Chapter Twenty-Two: One After Another

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They had more pressing matters ahead; judging by the numbers, at most there were twenty wolves, which would be easy enough to handle.
“It’s the Red Moon now. The wolves are likely in a powerful state,” Hao Yun said gravely, touching his forehead.
The Book of Beasts only mentioned the full moon, indicating that during the Red Moon, wolves would unleash their wildness, growing long fangs. How much their attack strength increased remained unknown.
But there was no doubt their damage would be enhanced—unknown threats are always harder to face than familiar ones.
Hao Po’s eyes were wide, seemingly unaffected by the situation. He was surveying the surroundings, waiting for the light to fully blossom. When the brilliance reached its peak, it would be time to slay the wolves.
The crystal fragments shifted gradually; as the light struck the ground, it brightened bit by bit, slowly resembling daylight.
Yet there was still a difference. Each wolf’s body radiated a red glow—whether this was caused by the crystals or the Red Moon, it looked exceedingly strange.
The trees illuminated, and the red glow on the wolves became even eerier. The sky brightened—was this the moment the light source bloomed?
Hao Po moved his hand; the sword vanished from his grip, a flash of light and shadow. His right arm swept forward, carving an arc in the air.
The surrounding leaves were instantly blown away; with careful observation, one could see the air being compressed.
A beam of light slashed forward, forming a crescent moon, instantly cutting through the forest and vanishing without a trace.
A wolf’s howl echoed from the woods, as if struck, and the trees began to sway.
Silence fell over the forest—no more howls, not even the rustle of leaves.
Hao Po’s strike, from drawing to sheathing the blade, happened in a single instant—completed in the blink of an eye.
Internal force unleashed! The blade’s aura flashed across dozens of meters! Innate True Qi? Ruoxi’s eyes widened in astonishment.
Innate True Qi can project outside the body, but only for an inch. How could he reach dozens of meters? Was his realm even higher?
At this stage, power surges throughout the body, capable of tearing air currents and transforming them into True Qi—such strength is truly rare in the world.
Strike, sheath.
“Go!” Hao Po darted toward the light, his feet shining with force, the sound of breaking air as if compressing the atmosphere.
“The alpha wolf is dead—now the pack is leaderless, it should be much easier!” Hao Yun said, his gaze fixed on where the blade’s aura fell.
“Move! ... Don’t fall behind!” Hao Tian watched Hao Po forging ahead with full strength—was there something more dangerous ahead, requiring him to clear the way first?
Ruoxi and Xiaoshan exchanged a glance and hurried after him. They had no idea what their purpose was, nor the path they should take.
Next time, they must clarify these things before setting out—their approach this time was reckless and confused.
The surrounding wolves wandered erratically, mouths opening and closing as if whispering to each other.
“Awooo!”

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A wolf’s howl echoed across the night sky, rough and low.
The most immediate impression was one of restraint, misery, and terror. Xiaoshan shuddered at the sound, feeling goosebumps rise across his arms.
Goosebumps!
A Red Moon hung in the sky, surrounded by wolves baring their teeth, ready to pounce and tear their prey apart.
Nothing could be more frightening than this.
The wolves’ eyes grew brighter upon hearing the howl, and even the night seemed to lighten.
The wolves moved, whether out of impatience or fear that the prey might escape, launching their attack.
It was the signal to charge!
“Watch out for their fangs!” Hao Yun warned, always mindful of this feature.
Under the crystal light, the fangs appeared white; under the Red Moon, they glowed red.
Whether due to the moonlight or another cause, they had changed.
Hao Yun could not be mistaken—his memory was flawless, and such a distinctive trait would not slip his mind.
The wolves moved; the pack remained orderly in their attack, not a single wolf more than a meter ahead of another, cooperating seamlessly.
Soon, the wolves caught up, targeting Xiaoshan, who had fallen behind.
Within a hundred meters, the pack suddenly accelerated, focusing on the rearmost prey.
One wolf broke from the group, lunging at Xiaoshan’s thigh with its jaws.
Xiaoshan’s mind raced, searching for ways to minimize the injury. He shifted his steps slightly, but not enough to dodge the attack.
The wolf’s fangs sank into his thigh, its head shaking violently, as if determined to rip the limb off.
Xiaoshan winced, his leg jerking involuntarily, flinging the wolf off. He swung his sword at the wolf’s head.
The wolf, startled, released his thigh and was thrown aside.
The pack, seeing their vanguard thrown off, showed no reaction, bypassing the fallen wolf to pursue their prey.
Their teamwork never faltered; whenever one wolf was struck down, another immediately attacked Xiaoshan.
This time, a wolf targeted his left leg, perhaps judging that the sword in his right hand would be harder to strike with.
Xiaoshan’s pace was slightly slower, and the wolf seized the chance, biting his leg.
Barely had Xiaoshan registered the pain from the first bite when the other leg was caught as well.

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He tried the same method—shaking his left leg, causing the wolf biting him to sway, but the jaws remained locked.
He wanted to use his sword, but realized he was running, making it difficult to reach his left leg.
A pack of wolves behind him prevented any pause.
“Use your hand!”
Xiaoshan’s eyes lit up. He reached for the wolf’s head, channeling his sole reserve of energy through his left arm.
The wolf sensed it, its head’s frantic shaking slowed.
Xiaoshan’s large hand gripped the wolf’s head tightly. The wolf’s fore and hind paws flailed, searching for purchase, but to no avail.
With his fingers wrapped around the wolf’s head, its jaws released his thigh.
“Awooo!” With a cry, the wolf was flung to the side.
“Run faster! Draw your sword! Use it to kill the wolves!” Hao Yun shouted, his hands never stopping. With a single thrust, his blade flashed—a deadly white entering, a bloody red leaving. Every strike felled a wolf.
“So powerful!” Xiaoshan was stunned by the scene.
He looked at Hao Tian—Hao Tian was even more formidable. Unlike Hao Yun, who fought defensively, Hao Tian attacked offensively, rushing to slay any nearby wolf. Each strike was precise and lethal.
Xiaoshan glanced at his own sword, debating whether to draw it.
“Focus! Especially you, Xiaoshan!” Hao Yun watched the whole field, reminding them.
“Maybe I could kill a wolf with a single strike, too,” Xiaoshan muttered, watching Hao Tian and the others, filled with confidence yet worried that he might freeze in place, unable to move...
“If I don’t use my sword, both legs will be wounded! But what if I do draw it?” Xiaoshan looked at them with deep envy—their skill so high, they had nothing to fear.
Even Ruoxi was unscathed; though her swordplay looked strenuous, she managed to fend off the assault.
Xiaoshan knew indecision was the bane of a martial artist. Some things must be considered carefully to find the best choice.
But while he pondered, two or three wolves charged at him, throwing him into confusion.
He swept his right hand in a circle around his body, causing the wolves to retreat half a step, but one seized the opening and bit his left leg.
Helpless, Xiaoshan grabbed the wolf’s head with his left hand and flung it aside.
He realized he could not hesitate any longer—the wolves kept coming, and his own clumsiness would only leave him overwhelmed. If he kept thinking, who knew what would happen next.