Attack

They spent the next few minutes gathering flowers of various colors. Ling Tian showed Xin'er how to weave them together into a crown. As they worked, they chatted and laughed.

As they continued crafting the flower crown, Ling Tian glanced around, ensuring they were still within the safe boundaries of the forest.

He knew the outer periphery was free from dangerous beasts, but he remained vigilant.

"There!" Ling Tian said, placing the finished flower crown on Xin'er's head. "Now you look like a true forest princess."

Xin'er beamed, touching the crown gently. "Thank you, big brother! I love it."

As they worked, they chatted and laughed, Ling Tian told her many stories that he heard from his mother and made some up from his dreams even though he couldn't remember much from them.

"Remember the time you tried to climb that big tree in the garden and got stuck?" Ling Tian asked, his voice filled with amusement.

Xin'er giggled, her eyes sparkling with the memory. "Yes, I remember! I thought I could reach the top like you did, but then I looked down and got so scared."

Ling Tian chuckled, shaking his head. "How could I forget? I was so proud of you for trying, but when I saw you clinging to that branch, I knew I had to do something. You were like a little kitten stuck up there."

Xin'er laughed, her cheeks flushing. "And then you tried to climb up to help me, but you got stuck too!"

"Yeah," Ling Tian said, grinning. "I thought I could just swing up there and rescue you, but the branch was too weak for both of us. We were quite a sight, hanging there and shouting for help."

Xin'er nodded, her giggles turning into full-blown laughter. "And then you had to go get Dad to help us down. He was so surprised to find both of us up there."

Ling Tian shook his head, still smiling. "He was more amused than anything. I remember him saying, 'My brave little warriors, what a duo you make!' And then he climbed up with ease and carried us down, one by one."

Xin'er beamed at the memory. "Dad was like a hero that day. He made it look so easy."

Ling Tian nodded in agreement. "He did. And he wasn't even angry. He just told us to be careful next time and gave us some sweets to cheer us up."

As the sun began to set, casting a warm, golden glow through the forest, they found a quiet spot to rest.

Ling Tian lay on the grass, looking up at the sky as it changed colors. Xin'er sat beside him, her flower crown slightly askew but still intact.

"This has been the best birthday ever," Ling Tian said, turning his head to look at his sister.

Xin'er nodded in agreement, her eyes shining with happiness. "I'm glad we came here. It's so beautiful."

Ling Tian sat up, pulling his sister into a gentle hug. "I'm glad I got to spend it with you."

Xin'er hugged him back tightly. "Me too."

As evening descended, they reluctantly decided it was time to head back. They made their way out of the forest, hand in hand, the memories of their magical day etched in their minds.

But just as they were on their way back, a sudden growl pierced the air. Without warning, a demonic wolf leaped out from the shadows, his eyes gleaming with hunger and malice.

As the demonic wolf lunged towards them, time seemed to slow down for Ling Tian.

With a surge of adrenaline, he pushed Xin'er away putting himself between the wolf and his little sister, his only thought to protect his little sister from the demonic wolf.

With a sharp yelp, Xin'er stumbled backward, her small frame was no match for the ferocious beast bearing down on them.

As Xin'er stumbled back she turned around to see why her big brother pushed her so hard and what she saw left her horrified, her heart pounding with fear, she watched in horror as the wolf lunged toward Ling Tian.

Meanwhile, with lightning reflexes, Ling Tian dodged the beast's attack, narrowly avoiding his razor-sharp teeth.

After Ling Tian had a good look at the demonic wolf, he realized that it was a demonic wolf at the second level of the Qi Refining realm.

The wolf was a lot stronger than him since he hadn't yet started cultivation.

Ling Tian's heart raced as he faced the snarling wolf, its eyes gleaming with hunger and malice.

At that moment, he knew he was alone in this fight.

With no time to waste, he scanned his surroundings for any possible weapon to defend himself.

Spotting a sturdy branch lying nearby, Ling Tian wasted no time in grabbing it, his fingers closing around the rough wood.

It was a crude weapon, but it was all he had to fend off the relentless predator.

While holding the branch in his hand he thought to himself.

'I need to make the wolf focus only on myself otherwise I won't be able to protect Xin'er from that wolf'

With a primal growl, the wolf launched itself at Ling Tian, its jaws snapping dangerously close to his face.

Reacting on instinct, Ling Tian swung the branch with all his might, aiming for the creature's growling mouth.

The impact sent the wolf reeling back momentarily, but it quickly regained its footing, unfazed by the blow.

Ling Tian's heart pounded in his chest as he dodged another attack coming his way, his movements fueled by fear and desperation.

He knew that he had to keep the wolf at bay, buying precious seconds to formulate his next move.

Despite his best efforts, the wolf was relentless in its pursuit, its sharp claws tearing through the air with each swipe.

Ling Tian danced around the creature; his every movement calculated to evade its deadly strikes.

While dodging he thought to himself.

'I have managed to hold on till this point thanks to my training for years, but I'm reaching my limit soon.'

With each passing moment, Ling Tian felt the weight of exhaustion bearing down on him.

His arms ached from the strain of wielding the makeshift weapon, and his breath came in ragged gasps.

But still, he refused to give up, driven by the fierce determination to survive and protect his sister at all costs.

But as the battle wore on, Ling Tian's strength began to wane. His movements grew sluggish, his vision wavering as waves of dizziness washed over him.

The wolf sensed his weakness, its attacks growing more frenzied and relentless with each passing moment.

With a final, desperate lunge, the wolf knocked Ling Tian to the ground, the force of the impact driving the breath from his lungs.

He gasped for air, his body battered and bruised from the brutal onslaught.

As darkness closed in around him, Ling Tian knew that he had reached the end of his strength.

With one last, agonized glance at his sister, what he saw left him horrified as he saw the demonic wolf slowly walking towards his little sister, just then something snapped inside of him.

Snap

The world lost all its colors and was painted in a vivid, menacing red.

Ling Tian felt an overwhelming surge of energy, unlike anything he had ever experienced before. His body moved on its own, driven by an instinctive, primal fury.

Slowly, he stood up, his movements deliberate and filled with an eerie calm.

He turned to face the demonic wolf, and as his eyes locked onto the creature, an intense, bloodthirsty aura emanated from him.

The wolf, sensing a drastic change in its prey, paused, its malicious hunger momentarily replaced by hesitation.

Ling Tian's gaze was no longer that of a frightened boy but of a fierce predator.

The mere look in his eyes extinguished the wolf's soul, its once powerful form now crumbling under the weight of Ling Tian's newfound power.

He looked down at his hands.

They were covered in his blood, he raised his head and looked at his little sister, just as he looked at his sister all the colors returned to normal and his aura which was going berserk and bloodthirsty became normal.

He managed a weak smile as he saw her safe. Just then, Ling Tian relaxed completely and with a final exhale, he lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

Yuan Xinyi had tears all over her face from looking at her brother fighting and protecting her from the demonic wolf.

She stood up and stumbled towards Ling Tian to check up on him. She reached her brother's side and sat down near him.

She looked at his face for some time and remembered those scary eyes that instantly killed the wolf.

She shook her head and tried to pick her brother up to take him home for treatment.

But she wasn't strong enough to pick him up fully to take him home due to her young age.

She picked up his hands and put them on her shoulders and dragged him along the way for quite some time.

Her feet were bleeding due to heavy weight and the bad terrain of the forest.