The trees swayed in the wind.
During the day, the Ice Moon Wolves would rest in cold, dark caves.
They would only emerge at night, absorbing the chilling essence of moonlight to cultivate.
They detested sunlight and high temperatures, and even their lairs were hidden deep underground.
However, this did not escape Li Qingyun's notice. Because plant roots spread across the earth, as long as the distance was not too great, Li Qingyun could sense the location of the Ice Moon Wolves' dens from the feedback provided by the plants.
The two of them crouched in the grass, staring at a giant withered tree ahead.
This withered tree was merely a disguise; it was hollow inside, with a hole leading to a subterranean cave.
An Ice Moon Wolf pack lived in that underground den.
Gan Cuicui held her breath and whispered, "What should I do?"
"Discard that sniper rifle. It will only be a burden to you in the upcoming battle."
Gan Cuicui obeyed and gently placed the gun on the ground.
Li Qingyun then pointed to the exit of the tree trunk and said, "Just remember to distract the tier one Ice Moon Wolves as much as possible. I will handle the rest."
There was no precise strategy, as Li Qingyun's understanding of the Ice Moon Wolves was limited to the introduction in Chu Yang's promotional video.
This also tested Gan Cuicui's adaptability. She could only grit her teeth and nod.
With that, Li Qingyun caressed a nearby tree and activated the "Qing Mu Jue" within his body.
Cultivating higher-level techniques of the same type was not about replacement but about superposition.
The "Wan Wu Qing Lian Jue" was a technique focused on offensive combat, and in some matters, it might not be as effective as the "Qing Mu Jue."
Influenced by Li Qingyun, the large tree trembled. Its branches grew even lusher, and its trunk thickened by a circumference.
But Li Qingyun's true target was the tree's root system.
The underground den also contained many intricate root systems, and the Ice Moon Wolves' lair could not completely evade these tree roots.
...
In the underground den, fourteen wolves with snow-white fur and crescent moon markings on their foreheads rested peacefully.
Suddenly, the surrounding cave walls and soil loosened.
The wolf king's ears twitched, and it instantly awoke, then surveyed its surroundings with a fierce gaze!
It suddenly had a bad feeling, as the cave began to shake.
Tree roots began to emerge from the surrounding walls and continued to grow.
All the Ice Moon Wolves were awakened, watching their surroundings vigilantly.
More and more roots emerged, growing larger, like a rigid spiderweb. If this continued, their escape route would likely be blocked!
"Awoooo~~~"
The wolf king howled and led its pack of cubs and descendants charging out.
The other wolves responded in unison: "Awoooo~~~"
Hearing the wolf pack's howls, Li Qingyun's gaze sharpened, while Gan Cuicui grew even more nervous.
A tier three demonic beast was equivalent to a cultivator in the Golden Core stage, yet Li Qingyun was only at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment...
Suddenly, the air temperature plummeted.
Frost spread across the ground as a majestic white giant wolf burst through the withered tree trunk, viciously lunging towards Li Qingyun and Gan Cuicui.
More Ice Moon Wolves jumped out from behind, with four of them emitting rather intimidating auras, while the rest were weaker.
Li Qingyun shouted, "Dodge!"
The two of them moved sideways simultaneously, Li Qingyun to the left and Gan Cuicui to the right. The Ice Moon Wolf King missed its target and then turned its attention back to Li Qingyun and Gan Cuicui.
It could naturally tell that Gan Cuicui was the easier target, but Li Qingyun was charging towards its pack.
"Awoooo!!"
The wolf king dared not let its pack be approached by this human. It roared and sprinted back.
It was commanding the smaller, tier one wolves to quickly disperse and flee.
These wolves were clearly venturing out in the daylight for the first time, their eyes squinted, highly unaccustomed to the glaring sunlight.
They were completely disoriented, crashing around in all directions, trying to escape.
However, at this moment, Li Qingyun slammed his hands onto the ground.
"I need your help!"
The phantom of an ancient tree materialized behind him. All the surrounding trees began to sway wildly, their long branches rapidly extending, forming a somewhat unstable but effective cage that intercepted the straying young wolves.
He didn't want to let any of them get away; this time, he intended to catch them all.
Li Qingyun's eyes were filled with murderous intent, and a verdant light flowed around his body.
He pinched the air with his hand, and a verdant lotus took shape in his palm.
"Qing Tian Yi Zhu Lian!"
He tossed this green lotus into the void, where it formed a massive green lotus flower.
Within a radius of several hundred meters, all the plants released their wood and grass essence, urging the lotus to bloom.
The Ice Moon Wolf King, a tier three demonic beast, possessed intelligence comparable to humans. It knew that if the green lotus in the sky were to bloom, the consequences would be unimaginable.
The only way to prevent this was to eliminate the human standing before it!
It roared, its wolf claws slamming fiercely onto the ground. Instantly, a burst of cold air erupted, and a thick layer of frost formed on the ground. Then, it charged towards Li Qingyun.
Li Qingyun, unafraid, stepped forward, and lotuses bloomed wherever his feet landed.
The other Ice Moon Wolves were not as powerful as their king. Facing the daylight they detested the most, they were like headless flies, crashing around aimlessly.
The few tier two Ice Moon Wolves wanted to help their king deal with Li Qingyun, but as soon as they approached, they were injured by the exploding green lotus.
Li Qingyun was indeed single-handedly tying up the wolf king and those tier two wolves.
Gan Cuicui knew she had to do something. The young wolves trying to climb over the branch cage were suddenly blocked by an ice wall.
This was released by Gan Cuicui, who cultivated the "Bing Xin Jue," an ice-attribute technique.
"Awoooo!!"
The young Ice Moon Wolves crashing into the ice wall became even more dazed. Gan Cuicui, gripping a spear formed from solidified ice, her face hardened with resolve, charged forward and fiercely pierced the wolf.
With a scream, she finally achieved her first kill in the Demonic Spirit Realm.
Seeing Gan Cuicui fighting normally, Li Qingyun breathed a sigh of relief.
He had been worried about having to manage both sides, which could easily lead to trouble.
His fists, enveloped in green spiritual energy, clashed head-on with the wolf king.
However, he was at a slight disadvantage in terms of raw strength.
But it didn't matter; he only needed to wait for the green lotus above to bloom, and he would win.
For a time, wolf howls echoed continuously. Nearby trial participants and demonic beasts heard the commotion and kept their distance.
As for the slowly blooming green lotus, the trial participants and demonic beasts had no idea what it was, only that it was emitting increasingly powerful fluctuations.
Anything unknown was best avoided from afar.