harleyscars 723. The Trapped Wolf Pack
723. The Trapped Wolf Pack
In a valley, the air was scorching hot, as if it were about to burst into flames. The thick stench of blood mingled with the pungent, animalistic odor of the Wildfire Wolves, creating an exceptionally foul smell. The ground in the valley was riddled with craters, claw marks, and charred remains, and the scattered carcasses of the Wildfire Wolves indicated that a fierce battle had just ended.
In the middle of the valley, on a relatively open rocky area, stood a lone figure. It was Xiao Yan's elder brother, Xiao Ding.
His condition was extremely poor. His gray-blue robe was torn to shreds and soaked with dark red blood in several places. His face was as pale as paper, and the weakness from the excessive consumption of his fighting spirit made him pant slightly. His forehead was covered with fine cold sweat, which was now mixed with blood.
Only Xiao Ding's eyes remained calm, even in such a desperate situation, constantly scanning his surroundings.
Around him, dozens of massive Wildfire Wolves crouched low, emitting threatening growls. Their fierce gazes were fixed on Xiao Ding in the center, clearly regarding him as their prey!
They moved cautiously, adjusting their encirclement. A fourth-tier peak-level companion who had just attempted to pounce had been brutally killed by this seemingly ordinary human, the ruthless method instilling a deeper fear in the pack. They needed to wait for the optimal moment to attack; their alpha wolf would give the command.
On the slightly higher cliff at the edge of this valley, five figures stood or sat. They were in different postures, some with their arms crossed, watching coldly, others leaning lazily against the rocks, all with a playful, cat-and-mouse expression on their faces.
It was they who forced Xiao Ding to this deliberately chosen perilous place. They also trapped all the Wildfire Wolves here, forcing them to actively oppose Xiao Ding.
"Xiao Ding, to be honest, I'm actually quite impressed with you. Even on the verge of death, you still have such a strong backbone."
The burly man at the head was bald, with a hideous scar running across his face. Seeing the situation reach a stalemate, he began to put pressure on Xiao Ding with words.
"Your woman, tsk tsk, truly a beauty, it's a pity she's fallen into the hands of the Scorpion Demons. I don't need to describe her fate to you, do I?"
"The three scorpion demons know how to cherish women, so they probably won't waste good materials, hahaha!" Upon hearing this, a tall, thin man with a lewd appearance immediately let out a strange laugh.
"Not to mention, your so-called Xiao family will also be destroyed sooner or later."
"Now that you're surrounded, and we're kindly guarding you from above, your continued struggle is nothing more than providing us brothers with some laughs."
Faced with the five people's sarcasm, Xiao Ding remained silent and rational.
He leaned against a huge, uneven rock, using it as a shield to block attacks from one direction. His hands, seemingly limp at his sides and hidden in his tattered sleeves, were slowly healing the wounds on his body with extremely subtle movements using wood-attribute battle qi.
Xiao Ding, with only one foot in the Dou Wang realm, could never possibly face so many fourth-tier magical beasts alone. He quickly scanned the gaps in the outer wolf pack, his mind taut, only one thought racing through his head: find the alpha wolf that had remained hidden among the pack, directing them. Only by killing the leader could he find a glimmer of hope in this desperate situation!
After a brief regrouping, a howl erupted from an unknown direction, like a clarion call to attack. A dozen or so impatient fire wolves, their eyes gleaming with ferocity, pounced again from all directions!
Perched atop the cliff, watching the fierce battle reignite below, another burly man with a full beard grew impatient. He leaned forward, clenching his fists, his knuckles cracking crisply. "Brother," he said, "why waste time with him? This place is secluded enough. Let me down here, and we'll settle things in a few punches and kicks. Clean and efficient, not even a bone fragment will remain."
The scarred, burly man's eyes were dark: "Second brother, calm down."
His gaze returned to the valley, watching Xiao Ding dodge and weave as the wolf claws tore at him.
"You really think I care about a mere Dou Ling? Crushing him is no different than crushing an ant." His tone was cautious. "But things aren't as simple as you think. We went through all this trouble, first using that woman to make a deal with the three Scorpion Demons, then driving him all the way to this remote, godforsaken place, all for the sake of absolute certainty."
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over his companions: "The important person above made it very clear that his death must be a complete accident!"
He emphasized the word "accident," which was clearly the reason why they wanted the Wildfire Wolves to take action while they watched from the sidelines.
The tall, thin man curled his lip upon hearing this: "Damn it, these noblemen have so many tricks up their sleeves. Why bother with all these rules and regulations when you're about to kill someone? Wouldn't it be much more satisfying to just chop them up with a single stroke?"
Another burly man, who hadn't said much until now, coldly chimed in, "Fourth brother, take your complaints back. In our line of work, we do what the big shots say. If we get things done, we'll get our share of the rewards."
"This guy is notoriously cautious, so we can't even use too powerful magical beasts. It makes perfect sense that he was targeted by the Wildfire Wolves and ultimately killed by the pack!"
Just as the group was exchanging words, the Wildfire Wolves below launched another attack. More than a dozen wolves swarmed around Xiao Ding from all angles, attacking him relentlessly. Xiao Ding swung his fists and palms, pushing away the wolves one by one as they lunged at him. But the wolf pack was simply too numerous, and their attacks were like a relentless, raging tide.
Xiao Ding's shoulder was suddenly ripped open by a fearless fire wolf, leaving several fresh bloodstains. He groaned and his steps became unsteady.
At that moment, a scorching heat suddenly appeared.
coming!
The Wildfire Wolf King, already at the fifth rank and comparable to a human Battle King, suddenly appeared. Through their previous struggle and exchange, the beast had confirmed that the humans before it were somewhat weaker than itself. The human figures on the cliff top had instinctively made it wary, but since they hadn't personally intervened, it now had no reason not to act!
Its timing was extremely cunning. Xiao Ding felt an unusually scorching heat wave rush towards him! A fatal sense of crisis suddenly arose, and Xiao Ding almost instinctively raised all the remaining fighting spirit without reservation, crossing his arms sharply to protect his vital points in front of his chest.