Blood and Bite — The Howling Moon Wolf

Having acquired two supreme sword arts, Ji Ning naturally trained relentlessly. He could now execute the techniques of the Dripping Sutra and the Thunderfire Sword Fragments, which had brought a slight improvement to his combat strength. But this was merely scratching the surface—he hadn't even reached minor mastery. After all, his father Ji Yichuan was still to this day pondering the depths of the Dripping Sutra.

Lightning Flash was one of the three killing techniques of the Thunderfire Sword Fragments. It was all about one thing—speed!

As fast as lightning, as fierce as flames!

"Ning'er's swordplay and footwork are exquisite," Yuchi Snow praised from the viewing stand above. "The Howling Moon Wolf is as fast as a phantom and surpasses Ning'er in raw speed. But Ning'er, relying on the Windshadow Steps, keeps changing direction and has completely taken control of the battlefield. His swordsmanship has reached the Subtlety realm; he can shift through multiple changes in an instant. Against this wolf demon at least… it's safe to say he's been watertight."

Ji Yichuan nodded. "With Fiendgod Body Refining, Ji Ning has the advantage in strength and is slightly weaker in speed… Still, this is a Godbeast with tremendous vitality. These minor wounds are nothing but a scratch to it. Once it goes all-out, and considering Ji Ning has never experienced such intense life-and-death combat before, the outcome is hard to tell."

…

Below, Ji Ning felt a surge of exhilaration, as though everything was firmly in his grasp. Sword in hand, he continued to close in on the Howling Moon Wolf.

"Aoooow~" Sensing the threat of death from the human youth before it, the Howling Moon Wolf let out a fierce howl. Its silver fur bristled like needles, its eyes narrowed, and its pupils glowed green. Anyone familiar with Howling Moon Wolves would understand… the beast had entered a maddened, suicidal state.

An invisible killing intent washed over Ji Ning, causing his heart to tighten.

Killing intent?

"ROAR!" The wolf charged, the ground trembling beneath it.

Ji Ning moved like a light breeze, shifting position with just a few steps, and his sword flashed—Pfft! Blood splattered once more. A large gash appeared across the wolf's chest, but the beast paid it no mind. Its two claws swiped directly at Ji Ning, nails like daggers cutting through the air.

Calmly stepping back, Ji Ning raised his sword to block.

Clang! The wolf's left forepaw made contact with the blade. Its claw-like nails hooked around the sword, trying to grab it. But a sword infused with Ji Ning's Fiendgod-like strength was no easy thing to catch. If it had used the momentum to rebound, that would have been one thing. But trying to lock the blade by absorbing the impact head-on with a single forepaw…

Crack! Blood spattered from the wolf's left forepaw, and the faint sound of bone fractures could be heard.

Whoosh!

The other claw came straight for Ji Ning's chest. The distance was too close; there was no time to block. Ji Ning could only suck in a deep breath, letting his chest cave in by a few inches. Riiip! Riiip! The tough beast-hide robe at his chest tore open, blood splattering. Ji Ning was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the ground. The packed dirt cracked beneath him.

Swoosh! Ji Ning immediately leaped away, putting distance between them.

"I'm injured." Ji Ning stared at the Howling Moon Wolf, his pupils contracting.

That exchange just now—the wolf had deliberately hooked his claws around the sword blade. It had chosen to cripple itself just to land an attack. Its left forepaw was now half-useless, and it would lose speed. But that claw had torn through his beast-hide robe. The leather was made from the hide of a Xiantian creature, cut down for clothing. Without demonic essence infusing it, its defense was much weaker. Generally speaking, such hide could withstand the bites of Houtian-level demon beasts.

But the Howling Moon Wolf was a Godbeast. A full-strength strike could barely tear through the hide.

Additionally, to better temper himself, Ji Ning had been wearing the Golden Dust Garment, which could theoretically merge into his skin and protect every inch of his body. But he had reduced its coverage and was only shielding his vital points.

"Life-and-death combat is different from sparring. I can't fight it based on the habits I built in practice." Ji Ning quickly reoriented his thinking. "In sparring, no one would cripple themselves on purpose. But in a life-or-death fight… the only goal is to kill the opponent. To achieve that, one must be willing to pay any price."

"I need to be more careful, more vigilant."

Ji Ning, like a sponge, rapidly absorbed this lesson. The gruesome wound on his chest, revealed where the hide had torn, visibly shrank at an astonishing speed. The bleeding stopped, the gash rapidly closed, then turned into a thin red line, and finally became pristine white skin. Completely unblemished!

Such was the formidable regeneration of Fiendgod Body Refining.

An ordinary Fiendgod Body Refining technique would allow you to regrow severed limbs upon reaching Xiantian. As for Ji Ning's method—the number one Fiendgod Body Refining technique in the Three Realms—his current regeneration was already close to that level.

"Good!" Ji Ning grinned, baring his teeth. "You just knocked my sword away."

"ROAR~" The Howling Moon Wolf stood with its forepaw pressed over the discarded sword. Its eyes radiated insanity. Seeing the terrifying recovery speed of the human youth before it, it understood—this was a Fiendgod wearing human skin, whose regeneration was even mightier than its own, a Godbeast.

Ji Ning flicked his right hand, and another longsword appeared in his grip.

"Again."

Ji Ning transformed into a blur, charging straight at the Howling Moon Wolf.

"ROAR!" The wolf charged too.

…

They clashed over and over. Every exchange was a dance along the knife edge between life and death. Ji Ning possessed terrifying regeneration, overwhelming strength, and razor-sharp swordplay. The Howling Moon Wolf used its teeth, claws, and tail as weapons, and its massive body meant ordinary sword wounds were no serious threat.

"So he's only covering his vital points with the Golden Dust Garment." Ji Yichuan allowed a rare hint of a smile.

"Ning'er is pushing himself too hard." Yuchi Snow's heart tightened with worry.

Her son's body was covered in bloodstains. How could a mother not worry?

"Relax. Ji Ning is using the Golden Dust Garment to protect his vitals. No matter how he's injured, it won't be fatal," Ji Yichuan said. "At worst, he'll lose an arm or a leg… with his regeneration, he can grow them back in a few hours."

"Lose an arm or leg?" Yuchi Snow's heart clenched, but she understood. This was a necessary hardship on the path to becoming a true expert.

…

Huff, huff, huff… Even Ji Ning's Fiendgod-like physique was panting heavily now. His beast-hide robe had torn in many places, and the wounds beneath were rapidly healing on their own.

"ROAR~"

The Howling Moon Wolf let out a despairing howl. It struggled to stand upright, but both forepaws trembled as if it might collapse at any moment. Its body was covered in dozens of massive wounds, and one especially gruesome gash cut straight across its head.

Both legs were broken. The fact that it was still standing was already a testament to its willpower.

"You've lost." Ji Ning wiped the blood from the corner of his eye and said in a low voice, "My strength is actually greater than yours, yet I've won so messily… that's because your frenzy made my heart unsteady and prevented me from bringing out my full potential. You are the first demon I've killed. For that reason, I'll let you die at my strongest!"

Whoosh! Another longsword materialized in Ji Ning's left hand. Holding twin swords, he stared at the Howling Moon Wolf.

Swoosh!

Ji Ning shot forward like a blur. The Howling Moon Wolf let out a final roar and pounced toward him.

Two massive sword flashes cut through the air. The first flash sheared off the wolf's other foreleg. The second flash, a cross-shaped cut, cleaved across its head, spilling brains and blood everywhere.

Ji Ning landed.

The Howling Moon Wolf crashed onto the packed earth. On its head, the cross-shaped wound poured out blood and brains. Mud stuck to its silver fur, now sullied by blood and dirt. Once beautiful and noble, its pristine coat was now filthy. A Godbeast bearing the bloodline of the Fiendgods, dead.

"How does it feel?" Ji Yichuan looked at his son from the viewing platform.

"Refreshing." Ji Ning looked up at his father, his eyes blazing. "One match every day from now on."

Ji Yichuan's eye twitched. He barked, "Do you think it's easy to capture Houtian perfection demon beasts alive? One match every three days… and most of them will be ordinary demon beasts. If you want to fight Godbeasts, you'll have to rely on luck. I'll instruct Dragon Fort to give you the most dangerous Houtian beasts to practice with."

Ji Ning nodded. "If the opponent is too weak, I'll just rely on my Ki alone."

With a Fiendgod-like physique and strength, ordinary Houtian perfection beasts were nothing but prey. It was only Godbeasts with Fiendgod blood that could truly battle him.

…

Time flowed on.

Through battle after battle against demon beasts, Ji Ning's swordplay, footwork, and overall coordination grew ever more refined. He also came to understand that in life-and-death combat, keeping a calm heart was even more important than raw technique. If the heart was troubled, you could never fully bring out your strength.

…

Autumn came, and the land of the Yan Mountains grew bitterly cold. For some of the weaker tribes, survival became ever harder. When demon beasts from deep mountains and marshes ran rampant, some small tribes might even be annihilated.

Boom, boom, boom…

The earth shook.

Across a vast plain covered in wild grass, a flood of armored Black Armored Guards riding long-haired beasts swept across the land like a black torrent.

"Halt." A cold shout rang out, and the three hundred elite Black Armored Guards all came to a stop.

"Commander, this is the last place the snake demon was sighted—the Sharp Horn Tribe's settlement. Three days ago, it suddenly appeared, charged into the tribe, devoured eighteen people, slaughtered over a hundred, and completely scattered the Sharp Horn Tribe," a Black Armored Guard reported respectfully. "In the months it's been active, it has killed over a thousand people and attacked over a dozen tribes. They were all small tribes. Based on the damage, it's likely either a Houtian perfection demon beast with Fiendgod bloodline, or a Xiantian great demon."

"Mm."

The man riding a white tiger, wearing blood-red armor and sporting a bushy beard, nodded. "This snake demon is causing chaos within the territory governed by our Ji Clan's Western Prefecture. It must be killed. Its recent appearances have all been in this general area… Split into thirty squads and search everywhere. As soon as you find it, fire a signal arrow."

"Yes!" The three hundred Black Armored Guards acknowledged in unison.

Swoosh swoosh swoosh…

In moments, the three hundred elite riders split into thirty squads and dispersed in every direction, combing the wilderness.