"Xiao Xue, fight and retreat at the same time."
Xia Yueyou glanced at Lín Fēng while wielding her long sword, then ignored him entirely, retreating with Murong Xue while fighting off the beasts.
Call her cold-blooded, call her ruthless—she only cared about protecting the people she held dear.
These ordinary black wolves did not pose a fatal threat to the two of them, but every single wolf pack was bound to have a pack leader. The wolf king was the strongest of them all, and since its strength was still unknown, they could not afford to waste time here.
Out of the corner of his eye, Lín Fēng saw the two women actually abandon him and run away. He roared furiously, "Xia Yueyou, what do you mean by this?!"
With a whip-kick that sent a lunging black wolf flying, Xia Yueyou gave him a cold, indifferent glance.
Their two families had been acquainted for a long time, and purely out of that relationship, she would not normally leave someone to die. But this man had actually revealed murderous intent toward Xiao Xue!
Xiao Xue had known Lín Fēng for more than ten years, yet the bastard wanted to kill her over a mere disagreement. Someone like this was nothing but a hazard even if he were saved—to say nothing of the fact that they were currently trapped in a perilous primeval forest. Naturally, Xia Yueyou was not going to rescue him.
She pulled two "Invisibility Talismans" from her pocket, slapped one onto her own body, and pressed the other onto Murong Xue's back. This type of talisman would erase any lingering spiritual aura along their path, effectively preventing them from being tracked.
Effortlessly, Xia Yueyou hoisted Xiao Xue over her shoulder and bolted northward at top speed.
Murong Xue had grown up with her since childhood, their bond was exceptionally close, and she was the one who had brought her out here. There was no way she would abandon Xiao Xue and run away alone.
Even with a massive military backpack strapped to her back and another person carrying a pack slung over her shoulder, Xia Yueyou still moved as fast as flying. At twenty-two years old, having cultivated under her grandfather since the age of twelve, she was already a Qi Refining Level 4 practitioner; a weight of one or two hundred catties was absolute child's play to her.
Looking backward with tacit coordination, Murong Xue raised her hand crossbow and fired at the wolf pack pursuing them in an attempt to slow their pace. As long as they could escape the pack's line of sight, they would essentially be out of danger.
Shortly after they left, two figures rushed out from the shadows. Wielding machetes, they easily finished off several black wolves that were closing in on Lín Fēng.
"Young Master Lin, are you alright? We will escort you out of the mountains."
Lín Fēng nodded with an extremely gloomy expression. He knew what these two men wanted—nothing more than a token of allegiance to earn his favor, but his Lín family had no use for such fence-sitters. However, he still needed their protection for the time being, so his tone remained relatively even. "Good. Once we're out of the mountains, the Lín family will not treat you poorly."
"Thank you, Young Master Lin!" the two men said excitedly. The Lín family was a major clan on par with the Xia family, and they even had a Foundation Establishment expert holding down the fort at home!
Lín Fēng looked toward the depths of the forest and said viciously, "Xia Yueyou, Murong Xue, you two bitches better not make it back to Kyoto alive, or I'll show you what true cruelty means!"
"Awooo!"
A wolf's howl shattered his fierce expression.
"Young Master Lin, let's hurry!"
One of the men directly hoisted Lín Fēng onto his shoulder and sprinted toward the outer edge of the forest. They could feel a powerful pressure emanating from that howl; it was blatantly obvious that this was no ordinary wolf!
Not long after they left, a black wolf roughly the size of a Northeast Siberian tiger stepped forward with a leisurely pace. Ignoring the remaining men, the wolf king sniffed the air for a moment, then gave chase in the direction where Xia Yueyou and the others had fled.
...
"Rumble, rumble!"
The weather in the primeval forest could change on a dime. A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a light drizzle, though fortunately the thick, broad leaves of the tall trees blocked much of the rain.
Having run an unknown distance with the wolf pack's pursuit long left behind, Xia Yueyou set down Murong Xue from her shoulder.
The moment her feet touched the ground, the little loli began rubbing and pounding her sore muscles. Being carried while running was no comfortable experience; the bouncing had left her entire body aching.
"Sis, you're amazing! If I were a guy, I'd definitely marry you," Murong Xue praised with bright, sparkling eyes. Carrying all that weight and running for so long without even breathing heavily made it look as though she hadn't even exerted herself.
"Alright, stop spouting nonsense. We're not out of danger yet. Let's find an open area first," Xia Yueyou said, giving the little loli a flick on the forehead with a somewhat heavy tone.
Vaguely, she sensed that an entity with an aura far stronger than her own was drawing closer—most likely the king of that wolf pack. Still, she wasn't particularly afraid; she had a few peak Rank 1 fire talismans on hand and just needed to find an open space to use them. Otherwise, setting them off in a dense forest filled with trees could easily trigger a massive wildfire. This primeval forest was a natural treasure of Huaxia, and she could not destroy it lightly unless it was an absolute last resort.
The two of them turned on three high-powered flashlights and pressed forward through the drizzle. Fortunately, their waterproof and insect-proof outdoor adventure gear kept them dry.
After cresting a small hill, a flat piece of land appeared before them. The trees here were sparse rather than densely packed, and a small river flowed quietly across the clearing.
Xia Yueyou nodded with satisfaction. "This place is good. We'll wait for that wolf right here."
"Sis, do you have a handle on this?" Murong Xue asked with a hint of worry.
"About sixty percent. As long as that wolf king isn't Rank 2, we should be able to get out of this safely." Judging by her assessment, the wolf king was at most at the Late Stage of Rank 1, equivalent to levels 7 through 9 of the human Qi Refining Realm. If it were any stronger, they wouldn't have been able to run for so long.
"Ahhh, why can't this young lady cultivate!" the little loli wailed in frustration.
A faint, exceptionally pretty smile touched Xia Yueyou's unpainted face, though regrettably there was no one around to appreciate it. She took out all her high-powered flashlights and arranged them to form a barrier of light so they wouldn't have to fight in pitch darkness when the wolf king arrived.
Everything was set. Before long, a massive black wolf entered their field of vision. Its two glowing green eyes looked like a pair of giant lanterns.
"Gasp, is that a wolf or a tiger? It's huge!" Murong Xue exclaimed in astonishment, staring at the wolf king, which was roughly the size of a Siberian tiger.
Sensing the wolf king's aura, Xia Yueyou let out a quiet sigh of relief. Qi Refining Level 7—she could handle this.
Murong Xue raised her hand crossbow, aimed at the wolf king, and emptied her quiver with a flurry of swishing sounds.
Faced with the incoming bolts, the wolf king merely let out a single roar, and the arrows seemed to freeze in mid-air, unable to advance an inch further!
"Xiao Xue, stand back. Leave this to me."
"Alright, Sis. Be careful." Murong Xue knew she couldn't offer much help; her only job was to avoid becoming a burden.
Xia Yueyou put down her hiking backpack, drew her long sword, and fixed her gaze on the wolf king without a shred of fear—in fact, she looked almost eager. A powerful opponent was the best whetstone, and she wanted to grow stronger!
The two stared at each other for a moment before the wolf king launched the first attack. Moving with extreme speed like a dark shadow, it lunged forward, its massive frame bringing a heavy wave of oppressive force.
Xia Yueyou showed no fear. She charged forward, swinging her long sword as she moved. The blade hissed sharply against the air, sending a white sword qi slicing straight toward the wolf king's head.
Defying the laws of physics, the wolf king shifted sideways in mid-air to dodge the sword qi, then lunged at Xia Yueyou once more. At the same time, it opened its jaws, and a green ball of light the size of a fist shot straight toward her.
Xia Yueyou narrowed her eyes and hurriedly raised her blade to block. A ferocious impact struck her, sending her flying backward. Adjusting her posture in mid-air, she landed steadily on her feet.
A flash of excitement crossed her face as she rushed forward to engage the wolf king in intense combat once again. Practitioners in the early and middle stages of Qi Refining had weaker control over spiritual power and could not project it outward to attack enemies. Yet every swing of her sword carried biting, fierce sword qi, forcing even the wolf king to dodge rather than take the blows head-on.
After a thoroughly satisfying exchange of blows, she spotted an opening, tossed a Rank 1 fire talisman under the wolf king's belly, and quickly retreated while chanting an incantation.
Perhaps unfamiliar with human talismans, the wolf king paid it no mind and tried to press the attack. But an instant later, it learned the true meaning of agony.