Desperate Battle with the Black-Edged Demon Wolf
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Although he’d been hurled dozens of meters away, it was still far better than having his kidney ripped out by the Black-Edged Demon Wolf.
When fighting against demon beasts, it was best to avoid open wounds. Otherwise, the scent of blood could trigger their bloodlust, making them harder to handle.
Moreover, the smell of blood might attract other demon beasts; their sense of smell was exceptionally keen.
“Damn… this brute is really strong.”
He struggled shakily to his feet, using his sword for support.
Just as he managed to stand, the demon wolf was already upon him.
“Hey, hey, hey… you’ve got to be kidding me!”
Fan Qiuming wasn’t truly afraid. After all, it was merely a Foundation Establishment Black-Edged Demon Wolf; if he fought with all his might, he could still kill it.
What he feared were the other demon beasts lurking in the forest. He knew well enough that there wouldn’t be just one Black-Edged Demon Wolf in such a vast forest.
There were certainly other beasts hidden from sight, waiting for him to let down his guard so they could deliver a fatal blow.
At this moment, he activated the All-Seer Pearl in his left eye, examining the information on the Black-Edged Demon Wolf.
Species: Black-Edged Demon Wolf
Age: 48
Realm: Foundation Establishment, First Level
Weakness: Waist
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Trait: Suffers from an old injury
Upon seeing this trait, Fan Qiuming’s eyes lit up.
“There’s an opening at the beast’s back, but I’ll need the right moment.”
He stared intently at the wolf, searching relentlessly for any sign of weakness.
The demon wolf, sensing something, grew more cautious.
Suddenly seizing an opportunity, the wolf pounced at Fan Qiuming, who hurriedly brought his sword across to block.
He was knocked to the ground, dragged several meters with his back scraping against the earth.
The wolf’s claws pressed down on his blade, its sharp fangs gnawing fiercely at the sword, sending up a shower of sparks.
As sturdy as the sword was, it was only iron, no match for the wolf’s teeth—especially since it was just a common iron blade.
Seeing the wolf about to bite the sword in two, Fan Qiuming kicked it in the abdomen, sending it flying through the air. It crashed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
Yet, under cover of the dust, the wolf lunged again, sinking its teeth into Fan Qiuming’s left shoulder and tearing viciously.
His clothes were shredded; his skin was broken and soaked in blood.
Tasting blood, the wolf grew even more frenzied.
“Damn you…”
Fan Qiuming reacted instantly, slashing his sword at the wolf’s throat. The beast released him in time, dodging away.
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“This creature has some skill after all!”
He was gasping for breath, staring at the wound on his shoulder—an appalling sight, with flesh torn to ribbons, and bone faintly visible in the deeper part.
The Black-Edged Demon Wolf seemed almost smug at his sorry state.
Glancing at the nearly destroyed sword in his hand, Fan Qiuming didn’t hesitate to toss it aside. He drew a new one from his storage ring.
“I must stay calm. The only way now is to get close to its waist.”
He muttered to himself, though his left hand couldn’t stop trembling—whether from pain or something else, he didn’t know.
Suddenly, with a reverse grip on his sword, he charged at the wolf, spiritual energy gathering along the blade, aiming straight for the beast’s eye.
Sensing danger, the wolf darted aside, but in the next instant Fan Qiuming vanished.
He reappeared where the wolf dodged, blade sweeping across.
A bloody gash opened on the wolf’s face, blinding its left eye.
Then, Fan Qiuming withdrew again, opening the distance.
Just now, he’d focused a portion of spiritual energy into his legs, using the Spirit Concealing Step to predict the wolf’s evasive move and strike.
Unfortunately, his strength was lacking; the attack wasn’t enough to deal real damage.
The wound wasn’t serious, but the insult was great—now Fan Qiuming had truly enraged the wolf.
The Black-Edged Demon Wolf howled skyward, as if calling for its companions. Dusk was falling; things were turning against Fan Qiuming.
“It has to end quickly.”
He gripped his sword tightly, his spiritual sense detecting more and more Black-Edged Demon Wolves closing in, nearly surrounding him.
Suddenly, the wolf charged recklessly, leaping at Fan Qiuming with no defense, no hesitation.
He sidestepped and brought his sword down upon the wolf’s waist. Instantly, the beast lost all ability to resist.
At that moment, another wolf burst from the trees, lunging at him. Fan Qiuming bent backward to avoid it, supporting himself with his right hand as he kicked the beast, then flipped backward to land steadily.
A third, a fourth wolf attacked in quick succession, each time leaving Fan Qiuming with a new wound.
The attacking wolves, after landing, would immediately turn and lunge again.
Though their cultivation levels varied, their coordination was flawless—they’d clearly done this before.
Before long, Fan Qiuming was drenched in blood, nearly a figure of crimson.
Against the onslaught, he had no way to resist, only managing to slow them with desperate sword swings.
It wouldn’t be long before blood loss left him helpless, prey for the pack.
Suddenly, his right eye began to stir, the color of his pupils shifting—from deep black to blue, then from blue to red, cycling through five hues.
“Demon God’s Eye… Why now?”
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Finally, his pupils settled on a shade of violet. At that moment, Fan Qiuming’s consciousness faded, as if seized by some force.
In the instant his awareness slipped away, a terrifying aura burst forth from him.
The frenzied wolves halted their assault at once, while Fan Qiuming stood motionless.
The violet of the Demon God’s Eye represented the power of the soul.
One Black-Edged Demon Wolf, braving the suppressive force, lunged at him.
Fan Qiuming released a pulse of spiritual energy, sidestepped the attack, and let the wolf crash to the ground. It barely managed a few steps before collapsing, lifeless, its pupils dilated.
Some of the wolves, witnessing this, tried to flee, but Fan Qiuming would not let them escape.
He unleashed an even stronger soul wave. One by one, the surrounding wolves staggered, collapsed, and lay still, eyes blank.
The soul wave Fan Qiuming released overwhelmed every wolf nearby, obliterating their souls instantly.
Once the area fell silent, his consciousness returned—followed by a splitting, soul-deep agony that wracked his entire body.
He collapsed on the spot, barely able to remain conscious. The Demon God’s Eye was not without side effects for him.
It drained his spiritual energy and damaged his soul. If he wasn’t careful, he could end up a soulless, mindless husk.
Which would be worse than death. But this time, Fan Qiuming hadn’t activated the Demon God’s Eye himself—it had seized control of him.
That alone made him uneasy.
He lay writhing in a pool of blood, tormented as though suffering the tightening curse recited by the Tang Monk—only this pain was of the soul.
It took a long while for Fan Qiuming to recover from the agony. By then, he was drenched in blood and covered in wounds.
On the verge of death, he forced himself to retrieve a bottle of pills from his storage ring and swallowed one.
His wounds slowly began to heal, the bleeding finally stopped. Now, Fan Qiuming dared not use his spiritual power; even a thought sent his head throbbing in pain.
Surveying the corpses of the Black-Edged Demon Wolves and the heavy scent of blood, he quickly harvested their beast cores and left, fearing that more predators would be drawn.
Once he reached a relatively safe spot, Fan Qiuming took out the core of the Mingxuan Divine Ruins from his ring and entered the ruins for shelter.
The moment he stepped inside, he collapsed into the lake.
The Fountain of Life was incredibly effective at healing wounds; his injuries slowly began to mend.
While absorbing spiritual energy and recovering, he didn’t neglect his cultivation. Today, he’d only faced Foundation Establishment beasts—what if, next time, he encountered those at the Core Formation or Golden Core stage?
He sat in the shallows, tending his wounds. Compared to the outside world, this place was far safer, so he could rest easy.
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