madnovel Chapter 40: Sweeping Away the Azure Wolf Mountain
Chapter 40: Sweeping Away the Azure Wolf Mountain
In the days that followed, Blackrock Town, like a giant slowly awakening from severe wounds, began a difficult but determined reconstruction.
The clanging and hammering echoed day and night at the breach in the town wall. Uncle Zhang was the busiest man, coordinating materials and manpower to dismantle the sturdy bricks and beams from the town hall and transport them to fill the gap. Under Su Qingyao's guidance, women and children brewed large quantities of herbal remedies to prevent disease and distributed them to everyone. The wounded slowly recovered with the herbs and rest, while the dead were properly buried on a sunny hillside outside the town, their graves without tombstones, only rough wooden plaques engraved with their names.
The Blackstone Guard's drills became the most vibrant sight in town every day.
Before dawn, the sound of synchronized breathing exercises echoed beneath the old locust tree—the practice of the "Qi and Blood Guiding Technique." Initially chaotic, it gradually gained rhythm. By sunrise, the gleam of swords flashed. Although Shi Hu was only one-armed, his understanding of swordsmanship was profound. His teaching was ruthlessly strict; a single incorrect strike would result in being punished by lifting stone weights for half an hour. Yet no one complained, for they could clearly feel the increasing heat within their bodies after each day's practice, their growing strength, and their increasingly steady sword strikes.
In the afternoon, it was Su Qingyao's turn to teach formations. From the simplest "Three Talents Formation" to the slightly more complex "Five Elements Rotation," she taught patiently, and the Black Stone Guards studied diligently. In the open space, groups of three or five men could often be seen shouting slogans, marching in specific steps, repeatedly charging, defending, and rotating. Sweat soaked through their simple clothes, leaving wet footprints on the ground.
Lin Yanze would enter Canglang Mountain alone every day.
His Profound Realm cultivation, combined with his Soul-Devouring Body's keen perception of demonic energy, made him like a seasoned hunter, tracking down the remaining demonic creatures in the vast mountains and forests. He wasn't in a hurry to succeed, but rather, like a comb, he started from the foot of the mountain, clearing away area by area.
The scattered demon wolves were the primary targets. These beasts, now without their wolf king and in a state of panic, mostly hid in secluded caves or dense forests. Lin Yan usually dealt with them with a single strike. A flash of gray-black blade light, and the wolf's head was severed. His Soul-Devouring Body activated, absorbing the wolf's remaining life essence and transforming it into nourishment to strengthen his own cultivation. When he encountered small groups, he used his newly comprehended, more refined movement techniques to maneuver around them and kill them one by one.
His fighting style became increasingly concise and ruthless in actual combat. With the enhancement of his Profound Realm liquid true essence, his [Swiftness] talent was amplified, making his figure as elusive as a ghost. His swordsmanship was also derived from the "Wind-Breaking Sword Technique," but all the frills were removed, leaving only the most direct slashing, cutting, parrying, and thrusting. Each strike pursued the fastest speed, the shortest path, and the greatest damage. The gray-black Devouring Spirit True Essence adhered to the blade, making it not only indestructible but also capable of eroding the life force within demonic beings.
Five days later, Lin Yan found the lair of the cave spider in a sheltered crevice in the mountain.
It was a damp cave hidden behind a waterfall, its entrance concealed by thick vines. Inside, spiderwebs crisscrossed the cave, with grayish-brown spiders ranging in size from millstones to washbasins clinging to them, their compound eyes gleaming with a greedy, eerie light in the darkness. The air was thick with a sweet, cloying stench of decaying corpses, and the floor was piled high with animal and human skeletons.
This was a silent massacre.
Lin Yan did not light a torch to disturb them. He closed his eyes and concentrated, and the powerful spiritual sense of a cultivator at the Profound Realm spread out like mercury, instantly "reflecting" the location, size, and even the strength of the demonic power of every demonic spider in the cave into his mind.
Then, he moved.
His figure, like a wisp of pale gray smoke, disappeared into the darkness of the cave. The blade's gleam was no longer dazzling, but rather as dark as the night, only emitting a fleeting, poignant burst of blood and a soft "plop" sound the instant it touched the spider's carapace. His movements were unpredictable and precise, always managing to slip through the gaps in the countless spider silks, appearing outside the spider's attack trajectory. His left hand would occasionally reach out, activating his Soul-Devouring Body, instantly draining the remaining demonic power of those spiders that had been slain or severely wounded.
There were no fierce roars, no earth-shattering battles. There was only the crisp sound of a blade slicing through a carapace, the rustling of the spider's limbs twitching before its death, and Lin Yan's steady, almost cold, breathing.
When he emerged from the other end of the cave, all behind him was deathly silent. All the demonic spiders, regardless of size, had been annihilated. Their corpses rapidly withered and decayed, as if they had endured thousands of years. Lin Yan's aura, however, grew increasingly profound, and the layer of gray-black energy around him subtly thickened. The demonic power that had devoured these venomous creatures, though not as pure and vast as the Wolf King's, still provided a unique kind of nourishment.
Seven days later, Lin Yan stepped into the wolf king's former lair—a huge cavern located deep within a karst cave.
The place was now completely empty, save for the pile of grayish-white bone dust left behind where the tiger demon had been slain, and the lingering stench of blood and oppressive aura in the air. Lin Yan carefully searched every corner, confirming that there were no more hidden monsters or dangerous traps. He stood before the bone altar for a long time, finally waving his hand to destroy it completely.
As he stood at the cave entrance, looking back at the lair that had once been the source of Blackrock Town's greatest nightmare, the setting sun painted the clouds a golden-red. A mountain wind swept across his forehead, ruffling his bangs and dispelling the last trace of the demonic stench from his nostrils.
Canglang Mountain is finally "clean" for the time being.
***
"We can go into the mountains now."
On the morning of the eighth day, Lin Yan announced this to the assembled Black Stone Guards and the many townspeople who had come upon hearing the news, under the old locust tree.
The crowd let out a low, barely suppressed cheer.
"But you must follow the rules." Lin Yan's voice cut through the noise. "First, no one may act alone; you must travel in groups of at least five, led by a member of the Black Stone Guard. Second, you may only move within the designated safe zones." He pointed to the simple mountain map that Shi Hu had hastily created overnight, on which several green areas were marked with charcoal. "These areas have been cleared by me and are relatively safe. The red areas are strictly off-limits; they may contain treacherous terrain or deep valleys and caves that have not been fully explored."
"Third, you must return before sunset. Fourth, all mountain produce obtained must be registered uniformly; 70% will go to the individual, and 30% will be put into the town's public treasury for use in relief efforts, repairs, and expenses for Heishiwei. Any objections?"
The group looked at each other and shook their heads. The rule was reasonable, even more lenient than they had expected.
"Since there are no objections," Lin Yan's gaze swept over the eager townspeople, finally settling on Shi Hu and the dozens of Black Stone Guards behind him who had undergone preliminary training and whose eyes were now completely different. "Shi Hu, you will arrange the manpower to lead the townspeople into the mountains in batches. The primary tasks are to familiarize themselves with the roads, identify medicinal herbs and mountain delicacies, and eliminate minor dangers along the route. Remember, safety first."
"Yes!" Shi Hu responded in a deep voice, waving his one arm forcefully. "Li Tie, Wang Dashan, Zhou Fu, Lu Ling! Each of you will lead a team of Black Stone Guards, along with twenty villagers. Head out to scout the area shown in the map today! Remember Lord Lin's words: keep your eyes wide open and your ears perked up. Better to return empty-handed than to advance rashly!"
"Yes!" The four men who were called out stepped forward with their heads held high. After these days of training and Lin Yan's personal guidance, they had become the best among the Black Stone Guards, and their demeanor had become much more composed.
Soon, the four teams assembled, carrying hemp ropes, hoes, baskets, and simple weapons. Amid the expectant gazes of many townspeople, they slowly walked out of the town gate and headed towards the misty Canglang Mountain.
Lin Yan did not follow. He needed to remain in the town to handle any unforeseen circumstances, while continuing to consolidate his cultivation and contemplate his next move.
Su Qingyao didn't go into the mountains either. She was busy preparing more medicine to prevent snakes and insects and to treat injuries, while continuing to refine the array formation teaching materials. However, her gaze would always unconsciously drift towards the mountains outside the town, her eyes filled with the same expectation as the townspeople.
The first group of people who went into the mountains returned in the afternoon.
The harvest far exceeded expectations.
Li Tie's team carried back two large baskets of perfectly preserved red sunflowers, along with a considerable amount of common herbs for stopping bleeding and healing wounds. They even unexpectedly discovered a small patch of wild chestnut trees and harvested many heavy chestnuts.
Wang Dashan's team found several old *Corrosion Grass* plants—a key ingredient in many antidotes, and quite valuable. They also hunted several plump pheasants and rabbits.
Although Zhou Fu and Lu Ling's team did not find anything particularly rare, they did collect a large amount of edible mushrooms and wild vegetables, and identified several water sources and relatively safe resting places.
More importantly, none of the four teams suffered any casualties. Only two people slipped and fell, sustaining minor abrasions, which were promptly treated by the accompanying Black Stone Guards.
When these mountain produce piled up like a small mountain under the old locust tree, the entire Blackstone Town was abuzz with excitement. Worry was replaced by joy, and despair was washed away by hope. People gathered around the medicinal herbs still carrying the fresh scent of earth, the mountain delicacies glistening with dew, and the plump wild game, discussing and laughing, their eyes sparkling with a long-lost light of normal life.
Uncle Zhang, along with several knowledgeable elderly people, carefully sorted and appraised the goods, then immediately distributed each person's share in the form of coarse grains or salt. Holding their substantial harvest, many people were so excited that their hands trembled.
Lin Yan felt somewhat relieved after witnessing all this. With this source of income, Blackstone Town would have the ability to generate its own revenue and would no longer have to rely on its existing resources.
In the days that followed, hunting in the mountains became a daily routine in Blackrock Town. The safe zone expanded with each exploration, and the spoils grew richer. Besides medicinal herbs and mountain delicacies, the Blackrock Guards, led by Stone Tiger, also began systematically hunting down lone, low-level monsters that roamed from deeper within the mountains, thus strengthening their ranks and obtaining pelts, claws, and other materials. Even the smoke from the town's chimneys seemed to carry a richer, more fragrant aroma.
The changes in Blackrock were even more pronounced.
The daily, unwavering training, coupled with Lin Yan's occasional personal guidance and sparring, allowed these men's strength to improve at a visible rate. Li Tie, Wang Dashan, Zhou Fu, and Lu Ling made the fastest progress, already faintly touching the threshold of the early stage of Body Tempering. Their every move exuded inner strength, their swordsmanship was skillful, and, more importantly, their use of the team's formations became increasingly seamless. Although Shi Hu's severed arm could not regenerate, under Lin Yan's continuous guidance and nourishment with true energy, his old injury gradually healed, his blood and qi circulated smoothly, and his cultivation steadily recovered. Wielding his sword with only one arm, its power was even more ruthless and cunning than when he used both hands.