The other members of the group shuddered in fear as regret covered their faces.
They had heard many rumors about how the Subterranean Galleries were littered with treasures, and that as long as their luck was not too bad, they would be able to make a killing just by entering the premises. With the fortune earned, they would be able to purchase sufficient resources to advance their cultivation. Never in their wildest dreams could they have expected to encounter such a powerful pack of wolves within an hour of entering the Subterranean Gallery, such that even the strongest among them, Wu shi, was defeated in a single blow!
If even Wu shi was no match for them, what in the world could they do about the Mapleleaf Wolves?
“We have to coordinate with one another to deal with those wolves. Otherwise, we might all lose our lives here…” one of the elders uttered through tightly gritted teeth as he took out his spear.
Infusing his spear with his zhenqi, he drove his spear forward as if a viper leaping forth for a kill.
His cultivation was only at Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm primary stage, but he was able to bring out the imposing might of a spearmaster. Had it been any other occasion, he might have won himself the admiration of others.
However, in the eyes of the pack of wolves, the strength that he could summon was nothing.
Hula!
One of the Mapleleaf Wolves leaped forward. With a simple bite, the gray wolf stopped the spear in its track. At the same time, it swiped its claw forward toward the elder, and gruesome lacerations immediately appeared on the chest of the elder.
“Luo Gong!”
Seeing that the elder had been injured, the middle-aged man beside him immediately whipped out his weapon and charged forth as well. At the same time, the remaining members of the crowd also realized what treacherous circumstances they were in, so they followed suit and executed their strongest moves without the slightest hesitation.
Peng peng peng peng!
The sound of popping rucksacks filled the air. The crowd that had charged forward were sent flying backward with even greater momentum, and they collapsed onto the floor cloaked in dust. Crimson blood oozed from the corners of their lips.
There was simply too great a disparity in their fighting prowess, and the fact that they were in an unfamiliar environment worsened the situation. As a result, the battle ended before it could even start.
Seeing how his group had been defeated with such ease, Wu Kuang despaired.
Had he known that this would happen, he would have ventured into the Subterranean Gallery alone. If so, he would have had no qualms turning tail and fleeing.
But in their current situation… it seemed like they were doomed to lose their lives.
Just as Wu Kuang gave up all hope, he caught sight of the duo whom he had been unwilling to bring along seated calmly by the side, not moving at all despite the onslaught of the Mapleleaf Wolves.
It was as if they were oblivious to the battle.
“They…” He wanted to rage at them for their nonchalance, but he eventually sighed instead and muttered, “Forget it. Given their strength, it would be futile even if they came over to help us…”
A severely wounded adolescent boy and a young man who had not even reached Saint 1-dan… Considering how even a 7-star pinnacle master teacher like him was unable to match the Mapleleaf Wolves, it would not have made any difference even if those two fellows had helped them.
“The energy harnessed within the body of a master teacher is much purer than ordinary human cultivators. I want this one. As for the rest, I’ll leave it to you to distribute them as you deem fit!” Seeing that their prey had finally given up on struggling, the Wolf King coldly issued its orders before making its way toward Wu Kuang.
Regardless of whether it was for the Otherworldly Demons or those of the Beast Tribe, the pure zhenqi that coursed through the meridians of master teachers was an invaluable tonic to further their cultivation.
Watching as the Wolf King slowly approached him, Wu Kuang knew that his fate was sealed, and he lowered his gaze melancholically. “I never thought that I, Wu Kuang, would die here in such a manner…”
He had thought that he would be able to achieve something big by coming down to the Subterranean Gallery, but before he could accomplish anything, everything had already come to an end.
He discreetly channeled all of his strength, intending to end his life together with the Wolf King, but before he could make a move, the ground abruptly shuddered. A deep voice sounded from beneath the ground, jolting everyone’s soul.
“Scram!”
Hong long!
The voice was extremely cold, reminiscent of a sharp gale in the midst of the winter solstice. The shout was filled with a menacing threat that caused the hair of the Mapleleaf Wolf King and its pack to stand in alarm. They subconsciously retreated from the area, their massive bodies shuddering fearfully as blood trickled down their lips.
A mere bellow actually inflicted internal injuries on all of them simultaneously!
The Wolf King eyed the surroundings apprehensively, trying to find the expert who had just made a move on them.
However, the surroundings were completely empty. There was no one to be seen. A light breeze blew across the darkness as the Mapleleaf Wolves felt their blood slowly freezing.
The voice earlier had been deep, but it had seemed to stab right into their souls. It had felt as if they would be slaughtered right away if they dared make a move on those humans.
“Let’s go!”
Fearing that the expert would really make a move on them, the Wolf King anxiously ordered their retreat with trembling lips. Squeezing their tails between their legs, they turned around and fled as quickly as they could.
Those were just a bunch of human master teachers. As delectable their flesh might be, it could not possibly be more valuable than their lives.
Seeing the pack of wolves fleeing, Wu Kuang and the crowd glanced at one another with a mixture of apprehensive and relief on their faces before swiftly kneeling onto the floor and kowtowing profusely.
“Elder, thank you for saving our lives!”
Even though they did not know where the elder was, the fact that the other party had saved them likely meant that the other party could see their actions from where he was.
They continued kowtowing to express their gratitude for a very long time, but no one stepped forth in response to their actions. It was as if the elder was just a figment of their imagination, and they were simply thinking too much.
Seeing that there was no response at all, Luo Gong turned to Wu Kuang and asked, “Wu shi, what do we do now?”
Wu Kuang pondered for a moment before saying, “It’s impossible for us to fathom the thoughts of those true experts. Since he doesn’t wish to meet us, we should quickly take our leave!”
They had gone to such an extent to thank the elder, but the elder simply refused to appear. This showed that the elder was unwilling to reveal himself, and there was no point forcing the matter.
“Un!”
With the previous incident with the Mapleleaf Wolves, the crowd realized how treacherous the Subterranean Gallery could be even without any Otherworldly Demons in the area. They were unwilling to remain there for too long, so they swiftly got to their feet and began trudging forward.
They traveled for roughly an hour, and fortunately, they did not encounter any more danger. Sighs of relief subconsciously escaped from their lips.
“I know a place in here where we can find medicinal herbs,” Wu Kuang said. “We should hurry there, harvest the medicinal herbs, and leave this area. Otherwise, danger might come knocking on our doors once more!”
Since they had already gone down to the dangerous Subterranean Gallery, they could not possibly back away without obtaining anything.
The others nodded in agreement.
A middle-aged man suddenly stood out from the crowd and said, “Before moving ahead, I would like to say something!”
The crowd quickly turned their gazes over.
“During the encounter with the Mapleleaf Wolves earlier, those two over there remained completely still, not contributing anything at all. I suggest that we don’t take them to where the medicinal herbs are!” The middle-aged man harrumphed as he pointed his finger at Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen.
Earlier when the Mapleleaf Wolves attacked, they had remained seated on the floor as if they were sculptures. Despite that, they still had the cheek to follow them to harvest the invaluable medicinal herbs. Just how thick could their skin be?
“Indeed! We shouldn’t bring them along!”
“They are of no use at all. They will only be a burden if we bring them along!”
A couple of others nodded in agreement.
Since they were going to venture into perilous lands, it would be best for their group to be as powerful as possible. Those two fellows could not contribute anything at all, but they wanted to tag along with the group. Were they really going to split the medicinal herbs with those two useless buffoons?
Hearing the words of the crowd, a slight frown appeared on Wu Kuang’s forehead as he turned to the duo and asked, “Do you two have anything to say for yourselves?”
It was not that he wanted to abandon the two of them, but the way that those two had reacted in the face of the Mapleleaf Wolves was simply too disheartening. It would be unfair for the entire group to split the medicinal herbs with them, considering that they had done nothing of merit for the group.
Wu Chen was just about to speak up when Zhang Xuan interjected with a wave of his hand. “I don’t have anything to say…”
“What are you waiting for then? Scram!” the middle-aged man spat coldly.
“Well, take care of yourselves…”
Seeing that they were not welcome in the group, Zhang Xuan shook his head and walked away. At that moment, however, a powerful aura suddenly crushed down on the crowd. Right after, a massive bald eagle could be seen gliding swiftly in their direction.
