booktalesy Chapter 23 Take Action! Take Action!
Chapter 23 Take Action! Take Action!
In the very center of the valley stands a huge ancient tree.
That tree was taller than all the other trees around it, with a canopy as wide as a canopy and a trunk so thick that it would take five or six people to encircle it.
The bark is dark blue-green and covered with cracks from years of weathering.
A faint blue light flowed within the tree canopy, which was the extremely concentrated wood-attribute energy circulating within the tree.
Beneath the ancient tree lies a relatively open space.
There are several obvious dents in the open space.
Those were the marks left by a large soul beast lying down.
The grass around the dent was bent over and some of it was crushed, exposing the soil underneath.
Qing Mufeng carefully counted the dents.
Three places.
Just as my grandfather and father had predicted, there were at least three Windwood Dragons active in this valley.
He whispered what he had seen to Liu Yunlan beside him, and the old lady frowned slightly after hearing it.
"Three heads," Liu Yunlan said in a low voice. "If they appear at the same time, it will be troublesome."
Qing Mufeng continued to observe.
Besides the three dents, he also found other traces in the valley.
Claw marks on the tree trunk, scale scratches on the ground, and scattered bone fragments.
These are all evidence of the Windwood Dragon's activities.
The strongest scent in the air comes from that ancient tree.
The smell was several times stronger than that at the valley entrance, carrying a fragrance similar to sandalwood, mixed with the stench of some wild animal.
This is a territory marker.
The Windwood Dragon marks its territory with its scent, warning other soul beasts not to approach.
"There must be a Windwood Dragon here."
Qing Mufeng withdrew his gaze and whispered to his grandfather, "At least three. We can't tell their age, but they have a very strong aroma, so they should all be around ten thousand years old."
Qing Zhengyue nodded, his gaze falling on the ancient tree deep in the valley.
"Then let's wait," the old man said. "Let's wait patiently for them to come out."
-
Time passed by, second by second.
The five men lay motionless in the woods at the valley entrance, like five rocks.
Qing Mufeng lay prone behind the rock, his Azure Dragon Eyes always activated, watching the movements deep in the valley.
The golden light in his pupils flickered slightly, and his breathing was very light, almost silent.
He knew that hunting required patience.
The true hunter is not the strongest, but the one who can wait the longest.
.....
As night approached, Feng Mulong finally appeared.
Above the valley, the last rays of the setting sun were fading, and the sky gradually turned from orange-red to dark purple.
The bluish mist in the valley was even thicker than during the day, like a thin veil shrouding the entire valley.
Qing Mufeng's Azure Dragon Eyes remained open, the golden light within them particularly striking in the twilight.
He had been lying in wait behind that rock for the entire afternoon, his body motionless, his eyes scanning every change in the valley.
Finally, as dusk fell, heavy footsteps echoed from the depths of the valley.
The voice was unhurried, each step carrying an innate composure and arrogance.
That's the kind of stride only creatures at the top of the food chain can take.
Qing Mufeng's eyes widened suddenly.
From the shadows behind the ancient tree deep in the valley, a colossal creature slowly emerged.
Its size was three times larger than the 5,900-year-old Windwood Dragon they had hunted before.
It is over twelve meters long, nearly three meters tall at the shoulder, with four legs as thick as stone pillars and claws as sharp as scimitars. Every step it takes leaves deep claw marks on the ground.
Its entire body is covered with dark blue scales, the edges of which gleam with a dark gold luster, a mark of years of accumulation.
Only the scales of windwood dragons that are over ten thousand years old will have this dark golden luster.
Its neck was thick and long, and its head was even wider than the previous one. The two short horns on its forehead had grown into dragon horns half a foot long, with the tips gleaming with a cold blue light.
The spines on its back extend from the back of its neck to the tip of its tail. Each spine is about the length of an adult's arm and has a sharp, needle-like tip.
Golden vertical pupils lit up in the twilight, like two cold lanterns, scanning the valley.
That kind of gaze sent chills down your spine.
Qing Mufeng took a deep breath to suppress the pounding in his heart.
Thirty thousand years.
It's definitely a little over 30,000 years.
He slowly turned his head and looked at his grandfather on his left.
Qing Zhengyue was also observing the Windwood Dragon. The old man's gaze was sharp as a knife, and his lips moved slightly as he silently uttered a few words.
Qing Mufeng saw the shape of those lips clearly.
That's it.
-
Qing Zhengyue slowly raised his right hand and made several gestures.
This is a tactical hand signal agreed upon within the Qing family.
This afternoon, the five of them spent a full hour discussing and practicing this tactic, repeatedly rehearsing each person's position and the timing of their coordination.
Qing Hongyuan nodded and gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Liu Yunlan took out three small porcelain bottles from her cloth bag and placed them in front of her. The stoppers had been removed, and they were ready to be used at any time.
Shen Wanqing closed her eyes, and the illusory image of the Jade Orchid Martial Soul appeared above her head. Four Soul Rings slowly rotated, ready to release auxiliary Soul Skills at any time.
Qing Mufeng took a deep breath, and the soul power within his body began to circulate at high speed.
Azure Dragon Armor!
A blue light surged from within his body, condensing on his skin to form a set of semi-transparent armor.
The breastplate features a wood grain texture, the limbs are covered with snake scales, the shoulder armor is shaped like a snake's head, and the helmet is partially covered.
The armor gleamed with a faint bluish light in the twilight.
Azure Dragon's Eye!
His pupils transformed into golden vertical pupils, and everything in his field of vision became incredibly clear.
Every muscle, every meridian, and every breath of Feng Mulong was under his observation.
Three spirit rings—one yellow and two purple—rose from his feet and slowly rotated around his body.
Third Divine Power: Azure Dragon Riding the Wind!
His body became lighter, the wind supported him, and his feet left the ground, silently rising into the sky.
His mission was high-altitude suppression.
Using the Azure Dragon's might, suppress this 30,000-year-old Windwood Dragon, preventing it from having a chance to fly away.
-
"Let's do it!"
Qing Zhengyue's voice boomed in the twilight.
The five figures moved simultaneously.
Qing Hongyuan rushed out from the left, his four spirit rings—two yellow and two purple—lit up.
He unleashed his fourth soul skill, Azure Serpent Strangulation, and a thick, azure serpent shadow flew out from his body, opening its blood-red maw and heading straight for Feng Mulong's neck.
This is his strongest control soul skill.
Once the snake's shadow bites its target, it will release a large amount of wood-attribute soul power in a short period of time, which will entangle, tighten, and strangle the target, rendering it unable to move.
Shen Wanqing rushed out from the right, her four soul rings lit up, and three emerald green orchid phantoms bloomed above her head.
Three beams of light shot out simultaneously.
One landed on Qing Hongyuan, one on Qing Zhengyue, and one on Qing Mufeng high in the sky.
Jade Blessing - Increases attack power, defense power, and soul power recovery speed.
Jade Guardian – Creates a light green shield around teammates, capable of withstanding one fatal attack.
Jade Rejuvenation – Continuously restores teammates' injuries.
Three auxiliary soul skills are released simultaneously.
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