People like Fang Yuan, who always fought alone without allies, never experienced the warmth of camaraderie or the bond formed through shared battles.
Facing every challenge by oneself wasn't just risky—it was also a lonely and monotonous path. What was the purpose of living without companionship, affection, or familial ties?
Fang Yuan stood amidst the crowd, eyes fixed on the towering merit board. Without question, at the very bottom, bold characters spelled out: "Fang Yuan Group."
Other Gu Masters who noticed this would have felt deep shame in his place, but Fang Yuan remained calm, unfazed by it all.
Since being promoted to group leader, he had never taken in any members. He led a team of one—the only such group across all three clans on Qing Mao Mountain.
Naturally, being alone meant he couldn't compete with the daily hunting output of other teams. Still, with his current strength, if he truly exerted himself, he wouldn't be ranked last.
But that didn't matter to Fang Yuan.
He had little need for merit points, supplies, or Gu worm feed—he had ample stores of everything.
These days, his wolf hunting was purely for appearances—to meet the required quota—and to accumulate enough merit points to trade for moon orchid petals.
After all, his Moonglow Gu required that specific nourishment.
Half a month slipped by, and spring grew more vibrant.
Leaves returned to the trees, and wildflowers began blooming along the roadsides.
Under the warm breeze of spring, Gu Masters fought with vigor, and the tide of battle seemed to shift in their favor.
As Fang Yuan walked along the road, he observed the cheerful expressions around him.
He listened to people praising each other's bravery and boasting of their exploits.
Of course, not everyone shared in the joy—some Gu Masters wore worried faces.
These were mostly the older generation, whose life experience told them that the true wolf tide would come with summer and autumn.
Fang Yuan understood this well.
"This current optimism stems from the alliance among the three clans, which has lowered internal suspicions and allowed Gu Masters to focus more on fighting the wolves. Secondly, the wolves defeated so far have been mostly the injured and weak. Third, with spring here, many wolves are preoccupied with mating. But when summer arrives, the strong, healthy wolves will launch full-scale attacks from all sides, causing severe casualties and destruction across the clans." With that thought, a cold glint flashed in Fang Yuan's eyes.
This year's wolf tide was unprecedented—it would reach a level of danger far beyond anyone's expectation.
Even the clan's leadership had greatly underestimated its threat.
In Fang Yuan's memory, most Gu Masters perished, and the clans' trump cards were all but depleted.
He had no intention of warning the elders.
First, even if he did, they likely wouldn't believe him and would question how he came by such information—something he couldn't explain. Second, there was little value in telling them; the core issue was a disparity in strength. And third—most importantly—warning them would go against his own best interests.
Better to betray the world than let the world betray me!
Kinship, friendship, love—these were merely decorative illusions.
How could they ever compare to the pursuit of true ambition?
The higher-ups praised the values and morals, but those are just tools to maintain their rule.
If one is restrained by these, how can they achieve anything?
Anyone who rises into the upper echelons of society does so with blood on their hands, having climbed over corpses to get there.
The initial capital of any successful entrepreneur is usually tainted with blood. Every politician carries a history of dirty deeds, and even so-called philanthropists simply use money to gain social approval. The difference is that those who succeed are skilled at concealing their past actions, while the ones who believe in their tales are nothing but fools.
"These fools are everywhere," Fang Yuan thought.
"Blinded by emotions and bound by morality, they're destined to be easily controlled by rules. Worse still, when they see someone who refuses to follow the same restraints, they jump out to criticize, trying to impose their own moral standards on others. They can't stand the thought of anyone being freer than themselves. And in doing so, they even take pride in their supposed moral high ground, as if it's some kind of blissful virtue." With that in mind, Fang Yuan glanced at the Gu Masters walking by.
Many of them were capable, and some even more advanced in cultivation than he was.
But for what purpose?
In the end, they were nothing more than pawns—obedient dogs kept on a leash. What truly hinders a person's success isn't a lack of talent—it's a restricted mindset.
From the moment someone is born into a society, they're indoctrinated with rules and morals, subjected to endless conditioning. Anyone who wants to break free and surpass human limitations must first shatter these mental chains.
Sadly, most people live their entire lives bound by such restraints, using them as motivation and even wearing their shackles like badges of honor.
At that thought, Fang Yuan let out a cold laugh.
Dark clouds loomed over the sky, casting a shadow across all of Qing Mao Mountain, as if warning of an impending storm.
On a secluded mountainside, a dozen sturdy lightning wolves bared their fangs and growled lowly. They had completely encircled Fang Yuan. These weren't the usual crippled wolves—each one was in peak condition.
Any other Rank Two Gu Master caught alone in such a situation would be panicked and desperate. But not Fang Yuan. He stood still, composed and unshaken.
In contrast, the wolves surrounding him were the ones showing signs of hesitation and unease. The fight had been going on for a while. Blood soaked the earth, and several lightning wolves already lay motionless, their silence proof of Fang Yuan's success.
Attack!
Fang Yuan urged himself mentally and sprang into action, charging toward a wolf on his left. The beast instinctively stepped back in fear, but its savage nature quickly kicked in, and it lunged at him. Midair, it opened its jaws wide, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.
Fang Yuan let out a hearty laugh. Rather than dodging, he swung his right arm.
Whoosh!
A glowing, eerie-blue moonblade flew out sideways and slashed right into the wolf's open mouth. With a tearing sound, the unfortunate beast was cleaved in two—from snout to tail. Its blood gushed like a fountain, drenching the air.
Bathed in a white jade glow, Fang Yuan barreled through the bloody mist, unleashing havoc upon the remaining wolves. The lightning wolves regrouped and counterattacked from every angle. They bit at him with fury, but their teeth shattered against the White Jade Gu's defensive shell. Even their claws proved useless.
Fang Yuan struck back with fists and kicks.
The wolves were hurled through the air by his brute strength—comparable to that of two wild boars.
Some had their skulls crushed on impact, dying instantly. Fang Yuan had clearly seized the upper hand. But the advantage was short-lived.
His primeval essence was depleting rapidly.
With only a C-grade aptitude and being at Rank Two upper stage, his aperture couldn't even hold fifty percent of primeval essence.
He glanced at his dwindling essence while several wolves still remained. Left with no other option, he activated the Stealth Scales Gu.
His figure blurred like rippling water and vanished within seconds. The wolves were left stunned. They barked and sniffed furiously, searching the area but found nothing.
Fang Yuan hadn't fled far. He kept watch on their movements while absorbing primeval stones to replenish his essence and maintaining the stealth effect. Although lightning wolves had superb eyesight, their sense of smell was weak.
This made the Stealth Scales Gu especially effective against them. When his primeval essence reached thirty percent, the frustrated wolf pack finally turned to leave.
Fang Yuan lacked a movement-type Gu worm, so there was no way he could catch up once they started retreating. So he lifted the stealth effect, revealing himself.
Hoooowl!
The moment the wolves spotted him, they charged forward with renewed rage, as if seeking revenge.
Fang Yuan gave a cold smirk. He waited until they were close, then lashed out with his right hand. His fist, encased in a layer of hardened jade light, slammed into one wolf's lower back.
Crack!
A clean fracture echoed through the air, and the beast was sent flying, its spine broken.
It landed awkwardly and thrashed in agony, unable to rise again.
With his energy restored, Fang Yuan unleashed his power and swiftly killed four more wolves. The remaining ones lost their nerve.
Fear overtook them—they whimpered, turned tail, and ran.
Fang Yuan didn't pursue. He couldn't outrun them anyway.
The battlefield was littered with wolf corpses—his hard-earned spoils. But he stayed vigilant. Rather than rushing to collect the eyeballs, he first used Earth Communication Ear Grass.
He knelt down, pressing his right ear to the ground.
Roots sprouted from it and sank into the soil.
Instantly, his hearing sharpened, allowing him to detect anything within a 300-step radius.
Many sounds entered his ear, but none belonged to wolves or nearby Gu Masters.
"It's safe for now," he murmured, relieved.
Drawing a dagger, he began carefully extracting the lightning wolves' eyes. He didn't turn in all of them—only a portion.
Submitting the full haul would raise suspicion and risk investigation. Fang Yuan preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble. After securing the valuable eyes, he left the area. By the time he had eliminated three more wolf packs, the sky was thick with ominous clouds.
A powerful wind howled through the pine forest, creating waves of green and rustling leaves.
Hoooowllll…
Faint but numerous howls echoed through the breeze.
Fang Yuan's expression stiffened slightly. From his past life's memories, he knew today marked the official outbreak of the wolf tide.
He used Earth Communication Ear Grass once more but heard no signs of rapid wolf movement nearby.
This didn't surprise him—it calmed him.
It meant the wolves were still over 300 steps away.
That distance, along with his familiarity with the terrain and his current speed, was enough for him to reach the village safely.