"Shit! Run, everyone, the Night Wolves are here!"
"Damn it, why is it this kind of monster attacking us!?"
Many cultivators and human warriors who had come down from the Northern Corner hoping to make a profit were now running for their lives.
The monsters they encountered were nothing like what they expected. Night Wolves lived in packs, and their individual strength was incredible.
Not just anyone could face them, and the cultivators present were those who had failed to establish themselves in the cityâfar from the most skilled.
In one corner of the many houses, the sounds of howling and blades slicing through the air echoed.
A nearly one-meter-eighty woman held an axe, swinging it toward one of the Night Wolves.
Damn it, why did I have to run into a mid-tier Mortal rank one!? she cursed internally, resuming her fight with the wolf before her.
Even the strongest human warriors could barely face a mid-stage Qi Training cultivator.
The Axe Maiden had become famous early in her homeland; she reached the peak of human warrior strength before turning twenty and now struggled to tread the path of a cultivator.
Of course, she wasnât the only one to have reached this level in the Northern Cornerâthere were even cultivators at the mid-stage of Qi Training. But that night, the weakest attackers were at this level of power.
To distinguish the monsters' strength, the Mortal rank was equivalent to the human Qi Training stage, divided into low, mid, high, and peak tiers.
More than just the sounds of battle, curses and screams rose to the heavens constantly.
Where once they hoped to arrive before the supervisors, now many desperately pleaded for their arrival.
In the distance, a two-meter-tall wolf stood atop a rock, coldly watching the cluster of houses, its fur gleaming in the moonlight.
Beside it, five wolves of nearly the same height shockingly radiated the aura of high-tier Mortal-rank beastsâbut the most threatening presence still belonged to the pack leader.
Lifting its snout, it sniffed the air and looked in a specific direction. Its violent gaze had not changed from the beginning.
Howl!
At its command, the five wolves rose and charged toward the city. In that instant, a furious reprimand echoed from nowhere.
"Know your place, beast!"
As that voice rang out, a middle-aged man with a long, thin beard appeared.
His white robe gleamed under the starlight. He floated atop a sword, coldly eyeing the wolf.
He then glanced at the five wolves and frowned.
This attack formation was not normal; most assaults came from unintelligent animals, but this clearly wasnât one of those.
If not for the city, no one out here could stop this formation.
Even without the leader, there were still five high-tier Mortal-rank wolves. They couldnât have come here without reasonâwas it just to kill?
Lin Xiao pushed aside all unnecessary thoughts and slapped the pouch at his waist. A metallic-colored sword suddenly emerged, and in the next moment, it was in his hand.
In an instant, he leapt off the sword, which then continued its trajectory, heading straight for the wolf.
When attacked by a mere human, the pack leader howled, and its fur grew even darker. With a leap, it increased its speed and easily dodged the blade.
The sword, however, didnât touch the groundâit quickly changed direction.
Meanwhile, Lin Xiao chanted an incantation, and the spiritual energy around him grew increasingly dense until his voice was heard.
"Metal-Splitting Blade!!"
A golden light gathered around the sword in his hand, and the next moment, he struck downward, aiming precisely where the wolf had just appeared at incredible speed.
ZHU!! HOWL!!
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As the golden light reached him, the pack leader let out another howlâbut this time it was different.
The spiritual energy nearby trembled, and its dark fur began to shimmer faintly with cyan hues. Without hesitation, it charged toward the energy blade.
BOOM!! BOOM!!
The impact of their clash caused a massive explosion, with a shockwave spreading more than ten meters outward.
Lin Xiao watched the result, his eyes filled with grim seriousness. He muttered under his breath: âA spell...â
Monsters typically relied on their bodiesâespecially in their early stages. But this wolf was clearly no ordinary creature.
âWhen did something this powerful get so close to the city?â he thought, watching the aftermath of the battle settle. But before he could react, the pack leader leapt out of the flames.
The glow around its body boosted its speed to the extreme, and in a single instant, it was right in front of Lin Xiao.
"Wooden Circle!"
Seeing the wolf approach, Lin Xiao cast his most familiar spell.
Almost instantly, a small wooden ring three centimeters thick formed around him.
Without pause, the pack leader raised its heavy paw and struck in a simple, brutal manner.
BAM!! CRACK!!
Lin Xiao felt an overwhelming pressure the moment the wolf struck. Eyes wide in shock, he watched as his defense crackedâand then shattered. The splitting sound of the wood rang in his ears like a hammer on his heart.
Luckily, the impact threw him back, but his face paled as a trickle of blood ran from his mouth.
Lifting his head, he saw the wolf already preparing for the next attack.
Lin Xiao stared at it in disbelief. He was at the peak of Qi Training, yet had been under pressure from the start.
"A Near-Threat Rank... Damn it, looks like I kicked an iron plate tonight," he muttered, pulling out several talismans and preparing to hold it off until help arrived.
But at that moment, something changed.
HOWL!
A howl as loud as the leader's echoed from within the city, and Lin Xiao stared in even greater disbelief. Just from the sound alone, it was clear that both had the same strength.
But just as he thought the fight would be to the death, the lead wolf gave up on attacking and howled toward the sky as well.
Without delay, a large number of Night Wolves ran out from the cluster of houses and entered the forest.
Lin Xiao watched it all with a furrowed brow. He thought, Did they get what they wanted and just leave? The doubts in his eyes were clear as he looked off in a particular direction.
A she-wolf, unlike the others, had fur in a slightly purplish hue, with some darker streaks and lighter highlights.
She was accompanied by five high-level Night Wolves, and in her mouth, a small ball of fur looked around curiously. Its fur was dark, and its eyes were a deep, intense purple.
The little ball spotted the leader wolf and shrank back in fear, not daring to make a sound as it was carried by its mother.
âThunderous Howl Wolf...â he muttered, his pupils involuntarily contracting.
And no wonderâthis breed was imposing among beasts. Setting aside the leader, who used spells in a crude manner, the Night Wolf race was fairly ordinary.
But Thunderous Howl Wolvesâthey were something else entirely.
Having one appear so close was already unbelievable. Seeing this powerful breed, Lin Xiao had the feeling something bigger was going on...
Too bad his strength wasnât enough to unravel the greater secrets of the world.
He then fixed his gaze on the small ball of fur in the motherâs mouth. Observing the parents of that cub, he could feel the terrifying power that would one day come from such a cute creature.
With a determined look, he pulled out a talisman, as if preparing something.
Just as he seemed ready to act, he felt two gazes fall upon him. His blood ran cold, and his heart raced as he saw the two most powerful wolves staring at him with indifference.
The Thunderous Howl she-wolf looked away, and her fur shimmered with streaks of lightning running across her body.
In the next moment, she vanished at an inhuman speed. Seeing this, the rest of the Night Wolvesâincluding the leaderâalso disappeared.
Only the leaderâs speed came close to hers.
By the time Lin Xiao realized it, everything was already over. He couldnât help but feel a little lost.
If not for the flames and screams coming from the cluster of houses, he might have thought it had all been an illusion.
Letting out a heavy sigh, he said, âI have to report everything to the young lady. Looks like things around here are about to get complicated...â
Zhu!
The sword slid to his side, and with a leap, he soared toward the cluster of houses.
His work was far from over.
...
A house in the eastern corner had its candles extinguished, like the others, seemingly trying to go unnoticed amid the sudden chaos.
The east side had a few destroyed homesâit had been somewhat affected, much like the west.
The south, however, had taken the heaviest hit, while the north suffered the least damage, as it not only housed the strongest individuals but was also far enough removed.
Inside the house, a young man with closed eyes trembled occasionally, as if feeling an intense chill.
When he opened his eyes, he cast them forward, filled with conflicting emotions.
A short distance from him, a young woman stood with her back turned, gazing through a hole in the ceiling, as if admiring the bright moon in the sky. Her long white hair with silvery strands was beginning to return to its dominant black.
If her beautiful face were seen from the front, one would notice that one of her eyes seemed to have a moon imprinted on it; the silver hue was receding, returning to a brilliant black.
Zhang Chen stared at her, still dazedâthe image of Ma Jingâs death was still fresh in his mind.
He looked into her eyes and saw no emotion, only calm.
âLooks like we both have our secrets...â Shen Jie said suddenly, her voice calm, as if nothing had happened.
He looked at her upon hearing her voice. As soon as she stopped speaking, her hair fully returned to black, and the coldness around them lessened considerably.
However, in that moment, her body collapsed backward without warning.
With a swift motion, Zhang Chen stood and caught her in his arms. Now so close, he noticed how pale she was; her forehead glistened with sweat.
He quickly understood that Shen Jie was enduring, perhaps, the same pain he was.
Frowning, Zhang Chen began to feel guilty. But before he could act, Shen Jieâs whispering voice sounded, as if she were talking to herself.
âI broke the seal... Mother, what should I do...?â
Zhang Chen had to bring his ear close to her face to hear her clearly.
As he listened, he felt his hand being tightly held; the girlâs trembling grip revealed her vulnerability. Seeing a tear roll down her cheek, he clenched his teeth and murmured two words:
âIâm sorry...â
When the last strands of Shen Jieâs hair turned fully black, her cultivation stabilized at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Training.