Qin Shou approached the edge of the pit, filled with surprise.
The greedy snake, when it was in the Dangerous Seven Stars level, could use Flame Power to instantaneously kill Dangerous Eight Stars monsters.
After advancing to Dangerous Eight Stars, the greedy snake couldn't even take down a Dangerous Nine Stars Wind God Winged Dragon.
Looking at it this way, Dangerous Nine Stars monsters were indeed extraordinary.
While thinking, Qin Shou waved his hand at his side, and a deep lion roar suddenly resounded.
"Roar..."
On the open ground, a colossal figure, towering five meters high, slowly materialized.
Rein Jia'er!
Rein Jia'er's menacing fangs gleamed as it leapt into the air and landed upon the severely weakened Wind God Winged Dragon.
Tonight, chicken stew with mushrooms!
"Splat..."
The relentless sound of flesh tearing and blood splattering echoed, accompanied by the Wind God Winged Dragon's agonized screams, as the system notification rang sharply.
"Ding! Wind God Winged Dragon slain. Acquired 9 Synthesis Points..."
"What? Dangerous Nine Stars only gives nine points? Grinding Synthesis Points is so inefficient—it's even better to farm lower-level monsters!" Qin Shou shook his head in frustration.
Then, after collecting the Wind God Winged Dragon's corpse, he set off in the direction where the other three had fled.
With Big Big Wolf's keen sense of smell, he quickly located their tracks.
...
Behind a giant stone, Zhao Jing clutched his chest, his face pale and filled with lingering fear.
"This trip out of the city has been an absolute disaster.
First the Lion Group, then encountering a Damaged Mecha that couldn't even be activated, and now this absurdly unexpected meeting with a Dangerous Nine Stars Wind God Winged Dragon.
Could it be because we didn't consult the Federation Calendar before leaving?"
Yu Zhan gasped heavily, muttering in exasperation, "What does this have to do with the Federation Calendar?"
Zhao Jing shook his head, as if suddenly recalling something.
"Right, I once read in an ancient book at the library about a strange grade-schooler from the Old Era, who brought death wherever they went.
Could it be that one of us possesses this cursed aura?"
Lin Xiaomei shot Zhao Jing a cold glance, her voice biting, "Qin Shou stayed behind to hold them off for us. Who knows how he's doing now.
You two still have the audacity to joke around? If Qin Shou doesn't come back, I'll kill you both myself!"
A rare expression of ruthlessness flickered across Lin Xiaomei's face.
The two of them immediately went silent, lowering their heads in a guilty and uneasy hush.
They were barely adult boys; it was utterly beyond them to steel their hearts and face monsters head-on.
Leaving Qin Shou behind caused them deep guilt.
But survival instinct—they couldn't overcome it.
An awkward silence followed.
After a while, Qin Shou still hadn't appeared, prompting Lin Xiaomei's expression to grow increasingly anxious.
"No, I have to go check on him."
She started getting up, ready to go back.
"No way, it's too dangerous over there. Let's wait a bit longer!"
"Yeah, maybe Qin Shou is already on his way back."
The duo hurriedly stopped Lin Xiaomei.
Lin Xiaomei's face darkened. Just as she was about to respond, a series of wolf howls erupted from all around.
"Awoooo..."
All three were struck with terror. Lin Xiaomei scanned their surroundings, her delicate face tightening with grim resolve.
"Not good. We've accidentally stumbled into the territory of the Sha Po Wolf Group!"
"What?"
Zhao Jing and Yu Zhan were trembling, their fear deepening.
Indeed, this group truly was cursed with misfortune…
"The Sha Po Wolf Group? What should we do now?"
Yu Zhan had barely finished speaking when a Sha Po Wolf with glowing green eyes suddenly leapt down from the giant stone, its gaping maw hurtling straight for Yu Zhan's head.
"Whoosh whoosh..."
Scarlet Star Power burst out as a flaming whip lashed out, sending the Sha Po Wolf hurtling backward and crashing to the ground.
"Awoooo!"
The injured Sha Po Wolf howled, and its cry was quickly echoed by countless others.
"We need to leave immediately! It's sending a signal..."
Before Lin Xiaomei could finish, her face changed again.
From within the dense forest, more and more Sha Po Wolves began bounding forward, plunging the group into a state of growing despair.
A hundred?
Or maybe two hundred?
"Awoooo..."
The black mass of wolves closed in slowly, their bloodied fangs exposed, radiating a grotesque savagery.
"We're done for, done for… this time, we're really done for..."
Zhao Jing muttered in a panic, making Lin Xiaomei's irritation boil over.
"Shut up!" she snapped.
"It's come to this—there's no point in talking! Cutting a bloody path is our only chance of survival!" Lin Xiaomei declared resolutely.
Zhao Jing and Yu Zhan exchanged nervous glances, their hands trembling.
Clearly, they lacked Lin Xiaomei's "impressive" mental fortitude.
"Awoooo..."
At this moment, a distant howl rang out. The Sha Po Wolves, as though receiving a command, pounced at the trio ferociously.
"Whoosh whoosh..."
In an instant, Lin Xiaomei's fox-tail transformed into flaming whips, forming a fiery barrier that temporarily shielded the trio.
"Awooo..."
The wolves paid no heed to the fiery whips, fearlessly charging through the flames. Those who were struck down were quickly replaced by more Sha Po Wolves surging forward.
At this rate, Lin Xiaomei's Star Power would soon be drained, and they would all die under the wolves' claws.
Judging from the panic-induced incompetence of Zhao Jing and Yu Zhan, Lin Xiaomei didn't expect much more from them.
The Sha Po Wolf Group was far more terrifying than the Lion Group; the boys' mental defenses had already shattered.
Just as Lin Xiaomei's mind spiraled with frantic calculations for survival, a dragon's roar thundered across the skies.
"Roar!!"
"Boom..."
Following this, a roaring inferno engulfed the wolf pack from above. Wolves howled in agony as dozens of them were instantly reduced to ash.
"It's Qin Shou's Dragon Beast!" Lin Xiaomei exclaimed in delight.
Hearing this, Zhao Jing and Yu Zhan's faces lit up with immense relief.
"We're saved…"
The greedy snake soared above, with Qin Shou standing on the dragon head, shouting down to them, "Grab onto the dragon's claws!"
"Roar!"
In an instant, the greedy snake dove downward, a ferocious gale scattering the wolf pack.
With a Divine Dragon Tail sweep, the greedy snake sent a swath of Sha Po Wolves flying. Lin Xiaomei and the others seized the chance to grab onto its sharp claws.
"Lift off!"
With a sudden shout, Qin Shou commanded, and the greedy snake ascended once again.
"Awoooo..."
On the ground below, the black wolf pack howled at the sky, their bloodthirsty eyes gradually dimming.
From atop the dragon head, Qin Shou looked down at the dark sea of wolves, a thought stirring in his mind.
He had the greedy snake drop the three of them off on a faraway hilltop.
As they landed, Qin Shou addressed them, "The Wind God Winged Dragon likely heard the dragon's roar and will come after us again.
I'll lure it away. You all be careful."
With that, the greedy snake carried Qin Shou up into the skies, vanishing from their sight.
"Qin…"
Lin Xiaomei started to speak but hesitated. Her gaze shifted to the still-shaken pair beside her, and she let out a long sigh.
The pangolin beast that appeared in the neighborhood, the Lion Group outside the city, the Wind God Winged Dragon, and the Sha Po Wolf Group…
It turned out that the person they barely knew, Qin Shou, was the most trustworthy companion of all.
...
On a barren hilltop.
At this moment, Qin Shou had transformed into Big Big Wolf, casually strutting through the wolf pack's headquarters.
This time, he aimed to be the most dazzling wolf of them all!
With Big Big Wolf's Sha Po Wolf genetic makeup, his odd appearance still made him a legitimate member of the Sha Po Wolf kin.
"Awoooo..."
Suddenly, a female wolf blocked Qin Shou's path, making his heart tighten for a moment.
Had he been discovered?
Slowly turning around, he saw the female wolf emit a low growl, sniffing at him. Her cold eyes unexpectedly softened with a hint of compassion.
This little one is so scrawny—it must have been malnourished, stunted in growth.
Poor cub.
With a shake of its head, the female wolf lay down atop a stone, nudging Qin Shou toward her belly, motioning for him to nurse.
Qin Shou's wolf face turned pitch black.
Who the hell wants to nurse?
Do you believe I won't bash your head in?
"Sniff sniff..."
The enticing aroma of food reached his nose. Qin Shou restrained the primal instincts of his new body and, under the wolf's puzzled gaze, bolted toward the cave at the summit.
That was the lair of the Killing Wolf King.