Who Exactly Were These People?

On the edge of the forest, more than ten trucks were blocked by huge rocks.

The wheels sank deep into the mud, the wild horses pulling the carts puffed out white breaths uneasily, and the guards surrounded the front of the convoy, barely forming a semi-circle.

But their formation was already breaking down.

Three-headed Rock-Armored Desolate Wolf lay lurking in the forest, their backs covered in grayish-blue carapaces, their limbs incredibly thick. Each time they pounced, their claws would smash deep craters into the mud.

"Hold the left flank!"

A young guard covered a bloody gash on his arm, blood trickling down between his fingers.

His face was as white as paper, yet he still stood in front of the truck.

"Don't let them rush into the convoy! The wounded, retreat to the inside! Archers, prepare!"

A Rock-Armored Desolate Wolf bared its fangs and rammed into the guard's shield.

Bang!

The two guards were thrown into the air, their backs slamming heavily against the truck, blood gushing from their mouths.

"Team leader!"

"Damn it, this beast is at least a fourth-tier Desolate Beast!"

"Our Soul Skill can't break through its armor!"

The guards' faces were filled with despair.

Most of them were only Soul Venerable or Great Soul Venerable, and escorting caravans and clearing out low-level Desolate Beast was relatively easy for them on a daily basis.

But the Rock-Armored Desolate Wolf, Desolate Beast known for its defense and strength, is simply not something they can fight head-on.

Above the tree canopy.

Ren stood with his hands behind his back, looking down.

Fugaku stood beside him, his gaze sweeping over the arrangement of the convoy, and said in a low voice, "The guards didn't escape."

"Someone is injured, and they are being towed towards the center of the convoy."

Should we clear the area?

Ren shook his head.

"Save lives first."

"But don't reveal all your cards."

Fugaku looked at him.

Ren said calmly, "The first piece of information about Profound Wilderness will have to come from them themselves."

Below, a Rock-Armored Desolate Wolf bypassed the guards and pounced through the gap in the truck.

Beside the car, a seven or eight-year-old child stood frozen in place.

He was still holding half a piece of dry rations in his arms when he saw the wolf's gaping maw, and he even forgot to cry.

"Child!"

The young guard's expression changed drastically, and he drew his sword, ready to rush forward.

But with his arm injured, he had barely taken a step when he was forced back by another wolf.

The Rock-Armored Desolate Wolf pounced into the air.

A stench filled the air.

Just as the wolf's claws were about to strike, a figure fell vertically from the treetop.

Sasuke placed his feet on the wolf's carapace, his Two-Tomoe Sharingan spinning rapidly.

He could see all of the Rock-Armored Desolate Wolf's muscles, joints, and the trajectory of its movements.

"Get out of here."

Sizzle!

Lightning exploded in Sasuke's palm.

He didn't directly confront the wolf's claws; instead, he brushed past the wolf's forelegs, tearing a rip in the hem of his clothes with its sharp claws.

The next moment, his right hand precisely pierced the gap in the carapace.

"Chidori!"

Pfft!

A violent Lightning Release pierced through the wolf's shoulder and neck.

The grayish-blue armor shattered from the inside, spraying blood mixed with fragments of armor in all directions.

The Rock-Armored Desolate Wolf let out a mournful howl, its massive body smashing over a truck before becoming still after a few struggles.

The entire mountain road fell silent.

The young guard gripped his knife, his mouth agape.

The woman holding the child collapsed to the ground, and after a long while, she trembled as she hugged the child back into her arms.

"Dead?"

"The Rock-Armored Desolate Wolf was killed in one move?"

He looks younger than me...

Sasuke landed on the ground and flicked the blood from his fingertips.

The two wolves smelled the blood of their companion and growled as they approached.

Just as the guards were about to warn him, the weasel had already perched on a tree branch not far away.

His hands moved swiftly, Hand Seals.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Jutsu."

Dozens of fireballs shot out from the forest, leaving trails of crimson flames, blocking the two wolves' retreat route into the dense forest.

The wolf instinctively retreated.

But as soon as they turned around, Shisui's figure was already flashing in the forest.

One on the left.

One on the right.

There's another one ahead.

Dozens of Shisui seemed to appear simultaneously among the shadows of the trees, and the wild wolf howled and swung its claws, but could only miss its target.

What kind of movement technique is that?

How can a person move so fast?

"Those two wolves are trapped!"

The guards gripped their weapons, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Sasuke had already rushed out.

He used an ancient tree to propel himself forward, his body arcing through the air.

The first wolf raised its front paw, Sasuke stepped on the wolf's paw, using the momentum to leap up and slam his knee into its jaw.

Bang!

The wolf's head is tilted to one side.

Sasuke landed without pausing, turned around and swept a whip kick into the wolf's abdomen.

A tremendous force erupts.

The Rock-Armored Desolate Wolf flew sideways and crashed heavily into the mountainside.

Another wild wolf tried to ambush them from behind.

Sasuke's Two-Tomoe Sharingan had already locked onto its movements.

He dodged the wolf's claws by sidestepping, grabbed the edge of its rough carapace, and used the wolf's momentum to flip onto its back.

Lightning converged once more.

"Chidori!"

Blinding blue and white electric sparks pierced through the gaps in the carapace.

The wolf's body suddenly stiffened, blood spurted from its mouth, and then it collapsed to the ground with a thud.

The last wolf had just struggled to its feet from the cliff face.

Sasuke stomped his foot, shattering the ground, and arrived in front of it in the blink of an eye.

Bang!

He kicked the wolf's head.

The Rock-Armored Desolate Wolf crashed into the rock wall again.

Gravel rolled down.

Its body slid softly to the ground and never got up again.

On the mountain path, only the heavy panting of the wild horses could be heard.

An older guard glanced at the three-headed wolf, then at Sasuke's indifferent expression, forgetting to put down his long sword.

"One person..."

"He killed three Rock-Armored Desolate Wolves all by himself?"

"That's Desolate Beast capable of tearing Great Soul Venerable to shreds."

"Just who are these people?"

The caravan leader, Han Zhong, helped up his injured guard and quickly walked to Ren.

He had just witnessed Sasuke's attack, and also saw Itachi and Shisui's incomprehensible methods.

But the black-robed youth in front of them didn't make a move from beginning to end.

But when Han Zhong looked at Ren, he felt even more uneasy.

He couldn't sense the other person's aura at all.

This quietness is unlike what one would expect from a typical young person.

Han Zhong his probing thoughts and bowed deeply with his fists clasped.

"My name is Han Zhong, and I am deeply grateful for your help."

"If it weren't for your help, my caravan would probably be lost today."

Ren looked at him.

"Where do you come from, and where are you going?"

Han Zhong immediately replied, "The caravan came from the southwest Trade Road and is heading to Chaotic Star City."

"If you gentlemen do not mind, you may travel with the caravan. All expenses, including food, lodging, carriages, and travel permits, will be covered by me."

Ren didn't answer, but only asked, "Have you heard of Exchange Tower?"

Han Zhong's smile froze instantly.

The older guards around them exchanged glances.

Someone wanted to speak, but then swallowed their words.

After a moment, Han Zhong lowered his voice.

"In the past Chaotic Star City... did indeed have Exchange Tower."

"That place offers fair prices, and the Pill and Soul Artifact they sell are all genuine. Many caravans and mercenaries are willing to do business with Exchange Tower."

He sighed.

"But after that young owner disappeared, Exchange Tower was divided up by several large Merchant Guilds."

"Even the signboard on the old building was smashed."

Ren stared at Han Zhong's face.

This person spoke of Exchange Tower with regret, but without malice.

Ren took the route sign handed to him by Han Zhong.

The wooden sign is engraved with a map of the Chaotic Star City and the border of the Three Kingdoms. In the southwest corner, there is a Trade Road that winds through the mountains and wilderness.

He tucked the wooden plaque into his sleeve.

"Then let's go together."

Han Zhong felt relieved and immediately ordered his men to clear the road.

"Quickly, move the boulder!"

"Make room in the best carriage for our distinguished guests to rest!"

"Treat the wounds first, don't delay your journey!"