Fierce Battle with the Storm Wolf

The giant wolf before him was nearly two zhang long. Its blue and white fur shimmered in the setting sun, its sharp claws exuded a chilling glint, and its two massive fangs were terrifyingly ferocious. Its sturdy body seemed to contain boundless power.

What was even more surprising was that this beast was enveloped by a fierce gale. Any grass, leaves, or fallen branches that came into contact with it were instantly pulverized by this gale.

"It's a Storm Wolf. These beasts are incredibly powerful, already reaching the level of Demon Beasts. But why would one appear on the outskirts of the Black Dragon Mountain Range? Strange..."

The Storm Wolf in front of him bared its teeth and let out a low growl. Its wolf eyes were blood-red, and its body was hunched, as if it would pounce at any second. This made Li Mu frown.

The Immortal Realm is vast and boundless, filled with Heaven and Earth Yuan Qi. This benefits not only humans but also other birds and beasts. Over long ages, they have awakened their intelligence, inherited bloodline talents, absorbed the essence of the sun and moon, and through accumulation day after day, have ultimately cultivated immensely powerful strength.

These groups, distinct from ordinary beasts, are collectively known as Demon Beasts.

For ten thousand years, as the Immortal Cultivation system has continuously improved, human footprints have spread to every corner of the Immortal Realm. Powerful empires have been established, and magnificent cities have risen. Yet, even so, the areas where humans gather and live still only occupy thirty percent. The deep mountains, rivers, seas, deserts, and Gobi remain the kingdoms of Demon Beasts.

Demon Beasts are roughly divided into nine levels based on their strength. Level one Demon Beasts are equivalent to human Half-step Foundation Establishment cultivators. Level two is equivalent to Beginner and Great Accomplishment in the Foundation Establishment Realm. Level three can contend with cultivators at the Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Realm. And so on. Legend has it that level nine Demon Beasts even possess the strength of Ascension Realm experts. Once they reach this stage, they are no longer called beasts but Beast Gods.

Unlike the cultivation systems of humans, the strength of Demon Beasts can largely be passed down through their bloodlines. Coupled with the fact that beasts generally have longer lifespans than humans, millions of years of accumulation have made Demon Beasts a force that cannot be ignored in the Immortal Realm.

"Brother Mu, this Storm Wolf is so strong. Look how concentrated the storm element is on its body; I can feel it even from this far away."

Xiao Yu also arrived beside Li Mu with a few swift movements. The sudden attack by the demon beast had surprised her greatly. The team from Hundred Herbs Hall had found no traces of large beasts living in this area when they were gathering herbs before, let alone a demon beast.

"That's right. This Storm Wolf is definitely a very powerful existence among Level One Demon Beasts. Ordinary cultivators at Half-step Foundation Establishment are probably no match for it."

Li Mu stared intently at the Storm Wolf. This type of demon beast could control storm elements. This innate ability, inherited from their bloodline, often caught human cultivators of the same level off guard in battle.

The standoff between the two and the wolf quickly ended. The giant wolf suddenly let out a roar to the sky, then its hind legs exerted force instantly. It bared its extremely sharp claws and lunged at Li Mu and Xiao Yu.

Li Mu did not hesitate. The moment the Storm Wolf leaped, the Shadowless Sword was already drawn. A black flash cut through the air, and a stream of sword energy directly met the giant wolf's sharp claws.

"Xiao Yu, I'll block it head-on. You flank it from behind and seize an opportunity to strike."

The sword energy collided with the giant wolf in mid-air, emitting a loud bang. The Storm Wolf's body was forcibly stopped. Before Li Mu could even wait for the Storm Wolf to land, he stepped forward and thrust his long sword, aiming for the vital spot on the Storm Wolf's neck. At the same time, he did not forget to instruct Xiao Yu to circle around to the giant wolf's rear and be ready to deliver a fatal blow.

This sequence of events happened in the blink of an eye. Being able to make the most correct response at the instant an attack arrived, Li Mu's combat intelligence and strategic vision greatly impressed Xiao Yu.

The "startling swan sword strike," unavoidable. In Li Mu's view, this thrust would surely heavily injure the Storm Wolf. But things clearly did not go as smoothly as he had imagined. Just as the sword tip touched the Storm Wolf, a fierce gale suddenly rose from nowhere and heavily struck Li Mu's chest.

"Brother Mu! Beast, take this!"

Watching Li Mu being sent flying directly by this sudden strange wind, Xiao Yu could no longer stick to the original plan. The leather whip at her waist was instantly drawn, transforming into streaks of whip shadows in the air, forcing its way towards the Storm Wolf that intended to press its advantage. The whip, carrying bursts of sonic booms, was formidable. The Storm Wolf had no choice but to temporarily retreat.

"Damn it, I didn't expect to fall for this beast's trick. I still lack experience fighting powerful demon beasts. That last hit must have been its innate skill. Fortunately, I was wearing the Thorn Armor, which absorbed some of the damage. Otherwise, I'd probably have trouble standing up right now."

Li Mu spat out the blood in his mouth directly. He touched his chest and found no serious injuries. Enduring the pain, he quickly got up and joined Xiao Yu in the fight against the Storm Wolf.

"This beast's strength is too great. Its control over storm elements makes it faster than me, even when I'm using the Li Family Sword Style. It seems I'll have to rely on the Thorn Armor's active skill to win."

Li Mu clashed head-on with the Storm Wolf a few more times and found that his sword moves were completely ineffective against this demon beast. He immediately began to adjust his strategy.

"Xiao Yu, leave all the power attacks to me. Please try to resist its storm element attacks."

Li Mu blocked another claw strike from the Storm Wolf with his sword and shouted to Xiao Yu, who was constantly whipping in the distance. The Storm Wolf's attacks were becoming more ferocious, and he decided to stop delaying and go all out.

While Xiao Yu's long whip shattered the wind blades spat out by the Storm Wolf, Li Mu unleashed his Movement Technique to its fullest, instantly closing in beneath the giant wolf's belly. He swung his long sword, slashing at its soft underbelly.

The Shadowless Sword was indestructible, especially against the weakest part of this demon beast's defense. The glowing blade directly cut through the Storm Wolf's skin, sinking three feet deep. Blood immediately gushed out, splashing all over Li Mu.

The Storm Wolf cried out in pain and then furiously raised its right claw, slamming it directly onto Li Mu.

"Ancient Thorn Armor, activate."

As a mysterious crimson light flashed, the Storm Wolf's enraged strike was completely absorbed by the armor on Li Mu's body. However, the immense inertia still sent him crashing heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Dazed by the rebound force from the ground, Li Mu hadn't even managed to get up when the Storm Wolf's sharp claw struck again. Disregarding his appearance, Li Mu rolled like a lazy donkey, narrowly dodging the blow.

Unfortunately, the Storm Wolf in its rage was terrifying. As soon as Li Mu stood up, he saw the giant wolf's tail sweep towards him. Instinctively, he activated the Thorn Armor's skill, absorbing a large amount of damage, but the inertia still sent him flying backward again. He crashed through several thick poplar trees in mid-air before finally stopping.

Blood spurted from his mouth again, indicating a serious internal injury.

"Damn it, this beast has so much strength. If I take a few more hits, this recoil force will kill me."

With pain in its abdomen, the Storm Wolf had completely entered a frenzy. Terrifying energy gathered in its mouth, and it unleashed dozens of wind blades consecutively towards Li Mu, who was lying on the ground, intending to completely tear apart the human who had injured it.

"Hah!"

A petite figure flickered and landed in front of Li Mu. With a swing of her jade arm, her braided hair flew, blocking all the wind blades in the air.

However, her cultivation had not even reached Half-step Foundation Establishment. Continuous combat and full-power attacks had left Xiao Yu sweating profusely. Her delicate face had begun to look pale, and the Yuan Qi in her body was clearly running low. Her legs, which were supporting her, began to tremble slightly. But she did not retreat, and her long whip showed no signs of weakness.

"Brother wants me to block all the wind blades, so I must do it no matter what. Even if I die, I cannot give up!"

A silent roar echoed in the girl's heart. Her body seemed to regain some strength, and the power of her long whip increased. For a moment, the dense whip shadows protected Li Mu tightly.

Li Mu also knew that Xiao Yu had reached her limit, relying solely on willpower to sustain herself. He took a deep breath, pushed himself up with his hands on the ground, and with a sudden burst of power from his feet, he charged towards the Storm Wolf's claws like a phantom.

The terrifying fangs were right before his eyes. Li Mu could even see thick wolf saliva dripping from its gaping maw. Without the slightest hesitation, he thrust the Shadowless Sword forward, accompanied by the crimson light from the Thorn Armor being directly absorbed into the Shadowless Sword.

"Ancient Thorn Armor, Retaliation, activate!"

The giant wolf's fangs were just inches away. In the next second, they would pierce Li Mu's chest. This sword strike was a matter of life or death.

The Shadowless Sword, originally black all over, turned a vivid scarlet. The Thorn Armor injected the massive damage it had absorbed into the Shadowless Sword in a peculiar way. Such immense energy was incomparable to the battle with Nangong Qi before. The long sword let out a continuous hum, its blade trembling. The abundant red energy made it emit a dazzling sharpness that Li Mu had never seen before.

Red sword energy shot out from the sword, extending for over ten feet. It directly pierced into the Storm Wolf's mouth and exited from the back of its neck, completely impaling it.

At this moment, the wolf's fangs were only inches away from Li Mu, but they could not advance a single step further. Everything seemed to freeze at this instant.

The sword energy instantly took the life of this powerful demon beast. Its massive body crashed down, and along with it fell Li Mu, completely drained of strength. The final blow had completely exhausted all his energy.

A figure caught him steadily before Li Mu hit the ground. Lying in the girl's embrace, Li Mu finally breathed a sigh of relief. His consciousness began to blur, and an overwhelming drowsiness washed over him, his eyelids feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Brother Mu, don't scare Xiao Yu. You absolutely cannot be hurt!"

The girl's fragrance made Li Mu even more sleepy. Looking at Xiao Yu, who was already crying tears, Li Mu forced a smile, indicating that he was fine, and then his head lolled to the side, and he fainted.