Chapter 24: Hunting the Demon Wolf

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Hunting the Demon Wolf

The three of them followed the blood trail into the forest.

Dark spots stained the grass and tree roots at uneven intervals.

Some were already half-dry, but they were still easy to track.

Han Jin stayed in front, sword in hand, his peak Qi Refinement aura faintly released.

Su Qin walked on the left, eyes scanning the surroundings.

And Li Jian followed behind them at a steady pace, in no hurry to step into the front.

The deeper they went, the quieter the forest became.

Ordinary birds and small beasts had clearly fled.

There was broken branches, overturned soil, and deep claw marks appeared more frequently along the path.

The Ironback Demon Wolf had not run in a straight line.

It seem it had staggered, crashed into trees, then forced itself farther in.

Han Jin suddenly raised a hand.

"Stop."

Li Jian and Su Qin halted behind him.

A few steps ahead, the blood trail led into a shallow ravine covered by dense bushes.

And a heavy, rotten-beast smell drifted out from inside, mixed with it was the sharp scent of blood.

Han Jin’s eyes turned cold.

"It’s inside."

Then a low, weak growl answered from the ravine, as if confirming his words.

Rustle...

The bushes shook.

Then... the Ironback Demon Wolf dragged itself out from the shadows.

Its condition was far worse than last night.

The wound on its flank was still open, and the cut on its rear leg made every step unsteady.

Dark blood matted the hardened fur along its back. Even so, its green eyes remained fierce.

When it saw the three of them, it bared its fangs and let out a hoarse angry roar.

ROAR!

Han Jin did not give it time to recover.

"Su Qin, lock its legs. I’ll take the head."

"Got it!"

Su Qin immediately formed a series of hand seals.

ZING!

ZING!

ZING!

Several wind blades shot out and cut toward the wolf’s injured legs.

The beast tried to leap aside, but its wounded rear leg failed it.

One blade slashed across its ankle and forced it down onto one side.

Han Jin was already moving.

His sword flashed under the morning light and slammed into the wolf’s neck.

CLANG!

Sparks burst as the blade scraped against the remaining iron-like fur, but this time the beast was too weak to fully block.

The sword sank in deeper, tearing through flesh.

SPLURT!

The Ironback Demon Wolf let out a pained roar and swung its claw wildly.

Han Jin pulled back just in time, then stepped in again and drove another heavy slash into the same wound.

SLASH!

SPURT!

Blood sprayed across the grass.

Li Jian remained behind Su Qin, watching the fight with a calm expression.

There was no need for him to step forward.

That was exactly what the 1,000 points had been spent for.

Still, he couldn’t help but admire the strength of these two powerful cultivators as they fought.

And as he watched them clash, a strange feeling slowly rose within him.

The wolf struggled a few more times, but its movements gradually grew sluggish.

Han Jin’s next strike finally cut deep enough.

The massive body shuddered before collapsing onto the dirt.

Thud.

After one last hoarse growl, it stopped moving.

Silence returned to the ravine.

Han Jin stood over the corpse, breathing a little heavier than usual.

He wiped the blood from his sword and spoke coldly.

"It’s done."

Su Qin lowered her hands and let out a quiet breath.

A thin layer of sweat showed on her forehead, but she was unharmed.

Li Jian walked closer and looked down at the dead Ironback Demon Wolf.

An 8th Stage Qi Refinement demon beast.

If he had come alone, this thing would have torn him apart before he even had the chance to run.

He crouched down, checked the iron-like plates along its back, then smiled faintly.

"Senior Brother Han’s strength is reliable as expected. I would have been dead without you here."

Han Jin glanced at him, his expression still cold, and scoffed.

"Don’t waste any more time. Cut out the beast core and take a few useful materials. That’s enough to prove the mission is complete."

Su Qin took out a short blade and began handling the corpse with practiced movements.

Before long, a dark-red beast core the size of a pigeon egg was removed from the wolf’s body, along with several pieces of hardened back hide and two intact fangs.

Li Jian accepted the beast core when Su Qin handed it over and stored it away.

[Mission target eliminated.]

Of course, the system did not care about sect missions.

But Li Jian did.

Completing this task meant contribution points, a clean record, and more importantly, surviving Zhao Ming’s scheme.

He stood up and looked toward the direction of Qinghe Village.

"Let’s go back first. The villagers will probably want to see the proof and ease their minds."

Han Jin nodded and turned around.

They had only walked a short distance out of the ravine when... a deep roar exploded through the forest.

ROAARRR!!

It was nothing like the injured Ironback Demon Wolf from before.

This roar was heavier, thicker, and filled with a violent pressure that made the surrounding trees tremble.

Birds burst out of the canopy in every direction.

Even the air seemed to sink for a moment.

Han Jin’s face changed instantly.

"Run!"

He didn’t explain or hesitate.

He simply grabbed Li Jian by the shoulder, shoved him forward, and sprinted.

Su Qin’s expression also tightened.

She immediately followed, her full figure flashing through the trees as she circulated her qi to the limit.

Li Jian did not waste time asking questions.

The moment that roar hit, he already understood that the situation had gone beyond the original mission.

They had only run a few dozen steps when the bushes on both sides of the path burst open.

And several dark figures shot out.

It was the same demon wolves.

There were five of them at first glance, each one large and fierce, their green eyes locked onto the three fleeing cultivators.

Most of them were around the 6th to 8th Stage of Qi Refinement.

That alone was already troublesome.

Then the trees behind them split apart.

And... a much larger wolf stepped out.

Its body was nearly twice the size of the one they had just killed.

The fur along its back was even darker, and the iron-like plates covering its spine looked thicker and more complete.

A savage aura erupted from it without restraint.

Peak 9th Stage of Qi Refinement.

Han Jin’s pupils shrank.

"A pack... and an alpha!"

The peak 9th Stage wolf let out another roar.

The smaller wolves immediately charged from both flanks, cutting off the path back toward Qinghe Village.

Su Qin sent out several wind blades, forcing two of the 6th Stage wolves to stumble, but she could not stop all of them.

Han Jin slashed apart one wolf that lunged at Li Jian, then shouted without looking back,

"Don’t stop! If that 9th Stage one catches us here, we’re finished!"

Even Han Jin wasn’t confident in taking on the alpha wolf alone.

Much less when he also needed to protect Li Jian and fight the other smaller wolves.

The best choice now was to run.

Li Jian ran hard, his 3rd Stage Qi Refinement body already straining.

"Haa... haa... damn it!"

The pressure coming from the alpha wolf made his chest feel tight.

Every step behind them was accompanied by crashing trees, snarls, and the sound of heavy bodies tearing through the undergrowth.

One 7th Stage wolf leapt down from the side and nearly reached him.

Su Qin appeared in front of him at the last moment and kicked the beast away, her face pale from the sudden burst of speed.

"Stay behind me!"

Li Jian clicked his tongue in his heart.

A single injured 8th Stage wolf was already the mission.

Now there’s a whole pack, and one at the peak of the 9th Stage...

This was no longer something Zhao Ming could have arranged so casually.

Either the mission information had been incomplete from the start... or he was simply unlucky.

The alpha wolf’s roar exploded again from behind, much closer than before.

Han Jin’s voice turned sharp.

"There’s a slope ahead! Keep running and don’t look back!"

The three of them burst through the trees and suddenly saw the ground drop away.

It was not a gentle slope.

A broken cliff edge opened in front of them, half-hidden by vines and mist.

Below it was only darkness and the sound of rushing water.

Behind them, the wolf pack crashed through the forest, and the peak 9th Stage alpha was already close enough that its killing intent pressed against their backs.

Han Jin did not hesitate.

"Jump!"

He grabbed Li Jian by the collar and dragged him over the edge.

Su Qin cursed under her breath and leapt after them.

Wind roared past Li Jian’s ears.

For a brief moment he saw tree branches, stone, and white mist spinning together.

Then his back smashed into something hard, his vision flashed, and everything went black.