The Blood Wolf Gang members recognized the Golden Bear but quickly regained their composure.
"Don't panic! It's just a Golden Bear—we can handle it!" five Blood Wolf Guards scoffed.
True to their words, the Golden Bear, though a Posterior Heaven Realm, sixth stage beast, was swiftly suppressed by five elite fighters.
Whoosh!
One Blood Wolf Guard, eyes gleaming with bloodlust, lunged forward and slashed the beast's abdomen, leaving a gaping wound. Blood gushed like a river.
Roar!
The Golden Bear spun furiously, its palm-like claws slamming into the guard, sending him crashing through three trees. The beast's roar weakened as blood loss took its toll.
"Focus! It's going mad!" the remaining guards shouted, attacking cautiously to avoid provoking it further.
Hiding behind a tree, Xiao Ye frowned. The Golden Bear was nearing collapse.
"I'll save you, big guy."
Xiao Ye grabbed a vine, strapped the Flame Blade to his back, and silently emerged. His twelve meridians surged with Qi as he launched a Great Splitting Palm at an unsuspecting Blood Wolf Guard.
Boom!
The guard didn't even scream before crumpling, lifeless.
"What?!"
The remaining three Blood Wolf Guards spun around, recognizing the lithe youth before them.
"Xiao Ye!"
Their leader snarled, "Kill him! No mercy!"
Five Blood Wolf members charged, but Xiao Ye was ready.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His palms struck like thunder, shattering ribs and spines. Five bodies hit the ground in a heap.
"You killed my Qingyang Town villagers and severed Uncle Shan's arm—you all deserve death!" Xiao Ye roared, his hair wild, palms crashing down.
Crunch!
The ground cracked beneath the two remaining guards as Xiao Ye's Qi crushed them. Bones snapped; blood painted their twisted faces.
"Big guy, good job," Xiao Ye said, nodding at the Golden Bear.
The beast panted, clueless why Xiao Ye had saved it. Satisfied, Xiao Ye pocketed 300 taels of silver from the corpses and vanished into the forest.
The Blood Wolf's Pursuit
Footsteps echoed behind him.
"Human! It must be Xiao Ye!" The Blood Wolf Gang tracked him to the forest's edge.
"Xiao Ye, you can't escape!" Blood Wolf descended like a storm, his palm aiming to crush the boy.
Xiao Ye's legs trembled—he couldn't dodge. Not again. Not against this monster.
WHOOSH!
An elderly figure blocked Blood Wolf's strike—Xiao Tianxiong!
"Leave my son alone!" Xiao Tianxiong roared, fighting alongside Xiao Yang, Shi Zhan, and Wu Shi.
Blood Wolf's aura exploded. "You dare defy me?!"
The battle raged, dust blotting out the sun.
"Run, Ye'er!" Xiao Tianxiong shouted. "We'll hold him off!"
Xiao Ye choked back tears. Their sacrifice bought him time—but how long?
He sprinted toward Qingyang Town's exit, the Flame Blade at his back.
The Road Ahead
A day later, Xiao Ye stood at Wutang City's gates, the Black Dragon Chronicles in hand. The map to the Vein-Purifying Pool glowed in his mind.
"Heat up the blade," he muttered to the Flame Blade. "I need your power."
The road ahead bristled with danger, but Xiao Ye's resolve burned brighter.
Revenge. Redemption. Power.
The Chongyang Sect trials awaited—but first, he'd burn the Blood Wolf Gang to ashes.