The first to catch up was the three-eyed wolf demon, charging forward without hesitation. The other large demons hesitated for a moment, glancing at the peach and then at the chaotic battlefield, before finally deciding to pursue.
The peach, as a form of mind-influencing magic, had two effects. First, it made all the affected demons believe it was a sacred item that could help them break through their limits, driving them to kill and compete for it. But just that alone might not spark a chaotic battle; they might form alliances or retreat upon seeing the carnage.
So, this magic had a second layer of effect: it stirred the demons' natural bloodlust, filling their minds with fury and clouding their judgment. They only wanted to kill and tear apart everything in sight.
The demons chasing after were still somewhat rational, realizing that the chaos here wouldn’t resolve easily. Instead, they noticed two weaker targets they could tear apart first before returning.
In truth, this was a rather simple-minded way of thinking, but compared to their bloodthirsty peers who could not think at all, they still retained a bit of basic reasoning, showing their strength was above others.
A strange light shot from the three-eyed wolf demon's forehead, passing through the rock where Qin Yi had hidden earlier. The rock silently turned to dust, and the light continued unhindered, exploding on the formation Qin Yi had set up, destroying it and extinguishing its power.
The wolf demon followed the light, flying directly through the formation and charging at Qin Yi, with three to five other large demons roaring behind it.
"Brother, why are they chasing us?" Ye Ling was almost in tears. "We haven't done anything!"
Qin Yi seemed not to hear, his mind racing for a solution.
If he fought these large demons head-on, he knew he wouldn’t win. But these mind-lost demons clearly had room for clever tactics…
He turned to look at the rapidly approaching wolf demon and whispered, "Ye Ling, are you confident you can shake them off?"
"That wolf is strong, but it might be about even with me. However, it can't fly as fast as I can!" Ye Ling was very confident about her escape skills. "The ones behind definitely won't catch up to me!"
"Then it’s settled. I'll provoke the wolf, and you sneak around and taunt the others. But don’t get entangled with them; just lead them in circles."
"You..." Ye Ling looked at him hesitantly. "You can't beat that wolf."
"Just do as I say." Qin Yi suddenly stopped, putting a good distance between himself and Ye Ling, then leaped into the air, swinging his weapon straight at the three-eyed wolf demon.
The wolf demon, which had been somewhat calm, instantly turned furious, its eyes glowing red. It opened its mouth and shot a spinning wind ball straight at Qin Yi's head. Qin Yi swung his weapon to disperse the wind ball and landed, taking a half-step back.
Meanwhile, Ye Ling had moved away from the fight, confronting the large demons behind her, hands on her hips, and shouted, "You bunch of dumb pigs, ha ha ha~"
"Roar!" All the demons' eyes turned blood red as they charged at Ye Ling.
Ye Ling turned and ran, glancing back at Qin Yi's battle with a worried expression on her face.
Liu Su was saying to Qin Yi, "Splitting your forces seems reasonable to avoid being surrounded, but have you considered that Ye Ling might not return? If those demons turn back, you’ll be left with nowhere to escape."
Qin Yi replied shortly, "If you keep questioning and doubting your companions, you won’t get anywhere."
Liu Su fell silent for a moment and sighed, "You haven’t experienced betrayal… I hope you’re not mistaken this time."
Qin Yi felt Liu Su was no longer just a spirit but possibly the remnant soul of a powerful being trapped within the weapon. He wondered how it ended up in this situation, confined to the staff in this strange space of the Immortal Mark Mountain—perhaps it had faced unimaginable betrayal.
But now wasn’t the time to dig into that.
"Bang!" The wolf tooth club collided with the wolf's claws, producing a loud thud. The force from both sides sent energy scattering, and the surrounding sand and stones flew into the air.
Qin Yi felt a massive force hit him, his hands going numb, and his blood surged within him. He staggered back several steps to regain his footing. The wolf demon, however, didn’t come out unscathed; its claws were bloodied from the sharp teeth of the club, and a strange power seeped into its blood, making it feel like it was boiling.
It howled in rage, and in an instant, sand and stones flew everywhere, hitting Qin Yi painfully.
"What is this... wolf tooth club?" The wolf demon spoke awkwardly.
Qin Yi had no idea what it was made of; Liu Su hadn’t mentioned it. He knew the material was special, but he hadn’t even tapped into a fraction of its power. He didn’t respond, noticing the wolf demon’s blood flow was off. He charged forward again, swinging the club at its waist.
The wolf demon dodged, but the swing didn’t waste energy; instead, it came back around, aiming for its lower belly.
The difference between martial arts skills, honed over generations, and the brute force of a beast was clear here.
Qin Yi knew he couldn’t match the wolf demon in training, strength, or speed, but he never thought he would lose!
"Bang!" The wolf tooth club collided with the wolf's claws again, unleashing a surge of energy. The force that burst forth was far stronger than the previous strike. The wolf demon, caught off guard, was sent flying, crashing heavily against the mountainside, sinking several feet deep.
Qin Yi didn’t close in; he remembered the wolf demon’s strange light. Charging in would be foolish.
He quickly formed a hand seal, creating a net of lightning at the cave's entrance.
Sure enough, a beam of light shot out from the hole the wolf demon had fallen into. Qin Yi was ready, dodging to the side of the cave, raising the wolf tooth club in wait.
In the next moment, the wolf demon burst out, immediately getting caught in the electric net. At the same time, the wolf tooth club came crashing down with immense force!
The wolf demon let out a furious roar, but the lightning net had no effect on it. It dragged its claws to block the club.
The sharp spikes dug into it, causing it to howl in pain. Its arm bent, barely managing to hold the club above its forehead, but its body was pressed down slightly.
With the club so close and Qin Yi's face behind it, the wolf demon's third eye glowed again. It was too close for it to dodge!
Suddenly, a sharp, strange force surged from the club, piercing straight into its soul!
It felt like a sharp spike had stabbed into its very essence, stirring up its already chaotic soul into a complete frenzy.
Liu Su's soul attack!
Qin Yi, wielding the wolf tooth club, was never alone!
"Roar!" The wolf demon howled in agony, unleashing its final strength, kicking Qin Yi hard.
Qin Yi coughed up blood and was sent flying several dozen feet, crashing heavily onto the ground.
Looking up, he saw the wolf demon in a daze, clutching its head and howling in pain, its energy going wild. Its third eye shot out strange lights, causing explosions everywhere, shattering nearby rocks and creating deep pits on the hillside.
In its chaotic mind, it couldn’t understand how a human, clearly much weaker, could bring it to such a state.
Qin Yi didn’t approach. He focused on recovering from his injuries while carefully dodging the erratic lights, watching the wolf demon go mad.
When the madness finally subsided and its energy was exhausted, Qin Yi swung his arm, sending the wolf tooth club crashing down on the wolf demon's third eye.
The wolf demon fell back, and Qin Yi spat out another mouthful of blood, breathing heavily.
This battle was brief but incredibly intense, nearly exhausting all his strength. Just that kick had left him feeling like he was falling apart, with deep wounds from the wolf's claws bleeding profusely.
But seeing the motionless wolf corpse in the distance, Qin Yi felt a surge of pride.
This was a challenge beyond his level… even if he was picking on a simple-minded opponent, the clash of power and fierce confrontation ignited something within him. No matter how tired his body felt, his spirit was exhilarated.
Maybe he really wasn’t the calm person he thought he was… the adventurous thrill buried deep inside him was awakening, becoming more vibrant.
Or perhaps these two sides weren’t really in conflict at all?
He didn’t dwell on it and quickly retrieved the wolf tooth club, racing after the direction Ye Ling had gone.
(End of Chapter)