2. Escape for life

Shangguan Jiulin barely escaped the big fire, her small hands burnt and flesh exposed. But she had no time to care for her injuries, as she immediately realized something was off...

At this moment, it was a moonless, windy night, and the forest was filled with a chilling wind. Her small body was covered in scars, and she winced in pain as she landed...

Unbeknownst to her, light rain had started to fall. She glanced back at the surrounding fire – even with the rain, it showed no sign of extinguishing. Shangguan Jiulin cursed her misfortune. How unlucky she was to be trapped in a Sea of Fire that couldn't be extinguished by water...

Before she could think any further, the rustling noises around her put her on high alert. In an instant, countless green eyes gradually approached her...

Damn, it was a pack of wolves...

Shangguan Jiulin's emotions were indescribable. Just escaping the fire, only to be met by a pack of wolves – was Heaven playing a joke on her? Was there no way out for her?

However, she didn't want to die! Regardless of the reason, she refused to die. Even if it was Heaven's will, she wouldn't accept her fate. If defying Heaven's will was the only way, so be it...

With that thought, Shangguan Jiulin eyed the approaching wolves, scanned her surroundings, and then chose a direction. Despite her injuries and the pain, she clenched her teeth and sprinted...

The wolves behind her seemed dumbfounded; they hadn't expected their prey to run away instead of lying down in fear. This unexpected turn enraged them...

A small human prey dared to ignore them and run. How this hurt the wolves' pride...

"Awoooo~~~~"

After a series of howls, the wolves began to chase Shangguan Jiulin. Hearing their howls behind her, she shuddered and continued running...

One human in front, a pack of wolves behind. Thus, the ancient sport of 'you chase me, and I run from you' began, quite the endless cycle of fun...

Shangguan Jiulin felt her physical strength draining. If this continued, she'd either be torn apart by the wolves or die of exhaustion...

Could she really die so easily? No, she refused to die, no matter what!

She bit her tongue hard, the pain and taste of blood bringing her back to her senses. Glancing back at the persistent wolves, she cursed them under her breath for being freakishly fast...

Shangguan Jiulin felt as if the wolves were doing it on purpose. With their speed, they could've easily overtaken her, yet they chose to keep up just enough to prevent her from stopping...

She didn't know how long she'd been running, but just as she felt she couldn't continue, a flash of light appeared up ahead. Caught by her eyes, it was a cave not far away...

Feeling the wolves closing in, Shangguan Jiulin didn't hesitate and charged into the cave using all her remaining strength...

She felt some resistance at the entrance, but it was only momentary as she managed to force her way through. The entrance flashed with a faint light after she entered, then disappeared...

Upon entering the cave, Shangguan Jiulin collapsed onto the ground. The pain nearly caused her to lose consciousness, but the howls of the wolves outside kept her awake...

Slowly getting up, she turned to observe the wolves outside. They seemed unaware of the cave's existence, circling the entrance without understanding how their quarry had vanished...

The wolves circled for half an hour before finally giving up and leaving...

Ever since the wolves had appeared, Shangguan Jiulin had been holding her breath, watching their every move. From nervousness to confusion and eventually, to calmness...

When the wolves finally left, she confirmed her suspicions – there was something odd about the cave. She was clearly inside, but the wolves couldn't see her...

With the departure of the wolves, her nerves finally relaxed. But before she could ascertain the safety of her surroundings, she slipped into unconsciousness...

Right after she passed out, a flash of White Light appeared not far behind her, then quickly dimmed...