Wolf-type spirit beasts were notoriously difficult to deal with—
Because they knew how to fight as a pack.
Dozens of Howling Moon Wolves split like a tide into two coordinated groups.
One pack, led by the Wolf King, charged the disciples of Wind Sword Sect.
The other tangled with Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the rest of their group.
"Damn beasts!"
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling clenched their teeth, their hearts burning with anxiety. They weren't in the right state of mind to engage the wolves—they were solely focused on finding Li Zhexian.
But when the heart is scattered, openings appear in battle.
What's more, the Howling Moon Wolves were unnervingly vicious, their attacks sharp and relentless.
Very soon, Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the others were already wounded, blood staining their clothes.
Elsewhere, the Wolf King led an even greater number of Howling Moon Wolves to pin down the Wind Sword Sect. Even with their Thunderwind Sword Formation unleashed, they couldn't break free to assist.
The wolf pack appeared locked in a chaotic melee—
But their true target had been decided long ago:
Ye Lingling — the team's vital core.
Several wolves silently shifted their formation, gradually closing in on her position at the rear.
When they reached striking distance—
Dugu Yan and the others only realized it too late.
A group of Howling Moon Wolves lunged forward, locking them into combat.
And at the same time—
One Howling Moon Wolf, eyes filled with murderous intent and saliva dripping between bared fangs, charged Ye Lingling with a foul gust of blood-stained wind!
"Lingling, look out!!"
All five of her companions cried out in unison.
Spirit Power surged through their bodies, but they were firmly entangled by the wolves before them.
The fetid wind tore toward Ye Lingling's pale face.
She stumbled backward, footing lost—collapsing to the ground.
She could only watch—
As that gore-flecked wolf maw grew larger in her field of vision.
Terror seized her. She shut her eyes tightly.
But at that critical instant—
All but Ye Lingling, who had her eyes shut—
Saw it:
A streak of light tore through the air.
Unbelievably fast.
In the blink of an eye, it skewered the Howling Moon Wolf mid-pounce, pinning it to the ground.
Only then—
Did everyone see it clearly.
Piercing the wolf's throat—
Was a sword.
A sword that bloomed with twelve blue lotuses along its blade.
"That's… the Qinglian Sword?!"
Dugu Yan and the others' pupils shrank. That familiar sword silhouette made their voices tremble with shock.
Ye Lingling's lashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw—
Was the blood-gushing corpse of the Howling Moon Wolf, impaled clean through the neck.
Instinctively, she looked up—
Her eyes landed on that familiar Qinglian Sword—
And in her gaze, light burst forth.
"Li Zhexian!!"
As her voice rang out—
A blood-soaked figure in white emerged from the deep forest.
"Sister Dugu, Ye Lingling—fall back, now!"
The moment they heard Li Zhexian's voice—alive and well—the heavy stone weighing on everyone's heart finally dropped.
No longer intent on fighting, they unleashed their spirit power and quickly withdrew.
At that moment—
Li Zhexian arrived before them.
And under their stunned, astonished gazes—
A brilliant Spirit Ring, flowing with the power of multiple elemental attributes and etched with twelve sword feathers, rose beneath his feet.
"Third Spirit Ability—Qinglian Twelve Tribulations!"
Buzz—!
Buzz—!
Twelve Qinglian Swords whistled into the air—
The sword light wove into a net, sealing the entire Howling Moon Wolf pack inside.
Among them, one sword gleamed like starlight, brilliant and dazzling. Another shimmered in ice and flame, blazing hot and bitter cold.
The remaining ten glowed with a clean, jade-like luster—though they had yet to awaken their individual sword intents.
Inside the sword formation, sword qi crisscrossed, cutting like an invisible net The Howling Moon Wolves trapped within had their white fur instantly dyed red with blood, and they let out miserable and painful howls.
They frantically slammed into the cage woven from sword light.
Boom—!
Boom—!
The twelve Qinglian Swords trembled violently. Li Zhexian's figure, like lightning, streaked into the sword formation. The moment he stepped into the formation, the light and shadows within it shifted, and two more Li Zhexian's appeared.
The three Li Zhexian's figures interweaved, and their sword qi crisscrossed and maneuvered freely. His movements were so fast that only afterimages remained.
In the eyes of Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the others, they only saw the blood-stained white shirt flying wildly in the sword formation, and the various elemental sword qis sweeping through like a storm. This was accompanied by the miserable howls of the Howling Moon Wolves and the flying blood and wolf fur.
This scene shocked Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the others! Even the Wind Sword Sect members, who were in a fierce battle with another group of Howling Moon Wolves, were profoundly shaken!
"What… what kind of Spirit Ability is that?!"
"A self-forming sword formation?! And it can even split into clones with the same battle power as the main body?!"
After about a dozen seconds, the blood mist that filled the sword formation gradually thinned, and the scene became clear.
All they saw were the corpses of Howling Moon Wolves scattered everywhere, and the smell of blood was thick and pungent. Three blood-stained figures in white shirts stood holding their swords.
They slowly walked out of the sword formation. As they walked, the twelve Qinglian Swords gradually vanished, and the two clones turned into streaks of light and disappeared into Li Zhexian's body.
"Li... Li Zhexian! We're just glad you're okay!" After a brief moment of stunned silence, Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling rushed over, looking him up and down with concern.
Yu Feng, Osler, and the Shi brothers looked at Li Zhexian with a kind of worshipful awe.
"Idol…"
"So that's your third Spirit Ability…"
"That's terrifying…"
Li Zhexian smiled faintly.
He was more than pleased with this ability—Qinglian Twelve Tribulations.
More importantly, it was a growth-type Spirit Ability that matched him perfectly.
Currently, he had only mastered two forms of the Qinglian Sword Song, manifesting Starlight and Ice-Fire sword intents. Therefore, he can only manifest two clones.
As his Qinglian Sword Song improve, each new sword intent would manifest an additional clone, each carrying his full combat power.
The power of this Spirit Ability—
Was truly heaven-defying.
It was indeed worthy of a gift from a rare beast tainted by the aura of a god.
"Elder Feng Xiao, Brother Buyu, do you need any help?" Li Zhexian looked at the Wind Sword Sect members who were fighting the Wolf King.
Boom—!
A thunderous explosion.
Squelch—!
A flash of bloody light appeared, and the Howling Moon Wolves King's head rolled off its body. A deep black Spirit Ring slowly rose.
Elder Fengxiao steadied his breathing and let out a hearty laugh:
"Thank you for your concern, Young Hero Zhexian!"
"Now that we know you're safe, we can rest easy."
"I'll absorb this spirit ring first—then we'll talk again!"
With that, he sat down cross-legged and began the absorption.
Feng Buyu quickly approached Li Zhexian, unable to hide his amazement.
"Brother Zhexian, your sword... has grown even stronger!"
He didn't ask about the radiant spirit ring—
Knowing well that each person had their own fateful encounters. To pry would be disrespectful.
Li Zhexian appreciated Feng Buyu's tact. The two exchanged a few brief words.
Not long after—
A powerful, majestic surge of spirit power exploded from Elder Feng Xiao's body.
His hair and beard flew, and the black silk covering his eyes fluttered despite no wind. A sharp, tangible sword aura began to leak from the blindfold.
"Young Hero Zhexian!"
Elder Feng Xiao rose with a booming voice.
"To have met you today is our great fortune!"
"We won't linger here any longer."
"If you ever have time, please visit Wind Sword Sect—you'll be most welcome!"
"Our Sect Master would definitely be delighted to have a sword discussion with a rising young talent like you!"
With that, he cupped his hand in a very swordsman-like manner. "Farewell!"
Led by Feng Buyu, the Wind Sword Sect disciples all re-wrapped their eyes with black silk, cupped their hands in unison, and said with a resounding voice.
"Farewell!"
Looking at the group of pretentious green-robed swordsmen in front of him, Li Zhexian smiled and returned the gesture. "I will surely come and visit in the future!"
Whoosh—
Whoosh—
The sound of the wind whistled. The Wind Sword Sect members' bodies were like the wind. In a few leaps, they disappeared into the vast forest.
Li Zhexian turned back, a relaxed smile on his face.
"Let's go. The mission's complete."
"This journey to the Star Dou Forest… thank you all for your efforts."
"Once we're back in Heaven Dou City, I'll treat everyone to a proper feast."
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling beamed with joy.
Despite the hardships—
The fact that Li Zhexian was safe and sound was the best possible outcome.
Yu Feng lit up and grinned.
"Then I'm eating until you're broke, Idol!"
Osler smacked the back of his head out of habit.
"You did the least and you're already thinking about food?"
"Hey! Damn it, Osler, are you asking for a beating again?!"
Yu Feng shouted in mock anger.
The two immediately started roughhousing.
The Shi brothers joined the chaos with goofy grins, looking like they were ready to help—or make it worse.
Li Zhexian, Dugu Yan, and Ye Lingling exchanged glances—
And couldn't help but burst into laughter.
—
Just as Li Zhexian and the other six were setting off for Heaven Dou City, in Suotuo City, Zhu Zhuqing had returned to Shrek Academy, covered in dust from her journey...