"Interesting."
Yang Jiu stared at the black figure slowly approaching, his mouth gradually curling into a grin.
As expected of a wolf king capable of leading over fifty black wolves.
That prestige seeping out from its bones, that oppressive feeling naturally radiating as it walked—it truly wasn't something the leaders of those small groups before could compare to. Whether it was Scarface or the Great Remnant from the valley, they both fell short in front of this black wolf king.
Great Remnant still stubbornly protected him from the front, his fur standing on end, a low threat rolling in his throat.
Yang Jiu raised a front paw, gently pressed it against Great Remnant's shoulder, and pushed him to the side.
"Step aside."
Great Remnant was stunned: "Patriarch—"
"Step aside."
Great Remnant obediently shut his mouth and stepped aside to make a path.
Yang Jiu stepped forward.
One step, two steps, three steps—
He stopped ten meters away from the black wolf king.
This distance was enough to see every trace of emotion in the other's eyes, and enough for the other to see him clearly.
Two pairs of amber eyes collided in the air.
The black wolf king didn't move, only narrowing its eyes slightly, seemingly re-evaluating this strange kin who dared to stand before it.
Yang Jiu didn't move either.
The wind blew through the valley entrance, kicking up a few withered leaves that swirled past between the two wolves.
"I wonder..."
Yang Jiu spoke slowly, his voice not loud, yet clearly reaching the ears of every wolf.
"...if you can withstand my Wolf Kings Pressure."
As soon as he finished speaking—
Buzz!
An invisible pressure erupted from him with a bang!
The pressure was like something physical, like an invisible giant wave, sweeping out in all directions with him as the center! The surrounding air seemed to freeze, the gravel on the ground trembled slightly, and even the passing wind stagnated at this moment!
Behind him, Great Remnant and the others lowered their heads in unison and instinctively retreated a few steps—even though they were already used to their patriarch's pressure, even though they had already evolved, at this moment, the instinct from the depths of their bloodline still made them want to prostrate on the ground.
The black wolves surrounding them from a distance trembled even more; several had their legs go weak on the spot and collapsed directly.
But Yang Jiu's gaze remained locked on the black figure ten meters away.
The black wolf king's body suddenly stiffened.
In that instant, it felt as if an invisible mountain had been pressed onto its body. Its limbs trembled slightly, its muscles tensed uncontrollably, and even breathing became difficult.
But it did not collapse.
It gritted its teeth tightly, its whole body shaking, and forced itself to hold on.
In those amber eyes, anger flashed, shock flashed, but there was no fear.
"Roar!!!"
The black wolf king let out a deafening roar, a sound filled with indignation and rage.
Its limbs suddenly exerted force, leaving four deep paw prints on the ground.
That overwhelming pressure still pressed down hard on it, making its bones creak and its muscles tremble wildly—but it did not stop.
Braving the pressure, it lunged at Yang Jiu like a bolt of black lightning!
Its bloody maw opened, its snow-white fangs aiming straight for the throat!
This strike was fast and ruthless, a completely lethal move.
Yang Jiu narrowed his eyes.
A ten-meter distance was but the blink of an eye for an existence of the black wolf king's level.
But he didn't dodge.
He just stood there, quietly watching the black figure getting closer and closer, without even blinking an eye.
Three meters.
Two meters.
One meter—
The black wolf king's fangs were right in front of him, and the stench of its breath hit him in the face!
Then, Yang Jiu moved.
His body shifted slightly, perfectly avoiding the fatal strike, and at the same time, his right front paw suddenly rose—
Thump!
A paw struck the black wolf king's flank squarely.
The black wolf king's massive body was like it had been hit by a charging rhino, flying sideways and smashing heavily into a rock five meters away! The rock shattered on the spot, debris flew everywhere, and dust filled the air.
"Whimper..."
The black wolf king struggled to get up, but the power of that strike was too terrifying. Its hind legs went weak, and it fell to the ground again, letting out a pained whimper from its mouth.
But it still gritted its teeth, desperately propping up its front legs, its whole body trembling as it tried to stand.
Yang Jiu walked slowly to it, looking down at it from above.
"Still not submitting?"
The black wolf king looked up, its amber eyes bloodshot, anger and indignation almost overflowing. It opened its mouth and let out a low growl.
Yang Jiu smiled.
He raised his front paw and gently pressed it on the black wolf king's head.
"Get down."
Two words, very soft.
But that pressure reached its peak at this moment.
The black wolf king's entire body trembled violently, its limbs shaking uncontrollably, and it could no longer hold on—
Thud.
Its front legs gave way, and its entire body prostrated on the ground.
Its head pressed tightly against the dirt, and a low whimper came from deep in its throat.
That was the signal of surrender.
Yang Jiu withdrew his front paw and nodded with satisfaction.
"Wouldn't it have been better if you'd done this earlier?"
He turned around and looked at his group of subordinates who were already dumbfounded.
Great Remnant's mouth was wide open, Scarface's eyes were bulging, and the other dozen or so wolves were also shocked—their patriarch had only used one paw from start to finish?
The corner of Yang Jiu's mouth hooked up.
"What are you standing around for?"
He gestured with his snout toward the den.
"Bring them all over."
"From now on—"
He glanced at the prostrate black wolf king, then at the shivering black wolves.
"They are also members of my Wolf Tribe."
"Yes, Patriarch!!!"
Great Remnant and the others responded excitedly.
Following such a powerful patriarch was simply too exhilarating; their power was expanding rapidly at a crazy speed.
In the past, he wouldn't even have dared to think about it.
A moment later, the old and weak black wolves in the den, along with a few wolf cubs hiding in the depths, were all driven out.
They came before Yang Jiu tremblingly. As soon as they saw that gray figure, they all prostrated on the ground, heads pressed against the dirt, letting out submissive whimpers from their throats.
[Ding—mission complete]
[Strengthen the Wolf Clan—For every additional member of the Wolf Tribe, you can receive one reward]
[New members added this time: 40]
[Received mission rewards: 2,000 EXP, 2,000 Points, 40 portions of Chakra (stored in warehouse)]
The system's cold notification sounded in his mind.
But to Yang Jiu, this sound was more pleasant than any music.
With a thought, the system panel expanded before his eyes—
[Current Level: 2 (2,300/10,000)]
Adding the 2,000 EXP from this time, he was still short by... seven thousand seven hundred?
Yang Jiu did the math in his head and nodded with satisfaction.
Three-quarters of the way there, almost.
He glanced at the point balance again: 3,800.
3,800 points.
He could exchange for quite a few good things now.
But now was not the time to study this.
He withdrew his thoughts and turned his gaze to the group of black wolves shivering violently before him.
Forty new members—the fourteen adult combatants led by the black wolf king, plus over twenty old, weak, and young from the den—were currently all prostrated on the ground, their bodies twitching, and uncontrollable low growls of pain rolling from their throats.
The evolution had begun.
Yang Jiu watched quietly.
He had already seen this twice and was long since used to it. The first time was Great Remnant and the others, the second time was Scarface's batch, and now was the third time.
But every time he saw it, he felt—
It was damn spectacular.
The black wolf king's massive body trembled the most. Under its pitch-black fur, light could be faintly seen surging wildly, muscles bulging and collapsing one by one, and bones making faint creaking sounds.
Its claws plowed deep furrows into the ground, clearly enduring immense pain.
But it gritted its teeth and didn't make a single sound.
Yang Jiu raised an eyebrow.
Interesting.
This black wolf king was even tougher than he had imagined.
A moment later.
The trembling gradually subsided.
The black wolf king was the first to open its eyes.
It slowly lowered its head, looking at its brand-new body—the fur was glossier, the muscles fuller, and the claws and teeth sharper.
It looked up at Yang Jiu.
In its amber eyes, the previous anger and indignation had completely vanished, replaced by deep awe.
"Patri... Patriarch."
It spoke, its voice raspy, but thicker and more powerful than before.
Yang Jiu nodded.
"What is your name?"
The black wolf king was stunned for a moment, then lowered its head.
"In reply to the Patriarch—my name is Hei Sha!"