Loa's figure left a blurred trail through the dark woods as he pushed Gentle Breeze Caressing Willow, powered by Storm battle-qi, to its limit. Using thick tree trunks, jutting branches, and even protruding rocks as footholds, he bounded through the forest like a phantom. Within a few breaths, he had covered over a hundred meters, trying to put distance between himself and his pursuers.
But the wolves closed their encirclement faster than he had expected!
Straight ahead, deep among the dense trees, several sets of rapidly approaching footsteps rang out, accompanied by heavy panting and low growls stifled in throats. Through gaps in the foliage, he could just make out several swiftly moving points of eerie green light!
"Three... no, five!" Loa's pupils contracted slightly. There were more wolves blocking his path than he had anticipated! Clearly, responding to that earlier alarm, they had circled around to this direction in advance, intending to cut off his escape.
A blockade ahead, pursuers behind!
Loa's gaze sharpened. Rather than slowing, he accelerated! Storm battle-qi poured into his legs without restraint, turning his figure into a pale azure afterimage. Abandoning any attempt to go around, he charged straight toward the flank-a relatively weak corner of the wolves' encirclement! He would tear open a gap with sheer speed before they could close the ring completely!
The two Wind Wolves on that flank clearly had not expected Loa to advance instead of retreat, much less at such terrifying speed. Instinctively, they moved to intercept him, jaws opening to bite, only to snap shut on an afterimage. Seeing that it could not catch him, the quicker-witted wolf decisively abandoned close combat. Azure light flashed in its throat, and several pale azure, crescent-shaped wind blades whistled out. Rather than aiming at Loa, they shot toward the places