Chapter 49: The First Night's Trial
The camp transformed in an instant.
The relaxed atmosphere disappeared as every member of the Northern Wolf Escort Company moved exactly as they had practiced countless times before.
"Formation!"
Elder Ruan's command cut through the shrill cries of the bats.
The caravan workers immediately obeyed.
Drivers abandoned the wagons.
The mechanic left his inspection tools where they lay.
The assistants hurried toward the center while protecting Aunt Mei and the younger workers.
Within seconds, everyone who wasn't expected to fight stood inside the innermost circle of the campsite.
The escort guards spread themselves evenly around them, their Frost Wolves standing shoulder to shoulder beside their partners.
It looked less like panic...
...and more like a machine shifting into another function.
Yun Che instinctively moved beside Lin Xia.
Amon lowered his massive body protectively before them. The icy spines along his back rose as a deep growl rumbled from his chest.
Mirage climbed from Yun Che's shoulder onto his head. Her wings folded tightly against her body while her antennae lowered toward the approaching creatures.
Lin Xia tightened her grip on her rune pen.
"This is our first attack on the road".
Yun Che quietly nodded.
"...Looks like it."
"Yun Che!" Elder Ruan called.
Yun Che immediately looked toward him.
"Hold the inner circle. Keep the drake with the workers. If anything breaches the line, it becomes your responsibility."
Yun Che nodded. "Understood."
To Yun Che's surprise...
Not everyone inside the circle appeared concerned.
Elder Liang remained seated on a wooden crate.
He calmly picked up another spoonful of stew.
Several caravan workers glanced at him uncertainly.
Seeing the old merchant eating so casually, they slowly relaxed and resumed their own meals.
Elder Ruan stared at him in disbelief.
"...Are you planning to continue dinner?"
Elder Liang looked up with complete innocence.
"Shouldn't I?"
"There are Foundation Realm monsters outside."
The old merchant shrugged.
"Do you want me to act frightened?"
"...Maybe."
Elder Liang chuckled.
"And wouldn't that suggest I lack confidence in your abilities?"
Elder Ruan clicked his tongue.
"You and that merchant's mouth."
"Thank you."
Elder Liang smiled proudly.
"I've spent decades polishing it."
He dipped another piece of bread into his stew.
"I'd rather trust experienced guards than waste perfectly good food."
Several workers laughed despite the tension.
The sound eased some of the fear spreading through the camp.
Elder Liang looked toward the younger caravan members.
"Sit."
"Eat."
"If I panic..."
"...then you may panic."
"But I'm still a Foundation Realm cultivator."
"If something truly goes wrong..."
"...I'll stand."
Until then...
He calmly continued eating.
Jin Wei wasn't much different.
He sat beside Yun Che with a bowl balanced comfortably on one knee.
Rather than staring nervously...
He watched the battle forming beyond the barrier with almost childish fascination.
"...It's like watching a play."
Yun Che blinked.
"A play?"
"A very expensive one."
Lin Xia looked at him in disbelief.
"How are you this calm?"
Jin Wei pointed toward the guards.
"They've trained for this."
"They know their jobs."
"If I run around screaming..."
"...I'll only make theirs harder."
He casually took another bite.
"So I'll leave fighting to fighters."
Only Yun Che and Lin Xia remained visibly tense.
Neither had ever experienced a night attack during a caravan journey.
Both unconsciously watched every movement beyond the protective formation.
Outside...
The canyon had become alive.
Hundreds of Cave Bloodbats circled the campsite in an enormous spiral.
Their crimson eyes glowed beneath the moonlight while their piercing cries merged into one continuous wave of sound.
Far below them...
The Bloodvine Creepers surged across the frozen ground.
Countless thorn-covered vines twisted together until they resembled a living crimson tide flowing toward the camp.
Yun Che's expression became serious.
"The vine colony is Foundation Realm," Yun Che said.
Elder Ruan nodded. "One main body beneath the earth. Thousands of tendrils above it."
"The bats aren't."
"Individually they're only Mortal Realm."
"But don't underestimate numbers."
As if responding to his words...
The entire swarm screamed together.
The sound struck the defensive formation like an invisible hammer.
BOOOOM!
The air itself rippled violently.
The stone pillars surrounding the campsite flashed with brilliant light as the defensive formation resisted the impact.
Lin Xia felt the pressure against her chest.
"...They're combining their attacks."
"The bats weaken prey. The vines capture whatever loses its footing."
Yun Che looked between the circling swarm and the crimson tendrils pressing against the formation.
"They've hunted together for generations?"
"Longer, most likely."
Another sonic wave struck the defensive boundary.
Elder Ruan's expression remained hard.
"Their cooperation is natural."
He looked around the campsite. Fourteen human Foundation cultivators stood within the wagon circle, accompanied by twelve Foundation Realm Frost Wolves.
"Attacking us is not."
Another deafening sonic wave slammed into the barrier.
The formation trembled...
...but held.
The vines attacked next.
Thousands of thorn-covered tendrils rose simultaneously.
For one terrifying moment...
They resembled a crimson avalanche crashing toward the camp.
"Bao Kun!"
The giant warrior stepped forward without hesitation.
His enormous shield struck the frozen ground.
BOOM!
Ki erupted outward.
"Shield Bash!"
The bronze shield blazed with golden light.
A gigantic phantom shield manifested before him before slamming into the advancing vines.
The collision echoed throughout the canyon.
The leading vines were thrown backward while countless others tangled together behind them.
Yet...
They continued pushing forward relentlessly.
The Frost Wolves answered immediately.
One after another...
Powerful streams of icy breath burst from their mouths.
Blue-white frost spread rapidly across the battlefield.
The ground froze solid.
The Bloodvine Creepers slowed noticeably as thick layers of ice coated their twisting bodies.
Several vines cracked apart under the sudden cold.
"They're slowing!"
One of the younger guards shouted.
"Keep freezing them!"
The wolves obeyed without hesitation.
Above...
The Cave Bloodbats shifted formation.
Instead of diving...
They spread into an enormous circle surrounding the campsite.
Their cries changed.
The shrill screams merged into a sickening, rhythmic pulse that vibrated straight through the stone canyon walls. Yun Che's vision blurred as his skull throbbed with a dull, nauseating ache—the sound wasn't merely striking his ears; it was rattling his very core, threatening to disrupt his Ki circulation.
"What is this?" Yun Che forced out, steadying his footing beside Lin Xia.
"A resonance field," Elder Ruan called out calmly over the din. "They're overlapping their sonic frequencies to shatter your concentration. Keep your posture tight!"
Even the younger caravan workers began rubbing their temples.
Several horses stamped nervously inside the camp.
Five shield bearers stepped forward. Bao Kun occupied the centre while the other four positioned themselves at equal intervals around the inner camp.
Their shields struck the ground together.
"Guardian Barrier!"
Silver light erupted across the campsite. Five separate barriers rose before the warriors, then extended toward one another. Their edges locked together along prepared resonance points until a single translucent wall reinforced the ancient roadside formation.
The next sonic wave struck.
The connected barrier shuddered but remained intact.
Frozen vines crashed against it a moment later. Black thorns scraped across the silver surface without penetrating.
Yun Che watched the five guards adjust their stances together. When one section received greater pressure, Ki flowed toward it from the other four.
One cultivator could defend a position.
Five who had trained until their Ki moved as one could hold a line none of them could have protected alone.
Elder Ruan inspected the barrier, the pillars, and the workers gathered within the wagon circle.
"Drivers, keep the Mountain Chargers under control. Shield team, maintain the inner wall. Second team, protect the formation pillars."
He drew his sword.
Six guards moved behind him, their Frost Wolves lowering themselves in preparation.
"The defence is secure," Ruan said.
"Now..."
"...it's our turn."
The counterattack was about to begin.
-----------------
The moment Elder Ruan gave the order, the defensive formation changed.
The five shield bearers held their positions without moving an inch, maintaining the combined Guardian Barrier that reinforced the ancient roadside formation.
The remaining fighters became the spear.
No one shouted unnecessary orders.
Years of drilling had already decided who would fight what.
Every person simply moved.
Every Frost Wolf moved with them.
One after another, the attackers stepped into the air.
Ripples of Ki spread beneath their feet.
A transparent platform appeared for the briefest instant before vanishing as they pushed off again.
Another platform.
Another leap.
Another.
To Yun Che, it almost looked as though they were running across invisible staircases.
"Air Steps..." he murmured.
Lin Xia watched with wide eyes.
"They all know it."
"It must be a standard movement technique."
"It is," Elder Liang replied casually while setting his empty bowl aside.
"Grade Two."
"Every professional guard learns it."
"It isn't especially difficult."
"But mastering it in battle takes years."
The guards weren't flying.
They were creating tiny platforms of condensed Ki beneath each step, using them for an instant before creating another farther ahead.
Simple.
Efficient.
Perfect for fighting in terrain where ordinary footing didn't exist.
Shen Rui disappeared first.
One moment he stood beside the barrier.
The next...
He was already halfway toward the swarm.
His Frost Wolf, Fang, ran beside him through the air with astonishing grace.
Three more guards followed.
A lean spear wielder.
A swordsman with a long curved blade.
Another swift fighter wielding paired sabers.
Their task was obvious.
The bats.
The sonic field still surrounded the battlefield.
The invisible waves distorted distance and balance, making accurate attacks nearly impossible.
Then one of the heavy assault guards stepped forward.
He carried an enormous cleaver almost as tall as himself.
His Frost Wolf roared beside him.
The cultivator inhaled deeply.
Cold Ki poured into the blade.
The entire weapon became wrapped in pale blue frost.
"...Frost Cleave."
With one enormous swing...
A crescent of frozen Ki hundreds of feet long erupted upward.
It wasn't aimed to kill.
It was aimed to break formation.
The frozen blade tore through the center of the bat swarm.
Hundreds of bats scattered instinctively.
Their carefully maintained sonic domain immediately fractured.
The overwhelming vibration vanished.
"Now!"
Shen Rui vanished.
Without the sonic interference, the four fast attackers became terrifying.
Shen Rui appeared beside the nearest bat.
Both daggers flashed once.
The creature split apart before it even realized it had been attacked.
He never stopped moving.
Every Air Step carried him toward another target.
His wolf moved just as efficiently.
Fang leaped through the air, jaws closing around another Cave Bloodbat before throwing its body toward the canyon wall.
Nearby, the spear user thrust repeatedly.
Each stab pierced multiple bats before the weapon was withdrawn.
The swordsman spun through the swarm with elegant circular cuts.
Every attack was precise.
None were wasted.
Within moments...
The sky had become a battlefield.
The Bloodvine Creepers reacted immediately.
The colony understood its partners were under attack.
Dozens...
Then hundreds...
Then thousands of vines converged.
They twisted around one another until several gigantic spirals formed.
Each became a massive living drill.
The rotating thorn-covered columns crashed toward the advancing guards.
"They're protecting each other..."
Yun Che observed.
Elder Liang nodded.
"The bats distract."
"The vines kill."
"Excellent cooperation."
Three heavy fighters answered the attack.
The cleaver wielder.
A broad-shouldered warrior carrying a massive war hammer.
And another wielding a huge double-headed battle axe.
None attempted to dodge.
Instead...
They charged.
The hammer descended first.
BOOM!
The spinning vines exploded apart beneath the impact.
The axe followed.
A single sweeping strike severed dozens of thick tendrils.
The cleaver completed the combination.
His enormous frost blade froze the shattered vines before they could regenerate.
Broken pieces crashed harmlessly across the frozen ground.
Yet...
More emerged.
The colony never seemed to end.
"It isn't many monsters," Yun Che realized.
"It's one."
Elder Ruan nodded.
"The body is underground."
"Everything above the surface is merely an extension."
The battle settled into rhythm.
Fast attackers eliminated bats.
Heavy attackers broke apart the vines.
The Frost Wolves supported every movement.
Some froze the battlefield.
Others intercepted attacks aimed at their partners.
Every wolf fought as though sharing one mind with its cultivator.
Despite the dramatic clashes...
None of the guards appeared strained.
Every member of the escort company had reached at least the First Stage of the Foundation Realm.
Against ordinary canyon monsters...
Their teamwork was overwhelming.
Far beyond the firelight...
Something watched.
It remained perfectly still atop a narrow ledge hidden among the shadows.
Its body resembled a massive lion.
Old scars crisscrossed its gray hide.
One horn had snapped near its base.
The second was only half intact.
Its left eye had turned milky white long ago.
Behind it slowly swayed a thick scorpion tail tipped with a black stinger.
Leathery wings remained folded tightly against its sides.
Around its neck...
A mane of gray fire burned silently.
Not brightly.
Not violently.
Simply...
Persistently.
It did not expect the bats and vines to defeat the caravan.
It did not need them to.
Fourteen human cultivators and twelve Frost Wolves stood within the camp. If even one died, its flesh, blood, and cultivated Ki would nourish the mountain lion far more than ordinary prey.
And if none fell, the dead bats and severed vines would still become food.
Whatever the outcome, it expected to feast.
Eventually, it found an opening.
One of the Frost Wolves bounded beyond the main battle line to intercept a wounded bat diving toward a formation pillar. Its partner—the young spear wielder—followed only a few steps behind.
The movement was necessary.
It was also the first moment the wolf stood beyond the protection of the others.
The horned beast vanished from the ledge.
No roar.
No warning.
Only a gray blur descending from the darkness.
The young guard sensed danger at the final instant. His spear shot forward instinctively.
The monster struck it with one forepaw.
CRACK!
The shaft shattered beneath the impact.
Its scorpion tail flashed immediately afterward. The black stinger pierced the Frost Wolf's shoulder before its partner could recover.
The wolf released a single pained cry.
Its legs stiffened.
Paralysis spread through its body almost instantly.
The mountain lion seized the helpless wolf between its jaws and beat its leathery wings, lifting toward the cliffs with its prize.
A wall of water erupted before it.
The creature struck the water at full speed.
Instead of passing through, its entire body rebounded as though it had collided with solid stone. The paralysed Frost Wolf fell from its jaws—but Elder Ruan appeared beneath them and caught the injured beast in one arm.
He landed upon an Air Step and passed the wolf toward its approaching partner.
"Take him to Aunt Mei."
The young guard's face had gone pale.
"Elder, I—"
"Go."
The single word ended the argument.
The guard took his companion and rushed back toward the protected campsite.
Only then did Elder Ruan turn toward the creature.
It hovered several dozen metres away, its leathery wings beating heavily. Gray flames burned silently through its scarred mane. One broken horn rose from its skull while the black stinger at the end of its tail curled forward in preparation.
The pressure radiating from its body was greater than that of any individual young guard.
Elder Ruan's eyes narrowed.
"You don't belong in this canyon."
The creature roared and charged.
Ruan raised one hand.
"Water Prison."
Water erupted from the moisture in the air and gathered around the mountain lion from every direction. Within an instant, a vast sphere enclosed its entire body.
The creature thrashed violently.
Its claws tore through the water. Its wings beat hard enough to send ripples across the surface. Gray fire surged from its mane, filling the prison with boiling steam.
But every opening closed as quickly as it appeared.
The water continued rotating around it, denying its wings any stable current and dragging against every movement it made.
Elder Ruan slowly closed his raised hand.
"Deepwater Pressure."
The prison contracted.
The mountain lion's movements faltered.
Water pressed against it from every direction—not merely upon its skin, but through every gap between its scales, feathers, and fur. Its damaged horns cracked. Its wings were forced against its sides. Blood escaped from its jaws as the pressure crushed inward.
Still, the creature fought.
Its scorpion tail stabbed repeatedly into the prison, while the gray fire around its mane grew brighter.
Elder Ruan's Frost Wolf appeared upon an Air Step beside him.
The old captain did not need to give an order.
His companion inhaled.
A stream of white-blue frost struck the Water Prison.
Ice spread across its surface in an instant. It raced inward through the rotating water, layer after layer freezing around the trapped predator.
The mountain lion's wings stopped.
Its tail became locked above its body.
The gray flames around its mane flickered once.
Then vanished.
The enormous sphere of ice fell from the sky and crashed into the frozen earth. Cracks spread through it, revealing the motionless creature imprisoned inside.
Elder Ruan descended beside it.
He studied its horns, wings, scorpion tail, and strange gray mane.
"A mountain species," he said quietly. "But not one native to these cliffs."
His eyes moved toward the dead bats and shattered vines scattered across the canyon.
"It used the local creatures to create corpses."
Yun Che looked at the frozen predator.
"It expected us to kill them?"
"It didn't care who won," Ruan replied. "If they killed one of us, it would consume a Foundation cultivator. If we killed them, it would eat whatever remained."
He rested one hand upon the frozen prison.
"It only needed one of our wolves to be dragged away."
A final pulse of water pressure travelled through the ice.
Something broke deep inside the creature's chest.
Elder Ruan withdrew his hand.
"It chose poorly."
The bats did not immediately flee.
For several breaths, they continued circling in confusion, their broken cries no longer settling into a unified rhythm. Then another group fell beneath Shen Rui's daggers, and the survivors finally scattered toward the caves.
The Bloodvine colony pushed forward once more.
Without the bats' sonic field weakening its prey—and with hundreds of its tendrils frozen or severed—the attack no longer offered sufficient reward. The living drills collapsed. One after another, the vines withdrew beneath the frozen ground.
Elder Ruan watched them retreat.
"Do not pursue."
"They're retreating."
"We've accomplished our objective."
He looked toward the darkness where the monsters had disappeared.
"A professional guard wins by protecting the people behind him."
"...Not by chasing every enemy into the wilderness."
No one argued.
The battlefield gradually fell silent once more, leaving only the crackling of the campfire and the worried voices surrounding the injured Frost Wolf.