Chapter 30: Flame Sword Slays the Demon Wolf!
The Magical Beast Mountain Range at night was the most dangerous place. All kinds of vicious predators began to appear, while poisonous snakes and magic spiders lurked in the darkness, silently waiting for prey to fall into their traps.
Among the mercenary groups in Qingshan Town, there was an unwritten rule: unless absolutely necessary, never wander around the mountain range at night. Always find a place to set up camp and avoid sneak attacks from magical beasts in the shadows.
But precisely because of this mercenary habit, Jiang Lin was free to move around as he pleased during the night.
After a year of cultivation, the twelve-year-old Jiang Lin had already become a one-star Dou Zhe, and his forging skills had fully reached the Intermediate Yellow Rank!
The High Yellow Rank Battle Equipment, Flameburst Cleave Armor Sword, was a composite weapon and represented the upper limit of Jiang Lin's forging ability. It wasn't something he could casually produce whenever he wanted.
"Everyone in Qingshan Town knows I'm looking for materials that can absorb Dou Qi—whether mineral or beast... So this intel was aimed at me?"
Jiang Lin stared at the fragment of stone in his hand, falling into deep thought. Who in Qingshan Town would target him? And how would spreading such a rumor even harm him?
In fact, Jiang Lin hadn't needed any resources to break through to Dou Zhe within two years, but after reaching this level, he found his cultivation speed slowing slightly. Still, it was within an acceptable range. The rank of the Tempering Fire Art wouldn't become a true issue until he stepped into the Dou Shi realm.
"Was it the Wolf Head Mercenary Group? By now, most people in Qingshan Town know I'm a Low Yellow Rank Blacksmith. That Mu-something guy doesn't even dare mess with Wan Yao Zhai or the weapon shop anymore, so there's no reason they'd pick a fight with me."
As Jiang Lin pondered this—
Rustle rustle...
The moonlight suddenly dimmed. A gust of wind swept from behind, and with his sharp senses, Jiang Lin could even smell the stench of blood in the air!
Shlick!
Jiang Lin pivoted with his sword, and a massive force surged through his weapon. In the moonlight, a flash of movement appeared, fabric tore, and Jiang Lin was pushed back a few steps, bracing his heavy sword with both hands.
Swish!
But his opponent didn't give him time to react. The moment it realized the first strike hadn't landed a fatal blow, it kicked off with its hind legs and turned into a black blur, pouncing at Jiang Lin, who was still retreating!
Clang!
Claws dripping with blood slammed heavily onto the greatsword, trying to knock it away, but Jiang Lin stood like a boulder—his body shifted back, but his stance remained unmoved. The shadowy beast, seeing this, could only use the sword as a stepping stone to leap to a higher rock nearby. In the moonlight, its eyes glowed green as it looked down at the intruder in its territory.
With the aid of the moonlight, Jiang Lin finally got a clear look at what had attacked him.
A Rank Two magical beast—Moonhowl Wind Wolf.
Its eerie blue eyes stared coldly at Jiang Lin, and soon a faint blue Dou Qi surged over its body, quickly condensing in its mouth. Jiang Lin snorted coldly, turned to face it, and raised his sword just in time to block a moon-colored energy blade nearly blended into the night!
The physical blade in Jiang Lin's hand easily sliced through the energy moonblade, splitting it in two. The severed blade fragments slammed into a nearby boulder with a pair of dull booms, leaving two deep gashes.
A second Rank Two magical beast—Moonhowl Wind Wolf!
Swish!
With full awareness, Jiang Lin tilted his head slightly. A single strand of hair fell with the moonlight as he narrowly dodged a headshot from the wolf on the rock.
Then, using his heavy sword as a shield, Jiang Lin slowly retreated toward flatter ground to avoid being flanked from both sides.
The two Moonhowl Wind Wolves, having missed twice, followed him cautiously for a few steps before stopping. Jiang Lin halted as well.
Now with both beasts in his line of sight, Jiang Lin suddenly stepped forward.
Step...
Boom!
Just as the wolves were starting to become wary, a muffled thunder roared!
They were only five to six meters away, poised in hunting stance—yet Jiang Lin suddenly burst forth at terrifying speed, ramming one of them directly with his shoulder before he could even raise his sword. The wolf, as large as a grown man, was knocked into the air!
Then, as the beast flew, Jiang Lin's cloth-wrapped greatsword finally swung forward in a delayed arc. Boom! A hint of flame ignited on the sword's surface, and with an explosive burst of speed, the blade slashed into the stunned wolf midair!
Bang!
The overwhelming force tore a massive wound into the wolf and injured its internal organs!
Awwoooo!
The wounded wolf howled in pain as it was flung away, while the other, realizing the danger, tried to retreat—only to lock eyes with Jiang Lin as he turned, greatsword in hand.
Those were calm, indifferent eyes—like a predator at the top of the food chain gazing coldly at its prey.
"Two wolves… perfect. A pair of shoes." Jiang Lin said flatly as he glanced at the second wolf. In the distance, the one that had been hit lay heavily on the ground, its fur stained red. It struggled but could only crawl a few steps before collapsing.
An unarmed level 18 rogue versus a fully-geared level 6 tank?
Awwoooo!
The remaining Moonhowl Wind Wolf tried to escape, but it was too close. Dark lightning crackled beneath Jiang Lin's feet, his acceleration overwhelming the beast. The heavy sword came crashing down. The wolf could only leap into the air in desperation. If Jiang Lin had failed to swing his sword in time, it might have gotten away—
But—
Boom!
With a metallic clang, the wolf saw the human—clearly only at Dou Qi Stage One—ignite his greatsword with flames. The weapon reversed direction as if inertia meant nothing, suddenly accelerating the other way. Jiang Lin spun fluidly, repositioning the blade from a rising motion to a forward slash!
The airborne wolf had nowhere to go. Its eyes hardened as a moonblade began to condense in its mouth. It didn't believe this weak human dared to face its attack head-on!
Bathed in moonlight—
Boom!
First surge—sword energy blazed.
Second surge—fire erupted skyward!
Krrshhh!
As the flame sword shattered the wolf's body, the moonblade slammed into Jiang Lin's chest, the impact causing him to lose grip of his sword. It flew off, landing in a crevice between boulders.
Cough, cough…
Jiang Lin coughed, patting the torn hole in his black robe, revealing a glint of metal underneath.
He then turned to look at the nearby crack, where—at some point—two round, chubby little blue-and-white puppies had poked their heads out adorably.
Jiang Lin glanced at the Moonhowl Wind Wolves he had slain, then at the two puppies by his side, falling silent.
The little fluffballs looked up at him pitifully, as if asking, "Am I cute?"
The next morning, a joyful exclamation came from the backyard of Wan Yao Zhai:
"Wow! Such cute doggy slippers!" shouted Xiao Yi Xian with delight.
(END CHAPTER)
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