Ghost Wolf

Lin Feng's words left Jingyun and the others momentarily stunned, casting a perplexed glance at him. Then they watched as Lin Feng stepped forward with remarkable composure.

"Lin Feng, now is not the time for bravado," Jingyun exclaimed urgently. Though they hadn't witnessed Lin Feng's skills firsthand, his reputation as a wastrel lingered. Even if Lin Feng had been diligently cultivating lately, his level at best matched theirs. But to contend with an eighth-level demon ape? That seemed utterly implausible.

But it seemed too late. The demon ape, outraged by this human's audacity, forcefully pounded the ground, causing the earth to tremble. Its massive body charged straight at Lin Feng like a mountain, causing the ground to quake.

What startled Jingyun even more was Lin Feng's apparent disregard for the formidable eighth-level demon's might as he boldly took action.

Jingyun could almost envision Lin Feng being crushed into pulp, prompting her to shut her eyes in shock.

"Boom." A surge of overwhelming force swept through, and even with her eyes closed, Jingyun keenly felt the space tremble. Then came the ear-piercing roar of the demon ape.

Upon reopening her eyes, she saw the demon ape sprawled three meters away, while Lin Feng merely stepped back beside her, his eyes sharp and seemingly unfazed.

"How is this possible?" Jingyun found it hard to believe what she saw. Lin Feng repelling the demon ape's assault unscathed? Glancing at Qingyi and Han Man, she saw their wide-eyed disbelief. They had witnessed Lin Feng's punch driving the demon ape back, a sight that left their minds reeling.

This was an eighth-level demon beast—without strength surpassing eight thousand kilograms, one could hardly budge it.

Jing Feng, too, was dumbfounded. Had this wastrel really driven back the demon ape?

"An eighth-level demon beast indeed boasts formidable defenses," Lin Feng muttered inwardly. His cultivation had now stabilized at the seventh level of the Qi Martial Realm, with the force of his Nine-Wave Fist exceeding eight thousand five hundred kilograms. Additionally, his mastery of the Nine-Wave Fist's essence, where each wave surpassed the previous, meant that the actual force applied approached nine thousand kilograms. Yet, the demon ape stood back up, roaring furiously.

With a stride, Lin Feng approached the roaring demon ape. Another wave of Nine-Wave Fist surged forth, relentlessly crashing against the demon ape. Jingyun and her companions stood dumbfounded. The demon ape? At this moment, Lin Feng seemed even more ferocious than the beast, his fists continuously striking out, waves upon waves, causing waves of overwhelming white might to ripple across the space hundreds of meters around them.

"To wield the Nine-Wave Fist with such proficiency, flawless and masterful. Even inner disciples might struggle," Qingyi mused, struggling to keep up. Lin Feng, a wastrel?

"The vigor in his punches, the ceaseless waves—this is the pinnacle of the Nine-Wave Fist's mastery. Lin Feng's talent in martial arts is astounding," Jingyun pondered.

"Monster," Han Man crudely wiped his face with his hand, feeling frustrated.

"Buzz, buzz..." The trembling of space subsided. Lin Feng turned to the three and said, "Come and take the beast core; I'm quite exhausted."

"Oh," Han Man realized that the demon ape lay motionless and proceeded to extract all valuable items from its body. Despite its death, its thick skin proved challenging to breach. How Lin Feng managed to kill it remained a mystery.

"Haha, Lin Feng, with you around, as long as we don't encounter a ninth-level demon beast, we'll be unstoppable," Han Man chuckled cheerfully, slinging the bag over his shoulder.

Lin Feng smiled and said, "Let's continue onward. Perhaps we'll encounter more eighth-level demon beasts."

"It's just luck. We happened to run into a brute that's all bark and no bite," a sharp voice came from behind. Jing Feng walked past them, heading straight ahead.

"Jing Feng, you..." Jingyun and her companions' faces flushed with anger. This guy knew how to rub salt in the wound.

As they continued walking, Jing Feng, who had been attempting to display his prowess up front, failed to encounter any demon beasts, leaving him somewhat disgruntled.

"Something seems amiss," Lin Feng murmured quietly. Compared to elsewhere, this forest seemed unusually quiet.

"You're right," Qingyi said as they slowed their pace. Soon, they saw Jing Feng, who had been leading, begin to retreat.

Their gazes followed, and they saw a wolf appear before Jing Feng, its terrifying visage sending shivers down Jingyun's spine.

With hands covering her mouth in horror, Jingyun trembled slightly. 

"The Stygian Wolf, a ninth-level demon beast, the most ruthless among ordinary beasts. It delights in tormenting its victims before devouring them," Qingyi's voice trembled slightly. As outer disciples venturing into the Black Wind Ridge, encountering the Stygian Wolf was their worst nightmare. Not only was it ruthless, but it was also incredibly fast, making escape nearly impossible.

"Useless, we'll join forces. You unleash the Nine-Wave Fist, and I'll seize the opportunity to strike," Jing Feng retreated swiftly, his expression grave as he addressed Lin Feng.

"Useless? You want me to shield the attack while you seek a chance to flee?" Lin Feng sneered. "You think I'd believe you'd abandon your comrades in peril?"

"You have no choice. Otherwise, we'll all die," Jing Feng continued to retreat, his voice tinged with anger.

"I beg to differ. It seems you haven't made a move yet. Do you expect a free ride? I won't carry dead weight," Lin Feng mocked, throwing Jing Feng's words back at him.

With a glance at his companions, Lin Feng signaled them, and they began to step sideways.

Jingyun and her companions followed suit, realizing that confronting the Stygian Wolf would only lead to their demise. Moreover, Jing Feng's recent actions had chilled their hearts, making them unwilling to lend a hand.

"Very well," Jing Feng's eyes gleamed ominously, a sharp aura bursting forth. A dazzling sword shadow materialized behind him, reaching for the sky.

"Sword Martial Soul."

Lin Feng was somewhat surprised. No wonder this guy was so arrogant. Among martial souls, a sword martial soul was undoubtedly formidable. Sword martial soul wielders could become swordsmen, skilled in attack. A single sword stroke could shatter myriad defenses.

Because of the strength of swordsmen, many who did not possess a sword martial soul still practiced swordsmanship in hopes of becoming swordsmen, like Qingyi, whose Wind Martial Soul excelled in speed, and whose swordsmanship was swift and graceful.

The long sword unsheathed, casting a cold light that pierced the eyes.

The Stygian Wolf let out a low growl, then suddenly lunged forward, its razor-sharp claws reflecting a chilling light.

Like a rainbow, the sword clashed with the icy claws, creating a metallic clang.

"What sharp claws," Lin Feng muttered aside. Indeed, a ninth-level demon beast was extraordinary; its claws could clash with a sword. The force of the Stygian Wolf's attack sent Jing Feng flying back ten meters, leaving a long trench on the ground. The claws barely touched the ground before the Stygian Wolf's body shot back up, as fast as lightning, allowing no respite for Jing Feng.

Jing Feng's sword danced, swift and fierce, like layers of spider webs appearing before him. But in the next moment, he found the Stygian Wolf had vanished from his sight.

On top!

A chill ran down Jing Feng's spine. Without hesitation, he raised his sword high and hurled it forward, then swiftly retreated.

"You bastard," Jingyun cursed under her breath. Jing Feng was clearly no match for the Stygian Wolf, throwing away his sword and fleeing in their direction.

"I'll make you pay even if it costs me my life," Jing Feng's face twisted in a grimace as he charged at the four.

"Get lost!" The Nine-Wave Fist surged fiercely, slamming into him.

"You..." Forced back by the surging waves, Jing Feng let out a scream as the Stygian Wolf's claws slammed into his back, blood spraying everywhere. He fell to the ground.

"Courting death." Lin Feng's expression turned icy. He believed in live and let live, but if someone provoked him, he'd return the favor.

"Howl!" The Stygian Wolf let out a piercing howl, its claws trampling over Jing Feng's body, not in a hurry to kill him but intent on tormenting him.

"What do we do? The Stygian Wolf wounds without killing; it wants to torture us cruelly," Qingyi said, terrified.

"What's the Stygian Wolf's weakness?" Lin Feng suddenly asked.

Qingyi looked at Lin Feng in surprise.

"The Stygian Wolf is incredibly fast, with powerful attacks but relatively weak defense. Its throat is its most vulnerable spot, but it uses its claws to defend it. To attack its neck, you'd have to deal with its claws," Qingyi said, sweat beading on his forehead. Lin Feng's Nine-Wave Fist was powerful and overwhelming, not emphasizing agility, so avoiding the Stygian Wolf's claw attacks to target its weak point was nearly impossible.