They saw towering trees shattered into fragments, their surfaces charred by flames. The ground was littered with flesh and fur from the giant wolves. The four men all wore expressions as if they had seen a ghost. The pack of giant wolves was formidable, such that even well-trained Linjiang army squads were no match for them.
However, the carnage strewn about clearly demonstrated the ferocity of the battle. No fewer than five or six giant wolves could have caused such a splatter of flesh and blood.
"It's impossible, who could have killed them?" Zhuang Qiang muttered incredulously.
Wang Gangjian thought for a moment. "Let's continue searching around this center. If any wolves escaped, there should be traces."
Wang Yong and the others nodded and resumed their search. However, despite a long search, they found no signs of any wolves escaping. There were no toppled trees, no mottled bloodstains—nothing. What this implied was clear.
Wang Yong swallowed hard, "All those giant wolves are dead, and their bodies have been taken away."
Although Wang Gangjian and Song Dayi found it hard to believe, they nodded in agreement with his conclusion.
"It looks like we've made a wasted trip," Song Dayi said, somewhat relieved. No fight meant no casualties. That was preferable to any alternative. Even as a first-level Superhuman, any injury could lead to infection. Now, without any doctors around, they could only rely on medicine for self-treatment. Who knew if they would survive?
Wang Gangjian was still scratching his head.
"Brother, what are you worried about?" Wang Yong asked.
Wang Gangjian gave a wry smile, "Zhuang Qiang mentioned that the wolf pack's leader is a second-level supernatural being. Besides, there are several first-level supernatural beings in the pack. That someone has the strength to take down such a group of giant wolves, what kind of power does he possess? A third-level Superhuman?"
Zhuang Qiang immediately shook his head, "Impossible, third-level Superhumans are extremely rare. Without exception, they are all leaders and protectors of various organizations. They aim to break through to the fourth level and need a lot of manpower to collect Psionic cores. Why would a third-level Superhuman be wandering alone outside?"
Wang Gangjian, Wang Yong, and Song Dayi thought it over—it made sense. No third-level Superhuman would frivolously run about. Almost all of them stayed in their territories, employing every means to elevate themselves.
Zhuang Qiang pondered for a moment before speaking, "Perhaps it's just a second-level Superhuman but with an exceptionally powerful talent. After all, talents vary widely. Those with exceptionally strong talents can even help Superhumans fight above their level."
Wang Gangjian sighed softly, "Regardless, we must be cautious. The Haotai Hotel is occupied by two high-level zombies, and now a mysterious second-level Superhuman has appeared…our days at Black Blade are becoming even tougher."
The four men reboarded the van, speeding off as dusk had not yet fallen.
…
Haotai Hotel.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Chu Xuan leisurely made his way back here. Along the route, he had eliminated a number of zombies and refined quite a few blood pearls. Moreover, he browsed through numerous supermarkets and shops, scouting for any edible food. Eating instant noodles every day was becoming tedious, and a change in diet would certainly be welcome.
However, Chu Xuan only managed to find some chocolate. He had learned that the zombie crisis on Blue Star had been raging for over five years. Few foods could withstand a five-year shelf life.
"It seems if I want to enjoy delicious meals there, I might have to start growing my own vegetables," Chu Xuan mused.
This was not a difficult task for him. All that was needed was to set up a Spirit Gathering Array to draw in the sparse Spiritual Qi from the surroundings. Even the most barren soil could be transformed into fertile land under such conditions. This land could then be termed a spirit field.
Crops grown in a spirit field would develop unusually quickly, and the fruits they bore were exceptionally tasty. As for the laborious tasks of plowing, weeding, pest control, and harvesting, these could be entirely delegated to the corpse puppets. Although dim-witted, corpse puppets, once properly instructed, were far more suitable for such monotonous and repetitive labor than humans.
No sooner said than done.
There was a garden at the back of Haotai Hotel, and Chu Xuan ordered that all the flowers and plants be uprooted and the soil loosened. Only then did he set about arranging the Spirit Gathering Array.
The Spiritual Qi on Blue Star was extremely weak, nowhere near comparable to that on Mystic Azure Realm. But even the slightest presence of Spiritual Qi could be harnessed by the Spirit Gathering Array. If necessary, spirit stones could be placed within the array to extract their Spiritual Qi and nourish the soil.
By sunset, Chu Xuan had the spirit field ready. The field, spanning forty meters wide and thirty meters long, was divided into several sections, each planted with different spiritual plants.
"Golden Pattern Rice, similar to regular rice but with a far superior taste. Dawn Wheat, akin to wheat but its long-term consumption can make the body lighter and more agile."
"…"
Chu Xuan, having selected various spiritual plants from his cultivation bag, handed them to the corpse puppets for sowing. Initially clumsy, the corpses soon grew proficient under his patient guidance.
"Not bad at all," Chu Xuan nodded in approval. Then, he ascended on his sword to the rooftop.
The Wolf King and the four giant wolves were securely bound. While the four wolves were still unconscious, the Wolf King was awake, its eye flickering with a brutal light, as if it wished it could tear Chu Xuan apart a thousand, ten thousand times.
Chu Xuan completely disregarded such glares. As before, he took out a small knife and began to make incisions on the Wolf King. He started with the limb joints, then the abdomen, and finally the crown of the head. The flesh from these three areas varied, making them suitable for the growth of different spiritual plants.
In the limb joints and the abdomen, Chu Xuan inserted seeds of the Soul-Nourishing Leaf and Crimson Blood Fruit. Closest to the brain, the crown of the head was ideal for the Life Soul Flower seeds.
The Life Soul Flower was a primary ingredient for Foundation Establishment Blood Pills, while Soul-Nourishing Leaves and Crimson Blood Fruits were rare supplementary materials.
With these three types of spiritual medicine secured, nearly all other necessary herbs could be purchased from reputable markets using spirit stones. His Foundation Establishment Blood Pill was nearly within reach.
"My path to Foundation Establishment relies on you," Chu Xuan patted the Wolf King's head and chuckled.
The Wolf King could feel its vitality being sapped by the strange plants, but it was powerless, forced to watch its own life force ebb away.
As for the four giant wolves, Chu Xuan applied the same procedure, implanting spiritual plants within them. However, since they were only first-level supernatural beings, he did not use particularly rare plants.
After completing these tasks, Chu Xuan returned to the ground floor of the Haotai Hotel to set up more formations. First, he installed a Mist Array.
This was a mid-tier Qi Refining stage formation. Its function was simple: to generate a mist that enveloped both the inside and outside of the array, covering a circular area with a diameter of about a hundred zhang (approximately 330 meters). This range was sufficient to encompass not only the Haotai Hotel but also some nearby residences and shops.
Anyone who wandered into the Mist Array would find themselves disoriented, wandering aimlessly before being sent back to the entrance, perpetually unable to penetrate deeper into the formation.
Next, he began to set up a Gathering Evil Array.