He didn't dodge. He clenched his five fingers into a fist and threw a punch.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The eight Iron-Back Wolves, each at the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Spring Realm, were instantly pulverized into mists of blood by Ye Han’s punch!
"This..."
Behind him, Tiemu and his men stared in disbelief, swallowing hard.
A full eight Iron-Back Wolves—obliterated by a single blow from Ye Han!
They drew a deep breath, finally realizing that they might have underestimated this new member.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—*
A blur of movement, like light chasing a shadow, and in the blink of an eye, Ye Han landed atop a giant boulder.
*ROAR!*
A savage growl erupted, shaking the leaves from the surrounding trees.
The Iron-Back Wolf King was clearly enraged. It stood on its hind legs, reaching a height of two meters, and bared its claws.
Those claws looked like sharp, high-grade spiritual weapons!
"Great Sun Burning Sky Palm!"
Ye Han gave a cold mental command, launching a lethal strike immediately.
With a low hum, his palm glowed with brilliant golden light, rising like the sun.
Under the stunned gazes of Tiemu and the others, it collided head-on with the Wolf King’s claws.
*BOOM!*
*AWOOO—*
Sparks exploded as a terrifying shockwave of spiritual power rippled outward, cracking the surrounding rocks.
Then, a wail of agony echoed out. The massive figure tumbled from the boulder and died on the spot.
On its chest was a scorched palm print!
*Hiss—*
"The... the Wolf King has been killed by Brother Ye!"
Tiemu and his men stared, their voices failing them as they cried out in shock.
They were utterly floored. Their hearts trembled, and their eyes were filled with disbelief.
This peak Spirit Spring Realm wolf king had been killed with a single palm strike!
*Awooo, awooo~*
With the King dead, the rest of the pack, terrified, fled in panic, letting out miserable whimpers as they scattered.
In a moment, the area was empty.
On the ground, besides the carcass of the Wolf King, lay dozens of bloody Iron-Back Wolves.
*Swish!*
"Big Brother Tiemu, are you alright?"
Ye Han dashed over and dusted off his robes.
Tiemu, still trapped in a state of shock, took a long time to regain his composure before finally saying,
"I... I’m fine!"
He took a deep breath, looked at Ye Han with newfound respect, and then laughed heartily.
"I misjudged you. Who would have thought, Brother Ye, that you were hiding such immense strength!"
Behind Tiemu, Tiewu and the others also looked at Ye Han with eyes full of admiration.
Chapter 32: Human-Faced Demon Spider
After the intense battle, the surrounding bushes were in ruins.
Not far away, bloodied, mangled wolf carcasses lay scattered everywhere.
Seeing the area finally calm down, Tiemu let out a sigh of relief.
He hadn't expected their mercenary group to survive being surrounded by such a massive pack of Iron-Back Wolves; they were truly lucky to be alive.
The members of the Tiemu Mercenary Group approached, leaning on one another, their eyes filled with gratitude as they looked at Ye Han.
If not for Ye Han killing the Wolf King and terrifying the rest of the pack, the entire Tiemu Mercenary Group likely would have been wiped out.
For a moment, Tiemu felt a secret sense of relief that he had invited Ye Han to join them.
"Brother Ye, there are no words to thank you for this great kindness."
Tiemu was so grateful he nearly dropped to one knee.
"Brother Tiemu, please, get up."
Ye Han quickly helped him up. He knew Tiemu was a man of passion who valued his brothers' lives more than his own.
"Indeed, Brother Ye. If not for you, our mercenary group would have perished here. To think you are so young yet so incredibly formidable. It’s a good thing that Lu Qingshan is blind; otherwise, we never would have gained a helper like you."
Tiewu clutched the wound on his arm, forcing a grim, pained smile.
Seeing the bloody, mangled wound on Tiewu’s arm, Ye Han said to the group,
"Everyone, let's take a rest and tend to your injuries first."
"Right!"
They sat on the ground and set down their weapons.
Besides Ye Han, a bald youth named Tiezhu was the only one uninjured. He skillfully took bandages from his bag to dress Tiewu’s wound.
Ye Han pondered for a moment, then pulled a bottle of pills from his robes and handed it to Tiemu and the others.
"This is..."
Tiemu looked puzzled, then opened the bottle to check.
Suddenly, a rich, medicinal fragrance wafted out, causing him to gasp.
"High-grade spiritual pills?!"
"These are Grade Three Purple Spirit Recovery Pills. Swallowing them will speed up your recovery."
Ye Han smiled and explained.
"Brother Ye, we can't take these. Such rare pills aren't for rough fellows like us."
Tiemu waved his hands repeatedly and tried to stuff the bottle back.
"These are Grade Three pills. The value of a single one is worth more than hunting a Spirit Sea Realm monster."
Tielan, too, dared not accept them and shook his head.
"It’s no trouble. I have plenty of these pills; feel free to use them."
Ye Han pushed the bottle back into Tiemu’s hand and laughed.
"This..."
Hearing this, Tiemu and the others were secretly shocked.
To Ye Han, such a precious, high-grade item was treated as if it were worthless.
They couldn't help but speculate that the force behind Ye Han must be formidable.
"Could it be the Ye Family..."
Tiemu’s heart surged with uncertainty as a vague guess formed.
"Alright, then! I am eternally grateful, brother!"
Tiemu cupped his hands. No longer standing on ceremony, he poured out a few pills, distributed them to Tiewu and the others, and swallowed one himself.
A warm sensation surged into his stomach. Tiemu immediately sat cross-legged and began to cultivate.
On the side, Tiezhu piled up the slain wolves and began expertly extracting their beast bones and spirit essences.
Ye Han stood not far off; the scent of blood from the carcasses was too strong, and there was no telling if other powerful monsters might be drawn to it.
Although some monsters lingered nearby, sensing the powerful aura of the mid Spirit Sea Realm coming from Ye Han, none dared to approach.
Half an hour later, Tiemu and the others opened their eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air.
"Brother Ye, thank you for the spirit pills. My injuries are almost completely healed."
Tiemu stood up slowly and stretched, his bones popping and cracking.
Not only were his wounds healed, but his spiritual power felt even more robust than before.
"Thanks to Brother Ye's generosity, these high-grade pills truly have miraculous effects."
Before long, Tiewu, Tielan, and the others opened their eyes as well. Tiewu, in particular, was amazed, as his arm had been severely mangled by the wolves, with patches of flesh torn away, yet now, it was as good as new, save for a few faint scars.
The brothers of the Tiemu Mercenary Group felt even more gratitude toward Ye Han.
After all, not everyone was willing to share such high-grade pills with people like them.
"Big Brother, I’ve finished processing the Iron-Back Wolves. I managed to extract twenty-five beast bones and spirit essences. It’s a pity that some of them exploded into blood mist, and their essences were destroyed."
Tiezhu walked over and handed all the essences and bones to Tiemu.
"Even though we nearly died, this harvest is absolutely worth it."
Tiemu and the others were so excited their bodies were trembling.
In the past, if their group could hunt even a few monsters on an outing, it would be considered a good haul.
But this time, they had harvested dozens!
And among them was a peak Spirit Spring Realm Iron-Back Wolf King!
"Brother Ye, you killed this Wolf King all by yourself. Its spirit essence belongs to you."
Tiemu generously held out a black ball of light to Ye Han. Beside him, Tiewu and the others looked on with eyes full of desire.
"Brother Tiemu, you take it. We have only just entered the Spirit Beast Valley; perhaps there will be even greater harvests later."
Ye Han waved his hand dismissively.
"Then... alright."
Tiemu kept the Wolf King’s essence, and after reorganizing, the group continued on their way.
...
In the northern part of the Spirit Beast Valley lay a region of rugged, deep ravines.
At the bottom of one such ravine, a pitch-black cave entrance was vaguely visible, from which a cold, dark wind constantly whistled.
At this moment, deep within the darkness, a massive, shadowy figure seemed to be slowly moving.
Suddenly, two eerie red lights shot out from the depths of the black cave, emanating from a pair of sinister eyes.
"Damn it! I never expected that Human-Faced Demon Spider to be so powerful. Even the Spirit-Piercing Arrows had no effect on it!"
High above, several figures jumped onto a rock, looking disheveled, and couldn't help but curse in anger.
These men were members of the Lone Wolf Mercenary Group.
However, they all looked pale, teeth gritted, and were carrying several wounded members.
Lu Qingshan looked down from the heights at the pitch-black cave entrance in the ravine, his face as dark as liver.
In his rage, he struck the rock face beside him with his palm, leaving a deep print.
It turned out they had discovered a monster in that secret cave—a Human-Faced Demon Spider!
However, they had underestimated its strength and were nearly wiped out.
"I actually have a plan. We can deal with that Human-Faced Demon Spider without losing a single soldier."
Lu Xue’s eyes flashed, and she sneered.
"Oh? What plan?"
Lu Qingshan and the others frowned.
The Human-Faced Demon Spider was incredibly fierce; what plan could possibly defeat it without any losses?
Lu Xue smoothed her black hair, squinted, and said,
"Why don't we spread the news about the Human-Faced Demon Spider? Eventually, other mercenary groups will come to deal with it. We just need to wait until they’ve both beaten each other to a pulp, and then move in to finish it off."
Hearing this, the expressions of Lu Qingshan and the others shifted, their hearts filling with excitement.
"Sister Xue is truly brilliant. How did we not think of such a plan?"
Lu Qingshan laughed grimly.
This plan was absolutely perfect.
Chapter 33: A Sinister Trick
The vast mountain range was shrouded in mist, as if draped in a veil.
In the dense primeval forest, many mercenary groups were busy hunting monsters.
In the heart of the Spirit Beast Valley, a group of men was heading toward a ravine at the bottom of the valley.
This group was the Black Wind Mercenary Group. Among all the mercenary groups in Yan City, their strength was easily in the top five; they were certainly no weaklings.
The Black Wind Mercenary Group had just received news that a Spirit Sea Realm monster had appeared in the depths of the ravine!
A Spirit Sea Realm monster held a powerful temptation for any mercenary group...
On the rugged mountain path, the eight members of the Black Wind Mercenary Group stopped atop a rock.
"Brother Chen, below is the ravine mentioned in the reports. It is said that the Human-Faced Demon Spider is lurking in a hidden cave there."
A slender, monkey-like youth hopped up a nearby ancient tree and pointed toward a ravine in the distance below, speaking in a low voice.
Among these eight figures, the leader was a handsome man dressed in blue robes with deep, profound eyes.
The man held a sword, and his gaze carried a sharp, piercing edge; he appeared to be an extremely composed individual.
He was Chen Ye, the leader of the Black Wind Mercenary Group.
Hearing the words "Spirit Sea Realm monster," Chen Ye raised an eyebrow, his eyes filled with undisguised fanaticism.
A slender woman in black walked over, a look of worry on her face.
"I've heard that for the past few hours, many mercenary groups have stormed that secret cave, but unfortunately, every single one of them has returned empty-handed."
"That’s right. I heard one group was completely wiped out. Brother Chen, we must be extremely careful."
Another team member nodded solemnly.
Chen Ye looked toward the ravine below, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he clenched his fist.
"He who does not enter the tiger's den will not catch the tiger's cub. Besides, this is the perfect opportunity for our Black Wind Mercenary Group to make a name for itself. If we can slay this monster, even groups like the Lone Wolf Mercenary Group will be overshadowed by our reputation."
With that, Chen Ye leaped down from the rock and waved to his team.
"Move out!"
Before long, the eight figures dashed toward the ravine at the bottom of the valley like leopards.
"Heh heh, Captain, another group has arrived."
On a rock high above, a youth took a bite of a spiritual fruit, but before he could finish it, he spat it out and spoke excitedly to Lu Qingshan.
Lu Qingshan stood with his hands behind his back, his green sash fluttering in the wind. He sneered,
"It's the Black Wind Mercenary Group. That fellow Chen Ye is no weakling, but to deal with that Human-Faced Demon Spider, he’s still lacking."
Beside him, Lu Xue walked over gracefully and said,
"Captain, they are already the fifth group to storm that place. No matter how fierce that Human-Faced Demon Spider is, after fighting five groups in a row, it must be severely weakened. It’s time for us to make our move."
"No rush. We can wait for one more group. There's no need to close the net just yet."
Lu Qingshan said with calm composure.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
Shortly after, a loud noise erupted from the cave entrance below.
"Heh, they’re fighting."
The members of the Lone Wolf Mercenary Group wore the smug expressions of men whose schemes had succeeded.
Half an hour later, several figures scrambled out of the cave, covered in blood and looking miserable.
"Quick, retreat! Hurry!"
Chen Ye clutched his severed arm, his body drenched in blood, roaring at his men as he gritted his teeth.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!*
"Damn it!"
The remaining members of the Black Wind Mercenary Group were either dead or injured; only five of the eight had managed to escape that terrifying den.
Watching from above, Lu Qingshan and his men couldn't help but sneer, a twisted smile curling their lips.
They watched as the severely battered Black Wind Mercenary Group fled the ravine...
"Chen Ye is so heavily wounded; he must have fought for his life. That Human-Faced Demon Spider must have taken significant damage as well."
Lu Qingshan narrowed his eyes, mocking them internally.
They continued to wait, but half an hour passed, and no other mercenary group entered.
This left the members of the Lone Wolf Mercenary Group feeling puzzled.
"I think this plan might not work anymore. Think about it: if news of the Black Wind Mercenary Group’s devastating defeat spreads, the other groups will likely weigh their own strength, know when to retreat, and not dare to risk their lives."
Lu Xue frowned, speaking in a low voice.
After all, if even a group as strong as the Black Wind had suffered such losses, what other group would have the courage to storm in?
"In that case, let's close the net. That Human-Faced Demon Spider must be greatly weakened; now is the perfect time for us to strike."
Lu Qingshan nodded and prepared to lead the Lone Wolf Mercenary Group back to the ravine.
Unexpectedly, yet another group appeared in their line of sight.
"Boss, it's the Tiemu Mercenary Group!"
One of the members said, both surprised and delighted.
Lu Qingshan’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked below. He saw Ye Han and Tiemu’s group heading deep into the valley ravine.
A subtle, sinister smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. He murmured,
"Tiemu... they've finally arrived."
That sinister smile held a faint, lingering murderous intent.
Of all the mercenary groups, the one with the deepest grudge against the Lone Wolf Mercenary Group was undoubtedly Tiemu’s.
"Heh heh heh, Tiemu, I told you—there’s no good end for those who cross the Lone Wolf Mercenary Group."
Lu Qingshan’s knuckles cracked. He almost wished for the total annihilation of the Tiemu Mercenary Group.
"Captain, I have a way to make the Tiemu Mercenary Group suffer even more, perhaps even wipe them out entirely."
At this, Lu Xue hatched another plot.
"Tell me."
Lu Qingshan looked at Lu Xue calmly.
Lu Xue smiled sweetly, looked at a grey boulder near the secret cave entrance below, and parted her lips:
"Once Tiemu’s group enters that cave, we can use that giant boulder to seal the entrance."
*Hiss—*
Hearing this, the entire Lone Wolf Mercenary Group felt a chill run down their spines.
That was an incredibly sinister move!
Once the entrance was sealed, the Tiemu Mercenary Group would have nowhere to retreat and would surely die.
"Tiemu, this is you throwing yourself into the net!"
Lu Qingshan laughed grimly, his eyes filled with triumph.
...
"Captain, we’re almost there."
Tiewu led the way with his blade, pointing to the ravine not far ahead.
Ye Han looked up and observed the surrounding environment.
He realized this place was like a sunken sinkhole, enclosed and pitch-black. They were currently in the ravine at the very bottom.
Because Ye Han’s soul power was extremely formidable, his perception was far superior to that of ordinary people.
His brow furrowed as he keenly sensed that someone seemed to be observing them from the shadows.
"Brother Ye, what’s wrong?"
Seeing Ye Han frown, Tiemu walked over curiously and asked.
Ye Han looked up and scanned the heights, but Lu Qingshan and his men were in a very well-hidden spot and remained unseen.
After observing for a while, Ye Han shook his head and said in a low voice,
"It's nothing. Let’s go down."
With that, the group descended along the rugged, stony path.
Before long, they arrived at the dark, sinister secret cave.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—*
A cold, dark wind roared out from within.
Chapter 34: The Fierce Human-Faced Spider
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—*
As soon as they approached the eerie cave entrance, a damp, chilling wind blew out from inside.
Tiemu and his men stood outside the entrance, on guard. They peered into the darkness, catching a faint scent of danger.
"There is still undried blood on the ground. It seems a fierce battle took place here not long ago."
Ye Han glanced at a pool of blood on the gravel outside the cave, frowned, and lowered his voice.
He guessed that the previous group to arrive here might have been the Black Wind Mercenary Group.