Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel, Flaying the Demon Wolf King Alive

"Kill!" "Charge!" "Kill! Kill! Kill!" Across the mountains and wilderness, the flames of war erupted in an instant. Just as Luo Chen gave the attack order without the slightest hesitation, the demon wolves acted with equal resolve. By now, everyone knew that when it came to cultivation grounds, two tigers could never share one mountain. Unless one side yielded voluntarily. Would the human cultivators give up? Utterly impossible. The Eastern Desolation cultivation world possessed limited resources, unable to sustain more long-lived high-tier cultivators. Expanding outward was an inevitable step. Now, they had even gathered a colossal force of twenty-seven sects. There was zero reason to withdraw. Would the demon wolves give up? Equally impossible! Since ancient times, the Howling Moon Mountain Range had been the wolf clan's domain. Here they lived, reproduced, and cultivated... To the wolf clan, this was their home and their ancestral land. How could they ever abandon it? Even if the low-tier demon wolves lacked clear intellect and could not comprehend reason, under the command of their leading wolf kings, they possessed only the resolve to fight to the death and never retreat! Therefore, once the great clash erupted amidst sky-filling human roars and wolf howls, the cultivators' eyes shone with anticipation, greed, and desire. Meanwhile, the countless demon wolves held only fury and savagery in their eyes. Casualties! From the very opening moments of engagement, casualties began to mount. Aboard the Scarlet Flame Dragon Boat, the five Golden Core cultivators revealed themselves in unison, fixing their gazes on the three colossal wolves atop Snow Wolf Flat. Diwu Qi said calmly, "Leave that mid Tier 3 Snow Wolf King to me. The four of you take two per wolf, finish them off as quickly as possible, and then assist me." This was the most sensible division. Before undergoing humanoid transformation, demonic beasts had only two real advantages: their longevity and their thick hides. Beyond that, they held no superiority. In contrast, human cultivators who managed to attain high realms inevitably commanded formidable methods. Furthermore, they had arrays, talismans, magical instruments, magic treasures, puppets, and countless other external aids. One could say they held every advantage! Even when facing a demonic beast one or two sub-tiers higher, a human cultivator stood a fighting chance. For the sake of his future cultivation grounds, Diwu Qi took the initiative to shoulder the greatest foe! Right at that moment, Luo Chen suddenly raised both hands, his fingertips weaving rapidly through incantation gestures. "Move, quickly!" The other four were taken aback, and then saw all three demon wolves on Snow Wolf Flat throw their heads back at the same time. Three massive orbs of light suddenly rose into the air. Terrifying demon qi permeated the spheres, causing everyone's expressions to change drastically. Without a moment's hesitation! Diwu Qi, Jiang Yu, and Cen Qiusheng flew out together. Fu Jiusheng paused in his step and glanced back at Luo Chen. "Go first! I'll follow right behind!" Luo Chen held his breath and growled. Fu Jiusheng gave a grunt of acknowledgement and flew toward an early Tier 3 demon wolf. At the very instant they took flight, the three orbs of demon qi hurtled down toward the countless human cultivators below. Diwu Qi and the others looked grim, yet their steps did not halt for a heartbeat. They knew Luo Chen could block this wave of attacks. A clear whistle resounded through the clouds. "Unfurl!" Amidst the rising whistle, an azure curtain of light spanned the horizon, covering the heads of the three thousand Luotian Alliance cultivators. The curtain was transparent as glazed glass, undulating with ripples of light as it extended outward. It was none other than Luo Chen's proudest defensive art—Glazed Sky Canopy! It was exceedingly difficult to cultivate. Once mastered to Great Accomplishment, it was said to rival a small mountain-protecting array. Luo Chen had not only attained Great Accomplishment in this art, but had even pushed it to Great Perfection, giving it defensive power no weaker than a Tier 3 array. Precisely because he possessed such an almost instant-cast defensive spell, he had never needed a defensive magic treasure. Under his full-strength execution now, the Glazed Sky Canopy reached the greatest power in its history! The next instant! The three orbs of demon qi slammed into the Glazed Sky Canopy one after another. Boom! Boom! Boom! Three muffled detonations erupted simultaneously. Layer after layer of ripples surged across the Glazed Sky Canopy before turning into turbulent waves, continuously dispersing the immense force. Puff! A moment later, the canopy shattered! The residual force had not exhausted itself and continued plunging toward the low-tier human cultivators. At the same time, however, small canopies appeared in succession to block its path. Bang! Bang! Bang... Finally, under constant interception, the three Snow Wolf Kings' attacks vanished into nothingness. Furious wolf howls echoed over Snow Wolf Flat. A great battle at the Golden Core level instantly broke out. Aboard the Scarlet Flame Dragon Boat, the staying Xu Huanzhen looked with concern at the young man before him. Luo Chen's posture was slightly slumped, his face flushed red as if a breath had been stifled in his chest. "Supreme Elder, are you alright?" After a long while! Phew... A long breath of turbid qi was exhaled. Luo Chen caught his breath, magical power once again flooding his body. Just now, to withstand the combined strike of the three wolves, he had mobilized nearly a tenth of his total magical power in an instant. Even so, he had to cast small Glazed Sky Canopies in rapid succession afterward before completely neutralizing that volley. "Fighting a large-scale battle against the demon clan is indeed completely different from internal strife among humans." "They won't abide by unwritten rules like king against king, general against general, and minion against minion." "There is only slaughter—slaughter that disregards any difference in realm!" "This is a dispute over resources, and even more, a conflict between races. There are no rules whatsoever!" With his breathing smoothed and his magical power circulating fluidly once more, thoughts churned wildly through Luo Chen's mind. He glanced down at the battlefield below, where spiritual power and demon qi attacks erupted continuously. This was all he could do. Whether the cultivators of the Luotian Sect could survive would depend on themselves. Next! Luo Chen said coldly, "Xu Huanzhen, lead your people and guard the Scarlet Flame Dragon Boat well." "Understood, Supreme Elder!" Luo Chen let out a long cry. The Profound Fire Sword emerged, bursting with layers of fiery light that enveloped him. Then he flew upon his sword, heading straight for Fu Jiusheng's battlefield. Yet he had only traveled halfway when a miserable scream rang out! "Ah!" Shifting his gaze, he saw a figure knocked from the sky onto Snow Wolf Flat, splashing up countless plumes of snow. A colossal beast followed closely behind, carrying boundless killing intent! Diwu Qi's panicked voice rang through the heavens. "This beast is fierce! I need help!" Luo Chen's eyes narrowed, and he immediately veered toward Diwu Qi. Not only him—on the other side, Jiang Yu, who had been double-teaming a wolf king with Cen Qiusheng, also disengaged and flew toward Diwu Qi. Before Jiang Yu even arrived, a vast rain curtain woven from magical power descended toward that Snow Wolf King. Sizzling sounds filled the air, accompanied by a rotting stench spreading outward. Luo Chen likewise slashed horizontally with his sword, a crimson sword qi blocking the Snow Wolf King's pursuit of Diwu Qi. "How could this happen?" Diwu Qi crawled out from the snow of Snow Wolf Flat, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth, his face filled with panic. "Something is wrong with this beast! It wields some kind of divine ability that slows my speed—not just my attack speed, but my flying speed as well!" Whoosh! Whoosh! Luo Chen and Jiang Yu took up positions, flanking the Snow Wolf King. Surrounded by three foes, the Snow Wolf King showed no fear at all. Human speech even spilled from its jaws: "The Wolf Emperor was right; you humans are utterly shameless." "Today, I shall use the Corroding Snow Art he taught me to slaughter every last one of you!" As it spoke, demon qi surged to the heavens. An extreme chill fell along with the drifting snowflakes, enveloping every direction. Caught within it, Luo Chen's expression shifted slightly. He felt the circulation of his magical power slow down by thirty percent! Corroding Snow Art? That Wolf Emperor Aoxiao had actually passed down magical arts? This was completely different from the rumors that demonic beasts lived in isolation and cultivated on their own! Had some unknown change occurred within the demon wolf clan? While these thoughts flashed through his mind, his hands did not pause. A blazing sun emerged from the tip of his sword. With the fully refined Profound Fire Sword and the enhancement of magical power far stronger than spiritual energy, his once-signature spell was now significantly more formidable. However! Before his spell could finish taking shape, the Snow Wolf King had already launched an attack. Its target: Jiang Yu! Tearing through layers of foul-smelling rain, the Snow Wolf King slashed with its claws repeatedly, sending crescents of concentrated demon qi whistling toward Jiang Yu. Demonic beasts before humanoid transformation might possess an advantage in exquisite demon arts alongside their longevity and tough flesh. Through years of breathing and refining demon qi, they unconsciously mastered certain unique attack methods. They might be rudimentary, but their casting speed was exceptionally fast! Slash! Slash! Slash! Jiang Yu's face fell. He violently shook the Rain Calling Banner in his hand. Sheets of rain fell in unison, attempting to block the crescent slashes. Yet the inexplicable deceleration always caused him to be a fraction too slow. Rip! After only a single clash, before Jiang Yu could retreat in time, a crescent slash struck him. His top-grade defensive tool and top-grade defensive robe instantly shattered. Spitting blood, he retreated in panic. "Die!" With a low roar, the Snow Wolf King trod upon the whirling snow and lunged toward Jiang Yu. Just then, a blazing sun rose behind it. The Snow Wolf King snapped around. Opening its jaws, it spat out a massive snowball to meet the erupting sun. Boom! A deafening explosion echoed through the void. The powerful shockwave forced Snow Wolf Flat down by several tens of feet. Cen Qiusheng and Fu Jiusheng, who were also battling on Snow Wolf Flat, were blasted tens of li away by the shockwave. Amidst the fire and snow, a massive figure suddenly burst forth. "I'll kill you first!" Luo Chen's expression changed slightly. This Snow Wolf King's combat instincts were remarkably sharp; it had realized so quickly that among the three, he had the lowest cultivation realm. With a shift of his mind, he swung the Profound Fire Sword repeatedly. A mountain of spiritual energy manifested above. Tremendous suppressive force enveloped the area. Landslide reappeared! The Snow Wolf King's body stiffened, and layers of snow-white luminescence surfaced on its skin, neutralizing the suppressive slowing effect of the Landslide spell. With that, its speed returned. Yet just as it was about to charge in front of Luo Chen, Luo Chen suddenly retreated several hundred feet. His speed was so swift that it was not inferior to the beast's at all. "What are you waiting for? Strike!" Meanwhile, having recovered themselves, Diwu Qi and Jiang Yu both joined the fray. In an instant, the three-man encirclement was formed once more. Confronted with this, the Snow Wolf King's rage flared even hotter. Opening its mouth, it spat out a crystal-clear scimitar that hovered above its head. Seeing this, all three men were stunned. "A lifebound magic treasure?" "A Tier 3 demonic beast can refine magic treasures now?" "No, it's just a magic treasure embryo that barely possesses a rough shape. Don't fear it!" Luo Chen barked a command and directly detonated Landslide. A violent explosion enveloped the Snow Wolf King's massive frame in an instant. Diwu Qi drove his flying sword into the center of the explosion. Disregarding his injuries, Jiang Yu waved his Rain Calling Banner once more. Clang! Clang! Clang! Sounds of clashing metal erupted incessantly. Evidently, even under siege by three foes, the demon wolf still had the strength to fight back. While monitoring the fight, Luo Chen pondered how to break the Corroding Snow Art, his peripheral vision even taking in the flow of the entire battlefield. A true display of multitasking! The two combat groups that had been blasted away earlier had now split to opposite sides. One was in the sky, where the aging yet richly experienced Cen Qiusheng firmly suppressed his opponent. The other was on the ground, where Fu Jiusheng, who had not yet reached the 1st level of Golden Core, was in grave peril. Driving his flying sword to fight with one hand, Fu Jiusheng tossed out rudimentary array discs with the other. Under the demon wolf's frenzied assault, however, array discs deployed without prior preparation could exert only ten to twenty percent of their power, rendering them practically useless. While attacking Fu Jiusheng, the demon wolf even had energy to spare. From time to time, it whipped up violent demon qi to strike at the other low-tier cultivators of the Luotian Alliance. In just a short while, at least several hundred had perished at its hands. Among them were seven or eight Foundation Establishment True Cultivators. High above, the massive dragon boat remained motionless. Seeing such carnage, a disciple turned pale. "Hall Master Xu, what should we do? Should we help?" A flying boat of magic treasure quality was no longer a simple conveyance. It came equipped with its own offensive arrays. Yet facing this plea, Xu Huanzhen gritted his teeth and barked, "Do not move!" "The Supreme Elder ordered that the dragon boat is our ultimate weapon for offense and retreat alike. Not only must it serve as our final trump card to decide the battle, but it must also guard against unknown enemies." "B-but..." The disciple hesitated. Xu Huanzhen gave him a cold glance. "Do not underestimate them. Our Luotian Sect has capable people too!" Amidst the sea of men and wolves, an explosive shout suddenly rang out. A thirty-foot giant rose from the ground, striding toward the demon wolf confronting Fu Jiusheng. At first, it was step by step, but soon he broke into a sprint. Thud! Thud! Thud! "Elder Fu, I'm here to help!" It was Wang Yuan. As soon as the words left his mouth, he bent his legs, pushed off with immense force, and soared into the air. With the momentum of Mount Tai pressing down from above, he slammed toward the wolf king. With his intervention, Fu Jiusheng's pressure dropped sharply. He hastily pulled back. "Wang Yuan, hold the front! I'll set up an array to slaughter this beast!" Wang Yuan gave no reply, already colliding head-on with the demon wolf that dwarfed him in size. Surging blood qi enveloped his body, and invisible astral energy ravaged every direction as his attacks instantly entered a state of berserk fury. ... Across a thousand li around Snow Wolf Flat, the flames of war spread, their battle cries shaking the sky. Various skirmishes large and small were divided by the ceaselessly raging spiritual energy and demon qi. Among all the battlegrounds, the most eye-catching was undoubtedly the three men and one wolf upon that great flat. Everyone knew that once victory was decided here, the tide of the entire battle would decisively tip toward that side. As for Cen Family Head Cen Qiusheng's side? He had plenty of suppressive power, but lacked the strength to finish the beast. On Fu Jiusheng's side, with Wang Yuan holding the line, Fu Jiusheng's pressure had dropped significantly, but getting the array to take effect would still require time. Moreover, to ease Wang Yuan's burden, Fu Jiusheng occasionally had to command his flying sword to help Wang Yuan deflect lethal strikes. Thus, his array deployment was greatly delayed. For a moment, the battle seemed stalemated. Yet everyone knew it could not stay deadlocked for long. Because that mid Tier 3 Snow Wolf King had already gone berserk, fighting with escalating savagery. Demon arts were unleashed in rapid succession, almost instantaneously. The crystalline scimitar swung repeatedly, posing a massive threat to the three men. Moreover, there was that bizarre Corroding Snow Art slowing their movements. Though Luo Chen and the other two held the advantage of encirclement, their sharp drop in speed caused several fatal strikes to be evaded. Swoosh! The scimitar abruptly appeared before Luo Chen. Luo Chen pointed a finger, and an Armor-Piercing Nail shot out, parrying the strike in the nick of time. The crystalline scimitar was recalled, and the Snow Wolf King glared furiously at Luo Chen. It was this inexplicable magic treasure that had parried its ambushes against Luo Chen multiple times. Facing that furious gaze, Luo Chen grew increasingly calm. Unlike Wang Yuan, who grew wilder the more he fought, Luo Chen grew calmer the more dangerous the situation became. Especially after cultivating Calming the Tempest, this calm was ingrained deep in his core. After retrieving the Armor-Piercing Nail, layers of fiery light suddenly erupted from Luo Chen's body. Under the radiance of the flames, that strange slowing force instantly dissolved. "As expected, refined source true fire has a restraining effect against the ice and snow path." "This way, I can unleash my methods without restraint." Just as this thought arose, Diwu Qi, the primary combatant, stumbled back several steps through the void, holding a tattered cloth bag with an overcast expression. "My magic treasure wind bag is ruined." The violent gales that had previously blanketed the area gradually dissipated, revealing the massive Snow Wolf King in the center. The beast's colossal body was now covered in wounds: sword cuts, corrosive injuries, astral wind lacerations, and burns from fire magic. Its once smooth, lustrous white fur was now scorched black and running with blood. Thick bone showed beneath mangled flesh, a gruesome and jarring sight. Yet its aura showed not the slightest decline; the might of mid Tier 3 still exerted crushing pressure upon the three Golden Core cultivators of the Luotian Alliance. Diwu Qi yelled, "Stop holding back, you two! Finish this beast off immediately!" Luo Chen and Jiang Yu exchanged a glance, nodding in tacit agreement. The next instant, Luo Chen made the first move. With a wave of his sleeve, three streaks of black light shot forth. Qi-Piercing! Armor-Piercing! Soul Breaking! Luo Chen had used these three nails earlier in the battle, but they hadn't accomplished much because his speed had been too slow. Now that he had broken the Corroding Snow Art and his magical power flowed unobstructed, the speed of the Three Soul Breaking Nails surged drastically. The Snow Wolf King, originally intending to sweep the three nails aside with its brute demon power, sensed something was amiss. Guided by its divine soul, the crescent flying blade sliced through the air to intercept the three black rays. Clang! Clang! The Qi-Piercing Nail and Armor-Piercing Nail were knocked down. However, the Soul Breaking Nail trailing behind experienced another burst of speed. Evading the crescent flying blade by a hair's breadth, it plunged directly into the crown of the Snow Wolf King's head! An invisible power caused the demon wolf's body to shudder violently. Right then, Jiang Yu showed immense delight. "The Corroding Snow Art is broken!" In his excitement, he let go of the Rain Calling Banner and opened his mouth to spit something out. A luminous orb shot forth. It was none other than his lifebound magic treasure, the Sea Calming Pearl! The moment the orb emerged, an unmatched black radiance washed over the Snow Wolf King. Beneath this black glow, vast torrents of water surged out, continuously scouring the Snow Wolf King's body. Jiang Yu shouted urgently, "This lifebound magic treasure was refined only recently, and its power isn't fully honed yet. It can't wear him down alone—give it everything you've got!" In truth, he didn't need to shout. Diwu Qi had already struck again, his flying sword transforming into a sky-propping giant blade that chopped down with a roar. Under this threefold assault, the Snow Wolf King's demise seemed imminent. However! Boom! The crescent flying blade detonated with a roar. The tremendous blast hurled the Sea Calming Pearl thousands of feet away. Jiang Yu spat blood and reached out to beckon. When the Sea Calming Pearl flew back, it was covered in cracks. An expression of deep anguish surfaced on his face. Yet there was no time to lament. The Snow Wolf King's size expanded once more, its pair of wolf paws clamping firmly onto the sky-propping giant blade. "If you want to kill me, you will pay the price!" Amidst its low roar, its paws snapped together. Crack! Diwu Qi's face turned pale. A magic treasure flying sword he had refined for years had been crushed with bare paws! Through their mental connection, his divine soul suffered a heavy blow. The Snow Wolf King crouched between heaven and earth, the black nail at the crown of its head slowly being forced out. Its pair of snow-white wolf eyes swept across the surroundings with terrifying killing intent. "Do you have any more tricks?" "If not, prepare to die!" Jiang Yu now looked fearful. With his newly refined lifebound magic treasure damaged, he no longer wished to continue fighting. Diwu Qi, however, was driven into a ruthless frenzy. He pressed two fingers of his right hand before his face, and a wisp of bone-chilling nether wind slowly rose. "Don't let it push that nail out. Hold on while I kill it!" Just then, Luo Chen's clear laughter drifted from the side. "Fellow Daoist, save such a trump card for later!" "I'll handle the finishing blow." Diwu Qi froze. Then, he saw sky-filling golden light erupt from Luo Chen's body. A purple-gold full moon rose from above his head. Moments later, the full moon shifted, and countless crescent wheels flew forth amidst mechanical clicking sounds. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Deafening whistles tore through the air, transforming in an instant into three hundred and sixty-five flying wheels that tightly encircled the massive Snow Wolf King. Luo Chen's immense divine sense surged outward as his hands formed incantations like lightning. The chill in his eyes blazed. "Flay!" With a low bark, the Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel dissolved into boundless purple-gold moonlight that washed over the Snow Wolf King's swollen hundred-and-fifty-foot frame. "Argh!" A bloodcurdling scream rang out instantly. Luo Chen paid it no heed, pouring all his concentration into the Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel; every single crescent wheel seemed directly controlled by his own hands. Even when the Snow Wolf King unleashed boundless demon qi to batter the wheels, he methodically maneuvered the other wheels to strike at more vulnerable parts of its body. The countless purple-gold wheels were intimately connected, shifting speeds between fast and slow with virtually no gaps between them. For many years, Luo Chen had known that he was best suited to wielding matched sets of magical instruments. Previously, he had been constrained by a lack of suitable weapons and insufficient spiritual sense and spiritual power, preventing him from utilizing such methods. Now that he had reached the Golden Core stage, possessing profound magical power and formidable divine sense, plus a matched magic treasure as exceptional as the Heavenly Moon Purple Gold Wheel—even among low-grade magic treasures—the moment this move was deployed, golden light filled the sky! It was like flaying flesh, like death by a thousand cuts. Amidst flying blood and flesh, screams erupted without pause. The Snow Wolf King could hold on no longer. It shrank its body, attempting to flee. Yet Diwu Qi and Jiang Yu gave it no opportunity. The wind bag unfurled once more, howling gales blocking its retreat. The Rain Calling Banner swayed between heaven and earth as torrential corrosive rain blanketed Snow Wolf Flat, making the wolf's shrieks even more agonizing. These wretched howls reverberated between heaven and earth. Hearing them, the countless demon wolves fighting to the death to protect their homeland saw their morale crumble. Meanwhile, the fighting spirit of the Luotian Alliance cultivators surged with even greater fury. The scales of victory had tipped! Finally! The flaying came to an end. With a beckoning wave from Luo Chen, all three hundred and sixty-five crescent wheels converged in unison. Clack! Clack! Clack! All the wheels gathered together into a single circular disc and landed in his hand. In midair, only a demon core with restrained demon qi hovered, spinning slowly. It seemed to retain residual energy and was about to shoot eastward. A towering great hand descended and seized the demon core firmly in its grasp. Seeing Luo Chen claim the demon core with the Innate One Qi Great Handprint, neither Diwu Qi nor Jiang Yu harbored any thoughts of contesting it. They both knew Luo Chen had contributed immensely to this battle. Moreover, Luo Chen was the Alliance Master; the finest spoils of war naturally belonged to him to distribute. Holding the demon core, Luo Chen gave them a bright smile. "This battle is won!" Diwu Qi nodded slightly. Indeed it was won, sparing him a trump card he had spent ages cultivating. Although his wind bag was damaged, he could find someone to repair it upon their return. His only real loss was that fine-quality magic treasure flying sword worth over a hundred thousand spirit stones. Compared to the Tier 3 spiritual vein territory about to fall into their hands, however, such a minor loss was completely negligible. Jiang Yu's aura was somewhat subdued. He hadn't lost anything besides expending a great deal of magical power, but having his lifebound magic treasure damaged pained him deeply. Who knew how much effort it would take to restore it to its former state. "Next, let's finish off those other two demon wolf kings!" Diwu Qi said. Luo Chen nodded, turning his gaze first toward Fu Jiusheng's direction. Upon seeing the situation, however, his expression instantly twisted into shock and fury. "Bastard!" Along with that exclamation, he threw out a colossal handprint with reckless abandon!