His eyes were already bloodshot with anxiety. Watching Yi Tianxing battle within the wolf pack, while he himself stood helplessly behind the walls, unable to do anything—Yang Ye couldn't help but feel deeply ashamed.
A complex expression passed across Yang Ye's face. He had to protect Yang Family Village—nearly ten thousand villagers were counting on the Yang Family Army. To risk all their lives just to save one person... that price was too steep.
"General Yang, go save him. A hero like that shouldn't die under the claws of a wolf pack." A voice rang out from within the village. It was Lai He, carrying a travel pack and holding a boning knife in hand, speaking decisively.
"That's right, General Yang. That warrior Yi was right earlier—people must rely on themselves. Only through self-reliance and inner strength can we survive. There are over ten thousand of us here—we can't just depend on you and the Yang Family Army to fight and bleed on the front lines while we cower behind. We can defend the village too. We may not be trained like soldiers, but we've got numbers. Even if they're direwolves, we can fight back together." A young man added loudly.
His voice carried a powerful confidence.
As long as all the villagers pitched in, and with the aid of the defensive fencing, they could certainly muster some level of resistance. Maybe not fight head-to-head, but at least hold off the wolves. They wanted to contribute—to fight for their own survival.
The villagers weren't fools. What they lacked was courage.
But seeing Yi Tianxing step out of the village alone—spear in hand, diving headfirst into a sea of wolves, dancing with blood and steel—it was like a heavy bell tolling in their hearts, awakening their spirits.
And seeing the father and sons of the Yang family hesitating to commit their army to a rescue, not wanting to leave the village vulnerable—it filled them with guilt.
What's more, they all understood: once night fell, the wolves' strength would rise sharply.
And once that happened, the entire village would face an unstoppable disaster. If they wanted to survive, they had to act during the day—daylight was their only chance.
"You all..."Yang Ye looked at the flood of villagers gathering before him and showed a flicker of surprise. The same people who had once needed constant protection were now stepping forward to defend the village on their own. Though fear lingered in their eyes, none turned back. They all knew—retreat was no longer an option. If the village fell, none of them would survive.
"General Yang, we can't rely solely on the Yang Family Army to protect us anymore. Now it's time for us to do our part!"A voice rang out from the crowd.
"Don't look down on us cooks—we've always earned our meals by wielding knives!" Lai He added, the glint of cold steel flashing in his hand. His boning knife was forged from cold iron—a genuine weapon.
All around him stood groups of chefs.
Cooks or not, they were used to knives—experts in blade work in their own right.
Yang Ye's gaze swept across the swelling crowd, his heart stirring with both frustration and clarity. He murmured to himself, "When one acts for themselves, Heaven and Earth grant their blessing. In times of peace, my actions were protection—but in times of chaos, they've become suffocating. So this is what it means... Perhaps I was never fit to be a leader. Commanding troops is where my strength lies."
He thought of Yi Tianxing's earlier words, and a bitter taste welled in his mouth.
No wonder—no wonder Yi Tianxing, though a village chief himself, dared to leave his village behind so freely. It was because his villagers... weren't afraid to die. They were willing to fight, to shed blood for their lives.
With people like that behind him—what challenge couldn't be overcome?
Overprotectiveness had instead led Yang Family Village into this desperate deadlock.
He took a deep breath, suppressing all stray thoughts. Looking at his two sons, who now stared at him with anticipation and resolve, he barked out a decisive order:
"Sound the assembly horn! Yang Family Army, form ranks!!"
"Yes, Father-General!!"Yang Yanping and Yang Yanding dropped to one knee, answering with fervent excitement.
WOOOOO—!!The army's assembly horn blasted across the village.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Soldiers began to converge from all corners of the settlement, forming into ranks. Marching in units, heavy footfalls resounded as over 1,500 troops gathered swiftly at the village gate.
Their armor was dented and battle-worn—badges of honor earned in previous fights. Yet none of the soldiers wore a trace of fear on their faces. Their eyes burned with iron resolve. Every soldier looked to Yang Ye with blazing fervor in their gaze—he was their unshakable pillar.
"Salute the Grand General!"All soldiers dropped to one knee in unison, shouting in chorus.
"Rise. Prepare to form ranks!"Yang Ye stood tall in full armor, longblade at his waist and an iron spear gripped in hand. His posture was straight and unyielding—like a spear himself—radiating a deadly aura.
"Formation! Spearmen to the front! Archers to the rear! Form the Hidden Edge Formation!"Yang Yanping's voice rang out loud and clear.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The soldiers began to shift formation.
Spearmen took position on the outer edges, while archers formed the inner lines. The whole array formed into a triangle—like a razor-sharp blade. Spearmen blocked assaults; archers fired from within. This battle formation was extremely powerful.
In moments, the Yang Family Army had assembled into formation after formation of Hidden Edge Arrays.
"Yang Family Army—advance! Advance! Advance!!"Yang Ye swung his spear forward with a shout.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!"The soldiers roared with bloodlust in their eyes. Their formations moved—not as individuals, but as a single entity.
They passed through the village gates like a tide of death. Their aura rolled out like waves, a palpable killing intent that filled the air. Even birds scattered from the skies above, fleeing from the oppressive might.
The Yang Family Army—an elite force forged for assault—was finally in its element. Defense had never been their calling.
Now, their true essence was revealed.
To the villagers, the marching formations seemed like terrifying beasts rising from the depths. Their hearts quaked under the pressure—awe and fear rising in equal measure.
"This is the real Yang Family Army. I've never seen another force carry such power."
"They were made for head-on combat, not sitting behind walls. If they'd fought sooner, maybe we wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses."
"That murderous aura... it's all the rage and fighting spirit they've been bottling up these past days, now unleashed in full. This time, they're going all in."
Voices buzzed among the villagers. It was clear—the Yang Family Army had resolved to fight to the death.
And from their General, they sensed a fierce resolve to stand or fall on this battlefield.
With such a general—how could they fear death?
The sun began to dip below the horizon.
The setting sun bathed each soldier in light. The gleam on their worn armor flickered like gold. Their faces were resolute, their eyes unwavering.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Formation after formation stepped forward, leaving the village behind and arriving at the battlefield. Before them—the wolf pack.
Each step forward was steady and powerful. The synchronized movement made the very earth tremble. A crushing aura surged across the field, pressing toward the wolves like a tidal wave.
Their murderous aura was no weaker than the wolves' own bloodthirst.
Awooooo—!!The Howling Moon Silverwolf saw the Yang Family Army emerging from the village and its eyes burned with hatred. With a piercing howl, it issued a command.
The wolves attacking Yi Tianxing scattered instantly, turning their bloodthirsty gaze toward the advancing troops. Their ferocity did not falter.
Awooooo—!!
But then—an even louder, more terrifying howl ripped through the skies.
A flash of silver light tore through the air and landed on a nearby hilltop. There, revealed in the fading light, stood a massive silver wolf, even larger than the other direwolves—half again their size. It stepped forward to stand beside the original one-eyed Silverwolf.
Compared to the new arrival, the one-eyed wolf was like an undeveloped pup. In both size and aura—they weren't even close.
On its forehead was a silver crescent moon, glowing with a majestic brilliance. A regal pressure rolled out from its body, the aura of a king.
Waves upon waves of wolves emerged behind it—thousands strong.
And yet, as one, they fell to the ground in reverence before the Howling Moon Wolf King. Not a single one dared lift its head—the bloodline pressure was too overwhelming to resist.
It was a terrifying sight.
Awooooo—!!
The Wolf King cast its gaze upon Yang Family Village and the advancing army, then released a chilling howl to the heavens.
Flash!
The silver crescent on its forehead burst into a radiant glow. Silver moonlight spread outward like a tidal wave, falling upon every direwolf in the field.
The moment the moonlight touched them, they howled in ecstasy—their auras surging dramatically. Every strand of fur stood on end, their eyes bloodshot and wild.
Life Aperture – Silver Moon!Innate Divine Ability – Moonlight Radiance! ✨
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The wolf pack went into a frenzy.
A massive tide of direwolves split into two waves—one surged toward the village, the other charged straight for the Yang Family Army.
They thundered forward like a tidal flood—a stampede of fury.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!!"The Yang Family Army answered with a bloodcurdling roar.