Wilderness Crisis

Lin Feng reined in his presence and slipped like a ghost through the jagged rocks, swiftly approaching the area where fierce fighting and wolf howls rang out.

After crossing a rocky ridge, the sight before him made his pupils contract.

On a relatively open patch of gravel below, five figures were fiercely battling three Wind Shadow Wolves—beasts clearly larger than Ironhide Jackals, with blue-gray fur and movements as swift as the wind! Two examinees already lay on the ground, dead or alive unknown, along with the corpse of a Wind Shadow Wolf.

The five had a burly boy holding an alloy shield at the front, desperately holding back the pounces of two Wind Shadow Wolves. Deep claw marks covered his shield, sparks flying everywhere. Three others wielded blades and swords, continuously attacking from the flanks, but their weapons could only leave faint white marks on the Wind Shadow Wolves' tough pelts, unable to inflict fatal wounds.

Yet the one in the greatest danger was a nimble girl wielding a short spike. Alone, she was holding back an especially powerful Wind Shadow Wolf leader with a streak of white fur on its forehead! The leader was incredibly fast, and its claws tore through the air with shrill whistles, forcing the girl into one peril after another. Her left sleeve had already been ripped apart, leaving several bloody gashes, and her footwork was beginning to falter.

"That's Zhou Min from Second High School!" Lin Feng recognized the nimble girl. She was the "Phantom Steps" Zhou Min others had mentioned before. It seemed they had run into a small pack of Wind Shadow Wolves.

"Captain! I can't hold on much longer!" the burly shield-bearing boy roared. A fierce impact from a Wind Shadow Wolf sent him staggering back repeatedly, splitting the web of his hand as blood streamed down.

"Sister Zhou Min, watch out!" another girl cried out.

A crafty, vicious gleam flashed through the wolf leader's eyes. It feigned an attack at Zhou Min's front, only to twist its body bizarrely in midair. Its claws, carrying a savage gust of wind, swept viciously toward the opening in Zhou Min's back that she had exposed while dodging! If that claw landed, Zhou Min would be severely wounded even if she survived!

Zhou Min's face instantly turned deathly pale. Her old strength had run out before new strength could arise; she had no time to dodge at all! A flicker of despair flashed through her eyes.

At that hair's-breadth moment!

Screech—!

A figure shot in from the side and rear, as fast as lightning tearing through the night sky! It was Lin Feng!

Without hesitation, he used Thunder Flash, driving his speed to the utmost limit. Though he moved later, he arrived first, instantly cutting into the battle! At the instant the wolf leader's claw was about to touch Zhou Min's back, his fist, wrapped in a faint rumble of thunder, met that ferocious claw head-on!

Thunderclap Break!

Bang!!

Fist and claw collided with a muffled boom like a war drum! A powerful blast of air burst out from the point of impact, sweeping up the loose stones on the ground!

Awooo! The wolf leader let out a howl of pain and shock. Its claws, capable of tearing through steel, had been struck so hard by that punch that its bones seemed on the verge of shattering. Its massive body was forcibly knocked several steps back, its wolf eyes filled with disbelief.

Lin Feng also drifted back with the force, dispersing the impact. His arm went numb, and inwardly he was alarmed. What tremendous strength! This wolf leader has definitely reached the upper rank of Tier One!

Having escaped death, Zhou Min abruptly turned around. Seeing the tall, unfamiliar figure standing before her, her beautiful eyes were filled with shock and lingering fear. The other Second High School students were stunned as well. They had never expected someone to intervene at such a critical moment—and with such overwhelming strength!

"Thank you!" Zhou Min quickly suppressed her churning blood and qi. Holding her short spike across her chest, she stood shoulder to shoulder with Lin Feng, her voice cool yet sincere.

"Deal with them first." Lin Feng was concise, his gaze fixed on the wolf leader he had knocked back, which had grown even more enraged.

The wolf leader shook its agonizingly painful claw and stared fixedly at Lin Feng with its dark green eyes. With a low growl, the other two Wind Shadow Wolves immediately abandoned their attacks on the shield-bearing boy. Together with their leader, they formed a triangle around Lin Feng and Zhou Min, foul-smelling saliva dripping to the ground.

The pressure surged!

"I'll hold off the leader. You deal with the other two as quickly as possible!" Lin Feng barked at Zhou Min. Without waiting for a response, he shot forward once more and took the initiative to attack the wolf leader! He knew he had to end this quickly. Thunderclap Break consumed too much energy; dragging this out would be disadvantageous.

Thunder Flash closed the distance, and Thunderclap Break struck!

Having suffered once already, the wolf leader did not dare receive the attack head-on. It relied on its superior speed to evade while its claws and fangs continuously searched for openings in Lin Feng's defense. For a time, man and wolf fought speed with speed, their figures interweaving as fist winds and claw shadows whistled through the air, dazzling the eye.

On the other side, Zhou Min and the others were greatly invigorated with much of the pressure lifted.

"Brothers, give it everything! Don't let our friends from Third Middle School look down on us!" the shield-bearing boy roared, charging forward again. The other three Second High School examinees gritted their teeth and erupted with strength, unleashing their martial techniques at full force as they surrounded the two ordinary Wind Shadow Wolves.

Zhou Min unleashed her Phantom Steps, moving like a phantom. Her short spike targeted the Wind Shadow Wolves' vulnerable points—their eyes, throats, and more—and before long, she worked with her teammates to kill one of them.

Lin Feng's battle with the wolf leader, however, had reached a stalemate. The leader was too fast, and its fur too tough. His Thunderclap Break struggled to hit a vital point, while his own blood and qi were being rapidly depleted.

This won't work! Lin Feng's thoughts raced as his mental power concentrated to the extreme, tracking every trajectory of the wolf leader's pounces and evasions.

[Analysis function activated! Target: Wind Shadow Wolf leader's movement patterns and weaknesses in force generation!]

An invisible ripple spread out from Lin Feng. Under the perception of his powerful mental strength, the tremors of the wolf leader's muscles, the circulation of its breath, even the cunning gleam flickering in its wolf eyes, all became clear.

There's a subtle lag when its left foreleg lands... The muscles in its neck briefly tense after it pounces... It's going to make a feint in the east and strike in the west!

Just as the wolf leader once again pretended to pounce at Lin Feng head-on while secretly gathering strength in its hind legs, preparing to unleash that bizarre twisting pounce again—

Lin Feng moved!

Rather than retreating or blocking as before, he made a move that no one expected—he suddenly stepped forward, leaned his body sharply down, and almost slid across the ground! At the same time, his right fist gathered power as his blood and qi frantically stacked at an unprecedented speed. Faint, nearly imperceptible arcs of electricity even flickered across the surface of his fist!

Now!

As the wolf leader twisted in midair and swung its claws toward where it predicted Lin Feng would dodge, leaving its soft belly completely exposed below—

Lin Feng's fist, filled with the power of thunder, erupted from below like a true bolt of racing lightning!

Thunderclap Break: Rising Dragon!

Splat!

The punch slammed solidly into the Wind Shadow Wolf's relatively vulnerable belly! Violent thunderous force instantly penetrated its body and destroyed its internal organs!

Awoo—! The wolf leader released an incomparably shrill howl that cut off abruptly. Its huge body was sent flying upward by the punch, blood mixed with chunks of viscera spraying from its mouth. It crashed heavily to the ground, twitched twice, and fell silent.

At the same time, Zhou Min and the others joined forces to kill the final Wind Shadow Wolf.

The battle was over.

The gravel ground was a complete mess, thick with the stench of blood.

Several Second High School students collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. All of them were injured, and their gazes toward Lin Feng were filled with gratitude and awe. They knew very well that if this mysterious boy from Third Middle School had not suddenly appeared, they would likely have been wiped out here today.

Zhou Min walked up to Lin Feng. Looking at his upright figure, slightly out of breath with sweat beading on his forehead, she solemnly cupped her fist in salute. "Second High School, Zhou Min. Thank you for saving my life. May I ask your name?"

"Third Middle School, Lin Feng." Lin Feng nodded as he calmed his churning blood and qi. Repeatedly using Thunder Flash and Thunderclap Break at high intensity, especially that final strike combining analysis and explosive force, had drained him greatly.

"Lin Feng..." Zhou Min silently committed the name to memory, a strange light flickering in her beautiful eyes. She had noticed Lin Feng's performance during the Strength Test, but only now, having witnessed his combat firsthand, did she truly understand how powerful and terrifying he was. That final punch had clearly contained a trace of genuine thunder intent!

"These points..." Zhou Min looked at the wolf corpses on the ground, somewhat hesitant. By the rules, whoever made the kill claimed the points, but Lin Feng had saved them, and they were embarrassed to compete for them.

"The wolf leader is mine. The other two, along with the one from before, are yours." Lin Feng cleanly cut off the wolf leader's left ear, gaining 50 points. He was no saint; he would not be polite about what was his, but neither would he greedily take everything.

Hearing that, Zhou Min and the others breathed a sigh of relief, and their impression of Lin Feng improved by several degrees. Strong, measured, and not greedy.

"Brother Lin, great kindness needs no words of thanks. Deep in this Simulated Wilderness Zone, I heard there is a place called Wolf's Den, where Wind Shadow Wolves gather. There may be stronger beasts there, perhaps even rare medicinal herbs, but it is extremely dangerous. We aren't strong enough to join the excitement, so consider this information a small token of thanks." Zhou Min lowered her voice and shared an important piece of intelligence with Lin Feng.

Lin Feng's eyes shifted slightly, and he nodded. "Thank you."

He did not linger any longer. After giving Zhou Min and the others a nod, his figure flashed, disappearing into the rocks once more as he slipped toward the direction of Wolf's Den that Zhou Min had indicated.

Watching Lin Feng's disappearing back, the shield-bearing boy smacked his lips. "Since when did Third Middle School produce such a monster? He feels even more insane than Zhao Feng from First High School!"

Zhou Min's gaze was distant as she said softly, "A Hidden Dragon emerges from the abyss, and storms will rise. This martial arts exam is going to be interesting."

She vaguely felt that this boy named Lin Feng might stir up the winds and clouds of all Jiangnan City.