Zhao Wuji continued northeast through the Sunset Forest's transition zone, with Xiao Qing and Oscar.
As they ventured deeper, signs of human activity dwindled, and the trees grew taller and denser.
"Gale War Wolves are pack Soul Beasts with fixed ranges and a strong sense of territory."
As he walked, Zhao Wuji quietly passed on his experience to the two behind him. "To find them, start by looking for the marks they leave behind."
"Also, watch for the remains of other Soul Beasts. Gale War Wolves like to hunt by slicing their prey with wind blades, leaving very clean cuts. If you find a carcass like that, there's often a den nearby."
Xiao Qing listened carefully, doing his best to remember every detail Zhao Wuji mentioned. Oscar also tried to commit it all to memory. These tracking skills would be just as valuable in his future life as a Soul Master.
On the evening of the third day, Zhao Wuji stopped in a hilly area thick with low shrubs and tumbleweeds.
He brushed aside a clump of weeds at the base of a shrub, revealing several large animal bones beneath. They had been gnawed completely clean, and their ends were smooth.
"Look here. This is a typical Gale War Wolf 'dinner table.' Their den should be somewhere nearby, either on these slopes or in a rocky cave."
Having said that, Zhao Wuji turned to Xiao Qing, his expression serious. "Are you sure you want to challenge the Wolf King directly?"
"Based on the clues we've found, the Gale Wolf King is over 1,600 years old. Add its pack to the mix, and even a Soul Ancestor would have a hard time dealing with them."
"I'll be watching, but once the fight begins, things can change in an instant."
"I'm sure."
Xiao Qing's answer was brief and firm.
"Good." Zhao Wuji said no more and turned to Oscar. "Stay here. Find somewhere concealed and hide. Whatever happens, don't come out."
"If another Soul Beast is drawn here, use your signal flare, then use your Mushroom Sausage to protect yourself and wait for me to return."
Oscar nodded quickly, rubbed a salve that masked his scent over his body, and hurried behind a massive boulder.
Zhao Wuji gestured to Xiao Qing. They moved toward the rocky slope one behind the other, silent as shadows.
About a hundred meters from the bottom of the slope, they stopped. They could already hear the low howls coming from above, along with the playful sounds of young wolves.
Zhao Wuji made no attempt to conceal himself. Instead, he stepped forward and released the aura of a Soul Saint without restraint. Like a boulder dropped into a still lake, it shattered the quiet of the hills in an instant.
A commotion immediately broke out above them. The howls grew urgent, filled with warning.
Next, more than a dozen agile, blue-gray figures appeared from behind the rocks and at the mouth of a cave. They crouched low, throats rumbling with threatening growls.
The Gale War Wolves that leaped out were a size larger than ordinary wolves, with blue-gray fur, sharp claws, and savage glints in their eyes.
Clearly well-trained, the Gale War Wolves quickly spread out into a loose semicircle, quietly hemming in Zhao Wuji and Xiao Qing.
Behind the pack, a particularly imposing figure slowly rose atop a huge outcropping.
It was the Wolf King.
It was nearly half again as large as an ordinary Gale War Wolf, its shoulders almost as high as an adult man's waist.
The Wolf King howled, and the wolves around them immediately stopped growling. But they didn't withdraw; they held their attack formation.
It had recognized Zhao Wuji's strength, but as their king, it had to step forward.
Xiao Qing took a step forward and stood beside Zhao Wuji, calmly meeting the Wolf King's gaze.
With his arms folded, Zhao Wuji stepped aside. He wasn't the star of the fight to come.
The Wolf King's gaze shifted from Zhao Wuji to Xiao Qing. A flicker of humanlike confusion and scrutiny crossed its eyes.
At a thought from Xiao Qing, Xiao Feng and A'Man appeared beside him.
The moment Xiao Feng appeared, he fixed his gaze on the Wolf King and let out a low growl. A'Man rumbled, his massive body lowering slightly as he took up a defensive position in front of Xiao Qing's flank.
There was no need for a lengthy standoff. Xiao Feng moved at once, using Wind Shadow to create a Phantom Shadow. He circled at tremendous speed, trying to throw off the Wolf King's judgment.
A fierce glint flashed in the Wolf King's eyes. It didn't dodge or retreat. Blue light surged over its body, and it lunged at Xiao Feng and his Phantom Shadow, a gust of wind energy wrapped around its claws.
At that instant, A'Man, who had been waiting for the right moment, moved.
Rather than taking advantage of the Wolf King's attack, he anticipated where it would land and formed an Earth Armor in advance, blocking its assault.
Bang! The Wolf King's claws slammed into A'Man's thick shoulder armor with a heavy thud. A'Man shuddered under the impact but held his ground without taking a single step back.
The moment the Wolf King's attack was blocked, its momentum spent and its next move not yet formed, Xiao Feng appeared at its side like a Phantom Shadow, aiming straight for the relatively soft flesh of its waist and belly.
The Wolf King reacted with astonishing speed. It twisted its body in an almost impossible way, narrowly dodging a vital spot, but Xiao Feng's claws still tore open a gash along its ribs.
With a long howl, it conjured several wind blades from thin air and sent them sweeping toward Xiao Feng and A'Man in a fan-shaped barrage.
Xiao Feng dodged nimbly, making full use of his speed. A'Man took several wind blades head-on. They left a few white marks across his body, but failed to break through his defenses.
The longer the fight went on, the more alarmed the Wolf King became.
The Iron Armor Bear's defense was astonishing. It was like an iron lump that couldn't be moved. The Wind Shadow Wolf was incredibly fast and attacked from cunning angles, targeting openings in its defense and the split second between one attack and the next.
What frustrated it most was that every time it tried to unleash a powerful Soul Skill and take one of them out first, the other would interfere or block at exactly the right moment.
Its wind blades had little effect on the Iron Armor Bear, leaving no more than a white mark. And it couldn't match the Wind Shadow Wolf's speed, only watch as the wolf darted about before its eyes.
The fight lasted less than ten minutes.
The Wolf King had already sustained more than a dozen wounds. None were deep, but together they were beginning to slow its movements.
While the Wolf King was caught off guard, A'Man launched a sudden attack to disrupt it. Xiao Feng seized the opening and raked his claws across a joint in one of the Wolf King's forelegs.
The Wolf King let out a pained howl and staggered.
A'Man seized the chance. His massive body slammed into the Wolf King's side, sending it tumbling away. It struggled several times but couldn't get back up at once.
The outcome was decided.
The pack around them stirred uneasily, growling low, but when Zhao Wuji's cold gaze swept over them, not one dared step forward.
Xiao Qing walked up, with Xiao Feng close behind. A'Man faithfully stayed at his other side, shielding him.
Looking at the Wolf King lying on the ground, Xiao Qing didn't order a finishing blow, nor did he have Xiao Feng or A'Man knock it unconscious.
Xiao Qing gave Xiao Feng a gesture. Xiao Feng stepped forward and stood before the Wolf King, attempting to communicate with it.
The Wolf King managed to raise its head and look at Xiao Feng, its eyes full of even greater confusion.
It understood the general meaning Xiao Feng conveyed: this human needed one drop of its blood essence for some kind of ritual. In return, he would agree to grant it one reasonable request.
The Wolf King fell silent.
It looked at Xiao Feng, then at Xiao Qing standing quietly not far away, then at Zhao Wuji, who radiated a terrifying aura.
After a long while, the Wolf King let out a low, weary howl.
"It says it's willing to give a drop of its blood essence. But it has one request."
"A few months ago, a 2,800-year-old Earth Armor Dragon Lizard took over their river valley and drove them out. Their current territory is too small, and there isn't enough food, so fewer of their young are surviving."
"It hopes we can help drive away or kill the Earth Armor Dragon Lizard and take back their old valley."
After hearing Xiao Feng's words, Xiao Qing nodded without hesitation.
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