'Dark Wolf' is a menacing creature that emerged from the depths of a dungeon with a 'dark' attribute. In the previous timeline, Ji Wuye had faced these fearsome beasts countless times, battling his way through the treacherous dark attribute dungeon over and over again.

'So it's always a 'dark' attribute dungeon, not a 'wood' one,' Ji Wuye muttered under his breath, his brow furrowing slightly as memories flickered across his mind.

Unlike now, when he was taking missions, Ji Wuye in the previous timeline at this time was still relentlessly training, desperately trying to redeem himself after being given a final chance to avoid expulsion from the sect. Back then, the sect's walls had become his refuge, keeping him isolated from the outside world.

Details like the types of dungeons that manifested near Kunlun's territory or the villages ravaged by the dungeon breaks were mere whispers lost to him amidst his singular focus.

"Sister Song-" While pondering this, Ji Wuye suddenly spoke up, his deep voice cutting through the tense silence. Without turning around, his fingers deftly gripped one of the jian on the grass near the coachman who was breathing weakly. At the same time, Ji Wuye's crimson eyes blazed with an intense glow as a transparent screen flickered to life before him.

image [https://i.ibb.co/n6FQDZv/Notif-1.webp]

The moment that transparent screen flickered to life before Ji Wuye's eyes, the pack of gigantic Dark Wolves surrounding him abruptly multiplied, their shadowy forms rippling and fracturing as if breaking through the fabric of reality itself. Their sleek obsidian bodies lacked the solidity of their physical counterparts - these were mere illusions conjured by some inscrutable force.

Time itself seemed to lose its steady cadence, slowing to a crawl as one of the illusionary Dark Wolves launched itself into the air with a feral snarl. Its powerful jaws snapped viciously as it hurtled towards Ji Wuye from the front, a lethal missile of tooth and claw.

Ji Wuye's crimson eyes shifted with preternatural speed, locking onto another shadowy beast charging in from the side behind the airborne decoy. This wolf ducked low, its lithe body weaving in an attempt to flank the unsuspecting Ji Wuye in a pincer maneuver.

Now two out of the five illusionary Dark Wolves had their meticulously calculated attack patterns laid bare before Ji Wuye's discerning crimson gaze. His eyes flicked towards the remaining shadowy figures, instantly identifying the other three beasts converging on Song Jia in a coordinated, multi-angled onslaught.

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'A deadlock, huh?' Ji Wuye inwardly muttered, his eyes narrowing as he analyzed their attack patterns based on their posture and locked gazes. Normally, in such a dire situation, he would be forced to choose: either deflect the assault to ensure his own safety or endure the onslaught of bites to aid the besieged Song Jia.

And lastly, under the scrutinizing glow of his crimson eyes which seemed to slow time itself, Ji Wuye's sharp senses detected the alpha wolf, the cunning leader of the pack, silently maneuvering behind the group's coordinated attack.

'Well, I could just kill them all at once,' Ji Wuye thought, his crimson eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. Their speed paled in comparison to his own, and his body had been honed to be tougher and stronger, thanks to the breakthrough in the Unbreakable Vajra. 'But there's no point in dragging her into this,' he murmured under his breath, an amused smile appearing on his lips.

SWOOSH-!

Time snapped back to its normal flow. Song Jia, who had been controlling her breathing and relaxing her tensed muscles during this fleeting moment, stole a sidelong glance at Ji Wuye from the corner of her eye upon hearing his calling.

"-A martial artist would never... never win against these beasts unless they have reached the 7th realm," Ji Wuye continued, his deep voice cutting through the tense silence.

Both he and Song Jia kept their eyes locked on the Dark Wolves circling them like vultures, their obsidian fur matted with drying blood in the harsh daylight. The deep wounds Song Jia had managed to inflict earlier left the beasts slightly hampered, most favoring their mauled front legs with a telltale limp.

"The reason humans created martial arts is not to make our bodies stronger by training for countless years or even for an eternity, but..." Ji Wuye paused, turning his head slightly to meet Song Jia's gaze, her expression solemn as she listened intently. "-To improve our attacks, to evolve them to the point where they can defy common sense."

As these words left Ji Wuye's lips, Song Jia's eyes widened in realization. She watched, almost in slow motion, as Ji Wuye moved to stand before her, shielding her from the Dark Wolves lunging and charging at him from all sides, their jaws gnashing with feral hunger.

A faint, enigmatic smile played across Ji Wuye's lips, though Song Jia couldn't discern if it was genuine or merely a tragic facade against the backdrop of gigantic shadows looming behind him.

But she knew something bad was going to happen!

Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as the shadows closed in on Ji Wuye in this slowed moment. Her expression shifted from stunned disbelief to utter unwillingness, a silent scream trapped behind gritted teeth.

'NO! Y-YOU CAN'T KILL HIM!' she screamed inwardly, her fierce determination to save Ji Wuye propelling her exhausted body into action against the viscous flow of time itself. The jian in her white-knuckled grip inched forward bit by agonizing bit as she fought with every fiber of her being.

But...

SWOOSH-!

Suddenly, to her astonished eyes, the man she so desperately tried to protect seemed to defy gravity itself, soaring impossibly into the sky above the charging beasts.

The force of Ji Wuye's ascent whipped up a powerful gust of wind that pushed back the charging Dark Wolves, causing their massive bodies to tumble helplessly in mid-air towards Song Jia.

"-and even reached the tip of heaven!" Ji Wuye's voice thundered, the words vibrating in Song Jia's ears as she remained rooted in place, utterly dumbfounded. Her widened eyes followed his effortless soaring arc in a trance-like state, watching as he casually landed on the other side with feline grace.

While, on the other hand, the gigantic shadows of the falling Dark Wolves threatened to engulf her and the coachman behind her.

A torrent of emotions overwhelmed Song Jia all at once – confusion, relief, rage, and disappointment swirled together in a maelstrom. Her dumbfounded expression morphed into something unreadable as her Qi began to churn and emit from her Lower Dantian, channeling down into the jian gripped tightly in her hands.

The buildup of energy caused her feet to lift from the ground as she instinctively leapt into the air, her mind subconsciously conjuring swirling winds to fuel her technique.

image [https://i.ibb.co/pf5SWj1/Notif-1.webp]