Howl—!
Four frenzied lightning wolves lifted their heads and let out deafening howls.
Pit pat, pit pat.
Rain fell in sheets from above, forming veils of water that blended together as heavy clouds drifted across the sky.
The gloom darkened the surroundings, making it hard for anyone to see clearly.
"Quick, the northern gate has a breach, quickly go there, Sheng Nan group!"
"Healing Gu Master? We have a heavily injured person here!!"
"Kill, kill, kill! Kill all these bastard wolves!"
The wolves' howls clashed with the Gu Masters' shouts.
Nearly everyone was soaked in blood as they fought with all their strength.
All around the village, battles spread like wildfire.
Cries, rain, and wind blended into a deafening roar.
Countless lightning wolves charged the village walls. The pitfall traps were buried under piles of dead wolves, and the living pressed forward in a relentless surge.
Rank one and two Gu Masters held the front lines, hurling waves of moonblades that tore through the packs.
Even so, the wolves unleashed lightning strikes and crackling orbs, wounding and killing many defenders.
"Elder Fang Yuan, this is the medicine hall's newest injury report, please take a look!" A Gu Master in charge of transmitting information quickly arrived, and after seeing Fang Yuan, greeted him and handed over the report with both hands.
Fang Yuan was now a Rank three Gu Master, thus as a clan elder, his mission by the clan was to lead the Gu Masters in suppressing the western area.
Fang Yuan removed his attention from the battlefield and took the report, saying to the Gu Master, "You may leave."
The Gu Master paid his respects and quickly departed.
Using a Gu worm, he sped off to the next location. Any Gu Master tasked with delivering information had at least one mobility-type Gu, and some carried two.
Fang Yuan opened the report and glanced over it.
The casualty numbers were startling.
So far, the wolf tide had attacked more than ten times, causing heavy losses among the clan's Gu Masters.
This constant strain left the elders frantic, while Gu Yue Chi Zhong, now managing the medicine hall, felt immense pressure.
In just a few days, new strands of white hair had appeared on his head.
But Fang Yuan, armed with memories of his past life, had already anticipated this and remained unfazed.
"This wolf tide is one of the most severe ones in the Gu Yue clan's history. Such injuries and death is unavoidable." He thought this in his heart, and as moonlight gathered in his palm, he reduced this report to ashes.
Only clan elders had permission to read this report. If the information spread, it would trigger unrest among the people.
Even so, the Gu Yue clan was already growing anxious, with fear and uncertainty increasing every day.
Fang Yuan's mind entered his aperture.
Inside his aperture, the walls pulsed with a steady glow, completely pure and free of any impurities.
His primeval essence was bright white with a faint metallic silver sheen—this was the mark of a Rank three Gu Master's white silver primeval essence.
The liquid gathered into a white silver sea.
Before, black-red residue floated on the surface, but it was now gone.
The Cleansing Water Gu he had taken from Gu Yue Chi Lian had already been used to remove the Man-beast Life Burial Gu's side effects.
This cleansing, however, came at a cost.
Fang Yuan's aptitude had dropped slightly from 44% C-grade to 42%.
Still, he had expected this outcome.
In truth, he owed much to Gu Yue Chi Lian. Without the Cleansing Water Gu, if the residue had been left any longer, his aptitude would have fallen even further.
Howl!
At this point, a loud shrill wolf howl suddenly entered everyone's ears.
Fang Yuan gathered his spirits.
"Lord clan elder, the frenzy lightning wolf has entered the battle! Gu Yue Jiang Jian and two others elders are at the eastern gate blocking them, they hope you can go and assist," a Gu Master frantically reported.
Crack!
A burst of lightning sounded as two wings formed on Fang Yuan's back.
Shaped from blue lightning, the wings were abstract and simple, but with a single flap, they lifted him high into the sky.
He shot toward the eastern gate at great speed.
Flying straight through the air, he reached the battlefield within moments.
The frenzy lightning wolf was attacking the eastern gate, while several clan elders fought to hold it back.
Suddenly, the wolf leaped out of the melee and swung its tail at a female Rank one Gu Master standing near the edge.
This Gu Master's face went pale. She could only hear the sound of the winds blowing as the wolf tail swept at her, and in her heart she screamed - "I'm doomed!"
With her strength, she couldn't dodge or withstand the blow.
But at that critical moment, a shadow dropped from above and pulled her away.
The girl felt everything spin around her. When she came to, she realized she was airborne, while the wolf's tail swept past just below. A two-story bamboo building took the impact and shuddered violently.
Her face paled. If that strike had hit her directly, she would have been crushed to pieces.
It dawned on her that she had been rescued.
Who had saved her?
She looked up and froze in shock.
It was him—Gu Yue Fang Yuan!
Her heart filled with tangled emotions she couldn't put into words.
They had been classmates, and she had once hated him for extorting her primeval stones.
But she couldn't deny his accomplishments. Learning he had become a clan elder had left her stunned and awed.
Though she was also a C-grade talent, she was still only Rank one.
And now, Fang Yuan had saved her life.
Gratitude flooded her heart.
In that moment of shock and admiration, her old resentment disappeared completely.
"The battlefield here is dangerous, retreat far away." Fang Yuan's wings flapped, landing on the ground and placing her down gently.
He vaguely remembered this young girl. They had likely been classmates, though her name escaped him.
Without another word, he turned away and left. This time, he didn't fly but sprinted back into the fight.
Though the Thunderwings Gu gave him great speed, it also drained primeval essence rapidly. As a C-grade talent, his essence reserves were the lowest among Rank three Gu Masters, so he had to be careful not to waste it.
Blood Moon Gu!
He unleashed a blood-red moonblade.
When it struck the frenzy lightning wolf, the wound began bleeding nonstop.
The girl kept watching Fang Yuan's silhouette, her gaze dazed. Slowly, a strange light rose in her eyes. Seventeen to eighteen years of age, this is the prime of youth.
"This Fang Yuan, what do you think of him?" Far away, Gu Yue Bo looked at this scene and asked a close aid.
The aid replied, "I heard that elder Fang Yuan had already answered the call of the medicine hall and handed in the Nine Leaf Vitality Grass in his possession. He gave his uncle and aunt the first payout, even though he had not received it yet, as a filial gesture. These days, he had struck personally and participated in killing lightning wolves. His aggressive and ruthless attacks have gained him much battle merits. Not only that, after saving many clansmen this time, his reputation is improving. The clan already has rumors—him turning over a new leaf, the Fang faction's new clan elder etc."
"This subordinate thinks that, although he is only a C-grade talent, with his impressive battle capabilities, he had gotten great opportunities. First with his parents inheritance, the Nine Leaf Vitality Grass became a continuous source of income. Using two red steel Relic Gu, he managed to cultivate to Rank three, but also had an element of luck."
As he spoke, the close aide showed a hint of envy.
He was also a C-grade talent but had only reached Rank two after spending half his life cultivating. Meanwhile, Fang Yuan, just seventeen, was already a clan elder.
Competing with such people was truly frustrating.
Hearing this, Gu Yue Bo nodded slightly.
His aide's view reflected most of the clan's opinions, though it lacked depth.
After years as clan leader, Gu Yue Bo saw further.
Fang Yuan submitting the Nine Leaf Vitality Grass clearly meant he had made a deal with Gu Yue Chi Zhong. Giving his payout to his relatives wasn't simple kindness but a calculated gesture.
The one who spread word of it had been Gu Yue Chi Zhong.
And as for rescuing others—whether that was sincere remained questionable.
Still, no matter the motives, Fang Yuan had stopped isolating himself, and his actions deserved recognition.
Rising to clan elder and taking these steps showed he was making an effort to integrate with and support the clan.
Such contributions and alliances were essential to the clan's strength.
Thinking so, Gu Yue Bo instructed, "Those people in the Hidden hall, these few days they also did not find anything from their investigations. Forget it, withdraw the investigations on Fang Yuan for now."
"Yes, this subordinate shall inform them now." Saying so, he took his leave.
Gu Yue Bo stood on the ground, squinting.
He thought in his heart, "No matter what's the reason, his cultivation still rose too quickly. This Fang Yuan, he has a great secret on him! However in this period, with the severity of the wolf tide, every bit of strength is needed, and wasting it on Fang Yuan is too wasteful. Investigation is still necessary, but this can only wait after the wolf tide."