The forest trembled. The air cracked under the pressure of two auras colliding.
Wei Ji's foot pressed into the soil, splintering it as his figure blurred forward. Bang! A green streak shot toward the massive wolf crouched between the trees. Its yellow eyes gleamed under the moonlight, cold and predatory.
"Come on then," Wei Ji muttered, eyes narrowing. "Let's see how strong you really are."
The beast growled, the sound deep like a drum in the earth. The ground rippled beneath its claws as it lunged. Its enormous paw came crashing down with a sound like thunder splitting the night.
Wei Ji ducked low, his robe fluttering. The pressure from the swing brushed past his hair. "Too slow," he said under his breath. He pushed off the ground and aimed a strike at its leg. His hand glowed green as spiritual energy flared.
Thud!
The strike hit its mark. The wolf stumbled backward, dirt scattering, trees shaking from the recoil. But Wei Ji's eyes widened slightly. The impact was… softer than he expected. "What?" he muttered. "That's it?"
The wolf snarled and lunged again, faster this time. Wei Ji raised his hand, tracing a small circle in the air. A glowing green vine burst out from the earth, wrapping around the wolf's paw mid-swing. The beast roared, its strength tearing half the vines apart, but still—it struggled.
Wei Ji's breathing was calm. His eyes darted left, right, gauging its speed, the rhythm of its movements, how it breathed. Every attack, every dodge, every tremor under its feet—he watched everything.
"So this is you?" he whispered. "The same kind that tore through five sects in one night?" He exhaled slowly, remembering the fire, the screams, the blood. His mind flashed with faces—disciples, elders, brothers. One by one, their expressions returned to him.
"Master!"
"Run! The wolf is coming!"
"I can't… I can't move my legs, Master Wei! Leave me!"
Wei Ji clenched his jaw.
That night had been chaos. The howls never stopped. The ground shook for hours. He remembered the stench of blood that clung to his robe for weeks, even after washing it a hundred times. He remembered the dying voice of his head disciple.
"Master… don't blame yourself. Protect… the others…"
And then silence.
His hand trembled as he watched the wolf before him growl and thrash. The same golden eyes, the same shape of fangs—except this time, the beast was weaker. It wasn't the nightmare that slaughtered thousands. It was small. Fragile even.
Wei Ji's lips curved into a cold smile. "So you were once the terror of heaven, huh?" he whispered. "Now look at you."
The wolf lunged again, desperate, wild. Wei Ji moved with an eerie calmness. He side-stepped, his hand flicking, forming another green seal. Bang! Roots exploded from the ground, wrapping around the wolf's neck and hind legs.
"Stay," Wei Ji said quietly. He looked up at the moon, his voice distant. "I used to dream about you, you know. Night after night. The blood, the screams. My people dying one after another." His eyes lowered, dark and sharp. "But now…"
He slammed his foot down. Crack! The vines tightened. The wolf yelped, its huge body crashing to the ground.
"…now, you're just a ghost of the past."
The wolf roared, biting through one of the vines. Wei Ji moved first. His fist, coated in green light, slammed into the creature's muzzle. The sound echoed through the forest. Bam! Blood splattered. The wolf staggered, its massive form trembling.
"Still not enough?" Wei Ji whispered. He punched again. Bam! And again. Bam!
Every strike carried not only spiritual energy but years of anger. Every blow was a memory of a face he lost. "You don't know how much I hate you," he muttered, his voice shaking with each word. "I hate your howl. I hate your eyes. I hate that I can still remember the smell of your breath while my disciples screamed!"
The wolf tried to bite him. Wei Ji ducked, twisting around and kicking its jaw upward with a burst of force. Its head snapped back, bones cracking.
"You ruined everything!" he shouted, voice rising. "You ruined them!"
The vines sprouted again, more violent this time, wrapping tighter, binding the beast completely. Wei Ji raised his hand and slammed it down—green energy erupted beneath the wolf. Boom! The shockwave blew leaves and soil into the air.
The wolf whined, blood dripping from its snout. Wei Ji stood over it, chest heaving. His eyes looked almost mad now. "You remember me, don't you? Of course, you don't," he said, smiling faintly. "But I remember you. Every single night."
He crouched down, grabbing the beast by the fur. "You made me watch as my brothers were eaten alive. You made me crawl through their remains. You made me beg for power I couldn't reach. And now…"
He slammed his palm into its chest, sending a burst of spiritual energy that burned through its fur. The wolf howled, thrashing wildly, but the vines held firm.
Wei Ji's smile widened. "What's wrong? Where's your arrogance now?"
He struck again, not to kill, but to hurt. Every hit landed with purpose. Bam! "For Zhao!" Bam! "For Mei!" Bam! "For Yun!" Bam! "For everyone you took from me!"
The forest echoed with his shouts.
The wolf's cries turned weaker, its strength fading. Wei Ji didn't stop. His rage had been buried too long.
"You thought I'd forgotten?" he hissed. "No. I carried it all. Every scream. Every smell. Every last moment of it."
He kicked the creature onto its side, pinning it down. "I'm not the same weak man you left broken in that burning sect. I'm back. And you…" He grinned. "…you're just the first."
The wolf trembled, whimpering faintly. Wei Ji's breathing slowed. His fists lowered slightly, sweat dripping from his chin. For a moment, silence fell. The forest seemed to hold its breath.
He stared at the beast, chest rising and falling. The anger was still there, but exhaustion crept in too. Slowly, he stood, dusting the blood from his hands. "I should kill you," he said softly. "But death is mercy."
He turned away, walking a few steps. Then he paused. "No," he muttered. "You'll stay alive… until I say so."
The wolf's breathing was rough, shallow. Blood stained the ground beneath it.
Wei Ji exhaled, his body trembling as he closed his eyes. "Damn it…" he whispered. "Why does it still hurt?"
He knelt, placing his palm on the ground. The vines loosened slightly as he began drawing spiritual energy back into his core. The air cooled. The rage faded, replaced by the soft hum of recovery.
He stayed like that for a while, focusing his breathing, pulling the green light back into his body. His spiritual core pulsed, dim but stable.
Then—
Grrrhhkkk…
His eyes snapped open. The sound came from the wolf. It was shaking. Its stomach convulsed as it let out a low, guttural cry. Wei Ji frowned, straightening up. "What now?"
The wolf's mouth opened wide—too wide. A surge of dark energy poured out. Then—
Plop.
Something heavy hit the ground. A human body.
Wei Ji froze. His brow twitched.
"The cultivator…" he muttered. He stepped closer, eyes narrowing at the corpse.
The wolf let out a weak breath and went still.
Wei Ji stared for a long time, the cold wind brushing past his face. "So you're it," he whispered, his tone low and cold. "You're the one who took it."
His eyes darkened, glowing faintly green under the moonlight. The forest fell silent again. Only the faint echo of his words lingered in the night.