Han Xuanji was extremely fast. He already knew that the Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf was not easy to deal with, so he did not make a move rashly. He seized the opportunity, grabbed Lan Miao by the back of the neck, and golden light flashed under his feet. Just before the wolf's claws fell, he dragged Lan Miao dozens of feet away.
The Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf slammed its claws heavily into the ground, creating a huge crater several meters deep, with rubble flying everywhere.
Seeing the agile human, the Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf's eyes gleamed. It seemed to realize that Han Xuanji was not someone to be trifled with, and it did not take the initiative to attack, but it also did not leave.
Han Xuanji put Lan Miao down and simply said:
"Don't underestimate these Variant."
In reality, this Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf is a powerful being that has lived in this Sacred Domain for countless years.
If it weren't for this Seven-Colored Profound Origin Fruit, it would never have been born.
The moment Lan Miao was pulled from the wolf's claws by Han Xuanji, cold sweat belatedly seeped out on her back.
He steadied himself, glanced down at the wound on his left arm, and then looked at the Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf in front of him, which was slowly retracting its claws. The rubble at the edge of the giant pit was still falling down, hitting the bottom of the pit with a dull echo.
If that claw strike landed squarely, he would probably lose his life on the spot.
Although dying in the Saint Realm doesn't mean true demise, the price of leaving the Saint Realm is the complete loss of half of one's points and Holy Light, which is undoubtedly a huge failure for someone like him who aspires to the Ten Directions Immortal Hall.
Although it's embarrassing now, he originally had his own selfish motives, wanting to show off in front of everyone and outshine Han Xuanji. He never expected that he would be saved by Han Xuanji in the end.
In an instant, his little ulterior motives vanished, leaving only deep gratitude.
"Thank you for saving me, Junior Brother Han."
Lan Miao snapped out of her daze and quickly bowed to Han Xuanji in thanks.
He paused, glanced at the Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf that was coldly staring at them, and gave a wry smile.
"It was my carelessness. It deliberately created a weakness, and I actually fell for it. This beast is quite cunning; I underestimated it."
Han Xuanji nodded, her tone calm:
"No need to thank me, it's my duty. The Variant here are different from the ferocious beasts outside. They can survive in the Sacred Domain for so long, it's not that simple."
As the two were talking, Zhou Yuan had already led Wei Feng and the others to quickly approach, forming a defensive line in front of Han Xuanji and Lan Miao.
The group had just witnessed the power of the Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf, and their expressions were not pleasant.
Wei Feng's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the long sword, while the light in Liu Yi's palm flickered uncertainly, clearly indicating that she was also suppressing her nervousness.
Just then, a figure rushed over from the Ten Thousand Immortals Association's front line. It was a young cultivator wearing a blue robe, and judging from the insignia on his cuff, he was a member of the Ten Thousand Immortals Association.
He waved repeatedly at Han Xuanji and the others from afar, saying urgently:
"Fellow Daoists, that Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf is not to be trifled with! It is no ordinary Variant, but Variant among Variant!"
A nine-man squad had just been wiped out by it.
Our Ten Thousand Immortals Association has already marked it in red. We'll gather our forces to deal with the Dark Gold Black-Armored Lizard once Leader Chi and the others have dealt with it.
Gentlemen, please step back. Don't throw your lives away in vain!
Upon hearing this, the expressions on their faces changed completely.
The entire nine-man squad was wiped out; this statement carries more weight than any warning.
Liu Yi was the first to back down, saying in a low voice, "How about... we retreat first? The top-tier Variant are indeed beyond our capabilities; there's no need to risk our lives."
Chen Luo nodded in agreement. Although Wei Feng did not speak, the long sword in his hand had already lowered slightly, indicating his intention to retreat.
Although Zhou Yuan and Chen Fei did not speak, they also seemed to be backing down, and their gazes turned to Han Xuanji simultaneously.
Lan Miao's expression changed several times.
He had just been boasting that he would hunt a worthy Variant, but after much deliberation, he ended up picking the toughest one and almost got himself killed.
But there was no other way. After thinking for a moment, he gritted his teeth and said:
"Let's retreat."
Han Xuanji suddenly spoke:
How do we evacuate?
Everyone followed Han Xuanji's gaze and almost forgot about the Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf.
The other party was watching them intently. If they tried to leave, the Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf would definitely give chase, and given the speed that the giant wolf had just displayed, at least two or three of them would be caught.
After a brief silence, Lan Miao took a deep breath, as if she had made a decision, and raised her head, her tone filled with a resolute determination:
"I was the one who suggested hitting that beast, and I'm the one who caused this situation."
In that case, I should stay behind to cover the rear.
You go first, I'll hold it off.
Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged bewildered glances.
Wei Feng opened his mouth, subconsciously wanting to say something to persuade him to stay, but he swallowed the words back.
He asked himself honestly, and he knew that if he were in that situation, he would never want to stay and die.
Their gazes, however, involuntarily drifted towards Han Xuanji.
Chen Luo and Zhou Yuan did the same; none of the three looked at Lan Miao, but instead all looked at Han Xuanji.
As long as Han Xuanji nods and says "withdraw," the matter will be settled.
Han Xuanji did not nod.
Without anyone noticing, he was already standing at the very front of the group, his gaze calmly fixed on the Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf's pair of deep blue wolf eyes, when he suddenly spoke a sentence that stunned everyone.
I'll stay too.
Before Zhou Yuan and the others could react, Lan Miao panicked:
"Junior Brother Han, this is my own fault, you don't need to—"
"I've been observing it since just now."
Han Xuanji interrupted him, her tone neither hurried nor slow:
"Its strength and speed are indeed formidable, but it's not insurmountable. I'm confident I can handle it."
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.
Zhou Yuan's eyes widened, Chen Luo frowned, and Wei Feng and Liu Yi exchanged a glance, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.
The cultivator from the Ten Thousand Immortals Association just now made it clear that the Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf is a top-tier Variant, and the nine-person team was completely wiped out.
Such a ferocious creature should be avoided at all costs, yet Han Xuanji actually intends to hunt it?
But Han Xuanji's tone was too calm; it didn't sound like she was making any grand pronouncements, but rather like she was stating a fact.
His gaze never left the Moon-Swallowing Heavenly Wolf Wolf's deep blue eyes, his body as steady as a rock, not even the hem of his clothes trembled in the slightest due to tension.
His calm and composed demeanor made him swallow back the words of advice that were already on the tip of his tongue.
A silence lingered among them for a few breaths.
The first to break the silence was Zhou Yuan. He scratched the back of his head, as if he had made up his mind, and took a step forward, standing beside Han Xuanji.
"I brought Brother Han and Brother Lan into the team, so there's no reason for me to run away first."
I'll stay too.