C14 Wolf Pack

Deep within the Widepool Mountain Range, a monstrous howl echoed as a massive creature was violently hurled through the air. It tumbled across the ground several times before lying still, lifeless.

Emerging from the underbrush, a young man in black attire stepped forward, a bulging pack slung over his shoulder. Indeed, this was Lu Chen, who had parted ways with Jiaang Hao.

Every part of a Demon Beast was valuable—their claws, their fur—all were materials of considerable worth. Lu Chen had every intention of taking advantage of this bounty. He drew a dagger and approached the fallen Blood Ape, crouching down to harvest its resources. Before long, the pack on his back seemed to swell even further.

"A whole month has slipped by, and still not a single sign of the Divine Weapon Fragment!" Lu Chen exhaled a sigh, hoisted his pack, and resumed his quest.

In that instant, a premonition stirred within him. He spun around to see an elegant figure darting toward him. The figure moved with such speed that it was just a blur passing by Lu Chen. By the time he registered the movement, all he could see was the fading silhouette of the graceful stranger.

"The Essence Gathering Stage," Lu Chen whispered, his gaze sharpening.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than another figure appeared in the distance, speeding towards him. Lu Chen narrowed his eyes, taking in the details of the newcomer—a man in his mid-twenties, clad in blue.

"Out of my way, kid!" The blue-garbed man charged forward. Seeing Lu Chen blocking his path, he didn't alter his course, instead raising his hand and delivering a swift strike towards Lu Chen!

Lu Chen's eyes hardened. He had merely obstructed the man's path, yet the man had chosen to attack him without hesitation. A practitioner of the Essence Gathering Stage could unleash devastating power, capable of rending stone and breaking mountains. Even a casual blow from the man in blue carried a lethal threat.

In that perilous moment, Lu Chen bellowed, channeling all his strength and crossing his arms over his chest in defense.

The impact was immediate. His arms went numb, and Lu Chen was sent flying backward as if struck by a tremendous force.

"Huh?"

The young man clad in blue realized his palm strike hadn't been lethal to Lu Chen. With a slight sound of surprise and a quick glance at Lu Chen, he dismissed the matter and pursued the woman with undiminished speed.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Struggling to his feet, Lu Chen's gaze followed the retreating blue figure, his eyes brimming with icy resolve.

Had he hesitated or been any less resilient, he would now be nothing more than a lifeless body.

"My strength is still too insufficient."

The recent encounter had made Lu Chen acutely aware of his vulnerability. Had he been a master of the Essence Gathering Stage, would his assailant have dared to strike so recklessly?

In this dog-eat-dog world, weakness was the greatest sin. Only through relentless fortification could one hope to survive.

His aspiration was straightforward: to live.

"Whew!"

Lu Chen exhaled deeply. "I need to find time to enhance my strength."

With those words, he vanished in a blink.

...

Inside a secluded cave, Lu Chen eyed the three vibrant Essence Spirit Fruits before him and licked his lips in anticipation. "These three Essence Spirit Fruits should take me to the next level."

He picked up one of the fruits, its subtle scent tantalizing his senses. Without hesitation, he opened wide and popped it into his mouth.

The Essence Spirit Fruit dissolved instantly, its rich sweetness enveloping his palate. Then, with a burst of energy as mighty as a river, a scorching power ascended from his core, coursing through his limbs and causing his body to shudder.

Without a moment's pause, Lu Chen steadied himself and began the Little Origin Recovering Art—a mid-tier human rank technique.

His complexion, previously flushed, returned to normal in mere moments.

After a brief pause, Lu Chen opened his eyes, took another Essence Spirit Fruit, and consumed it.

Half a day later, he emerged from the cave, stepping out with measured strides.

"I'm at the ninth layer of Body Tempering! Just one step away from the Essence Gathering Stage."

Lu Chen clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and peered outside the cave.

Unbeknownst to him, night had fallen, and the chilly moonlight spilled inside.

Gazing through the cave entrance, he saw what appeared to be countless twinkling red dots in the darkness.

The lights slowly shifted, and a sense of dread filled Lu Chen. These were not mere dots of light; they were the glowing scarlet eyes of the blood wolves, the terror of the Deep Blue Mountain Range!

"Awoo!"

As if to prove Lu Chen's suspicion, a massive howl echoed from outside the cave.

"Awoo! Awoo..."

"Damn, I need to break out now. If I get surrounded, it won't end well!"

Lu Chen's mind raced, and he made his decision in an instant.

"Whoosh!"

He darted out of the cave and took in the sight, his heart chilling anew.

The darkness was alive with innumerable scarlet eyes, encircling the cave completely. He estimated there were at least a thousand blood wolves.

Blood wolves, mid-Rank One Demon Beasts. A single blood wolf was no threat to Lu Chen, but a thousand of them could send even an Essence Gathering Stage warrior fleeing in terror!

"Awoo!"

As Lu Chen searched for an escape route, another howl cut through the darkness. Then, the night air filled with the piercing sound of swift movement as shadows hurtled towards him.

"Kill!"

Lu Chen bellowed, stomping his foot on the ground.

"Crack!"

The earth crumbled beneath him!

Propelled into the air, Lu Chen spread his arms wide, soaring like a mighty roc. He flew several meters, landing in front of a blood wolf, and his right foot came crashing down on its forehead.

With a thunderous boom, the wolf's skull burst open, and its headless body swayed before collapsing to the ground with a resounding thud.

Lu Chen hit the ground running, not daring to pause for even a moment. Pivoting on his left foot, he unleashed the full force of a shockwave through his right leg, viciously lashing out.

Thwack!

A blood wolf that had crept too close took the full brunt of Lu Chen's kick to its waist, exploding into a cloud of blood mist. Its body severed in two at the waist, it died instantly.

But this brief skirmish had cost him precious time, and the pack was now bearing down on him.

Thwack, thwack, thwack...

Surveying his surroundings with a fierce roar, Lu Chen charged into the fray, limbs whirling with an unstoppable force. Each punch and kick he delivered was lethal, and in mere moments, no fewer than twenty blood wolves lay dead by his hand.

His clothes were ripped with claw marks, but luckily, his quick reflexes kept him narrowly evading one crisis after another.

Thwack!

Lu Chen's fist shot out, piercing straight through a blood wolf's torso. The terrifying vibration from his arm resonated with a thud, turning the wolf's body into a spray of blood.

Unabated, the power of his fist plowed forward, obliterating another blood wolf into a pulp.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Punch after punch, he sent several more blood wolves hurtling through the air.

"Phew!"

Moments later, Lu Chen gasped for air, looking around at the wolves that now hesitated, too fearful to advance, and he smirked with contempt.

"Awooo!"

One blood wolf, perhaps sensing the scorn in Lu Chen's smile, let out an enraged howl and crouched low, launching itself at him.

"Seeking death!"

With a scoff, Lu Chen stepped forward and his fist came crashing down.

Boom!

"Aaargh!"

The wolf's pained yelp echoed as it tumbled away, convulsing twice before lying still.

This display of ferocity sent a wave of fear through the pack, and they began to back away, their eyes filled with deep trepidation when looking at Lu Chen.

Relieved, Lu Chen took a moment to catch his breath. Despite his formidable display, having slain nearly a hundred blood wolves, his elemental energy was significantly depleted. If the battle dragged on, he would surely run out of strength.

Lu Chen surveyed the scene and realized that breaking free from the encirclement of the wolf pack was highly unlikely. He cautiously stepped back, widening the gap between himself and the wolves as he neared the cave entrance.

"Awoo!"

Just as Lu Chen was on the verge of entering the cave, a commanding and menacing wolf howl erupted from behind the pack.

"The Wolf King!"

Lu Chen's expression tightened, and the sense of ease he had just felt was quickly replaced by heightened alertness.

True to his anticipation, the sound of the howl seemed to invigorate the previously hesitant blood wolves. They were suddenly energized, howling skyward as their eyes turned a fierce shade of red, and they swarmed toward Lu Chen in a frenzied attack.

Thud!

Lu Chen stepped back into the cave.

The entrance was modest in size, three meters wide and four meters tall, barely large enough to allow a blood wolf to pass through.

"Awoo!"

The leading blood wolf charged with undiminished speed, leaping toward the cave from three meters out.

Thump!

The blood wolf hadn't even touched the ground before Lu Chen's fist sent it flying back out.

The narrow cave entrance could only admit one blood wolf at a time, significantly easing Lu Chen's defensive efforts.

Thud, thud, thud...

He stood within the cave, his vital energy surging as he mechanically swung his fists, relentlessly ending the lives of the blood wolves.

As time inexorably marched on, half an hour had elapsed, and Lu Chen's right arm was throbbing with pain. He couldn't count the number of punches he'd thrown, but outside the cave lay a small hill of wolf carcasses. The dark red blood flowed down, staining the soil far and wide.