Slaying the Candlejackal Monster

The old jackal, emboldened, showed no mercy, pressing its attack step by step. Its claws swung like a windmill, accompanied by shrieks that tore through the air. It was a seasoned fighter, its offense relentless, forcing Wang Quan to dodge and weave. He could only rely on his spiritual sense, which predicted the monster's movements, and the steady footing provided by the Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength, along with his agile footwork, to barely hold on. In the blink of an eye, several more gashes appeared on his body. They weren't fatal, but they stung fiercely, and the blood stained his clothes an even deeper red.

In the small clearing before the cave entrance, one chased and one fled, the situation perilous. Wang Quan was completely on the defensive, only able to lash out occasionally with a surge of ferocity and his saber techniques, leaving faint white marks on the old jackal's hide, which was tougher than iron. These marks couldn't inflict any real damage. His breathing grew heavier, both his old chest wound and the new ones bled, draining his strength rapidly.

"Hahaha! Filthy blood food! Is this all you've got? Where's that ferocity you used to sneak attack me just now?"

The old jackal cackled, its attacks growing more savage. It had figured Wang Quan out: just an early-stage Spirit Awakening Realm blood food with nimble footwork and passable saber skills. He'd only managed to injure it through a sneak attack and trickery; it was no match for him. It even began to attack playfully, deliberately leaving shallow wounds on Wang Quan, savoring the thrill of its prey's struggle before death.

"When I'm done playing, I'll tear your limbs off one by one and chew them up right in front of you!"

Wang Quan remained silent, gritting his teeth and enduring. His gaze was still icy. He was waiting, waiting for the poison to take effect, waiting for an opportunity.

Indeed, after a few more breaths, one of the old jackal's swift claw strikes faltered for an imperceptible moment in both power and speed! It immediately sensed something was wrong, especially with the wound on its belly. A numbing itch was rapidly intensifying, spreading outwards, bringing waves of slight but increasingly noticeable weakness and dizziness! The flow of qi and blood within its body seemed to be disrupted!

"Something's wrong!"

The old jackal leaped back two steps. Its eerie, green, ghost-fire eyes, filled with shock and rage, fixed on the wound on its belly. It then snapped its head up, glaring at Wang Quan with an incredulous fury never heard before:

"You... you scoundrel! How dare you use poison on me?!"

The blood flowing from the wound was a darker red than normal, and its edges were beginning to turn purple and black!

Wang Quan seized the chance to gasp for air, propping himself up with his saber tip, steadying his wavering body. His face was smeared with his own blood and the enemy's, but his eyes shone with a terrifying light, and the corners of his mouth even curled into a cold, cruelly triumphant smile.

"Poison?"

He panted, his voice hoarse but clear:

"Old beast, don't try to pin your troubles on me. Where would a lowly blood food like me get poison potent enough to take down a 'big shot' like you?"

He paused, watching the old jackal's increasingly ugly expression, and continued slowly, each word like a poisoned needle:

"That poison... it was left for you by the Giant Spider in the cave. A little something that dripped from its wounds, tasted good, didn't it? It was thinking of you before it died, saying it was too lonely to go alone and wanted a familiar monster to keep it company on the road to the underworld."

"I'm just being kind, bringing you to see it one last time."

Wang Quan's smile widened, revealing blood-stained teeth:

"See? It misses you so much, it even prepared the 'farewell drink' for you in advance."

"You... what did you say?!"

The old jackal was struck as if by lightning. A colossal sense of absurdity and icy fear gripped its heart. The Giant Spider was dead? Killed by this blood food? The poison in that wound... was it from the Bone-Corroding Human-Faced Spider?! It suddenly looked at the dark, gaping cave entrance, then at the dull saber in Wang Quan's hand, stained with its blood and some other dark green ichor. A chilling thought, uncontrollable, surfaced.

"Impossible! By you?!"

It roared, trying to dispel the chill in its heart, but the numbness and weakness in its belly were rapidly becoming more pronounced, making it realize the other might be telling the truth! That filth really contained the Bone-Corroding Human-Faced Spider's poison! While not instantly fatal, it was enough to cripple its strength!

"I'll tear you apart!"

A mixture of shock and rage, fueled more by the fear of a sudden downfall and sheer fury, the old jackal charged again like a madman, ignoring the spreading poison! But this time, its movements were noticeably half a beat slower than before, and the force of its claws was diminished!

"It's about time!"

A fierce glint flashed in Wang Quan's eyes. He knew it was time to fight for his life! He stopped dodging and, with a low growl, charged forward instead of retreating! The qi and blood of the Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength surged within him. The wound on his chest, repeatedly torn open, sent waves of tearing pain, yet it seemed to ignite the ferocity in his bones!

The saber light flared again! No longer the fleeting phantom of evasion, nor the heavy chop that broke the wind, but a desperate, all-or-nothing, life-for-life ferocity! This move wasn't in the Wind Slaying Saber Technique; it was pure desperation, born from all his strength, his will, and his yearning to survive!

The old jackal's claws came down. Wang Quan didn't dodge. He merely shifted his body slightly, taking the blow head-on with his left shoulder!

Crack! A clear sound of bone breaking. Wang Quan's left shoulder instantly caved in. The intense pain made his vision black out, but he gritted his teeth, using the momentum of the claw strike to spin his body like a top. His right hand, holding the Blood Drinking Saber, channeled all his strength, weight, and the centrifugal force of his rotation, transforming into a dull but resolute arc of light. From bottom to top, it slashed fiercely towards the old jackal's exposed throat, a vital spot revealed by its lunge!

Trading injury for life!

The old jackal hadn't expected this blood food to be so ruthless, to take a claw strike with its body just to create an opening! Its previous momentum was spent, and its new strength hadn't yet gathered. Slowed by the poison, it could only barely twist its head and raise its other foreleg to block.

Squelch! A dull thud as the blade cut into flesh. The Blood Drinking Saber missed the throat but slammed hard into the old jackal's front leg joint, and its momentum carried through, slicing through the fur on the side of its neck, opening a deep, bone-deep gash! Dark red beast blood spurted out like a fountain!

"Aow--!"

A piercing, agonizing howl erupted from the old jackal's throat. Its remaining foreleg was nearly crippled, and the wound on its neck was almost fatal! Its sturdy body staggered backward from the intense pain and loss of balance, its eyes filled with horror, agony, and disbelief.

Wang Quan wasn't faring any better. His left shoulder bone was shattered, the pain excruciating, half his body numb. He was sent flying backward by the residual immense force of the old jackal's claw, crashing heavily onto the ground and coughing up a mouthful of blood. Yet, his right hand still clutched the Blood Drinking Saber tightly. The dark red aura on the blade seemed to have intensified, greedily absorbing the monster blood clinging to its edge.

He struggled, propping himself up with the saber, rising to one knee. He looked up at the staggering, bleeding old jackal, forcing a smile mixed with pain, triumph, and savagery, his teeth stained crimson by blood:

"Old beast... how's that 'farewell drink'?"

"Lord Giant Spider... is waiting for you below."

He panted, his voice hoarse but each word distinct:

"Don't rush... soon, I'll send your two little cubs down to join you. A whole family, all together... good company for the road."

"You... you..."

The old jackal pointed at Wang Quan, wanting to curse, but the wound on its neck and the poison coursing through its body froze it in place. Blood continuously flowed from between its claws and out of its mouth. The green glow in its eyes rapidly dimmed. Its sturdy body swayed and then crashed to the ground with a thud, its four legs twitching, emitting a leaking, gasping sound. It stared at Wang Quan, its eyes filled with immense hatred, but more so with a bewildered, dying incomprehension.

It could never have imagined that after years of dominating this mountain forest, it would ultimately die at the hands of a lowly blood tax civilian it considered an ant, a meal. It died so ignominiously, so... ridiculously.

Wang Quan watched until the light in its eyes completely extinguished and its sturdy body ceased to move. Only then did he release his tension, spitting out another mouthful of blood, his vision darkening. He forced himself not to faint, and a cold system prompt sounded in his mind:

Killed mid-stage Spirit Awakening Realm monster, Candlejackal Monster, gained 4 skill points, total 8 points.

Wang Quan dragged his body, which felt like it was about to fall apart, towards the riverbank, each step tearing at his wounds and causing them to ache excruciatingly. While keeping an eye on his surroundings, he also spared a glance at the interface in his mind.

He had 8 skill points left, and the plus sign next to Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength was lit.

"Add!" Wang Quan thought, and directly poured 5 points into it.

There was no earth-shattering commotion, just a warm, comforting current that suddenly exploded from his abdomen and shot through his entire body. Strangely, wherever this current passed, his burning wounds felt as if they had been soaked in cool water, providing considerable relief. Especially his sunken left shoulder blade, which made a few cracking sounds inside. Although he still couldn't exert much force, at least it could move now, no longer swaying like a kite with a broken string. His bones felt like they were generating power from within, and even his breathing became steadier.

Turtle Snake Coiling Dragon Strength: Minor Accomplishment.

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