Scorched Battlefield

Tan Bo roared in his mind, fury and desperation clashing like thunder. I will not die here! Not after finally realizing how that wretched clan only held me back!

The realization had come too late—years wasted in servitude, years of blind loyalty to a cause that never cared for him. But he was done. He wasn't going to throw his life away for some weaklings who wouldn't survive the night.

I'll run the moment there's an opening. Let these brats die. Let them scream and wail for their precious clan. It has nothing to do with me anymore.

But fate, as always, spat in his face.

A low, rumbling growl sent a chill through his bones. His eyes snapped toward the pack leader—the peak rank 1 Emberfang Wolf.

Its ember-like gaze locked onto him.

Tan Bo's breath hitched. Shit.

The beast was intelligent. It sensed his strength, his aura, and it had made its choice. The strongest prey meant the most nourishment. It would tear through him first, sink its fangs into his flesh, and feast on his power.

His pulse pounded in his ears. The rest of the pack fanned out, circling the others, but they were nothing compared to the leader. Most of them were only low rank 1, a few at the middle stage. This pack had been formed recently; its members weren't as powerful as a true, seasoned pack led by a peak rank 1 beast.

That was his only advantage.

If he could kill the leader fast enough, the rest might retreat. Or at the very least, it would create the opening he needed.

His grip tightened around his sword. I am not dying here. Not today.

Tan Bo's muscles tensed as he activated his movement technique.

"Rank 1 Mid-Tier Battle Skill: Lightning Step!"

A sharp burst of speed coursed through his body, his figure flickering as he shot forward.

He targeted one of the weaker wolves, his instincts honed for the kill. If he could thin their numbers, the leader would have fewer allies to rely on.

But the pack leader wasn't going to let him.

With a furious snarl, it lunged at him, ember-like eyes burning with rage. Tan Bo didn't falter. He had already gathered Qi into his hand, lightning crackling at his fingertips.

"Rank 1 Mid-Tier Battle Skill: Thunderclaw Rend!"

He roared as his clawed strike tore through the low-ranked wolf in an instant, splitting its body in half. Blood splattered onto the ground, the scent of scorched flesh filling the air. The beast hadn't stood a chance against a mid-tier battle skill.

The pack leader howled in fury, its gaze locking onto him with murderous intent. Its body tensed, then exploded forward with terrifying speed—matching his own enhanced movements.

Claws met metal, sparks flying as their attacks clashed. Tan Bo gritted his teeth, weaving between offense and defense, his Lightning Step barely keeping him ahead of the beast's relentless assault.

Then he saw it—an opening.

Qi surged into his blade, flames licking at its edge as he slashed forward.

"Rank 1 Mid-Tier Battle Skill: Blazing Fang Slash!"

The fiery arc carved into the wolf's side, searing through flesh. The beast howled in pain, but in its agony, it lashed out, its massive claws smashing into Tan Bo and sending him flying backward.

He hit the ground hard, rolling before forcing himself up. His body ached, but he had managed to deflect some of the force. If not, the impact could have broken bones.

He spat blood, his expression grim but determined.

His Rank 1 Mid-Tier Battle Skill: Flameguard Skin, his defensive technique, wasn't strong enough to fully block an attack from a peak-rank beast. That was the truth. But he had speed, power, and the will to win.

Anyone watching him fight would immediately recognize his combat style—lightning for speed, fire for destruction. He struck like a storm and burned like an inferno.

Tan Bo wiped the blood trickling down his chin, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. The leader of the Emberfang Wolves snarled at him, its charred fur smoldering from the flames that had seared into its flesh. Its ember-like eyes gleamed with pure hatred, promising death.

Tan Bo didn't hesitate. His Qi surged, fire erupting around his body as he prepared his strongest attack.

"Rank 1 High-Tier Battle Skill: Scorching Wrath!"

His blade ignited, flames roaring to life and coiling around the metal like a living beast. The very air trembled from the heat. This was his strongest technique, the culmination of all his power. If the wolf wanted him dead, then it would have to fight through an inferno.

The beast instinctively knew the danger. It tensed, muscles bunching as it prepared to leap back—but its injury betrayed it. The gaping wound across its side throbbed, the lingering flames still eating away at its flesh. It hesitated for the briefest moment.

Tan Bo struck.

His blade blurred as he lunged forward, aiming for its throat. The wolf had no choice—it couldn't run, so it had to attack. With a furious snarl, it met his assault head-on.

Fangs bared, it lunged, claws tearing through the air. Tan Bo twisted his body mid-strike, barely avoiding its snapping jaws. A razor-sharp claw raked across his shoulder, slicing through flesh, but he gritted his teeth and pressed forward.

His blade carved into the wolf's side, flames exploding on impact. The beast let out an agonized howl, its body convulsing as the searing pain overwhelmed it. But even in its suffering, it retaliated.

Its powerful hind legs kicked out, slamming into Tan Bo's chest like a battering ram. He barely had time to react before he was sent flying, his body smashing into the dirt. He rolled, coughing violently, his ribs aching from the impact.

The wolf staggered, its breaths ragged. It swayed on its feet, blood pouring from the gaping wound across its body. Its fur was blackened and scorched, flesh peeling from where the flames had ravaged it.

But it was still alive.

Tan Bo forced himself up, gripping his blade tightly. His entire body throbbed with pain—deep gashes ran along his arms, his robe was tattered, and blood leaked from his mouth. The claw marks across his chest burned, a reminder of how close he had come to being ripped open.

The wolf locked eyes with him again. It was weakening—he could see it in the way its legs trembled, in the way its breathing had grown shallow. But it wasn't backing down. Even on the brink of death, it still bared its fangs.

Tan Bo clenched his teeth. He didn't want to push his luck. Fighting a cornered beast was never wise—if he charged in recklessly, it might just throw everything into one final suicidal attack.

He shifted his stance, making no sudden moves. If the beast wanted to retreat, he would let it. He had no reason to die here. But if it still wished to fight… he would make sure its corpse was reduced to ashes.

Tan Bo's chest rose and fell in ragged breaths, his body screaming in pain. His fight with the Emberfang Wolf had taken more out of him than he wanted to admit. The beast was barely standing, but so was he. Just as he was deciding whether to press on or retreat, he cast a glance toward his clansmen—

And his blood ran cold.

A figure stood among the corpses, clad in pure white armor, the moonlight reflecting eerily off its surface. Jagged blades jutted from the back like the fangs of some monstrous beast. The ground was littered with bodies—some of his clansmen, some of the wolves. But the ones that sent a chill down his spine were the two freshly slain cultivators, their throats slit cleanly.

Tan Bo's eyes locked onto the stranger's gaze, cold and devoid of emotion.

"Just what I needed—a demonic cultivator," he spat, his hands trembling with fury. His mind spun with possibilities. Did this bastard lure the wolves here? That thought made his stomach churn. Had this entire battle been nothing more than a setup?

He clenched his fists. That opening he had been waiting for—the chance to run and leave these fools behind—was gone.

—

Earlier, Lin Shu had been watching the fight, eyes wide, heart pounding. The clash between Tan Bo and the pack leader was beyond anything he had ever witnessed. The ground was scorched black, boulders shattered under the force of their blows. Flames danced wildly, licking the air as lightning crackled in every direction.

He had almost turned and fled right then.

If I get caught in that, I'm dead.

His bone armor wouldn't last a second against those attacks. His Ivory Monolith—his greatest defense—would crumble like brittle stone. That battle skill was far beyond mid-tier. If he stepped in recklessly, he would be torn apart.

But then, as his mind screamed at him to leave, his sharp eyes caught something.

The other Tan clan members were on their last legs. They had nearly finished off the remaining wolves, but something was wrong—none of them were using battle skills.

They're out of Qi.

Like cornered animals, they surrounded the final wolf, attacking sluggishly, their movements slower, more desperate. They were winning—but only just. If anyone struck now…

Lin Shu's gaze flicked back to Tan Bo. The man was barely standing, covered in wounds, his opponent in an equally miserable state.

Lin Shu took a deep breath.

And then he moved.

Like a specter in the night, he shot toward the exhausted cultivators. They never even saw him coming.

The slaughter began.