Xin Xiaoqi stood frozen, eyes filled with rage and desperation as he scanned the terrain. Though his heart pounded, he didn't forget to assess his surroundings.
It's a slope, he realized. Maybe it can absorb some of the wolves' impact.
He dashed to a pair of boulders just as the giant wolves calmly emerged from the mist. They didn't pounce immediately—rather, they stood in a loose formation, surrounding him like a pack of sentinels.
Their glowing green eyes and dripping fangs were clearly visible, and their growls sent chills down his spine. They weren't in a hurry to attack—this was psychological warfare.
Xin Xiaoqi knew there was no escape. Wen Xiaoya would never let him leave alive. He had only one choice: fight.
Fortunately, he'd slain two of these beasts earlier. That gave him a flicker of confidence—enough to ignite his will to survive.
With a loud roar, he swung his longsword through the air, sending a silver streak flashing across the twilight.
"Come on then, you damned beasts!"
The wolves paused briefly, baring their teeth, their growls thick with malice. Then—whoosh—a gray shadow shot forward. A giant wolf lunged straight at him.
Xin Xiaoqi raised his sword and slashed.
The wolf hadn't even landed before his sword struck true—cutting a deep gash across its body. It crashed to the ground in a heap.
Xin Xiaoqi laughed heartily.
That one hit fueled his confidence. He inhaled deeply. Strangely, a surge of energy flowed from his lower abdomen into his hands.
With another swing, his sword missed the wolves but slammed into the boulder next to him. A loud crack rang out.
The boulder fractured, its corner snapping clean off.
Xin Xiaoqi's eyes widened. A sudden realization hit him.
"This… is Qi Condensation?"
Excitement surged through his blood. He raised his sword and taunted the wolves again:
"Come, all of you! I'll take you down alone!"
The wolves, sensing his growing power, responded in kind. Two more emerged from the shadows.
Xin Xiaoqi steadied his stance, felt his dantian sink, and released another pulse of energy. This time, his sword became even faster—deadlier.
Before one wolf could react, its skull was cleaved in half.
The others retreated, startled. Xin Xiaoqi stomped the ground and launched himself forward like a spring.
Two more fell beneath his sword.
He laughed wildly.
"With this divine sword and my Qi awakening, I fear nothing!"
He plunged into the pack like a whirlwind of death. Wolves fell one after another. By the time he struck down his twentieth opponent, his body trembled with exhaustion.
A sudden wave of dizziness hit him. He staggered.
Sensing weakness, several wolves pounced and raked his flesh, leaving fresh wounds.
Though the injuries weren't fatal, the dizziness was. His sword had carried him far, but Qi alone couldn't sustain him forever.
His head spun.
Have I run out of energy from my dantian?
Just then, a claw ripped through his thigh, drawing blood.
Oddly, the wolves paused in surprise. That strike, normally enough to shatter stone, barely tore into his flesh. Was his body… tougher than it looked?
The pain brought him back to awareness.
With a roar, he swung his sword again, carving a path back toward the boulders.
He muttered, What's happening to me? Is Qi depletion supposed to feel like this?
The wolves wouldn't give him the luxury of thought. Snarling and howling, they launched another wave of attacks. His body was covered in gashes and blood—but strangely, not much of it was spilling.
Time passed.
He didn't know how long he'd been fighting. All he knew was that dozens of wolves lay dead around him—perhaps thirty.
As he cut down the last of them, his legs gave way. He collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
Then—rustling footsteps.
From the trees above, a strange voice echoed.
"You humans always rely on good weapons. If we were evenly matched in arms, none of you would survive."
Xin Xiaoqi looked up, stunned. Standing before him was a creature with the head of a pig and the body of a man—complete with cloven hooves and two short tusks protruding from its long snout.
His jaw dropped.
"…What the hell are you?"
The creature snorted, offended. "You're calling me a what? I'm the Pig Demon King—Ruler of the Ridge and rightful heir to this land!"
Xin Xiaoqi, despite his injuries, was intrigued. "So… you're a wild pig? Or someone's farm pig?"
That did it.
"You dare?!"
The pig demon roared and slammed a palm toward him like a falling mountain.
Boom!
Xin Xiaoqi, too weak to dodge, was sent flying. He hit the ground hard, coughing blood.
The demon king smirked. "You're weak—but your body's surprisingly tough. I guess I'll need a proper weapon."
He pulled out a staff the size of a tree trunk.
Before Xin Xiaoqi could react, the pig demon charged forward. Xin Xiaoqi mustered all the strength he had and raised his sword to block.
But the staff wasn't just a blunt weapon. With terrifying speed, it blurred—like it split into five or six. The demon had circled him multiple times in a breath.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each strike landed true. Xin Xiaoqi staggered, blood spraying from his mouth.
He tried to raise his sword—but was met with a heavy kick to the back.
Thud!
He fell flat, only for the pig demon to launch him back into the air with a single staff strike. Midair, Xin Xiaoqi could only endure blow after blow. Bones cracked. Flesh bruised.
He crashed to the earth, barely breathing. Blood foamed at his lips.
Am I going to die here?
Then—suddenly—he felt something stir in his dantian.
The pig demon chuckled.
"I'm doing you a favor, you know?"
"You killed so many wolf demons. But did you know? In this vast mountain range, the chief disciple of the Wild Sect—Dongshan—is a wolf. If he finds out you slaughtered his kin, you'll wish you were dead."
"I'm sparing you that fate."
Xin Xiaoqi blinked.
Dongshan… Wolf tribe… Wild Sect…
Thoughts raced through his mind. Gritting his teeth, he forced out one final retort:
"Oh… so I should be grateful? To a stinking pig like you? You ugly swine demon!"