Thus, they decided to employ a rather foolish tactic: threatening Zhou Yan with honey badgers, and then launching a decisive attack.
This method was simple and effective. Honey badgers were rare creatures in the immortal realm, considered a highly prized food source. The Black Demon Wolf tribe had invested heavily in their cultivation. Though numerous, these honey badgers were but a drop in the ocean compared to the tribe's limited cultivation resources.
After a brief period of harassment, this contingent of the Black Demon Wolf tribe retreated, having no real intention of directly engaging Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan breathed a sigh of relief. Instead of returning to his manor immediately, he continued to conceal his aura, stealthily tracking the Black Demon Wolf tribe.
He knew that this group of Black Demon Wolves was far from simple, and surely possessed other hidden trump cards, though he had yet to ascertain what they were.
He had to quickly uncover their hidden schemes and elaborate plans. Enemies like these required thorough preparation to avoid a fatal blow.
Although the Black Demon Wolves had not attacked Zhou Yan directly, they had not left either. Instead, they were searching the vicinity for his whereabouts. This left Zhou Yan no choice but to remain cautious and observe the situation.
Zhou Yan remained concealed in the shadows until nightfall, only emerging when darkness had completely enveloped the land.
Standing at the periphery of the valley, Zhou Yan gazed up at the sky. Brilliant golden flames flickered in his eyes, a testament to his cultivation of the Heavenly Fire Art. While this art was notoriously difficult to practice, its progress accelerated remarkably with sufficient Fire Elemental Crystals.
His current strength had reached the peak of the ninth stage of the Divine Lord realm, and he was not far from the Divine Venerable realm. He was confident that in a few more years, once his power stabilized, he would undoubtedly ascend to the Divine Venerable realm.
However, Zhou Yan’s current situation was precarious. The Black Demon Wolves had been lying in ambush here for an extended period. If he didn't find a place to hide soon, he would inevitably be captured by them.
After a moment of contemplation, Zhou Yan turned and swept into the depths of the mountain range, intending to find a secluded cave within the mountains to temporarily reside, awaiting the Black Demon Wolves' arrival.
Zhou Yan soon reached a valley. It was a desolate place, devoid of any trees, surrounded by dense forests that offered no cover. However, this was not a significant challenge for Zhou Yan. He cast a fire-elemental spell, igniting a bonfire in the valley, and then took out some spiritual wine to eat and drink.
He sipped his spiritual wine while observing the distant valley.
At this moment, the sound of footsteps echoed from within the valley. Following the sound, a pack of black behemoth wolves, moving at a leisurely pace, emerged from the valley. These wolves were enormous, standing over a meter tall, with two rows of sharp teeth on their heads. Their fur was incredibly thick, clearly serving as formidable armor. They also carried massive, jet-black swords on their backs. The blades of these swords were sharp and stained with crimson blood.
Upon seeing these black wolves, Zhou Yan’s face contorted in surprise. He had not anticipated that his adversaries possessed such formidable power.
His eyebrows rose slightly, and a disdainful smile spread across his face. "Heh, so this is the Heavenly Punishment Hall’s guard legion? Not much to speak of. And you think you can deal with me with just this? You underestimate me, Zhou Yan, too much. Today, I shall wash away the humiliation I just suffered with your blood!"
"Roar!!!" As Zhou Yan’s words fell, the black behemoth wolves charged at him with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, they were upon him. Wisps of green toxic mist emanated from their fangs, emitting a pungent, foul odor under the sunlight. The stench was unbearable. Zhou Yan quickly conjured a shield to protect himself. Unfortunately, the toxic mist, proving to be all-pervasive, seeped directly into his body.
The poison was extremely potent. Zhou Yan felt an agonizing pain surge through his entire body. Beads of sweat instantly formed on his forehead. This was the first time he had encountered such a deadly venom.
The behemoth wolves’ target was clear: Zhou Yan. Their attacks were fierce and relentless, each strike aimed at his most vulnerable points. If Zhou Yan hadn't actively resisted with his internal energy, he would have likely been torn to shreds and devoured by these wolves.
Anger blazed in Zhou Yan’s eyes. The sheer audacity of his opponents’ actions was infuriating. He let out a roar, and a ball of golden flame shot out from his body, transforming into a colossal golden greatsword. It cleaved towards a behemoth wolf charging at him.
"Boom!!" The greatsword struck the behemoth wolf, slicing its head into fragments.
The wolf’s brain matter splattered everywhere. Zhou Yan’s golden greatsword vanished at that instant, but he still had five more golden greatswords, which he unleashed upon the remaining three behemoth wolves.
"Bang bang bang bang!" Three golden greatswords impacted the remaining three black behemoth wolves. The resulting explosions surged outward. These black wolves were all at the ninth stage of the Divine Lord realm, possessing incredibly robust physiques, yet they could not withstand the force of these golden greatswords. They were instantly blown apart, their bodies disintegrating into sprays of blood that rained down.
The remaining three black wolves were also severely injured. They struggled for a few moments on the ground before their lives ebbed away.
Zhou Yan collected the beast cores, demon cores, and other valuable items from the slain behemoth wolves, and then began searching the surroundings.
The carcasses of the black wolves did not impede Zhou Yan. His eyes scanned the valley environment like a scanner, meticulously searching for a suitable hiding place.
Soon, Zhou Yan found another valley.
He slipped into the valley, casually chose a spot on a cliff face, and sat down cross-legged. He then produced a storage ring and closed his eyes, concentrating his mind.
Zhou Yan's cultivation was not low, and his spiritual consciousness was vast. Therefore, even in the span of a single breath, he could sense any anomalies within the valley.
Within this valley, there were seven to eight hundred more black behemoth wolves. These wolves were around two meters tall, their size several times that of Zhou Yan’s black greatsword.
Although Zhou Yan's black greatsword was a high-grade sacred artifact, he only possessed three strands of golden sword energy. This number was insufficient to kill so many black behemoth wolves, especially considering their formidable physical strength.