Desperate Counter-Kill

The moment Lin Feng was locked onto by the Wolf Emperor's scarlet eyes, filled with endless brutality and killing intent, he felt the surrounding air solidify. A primal fear, born from instinct, drenched him like ice water!

The pressure from a Rank 2 Yao Beast was like a solid, heavy hammer smashing into his mind, causing his breath to hitch and his blood essence circulation to become sluggish!

Run!

Must run!

The thought arose instinctively. Resist? That would be suicide! The gap in their strength was a chasm!

"Lightning Flash!"

Lin Feng used almost all the strength he had, his blood essence surging madly within him at an unprecedented speed. The ground beneath his feet even cracked with a faint dust ring as he transformed into an arrow loosed from a bow, hurtling towards the more rugged and complex stone forest, in the opposite direction of Zhang Kuang and the others' escape route!

"Roar!!!"

Seeing the tiny human dare to flee, the Wolf Emperor let out an even more furious roar. Its four paws slammed into the ground, and its massive body displayed a terrifying speed completely disproportionate to its size. It was like a green lightning bolt flying close to the ground, tearing through the air with a sound that ripped at the eardrums, instantly closing half the distance!

A foul wind swept over him, and the scent of death clung tightly!

Lin Feng could even clearly smell the hot, blood-tinged breath emanating from the giant wolf's mouth behind him!

"Too fast!" Lin Feng's heart was horrified. He pushed "Lightning Flash" to its limit, his body weaving frantically between the jagged stone pillars, using the complex terrain to delay it slightly.

But the Wolf Emperor's strength and speed far exceeded his imagination. A swipe of its massive wolf claw easily shattered a stone pillar as thick as a man's embrace, as if it were made of tofu! Debris shot out, striking Lin Feng's back and causing waves of pain.

If this continued, he would be dead in less than ten seconds!

"System! Analyze! Analyze its weakness! Quickly!" Lin Feng screamed frantically in his mind as he fled for his life.

[Analyzing Target: Wind Shadow Wolf Emperor (Rank 2 Lower Tier). Consuming mental energy... Analyzing...]

[Warning: Target's energy level is too high, analysis speed greatly reduced!]

[Partial Information Analyzed: Weakness 1: Old injury on waist (three inches to the left of the rear waist, with obvious energy accumulation). Weakness 2: Low resistance to Pure Yang/Lightning attribute attacks. Weakness 3: In a berserk state, rationality decreases, easily provoked...]

Old injury on the waist! Low resistance to lightning!

These two pieces of information were like lighthouses in the darkness, allowing the almost despairing Lin Feng to see a glimmer of hope!

He bit down hard on his tongue. The intense pain stimulated him, and he squeezed out more mental energy, forcibly increasing the speed of "Lightning Flash" by another notch. He narrowly dodged a fatal pounce from the Wolf Emperor, its claw grazing his back, tearing his school uniform and leaving several bloody gashes.

I can't keep running anymore! I have to fight back! Use its weakness to create a sliver of a chance!

A ruthless glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes! He abruptly changed direction, no longer fleeing blindly but charging towards a relatively open area ahead and to the side, though the ground was covered in sharp debris.

At the same time, he unhesitatingly opened the jade box he was holding, took out a "Thunder Wolf Fruit," and stuffed it into his mouth without even looking!

The berry melted upon entering his mouth. A violent, pure, and tearing sensation of lightning energy surged into his limbs and bones like a broken dam!

"Ugh—!"

Lin Feng couldn't help but let out a low growl, feeling as if countless tiny electric snakes were tearing and burning his meridians and muscles. The pain was unbearable! But at the same time, an unprecedented sense of power erupted!

[Detected injection of pure lightning energy! Nine Heavens Thunder Blade (Preliminary) proficiency rapidly increasing! 15%... 20%... 25%!]

[Strength, Agility, Physique temporarily greatly increased!]

[Meridian clearing accelerated! Current meridian clearing: 25%!]

System notifications flashed by rapidly. The energy from the Thunder Wolf Fruit was far beyond his imagination. Although painful, it also brought a surge of power!

"Roar!" Seeing that Lin Feng had not only stolen its treasure but dared to consume it in front of it, the Wolf Emperor became even more enraged. Its massive body reared up on its hind legs, its forepaws descending towards Lin Feng with a force that could tear through anything! This strike was enough to flatten an armored vehicle!

Now!

Lightning flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. He didn't dodge. Instead, he poured all the violent lightning energy within him, along with his newly surged strength, into his right fist without reservation!

On the surface of his fist, dazzling arcs of electricity leaped wildly, emitting crackling explosions! A thunderous intent, far more pure and explosive than before, erupted!

He stomped his foot down, his body shooting upwards like a cannonball, meeting the descending wolf claw with a punch!

"Thunderclap Break · Full Power!!"

This punch was no longer a faint rumble of thunder, but the roar of true heavenly lightning! Blinding lightning instantly illuminated the dim basin!

"RUMBLE!!!"

Fist and claw collided again, but this time, an earth-shattering roar erupted! The violent energy shockwave spread out in a ring, literally shaving three inches off the surrounding ground!

"Aow—!!!"

The Wolf Emperor let out a howl of pain mixed with terror! Its indestructible claws felt a burning pain the moment they came into contact with the fist imbued with pure lightning power! What terrified it even more was that a bursting lightning force, ignoring the defense of its fur, had precisely targeted the old injury on its left rear waist, like a maggot clinging to the bone!

The old wound was instantly aggravated and torn! It was a hidden injury from years ago when it fought a stronger Yao Beast for territory, its greatest weakness!

Pain like a tidal wave drowned the Wolf Emperor's reason. Its movements became stiff and unbalanced for a moment.

As for Lin Feng, he was sent flying backward by the terrifying recoil force, like being hit by a high-speed train. He crashed heavily onto the sharp, rocky ground dozens of meters away, tumbling more than a dozen times before stopping.

He felt as if every bone in his body was shattered, his internal organs displaced. His right arm throbbed with a bone-deep pain, clearly fractured. If not for the Thunder Wolf Fruit's energy temporarily strengthening his body, this collision would have shattered him into pieces!

But he succeeded! He had seized that single chance of survival!

"Pfft!" Lin Feng coughed up another mouthful of clotted blood. He struggled to get up, only to find that although the Wolf Emperor was roaring in pain and its movements were sluggish due to the relapse of its old injury, its scarlet wolf eyes were still fixed on him, its killing intent undiminished.

It struggled, wanting to pounce again!

Lin Feng's heart sank to the bottom. He was at the end of his rope, barely able to move a finger.

Will I really die here?

At this critical moment—

"Buzz—!"

A long and clear bell chime echoed through the sky above the entire simulated wilderness area!

The assessment time was up!

Immediately following, a gentle but irresistible white light descended from the sky, enveloping all surviving examinees within the wilderness area.

This included the heavily injured Lin Feng, as well as the enraged and unwilling Wolf Emperor.

Spatial fluctuations transmitted, and Lin Feng's vision blurred. A sense of weightlessness washed over him. The next moment, he found himself back on the open square where he had first entered the wilderness area.

The surroundings instantly became incredibly noisy, filled with the gasps of survivors, cries, and cheers upon seeing the familiar environment.

"Assessment concluded! All examinees, rest in place and await point tally and ranking!" a broadcast announced.

Lin Feng collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. He looked up at the azure sky, feeling as if he had lived through an eternity. The two additional Thunder Wolf Fruits in his embrace, along with the left ear of the Wolf Emperor's guard, served as proof that the thrilling events he had just experienced were not an illusion.

He had survived!

Moreover, he had benefited from misfortune, and his strength had surged!

He struggled to turn his head, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Kuang and the others, who had also been teleported out and were in a sorry state, looking at him with terrified and resentful eyes. A cold yet weak smile curved his lips.

Upon meeting Lin Feng's gaze, Zhang Kuang flinched as if stung by a scorpion. He abruptly lowered his head, daring not to meet his eyes, his heart filled with fear and lingering dread. He knew clearly that from this day forward, he would never dare to provoke this monstrous young man again.

Liu Feifei also saw Lin Feng, covered in blood and collapsed on the ground, yet with eyes as sharp as knives. Her heart clenched fiercely, an indescribable bitterness and regret surging into her chest, almost causing her to lose her footing.

Instructor Li Zhenhai rushed over immediately, checking Lin Feng's injuries, his face filled with concern and shock.

"I'm fine, teacher, I won't die." Lin Feng smiled, pulling at his wounds and wincing in pain, but his eyes were terrifyingly bright.

He knew that after this battle, the hidden dragon would no longer be hidden.

The sky of Jiangnan City was about to change.