Chapter 31: The White Wolf King
The blood pool churned, and the stench of gore filled the air.
The moment the blood-red wolf shadow lunged, Chen Chang'an's figure blurred abruptly, like a fallen leaf scattered by a fierce wind. He narrowly dodged the blow, an attack powerful enough to tear an ordinary Profound-Connecting Realm cultivator to pieces.
"Boom!"
The spot where he had been standing was pulverized by the impact, the stone wall collapsing in a shower of shattered rock.
"A mere Profound-Connecting Realm cultivator dares to spy on this place?" The man's voice from the blood pool was hoarse, dripping with condescending disdain.
Chen Chang'an steadied himself, a strange smile playing on his lips. Strictly speaking, this was only the second time he'd fought someone since he'd crossed over.
But compared to his battle with that black serpent, this attack felt as feeble as child's play. The bully-the-weak-and-fear-the-strong mentality immediately took over, and Chen Chang'an couldn't resist a sarcastic retort. "So what if you're in the Origin-Returning Realm? To kill you, I don't need to be at the same level."
Before his words had even faded, he made a grasping motion with his right hand. A transparent longsword, condensed from True Essence, materialized from thin air. The blade was edgeless, yet it flowed with a mysterious Dao charm.
"Heaven-Defying Sword—!"
The man in the blood pool snorted coldly. The blood-red wolf shadow pounced again, its claws tearing through the air with a piercing shriek.
Chen Chang'an didn't dodge or evade. Instead, he drew a perfect arc with the longsword in front of him.
"Clang—"
The sound of clashing metal rang out. The blood-red wolf's sharp claws were stopped dead by the seemingly fragile arc of light, unable to advance an inch!
"What?" The man in the pool's pupils contracted.
With a flick of his wrist, Chen Chang'an's sword movements flowed like water, seamlessly and precisely intercepting every one of the wolf shadow's pounces. His swordsmanship held no killing intent, yet it acted like an invisible barrier that his opponent's tidal wave of attacks could not breach.
"That sword technique..." The black-clothed steward's face changed dramatically. "It's the legendary 'Heaven-Defying Sword'! It's said that when mastered, it can block any attack from a cultivator of the same realm!"
A flicker of apprehension crossed the blood pool man's eyes, quickly replaced by a savage grin. "A pity for you, I am an Origin-Returning Realm master! So what if your defense is strong? Let's see how long you can last!"
He formed a seal with his hands. The blood in the pool began to boil, transforming into dozens of blood arrows that shot toward Chen Chang'an from all directions!
Faced with the overwhelming barrage, Chen Chang'an's sword stance remained steady.
"Ting! Ting! Ting—"
A curtain of sword light blocked the blood arrows one by one. But the spiritual power of an Origin-Returning Realm expert was immense, and each impact sent a numbing jolt up Chen Chang'an's arm.
I can't fight him head-on... his mind raced. This avatar only has the cultivation of the Profound-Connecting Realm. A prolonged battle is a losing battle.
Suddenly, he intentionally revealed an opening. A blood arrow pierced through his sword curtain and stabbed viciously into his shoulder!
"Pfft!"
Blood splattered. Chen Chang'an let out a muffled grunt and staggered back.
"Is that all you've got!" the man in the pool laughed. "After him! Don't let him escape!"
Clutching his wound, Chen Chang'an turned to flee. His speed was now noticeably slower; he even "accidentally" knocked over a few wooden crates at a corner, appearing utterly battered.
The black-clothed steward and two commanders immediately gave chase. The man from the pool also transformed into a bloody shadow, in hot pursuit.
Silence quickly returned to the secret chamber.
A moment later, a figure appeared silently beside the blood pool—it was Chen Chang'an!
"They fell for it, just as I thought." He wiped the "blood" from the corner of his mouth. Where was the slightest sign of injury?
It turned out the blood arrow had indeed hit him, but at the instant of impact, he had used his spiritual power to create an illusion, making the wound look ten times more severe than it actually was.
"A bunch of fools, happily chasing after a mere avatar," he scoffed, his gaze falling upon the stone wall behind the blood pool.
From the very beginning of the fight, his divine sense had detected an unusual fluctuation of spiritual power there—behind the stone wall was a hidden passage!
"It's just an external avatar anyway. It won't hurt to lose it." Without hesitation, Chen Chang'an walked to the wall. He gathered the power of moonlight at his fingertips and drew a breaking rune on its surface.
"Click."
The stone wall slid open without a sound, revealing a deep and narrow passage. A cold, gloomy wind blew from its depths, carrying a rotten stench.
Chen Chang'an took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The passage snaked downwards, getting deeper and deeper.
The walls were carved with ancient runes, some of which were blurred and indistinct, but Chen Chang'an still recognized a few—they were ancient seals used to imprison great and terrible beasts!
"What exactly is hidden beneath this City Lord's mansion?" His vigilance grew.
After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the path ahead suddenly opened up.
Chen Chang'an's pupils shrank—
At the end of the passage was a massive underground cavern!
In the center of the cavern stood a bronze altar, and chained upon it was a colossal...
White wolf!
Its fur was as white as snow, but most of it was dry and had fallen out, revealing scarred skin underneath. Nine chains inscribed with runes pierced its limbs and back, binding it firmly to the altar.
Most shocking of all, a blood-red crystal pillar was embedded in the white wolf's chest, clearly of the same origin as the demon crystal in the blood pool outside!
As if sensing the presence of a living person, the white wolf slowly raised its head, revealing a pair of...
Golden, vertical pupils!
"Human, haven't I already told you?" the wolf spoke, its voice hoarse and majestic, yet tinged with humiliation and helplessness. "My lifespan is nearly at its end. There is no more blood to take."
Chen Chang'an didn't answer, merely staring. The white wolf lay collapsed on the altar, its body like a fallen mountain. Its once snow-white fur was now as withered as autumn grass, having fallen out in large patches to reveal wrinkled, grayish-white skin.
Its breathing was heavy and slow; with each inhalation, its gaunt ribs protruded like dry branches, looking as if they might snap at any moment.
Its eyes—the pair of golden vertical pupils that had once made all beasts submit—were now as murky as dusty amber, the pupils dilated and the light dim. Its eyelids drooped heavily, as if even opening them exhausted all its strength.
Nine chains pierced its body. The wounds had long since stopped bleeding, leaving only dark red scabs like a dry riverbed. Its claws—once capable of tearing mountains apart—were now broken and yellowed, like dead tree roots.
The most horrifying sight was the blood-red crystal pillar in its chest. The flesh around the pillar had long since rotted away, exposing the bone beneath, yet it no longer had the strength to even feel the pain. It only twitched occasionally, proving it was still alive.
Its aura was so faint it was almost imperceptible, like a lamp about to run out of oil, flickering in the wind, ready to be extinguished at any moment.
As Chen Chang'an approached, the white wolf slowly raised its head, its movements as sluggish as a dying old man. A low whimper escaped its throat, its voice raspy and broken:
"You... you are not one of them..."
Its teeth were loose and had fallen out, causing it to lisp when it spoke. Dried flecks of blood clung to the corners of its mouth.
Chen Chang'an could feel it. Its flame of life was as weak as a candle in the wind, on the verge of being extinguished completely.
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