The Blade's Roar Like a Dragon, Sacrificial Strike!

Amid the mountain forest.

A bloody aura seemed to shroud this area by the small stream.

The thick stench of blood hung in the air, nauseating to the senses.

The ground was littered with severed limbs and corpses of wolves.

Torrents of blood had soaked the surrounding earth, with great streams of gore flowing down along the stream.

By now, few wolves still stood in the clearing.

"Grrrr..."

The remaining seven or eight wolves bared their fangs and growled low at Fang Hong.

Yet they circled without attacking.

Because they were afraid.

Their courage had been slaughtered cold!

Within the encirclement of these wolves, Fang Hong stood face-to-face with the half-meter-tall White Wolf King.

"Huff... huff..."

Fang Hong planted his blade and stood, his chest heaving as he gasped for air.

By now, Fang Hong had nearly become a man of blood.

His entire body was drenched in crimson.

Some of it was his own, but most came from the wolves.

Gashes from claws and bite wounds crisscrossed his body.

He was battered and bruised all over.

If the pack had encountered such prey in the past, they would have already charged madly.

But now, the murderous aura and dangerous presence radiating from Fang Hong, like a blood-soaked Asura, terrified the surrounding wolves into keeping their distance.

And though Fang Hong was badly wounded, the White Wolf King across from him was no better off.

Several massive wounds ran across its powerful wolf body, flesh split open and blood streaming freely.

Especially the blade wound on its head.

It cut from top to bottom, slashing across its entire face.

White bone showed on its skull, its left eye was burst, its nose split in two, and a gap two fingers wide had opened at the lower right of its wolfish maw.

The White Wolf King's eyes were now filled with brutality and rage.

Yet when it fixed its gaze on Fang Hong's blood-soaked figure, a flicker of fear still crept uncontrollably into the depths of its eyes.

It simply couldn't understand.

How could this upright ape before it be so terrifying?

Facing overwhelming odds, it had not only killed so many of its underlings but also inflicted such grievous wounds on it.

"Awooo!"

The White Wolf King licked the blood from its lips with its tongue and suddenly let out a howl.

The few remaining wolves, though still terrified of Fang Hong, obeyed their king's command and lunged again.

Clang!!

Fang Hong grinned savagely as he drew his blade. "What a beast!!"

Before the words had faded, he ignored the wolves charging at him from all sides and rushed straight at the White Wolf King.

The greatest threat to him now was this White Wolf King.

Kill it, and the remaining wolves would be no big problem.

"Roar!"

Seeing Fang Hong charging straight at it, the White Wolf King let out a low growl, then launched itself forward on all fours.

"Hah!!"

Midway through his charge, Fang Hong bellowed and stomped heavily.

Power rose from the ground, traveling up his thighs, through his waist, and gathering in his arm.

Blood qi surged within him, inner force raging.

He leaped into the air.

His right arm swelled instantly, muscles bulging and veins popping.

The surging inner force traveled through his arm into the blade.

Vroom—!

In that instant, the blade sang like a dragon!

The trembling saber body even blurred into afterimages.

The final strike of the Military Formation Saber Art.

Sacrificial Strike!

Abandon all defense, unleash the strongest blow!

"Die!!"

Fang Hong's eyes were bloodshot, his demeanor like a mad demon.

Shiiing!

With a sharp tearing sound, a brilliant flash of saber light streaked down from above, gone in an instant.

Pfft!!

A dull sound of flesh and blood splitting followed.

The White Wolf King, mid-leap, had its entire wolf head—and most of its body—

split clean in two beneath Fang Hong's dazzling strike.

Countless sprays of blood instantly turned into a torrential rain, wildly splashing and spattering onto Fang Hong and the surroundings.

With a heavy thud, Fang Hong crashed to the ground amidst the downpour of blood.

He whirled around sharply.

His blood-soaked, savage face and eyes brimming with murderous brutality fixed on the few remaining wild wolves.

"Whine..."

The moment those wolves met Fang Hong's gaze, thick with killing intent and cruelty, every hair on their bodies stood on end, and their tails instantly tucked between their legs.

Then, with terror filling their eyes, they let out low whimpers and slowly backed away.

Thump~

Seeing the surviving pack retreat, Fang Hong—who had been holding himself together—suddenly felt his knees go weak, nearly collapsing.

He barely caught himself in time, using his saber to prop up his body so he wouldn't fall.

This wolf pack attack was by far the greatest crisis he had faced since crossing over.

It wasn't just over twenty wolves.

But these wild beasts were cruel and bloodthirsty, and they obeyed the wolf king's commands.

They kept encircling him, unafraid of death.

Even though Fang Hong had reached Flesh Refinement Mastery and greatly increased his strength, he still couldn't guard his front and back at the same time.

After all, he only had two hands.

If the pack had been just a little larger, he might really have been worn down and killed alive.

Fortunately, his refusal to retreat an inch and his frenzied slaughter had intimidated the pack.

Coupled with killing the wolf king, he had successfully scared them off and made it through this crisis.

That was only possible because of him—and because he had reached Flesh Refinement Mastery, a major leap in strength.

If it had been anyone else, even if they had matched the wolves in number or outnumbered them, they would all have ended up as fresh meat for these wolves, a full feast.

Looking at the wolf corpses and blood scattered across the ground, a hint of weariness on Fang Hong's face gradually gave way to a smile.

Then the smile grew brighter, and finally, he burst into loud laughter.

"Hahaha!!!"

He laughed freely, wildly, joyfully!

He had done it!

The belief in pressing forward without hesitation took root in his heart, sprouting and rapidly growing strong!

But as he laughed, the adrenaline in his body began to fade.

The sharp pain from wounds all over his body

made him hiss and groan softly through clenched teeth.

After a moment, he looked at the wolf corpses on the ground, mustered what strength he had left, walked to the upstream of a small stream ahead, and washed the blood and dirt from his wounds.

Then, dragging his injured body, he headed toward the direction out of the mountains.

The purpose of this trip into the mountains had been achieved.

Flesh Refinement Mastery, a great leap in strength, bloodshed, and a newfound familiarity with life-and-death combat—all of it had completely reshaped his mindset.

Though Fang Hong's expression showed some fatigue, his eyes blazed with sharp, piercing light.

All the conditions were now in place.

Once he left the mountains and healed his wounds, the time would come.

Revenge!

Revenge!!

As for the wolf carcasses littering the ground, why not take them?

There was no need.

His money was still hidden in his enemy's home.

Once he had his revenge, that money would naturally return to his hands.