Qingling Mountain Under Attack

Elsewhere, in the Qingling Mountains.

Zhou Qi added a few dead branches to the fire, leaned against a rocky hill, and prepared to sleep.

After Foundation Establishment, although his body had been greatly strengthened, he was still flesh and blood in the end.

He still had to eat when it was time to eat, and sleep when it was time to sleep.

The fire crackled, casting shifting shadows across his face.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhou Qi suddenly opened his eyes.

A chill rose up his spine.

Someone had their eye on him.

The spiritual senses of a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator were astonishingly sharp. That feeling of being watched was like a fine needle pricking the back of his head.

He did not move, merely reaching slowly toward the Cold-Iron Saber at his waist.

Was it Jin Tie?

Or one of his men?

Just then, a commotion came from nearby.

The horse tethered to the Qingling Tree suddenly became agitated. Its forehooves pawed at the ground as it desperately tugged at the reins, letting out frightened whinnies.

Zhou Qi sprang to his feet, and the Cold-Iron Saber instantly left its sheath.

His spiritual sense spread outward, and the surroundings clearly entered his mind:

Wolves!

Black ones, gray ones, and several pure white ones were closing in from every direction, densely packed.

A rough count put them at no fewer than a hundred.

They moved without a sound, stepping over fallen leaves and crouching behind shrubs. Pairs of ghostly green eyes gradually emerged from the darkness.

Instead, Zhou Qi heaved a sigh of relief.

As long as it was not Jin Tie.

Zhou Qi drew his saber and stood ready, his aura erupting around him.

The pressure of Foundation Establishment, Second Layer, spread madly outward from him like the collapse of a mountain.

The gravel on the ground was shaken flying in all directions, while the flames of the campfire were pressed almost flat against the earth.

The wolf pack stirred restlessly.

The giant wolves at the front lowered themselves, letting out mournful whines. They did not even dare raise their heads to look at him.

The pressure of the Foundation Establishment Realm was a dimensional strike against ordinary beasts.

Zhou Qi felt somewhat reassured and was just about to drive the wolves away.

"Awoo—"

A long wolf howl sounded from deep within the Forest.

The howl was immensely penetrating, echoing through the night sky with an eerie force of intimidation.

Upon hearing it, the wolf pack seemed to have been injected with chicken blood. The fear in their eyes instantly vanished, replaced by crazed ferocity.

"Awoo—"

Several more long howls answered in response.

The next moment, more than a hundred wolves pounced at once.

Zhou Qi's expression changed. Without time to think, he unleashed Gale Step at full force, flashing into the wolf pack.

Saber light flashed.

Sky-Splitting Blade, First Form.

A snow-bright arc of saber light cut through the night. The four or five wolves charging at the front were sliced cleanly apart, blood spraying as their entrails spilled across the ground.

But the pack did not retreat.

They stepped over the corpses of their own kind and lunged forward one after another.

Zhou Qi cut down one with every stroke, wolf corpses flying everywhere his saber light passed.

But there were too many wolves. Dark shadows lunged at him from all sides.

Suddenly, he heard a shrill neigh.

The horse!

Zhou Qi whipped around and saw that several wolves had somehow gone around him and reached the Qingling Tree.

Their target had never been him!

"Beasts!"

Enraged, Zhou Qi swept aside several pouncing wolves with one slash and retreated explosively.

But he was too late.

Those wolves moved with incredible speed. One bit down on the horse's leg, while several others clamped onto its neck.

"Neigh—"

The fine horse let out a miserable cry. Its huge body crashed to the ground as several wolves dragged it toward the depths of the Forest.

Zhou Qi flew into a rage. Pushing Gale Step to its utmost limit, he reached the horse in an instant.

Sky-Splitting Blade, Second Form, Mountain-Breaker.

The saber light swept across. Three wolves were cut in half at the waist, their blood spraying all over him.

But two wolves still held fast to the horse's neck.

Zhou Qi cut them down one by one, slicing them into two pieces.

He crouched to inspect the horse's wounds.

Its left hind leg had been bitten off, white bone protruding from the wound.

A massive gash had been torn open in its neck, blood gushing out in an unstoppable stream.

The horse looked at him, letting out weak whinnies as all four legs twitched.

It was beyond saving.

Zhou Qi fell silent for a moment, then drove his saber into the horse's heart.

The horse's body convulsed a few times before finally growing still.

Zhou Qi stood and turned to look at the wolves.

The pack had surrounded him again, but they did not dare come too close. They prowled three or four zhang away, pairs of ghostly green eyes fixed upon him.

"Awoo—"

That howl rang out again, as though urging them on.

The wolves stirred. A few bolder ones tentatively took several steps forward, but when they saw the blood dripping from Zhou Qi's saber, they retreated again.

Zhou Qi looked deep into the Forest, killing intent overflowing from his eyes.

"Calling?"

He enunciated every word. "Call your granny's damn leg!!"

The moment his words fell, he unleashed Gale Step at full force.

His figure became an afterimage weaving through the wolf pack.

Several wolves in front had not even reacted before the figure before them vanished.

Sky-Splitting Blade, Third Form, Heaven-Shaking.

With one slash, saber qi burst outward three zhang. Dozens of wolves in a row before him were severed cleanly apart.

Severed limbs flew everywhere, blood falling like rain.

The wolf pack descended into complete chaos.

They scattered in terror. Some even collided with each other and tumbled into a heap.

Zhou Qi ignored them.

Without slowing, he charged straight into the depths of the Forest.

Toward the source of that howl.

He wanted to see exactly what was commanding these beasts.

The Forest grew denser, and the trees thicker.

Zhou Qi moved through the woods with his spiritual sense fully unleashed, tracking that aura.

Before long, beneath an ancient tree so thick it would take three people to encircle it, stood a gigantic wolf.

That wolf was a full size larger than an ordinary wolf, its shoulder reaching Zhou Qi's waist. Its body was silver-gray, and its most conspicuous feature was its eyes: its left eye socket was empty, leaving only a deep scar.

One-eyed.

Zhou Qi was still furious. He did not care about anything else; the moment he found the leader, he struck with Mountain-Breaker.

The giant wolf showed no fear at all, coldly watching the saber light descend.

Its body moved, turning aside to evade the saber light. After landing, it swiftly lowered itself into an attacking stance.

Its eyelids drooped, revealing only half a glint of cold light. Its lips curled slightly, exposing half its white fangs. Its ferocity was laid bare, yet it made no sound.

Zhou Qi paused, secretly astonished that it had evaded his strike.

When he looked closely, a system panel appeared:

[Name: Silver Moon Wolf King]

[Realm: Awakening Intelligence, Seventh Layer (equivalent to human Qi Refining, Seventh Layer)]

[Talents: Extremely fast, cunning, pack commander]

[Weakness: Its single eye limits its field of vision; its left side is a blind spot]

Awakening Intelligence, Seventh Layer, equivalent to Qi Refining, Seventh Layer?

Zhou Qi's eyes lit up.

He had been worrying about how he would travel after that fine horse died.

This beast had delivered itself right to his doorstep.

He sheathed his saber and walked toward the Wolf King barehanded.

A flicker of confusion passed through the Wolf King's eye, but it was quickly replaced by fierce light. It lowered its body, a deep growl rumbling from its throat.

Zhou Qi stopped three zhang in front of it.

"Come here." Zhou Qi beckoned with a hand.

Though the Wolf King did not understand human speech, that casual attitude enraged it.

"Awoo!"

The Wolf King flashed forward, moving as fast as a bolt of silver lightning as it lunged for Zhou Qi's throat.

Too fast.

Far faster than an ordinary human at Qi Refining, Seventh Layer.

But Zhou Qi was at Foundation Establishment, Second Layer.

He neither dodged nor evaded, simply throwing a punch.

Army-Breaking Fist.

"Bang!"

The punch struck the Wolf King squarely in the face.

The Wolf King cried out miserably, its huge body flying backward into a tree and shaking leaves down in a rustling shower.

It struggled to its feet, blood seeping from the corner of its mouth. Fear finally appeared in its eye.

Yet it did not flee. It still stared viciously at Zhou Qi, low threatening growls rumbling from its throat.

Zhou Qi walked over.

The Wolf King suddenly clawed at his chest.

Zhou Qi had been prepared. He grabbed its forepaw and swung it with the motion.

He whirled the Wolf King around like a flail, spun it twice, then viciously smashed it into a thick tree trunk behind him.

"Bang!"

The trunk shook violently. The Wolf King's body slammed into it, bounced back, and crashed to the ground.

It lay on the ground, gasping heavily and trembling all over. It struggled several times but could not get up.

Yet it continued to glare viciously at Zhou Qi, with not the slightest sign of submission in its eye.

Zhou Qi walked over and crouched before it.

"Do you submit?"

The Wolf King glared at him, a low growl issuing from its throat.

Zhou Qi slapped it.

"Smack!"

The Wolf King's head snapped to the side, stars dancing before its eyes.

It shook its head, turned back, and continued glaring at him, its gaze even fiercer.

"Smack!"

Another slap.

"Do you submit?"

The Wolf King continued glaring at him, but a trace of confusion appeared in its eyes.

"Smack!"

"Do you submit?"

"Smack!"

"Do you submit?"

After more than a dozen slaps.

The Wolf King had changed completely.

The once majestic Silver Moon Wolf King had now become a husky.