Corpses, Wolves, and a Bloodstained Sword!

The next morning's dawn struggled through the dense, overlapping canopy, casting sparse, pallid patches of light across the forest.

Loa woke against a cold tree root. The first thing he felt was a dull, aching numbness pulsing through his left calf, rather than yesterday's burning and loss of sensation.

He carefully moved his injured leg. The swelling beneath the bandages seemed to have subsided a little; Bob's medicinal powder really worked. Although his movements were still somewhat stiff, he could walk and exert himself normally now, which brought him a measure of relief.

Remembering the Dead Leaf Viper's silent, deadly attack yesterday, he still felt lingering fear crawl up his spine like a cold snake.

Only on the outskirts, only on the second day, and he had nearly come to grief. He drew a deep breath of the cool, damp forest air and pressed that lingering fear deep into his heart, replacing it with an even fiercer, colder fighting spirit.

"This is exactly what I want," he murmured, his gaze sharp as an unsheathed sword. Comfortable training and the restrictions of the arena could never force out his true potential.

Only in this forest, where death lurked at every step, under the pressure of a razor-thin line between life and death, could he hone his edge faster.

He gnawed through a few rock-hard pieces of dried meat with cold water from his waterskin, making do with them for breakfast. He silently warned himself to avoid lighting an open fire unless he was absolutely safe.

Food could be eaten raw, or he could find somewhere truly safe and secluded to roast a batch of meat that would keep.

Once everything was packed, Loa set off again. This time, his steps were lighter and slower. His gaze no longer swept only ahead and to either side, but combed carefully through every suspicious trace on the ground. His ears caught sounds far subtler than yesterday-the breaks in insect calls, the faintest crunch of dead leaves underfoot, even the differences in the wind passing through shrubs of varying density.

Before long, a smell stronger and more nauseating than rotting leaves drifted faintly toward him. It was a mixture of the rusty odor of congealed blood, the rank stench of exposed entrails, and the sickly sweetness of flesh beginning to rot.

Loa grew wary. Slowing his steps, he used the trees for cover and crept forward without a sound.

A dozen or so meters away, in a somewhat disordered clearing, a horrifying sight awaited him.

Three human corpses lay on the ground in twisted positions, two men and a woman. They probably had not been dead long and were not yet badly decomposed, but... they had already been partially eaten.

One burly man's entire right leg had been almost completely gnawed away, exposing stark white bone. A large hole had been torn in his abdomen, and his multicolored intestines trailed outside, covered in dirt and dead leaves.

Half the woman's head had been eaten away. Her remaining eye stared blankly at the gray sky, and tiny caterpillars were already crawling over her pallid skull. The other bodies, too, mostly had missing limbs and were covered in marks left by beasts' teeth.

Despite having prepared himself, despite having experienced bloody slaughter in Fenlai, the hellish scene before him still churned Loa's stomach and tightened his throat.

Dying without an intact corpse, left exposed in the wilderness-this was the most common fate of those who failed in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.

He forced himself to observe calmly, his gaze sweeping over the wounds and the traces surrounding the bodies.

Those bites and tears had clearly been inflicted by beasts, most likely low-rank magical beasts drawn by the smell of blood. But the fatal wounds... Loa's gaze sharpened. He spotted several clear slashes from edged weapons, especially a saber wound on one man's chest that reached the bone. No beast's teeth or claws could have caused that.

"Just as I thought..." The chill in Loa's heart deepened. Magical beasts were certainly savage, but in this forest, where the rules were laid bare, the most dangerous and unpredictable creatures were often humans themselves. For wealth? For revenge? Or simply the strong preying on the weak?

He did not linger, quickly and cautiously skirting this place of death.

The next stretch of his journey went quite smoothly. Perhaps a slaughter had just taken place in this area and its lingering presence had yet to fade, causing the magical beasts to avoid it for the time being.

Loa encountered a few solitary Rank 1 and Rank 2 magical beasts, dispatching them easily without lingering in combat. He deliberately avoided signs of magical beasts that might live in packs and headed deeper into the mountain range.

The sky darkened again. Evening came especially early in the forest. Loa found an exceptionally thick, luxuriant tree, its canopy spreading like an umbrella and its trunk so broad that several people would have been needed to encircle it. Several meters above the ground, its branches formed a natural platform-a relatively ideal place to spend the night.

He first inspected the area beneath the tree carefully, making sure there were no snake dens, ant nests, or other dangers.

Then he took out the small pouch Bob had given him and sprinkled the pungent Insect-Repelling Beast-Avoidance Powder around the trunk and over the ground below. He also took out another, milder-smelling powder, supposedly able to neutralize his scent, and scattered some over himself and around the branches where he planned to shelter.

Only after finishing these preparations did he climb silently onto the branch platform like an agile ape.

The platform was broad enough to lie on and concealed by dense foliage, making it difficult to spot from below. He gnawed on some dried meat, drank a little water, and sat cross-legged, preparing to circulate his battle-qi as he healed and passed the long night.

Yet the forest's nights were never peaceful.

Not long after he entered meditation, a long, mournful wolf howl split the distant night's silence. A second followed immediately, closer this time, carrying unmistakable pain and exhaustion.

Loa immediately opened his eyes and looked down through a gap in the foliage. At the edge of his vision, two slightly unsteady gray shapes appeared in the dim forest.

They were Wind Wolves. Judging by their size, they were Rank 3 magical beasts, but they were in terrible condition.

One dragged a hind leg, clearly badly wounded. The other also bore numerous wounds, its fur disheveled, saliva and bloody foam dripping from its mouth. Its clouded eyes were filled with desperation and madness.

Wind Wolves? Loa grew wary. Wolf-type magical beasts usually lived in packs and rarely traveled alone, especially Wind Wolves.

These two were clearly old wolves, either weakened by age or defeated and driven from their pack. They seemed to be fleeing something?

As though confirming his guess, more eerie green points of light appeared in the distant darkness, accompanied by low, muffled growls.

Soon, seven or eight stronger, nimbler figures caught up and loosely surrounded the two injured old Wind Wolves.

Fang Wolves! Rank 3 magical beasts, slightly smaller than Wind Wolves but leaner and tougher, with protruding fangs and cruel, cunning light flickering in their eyes.

They were clearly a hunting squad. Working together with practiced coordination, they circled the two old wolves unhurriedly. Rather than rush to attack, they kept issuing threatening growls, draining what little strength and fighting spirit their prey had left.

The two old Wind Wolves stood back-to-back, baring their teeth and roaring threateningly, but their momentum had already waned.

Several of the Fang Wolves opened their mouths, sending small, pale green, crescent-shaped wind blades whistling out. The blades were not particularly powerful, but they were extremely fast and came from treacherous angles. Unable to dodge in time, the old Wind Wolves suffered several more bloody cuts.

A battle of attrition. The Fang Wolves' aim was clear: wear down these two stronger prey in the safest way possible. They were extremely patient, taking turns advancing to harass them and release wind blades. Whenever the old wolves counterattacked, they immediately withdrew, letting their companions take their places.

Loa held his breath and focused, watching quietly from the tree. He felt little sympathy for the Wind Wolves. Competition for survival among magical beasts was always this brutal.

But the hunt before him presented an opportunity. The two old wolves' dying counterattack would surely inflict some damage on the Fang Wolves, and after winning, the Fang Wolves would relax somewhat. That would be the perfect moment to strike.

The Magic Crystal Cores of these Rank 3 Fang Wolves were worth less than Rank 4 cores, but there were plenty of them. Moreover, Wind Wolves were at least Rank 4 magical beasts, so there were also two Rank 4 Magic Crystal Cores.

The battle did not last long. Blood loss and exhaustion made the two old Wind Wolves' defense increasingly feeble. Finally, after a feint by a Fang Wolf, the more seriously injured old wolf on the left stumbled, exposing an opening.

"Awooo!"

The two old Wind Wolves seemed to know they had reached the end of the road. Ferocity flashed in their eyes. Abandoning their defense, they simultaneously let out resolute roars and dragged their wounded bodies into a final, full-strength charge toward what appeared to be the weakest side of the Fang Wolves' encirclement! Cornered beasts fighting like maddened tigers!

Caught off guard, three Fang Wolves that dodged a little too slowly were knocked over and bitten. One even had its skull smashed by an old wolf's paw and died on the spot! But the old wolves' charge also came to an abrupt halt as more Fang Wolves lunged from the sides and behind, sinking sharp teeth into their necks, waists, and bellies...

Now!

A cold gleam flashed in Loa's eyes. He slipped silently from the branch platform like a shadow melding into the night wind. Pushing his Gentle Breeze Caressing Willow movement technique to its limit, he landed without a sound and, using the trees for cover, closed on the edge of the battle in an instant.

At that moment, the Fang Wolves' attention was entirely occupied by the dying old wolves and their wounded companions, the smell of blood stimulating their nerves. Loa's target was the strongest Fang Wolf, which had just bitten an old wolf's neck and had its back to him.

He pushed lightly off his toes, his body suddenly rising like a striking hawk before plunging down from above! His longsword left its sheath, and his Thunderbolt Art battle-qi and Weapon Combat Battle-qi erupted simultaneously.

"Thunder Collapse!"

The silent sword strike carried terrifying penetrating force, landing precisely on the bone at the back of the Fang Wolf's skull below!

Thud!

The dull crack of bone was drowned out by the wolves' snarls. Before the Fang Wolf could even whimper, its head drooped sharply. Blood spilled from its mouth and nose, and it died instantly, collapsing limply over the old wolf.

His first strike successful, Loa never paused. Like a leaf drifting on the wind, he landed lightly, his longsword continuing to dance!

Clang!

A clear sword cry rang out! Only then did the Fang Wolves, already driven wild by blood, realize they had been attacked from behind. The two closest lunged with reddened eyes, one from either side, their fangs aimed straight at Loa's throat and flank.

Loa shifted his footing and drifted half a step backward like willow fluff, evading their attacks by the narrowest margin. At the same time, his wrist flickered rapidly as he unleashed Wild Wind and Sudden Rain Sword!

In an instant, sword light cascaded like a waterfall! It was not a single thrust or slash, but countless dense, swift, unbroken sword shadows spilling forth, as though a violent storm of blades had risen from thin air! The hissing cuts through the air merged into one, instantly enveloping the two lunging Fang Wolves.

Blood sprayed amid the sword light! Their lunges were interrupted, and more than a dozen wounds of varying depths instantly appeared on their bodies. They howled in agony and retreated. But wolves were savage by nature; they were not fleeing, only preparing to lunge again.

How could Loa give them the chance? His swordwork shifted from intricate to simple. The sweeping sword shadows abruptly contracted into a single cold point. With speed surpassing all his previous Gale Thrusts and even fiercer momentum, he drove a Gale Thrust straight at the throat of the less seriously injured Fang Wolf on his right, which was about to raise its head and howl for its companions!

Shhk!

The sword tip pierced through its throat, cutting its howl short.

At the sight, a trace of fear finally flashed in the left-hand Fang Wolf's eyes. It tucked its tail and tried to flee. Loa pulled his sword free and swept closer like the wind, his blade cutting horizontally across its neck with a faint whistle.

The wolf's corpse fell.

From the ambush to killing four wolves in succession-including the first one killed by Thunder Collapse Finger-only a few breaths had passed. The remaining four Fang Wolves, including the three wounded ones, were stunned by the sudden slaughter. As they stared at Loa standing sword in hand, his presence cold, unmistakable fear appeared in their eerie green eyes for the first time.

Growling, they slowly backed away. Finally, with a whimper, they turned, tucked their tails, and fled in panic into the dark depths of the forest, abandoning even the bodies of their companions and prey.

Loa did not pursue. Breathing slightly hard, he held his sword and scanned his surroundings warily. The heavy smell of blood had already spread, several times stronger than before. I can't stay here!

He moved as swiftly as the wind, flicking his longsword repeatedly to split open the heads of the five Fang Wolves on the ground-including the first one killed by an old wolf-and the two old Wind Wolves. He extracted eight still-warm Magic Crystal Cores and, without time to wipe them, stuffed them all into the leather pouch at his waist. Then he quickly cut off several large pieces of the most intact wolf meat and wrapped them in oilcloth.

Once finished, he pushed off repeatedly with his toes and sprang lightly onto the branches of a nearby tree. Unleashing Gentle Breeze Caressing Willow at full strength, he leaped and darted between the branches like a forest phantom, heading opposite the fleeing wolves and swiftly leaving behind this bloody place that would soon draw more predators' attention.

Behind him, the heavy scent of blood slowly dispersed in the night wind, heralding the sleepless night soon to descend on this corner of the forest. Loa's figure had long since vanished into the deep darkness. Only the newly acquired Magic Crystal Cores in the leather pouch at his waist knocked against one another, their faint, solid clacks telling of tonight's bloodstained gains.