Chapter 125: Battle Between Man and Wolf

In the misty expanse a few miles away, a large group of martial artists wandered along with little sense of urgency.

Undoubtedly, these were the victors of the first day’s selection trials. Not long after Chu Tianfeng had entered the secret realm, they had followed suit into the fog.

Du Jingjing naturally led the pack. Deeply concerned for Chu Tianfeng’s safety, she was desperate to find him. Unfortunately, visibility within the fog was poor, and despite her mounting anxiety, she was forced to feel her way forward slowly. The rest of the group followed in small clusters, chatting and joking as if they were on a casual excursion rather than entering a perilous secret realm. Naturally, their conversation revolved primarily around Chu Tianfeng—speculating on his movement techniques and debating the true extent of his cultivation.

The Long, Wang, and Feng families marched together. The Feng family was led by Feng Piaopiao, followed by three masked women who exuded an air of cool detachment. The Long family remained under the command of Long Yuanhua, accompanied by Long Yue, Long Fei, and another male disciple at the mid-stage of the Transformation Realm. As for the Wang family—well, their numbers had dwindled to the fewest; only Wang Lianyao and a mid-stage Transformation Realm disciple named Wang Liankai remained. Wang Zaitian, Wang Lianchang, and the rest of the family’s hired experts had been sent back to An City to receive treatment for their injuries.

"Brother Yao, how are you feeling?" Long Yue asked, keeping close to Wang Lianyao’s side as they walked, looking every bit the affectionate couple.

"I’m fine," Wang Lianyao replied, casting a glance at the members of the Feng family.

"But you seem unhappy. Is it because of your uncle and brother’s injuries?" Long Yue pressed with concern.

Wang Lianyao offered no comment. In truth, he was not worried about the physical condition of Wang Zaitian or Wang Lianchang, but rather the fate of the entire Wang family’s grand scheme. Like the Heavenly Master Sect, they had spent years planning for this, with over a year of intensive preparation. They had secured firearms, ammunition, and personnel—everything had been meticulously arranged. And yet, almost all of it had been undone in a single night. Not only were Wang Zaitian and Wang Lianchang injured, but the majority of the expensive mercenaries they had hired were either dead or incapacitated.

With their current strength, competing against the major sects was nothing more than a pipe dream. His only hope now rested on Wang Caizhang; he prayed that he would find Chu Tianfeng soon and seize the young man's cultivation techniques. Otherwise, this journey into the secret realm would become the Wang family’s greatest nightmare.

"Don't worry, their injuries are minor; they will recover soon," Long Yue said, still assuming he was fretting over his kin.

"Mm," Wang Lianyao grunted vaguely.

At that moment, the hound walking by Wang Lianyao’s side suddenly stopped, its nose twitching violently.

"Don't tell me this useless dog has found Chu Tianfeng again?" Long Fei laughed aloud from the side.

Wang Lianyao looked at the dog with suspicion. The animal began to whine anxiously, tugging repeatedly at the hem of Wang Lianyao’s trousers. Before Long Fei could ask anything more, a loud, resonant baritone rang out from the front: "Everyone, be careful! A massive pack of wolves is approaching!"

The words had barely faded when the sharp crackle of gunfire erupted!

The crowd was thrown into confusion. Those with infrared binoculars quickly pulled them out. Upon looking, they gasped in horror.

"Those aren't wolves! They're tigers!"
"Damn it, there are so many of them!"
"Run!"

As the pack drew nearer, their howling became deafening. The group of martial artists descended into chaos, some arguing to stand their ground while others urged a retreat.

"Listen to me! There are too many of them, we cannot fight them here! This is a valley with steep slopes on both sides. I suggest those with firearms stand with me to hold the line, while everyone else retreats toward the cliff on the right!" It was the same baritone voice—Du Renzhi, the only Xiantian-stage expert of the Du family.

"Right! We’ll follow Brother Du!" someone shouted back.

"Those with guns to the front, everyone else back off!" another bellowed.

The crowd quickly split into two groups. Most of those without firearms retreated, while those who were armed surged forward. Among the Long and Feng families, only Long Fei carried a gun. Feng Piaopiao suggested retreating, and Long Yuanhua and the others immediately agreed. Though Long Fei was reluctant, he had no choice but to fall back with them. Wang Lianyao had no interest in exhausting himself against the wolves; after firing a few symbolic shots, he and Wang Liankai quietly slipped away behind the crowd.

The gunfire continued, and the pack closed in to within thirty meters!

"Uncle Renzhi, there are too many! Let’s retreat!" Bai Yucheng shouted, realizing the situation was dire.

"Go! Fight as you retreat!" Du Renzhi grabbed Du Jingjing, and the group covered one another as they pulled back.

The other martial artists followed suit. Twenty meters! The gunfire intensified, and wolves fell one after another, yet the pack showed no fear, charging forward with relentless howls. Ten meters! The scent of blood grew thick, and the wolves became even more ferocious. Five meters! The martial artists could not outrun the pack, and the gap closed rapidly.

"Charge!" someone screamed.

"Kill them!"

Countless throats joined the cry. A brutal melee ensued. The fighters drew their blades, wielding guns in one hand and swords in the other—using firearms for distance and blades for close quarters. Blood splattered, and screams of agony filled the air. The wolves, though simple in their tactics, fought with suicidal ferocity, wave after wave replacing those that fell. The defensive iron plates began to prove their worth, ringing out with the impact of colliding fangs.

"Ah!" A scream cut through the din. Someone’s defense had been breached. The cries of pain spread like a virus, echoing from all corners.

"Retreat! Faster!"

The group scrambled toward the cliff on the right. "Jingjing, you lot go first!" Du Renzhi commanded.

"Dad, you hurry too!" Du Jingjing replied, climbing the cliff face with Du Xuan and Bai Yucheng.

Du Renzhi slashed through two wolves with his sword before leaping onto the cliff, scrambling upward. But after climbing only ten meters, he encountered Du Jingjing and the others returning.

"Dad, Ming'er didn't make it up!" Du Jingjing cried in panic.

"Don't worry about me, I'm going back for him!" Du Renzhi roared. Seeing them hesitate, he bellowed, "Get up there now!"

With no choice, the others continued their ascent. Du Renzhi turned and dove back down. The base of the cliff was in total disarray; those who hadn't climbed in time were swarmed. Gunfire mingled with screams; blood, both human and beast, painted the ground. Du Renzhi plunged into the fray, his sword flashing. "Ming'er! Where are you?"

He was not the only one searching; the air was filled with desperate calls. "A-Qiang! Where are you?" "Er Gouzi!" "Feifei!"

Amidst the chorus of carnage, his voice was drowned out. His ammunition was long gone, his pistol discarded. Fortunately, as a mid-stage Xiantian expert, his sword was sharp, and few wolves could stand against him. Slash after slash, he lost count of how many he had felled. Ten minutes later, he reached a section of the cliff with a gentler slope.

"Ming'er!" he shouted, cutting down another wolf.

"I'm here!" a familiar voice came from above.

Relieved, Du Renzhi abandoned the fight and scrambled up the cliff. He found Du Ming slumped on a narrow ledge, covered in blood. "You're hurt?" he asked, sitting beside him.

"Just a few bites on my shoulder and calf," Du Ming gritted out. Du Renzhi quickly pulled out his pack, retrieving bandages and herbs.

"Where are Brother Xuan and Jingjing?" Du Ming asked.

"Don't worry, they're safe." Du Renzhi cleaned the wounds and dressed them efficiently.

"Fourth Uncle, I'm sorry, I lost all the food," Du Ming said, his voice heavy with guilt.

Du Renzhi patted his head. "Don't worry. With all these wolves down there, we'll have enough to eat for months." Both men laughed.

On another ledge, Du Jingjing and the others sat in silence, growing anxious as Du Renzhi failed to return. "Should we go down and look?" Du Jingjing whispered.

Bai Yucheng looked at the misty abyss below and shook his head. "No, there are too many wolves. Going down is a death sentence."

Though they couldn't see the carnage, the howling remained clear. In this battle, hundreds of wolves had surely died, and the fate of the martial artists remained unknown. One thing was certain: their ammunition was nearly spent.

"Are we just supposed to sit here like fools and do nothing?" Du Jingjing pounded the stone wall in frustration. She was deeply worried about Chu Tianfeng, fearing he might have run into the pack or, worse, tried to fight them alone.

"Jingjing, stay calm," Bai Yucheng urged. "Rest and recover your strength first."

"That's right," Du Xuan agreed. "Once we're rested, we'll go down and look."

Half an hour later, their strength restored, the three moved downward. However, they were greeted by a sea of wolves—even more than before.

"What is happening?" Bai Yucheng asked in shock.

"Who knows!" Du Jingjing stared through her binoculars at the black mass of fur, her scalp tingling.

"Back up!" Du Xuan ordered, scrambling upward. "These wolves are clever. They know we're on the cliff and want to starve us out."

"Heh, don't worry," Bai Yucheng laughed. "I may be low on ammo, but I've got plenty of food. Let these wolf cubs rot!"