Chapter 67

However, among these animals, there was one that was different. It was actually heading towards Ding Qi and soon entered his range of perception.

When Ding Qi noticed the pair of familiar green eyes, he smiled silently.

Soon after the appearance of this pair of green eyes, over a hundred pairs of green eyes appeared around Ding Qi.

These were clearly a pack of wolves.

The first wolf that appeared around Ding Qi was also the alpha of this wolf pack, the lone wolf that Ding Qi had encountered when he first entered Qixia Mountain.

However, now, this lone wolf had once again seized the position of alpha, becoming the leader of the wolf pack.

"It seems you've been doing quite well recently," Ding Qi said with a playful smile to the alpha wolf.

At this moment, the alpha wolf was no longer the emaciated creature Ding Qi had first seen. Now, its fur was glossy, its body robust, and its demeanor extremely majestic, truly befitting the leader of over a hundred wolves.

However, upon seeing Ding Qi, the alpha wolf ran to him as if flying, rubbing against his legs affectionately. In front of Ding Qi, it behaved like a large dog, showing no trace of its previous regal demeanor.

Ding Qi smiled and said with a sense of gratitude, "Thank you for your help back then."

Then, Ding Qi squatted down and affectionately stroked the alpha wolf's head. As Ding Qi did so, the alpha wolf immediately showed signs of great enjoyment, purring contentedly.

Ding Qi and the alpha wolf seemed to be extremely close.

The reason why Ding Qi was now so familiar with the alpha wolf was not without cause.

Not long after Ding Qi first met the alpha wolf, he encountered it again. At that time, the alpha wolf had come down the mountain to find food and inadvertently entered the outer perimeter of the medicinal garden, where Ding Qi encountered it again. After all, Ding Qi's medicinal garden was at the foot of Qixia Mountain, and it was indeed often approached by wild animals coming down from the mountain. The alpha wolf was in such a situation at that time.

In the following months, Ding Qi often saw the alpha wolf come down the mountain to find food. Since Ding Qi had once given it a wild boar, the alpha wolf did not avoid him. Over several months, the relationship between the man and the wolf gradually became closer.

During this period, Ding Qi would occasionally feed the alpha wolf some failed elixirs.

Although the elixirs Ding Qi fed to the alpha wolf were all failed products and had no effect on his cultivation, the raw materials used in their preparation were at least several decades old and very precious herbs.

These elixirs, though useless to Ding Qi, still contained significant residual medicinal power.

After consuming some of the failed elixirs Ding Qi gave it, the alpha wolf continuously benefited. Its skeleton was already stronger than that of ordinary mountain wolves, and after benefiting from the elixirs, its body gradually became even more powerful.

Thus, whenever Ding Qi failed to refine an elixir, he would use a special whistle he had made. Although it could not produce a real sound, it could transmit sound waves over great distances to summon the alpha wolf. Whenever this happened, the alpha wolf would rush over as quickly as possible.

During this period, the alpha wolf eventually became extremely close to Ding Qi.

Ultimately, after continuously consuming the elixirs Ding Qi fed it, it gradually became exceptionally strong and one day reclaimed its position as the alpha wolf.

Moreover, thanks to the alpha wolf, Ding Qi was able to escape from the strange realm half a year ago. The alpha wolf had saved Ding Qi's life at that time.

When Ding Qi was trapped in the forest half a year ago and could not find a way out, he had no choice but to try blowing the whistle in a last-ditch effort to see if he could summon the alpha wolf to help him escape from the strange realm.

Ding Qi did not have much hope for this desperate move, but it ultimately saved his life. The alpha wolf was actually within the range of the whistle's sound.

Upon hearing Ding Qi's whistle, the alpha wolf quickly came to his aid. Using the unique intuition of wild animals and Ding Qi's own efforts, Ding Qi finally escaped from the forest after being trapped for eight days and nights.

Thinking back to how the alpha wolf, despite being tormented by the numerous ghostly shadows in the strange realm and rolling on the ground, exhausted and convulsing, still stubbornly bit onto his trouser leg, trying to drag him out of the strange realm, Ding Qi's gaze towards the alpha wolf became even gentler.

Ding Qi and the alpha wolf, after this life-and-death experience, became even closer.

After that, whenever Ding Qi went up the mountain, although they could not communicate through language, they gradually became like old friends, which Ding Qi found quite intriguing.

Their relationship could be considered a form of life-and-death friendship.

Ding Qi also knew that their escape from the strange realm half a year ago, although related to the alpha wolf's keen intuition, was also due to a lot of luck and coincidence.

If they were to enter it again, they would likely be trapped forever and never escape. Therefore, until now, Ding Qi had only lingered at the edge of the forest and had not rashly entered it.

He needed to find another way to investigate this forest.

Ding Qi looked at the brocade floating beside him and then at the runes on the nearby boulder, his face showing deep thought: "If my guess is correct, and this forest is enveloped by an array. By destroying the runes on the boulder ahead, I should be able to destroy the strange realm in the forest, but... ."

Thinking this, Ding Qi urged the brocade to slash at the runes on the boulder ahead. However, when the brocade was an inch away from the runes, it was blocked by an invisible force and could not advance any further, unable to damage the runes.

Originally, with the terrifying power of the brocade in Ding Qi's hands, even the hardest rocks in the mountains could be sliced like tofu without any effort.

However, for the boulder not far away, which was inscribed with runes, he had no way to deal with it.

After realizing that the strange realm that had trapped him half a year ago was likely an array, Ding Qi had already tried this many times, but to no avail.

Ding Qi had also tried other methods to destroy the runes, but ultimately, they were all blocked by an unknown force.

Seeing that the brocade's attempt was once again blocked by the unknown force, Ding Qi could only sigh. Then, with a wave of his hand, the brocade transformed into a stream of light and entered his chest.

The alpha wolf, seeing Ding Qi put the brocade away, showed a slightly disappointed look and whined a couple of times, rubbing its head against him. It seemed to be trying to comfort him.

Ding Qi, amused by the alpha wolf's actions, patted its head and said, "Don't worry, we'll find a way eventually."