His right hand slowly gripped the hilt of his iron sword. This battle was about testing everything he had cultivated over the past two years.
Step... Step... Step...
He descended the rocky slope with extraordinary care. Each foot landed precisely where loose stones could not roll. Each breath matched the rhythm of the wind passing through the trees.
The distance gradually shortened. Thirty metres. Twenty-five. Twenty. The wolf still hadn't noticed.
Mo Xuan's confidence quietly grew. "Another ten metres…"
"Then I'll strike first."
Fifteen metres.
The Blood Wolf suddenly froze. The piece of flesh hanging from its jaws dropped onto the ground. Its ears stood upright. Every muscle tightened.
Mo Xuan stopped immediately.
Silence.
Neither moved.
For several breaths, even the forest seemed to hold itself still. Then a single dry leaf drifted gently downward and landed beside the wolf. The beast relaxed slightly and resumed eating. Mo Xuan silently released the breath he had been holding.
He continued forward. Twelve metres. Ten. Eight. Almost within striking distance. Then—
Crack.
The sound was tiny. Barely louder than a snapping twig. Mo Xuan's expression changed instantly. His foot had landed upon a dry branch hidden beneath fallen leaves. The crisp sound echoed throughout the quiet ravine.
The Blood Wolf's head shot upward. Its crimson eyes immediately locked onto him. For one heartbeat...
Neither moved.
Man and beast simply stared at one another. Then the wolf bared its bloodstained fangs. A low, threatening growl rolled from its throat, filled with murderous intent.
The Blood Wolf released a deafening howl.
Awooooo—!
The sound echoed throughout the ravine, startling countless birds into the sky. Before the final note had even faded... The beast exploded forward. Its speed was terrifying. The distance of eight metres vanished almost instantly.
Mo Xuan's pupils contracted. "Too fast!" He immediately threw himself sideways.
The wolf's claws tore through the air where his chest had been a fraction of a second earlier. Four deep gouges appeared across the tree behind him. Wood splintered in every direction. Had that strike landed... It would have ripped open his entire torso.
Mo Xuan rolled across the ground before springing back to his feet. His heartbeat accelerated with excitement.
"So this…" he said. "This is a real battle."
The Blood Wolf slowly moved towards him. Its lips curled back, exposing rows of razor-sharp teeth. Neither attacked immediately. Each searched for an opening. The forest grew silent once more. Two predators.
One human. One beast.
Both waited for the other to make the first fatal mistake.
The Blood Wolf lowered its body. Its powerful hind legs compressed like drawn bowstrings. Mo Xuan tightened his grip on the iron sword, and his Spiritual Sense expanded to its limit.
His breathing synchronised with the world around him. Leaves drifted lazily through the air. Dust floated above the forest floor. Even the wolf's muscles seemed to tense one fibre at a time.
"Come."
The Blood Wolf lunged. Its body became a crimson blur as it crossed the remaining distance in an instant. Its claws aimed directly for Mo Xuan's throat.
Instead of retreating, Mo Xuan stepped forward. His movement surprised even himself. For several months, he had trained his body for moments exactly like this. Every dodge, every breath, every shift of his centre of gravity had become instinct.
Whoosh!
The wolf's claws sliced through empty air, missing his neck by barely an inch. At the same moment, Mo Xuan twisted his waist. The iron sword traced a sharp arc toward the beast's exposed flank.
Clang!
Instead of flesh, the blade struck bone. Sparks erupted. A tremendous force travelled up the sword and into his arm, numbing his fingers. Mo Xuan was forced three steps backwards before regaining his balance.
His eyes widened.
"So hard…"
The Blood Wolf landed gracefully several metres away. A shallow cut stretched across its ribs. Only a thin line of blood emerged before the wound stopped bleeding. The beast lowered its head. Its crimson eyes grew even colder.
Mo Xuan flexed his tingling fingers. The iron sword hadn't broken, but a small chip now marked its edge. He finally understood why cultivators valued Spirit Weapons. Ordinary steel struggled even to penetrate the hide of a Tier One Spirit Beast.
"If this continues…"
"My sword will break before the battle ends."
The Blood Wolf growled again. This time, it didn't charge immediately. Instead, it circled slowly. Its instincts had already judged its opponent. The human before it wasn't very powerful. But he was fast. Far faster and more stubborn than any prey it had hunted before.
Mo Xuan mirrored its movements. Neither dared underestimate the other now. The forest fell silent once more. Only the wind whispered through the ancient trees.
Then...
The Blood Wolf vanished. Not literally. Its speed simply exceeded what ordinary eyes could follow. Mo Xuan's pupils contracted. "Left!"
His Spiritual Sense warned him before his vision did. He instinctively swung his sword sideways.
Clang!
Claws collided against steel. The impact sent both combatants flying apart. Mo Xuan's feet carved deep grooves across the earth before he finally stopped. His palms burned. His sword arm throbbed painfully.
The wolf landed lightly upon a nearby boulder. It hadn't suffered a fatal injury. Every attack the Blood Wolf launched targeted vital points. It fought with terrifying efficiency. There wasn't a single wasted movement.
Mo Xuan, on the other hand, had never fought a living opponent before today. Everything he knew came from books. From striking trees. From sparring against his own shadow. This battle was exposing every weakness in his experience.
The wolf attacked again. This time... It feinted. Its body darted toward Mo Xuan's left before instantly changing direction mid-leap. The real attack came from above. Mo Xuan barely raised his sword in time.
Bang!
The force drove him to one knee. The ground beneath his feet cracked. His shoulders screamed in protest. Before he could recover, the wolf opened its jaws.
Rows of razor-sharp fangs descended toward his face. Instinct took over. Mo Xuan released the sword with one hand and slammed his fist directly into the wolf's lower jaw.
Boom!
The Blood Wolf's head jerked sideways. It landed awkwardly several metres away, skidding across the forest floor.
Both froze.
Mo Xuan stared at his own fist. The Blood Wolf slowly shook its head. A small trickle of blood escaped from the corner of its mouth. For the first time since the battle began... The beast looked genuinely surprised.
So was Mo Xuan. "My body…" He slowly clenched his hand. "…is stronger than I thought." The tempering hadn't merely strengthened his muscles. It had transformed every part of his physique. Even a direct collision with a Spirit Beast hadn't shattered the bones in his hand.
Instead...
He had forced the beast backwards. The Blood Wolf stood once more. Its growl deepened. It viewed the young human before it as a genuine threat. Its crimson eyes narrowed. A faint scarlet aura gradually rose from its body. The Spiritual Energy surrounding the forest began flowing toward it.
Mo Xuan's expression became serious. He slowly picked up the iron sword from the ground. His breathing steadied. His heartbeat slowed. Soul Power circulated naturally throughout his body. Every muscle relaxed. Every sense sharpened.
The forest seemed to disappear. There was only him. And the wolf. Mo Xuan unconsciously tightened his grip. A strange feeling spread through his body. His mysterious Cosmic Soul was responding to battle.
The Blood Wolf let out another low growl. Its crimson eyes never left Mo Xuan. The young human before it wasn't easy prey. It would only attack when victory was certain. Mo Xuan mirrored its patience.
His breathing remained steady. His muscles relaxed. His aching arms no longer felt heavy.
The soreness in his shoulders slowly faded as his recovery accelerated.
Instead of attacking... Mo Xuan deliberately retreated half a step. The Blood Wolf immediately followed. Another half step. Again... The beast followed. Its attention had become entirely focused upon him. Exactly as he wanted.
Behind the wolf stood a massive boulder nearly twice the height of a man. Its surface was covered in thick green moss. The ground around it narrowed considerably. If the beast charged there… its movement would become restricted.
Mo Xuan continued retreating calmly. One step. Another. Another. The Blood Wolf, believing its prey was gradually losing confidence, accelerated slightly. The distance shrank.
Five metres. Four. Three. Without warning—
Mo Xuan stopped retreating. His right foot stamped firmly against the ground. The sudden change caused the wolf to hesitate for the briefest moment. It was enough.
Mo Xuan exploded forward; Soul Power surged through his body. His strengthened legs launched him across the remaining distance with astonishing speed. The Blood Wolf reacted instantly.
Its jaws opened wide as it lunged directly toward his throat. Exactly as before. Only this time... Mo Xuan had anticipated it. At the final instant, he twisted sideways. The wolf's claws grazed his sleeve instead of his flesh.
Its body shot past him, straight toward the narrow gap beside the boulder.
Now!
Mo Xuan pivoted sharply. Using the momentum of his turn, he swung the iron sword with both hands. He aimed for its injured foreleg—the beast's weakest point.
Slash!
The blade bit deeply into flesh. Blood erupted. The Blood Wolf released a pained howl as one of its front legs buckled beneath it. Unable to control its momentum, the beast slammed violently into the enormous boulder.
BOOM!
Fragments of stone scattered across the forest. Dust rose into the air. For the first time since the battle began... The Blood Wolf had suffered a genuine injury.