Battle with the Three-Headed Demon Wolf

Whoosh~

Wisps of spring breeze lifted Mingye's long black hair. His eyes suddenly brightened as he gazed at the distant valley.

The Demon Wolf Tribe's burial grounds lay within that valley, where thick white mist shrouded everything.

Mingye strode toward it, with Mountain Ogre following silently, pulling a cart laden with the remains of over a hundred demons.

Walking through the mist, Mingye could already feel a stirring in his soul. The souls of generations of Demon Wolf Tribe ancestors stood guard within those burial grounds.

He passed through the shadowy forest, following that stirring in his soul to find the burial grounds.

Only members of the Demon Wolf Tribe could do this. Other demons would lose their bearings in this mist.

Only the Demon Wolf Tribe could follow that unseen guidance from their souls and find the right path.

Mountain Ogre looked curiously around this eerie place. It was utterly silent, save for the sound of their footsteps.

Even with his body as massive as a small hill, he could not find his bearings in such dense mist. It was everywhere, sealing off the entire area.

Even his powers of perception failed him. He had no sense of direction at all.

Yet the figure ahead showed no sign of stopping, pressing on as though the way were obvious.

Soon, Mountain Ogre saw the entrance to an enormous valley, with two huge statues standing on either side.

The two statues resembled guardian deities of the Demon Wolf Burial Grounds. So lifelike were they, and so imposing, that Mountain Ogre's heart jolted and he stopped in his tracks.

"Wait here, and don't even think about running. You won't find your way out of this mist-shrouded forest!"

Mingye's voice rang out like the toll of a bronze bell, striking fear into Mountain Ogre's heart.

"Yes, master."

Mountain Ogre lowered his head, adopting a thoroughly submissive posture. He had been subdued by force and still harbored resentment, but along the way, he had watched Mingye slaughter demon after demon stronger than himself.

His attitude had long since changed, passing from anger and defiance to shock, and finally to submission.

Mingye did not care what Mountain Ogre thought. His warning was merely to spare himself the trouble of searching for Mountain Ogre if he ran off while Mingye was obtaining the Five Thunder Finger.

He strode into the Demon Wolf Burial Grounds. They were vast, with armor-clad skeletons lining the mountain walls on both sides.

Mingye studied the strange sights around him with interest. This was truly peculiar. The Underworld existed in this world, and demons and humans alike went there after death.

Yet the ancestral souls in the Demon Wolf Burial Grounds seemed not to have gone to the Underworld for reincarnation. Instead, they lingered here, guarding the sacred artifact deep within the valley-the Five Thunder Finger.

He had the feeling that these burial grounds were alive. That was strange. How could a burial ground come to life?

But Mingye knew certain events from the original story. The guardian beast here, the Three-Headed Demon Wolf, was a living being manifested by the burial grounds themselves.

The Three-Headed Demon Wolf was undying and indestructible. Any attack could shatter its body, but it would recover in an instant.

Its body seemed to be one with the burial grounds. Mingye suspected that the Three-Headed Demon Wolf was a living manifestation of the many ancestral souls filling this place.

Of course, all of this was only Mingye's speculation. Perhaps when he truly encountered the Three-Headed Demon Wolf, he would discover exactly what mysteries these burial grounds held.

Mingye moved swiftly and was about to enter the depths of the burial grounds, where the Five Thunder Finger was kept.

But the ground before him suddenly changed. The earth shook and the mountains trembled as the dull gray soil gradually gathered into an enormous creature.

"These are the Demon Wolf Burial Grounds. You may proceed no farther!"

An aged yet commanding voice resounded through the burial grounds. Its sound waves swept dust and sand into the air, setting the currents roiling.

A fierce wind howled. Mingye's gaze remained deep and steady, his robes snapping in the wind. He did not retreat a single step.

He looked up. Before him stood the guardian beast, the Three-Headed Demon Wolf, several dozen feet tall, its three pairs of crimson eyes looking down at Mingye.

Its enormous body blocked the path, forbidding Mingye from advancing.

Mingye said, "And what if I don't retreat?"

His voice was quiet, yet a chill swept through the burial grounds, sending the temperature plunging.

"Trespassers die!"

The Three-Headed Demon Wolf spoke coldly. This was a trial for any member of the Demon Wolf Tribe who sought the Five Thunder Finger. Without sufficient strength, how could they be worthy of wielding its power?

"You can't stop me!"

As Mingye spoke, he stepped forward, stirring the air. He moved with the Yu Step, a form of footwork he had practiced in his previous life.

Now, combined with demonic power, it proved remarkably effective.

His figure cut through the air like a roaming dragon. In almost the blink of an eye, Mingye appeared before the Three-Headed Demon Wolf.

He drove forward shoulder-first, violently forcing aside the air in surging waves, and slammed into the Three-Headed Demon Wolf like a savage beast.

Boom!

The ferocious collision shattered the Three-Headed Demon Wolf's entire body. Broken stones shot high into the air like a fountain erupting.

But in the next instant, all the shattered stones swept toward Mingye. The ground shifted as thick, sharp earthen spears thrust up at him.

Mingye remained composed. Demonic power gushed forth as he stamped down, like a gigantic savage beast shaking its body.

The sharp earthen spears proved as frail as loose sand, crumbling to dust in an unstoppable wave of destruction.

Mingye's foot slammed into the ground, making the mountains on either side seem to shudder. An instantaneous eruption of demonic power and vital force had produced this terrifying effect.

Mingye's strength grew almost daily. Throughout his journey, he had never neglected his cultivation.

"What an impressive young descendant!"

The ringing voice sounded as the Three-Headed Demon Wolf formed again before Mingye, blocking his path.

This time, however, one of the Three-Headed Demon Wolf's heads voiced its admiration. Mingye's strength had caught its attention.

"It's been so long since we've met such a powerful descendant. Boy, tell us your name!"

The Three-Headed Demon Wolf's middle head spoke. By now, they understood that this absurdly young fellow possessed considerable strength and deserved to be taken seriously.

"Mingye, leader of the Demon Wolf Tribe of Bluestone Mountain!"

Mingye spoke calmly. In truth, the Three-Headed Demon Wolf's offensive power was not particularly formidable, and it had made no use whatsoever of the vast valley's power.

The entire burial grounds were their body. What tremendous power that represented. Perhaps the many wills within made it difficult to command and control that power perfectly.

Just like the Three-Headed Demon Wolf's three heads, each had its own thoughts and ideas.

"So you're from the Bluestone Mountain branch. To think that branch would produce a descendant like you."

The Three-Headed Demon Wolf praised Mingye without restraint. At just over fifty, he was truly far too young. How could possessing such strength at that age not leave them astonished and moved?

"But if you want the Five Thunder Finger, you still have to defeat us!"

The Three-Headed Demon Wolf abruptly changed its tone. Its aura erupted, far more overwhelming than before, and its murderous gaze inspired dread.

"Then come on!"