Refining the Heavens (炼天)

B2, Chapter 25: Grey Wolves (Part 2)

The boys have finally confirmed that Jones passed through this forest about two months back. But because there was a devastating battle against the mysterious party that took him away, the beasts of the forest dared not venture too close, and the clues to his whereabouts still remain hidden in this place.

To find out more about what happened and more importantly, which direction Jones could've gone, they had to search the entire place. Since it coincides with their mission, they tracked through the foliage towards the closet Black Wind's den. Like before, Jim scattered the weakening dust ahead of them as the Greys brought them upon their target. Tommy, their vanguard, crashed into the Black Wind wolf pack that were guarding their den. His charge was like a battering ram sending them scattering and yelping in pain.

The situation had reversed, and now the hunters found themselves hunted. It was a feeling very foreign to them as the lords of this forest, and it took them a while before their scattered members could regroup and retaliate. While the omega and stigma wolves were fighting, the betas howled longingly for help. They couldn't help but tremble when they looked at their alpha whimpering on the ground after it was run over by Tommy.

"Reinforcements are coming, we need to retreat now," Alan yelled in the heat of battle. While Kairos is the brains of their operation, Alan serves well as the group's battle coordinator with his quick reaction and wide-area observation skills. Listening to his warnings will never be wrong.

Kairos quickly made a decision, "Edward and Jim pick off the easy targets. Everyone else first priority on the alpha. We are going to hammer down their numbers before their help arrives!"

The stunned alpha that Tommy took out was the male, but there is an alpha female in this pack as well. Unfortunately, it lasted no more than mere seconds under Jim's blades. After making short work of the two vicious leaders of the pack, the rest of the wolves became much more subdued. The Greys that were fighting alongside the boys quickly killed the Black Wind betas and surrounded the rest. Desperate, the beasts growled menacingly until Tommy charged in and with a single fist that started a small hurricane, he scattered the wolves' battle formation and set them running. Arrows with uncanny accuracy flew out swiftly and struck the Black Winds on the small of their necks one after another, ensuring that none survived. The archer is, of course, Edward, and standing guard next to him is Alan.

While Edward is a pacifist, that doesn't mean he will stay his hand when it comes to killing. In fact, the more dangerous the environment one survives in, the less freedom one has to be lenient. The entire battle lasted a short ten minutes, then Kairos asked them to retreat. He had been busy scanning the area with his Soul Perception to ensure their safety. Once reinforcements are near, they could pull back to safety.

But at this moment, an unexpected thing happened.

Like a dark stormy cloud, a colony of screeching bats swooped down at them from all directions. Their beating wings and furry black bodies covered the entire area and blocked off their sight. These flying rodents have somehow remained undetected by their Soul Perception.

Tommy asked in aghast, "How did they just appear?!"

"I'm not sure. I can't move again," Edward sighed but otherwise shown no panic.

This time, though all of them activated their Ki Barriers faster than before, they were still struck by the sonic blasts. A single shriek from a Hellbringer Bat is a mere irritant, but when combined with a dozen or more such disturbing cries it is enough to cause a cultivator's vision to double and their heads spinning, or even death.

Jim: "There's not enough time to seal off our ears!"

Alan shouted in a moment of inspiration, "Tommy! Use your secret arts!!"