The gorge roared with sound—blades clashing, boots scraping stone, the guttural growls of more beasts stirred by blood. Zhao Kun pressed forward, face twisted with hatred.
"You humiliate me before the sect, cripple! Here, no witnesses, no elders—only death!"
Lin Xuan's spear whirled in a fluid arc, wood striking steel, redirecting Zhao Kun's slash. The shock rippled up Zhao Kun's arms, nearly numbing his wrists. Lin Xuan's calm eyes reflected torchlight, unshaken.
He fights with rage. Rage leaves gaps.
[System Notice: Iron Fang Sword – sequence adapted. Counter trajectory calculated.]
Lin Xuan shifted, his spear tracing the exact arc Zhao Kun had just used, refined to perfection. Zhao Kun stumbled back, horror flickering. "You—again!"
Two more disciples rushed from either side, blades flashing. Lin Xuan pivoted, spear butt striking one's ribs with a crack, tip slashing across the other's forearm, sending his sword clattering.
But the ambush wasn't over. From above, another lackey dropped with daggers gleaming.
Before Lin Xuan could turn, Wu Ming's shrill yell split the air.
"Senior Brother, duck!"
A rock whizzed overhead, striking the attacker's temple with a dull thud. The disciple crashed to the ground, cursing.
Wu Ming stood on a ledge, arms full of stones, face pale but determined. "Don't worry! I, the mighty Laughing Blade, shall pelt your enemies into submission!"
His next stone flew wide, nearly hitting Lin Xuan instead.
"…Or submission may take longer," Wu Ming muttered.
Even Zhao Kun's lackeys hesitated at the absurdity.
Lin Xuan exhaled softly. Clowns still serve as shields.
From the rear, the timid girl from Lin Xuan's Seven Stars squad stumbled into the clearing with the lanky boy and two others. Their eyes widened at the sight of steel flashing.
"What's happening?!" she gasped.
Zhao Kun snarled. "Stay back! This is between us and him!"
Lin Xuan's calm voice cut through the chaos. "No. It's between wolves and sheep. Choose quickly which you are."
The girl trembled, then lifted her chipped sword. Her stance wavered, but her eyes burned. The lanky boy followed, awkward but resolute.
For the first time, Lin Xuan was not entirely alone.
The gorge erupted into chaos.
Zhao Kun's sword clashed with Lin Xuan's spear again and again, sparks flying.
Wu Ming hurled stones from above, shouting insults louder than his aim was true.
The timid girl slashed wildly at a lackey, driving him back with desperation rather than skill.
The lanky boy tripped, but his fall knocked another disciple's legs out from under him.
Beasts stirred deeper in the gorge, their howls echoing closer.
Lin Xuan's spear cut patterns through the air, every movement calm, precise. Each strike dismantled another attack, each motion refined from what he had seen.
[System Notice: Gale Slash mastered. Efficiency: 100%.]Lin Xuan's spear thrust forward with a sudden gust, wind whistling sharply along the shaft. Zhao Kun's guard shattered, his chest nearly pierced—only a desperate roll saved him.
Gasps erupted. Even Zhao Kun's lackeys faltered.
"Monster!" Zhao Kun spat, scrambling to his feet. "You steal everything!"
Lin Xuan's voice was cold, his gaze unyielding. "No. I perfect what you waste."
The earth trembled. From the shadows, another Shadowfang Wolf slunk forth, drawn by the blood. Its eyes glowed, fangs dripping venom.
The disciples froze.
Zhao Kun hissed, "Damn it! That thing will kill us all—"
But Lin Xuan stepped forward calmly, spear in hand. "Then fight, or die screaming."
The beast lunged. Lin Xuan's spear swept, striking its jaw aside. Wu Ming pelted stones at its flanks, yelling nonsense about being a "wolf-tamer extraordinaire." The girl's sword nicked its side, and the boy's clumsy stumble tangled its paws for a moment.
Together, messy but desperate, they pushed it back. Lin Xuan's spear found its heart, driving clean through. The beast collapsed with a shuddering growl.
Silence fell heavily. The lackeys staggered back, bloodied, gasping. Zhao Kun's sword trembled in his grip, his face pale.
Lin Xuan stood calm, spear dripping wolf's blood onto stone. His gaze swept them once, steady as mountains.
"If you want to kill me," he said softly, "bring sharper blades. And stronger hearts."
No one moved. Even the whispers of the gorge seemed to still.
Then Wu Ming's voice piped up, breathless but triumphant. "Senior Brother! Did you see? I hit a wolf with a rock! I think I've ascended to Wolf-Slaying Realm!"
The tension broke. Some disciples laughed nervously, others stared in shock. Zhao Kun only ground his teeth, hatred smoldering.
As they regrouped, another howl rolled through the gorge—deeper, darker, carrying a weight that froze spines.
Lin Xuan lifted his spear, eyes narrowing. That was no ordinary wolf.
The gorge was not done testing them. And Meng Zhao's schemes had only just begun.