"
As soon as the words fell, the flames in the sky suddenly condensed, transforming into a pair of crimson-gold dragon claws over ten feet long, their tips spitting out raging flames.
With a scorching heat that seemed to burn the air, it viciously clawed at the head of the Netherworld Blood Wolf.
This is the signature martial skill of the Blazing Flame Clan, capable of easily tearing apart the defenses of a cultivator in the early stages of the Dao Realm, and burning ordinary demonic beasts upon contact.
Fang Rui didn't hesitate either. With a "hum," the black short blade in his hand burst forth with a ghostly light, and his figure flickered like a phantom.
Transforming into three afterimages, they circled around from the left, right, and rear to the back of the Netherworld Blood Wolf, their short blades aimed directly at the wolf's hind leg joints.
Knowing that the Blood Wolf's hide was tough and difficult to break through with a direct attack, he planned to first disable the Blood Wolf's mobility and then join forces with Huo Zheng to kill it.
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