Meanwhile, back at the Yang Family's ancestral hall, a storm was quietly brewing.
"What did you say? You actually sent Hao Xuan into the real combat trial?" Yang Batian's voice was low, but each word carried explosive fury. His face remained expressionless, yet his eyes blazed with barely contained rage.
Before him sat a dozen clan elders. Some hung their heads in silence, avoiding his gaze. But one—an elderly man with flowing white hair and sharp eyes—met his glare head-on.
"Yang Hao Xuan is a direct descendant of the Yang Clan. According to clan law, he is entitled—and obligated—to participate in the trial," the old man said coolly.
"You old fox!" Yang Batian growled, his tone turning cold as ice.
Of course he knew his son's abilities. Hao Xuan might've made some progress lately, but sending him into the depths of the Great Yan Mountains to hunt feral beasts? That was tantamount to sending him to die.
Last time, it had taken a mysterious savior to pull Hao Xuan out alive. But luck wasn't something you could count on twice.
And the elder who had just spoken? He was aligned with Yang Batian's younger brother—Yang Baxiong. Clearly, this trial wasn't just about training the juniors. It was also a move in the power struggle within the clan.
"Hao Xuan… stay alive," Yang Batian muttered under his breath.
———
But while his father worried in silence, Yang Hao Xuan was having the time of his life.
"Rrrgh!" he grunted, slashing downward with his battle blade. With a clean arc, he severed the throat of yet another wild wolf. The beast collapsed with a gurgling whimper, joining a growing pile of corpses on the forest floor—seven, eight… nine.
[Combat proficiency increased by 1.]
A soft chime echoed in his mind. Hao Xuan grinned. He could feel the difference already—his grip on the blade tighter, his movements faster, his strikes more precise. His battle techniques had refined themselves mid-fight, adapting with each kill.
Gone was the flamboyant flourish of his early moves. Now, his Three-Slash Combo was brutally efficient—direct, sharp, and aimed squarely at the kill zones.
He crouched beside the wolves, calmly severing their left ears and storing them in a leather sack slung at his waist.
"Not bad. I just took out seven in one go," he said smugly to himself, wiping a smear of blood from his cheek. "Wonder what those other guys will think when they see me dragging all this back?"
In just two hours, Hao Xuan had already hunted over thirty wild wolves. While others were still fumbling around in the woods, screaming at the sight of blood, he had turned the mountain into his personal hunting ground.
After all, wild wolves weren't to be underestimated. Though a warrior at the second layer could theoretically defeat one, in reality, it took real combat sense to survive against these cunning and ferocious predators.
Especially since wolves didn't always hunt alone. They moved in trios, or sometimes even packs, and one mistake could get a rookie torn apart.
Even someone like Yang Ying—who was proud of reaching the sixth layer—would struggle against a pack of ten.
But Yang Hao Xuan? He wasn't like the others.
He didn't just fight—he hunted. His instincts were sharp, his timing precise, and his kill rate unmatched. Every slash, every flame spell was executed with cold precision.
As the adrenaline surged through him, he found himself moving deeper into the forest, seeking greater challenges. Fierce tigers, savage panthers—he took them all down. His combat level soared, and so did his confidence.
By late morning, the leather sack around his waist was bulging. He had collected over sixty ears.
Then—
Rustle. Rustle. Rustle.
He stepped into a small clearing. Something felt… wrong. The air was too still. Too quiet.
It was the silence of a predator.
From the shadows emerged a massive wolf—the size of a full-grown ox. Its yellow eyes glowed with malice. Its lips curled back to reveal razor-sharp fangs.
The Wolf King.
Muscles coiled, Yang Hao Xuan's grip on the battle blade tightened. "Looks like I just found the boss."
This creature wasn't just big—it was smart, too. Its aura alone screamed danger. This wasn't just another beast; it was a battle-hardened king.
Equal in strength to a fourth-layer warrior—but with far more real combat experience.
Yang Hao Xuan exhaled slowly, steadying his breathing. This would be his true test.
He stepped forward.
Then, in a flash, he slashed his blade in a wide arc—not at the beast, but at the air between them.
Three searing fireballs burst from the blade, crackling toward the Wolf King like meteors.
The beast snarled, dodging instinctively.
But it didn't see the second volley.
Another three fireballs came from the flank, herding it into position.
And then—boom!
From beneath the creature's paws erupted a column of blazing fire. It was the second skill from his mage arsenal—Earthfire Eruption. A devastating vertical burst that struck the target from below.
The Wolf King howled in agony, its belly scorched raw. Before it could even recover, all six fireballs curved mid-air—homing—and slammed into its flanks.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
It collapsed, wheezing.
Not dead. Yet.
Its jaw opened wide—one last howl, one last summon to its pack.
"Calling for backup?" Yang Hao Xuan sneered. "Not today."
With a flick of his wrist, he hurled his blade like a spear. It drove straight through the creature's skull.
[EXP Gained: +500]
[Combat Proficiency +2]
[Rare Kill: Wolf King – Bonus EXP +50]
Yang Hao Xuan exhaled.
That… had felt good.
He paused only long enough to collect the king's left ear—massive compared to the others—and continued hunting deeper. But after hitting one hundred kills, the game system stopped awarding proficiency points.
"Huh. So that's the cap?"
He shrugged and turned to leave.
But just as he was making his way back toward the edge of the forest—
Clash! Snarl! Shouts!
He froze. Battle sounds—close by.
Normally, he wouldn't get involved. But a flicker of recognition stopped him.
Yang Ruo Lan. And… Yang Peng?
He slipped into the treetops, silently gliding toward the sound.
On a bloodstained patch of earth, the two were surrounded by wild wolves. Dozens of dead beasts already littered the ground. The remaining three stalked forward, fangs bared.
"Ruo Lan… I'm sorry," Yang Peng gasped. "I dragged you into this…"
She shook her head, pale but determined. "Don't give up."
Then—three wolves lunged at once.
Yang Peng fended one off. Ruo Lan knocked back another. But the third—unblocked—lunged for her throat.
She closed her eyes.
But the bite never came.
AAAAAARRRGH!
She opened her eyes in shock. The wolf was twitching on the ground, blackened and smoking.
From somewhere above, a voice sang out:
"♪ I'm just too softhearted~ Always softhearted~ ♪"
Yang Ruo Lan blinked. "Was that… Hao Xuan?!"
———
By late afternoon, the setting sun painted the sky in hues of crimson and gold.
A sharp horn blared across the forest—signaling the end of the trial.
At Redleaf Lake, the once-proud youths now looked like war-torn survivors—clothes torn, limbs scratched, bloodied but alive.
The instructor began calling out names, inspecting each sack of ears.
"First place—Yang Ying. Forty left ears. You've earned the Qi-Gathering Pill."
A chorus of gasps followed.
Forty was an incredible number—far ahead of most.
Yang Ying accepted the reward with a smug grin, raising the pill high like a trophy.
"Second—Yang Ruo Lan. Twenty-eight."
"Third—Yang Peng. Twenty-five."
The crowd murmured in agreement. No surprises here.
Then came the final count. Everyone had returned—except one.
"Yang Hao Xuan still isn't back?" one student grumbled.
"Typical. Probably got lost again."
"Yeah, what a pain…"
Just as the murmurs rose—
"Hey! Look!"
All eyes turned to the edge of the forest.
There he was.
Yang Hao Xuan strode out slowly, blade in one hand, a swollen bag slung over the other shoulder.
Someone scoffed. "What the hell's in that thing? Did he bring back the whole wolf?"
"Maybe he misunderstood the instructions!" another joked.
The group erupted in laughter.
But Hao Xuan didn't flinch.
Expression calm, eyes focused, he walked straight toward the instructor and dropped the sack at his feet.
Thud.
It landed with a heavy thump.
Everyone stared.
And then the instructor opened the bag.
Their laughter died instantly.