Awooo—
A shrill, heart-rending howl rang out from the Fire Wolf Lair.
The Fire Wolves hunting the Flame Mercenary Group outside seemed to be drawn by the sound.
Amid the Fire Wolf Pack, one exceptionally large Fire Wolf immediately turned toward the Fire Wolf Lair.
It was not only larger than an ordinary Fire Wolf; its fur was as crimson as flame.
To the naked eye, the air around it seemed to shimmer and distort.
It was as if the fiery fur covering its body were wreathed in terrifying flames, warping the air with their heat.
This Fire Wolf, towering above the rest, was none other than the Fire Wolf King, born of a Bloodline Mutation.
It was the king of the Fire Wolf clan.
When its territory was invaded, it had to appear and kill the intruders.
So even though giving birth had left it somewhat weak, it had still led the pack into battle.
But when it heard the agonized howl from the Fire Wolf Lair, it knew something had gone wrong.
"Awooo!"
A low howl came from the Fire Wolf King, and the wolves that had been attacking turned and headed for the lair.
Just then, the invaders, who had been hunkering down until now, abruptly changed tactics and tried to hold the Fire Wolves back.
Several wolves were badly wounded in the sudden reversal.
Magical Beasts were cunning and had strange ways of attacking.
But when it came to real cunning, these low-tier beasts, whose intelligence had yet to mature, were nowhere near a match for humans.
With the Fire Wolf Lair breached, the Fire Wolf King wanted to lead the pack back to help.
In trying to save one thing, it neglected another and lost several wolves.
But even when the Fire Wolf King realized this, it had no intention of changing its decision.
As the Fire Wolves headed toward the lair, the members of the Flame Mercenary Group grew tense.
They could not possibly hold back the entire Fire Wolf Pack by themselves.
All they could do was wait where they were and hope for good news.
The ones who had entered the Fire Wolf Lair were the captains of two Mercenary Groups.
Each had brought an elite squad.
If the Fire Wolf King had been alone, the two groups had the strength to surround and kill it.
But reality offered no such convenient "if." The Fire Wolf King would never abandon its loyal pack.
As everyone waited in dread, human figures finally appeared at the entrance to the Fire Wolf Lair.
They had made it out just before the Fire Wolves could surround them!
Huo Lie and Mu She exchanged a glance. Each was holding a Fire Wolf King Cub.
They understood one another at once: split up and run!
Both cubs belonged to the Fire Wolf King.
That meant the king would hate them equally.
The Fire Wolf Pack was only so large.
If they split up and the king pursued them separately, the pressure on each of them would lessen.
Even if the king chose to pursue one of them with everything it had, the other would still have a fifty percent chance of escaping.
Neither of them thought he would be the unlucky one.
In an instant, they led their respective teams and charged for the edge of the pack.
Perhaps because he was nervous, Mu She accidentally tightened his grip, making the cub let out a sharp, childish howl.
Mu She's heart tightened at the sound.
Sure enough, the next moment, a low howl rang out.
The wolves, who had been somewhat scattered, immediately converged on him!
Mu She gritted his teeth and looked toward the crowd from the Flame Mercenary Group.
A vicious glint flashed in his eyes. He changed direction and headed straight for them.
The same trick as when they had encountered a bear in the wilderness worked just as well for Mu She.
He did not need the others to hold back the Fire Wolf Pack for him.
He only needed them to be of some use and take a little of the pressure off him.
With his strength as a Dou Master, escaping the Fire Wolf Pack would then be easy!
The Flame Mercenary Group had already prepared to retreat after Huo Lie and Mu She left the lair.
The Wang Wu controlled by Lin Ze was among them.
He held a Broad-Backed Saber and put on a panicked expression.
One of the retreating men glanced behind them and was immediately seized with terror.
"That damned Mu She! He's leading the pack straight toward us!"
A sharp shout rang out, and the whole group erupted in an uproar.
Some refused to believe it and looked back.
But what they saw filled them with despair: Mu She had one arm wrapped around a Fire Wolf King Cub and was swinging his weapon with the other as he fought his way through the pack toward them!
Lin Ze's eyes lit up slightly. His thoughts raced, and he quickly made up his mind.
He had been in the middle of the group, neither at the front nor the back, so he could react quickly to anything that happened.
Now he deliberately slowed down, gradually falling behind until he was at the very rear.
Ahead of him, the Flame Mercenary Group was fleeing in panic. Behind him, Mu She was being chased by the pack.
As Mu She drew closer, Lin Ze suddenly raised his saber, turned toward the rear, and shouted,
"Captain Mu She, run! I'll hold them off!"
"I know I'm weak and can't hold them for long. I only ask that, when you get back, you give my family some compensation!"
Lin Ze's shout made Mu She look up at him.
From what he could sense, the man before him had no trace of Dou Qi, even in the middle of danger. He was clearly nothing more than an ordinary person.
An ordinary person had little chance of surviving a calamity like this.
Rather than die pointlessly among the wolves, he could do Mu She a favor and earn some compensation for his family.
That was what Mu She thought.
He sneered inwardly. He was more than happy to see someone willing to bring up the rear for him.
As for compensation, what did he care? This man was with the Flame Mercenary Group!
"Good! I'll make sure your family is well compensated!"
Mu She shouted as he headed toward Lin Ze, hoping to draw more Fire Wolves to him.
If Mu She had looked toward the Flame Mercenary Group again, he would have seen many people turning around in surprise.
They all knew Wang Wu's circumstances.
The same question arose in their minds.
Wasn't Wang Wu an orphan with no parents, wife, or children?
Where had this family suddenly come from? And why was he sacrificing himself for them, just so Mu She would give them a little more compensation?
But with the Fire Wolf Pack chasing them, they had no time to think about it. They wished they had two extra legs so they could run faster.
Whether Wang Wu had a family or not was none of their concern!
Just as Mu She drew near and was about to pass Lin Ze—
Proxy State!
Wind Splitting Blade! Great Accomplishment!
With all the power of the Proxy State behind it, Lin Ze unleashed the Wind Splitting Blade!
With a Dou Master beside him and Fire Wolves hot on his heels, Lin Ze fearlessly struck with this fatal slash!
Before you continue