Bai Zichen meditated for a moment to regulate his breathing, restoring his Magical Power to its peak.

The Spirit Light of the Golden Sparrow Sword in his hand was restrained, making it look like an ordinary mortal short sword.

’Now is the moment!’

His Divine Sense locked onto a lone Blood Wolf that had a lame hind leg and was licking its wounds.

The Golden Sword Light, as brilliant as a rainbow and as fast as a thunderbolt, appeared before the Blood Wolf just as it raised its head.

Its formidable Demon Beast body and tough hide were as fragile as melting snow before the Golden Sword Light, offering no resistance whatsoever.

The Blood Wolf let out a mournful howl as a bowl-sized hole was torn open in its belly, its innards and blood spilling all over the ground.

The vigorous life force of a Demon Beast allowed the Blood Wolf to remain standing. It even bared its fangs, roared, and postured as if to pounce.

The Golden Sparrow Sword swung back, and the Blood Wolf’s head rolled twice on the ground.

Bai Zichen shot out a beam of Ink Jade Sword Light, wrapped it around the severed head, and then turned to flee.

Shrill wolf howls rose from all directions, one after another, as at least thirty or forty Blood Wolves began to close in.

’If I really get surrounded, with them charging me in wave after wave, there’s no way I could execute a strike like that again.’

That strike had required a long time to build up power, waiting for the perfect moment and concentrating all his Essence, Qi, and Spirit to achieve a near-instant kill.

If he were surrounded by the pack and delayed his escape, it would be difficult to even fly away using Sword Control.

Bai Zichen flew for several miles without stopping before finding a mountain stream with thin Spiritual Qi to hide in.

This location was still within the familiar territory of Black Mountain. Tier Two Demon Beasts possessed considerable Spiritual Wisdom and knew there were two-legged beasts nearby they couldn’t afford to provoke, so they generally stayed away.

However, a large pack of Tier One Demon Beasts still posed a significant threat to him.

As he had been fleeing on his sword, his Divine Sense had faintly detected several dangerous presences.

’This pick-off tactic seems viable,’ Bai Zichen mused. ’As long as my attacks are fast and clean, the Blood Wolves can’t manage to surround me.’

With one Blood Wolf head secured, Bai Zichen began to analyze his experience.

’The Golden Sparrow Sword is much sharper than the Ink Bamboo Sword. Otherwise, killing that Blood Wolf wouldn’t have been so easy.’

’As for this technique of using Dual Swords simultaneously... my Divine Sense can barely handle it, but unfortunately, my Magical Power can’t keep up.’

Simultaneously wielding two Flying Swords, whether for offense or defense, could significantly increase his power.

For a Qi Refining Cultivator, however, the difficulty of using Dual Swords simultaneously was twofold. First, without powerful Mental Power to control both Flying Swords at once, the effect was actually worse than using a single sword.

Second, activating a Flying Sword already consumed Magical Power at a rapid rate.

Using Dual Swords simultaneously didn’t just double the demand on Magical Power—it increased it exponentially.

Thanks to tempering from the Divine Casting Technique, the strength of Bai Zichen’s Divine Sense was almost on par with that of an Early-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator, so he didn’t lack the Mental Power to control Dual Swords.

However, even with his Eighth-Layer Qi Refining Cultivation, he could not sustain the rate of Magical Power consumption required to use Dual Swords simultaneously.

He could only stagger the two Flying Swords, sending them out one after the other. It was better than nothing and saved him the time it would take to launch a second strike.

’If I could master using Dual Swords simultaneously, I could truly kill a Blood Wolf in an instant.’

Bai Zichen rested for two hours. When he returned to the Nameless Valley, he saw that the Blood Wolf Pack had grown smarter; they were now staying much closer to one another.

「Half a day... then a full day later...」

Bai Zichen snuck into the valley several times, but the Blood Wolf Pack showed no sign of scattering.

Furthermore, they were exceptionally vigilant. At the slightest disturbance, they would quickly close ranks, with several Blood Wolves watching the front and rear.

The pack’s level of vigilance and coordination, far exceeding that of ordinary Demon Beasts, was starting to frustrate Bai Zichen.

’At this rate, there’s no way I can safely collect ten Blood Wolf heads within seven days.’

’I’ll have to take a risk and use the second method.’

Bai Zichen circled the edge of the Nameless Valley several times before finally finding a suitable spot.

It was a smooth, concave cliff face, a space so narrow that two or three people standing together would find it difficult to maneuver.

By choosing this spot, no matter how many Blood Wolves there were, at most only three or four could attack him at once. The pressure wouldn’t be as immense.

’The only problem is that my back will be to a wall, with no escape route. I’ll need to think carefully about how to get away after I’ve collected enough heads.’

A Blood Wolf could leap at least thirty or forty feet with all its might. He feared they would pounce and drag him down the moment he tried to lift off using Sword Control.

Below Foundation Establishment, one couldn’t achieve the instantaneous activation speed with Sword Control needed to freely ascend into the Cyan Nether.

Bai Zichen stared at the cliff face, deep in thought for a long while. Only when he had a solid plan did he take out a stick of Floating Pine Resin and jab it into the dirt.

He rubbed his fingers together, and a small flame ignited the Floating Pine Resin. It began to release a strange, thick, fragrant aroma along with puffs of white smoke.

The aroma, mixed with the stench of blood and a very faint medicinal scent, drifted with the white smoke. Faintly, he could hear a few wolf howls drawing nearer.

This Floating Pine Resin was created by refining the fat and blood of a Tier Two Water Python Demon Beast and mixing it with aromatic powders. It was used to help Tier One Spirit Beasts activate their bloodlines when they were advancing to the next tier.

Over time, people discovered it had another effect: it could drive several specific types of Demon Beasts into a frenzy.

The Blood Wolf was one of them.

However, a Spirit Beast that entered this frenzied state became completely uncontrollable, refusing to even obey its master’s commands. The disciples of the Qingfeng Sect had recorded this as a side effect.

Before long, more than ten Blood Wolves appeared in Bai Zichen’s line of sight, and their numbers were still growing.

Furthermore, each Blood Wolf had visibly swelled in size. Their fur was so bright red it looked as if it might drip blood, and saliva drooled from their sharp fangs onto the ground.

WHOOSH!

With a foul gust of wind, two Blood Wolves pounced. It was like a switch had been flipped; the rest of the pack swarmed in from all directions. One even leaped high into the air, its sharp claws swiping down at Bai Zichen’s head.

The Treasure Umbrella unfurled, knocking the Blood Wolf from above away. The Golden Sword Light flashed left to parry one wolf, but the wolf on the right completely ignored the chill of the blade. Though a spray of blood shot from its leg, it still slammed into the red barrier, causing it to waver.

’They’re so fast!’

Bai Zichen was inwardly shocked. After going berserk, the Blood Wolves had lost their Spiritual Wisdom and the advantage of pack coordination, but all their other attributes were greatly enhanced.

Moreover, they wouldn’t dodge or evade his Sword Light, willingly taking a hit just for the chance to charge forward and take a bite out of him.

’Forget it! Being this cautious is just a liability. I’ll leave all my defense to the Treasure Umbrella and focus on killing as many of these Blood Wolves as I can!’

Steeling his resolve, Bai Zichen retracted his Sword Light and allowed two of the Blood Wolves to close in.

Having lost their Spiritual Wisdom to the scent of the Floating Pine Resin, the Blood Wolves could only charge toward the source of the fragrance. They pounced, pressing against the red barrier and tearing at it with fangs and claws, creating a sound of grating that set one’s teeth on edge.

The Blood Wolves pressed tightly against the red barrier, barely a foot away from Bai Zichen. Their vicious maws and blood-red fur, as coarse as steel needles, were rendered in sharp detail. He could even feel the foul, hot breath from their great mouths washing over his face.

The closer they were, the greater the danger.

Bai Zichen gripped the Golden Sparrow Sword. He didn’t need to bother with any Exquisite Swordsmanship; the Blood Wolves wouldn’t dodge anyway.

With a single focused strike, he pierced straight through one Blood Wolf’s throat. The beast, seemingly feeling no pain, actually lowered its head and bit down on the blade.

He twisted the Golden Sparrow Sword, shattering its fangs and mangling the beast’s mouth.

Even after it was dead beyond dead, the Blood Wolf’s claws remained hooked on the sword blade, wasting precious time.

’Still too slow. I don’t need fancy Sword Techniques, but I have to bypass their bodies and aim straight for the vitals. Otherwise, the Treasure Umbrella won’t hold out for long!’

Bai Zichen glanced at his Red Cover Treasure Pearl Umbrella. Five Blood Wolves were crowded together, clawing at it, while others madly leaped up to slam their bodies against the barrier, only to be sent flying far away.

These Demon Beasts used every part of their bodies in their frenzied attacks, not even sparing a glance for their fallen brethren.

The Sword Light in Bai Zichen’s hand changed. His striking speed slowed considerably, but now, every flash of his blade was guaranteed to leave a bloody hole in a vital spot, such as a Blood Wolf’s head or chest.