Under Wei Yun’s command, Mira surged forward, dashing away from Lin Zheng in a desperate attempt to escape.

“You think you can run? Wind Wolf, after them, just make sure to leave him alive!”

A smirk tugged at the corner of Lin Zheng’s lips as he gestured toward his Second-tier Wind Wolf.

Awooo—!

A deafening howl rang through the forest. The Second-tier Wind Wolf issued its order, and the four lower-tier Wind Wolves instantly sprang into action, leaping forward from multiple directions to cut off Wei Yun’s escape.

At the same time, the Second-tier Wind Wolf also charged forward into pursuit. If they managed to entangle Wei Yun, he would have no chance of breaking free.

“Cave Mole, use Sonic Boom!” Wei Yun kept his voice steady, forcing himself to remain calm as he issued the command to the trembling Mole in his arms.

Before the skill could activate, Wei Yun channeled his spiritual energy, forming a protective barrier around himself and Mira to shield them from the attack’s indiscriminate effects.

Despite its terror, the Cave Mole inhaled sharply, its small belly and cheeks swelling until it looked like two unevenly sized furry spheres.

Then—

SCREEECH!

A piercing, ear-splitting soundwave tore through the air, sending violent shockwaves rippling across a hundred-meter radius.

The Second-tier Wind Wolf skidded to an abrupt halt, momentarily stunned.

The four lower-tier Wind Wolves fared far worse. Their heads spun, their eardrums ruptured, and thin trails of blood trickled from their ears as they collapsed, limbs twitching weakly.

Not far away, Lin Zheng reacted instantly. A surge of spiritual energy shielded his ears in advance, allowing him to negate the effects entirely.

Mira seized the opportunity, breaking through the encirclement and racing toward the outer edges of Azure Cloud Mountain under Wei Yun’s direction.

“Damn it, after them!” Lin Zheng’s expression darkened as he barked the order.

Beyond his greed for the Nature Sprite, he couldn’t afford to let Wei Yun escape and expose his involvement. There was no way he was letting them go.

At his command, the Second-tier Wind Wolf dashed forward, moving like a streak of emerald lightning as it tore through the undergrowth.

Both sides moved at blistering speeds, disappearing into the depths of the forest within moments.

Without hesitation, Lin Zheng leapt onto his Titanfang Bear’s back. Though the massive beast was slower, its long strides compensated for it, allowing it to keep pace with the lower-tier Wind Wolves, who quickly regained their bearings and resumed the chase.

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Perched atop his beast, Lin Zheng narrowed his eyes, focusing his spiritual link to track the Second-tier Wind Wolf’s exact position.

A hundred meters ahead—

Even with Mira moving at full speed, she struggled to widen the gap. Worse still, the Second-tier Wind Wolf was closing in fast. Though Mira’s speed rivaled her pursuer’s, the added weight of Wei Yun and the Cave Mole was slowing her down.

Sensing the danger, Mira activated Tailwind, her speed spiking in an instant, momentarily pulling ahead.

But the reprieve was short-lived. The Second-tier Wind Wolf responded in kind, activating Tailwind as well. Its speed surged, and the gap rapidly narrowed once more.

Mira never looked back. She focused entirely on dodging obstacles and pushing forward with everything she had.

Closer. Closer.

Wei Yun kept his eyes locked on their pursuer. His sharp vision allowed him to spot the Wind Wolf’s silhouette in the distance.

A few breaths later—

The Second-tier Wind Wolf became fully visible, now only twenty meters away, well within striking range.

And yet—

Despite its ability to attack, the Second-tier Wind Wolf didn’t make a move. Lin Zheng’s orders had been clear: capture Wei Yun alive.

Wei Yun, however, had no such restrictions.

“Slyvia, Sleep Powder!”

At his command, Slyvia gathered her energy, forming a dense cloud of shimmering golden powder that drifted toward their pursuer.

The Second-tier Wind Wolf reacted instantly, recognizing the slow-moving powder. With a swift sidestep, it narrowly evaded the attack.

But that brief distraction gave Mira just enough time to pull ahead again, though the gap wouldn’t last long.

“Cave Mole, Mud Shot!”

The tiny creature sprang onto Wei Yun’s shoulder, raising its small paws as earth-element energy condensed into two large orbs of mud, each the size of a human head, before hurling them at the pursuing wolf.

BAM! SPLAT!

The first mud ball missed, but the second struck home, splattering across the Wind Wolf’s snout.

Wet yellow mud coated its face, blinding it. Though unharmed, the disorienting impact made it falter.

Awooo—!

The Second-tier Wind Wolf howled furiously. Getting hit in the face was beyond humiliating, and rage boiled in its eyes.

BAM!

Blinded by fury, it failed to notice a thick tree in its path and crashed headfirst, snapping the trunk clean in half.

The impact sent it staggering. It barely avoided collapsing but shook its head violently, flinging away the mud before resuming the chase, now angrier than ever.

This time, its intent was unmistakable.

No longer holding back, the Second-tier Wind Wolf opened its jaws, wind-element energy swirling as a pale green Wind Blade formed.

Lin Zheng’s order had been to keep Wei Yun alive. But Mira?

She was fair game.

“Slyvia, Burrowing Vines!” Wei Yun had been anticipating this moment.

At his command, Slyvia’s power surged, and thick vines erupted from the ground, coiling around the Second-tier Wind Wolf’s front legs.

If it had been the Titanfang Bear, the vines wouldn’t have stood a chance. But the Wind Wolf, despite its agility, lacked the raw strength needed to tear free instantly.

Its momentum broke. It tripped forward, tumbling hard onto the ground.

The Wind Blade veered wildly off course, slicing through a nearby tree instead.

By the time the Second-tier Wind Wolf regained its footing, Mira had vanished into the distance.

But the chase wasn’t over.

The wolf’s nose twitched, locking onto their scent. No matter how far they ran, it would find them.

And this time, there was no hesitation. Its eyes burned with a murderous light.

The earlier humiliation had ignited an unshakable hatred for Wei Yun.

Meanwhile, Wei Yun gritted his teeth, frustration mounting.

Even after changing course multiple times, the Wind Wolf refused to be shaken off.

There was no escaping it.

“If we can’t lose it... then we’ll take it down.”

Determined, Wei Yun redirected Mira, toward a location he had chosen for a final stand.

Mira leapt forward, landing at the site he had selected.

The Second-tier Wind Wolf, blinded by fury, charged recklessly after them.

The fight was inevitable. And Wei Yun was ready.